Marie Louise Cosmetics Cleansing Clear Gel.

I’m a fan of the smoky eye. In fact, having rather typical East Asian eyes, I’ve been a fan of the smoky eye since probably as long as I’ve been wearing makeup. Face it, a smoky eye to me is like mascara to your average Caucasian — I do not leave the house without it.

The problem with the smoky eye is removing the smoky eye every night. It’s no easy task, trust me.

I’ve tried many, many makeup removers. Oily ones, stinging ones, all-in-one wipes, even Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Needless to say, it’s a hit or miss proposition.

Now, I’m not going to say Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel is the best at removing makeup I’ve ever tried. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. All Marie Louise products’ nanotechnology and emulsification make their products reliably good. But what really sells me on it is the feel of the Cleansing Clear Gel. Squeeze a quarter size dollop on your hand and it looks like a clear gel. Rub your hands together to emulsify the gel and you feel the thick, viscous, rich quality. This is not your average gel. Massage onto your face and instantly you realize that this is a sort of oil in thick gel form. It’s like giving yourself a massage, but with a rich, creamy gel. As you massage it in, all the dirt, oxidized oils and makeup accumulated throughout the day are swept up into the gel. Then rinse or wipe off, and all you have is super soft, super clean skin — no stripping, no harsh cleansers (which, by the way, paradoxically increase oil production).

I know — oil removing oil? That’s right. This oil is the kind that removes oil and doesn’t leave an oily residue on your face.

The biggest endorsement I can give? It’s the middle of summer and my T-zone has started to run amok with oil production. But Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel not only doesn’t add to the oil slick on my face, I actually think it’s helping it.

Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel.

I’m a fan of the smoky eye. In fact, having rather typical East Asian eyes, I’ve been a fan of the smoky eye since probably as long as I’ve been wearing makeup. Face it, a smoky eye to me is like mascara to your average Caucasian — I do not leave the house without it.

The problem with the smoky eye is removing the smoky eye every night. It’s no easy task, trust me.

I’ve tried many, many makeup removers. Oily ones, stinging ones, all-in-one wipes, even Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Needless to say, it’s a hit or miss proposition.

Now, I’m not going to say Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel is the best at removing makeup I’ve ever tried. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. All Marie Louise products’ nanotechnology and emulsification make their products reliably good. But what really sells me on it is the feel of the Cleansing Clear Gel. Squeeze a quarter size dollop on your hand and it looks like a clear gel. Rub your hands together to emulsify the gel and you feel the thick, viscous, rich quality. This is not your average gel. Massage onto your face and instantly you realize that this is a sort of oil in thick gel form. It’s like giving yourself a massage, but with a rich, creamy gel. As you massage it in, all the dirt, oxidized oils and makeup accumulated throughout the day are swept up into the gel. Then rinse or wipe off, and all you have is super soft, super clean skin — no stripping, no harsh cleansers (which, by the way, paradoxically increase oil production).

I know — oil removing oil? That’s right. This oil is the kind that removes oil and doesn’t leave an oily residue on your face.

The biggest endorsement I can give? It’s the middle of summer and my T-zone has started to run amok with oil production. But Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel not only doesn’t add to the oil slick on my face, I actually think it’s helping it.