Applying makeup these days is becoming more of a necessity rather than just a desire. Whether you love the soft-redness of the blush, the evenness of the foundation or the sharpness of a liner – I think we are all addicted ! { Lately – I can’t live without my Bobbi Brown foundation – go away blemishes 🙁 ) The irony is, I rarely ever used any make-up until about 2 years ago. I’ve tried a few  make-up products, selected my favorites and have my make-up routine down to the T. However, the one thing I have understood is that, more than what brand/products you are using – the make-up removal process is what matters the most. You could have the most expensive make-up on – but if you sleep without taking it off, say good morning to breakouts ! { what can I say – I learn some things the hard way } I can’t stress enough the importance of a cleansing routine. Here are some of my tried & tested tips –

Pre-Makeup

Rub an ice-cube after washing your face before applying make-up. This makes the pores smaller and allows for an evenness during makeup application. And my favorite advantage – increases the life of the make-up. { I picked this little tip from my dance teacher who used to do this for me for my stage performances }

Infact rubbing an ice-cube on your lips after putting on lipstick, seals the color and helps it stay longer than usual.

Post-Makeup

Instead of using store-bought cleansing creams and wipes, I choose to use the most basic and readily available item at home – milk ! Its gentle on the skin and leaves it feeling soft. If you’ve got a more-than-needed-tan going ( ummm sunburn ) – plain yogurt instead of milk works great. Taking off mascara is the trickiest ( especially the waterproof kinds ). I’ve found that vaseline ( yup – petroleum jelly ) works the best and is the kindest for eye-makeup removal. Take a dollop on a cotton-ball and gently wipe the mascara and the liner. It doesn’t hurt so much if a little gets in your eye as well. But I’d say one thing – use masacra only if you have to – like for an important work day or date night. No point unnecessarily lashing out on those lashes. A slice of cucumber does miracles on puffy eyes after a long day.

Like I’ve mentioned earlier, I am terrified of using products available with ingredients I don’t know squat about. That’s why my cleansing routine consists of simple and uncomplicated things.

Sleeping with your makeup on, is probably the worst thing you can do to your skin. We all have those crazy late nights when all you want to do is come home and crash on the bed. For times like those – keep some make-up wipes handy( I use these tea-tree ones ) and a quick splash of warm water. Something better than nothing! And as tempting it might be, avoid wearing makeup to the gym. Makeup will just clog the pores. Let your pores breathe and leave room for the sweat to throw out the dirt. If you absolutely have to, a touch of lipgloss and a swoop of kohl should be just perfect !