Insiders' Guide.(tips on beauty, home and politics)

Insiders' Guide

Tips on how to make over

your closet, follow the election, cook on the fly, and more.

How to remove Your makeup

An Interview With

Laura Mercier Mercier is the creator of Laura Mercier cosmetics and the author of The New Beauty Secrets: Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face (Atria). Everyone likes a fresh start. If you want to wake up with clean, glowing skin, then you absolutely must take off all your makeup. **Don't be childish. I cringe when I see women using baby wipes to remove their makeup. Those do not get the job done, and when I tell women this, they say, "But baby skin is so sensitive, this must be good for my face." Well, a baby's butt isn't covered in makeup that requires special ingredients for proper removal. **Go easy. The process of taking off your makeup should be gentle and should never leave your skin

dehydrated or irritated. That's why I like to use a cleansing oil, which won't dry out your face. Using your fingers, swipe a small amount of oil across your lids, eyebrows, and lips, and then lightly massage it all over your face. This will soften your skin and loosen the makeup, so you don't have to rub like crazy. Then take a flat, square cotton pad -- I like these better than the balls, which can be rough -- and pour a little cleansing oil on it. Go over the same spots again, being careful not to scrub back and forth. Just skim the surface in one direction to pull up the color. **Consider the eyes. When you wear waterproof mascara, swap the cleansing oil for a waterproof-eye-makeup remover. Otherwise you'll have to rub so hard to loosen the color that your lashes will break. Soak a pad with remover, press down softly on the lashes for a few seconds so the formula soaks in, and then slowly move the pad across the eyes. This technique also works for long-lasting lipstick. **Get wet. Once my eye makeup is gone, I wash my skin with a mild foaming or gel cleanser to remove dirt and oil. Then I rinse with warm water using a soft, damp washcloth to gently exfoliate the skin and ensure my pores are thoroughly clean. I always finish with moisturizer.