Pure Beauty Perfect Cleansing Oil Review | A Cheapskate's Great Find

If you are up-to-date with my cleansing oil posts, you know how I'm madly in love with Shu Uemura's High Perf Balancing Cleansing Oil. But there was one morning this year when I sat down and conferred with my finances; I sheepishly asked permission to restock my Shu cleansing oil in the midst of a budget crisis.

Wallet: Well, go ahead. Just make sure the money that gets out of me gets replaced.

Bank Acct: Don't look at me. You know I can't be withdrawn.

Bank Acct 2: Why exactly do you need to spend that much on some bottled-up oil again?

Long story short, budget denied. Your finances will never understand the power of a pricey makeup remover.

And that was how I met Pure Beauty's Perfect Cleansing Oil. Forgive the long prologue. 

Pure Beauty is a saving product especially for those who know the great benefits of removing makeup with oil but is reluctant to break the bank for a cleanser. Do you really need to shell out thousands of pesos to get a superbly clean face? No. 

But let me tell you that Pure Beauty is a far cry from Shu Uemura --- it just doesn't give you the peace of mind that you already have a clean face because it feels and smells a lot like grease. It took me a week to get convinced that this makeup remover really melts off all the foreign stuff on my face. I also hoped to see some skin glow after completely rinsing off this cleanser, as I do with Shu, but no, that may just be a higher price to pay for. 

Tips: Application- Spread 2 1/2 to 3 pumps (yes, it's possible to control the amount of product pumped out! great, huh?) of the makeup remover on your UNWASHED, DRY face. Gently massage all over the face and feel the deep-seated dirt and makeup disintegrate. Use another pump of product when dealing with eye makeup. Rinsing (very important) - cup a tiny amount of water on your hand and massage on the face to turn the oil into a soapy state. Oil gets emulsified in this manner rather than rinsing with TOO MUCH WATER. It's a tedious job but it's a fair price to pay for this inexpensive yet effective product.


Follow up with your usual cleanser after completely removing oil. The Neutrogena Deep Clean Revitalizing Cleanser (pink grapefruit) tandems with the cleansing oil well.

What's to like? The inexpensive price tag! For 149php, I got something that does a good job in removing waterproof makeup and to some degree, mascara and liquid eyeliner. I've used this since January of this year and I never broke out from it. It's also nice that most Watsons outlets, if not all, carry Pure Beauty cleansing oils. 

Uh-ohs. If you are accustomed to Shu High Perf Balancing Cleansing Oil's luxurious scent and feel, then be ready to shake the hand of disappointment with using something that smells and feels like cooking oil. This makeup remover takes time in getting completely rinsed off. And if you just splash water and don't rinse off well, expect the face to feel tacky to the touch.

190 mL, 150php, available at Watsons
shelf life: 3 years

Recommendation. I'd highly recommend to acne-prone girls who use longwearing/or waterproof makeup and sunscreen. It's safe and gentle to use on a daily basis, just make sure not to rub the oil too hard on the face. I definitely choose this over Kanebo Freshel cleansing oil because it works just as good and is 5x less expensive. 

I will NOT recommend to:

• those who already have a budget for the Shu cleansing oil 
• those who barely have time to primp their faces at night --- won't work for you since it can be a pain to emulsify and rinse the oil off.

Through the years I've incorporated oil cleansing method in my evening skincare, I have grown to appreciate the benefits of a perfectly cleansed face. I've tried deep cleansers that barely does the job right and my acne-prone skin acts up whenever I get too lazy to get the cleansing part of my regimen right.

Cleansing oils help save the day (or night!) because it  makes me less susceptible to breakouts. Pure Beauty cleansing oil has proven that no one needs to to bite the bullet for a Shu cleansing oil to ensure clear skin. It's good to know that pimply girls like me can steer clear from horrible zits with just 150 a pop!