7 Makeup Melting Balms That Remove the Most Stubborn Makeup

Nov 13, 2018

With waterproof makeup formulas becoming more advanced, most of our daily cleansers just don’t get the job done on their own. From lipstick to mascaras, these long-lasting products can leave behind streaks on our faces (and on our favorite towels), even if we vigorously rub with makeup wipe after makeup wipe. Instead of wallowing in defeat, we’re reaching for our last line of defense: melting cleansers.

Emulsions of water and oils or waxes, making melting balms remove every speck of unwanted glam (many of them sans water, but leave parched skin with a silky-smooth finish. Just slather one of the creamy emulsions from your forehead down and wipe away in awe as your skin looks — and feels — its very best.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ($30): Popular for generations (just ask your mom and grandma), this transformative balm-to-oil-to-milk formula cuts through makeup and residual skincare products alike. Formulated with safflower seed oil, the lightweight cleanser helps nourish skin and lock in moisture long after every trace of mascara has been removed.

ELEMIS Rose Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm ($99): This breast cancer awareness-themed limited edition of the original Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm contains a hint of English rose to help illuminate skin as it powerfully breaks down any stubborn cosmetics and dirt lingering on your visage.

e.l.f. cosmetics Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser ($10): Beauty on a budget has never been better than with this hydrating cleanser. It’s packed with argan oil, rose extracts, seed oils, and vitamin C to quickly dissolve any dirt and makeup while intensively moisturizing your skin.

goop by Juice Beauty Luminous Melting Cleanser ($90): If you’re in need of a radiance boost, this cleansing balm will do just the trick. It seeps deep into pores to remove impurities and leaves behind a soft, glowing finish thanks to almond, olive, and coconut oils, as well as shea and coconut seed butters.

Sunday Riley Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm ($55): Waterproof mascaras won’t stand a chance with this sugar-based cleanser. A rich, comforting feel envelops your skin as the mimosa flower wax and cocoa butter balm transforms into a milky wash. It lathers away every inch of unwanted makeup but calms skin with soothing blue tansy and German chamomile.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm ($110): Talk about a multitasker! Not only does this gentle cleanser remove makeup, it purifies and soothes skin too. The secret is in the luxurious hero ingredient, Hungarian black mud, which rids your pores of any impurities without drying them out.

BANILA CO Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm ($19): This K-beauty favorite just received a new-and-improved mineral oil-free formula. Infused with ultra-fine papaya seeds to give your skin an exfoliating treatment while simultaneously ridding pores of built-up makeup, dirt, and debris, you can look forward to clarified, crystal-clear skin with every rinse.

Did your go-to cleanser make the list? Tell us @BritandCo!

My Husband Won’t Stop Stealing My Bougie Skincare Products — They’re THAT Good

When I'm looking to see if a bougie skincare product is worth re-purchasing, I have a finely tuned (and slightly unique) barometer. I check how my skin reacts, feel out the longevity of the product, notice any immediate results — and see if my husband starts stealing it from me. He has the strongest opinions of anyone I know, so when I look in my skincare cabinet and see products moved around that I definitely didn't touch, that's how I know they're good. Do I wish he had more affordable taste? Yes, but the man gets quality, and I have to say I'm quite proud.

Wanna know what he — and I — can't get enough of right now? Here are the skincare products, from face mists to face masks, that are genuinely so good, you won't be able to stop your partner from stealing them.

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First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads

Starting off this list strong with my most-stolen product: the First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads. My husband uses these like they're candy, and at this point, I have to buy 3 boxes because of how quickly we both use them.

Exfoliating pads are a great way to cleanse your skin, especially if you get a lot of buildup from makeup, sweat, or your environment. These are great to use to make sure you've cleaned all of the dirt from the day off before you go to bed. And if you're greedy like my husband, you can also use these day and night for extra glowing skin.

Amazon

Innisfree Daily Mineral Sunscreen

You can never go wrong with sunscreen, but if you have sensitive skin like me (and my husband), then opt for this option from Innisfree! It's super light, and doesn't have lots of perfumes or random fragrance — super helpful when you're trying not to irritate your skin. It also has hyaluronic acid which is super moisturizing, so it won't leave you with textured or dry skin!

Amazon

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

This hand cream became my addiction over the past couple months — which means it also became my husband's. I even had to buy him his own, because I was so tired of hearing, "Hey, can I use that good-smelling lotion again?"

This hand cream that has the most soothing feel — and smell! — on the skin. Definitely stock up on this for the colder months and you, just like the over 10,000 Amazon reviewers, will love it!

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Caudalie Vinopure Clay Mask

Sometimes I like to convince my husband to have a nice, spa night in (I don't have to try very hard, he's clearly easily convinced), and this face mask is the first product I reach for. It seriously cleanses the skin, and practically eliminates visible pores from your skin. It's a very strange, detoxifying mask that I would recommend to anyone — but only to use about once every other week!

Amazon

Tatcha Deep Cleanser

I just had to re-stock this product because you-know-who has been using it far too much for my liking... And I have to say, I understand why! It's very lightweight, but it really gets into your pores and helps cleanse them thoroughly. Plus, a little really does go a long way — so even if you're sharing it with your own partner, it will last!

Amazon

It Cosmetics Confidence In An Eye Cream

This eye cream eliminates any trace of bags under your eyes...like it really makes them non-existent! So much so, that my husband noticed my bags were gone, and so naturally he's started using it too. It's honestly life-changing, and I'll always buy refills of this baby no matter how much we use it!

Amazon

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser

This has to be one of my most practical products that I didn't know I needed — or rather, we needed. If you get bumps on your skin from the sun, KP, rashes, or eczema, this product eliminates it all. It has 10% AHA which is extremely exfoliating, and basically works like magic on the skin. Such a good product!

Amazon

Caudalie Beauty Elixir Face Mist

My husband would be furious if I shared this with you, but he's a face mist girly like me, through and through. As much as most men may not want to admit it, they like being pampered — and this mist truly makes you feel like you're at a spa! It's that good! I use this in the morning, because it just wakes me up with the most refreshing peppermint-like feeling. I adore this spray so much! And so does my husband...unfortunately for my bank account.

Looking for more skincare recs? Check out our storefront for all our faves!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Why Timothée Chalamet Abandoned “Good Friend” Austin Butler’s ‘Elvis’ Method For Bob Dylan Role

Austin Butler as Elvis, Selena Gomez as Linda Rondstat, and now Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan — there will never be enough biopics for me! (The real question is when are we going to get a Taylor Swift movie?). When pictures from the set of the new Bob Dylan movie, A Complete Unknown, hit Twitter, I had to do a double take because Timothée Chalamet looks so much like the musician I couldn't believe my eyes! You can watch the A Complete Unknown trailer here.

Timothée is going to be joined by Met Gala queen Elle Fanning, as well as Top Gun superstar Monica Barbaro. Here's everything you need to know about the movie — and our favorite Bob Dylan songs to listen to while you wait for its release.

Keep reading to see the latest updates from Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Timothée Chalamet stars in A Complete Unknown, coming to theaters December 25, 2024.
He's joined by Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro.
The movie follows Bob Dylan's career in the 1960s as he rises to fame and later shifts from folk to rock'n'roll.

Did Timothée Chalamet take inspiration from Austin Butler’s Elvis?

Timothée Chalamet recently revealed that while he originally wanted to approach A Complete Unknown by taking direct inspiration from Bob Dylan, he quickly changed his tone...so to speak. "Somebody once said to me, you can't make a movie about a painter because it's not interesting to watch paint dry," he says in People's exclusive video. "Bob has that element because he's not one of these forward-facing musicians."

While Timmy saw Natalie Portman a sequence in Jackie "step-for-step exactly what Jackie did," and paid attention to "all this stuff that I saw my good friend Austin Butler crush it with on Elvis," he quickly realized "I gotta do none of this because this is not my style."

"Bob did not have a vocal coach," he continues. "He had two bottles of red wine and four packs of cigarettes. There's no way to impersonate that." One of my favorite things about biopics is seeing how a well-known actor portrays a recognizable figure. And you can see Timothée Chalamet's interpretation of Bob Dylan in theaters December 25!

Monica Barbaro Sings Her Heart Out

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We got a look at Monica Barbaro as singer-songwriter Joan Baez, who was one of the first major artists in the 1960s to record Bob Dylan's music!

I was super impressed to learn Timothée showed up and sang live for the film. "It was important for me to play and sing on set because it was in the spirit of the movie to do it live," he says in a video from People. "Many of the artists through American pop culture that had the balls to turn their back on what was expected of them, that moment started with Bob. His words are relevant; 'Times They are A Changing' ' is relevant, 'Blowin' in the Wind' is relevant."

Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet In "A Complete Unknown"

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Elle Fanning totally embodies the late '60s vibe in this fall outfit. The bold maroon blazer, the long straight hair, and the striped turtleneck — I love it all! Elle is starring this Bob Dylan movie as Sylvie Russo, a university student and artist Bob falls for in the '60s.

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Thanks to some onset leaks, we also got a glimpse of the movie's version of The Freewheelin'! Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet look incredible as Sylvia Russo and Bob Dylan. I'm a sucker for any kind of recreation, so seeing this new version of the classic record cover is incredible!!

The First Pictures From Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan Movie

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Timothée Chalamet has totally transformed into Bob Dylan on the set of A Complete Unknown. And when I saw the pictures of Timothée carrying the guitar my jaw dropped!! He completely engrossed himself in Wonka and Dune 2 and I'm so excited to see him do the same for this Bob Dylan movie.

What is the movie about Bob Dylan called?

H. Thompson/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A Complete Unknown Plot

Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan movie is called A Complete Unknown. The movie filmed around New York City in the spring of 2024, and James Mangold is serving as director (you might recognize his name from Logan, Girl, Interrupted, and Walk the Line). The movie will cover the period during the 1960s when Bob Dylan shifted from folk to rock'n'roll, changing the face of pop culture (and culture in general, TBH), forever.

"When that movie finally comes out, people are going to be shocked because you're going to think you're hearing Bob Dylan sing," vocal coach Eric Vetro tells PEOPLE. "[Timothée Chalamet] just has this uncanny ability to not impersonate, but really breathe life into it. He's embodying Bob Dylan and what he was like at that age."

Who else is in A Complete Unknown with Timothée Chalamet?

Amy Sussman/Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute

A Complete Unknown Cast

The A Complete Unknown cast is incredible! Alongside Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, we'll see Top Gun: Maverick's Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, and Nick Offerman as Alan Lomax.

When is the Bob Dylan movie coming out?

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

A Complete Unknown Release Date

A Complete Unknown will hit theaters on December 25, 2024. And since Timothée Chalamet has been seen in turtlenecks, hats, and jackets on set, this sounds like the perfect cozy movie to me!

I always need some brand new music to listen to once the weather gets chilly, and I will for sure be listening to anything Timothée records.

What song did Bob Dylan write for a movie?

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1

Bob Dylan wrote "Things Have Changed" for the 2000 movie Wonder Boys, which starred Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, and Katie Holmes. This Bob Dylan song ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Original Songand the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song!

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door," which is arguably the singer's most popular track, was released two months after the 1973 premiere of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as a part of the film's soundtrack.

What are some other Bob Dylan songs to listen to?

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

I totally agree that one of the best Bob Dylan songs is "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," but "Blowin' In The Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" are also great songs to listen to if you're a new Bob Dylan fan. So far, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is my personal favorite song.

His style is the perfect blend of rock and folk that reminds me of summer picnics and walks in the woods. His sound also reportedly inspired Taylor Swift's Folklore!

What are you most excited to see in Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan movie A Complete Unknown? Check out our Facebook for more movie news!

This post has been updated.

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I'm A Self-Appointed Face Mist Expert — These Are My 10 Faves For Extra Hydration

Wanna know the four essentials I keep in my bag at all times? Concealer, a hydrating lipstick, a hair brush, and arguably the most important: a face mist. Seriously, face mist is probably most-used product because of how multi-purpose it is — there are so many different ways you can use it! It works as a setting spray for your makeup, a mist to keep your skin hydrated, and even a cooling spray that helps me keep my zen throughout the day. This will be your #1 essential through the cold, dry seasons, so keep scrolling to stock up on some new favorites!

What do face mists actually do?

Summer Fridays

While face mists can make you feel refreshed at face value, they actually have quite a lot of purposes. Some facial sprays offer hydrating and moisturizing ingredients to make sure your skin isn't getting too dry or flaky, while others are great at delivering relief from inflammation and redness. There are even some sprays that can give you a therapeutic, relaxing boost with lavender or other essential oils. The benefits are truly endless with these!

The Best Face Mists To Shop Right Now

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Evian Facial Spray

This spray is so multi-purpose, it's crazy. Not only does it moisturize dry skin, but it also restores your skin's pH levels, while setting your makeup so that it stays in tact all day. I like to keep this with me so that I can touch up my makeup and make it look refreshed throughout the day.

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Caudalie Beauty Elixir

This "elixir" is an all-time fave of mine that I've been using for around a decade! I've probably gone through over 100 bottles of this stuff, so let me just say: It's worth every penny. This spray is so good, my husband won't stop stealing it from me every morning and night. It has the best scent and relaxing peppermint-like feeling — I honestly crave it as soon as I wake up!

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Avène Eau Thermale Spray

This spray does a fantastic job at maintaining the PH balance of your skin, while also being the most glorious cold mist I've ever used. During hot summer months, you won't find me without this beauty sitting in my handbag — it's so cold and amazing on the skin. Even in the winter, I find this spray so helpful and necessary, because it makes my skin hydrated and dewy despite the cold, frigid air.

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Summer Fridays Jet Lag Soothing Hydration Mist

This incredibly hydrating spray from Summer Fridays will protect your skin from pollutants or exposure to outside factors. Also, this mist is great at keeping your skin barrier in tact and healthy — AKA preventing it from getting too dry, or dehydrated. I've been using this face mist for a few weeks, and love how it feels not my skin.

Tower 28 Rescue Spray

This Tower 28 spray is a Hypochlorous Acid spray, so it's amazing at helping to reduce redness and even prevent breakouts from happening. I take this spray with me anytime I'm traveling, using it constantly to help prevent breakouts and annoying, pesky pimples.

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Mario Badescu Aloe Spray

A lot of people are familiar with the Mario Badescu rose spray, but my personal fave is the cucumber, aloe, and green tea spray! It feels like a spa in a bottle! This face mist is so therapeutic — and it's very good for skin that needs help with hydration, redness, or even sensitive skin.

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Grace & Stella Spray All Day

Speaking of rose spray, here's this one from Grace & Stella that's ultra-hydrating and has great reviews. It's one of the more popular sprays on Amazon because of how moisturizing it can feel on the skin — plus how amazing the rose scent smells!

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e.l.f. Cosmetics Coconut Mist

A new scent has entered the chat... This coconut face mist is so refreshing, and it gets bonus points for also being extra hydrating! In the fall and winter, when the months are getting colder and dryer, you will thank me later for making you buy this incredibly moisturizing facial spray. You're welcome in advance.

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Dermalogica Antioxidant Mist

This spray helps firm the skin, and ultimately helps with anti-aging. Don't we all love that? Really though, this face mist helps to reduce fine lines, hydrating them with ceramides to literally fill in the gaps! It will also help shield your skin from outside toxins or factors like free radicals. Def a great product for those with more mature skin!

Amazon

Curél Japanese Skincare Mist

While this pick is a little bit more pricey at $30 for a mist, it's definitely a popular item amongst the beauty community. From the Japanese company, Curél, this one is made to be an intense moisture mist — which is something I need as an extremely dry and sensitive skin girly, myself! Sign me up!

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Renée Zellwegger & Leo Woodall Prove Age Gaps Are Sexy In 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' Trailer

If you're a rom-com fan who also can't get enough of Jane Austen's books, you've probably seen the Bridget Jones movies. The story (which is loosely based on Pride & Prejudice) follows the titular Bridget Jones, a 30-something who sets out on a mission to improve herself over the course of a year while she looks for a partner. And, in true romantic movie form, she keeps a diary the whole time. Not only can we rewatch the original trilogy as many times as we want, but we're also getting a fourth movie! Here's everything we know about Bridget Jones 4.