It’s a battle to see which one is the best! Is it the one from Cailyn or Clinique? I discovered the Cailyn Cosmetics balm at the ISSE Show a few years ago when it was first launched and it became a fast favorite for removing makeup. Actually one of the best I’ve ever used! It cleans the skin and removes makeup lickety-split and it doesn’t sting the eyes.

And the Clinique balm just came out a few months ago. They have a version of this that’s in the liquid form that I wrote about a few years ago and really liked so I was curious how these two would do against each other since they seem so similar.

While each creamy balm looks like it would leave a greasy film behind, know that these don’t. They even  remove the toughest makeup like waterproof mascara and liquid lipsticks. I know, they’re that good!

So let’s look at each product in detail as only one will be inducted into my Holy Grail list.

CLINIQUE Take Off the Day Cleansing Balm ($29/3.8oz @ clinique.com, ulta.com) – this white balm comes in a huge 3.8oz size and know that you don’t really need to use a lot to get your face of makeup off. Just rub a quarter-sized dollop in-between hands to warm it up and it turns into a milky liquid fast.

Here is the ingredient list for Clinique –

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, PEG-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol.

CAILYN COSMETICS Dizzolv’It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm ($24/1.7oz @ cailyncosmetics.com) – pretty pink color of the balm though it too melts down into a milky liquid. This one has papaya enzymes in the formula to help dissolve dead skin cells, improve skin texture and elasticity as well as other fruit extracts. Like the Clinique one, this also melts in-between hands when rubbed together. This used to come in much bigger size but they seem to only sell the 1.7oz one now, which is still great.

Here are ingredients inside Cailyn’s. I bolded the ones that are also in the Clinque one, which is only one ingredient.

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Aqua, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Isostearate, Polyethylene, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Thuja Orientalis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Resveratrol, Yellow 6 [CI 15985], Red 33 [CI 17200]

So who’s the winner?

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I think I’ve been around the liquid lipstick block a few times now and with the latest ones I’ve tried being on the indie side, I have some more observations. It seems that just about every brand is coming out with their own version these days, which is great, but not so great when you kinda know what formula works for you, and you don’t get it when you open the tube. If you’re on the liquid lipstick (will abbreviate to LL) bandwagon, do you know which form you like best? I think I do, now that I’ve tried quite a few different brands:

Chanel, Wet N Wild, Tarte, Buxom (part of BareMinerals), ColourPop, Motives, Cailyn Cosmetics, L’Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Stila, Laura Mercier, Merle Norman, NARS, Lime Crime, Ofra Cosmetics, Fyinnae, Maybelline, Ciate London, L'Oreal, Napoleon Perdis, Houglass Cosmetics, CoverGirl, LipSense by SeneGence, Giorgio Armani, Sephora, Kat Von D, MAC, Makeup Monster, LA Splash Cosmetics, Caked, Beauty Bakerie.

Brands on my list to try: The new ones from Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills (I know, I know, I'm like the only one on the planet but I've read mixed reviews), Jeffree Star, Milani (drugstores are always out of the Amore Mattes!), Lonely Planet.

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Ok, we’re hit another trend wave in the category of liquid lipsticks and this one is different finishes and in this case it’s metallic and glitter.

I was at The Makeup Show a few weeks ago (a haul post is coming soon, I promise!) and CAILYN COSMETICS was there with their latest. I bought the Star Wave Glitter Tint in Scorpio and their Star Wave Mattalic Tint in Cassiopeia.

I was really looking forward to try these out. So how did they perform? Click the link after the pictures!

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Unlike the trend of highlighting and contouring, or HACing, the trend of liquid lipsticks is pretty doable for anybody. With HACing, you really have to have some kind of idea of what you’re doing, what you want to bring forth or set back, blah, blah, blah. And yes, I don’t have it totally down either, just parts of my face.

With the liquid lipstick trend, it’s basically lip color on steroids so if you can apply lipstick or lip gloss, you can apply liquid lipsticks!

It seems to have started out as just a handful of brands a few years ago with MAC (I even have theirs in my Hall of Fame), Korres, Addiction NV (who I don’t think is around anymore), Make Up For Ever and L’Oreal and it wasn’t even called liquid lipstick; not even sure when the name liquid lipstick started surfacing with these.

I’m a fan of all the aforementioned brands but just in case you were wondering, I think the OG liquid lipstick brand has to be LipSense by SeneGence. Thoughts?

But now, this seems to be a full-on trend with whole brands being built just on it like Jeffree Star’s new collection, Pretty Zombie Cosmetics and I’m sure others I just haven’t caught up with just yet.

So just what is liquid lipstick anyways? Click after the jump to find out!

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From L to R clockwise:

Matte Lippie Love - CAILYN COSMETICS Extreme Matte Tint in #3 Illusionist - $19 @ dillards.com, cailyncosmetics.com – matte lippies are my thing right now, what can I say and this rosy nude goes great with everything.

Shadow Love - DOLCE & GABBANA Perfect Mono Cream Eye Color - $36 @ dolcegabbana.com and nordstrom.com – this is the first go-around in the category of cream shadow for the brand and I must say they’ve done a good job – 14 long-lasting shades with great textures and finishes like matte and pearls to choose from. Color picks: Dahlia (shown here) and Cocoa.

Hot Pink Lippie Love - SHU UEMURA Vision of Beauty – Rouge Unlimited in Fuschia - $30 @ shuuemura.com – I’m a sucker for hot pink lippies and this one from Shu, with its hybrid pigment, is a really nice surprise for fall.

Nude Gloss Love - AERIN Weekday Lip Gloss - $30 @ neimanmarcus.com – it’s not often that I reach for a lip gloss but for some reason, a true nude lippie makes your look, well, look the most polished. And this nude gives color! Nothing worse than a nude that skimps on the pigment.  

Primer Love - COVER FX Calming Primer - $38/1oz @ sephora.com – if your skin is sensitive or you have Rosacea, this face primer was made just for you. The Endothelyol inside relieves redness and they’ve also included St. John’s Wort inside to handle inflammation.

Face Illuminator Love - MIRABELLA Faerie Sparkle Swirling Pearl Brilliant - $40 @ dermstore.com – holiday parties are upon us, so why not add a touch of pearly glow to your cheeks and décolletage? This mineral-based highlighter is one of the better quality ones I’ve seen in some time.  

1. AERIN Cool Gel Eyeliner in Essential Brown $28 @ net-a-porter.com – bronzey-brown.

2. CHARLOTTE TILBURY Rock ‘N Kohl Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil in Elizabeth Violet $26 @ nordstrom.com – iridescent plum.

3. URBAN DECAY 24/7Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke $20 @ sephora.com – dark matte grey.

4. URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Chaos $20 @ urbandecay.com – vibrant bright matte blue like in the Electric Palette. So excited they put this color in a liner form!

5. SHU UEMURA Lasting Gel Pencil Liner in M Violet  $24 @ shuuemura.com – dark purple.

6. STYLI-STYLE The Stylus Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black $7.99 @ styli-style.com – yup, a very black black.  

7. NARS Velvet Lip Liner in Costa Smeralda $24 @ narscosmetics.com – medium pink.

8. URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Ether - $20 @ urbandecay.com – pale smoky gray shimmer w/violet & fuchsia micro-sparkle.

9. CAILYN COSMETICS Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Mousse $21 @ dermstore.com – matte smoky brown/black. 

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

Seems like a lot of beauty buffs are quite obsessed with Anastasia’s DipBrow and though I have not tried it, I came across one that I think works much the same way – adds color and holds hairs in place, and they claim it will even hold up while swimming in a pool or the beach! It’s CAILYN Gelux Eyebrow and they pack some technology into the formula with what they call 3D Smart Film Former. It’s able to stabilize the pigment powders so they don’t fade over time and once this sets, it’s set for hours. 

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This CAILYN Dizzolv’It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm ($24/1.7oz @ dermstore.com) was one of the products I bought at the ISSE show last month. It was just being launched and was on the PR company’s buzz list. Truth be told, I was just going to buy it based on the name at first but then I got a demo from the woman working at the booth and saw it in action and wow, I had to get this one home to try out for myself.

I don’t really have a staple makeup remover since I oscillate between wanting one that is also a face cleanser to wanting one to use before formally washing my face at the end of the day. The latter one is mainly when I’m testing out a skin care line.

So back to this Dizzolv’It! I just saw on their site that they have a banner stating it the “No. 1 Beauty Gurus’ Favorite” but no link to who those Gurus are that are declaring this rather large statement. Ummm, ok …

Scooping out a quarter-sized dollop, just massage it around the face and eyes to remove your day’s makeup and dirt and watch it turn from a light pink mushy wax to colorless light oil yet. But don’t expect your hands and face to feel greasy like a cleansing oil because they won’t. And the formula really does just lift the makeup off so that it easily transfers onto a washcloth to go right down the drain. No tugging or rubbing required! I was pretty amazed as I’ve experienced a product that essentially seems to just lift or melt off makeup like this. And I should also mention there was no greasy residue leftover like there is with my beloved Ponds Cold Cream from yesteryear.

So what ingredient/s inside this does the dissolving? Not quite sure but it could be the papaya enzymes (I would have assumed major eye irritation from that alone but none from this ingredient), or the glycerin, or aloe leaf juice, or the powerful antioxidant Acerola or some of the other extracts or a combo of them all! In any case, it does a good job at removing makeup and that’s good enough for me.

Are you in the market for a new cleanser/makeup remover? Or have I fully piqued your interest with this one? Do tell in the comments!