Beauty Tube Noob
February 15, 2014 10:35 AM   Subscribe

I bought the L'Oreal Double Extend mascara based on its many recommendations here, but am having a heck of a time removing it. What am I doing wrong, and how are you doing it right?

For reference: I use the OCM and not soap to cleanse, I have tried holding a wet washcloth to my eyes then gently wiping, using just my hands and water, and mineral oil and grapeseed oil based eye makeup removers. I can't ever seem to get it all off and am left with sticky black globs on my face and eyelids, or trying to scrape it off individual lashes with my nails (this results in pulling lashes out as well tho, a less than ideal solution). This can't be the experience that all of you are having, is it? TIA!
posted by PaulaSchultz to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've not used that specific one in a while now, but one of my regular mascaras are also the same beauty tube tech. In both cases, it really is as stated in the packaging - warm water will be more than enough to remove it, without applying anything prior. Did you try it with cool or coolish lukewarm water?
posted by cendawanita at 10:42 AM on February 15, 2014


I haven't used that specific product, but I've never met a makeup product that pure grapeseed oil on a cotton pad couldn't remove. As a bonus, it's super cheap and super gentle. Works better, in my experience, than makeup removers that feature it as an ingredient, so maybe worth a shot?
posted by schroedingersgirl at 10:48 AM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


My secret to getting really, really stubborn eye makeup off is Albolene (which is mineral oil-based). I usually use it before my normal facial cleanser. My approach is basically to massage it into my skin with some warm water for about a minute. Then I wipe it off with a wet wash cloth. Always works!
posted by LittleKnitting at 10:55 AM on February 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


That is my mascara of choice for certain looks and yes, it really is just splashes and splashes of warm water. No oils, no soaps (not that this is an issue for you) no removers. It will come off in little clumps and tangles and should just slide off after a few gentle-- gentle!-- massages of the eye area. You might even be impeding the process by applying oils-- creating a seal around the mascara when the water needs to penetrate the tubes to make them slide off.
posted by oflinkey at 10:57 AM on February 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


The Beauty Tube-type mascaras don't dissolve in oil like traditional mascaras. Lots of warm water and very gentle pressure will do it.

For what it's worth, I stopped using that mascara because I found the little crumbs of beauty tube no easier to clean up than regular mascara residue. It's neat stuff and it won't run or smudge while you wear it, but I didn't find the removal process particularly convenient.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:07 AM on February 15, 2014 [3 favorites]


I only use tube mascara and how I get it off is, soak a baby washcloth (thin, soft) in hottish-warm water. Don't wring out - use it dripping wet, leaning over sink. Hold on eye for several seconds. Gently gently pinch the mascara off, using nowhere near enough pressure to pull lashes out, of course.

And yes, regular eye makeup remover, even the double-use kind you use for regular waterproof eye makeup, will not work on this.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:09 AM on February 15, 2014 [4 favorites]


I was one of those recommenders, and I use either warm water on a washcloth OR the shower, if the timing works out. If you run your face under the shower for 30ish seconds, go about your other business for a few minutes, and then stick your face back under the shower and just brush downward over your lashes with your finger or washcloth* once or twice, they fall off and wash away.

*I actually use a Japanese Beauty Skin Towel, which is a plastic mesh similar to what a bath poof is made of, and just put it over my finger and swipe downward. The tubes wash out of the mesh after a minute or two of soaping myself up.

This would probably also work at the sink, now that I think about it. Wet your washcloth with warm water, fold, hold it over your eyes like you have a headache for a minute, then stop and brush your teeth or take off the rest of your makeup, then go back to the washcloth and use that same downward wiping motion on closed eyes.

The tubes don't dissolve, so using oil or detergent solvents doesn't help any. I find that the downward motion works a lot better than a side-to-side scrubbing motion.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:26 AM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


Warm is key! I do exactly what fingersandtoes does, but I hold the washcloth on for about 15-20 seconds, over both eyes. I think it's supposed to dissolve completely at 105 degrees? Which is pretty warm, but not HOT.
posted by peep at 11:35 AM on February 15, 2014 [2 favorites]


I was one of those recommenders too. I use Cetaphil cleanser (the gentle version) and a washcloth and plenty of warm water.
posted by Majorita at 1:17 PM on February 15, 2014


Best answer: I've used that stuff, too, until I got tired of the spider-eyes it gave me. Loved that it never smudged under my eyes after five minutes of wear, as every other mascara I've tried does. Anyway, I just used warm water while I was washing my face and gently pulled off any remaining...stuff. That said, have you tried using an eyelash comb after/during washing your face? That might help pull the tubes off without having to scrub your eyes, which isn't really a good thing to do.

Editing to add...are you using the primer that comes with it on the other end? If not, that might be why you can't get it off.
posted by msbadcrumble at 7:19 PM on February 15, 2014


Response by poster: cendawanita, et al: I have been using warm water, but maybe it wasn't quite warm enough. Will try again.

Straight grapeseed was one of the things I tried, and you all are correct, oils only make it worse! The shower does seem to work best, but unfortunately I can't shower every time I wash my makeup off.

And for anyone else that is referencing this later (and msbadcrumble), same problems whether I used the primer or not. Forgot that in the original post.
posted by PaulaSchultz at 6:45 PM on February 16, 2014


I use this mascara, and I love it, but you're right, removing it is a different process than regular mascara. Normally I just do a couple of splashes with warm water and it slides right off. However, sometimes I need to remove it without removing the rest of my makeup. I've an old, clean mascara applicator that I dip in non-oily makeup remover and apply like I would regular mascara. After a few seconds the tubes come right off. I've never had to scrub using either method. Just be mindful of getting makeup remover in your eyes.
posted by sephira at 6:43 AM on February 18, 2014


Cold cream is my go-to remover for tough to remove makeup. I don't remove my mascara, though - just wash my face as normal and it mostly comes off in the shower. I suppose I always have a little residue unless I stop putting it on entirely for a week or two, but that doesn't bother me.
posted by amaire at 4:21 PM on February 18, 2014


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