How to remove glitter makeup & hard-to-undo holiday looks

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of a super fun, super long night, and you’d rather hop in bed than deal with the mess of taking off festive, sparkly makeup. We’ll never judge you for occasionally giving in and hitting the sheets with a full face—promise. But, if you can muster up the energy, we have some easy fixes that will help you easily remove makeup (including the glittery and waterproof stuff). Your skin and your pillowcase will thank you.

How to remove glitter makeup

The easiest, fastest, least messy way to remove sparkly makeup is a three-step approach with tape as the secret weapon. Yes, the kind you wrap presents with! Here’s the trick:

1. Gently press tape over your glittery makeup. Repeat several times until most of the glitter has lifted.

2. Use an oil-based cleanser to dissolve the remaining makeup. Rinse and dry.

3. Once thoroughly dry, use more tape to lift away any stray bits of sparkle that remain.

Note: This tip may not be right for guests with very sensitive skin, so consider skipping or doing a test run if your skin is easily irritated.

How to remove false lashes

You may feel the urge to just rip them off, but please don’t. The glue may have attached to your real lashes, and this can result in lash loss or damage. Instead, try this:

1. Submerge a cotton swab in an oil-cleanser or makeup remover.

2. Close your eye and slowly run the cotton swab along the base of your false lashes. This will break down the adhesive and lubricate the area so that the lashes can slide off.

3. Once you can slide the lashes off with minimal resistance, go ahead and slide them off. Clean any remaining glue with another pass of oil-based cleanser or remover.

How to remove waterproof makeup

Reach for a pack of cotton pads and your favorite makeup remover. The key to stress-free waterproof removal is pausing between steps and only using clean cotton pads. (Re-using them might result in re-distributing the pigments you’ve already removed and staining your skin.) Here’s our go-to plan:

1. Soak two cotton pads in your favorite makeup remover. Make sure they are totally soaked, with a little excess dripping off. This is key to breaking down the stubborn pigments.

2. Place the soaked cotton pad over your eye, lip or whatever waterproof makeup you’re removing. Let it sit for 30 seconds.

3. Remove the cotton pad, gently massage the area for no more than 10 seconds. Then rinse.

4. Wash your face as usual.

We hope that this helps make your late-night makeup removal process a little easier. Below, you can shop some of the makeup-removers and oil cleansers that have saved our skin and lashes on many evenings. Have a fun, safe and joyful party season!