Monday 13 June 2011

Review: Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover

I've found my Holy Grail facial makeup remover/cleanser (The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser) but I'm always on the lookout for a product that I can use solely on my eyes as there are times when my eyes are the only part of my face (bar lips) that I make up.

I was sent the Meltdown Makeup Remover by Urban Decay and here's what I think of it..

One thing I find quite odd is that it doesn't state anywhere on the bottle (in English atleast) that this is a makeup remover just for the eyes but my GCSE French (A* I'll have you know) taught me enough to know that "démaquillant yeux" means makeup remover eyes.  Seems odd that it's not in English.

What do Urban Decay have to say? (There's those rhyming skills again)
"You love our longest-lasting products, but how do you take them off?!  This nourishing formula will ensure that makeup removal doesn't throw you into fits.

Sometimes you need a makeup remover that's as might as the most powerful products in your beauty arsenal, which is why we've created Meltdown!  This stuff can take down our longest-lasting products, and it's also good for your skin, too.  Sea Fan Extract combats inflammation, while Beta Carotene (a source of Vitamin A) and Gatuline In-Tense (harvest from the South African Rain Forest Peekabo Plant) revitalise collagen production.  Cranberry and Raspberry Seed Oils, along with Kukui Nut and Oat Oil, moisturise and replenish.  The 2.5oz squeeze tube is easy to use, as well as small enough to take on an aeroplane)."


What do I have to say?
This smells like nappy rash cream and that's all I can think of when applying it and this is not a good thing!  Consistency wise, it is lot thinner than both Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser.  Those two feel more creamy whereas this feels more watery.

The packaging causes me no ill at all, I prefer this type as you can squeeze every last bit out.  I managed to get every last drop of my Sanctuary cleanser and that comes in similar packaging and it's a fair bit thicker.

It spreads really easily on the eyes but doesn't slide off your face (brilliant!)  You can see your makeup "melting" so I see where the inspiration of the name comes from.  It doesn't sting your eyes and you don't have to work it in to see your makeup coming off so there's no worry that you're giving yourself premature wrinkles. 

It feels quite softening on the eye area and I quite like that.  If there's one criticism I can make of my other two makeup removers, it's that they could be a bit more softening around the eyes.

I also like the fact that they've taken into account the fact that you can take it on the plane with you in your hand luggage without depotting it.  If you buy it for that purpose alone (quickly removing most of your makeup whilst on board during a long flight then it works well enough for that purpose).   

However, there are no instructions for removal and if I didn't have my hot cloth cleansers, I would have just washed it off but I find using a muslin cloth soaked in hot water is the easiest way to remove makeup when you use this.

I've split the actual "how does it work" bit into two sections for reasons that will soon become obvious.

Eye makeup on the eyelids
This has absolutely no problem removing all makeup from the eyelids and the upper lashes.  Be it long lasting makeup (such as Urban Decay's pencils or Bobbi Brown's gel liner), the Meltdown Makeup Remover makes easy work of removing it.  Wow, that sounded like I was on a cheesy info-mercial.

It's biggest plus point for me in this respect is that it literally makes your mascara glide off.  Sometimes when I use my other removers, it comes off in clumps but no such issue here, it just swipes off all in one go.

It manages to remove the glitteriest of my eyeshadows (Urban Decay's Chopper and ELF's Caffinated Mineral Eyeshadow) with ease.

Eye makeup on the waterline/lower lashline
I had high hopes for this as I thought removing Urban Decay's 24-7 liners from the waterline/lower lashline would be a doddle.  Sadly, this wasn't the case.  I tried it on many occassions and it always left some pigment behind. 

You can see that I've removed makeup but it doesn't remove it ALL.  You can still bits of the makeup between my lashes.  I had the same results when I used products that made no claims to be long lasting.

Seeing as it claims to be a remover of heavy duty products and it doesn't manage to live up to this claim (whereas others don't boast being able to do the same but can do with ease), you can see why I'm disappointed.

The one negative I can't get over is that it gives me blurred vision for about 10 minutes after using it.  I'm blind enough as it is, thank you.  When I put my glasses back on after using this, I always feel that my glasses are dirty but they're not, it's the remover that clouds my vision.  


It's a shame this didn't work for me because I can't fault the makeup that Urban Decay make.


Would I purchase this? 
No.  It doesn't remove everything as thoroughly as it claims and the fuzzy vision is a serious.  Even still, I've never had fuzzy vision from a makeup remover before and I don't like it.  If you want to try it for yourself, it'll set you back £18.00 and can be bought from House of Fraser.  Personally, I'd suggest going for either The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser or Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish because they're cheaper, they don't give you blurry vision and they remove all your makeup.  I've reviewed both here before (for The Sanctuary's click here and for Liz Earle's, click here).

5 comments:

  1. uh oh whenever I use a eye makeup remover that leaves me blurred vision it's a huge goner.

    & what a boo boo not having the eye makeup remover in english.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ugh I hate the fuzzy vision thing. It's a shame it didn't work out for you because it seems like a good idea and I like the packaging.

    I've tried many eye makeup removers and I think my HG would have to be the Boots Botanics one xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is really wierd that they've obviously left off the 'eye makeup remover' in English because if I got ahold of it I would put it all over my face and ignore what the bottle said. Then I would complain when it didn't take off my foundation!

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  4. It had me sold up until the fuzzy vision, I can't cope with that at all! Also it's way too pricey, I could never spend that much on a remover.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such a great review - I'd have picked this up thinking it was a makeup remover for the whole face - how strange that they didn't label it in english.

    ReplyDelete

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