When is the last time you genuinely enjoyed taking off your makeup? If your answer is “IDK, I’ve never thought about it,” then you’re not alone. Two weeks ago, I probably would have said the same thing, but that's before Glow Recipe's new cleansing balm came into my life.
On the heels of the K-beauty brand's banana moisturizer and exfoliating watermelon lip balm, Glow Recipe is dropping its latest fruit party: The Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm, a powerhouse makeup-removing balm that cleanses, hydrates, and brightens when massaged into the skin. I may be heavily influenced by the Parks & Recreation kick I'm currently on, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is *Chris Traeger voice* literally, one of the nicest cleansers I've ever tried.
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Glow Recipe co-founders Christine Chang and Sarah Lee believed that treating your skin should start from the first step — cleansing — and set out to create a double-cleanse balm that would leave your skin better than before you applied it. Instead of using cheap, thickening fillers like petroleum-based PEG (and its many derivatives), this insanely luxe balm is made with a base of apricot, camellia, and papaya seed oils, in addition to papaya extract to give your skin an energizing boost.
Here's the deal: It takes something extra-special for beauty editors (who test products on a daily basis) to get hyped, and immediately after this arrived at my doorstep, I opened it up in record speed, Christmas morning style. Later that night, I eagerly scooped out a nickel-sized amount and applied it to my skin. Granted, I haven't been doing a full beat since I've been quarantining, but let me tell you – every morsel of foundation, mascara, and blush was dissolved within seconds. While other cleansing balms I've tried feel like I'm applying Crisco to my face, this fruity one transforms to a silky oil upon contact, and also smells like a pleasant tropical beverage.
You can scoop it up at Sephora and Glow Recipe (until it inevitably sells out, that is), and at $32, it's undeniably a splurge for something that serves a pretty basic purpose — removing your makeup. However, I will say that you get your money's worth with the generously-sized jar, and not to mention, you'll genuinely look forward to washing your face every night.
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