Review: Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm

I love double cleansing every night. There’ s no better way to get rid of all the dust and impurities of the day, as well as makeup and residues of sunscreen that are designed to stick to the skin!

I’ll take this opportunity to remind you once and for all: no, wearing makeup every day doesn’t damage your skin, as long as you religiously remove it every night 😉

And if you want to remove your makeup perfectly without damaging your skin, double cleansing is definitely ideal.

As a reminder, double cleansing means that you first remove your makeup with an oil based product like an oil or a cleansing balm that will dissolve all the pigments, sunscreens and fine pollution dust. And I promise it won’t “grease” your skin! These products are water soluble, which means their texture changes on contact with water, so they can be rinsed off more easily without leaving a greasy residue.

The result: the skin is completely clean without being damaged, and it’s also free of impurities that can end up irritating it.

Makeup removal is definitely a step that can be very pleasant. This is where the texture of the products used will make all the difference!

I really appreciate the practicality of oils, but it’s true that balms always have a sensorial aspect that is almost impossible to beat… If, on top of that, they also smell good, it’s just sublime!

Perfumed cosmetic products are not very popular these days, for many (good) reasons, but I must admit that for me, with my skin not being particularly sensitive to perfume, the prospect of using only fragrance-free products is a bit depressing…

So, the Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm was just the right touch to bring some luxury back to my routine! Let me introduce you to it.

Skincare Review: Belif Peat Miracle Revital Eye Cream I’ve been wanting to tell you more about Belif, the most European Korean skincare brand, for quite some time now! And I’m going to start with one of their most popular products for years, the Peat Miracle Revital Eye Cream. Read more

The brand Belif:

You have probably already seen the brand Belif in your Sephora without knowing that it was a Korean brand, am I wrong?

It’s true that Belif doesn’t put much emphasis on its Korean origin… And even more so if you look at its brand history! Surprisingly, the history of the skincare brand Belif began in the 19th century, in 1860 to be precise. It’s at this date that the legendary botanist and herbalist Duncan Napier opened his herbal clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Lemme be clear, Duncan Napier didn’t create a skincare brand to use in his clinic. In fact, 150 years later, the huge Korean group LG (yup, LG like the TVs), which was probably looking for a concept to create a new skincare brand, looked at Duncan Napier’s formulas and decided to use them to create the skincare brand Belif.

As a result, Belif uses Duncan Napier’s herbal and botanical plant blends in the formulation of its products. Of course, they are combined with all the technology of a cutting-edge Korean cosmetic laboratory from the 21st century, as you can imagine!

But the Belif brand prides itself on always emphasizing herbal ingredients in its formulas, and they also combine the knowledge of Duncan Napier to choose plant extracts from all over the world (and not only from Korea as is often the case with conventional Korean skincare brands).

Belif isn’t claiming to be a “clean beauty” brand. They’re a conventional skincare brand that uses natural plant extracts in their formulas.

Their most popular range around the world and the one that put the brand on the map is Aqua Bomb, based on hydration and which counts about fifteen different products (at least in Korea).

And today, we’re going to take a closer look at one of the latest releases in their Aqua Bomb line, the Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm!

Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, product presentation:

This product released a little less than a year ago is a moisturizing makeup remover balm, developed to effectively dissolve makeup and impurities while leaving the skin clean but still moisturized!

One of the great strengths of the Belif brand is undoubtedly the texture of its best-selling products. And for this balm, the brand was inspired by the silky and comforting texture of their hero product The True Cream Aqua Bomb, their moisturizing cream for dry skin.

Belif has created a beautiful cleansing balm with a texture that transforms in three steps: first, an oily balm that you massage into your skin, then it becomes a cream that gradually liquefies into a silky oil.

Its unique texture (the brand calls it a “sherbet” texture) is super soft on the skin and leaves no oily residue after rinsing. The brand says that one cleansing step is enough with this product, but you know me, #moreismore, so I always do a second cleanse afterwards. But I guess if you don’t wear much makeup, one step might be enough with this product.

They focus the formula around oil-based ingredients that help dissolve the makeup and impurities, but also other moisturizing and soothing actives to preserve the skin’s barrier.

These include:
– Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, a derivative of coconut oil and glycerin, quite nourishing,
– jojoba oil, which is close to the skin’s sebum and helps to keep the skin barrier in good condition during cleansing.
– soothing plant extracts: nettle, Lady’s Mantle, calendula, marshmallow, lotus flower, oat…
– moisturizing Aloe Vera,
– anti-oxidant turmeric,
– and also a lot of essential oils which have a fragrance purpose here. I don’t have any problem with essential oils, especially since it’s a product that you rinse off, so I don’t think it sensitizes the skin too much, but of course, it depends on your skin.

The essential oils make a big difference to me when it comes to my experience with this product, I’ll explain below!

Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, my experience:

I’ve always been curious about super renowned luxury makeup cleansing balms like Emma Hardie, for example, but their price tag has so far stopped me.

This Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Balm seemed like a great middle ground option to me! It’s not cheap either, but it’s still significantly cheaper than other fancy makeup removing balms 😉

For me, Belif is really a range that screams sensoriality. I know that’s not necessarily what the brand communicates about, but still, all of their products are a true pleasure to use and this one is certainly no exception!

Yes, it contains a lot of essential oils, but for me, they are part of the experience… They are clearly the ones that give this unique freshness to the product.

The texture is also quite exquisite. That balm 🡆 cream 🡆 oil transformation effect is really a very pleasant experience to feel on the skin! (I elaborate on how I use it further down the page if you check the instructions guide 😉 ).

But then again, that fresh feeling this balm leaves on the skin is really the cherry on the cake, IMO. The freshness on the skin lasts a little less if you use a second cleanser afterwards like I do, but still, you can feel it a little bit after the second rinse, and it’s honestly divine!

I don’t have sensitive skin and essential oils have never been a problem for me (especially since we’re talking about a product that rinses off, they don’t stay on the skin). But I can still tell you that the product doesn’t irritate my skin at all when I use it, and that it’s possible for me to use it to remove my eye makeup without any issue. It doesn’t sting my eyes at all.

If you’re like me, and sometimes need a little boost to motivate you to remove your makeup at night when you’re tired, the prospect of using this oh-so-pleasant product is a great incentive!

Typically, balms tend to “stick” on the skin more when you rinse them compared to makeup cleansing oils. That’s why brands often recommend using a damp cloth to remove them. But personally, I’m not a fan of this removal technique. I always prefer to rinse with my hands, because I find washcloths too aggressive. I’m never sure of the hygiene of the things and it means more laundry to do every week lol.

Well, good news, this Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm is very easy to rinse off with just your hands! No need to use a wet cloth if you don’t feel like it 🙂

And it removes all my makeup perfectly, including my waterproof products like my mascara. Everything dissolves under my fingers as I massage it. A real treat!

The jar is 100ml; I know I’ll finish it a bit quickly (this is always the case with makeup cleansing balms compared to oils) but I also know I’ll really enjoy it until the end!

In conclusion:

This Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm is a brilliant discovery! It confirms my love for this brand and also for this Aqua Bomb range (I told you about their gel texture cream in this article last summer if you’re curious 😉).

It actually made me want to try their moisturizer, The True Cream, which is richer and for dry-prone skin! Now that my skin is betraying my age, with its greater need for comfort, I think I should probably really like it too 😉.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a super sensorial and pleasant balm that also does the job of makeup removal perfectly, and you don’t feel like spending a fortune on it, take a look at this Belif cleansing balm. It’s worth it! And on top of that, it’s available at Sephora, which is always convenient (I added the link for you 😉).

The Belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm retails between $30 and $35 for 100ml, depending on the retailers.