e.l.f. Essentials Nail Polish & Eye Makeup Remover Pads Review

21 August 2011

When I was at Target, I bought a ton of e.l.f. products. Most of them, I haven't actually tried out yet, but I did try these two products out and I really do enjoy them. So w/o further ado, onwards towards the review!

I'm going to start off w/ the Eye Makeup Remover Pads because, I admit, I was most skeptical about those. I feel like eye makeup remover is one of those things you need to be a bit wary about...I mean, it goes near your eyes. So I admit, I was a bit nervous and skeptical, especially considering how bloody cheap these things are.

But I admit, I was pleasantly surprised. When I think about how I used to spend $5 on the Almay remover pads...yeah, never again. I go through massive quantities of makeup remover pads, I will admit. Even before I did this blog, I was constantly playing around w/ makeup and sometimes forcing my friends to deal w/ being experiments for me. So to find makeup remover pads that work decent on me definitely saves me some MAC wipes, that's for sure! :)

e.l.f.'s website had this to say:

Forget the mess of liquid eye makeup remover and enjoy the easy to use e.l.f. Eye Makeup Remover Pads! Great for travel and for the girl on-the-go. 18 pads included.

Smooth pad over closed lid and lashes.

Tissue off before reapplying makeup. Your eyes feel fresh and clean!

Recommended for use with e.l.f. Mascara’s and Eye Makeup."

These were definitely easy to use. I know some people have complained about them being dried out, but mine were definitely not. I had to use one on each eye, but that is pretty standard across the board for me. All in all, I really liked these! They did feel rougher on the eye than the Almay pads or MAC wipes, but it wasn't a super huge difference. I also noticed a slight stinging when the remover got in my eye, but it was pretty minimal. That being said, I have eyes of steel, so take that as you will. If you have pretty sensitive eyes, you might want to steer clear of these.

Moving on to the Nail Polish Remover Pads. These I was less sketch about because, well, it's pretty hard to be concerned about nail polish remover, especially when you consider that I normally use straight acetone to remove my polish. I was initially surprised by the feel - these don't have normal polish remover in them. They feel oily to the touch. You will definitely have to wash your hands afterwards. However, one pad took off four nails of ridge coating base coat+polish+Seche Vite, so that's really good, especially since these are the same size and thickness as the makeup removers. I was able to get all ten fingers done w/ two pads!

e.l.f.'s website states:

These convenient pads quickly and easily remove nail polish without the mess associated with bottled remover. Citrus scent and gentle formula leave nails fresh and soft."

I like the convenience of polish remover wipes. I also liked how they didn't feel drying or super strong, like acetone does. The smell is a bit strong, but it's not bad; it reminds me of citrus wood polish or something, so it's a clean scent but it could get cloying and be irritating to some. It also stung a bit - I have cuts around my nail beds and cuticles, thanks to that horrible skin peeling habit of mine and I couldn't clean off those areas w/o a burning sensation, so these aren't gentle to the point of no pain!