MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover Review, Photos
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
($18.00 for 3.4 fl. oz.) is touted as a gentle eye makeup remover that is “mega-effective” but will still “calm, hydrate, and soothe skin.” It’s gentle, all right! While it’s a dream to apply–no stinging, burning, or cloudiness–there’s not much else it does well.
As a makeup remover, it just doesn’t do an effective job at removing eye makeup, even just regular mascara and eyeliner prove to be too hard to handle for this remover. On waterproof/long-wearing products, it doesn’t cut through it at all. I’ve pressed a cloth soaked in the remover against my eye for thirty seconds or longer, but I wasn’t able to get much product removed. It seems to be okay for eyeshadow, but it doesn’t remove eyeliner, mascara. Given that it’s an eye makeup remover but doesn’t excel at that task at all, I definitely do not recommend this product.
See another photo!
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
Thank you – I was considering this, but you’ve saved me money. I’m looking for something that will remove hard-to-budge mascara
MUFE sens eyes works amazing at removing waterproof mascara 🙂
I use the Neutrogena eye makeup remover. It’s a bit oily, but it gets everything off easily!
Which one would you recommend ? i need it to be gentle but remove all of my make up. Thanks ! x
I agree! I am not a fan of this makeup remover as well!
Thanks for the review!!
I guess I’ll stick to Rimmel, which works really well, considering the price!
really? ive had really good experiences with this… gives me a weird rash, but apart from that does a good job at removing eyemakeup! but yea gives me a rash so i have to agree… haha
I have the same problem but on the back of my hand instead of my eye. I was swatching some new products at a MAC counter and a MUA gave me a cotton pad soaked with this makeup remover (I asked her what she gave me just in case if I like it), after a short while, I got this really really really itchy spot on the back of my hand. I scratched so hard a layer of my skin came off….I am afraid of this remover now…
i love this product-if you are wearing waterproof or a lot of eye makeup, i take a cotton round and hold it to my eye for 30 seconds or so-it eliminates rubbing. this is a great option for sensitive skin and cleaning up makeup mistakes without ruining your entire makeup, but if you want your makeup off in literally seconds, use a cleansing oil.
I tried pressing it against the lid and waiting for 30 seconds, but it didn’t make it any more effective for me.
Did you try foaming it (activating it) on the cotton pad (like folding it on the middle and rubbing it together) before using it? I find this makes a vast difference in the product effectivity.
Yes, I tried many things, none of them worked.
Wow, it hardly removes anything aside from eyeshadow? That’s a bad sign! I used to use DHC Eye Makeup Remover, but it stung despite its “no stinging” claim. I now use Almay Oil-Free Liquid. It gets the job done and is super cheap.
Ooh, I have to disagree on this one! I LOVE my MAC makeup remover. It’s the only thing that will get my Fluidline off cleanly. I’m not a fan of the price, so I use it sparingly.
I also use it and love it!!Except the price….
I disagree too, I own this and absolutely love it. It takes off my fluidline, mascara, and primed eyeshadow.
That’s so pricey for a product that doesn’t work, and a small bottle at that! Still loving my Neutrogena for $6. It always does the trick.
i have this eye make up remover as well. not too crazy about it.. it’s “okay” .. i like the MAC cleanse off oil waaay better.
I don’t know if they sell Bourjois skincare in the US, but their waterproof eye make-up remover is amazing! I’ve tried the famous Lancôme and Clinique and this works just as good, maybe even better! It’s 2/3 water, so it isn’t oily on your eyes and the best thing is the price €5 ($7,50) for 200 ml ^^
Bourjois used to be sold all over in the states. QVC had it as well as Sephora. Now I don’t see it anywhere anymore. They made some eyeliners that I covet.
I am kind of surprised. I remember I used it a lot and it worked fine O_O Did you shake it every time you used it? I switched to the Neutrogena one, just because I go through them like jelly beans.
I’ve tried many ways to make this remover work. It removes nothing but the eyeshadows…
MAC is so so over-rated…especially after Estee Lauder acquired it. Estee Lauder ‘take it away’ make up remover is so creamy, refreshing and removes all makeup gently. I use this remover before starting my Santa Maria Novella regimen.
I use this and I LOVE this product!! It works great for me!! I have super sensitive skin and it doesn’t irritate me at all. I just use a cotton round and it takes my eye makeup off no problem including my fluidline and my Dior blackout mascara which I find is can be a real pain to get off sometimes with other products!!
I’m not a fan of this remover but I do buy the one in the pink bottle. That removes my waterproof mascara and everything.
Thanks for the review! I’m always curious about different removers. I recently purchased the Sonia Kashuk remover and its my new favorite!
I hate that product. I know it’s a strong word, but it’s just awful, doesn’t work at all, do not spend your money on this.
This is goos 4 simple non long wearing water proof products or touch ups like mascara in the lids lipstick smudged and this simple things! Gently Off Eye and Lip are waaaay much better but its oily so can ruin your look if used 4 touch ups during your makeup process!
The Lancome Effacil one is even more of a joke. It’s supposed to be gentle while removing makeup, but it doesn’t remove makeup, and isn’t gentle!
I swear by Ponds Cold Cream to remove my makeup. Seriously, it’s the best! And very cheap.
I love the OLD Mary Kay oil free bi-phasic Eye Makeup Remover. That company changed formulas recently. It’s no longer bi-phasic and the ‘new’ is not doing the job. I am on the hunt after more than 20 years for THE eye makeup remover for me. I might try the bi-phasic Sephora if it’s oil free.
This product does suck. I was considering it a while back because I use Clinique’s Take OFF the Day in the pink colored bottle. I want to buy the MAC for B2M purposes. I tried this product in the store, on eyeshadow that was swatched on my hands and I had to rub really hard to get it off. I knew this product wouldn’t work for the eyes. I’m sticking to Cliniques, it’s my hg.
Hey, Christine! I beg to differ… kinda. I wrote a rebuttal to this review. 🙂 You know I usually agree with you, but just this once…
I don’t rate skincare products as the new rating system does not make sense (pigmentation?) for skincare products. I have not determined whether I will add a secondary system, as skincare itself is still varied enough that a system for cleanser may not be applicable to moisturizer, etc. I don’t have any problem giving low ratings to brands, so it hurt to see you write that the only reason I didn’t rate it was because I didn’t like it.
I also rate products on how they are marketed – don’t call it mega effective and then only take care of minor mistakes. It’s great you found a usage for the product, but if it’s not as advertised, I’m not going to look for reasons to say it’s great. As you can see here on this post, there are certainly those who love it and others who didn’t find it worked, but I can only review based on my experience.
OMG, Christine, I can see I have offended you. I am not certain what I wrote unclearly, but I was not at all implying that you didn’t rate it because you didn’t like it. As I mentioned in the post, you’re very fair with your ratings and we have all seen you write negative reviews when the products warrant them!
I’m thinking the problem sentence is “I think maybe that’s a good thing, because she panned it!” by which I meant maybe MAC could be thankful there isn’t an official “F” rating from you! Your word is weighty in the beauty consumer world, and I imagine those negative reviews do have measurable impact. (That’s a good thing, by the way. I’m all for informed consumers voting with their dollars!)
I totally agree that your review was accurate: this product isn’t all that great as a broad-spectrum remover – which is how MAC wants it viewed. I meant my “rebuttal” to be lighthearted, not argumentative. I’m sorry I botched that. 🙁
*j
Thanks for clarifying, I do appreciate it!
jen, I thought your review added some interesting aspects to the use of this product which are good to know – that it´s for touch-ups and fixing smudges or so..I’ll keep that in mind 🙂
I have a bi-phase remover as a gwp-product from Lancome (called all-mascaras) and I had not used a bi-phase make-up remover before, only the creamy kind of products. Thus I just recently experienced what you describe here too about the other MAC-remover: this stuff cuts through all make-up immediatly.
Maybe here the rating of the product at Temptalia has also a different background: though Christine has certainly lots of experience in products and doing make-up (as we also can see from the wonderful eye-make-ups she often presents) I guess the main readers of this blog are not make-up artists but people interested in beauty and make-up, probably often with a lot of experience in using MU but nevertheless more on the “customer”-side. So with that in mind, as a regular person / beautyaddict who looks for products that work at_home, this remover in the review above perhaps includes the risk that it does not work in a normal setting – thus the result of the review.
Nevertheless, it can always happen that something works for one person and for the other one not, happens all the time 🙂 Couple of things with glowing reviews at MUA did not work out for me at_all. People are just different =)
This is definitely not my favorite eye makeup remover, mainly because I find it quite irritating to the skin around my eyes- if I have to remove color from my eyes more than twice in a session (I’m a makeup artist/ beauty blogger so that’s not uncommon for me) I find that I get red & my skin burns quite easily with this product. Right now, my face is MUfE Sens’Eyes, but of course I’m always on the lookout for something better (cheaper would be nice too!)
You should really try Bioderma H2O makeup remover. Dare I say? perfect!
It doesn’t work on me either. For a so-called Pro product, I was extremely disappointed & it was a total waste of money. I am surprised to see some people really like it so I guess as with everything it depends on your skin type and the makeup you wear. Neutogenia Makeup Remover Towelettes take everything off for me and are so much cheaper.
I really love MAC’s cleansing oil but have always heard less than great stuff about this eye makeup remover (mostly that it didn’t remove much and also that it was pretty harsh) so I’ve never even considered buying it. Surprising that MAC wouldn’t have something better.
I use this product if I need to correct eyeliner mistakes and in that capacity, I think it works great. A lot of eye makeup removers have oil and it makes reapplying difficult.
For me MakeUp For Ever’s Sens Eyes is THE BEST waterproof makeup remover. It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way. Very gentle, not greasy or oily. The other product I love is Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser. Unfortunately, it’s been discontinued. When I found out, I hoarded 6 bottles. I’m hoping they’ll re-release it before I run out. :-/
I suggest you to try Aveda’s eye make up remover http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10549/PROD5935/Skin_Care/Cleanse_Tone/index.tmpl you don’t even have to WAIT before wiping out! I love it! Instant removal of make up for sensible eyes! (and mine are way too sensible). So, have a try 😉
Couldn’t agree more with your review! I was shocked at just how ineffective this product was! I swatched a lipstick on my hand and then grabbed this to remove the swatch, and it had a tough time even with that!
I only ever have bought the MAC Cleanse Off Oil and that is very good, works efficiently and it’s worth the money. Some people prefer the MAC oil even more than the famous Shu Uemura one.
It’s funny – I use a ton of mascara on a daily basis and this gets everything off! Maybe I just got lucky. I will say it’s a pain to actually get out onto a cotton pad. I picked this up on a whim but once done I’m returning to my MAC wipes, simply because I find the all-in-one aspect is much easier at bedtime!
For products like this, I actually look to the drugstore first. The CVS brand works great and costs around $6 for, I believe, the same amount of product. It dosen’t irritate my skin and cuts through everything- including UD eyeliners and primer potion!
Hey Christine, I have not tried this purple one but I have tried the one in the pink bottle. Can you make a comparison with this one and the pink one? I’ve repurchased the pink one and I really like it. I believe it is they eye and lip makeup remover. Thanks! 🙂
Yeah this stuff sucks! The pink one is much better, but cheaper options are available. I like sonia kashuks if i want to splurge if not i use the dual phase target brand one. Great stuff!
I think people aren’t understanding the intended use of this product. This is NOT meant to be an everyday eyemake up remover. It is an ultra gentle formula that does not need to be rinsed off, and geared toward people or makeup artists who need to quickly correct mistakes or change a look in a short period of time. Case-in-point, Mac aso sells cotton swabs soaked in this remover for making quick mistake corrections, which further demonstrates that this product is meant to be used for quick fixes only. As is the case with ANY remover of this nature, it will NOT do good with long wearning makeup of any kind, and therefore not practical for every day use. If you are looking for a good everyday remover that will cut through waterproof/long-wearing makeup, Mac makes another remover (I think its pink) for that DOES need to be washed off after you use it and it works great.
Hi Kimmy,
You should take a look at MAC’s description for this on their consumer website, which sells the product:
A mega-effective remover that lifts off every look – from delicate to dramatic – without smudges, tears or aggression. Pro-quality, yet decidedly gentle; calms, hydrates and soothes skin with cucumber extract. Makeup can be immediately reapplied. A favourite of busy models.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t advertise as “great for quick fixes.” Nothing in the product description would let the customer know that it won’t be effective at makeup removing and only good at minimal removal. I review products based on what the company describes them to do, and MAC says this is a “mega-effective remover” and it’s not even close. If all this product is good for is fixing small makeup boo-boos, then they should advertise it as such, because as far as I’m concerned, I bought this hoping to remove my makeup, not to do fixes. I would hate for other customers to be as disappointed as I was.
I LOVE this product from MAC!Cannot live without it in my kit!
You just saved my moolah…. ehehhehe