We Tried Glow Recipe’s New Cleansing Balm First

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 moisturiser 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.

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 energising 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 Cult Beauty and Glow Recipe (until it inevitably sells out, that is), and at £29, 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.