Face Off

I am as guilty as anyone of going out of the house without makeup on. Sometimes I go a little further from home than I should, if I can wear sunglasses. (But never further than I can travel on foot!) It’s not that I mind putting makeup ON, it’s that I hate taking it OFF. I would honestly love to have makeup on 24/7, which is probably why I was so crazy about those eyelash extensions, but taking it off is always a drag.

Over the summer, I reviewed some blueberry face wipes that were unimpressive. An anonymous commenter, who is currently totally missing her opportunity for a shoutout, recommended I try the ones from Trader Joe’s. Even though I can see Trader Joe’s from my apartment if I lean far enough out the window, I didn’t manage to get in there to track them down until recently. (Trader Joe’s stores in NYC get insanely crowded, so you have to go at just the right time. Which varies.)

Anyway, in the soap & stuff aisle, I found them. I was expecting something a little goofy, like “Trader Josefina’s”, but they actually carry a brand I’ve heard of: Comodynes. Make-up remover towelettes with oats, for sensitive and dry skin.

And they work great! They say they cleanse, tone and moisturize, but I found that I need additional moisturizer, because I have dry skin. Also, last weekend I had on an excessive amount of eye makeup, so I ended up using two wipes. For some reason by the end of the second wipe, my face burned just a tiny bit. That could have been from the friction of the towelette though, and maybe it’s just me. It went away once I used moisturizer.

So yes, they work really well. But the thing about face wipes, is that they just don’t seem very cost-efficient, despite being efficient in pretty much every other way. So I only really use them for travel or when I (used to) go from the office to the gym. But the ones at Trader Joe’s I could swear are under $5. Unfortunately, I threw away the receipt, but I really think they cost me four-something. (There are places that sell them online for almost twice as much though!) So even if we say they are $5 for a pack of 20, that means you are paying 25 cents for the convenience of removing your makeup while sitting on your couch watching TV. Or even laying in bed.

If you’ve ever tried to convince someone to wash your face for you at the end of the night, you know that: A. No one has ever said yes, and B. A nearly effortless way to clean your face is well worth the 25cents.