Oil up (but not in a weird way)

Makeup is an integral part of transforming into your particular flavour of cosplay. Now, while some of you are gold-medalist skin carers, others (especially the more hirsute of you) are probably relying on good old soap and water. And then also wondering why your face is breaking out and/or actin’ all crazy.

This might be something of a news flash for some of you but soap is not your friend when it comes to the delicate skin on your face. Yep, even the Y chromosomes in the room should not try to remove makeup with plain old soap. Not only will it dry your skin out too much, it is not always the most effective way to prevent breakouts.

To keep your skin in line you’re gonna want to remove every trace of makeup, dirt, grime, and whatever else you’ve been dunking ya filthy mug into.

If you are clean-shaven and don’t have particularly sensitive skin then things are a tad easier for you my fine friend. Give make-up removing wipes a try. There are a shite-tonne of them on the market (and in the supermarket).

We like Simple Micellar wipes or Neutrogena Make-up remover wipes. Both are what the beauty experts call “reasonably priced" which means you won’t have to sell a kidney to purchase. Before you ask, yes you can use baby wipes. We won’t tell the beauty experts if you don’t.

If, however, your skin is clad in a manly beard, sensitive and dry, or there is glitter involved then you’re gonna want to find yourself an oil cleanser. Makeup wipes are completely ineffectual when it comes to glitter, they just move it around.

Do not use olive oil from your pantry. It’s not the same thing so stop being a cheap bastard and go buy an actual oil cleanser like Simple Hydrating Oil Cleanser. It’s cheap, effective and easy to find.

Pro tip: If you have a beard or fallen victim to glitter, let it sit on your skin for a hot minute before removing it with water and a washcloth. Follow up with any other non-oil cleanser.

After cleansing, moisturise. There is no need to tone, you’ve stripped your skin enough thank-you-very-much.

Now go live your best life with your perfect skin.

Note: no matter what you use, there will still probably be glitter popping up in weird places for a few days. That’s just how it rolls.