I love those Swisspers cotton pads that are a lot like the Shiseido ones. They’re both really nice (although the Shiseido are on the expensive side), but I invested in some reusable makeup removing cloths that have all but replaced them.
Waste Not
In the last year or so I’ve been gradually pursuing the idea of less.
- Less makeup.
- Less clothing (now possible since I have a lovely little apartment-sized washer and dryer).
- Less waste.
I won’t pretend I’m living some virtuous low-waste fantasy. I’m totally not, and I’m not even trying to strive for that. I am, however, trying to make gradual, reasonable cuts to certain single-use items I buy. Fortunately, nice reusable makeup removing cloths don’t feel like a sacrifice or burden.
My Reusable Makeup Removing Cloths
There are so many options out there that it is hard to know where to start. When I first started shopping, I saw Makeup Eraser at Nordstrom and Sephora but $20 for one single cloth was a bit rich for
a) my blood and
b) something that I wasn’t sure of yet. I still haven’t bothered trying them because what I’ve gone with is (comparatively) inexpensive and fantastic!
Sephora
My first purchase was from Sephora, but their house brand. Their Black Magic reusable makeup removing cloth pair, $12, was a better value. The set includes a practical black and a fun purple cloth. They’re smaller than the Makeup Eraser, but still plenty for a face. They are SO plush!
True to form, you don’t have to use makeup remover with these. I do usually use micellar water because I like how it treats my skin, but regular water does just fine!
Finally, I haven’t had issues with the purple one staining like some reviews report – but I haven’t been going hard with the kinds of things I’ve been wearing for the past year.
Ulta
Next, I tried Ulta’s grey Makeup Removing Towel Set. They’re just as plush and wonderful as the Sephora set for $2 less for the pair. I have repurchased these to bolster my collection and now have two sets (four individual cloths).
My experience with these is identical to the Sephora set, above. They’re about the same size and are soft, pleasant, and gentle to my skin. They effectively whisk away makeup with just regular ol’ tap water or with micellar.
Amazon
While this trio definitely still works, they are noticeably lower quality. I haven’t had them fall apart on me or anything, but they are nowhere near as soft and fluffy as the Ulta and Sephora ones. I don’t find them rough, but in contrast with the aforementioned two, there is a significant softness difference. I find that they remove makeup effectively, but I find myself using a bit more pressure to pick up all my mascara.
Even though these definitely aren’t as nice as the other ones I use (above), these are a fantastic value. Somehow, unfortunately, I managed to lose one; but for less than $1 each I’m not shedding tears over it. I would repurchase these – particularly for use while traveling.
The Bottom Line
I love all of these reusable makeup removing cloths. I love that I’m throwing less stuff in the trash AND using less product. The Ulta ones are my favorite for softness + effectiveness + price (plus, they end up on sale BOGO pretty often). All of them are machine washable; I toss them in a mesh bag for delicates and wash them in the same cycle as other delicates with the tiniest amount of The Laundress. Then, I tumble dry low with some wool dryer balls. I haven’t had any issues with staining or premature wear on any of them. Full disclosure: I don’t really wear waterproof formulas or difficult-to-remove items like liquid lipstick.
I can’t see myself spending $20 on one of the, “brand name,” Makeup Eraser cloths at this point. They’re SO expensive when I can get two from Ulta for half the price or, better yet, EIGHTEEN of the S&T ones for less than the price.
Would you consider using a reusable makeup removing cloth?
Oh hey, I have that amazon set! I agree they’re not as soft as some others, but they’re incredible for removing masks. I also stuff them in my makeup bag when I’m traveling to keep stuff from rattling around :-)
I never thought to use them for masks but that’s brilliant – I can stop giving my regular washcloths a beating! Their value has increased with just that thought.