The joys of makeup do not come without a few drawbacks. As much as we love it when our waterproof mascara that delivers those full, lush lashes stays on all day, we can't stand it when it continues to stay put after major scrubbing. The tendency of our favorite products to overstay their welcome is something we could all do without. Fortunately, there's a solution for everything from stubborn glitter nail polish to lip stain that won't disappear. We'll start with the basics and work our way up to serious stuff.

1. Makeup removing towelettes, like our personal favorite Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes , are ideal for removing all types of makeup because you can see your progress.
2. Take your time with the towelette. Lay it across your face and hold it there for a few moments. Then use back and forth motions all over, making sure you get all the way up to the hairline and down beneath your chin and jaw line.
3. Use one side completely. Once there is no more clean space, flip it over and wipe. If you wipe clean on the second side, you're good to go. If not, reach for a new towelette and continue to remove your makeup until you're makeup-free.
4. Thoroughly wash your face, scrubbing for one minute, preferably with a cleansing milk like Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk or cleansing oil like The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil as oils and milks clean deep down and dissolve makeup.
5. For really heavy makeup, you may want to rinse and repeat. As long as you are using a gentle oil or milk cleanser, double cleansing will not dry out your skin.

1. Saturate a cotton ball with an oil-based product specifically designed to remove eye makeup, like the cult favorite Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover .
2. Use gentle pressure to hold the cotton ball against your eye for about 10 seconds. This gives the product time to dissolve the makeup. Then wipe and repeat.
3. Repeat the process on the underside of lashes. Close your eyes, position the cotton ball underneath the lashes, hold and then slowly wipe.
4. To remove the last bits of liner and mascara from the base of lashes, saturate a cotton swab with remover and gently scrub the lash line.
5. Finish by washing your face. Your cleanser will take care of any lingering traces of makeup or residue. Rinse well and your washcloth should turn up clean.

1. Massage a small amount of gentle eye makeup remover (we love Kiehl's Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover ) onto the base of the strip to loosen the glue.
2. Start at the longest point (usually the outer corner) and carefully peel back, making sure none of your actual lashes are still stuck to the strips.
3. Reshape the lashes and allow them to dry. The reshaping works best if you hold on to the case.

1. Start with your normal makeup remover (oil-based will work best on long-wearing formulas) and use a tissue or cloth to blot away any oil or residue.
2. Apply a layer of petroleum jelly onto the lips. Let that sit for 3 minutes.
3. Dampen a washcloth with warm water. Use the wet washcloth to wipe away the petroleum jelly and remove the lip color. (Quick Tip: use circular motions for some gentle exfoliation.)
4. Rinse and dry. Be sure to apply a moisturizing lip balm when you're done.

1. Completely saturate a cotton ball in acetone remover.
2. Place it against the nail.
3. Wrap the nail in a strip of aluminum foil to keep the cotton ball in place. (If your kitchen supplies consist mainly of take-out menus, a rubber band or even scotch tape will work just as well.)
4. Wait a few minutes while the remover gets to work.
5. Press down to remove the cotton ball and watch the glitter go with it.

Do you have any other tricks for removing stubborn makeup? Share them below!

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