This Makeup-Removing Sponge Is Like A ShamWow For Your Face

Loving a makeup remover is like loving a certain dishwashing detergent, in my mind. It can have a nice scent and get the job done and be environmentally-conscious, too, but at the end of the day, it's just a cog in the wheel of a tedious, non-glamorous task. Who could ever get excited about one?

Perhaps I don't understand the allure of the entire makeup remover category because I'm not an Instagram star. My foundation isn't full-coverage, my eyeliner smudges, I don't own a Kylie Lip Kit. Maybe a person whose livelihood revolves around convincingly transforming into every Disney princess considers cleansing oil to be a fun ritual and holds strong opinions on wipes. I certainly didn't, until a few days ago.

The only reason I even brought the Face Halo home is because it sounds way too easy. Like an old woman throwing the last of her savings at QVC every night, I live for gimmicky, infomercial products. Give me a ShamWow (love it), a Perfect Sculpt Bra (don't waste your money if you're above a very small B), a ThighMaster (works, but you won't use it enough to see results), and I'll show you an eager tester.

So, the Face Halo: It's a small, fuzzy pad — not unlike dog bed material — that claims to remove every last bit of makeup with nothing but a little water. The puff is made of ultra-fine microfibers (100x finer than a strand of hair) that lift makeup and debris from the skin and traps it in the material, so it doesn't go back onto your face as you're rubbing. You just wet it, wipe it, and — bam! — you're barefaced. (That's not the brand's slogan, don't worry.)

I'm here to say it's not a gimmick — and it works far better than I expected it to. It gets off every last speck of foundation and mascara in 30 seconds with less rubbing than I normally do with my cleanser, and my skin feels cleaner and softer and less tight. In the scheme of life, taking off makeup isn't the most taxing job, but it is annoying, and this makes it downright pleasant.

Of course, there's a but: You're supposed to wash the pad with soap and warm water after each use for up to a week, then toss it in the washing machine (it can be washed up to 200 times). That soap and water part requires effort I — and probably you — don't want to put in every day. I'll do it once after the first use and use the pad again the next night, but then I throw it in the laundry and reach for a fresh one, since three come in a pack. That gives me six days, which is perfect, because on the seventh, God rested and I don't wear makeup.

Face Halo, $22 for three, available May 22 at Face Halo.