Stripped

Beauty editors always tell you how to put makeup on, but only a few share how to take it off. Here are some tips to make sure that every drop of foundation, smudge of mascara and swipe of lipstick is removed to leave you with skin that can breathe before you call it a day.

Lip lock

Lipstick is usually gone before your lunch date is over. But when you’ve gone all-out with a fire truck-red shade, the pigments have a way of staying on the skin and you usually find yourself with extremely red lips by morning.

The tools: Cleansing oil or eye/lip makeup remover, cotton pads, toothbrush

The method: Place one or two pumps of cleansing oil on a cotton pad; gently wipe on upper and lower lips.

Sometimes the lips’ tint winds up on dry skin, so it’s best to attempt to exfoliate by gently rubbing with your toothbrush.

Eye spy

Eye makeup is some of the hardest to remove. This is because many of the latest mascara or eyeliner brands have staying-power formulas that can compare to NASA technology. Eye makeup is also the most crucial to take off properly before you head to bed. Leaving eyeliner or mascara on creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to irritate the hair follicles of your eyelashes or your eyes. If you’ve just gone all-out with your eyes, use these steps to remove the evidence.

The tools: Cleansing oil or eye makeup remover, cotton buds, cotton pads, tear-free soap

The method: Gently swipe a cotton pad with a pump or two of cleansing oil or eye makeup remover on the eyelids. Don’t swipe back and forth, but move in one direction twisting the cotton pad as you go.

Grab a dry cotton pad and place some cleansing oil or eye makeup remover on your three fingertips. Gently massage eyelashes in a gentle, back-and-forth twisting motion. Swipe once with dry cotton pad and repeat gently till there is no more mascara on pad.

Soak a cotton bud in cleansing oil or eye makeup remover and gently stroke it along the lash line and inner bottom line of the eyes to remove all eyeliner.

Do a final gentle rinse with tear-free soap.

Face off

Many times we think that we’ve cleaned our face bare when in fact a swipe with a toner will show that you’ve still got foundation residue clinging to your pores. Use these three steps when you’ve decked yourself out.

The tools: Cleansing lotion, facial cleanser and toner

The method: Wash hands and apply three pumps of cleansing oil; massage in a circular motion all over your face and neck.

Wet hands and rub on face till oil becomes white and frothy. Rinse off entirely.

Wash face with a foaming facial cleanser; make sure to wash the neck as well.

Finish with a gentle toner to guarantee that face is clean. Moisturize before heading to bed.