When I finished the nth bottle of Garnier Express 2-in-1, I knew I wasn’t really satisfied, so I started looking for an affordable makeup remover similar to coconut oil, without the typical issue of being extremely solid at room temperature during Winter.
After quite a lot of browsing online, I ended up with the Grace & Stella Cleansing Balm and I’ve been obsessed with it since day one.
My review of the Grace & Stella Cleansing Balm
PROS
This product has only one downside, but let’s start from its qualities:
- At first, it has a balm consistency – because it is made from synthetic beeswax – but when you massage the product into your skin it becomes an oil.
- The oil is able to break down even the most stubborn waterproof makeup and leaves your skin free from sunscreen and dirt.
- There’s no scent in the formula, which is a big plus for me.
- It has a small scraper included in order to take the product out without having to use your hands (= no bacteria in the jar)
- It’s vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free
I usually melt a tiny bit of product in my hands and gently massage it on my eyes and eyebrows. Then I take away everything with a damped MyCleanUp cloth.
No more leftover makeup on my toner pad or panda eyes the morning after!
CONS
Unfortunately, the company needs to do better in terms of sustainability: the packaging is made of plastic and the formula contains polyethylene, the most common plastic in the world. According to INCI Decoder, this polymer “thickens up water-free formulas, increases hardness and raises the melting point of emulsions and water-less balms”.
Its ability to add body and thickness to a formula is the reason why it is so common in the cosmetic industry, however, it would be great if this was a green beauty product!
Grace & Stella Cleansing Balm vs Olio Denso by Estetista Cinica
In Italy, there is much hype around the Olio Denso (the Thick Oil) by the Estetista Cinica (the Cynical Esthetician), an Italian brand founded by Cristina Fogazzi.
As its name suggests, the Olio Denso is a thick oil and like every other oil, it removes makeup perfectly but not as smoothly as the Grace & Stella’s. In addition, it’s 25€ (75ml). With this amount of money, I could buy two Grace & Stella cleansing balms!
In comparison, it’s not a good value for money.
Where to buy
You can get the Grace & Stella Cleansing Balm here or on the official website for around 16€ (125ml). Bear in mind that – in the latter case – they ship from the USA so you might have to pay customs!
