Removing your makeup should definitely be an important step in your nighttime routine; removing makeup eliminates dirt, dust, and oils and of course, makeup stays on your skin, clogs pores and possibly creates acne and dirty pillows. There are thousands of facts out there that all claim to change your life but I could make you listen to one it would be, always wash your face before bed. As someone with acne-prone skin and hormonal cystic acne in my 30s, removing makeup at the end of the day is a vital step in keeping my skin clear, clean and happy.

Wearing a full face of makeup, especially pinup makeup if you are shooting, filming or performing can be very heavy and thick on the skin so removing it might be more of a challenge than you think. After wearing pinup makeup for many years, I’ve come up with a foolproof system on how to remove it so your skin is clean and feeling refreshed and I can’t wait to share it with you. I have also listed some of my favourite products below which are all available on YesStyle which is where I get all my skincare from. Use my code MONMON8 for a discount on your next purchase.

Double Cleanse – Oil Cleansing
I’ve been double cleansing/oil cleansing for years and it really does change how you remove your makeup. I have already reviewed two of my favourite oil balm cleansers here if you’d like to read about them. To begin removing my makeup, I tie my hair up or use a headband and start by scooping some oil balm into my hands and warming it up by slowly rubbing my hands together. With my skin still dry, using gentle circular movements, I start by rubbing the oil balm over my face. I normally start with my cheeks, chin and forehead before moving to my eyes and lips. Depending on my lipstick, I sometimes like to swipe some oil over my lips and then start cleaning my face as some liquid lipsticks take some effort to remove (I’m looking at your Beauty Bakery!).
Oil cleansing leaves you looking like a melting Joker but oil cleansers are fantastic when it comes to the first step of makeup removal. Once you look like the joker, gently rinse off the oil using warm water. Once the water reaches the oil balm, it emulsifies and further cleans your skin. I’d definitely recommend being gentle but thorough around your eyes; take your time to melt off your makeup and never be rough or scrub too hard.

My favourite Oil balm cleansers include:
–Banila Co Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm
–Heimish All Clean balm
–Beauty of Joseon – Radiance Cleansing Balm

Cleanser
With my face rinsed from the oil balm, my next step is to use a gentle cleanser. Before drying my face, I squirt some cleanser onto my hands and rub them together to start the cleanser foaming up. Using a gentle circular motion, I then go ahead and clean my skin the second time. After a minute of gentle rubbing, I rinse off with cool water.

My favourite cleansers include:
COSRX – Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
–Beauty of Joseon – Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
–Innisfree – Green Tea Foam Cleanser
–NEOGEN – Dermalogy Real Fresh Foam Green Tea

To finish off my cleansing, gently pat dry your face with a fresh and clean face towel. Then continue with your skincare routine for the evening.

Micellar Water
Sometimes, even two cleanses are not enough, especially with some products I’ve recently tested out so Micellar water is a godsend. On a small cotton round, I put a bit of Micellar water on the pad and gently wipe it over my eyes and eyebrows if I feel my makeup isn’t fully cleaned off. I don’t have to do this step often as the oil cleanser is enough to remove my makeup but if I use lots of my magnetic eyeliner, then micellar water is sometimes needed.

Removing your pinup makeup shouldn’t be a huge problem and this method has served me well for many years. If you’re not used to double cleansing, I’d say give it a go because it might change your routine forever. As someone with dry and acne-prone skin, I thought using oil would be awful on my skin but it’s never given me any negative effects and it’s something that I will continue to do for years to come. If you plan on getting yourself an oil cleanser, please check out this review and use my code if you decide to buy on YesStyle.com, my code is MONMON8 and you get 10% off your purchase.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. This page contains affiliate links/codes which aid in funding future reviews but do not cost you any more to use.