Review: Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover

I recently ran out of one of my favorite eye makeup removers (the dual phase Philosophy "Just Release Me") and decided to branch out and try a different remover, the justification being that this one was pretty cheap (about five dollars), so even if I didn't like it, it wouldn't set me back too far.

The Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover is supposed to be a remover for waterproof makeup with a "moisturizing formula [which is] tough on stubborn makeup but ultra gentle on eyes."

Let's test that, shall we?

This remover is in a relatively small bottle and has a classic moisturizer-like cap. Now, this confused me a little because at first I assumed that this was a liquidy, cleansing water-ish makeup remover. However, one of my favorite Clarins removers has a tip sort of similar to this one so I just shrugged.

Now, onto the consistency.

I tried pouring some of the remover onto a cotton pad. Do you see how it beads up on that pad? That's because this remover is not at all like a cleansing water, it's incredibly oily. I guess I could have seen that coming with "moisturizing" being in the title, but I was not expecting a cheap cleansing oil marketed as an eye makeup remover. After a couple seconds the remover seeps into the cotton pad, leaving a very greasy piece of cotton ready to remove all of your makeup! (or so it says)

I put three waterproof eye makeup items on my hand: Stila's stay all day liquid liner, NARS larger than life eyeliner, and Maybelline's the falsies flared mascara (waterproof). I put my greasy cotton pad to the test, and came up with this: 

This was after a little bit of a patting motion, which is my favorite way to remove eye makeup (rubbing and massaging can be bad for the delicate skin around the eye). Needless to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. Then, I tried the classic "rub the hell out of my skin with a cotton pad":

Even after wreaking havoc on my "eye area", the makeup still wasn't all gone! And my hand felt like an oil slick, which was not pleasant (I'm sure it was very moisturized, though; thanks Maybelline). 

After trying the remover on my eyes later that night, I was met with a similar result: not all of my makeup was gone, and my eyes felt too greasy to function. I had to go over the area with a cotton pad soaked in a micellar water both to remove the horrible film and the rest of my makeup. 

Overall, I am not very impressed with this remover. It will now be sitting in the cupboard of product wasteland, on the off chance I really have a hankering for some oily and smudgy eyes. 

I reccomend this product for people that really like cleansing oils, especially that greasy feeling you get when you haven't washed all of the oil off (do those people exist?). Or maybe just people who don't mind washing off their eye makeup removers with another eye makeup remover. Next I think I will be trying Maybelline's other makeup remover, the "Clean Express". That one looks a bit more up my alley. 

What's your favorite makeup remover?