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Urban Decay is well loved for its gorgeous and daring makeup collections so it's about time that the brand released a line of makeup-removing and skin-prepping skincare products. Aptly named the Meltdown Makeup Remover and the Rehab Makeup Prep collections, the two ranges offer up a wide array of cleansing products and hydration items. To see my review of each product, read on below......
Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover Dissolving Spray ($32 CAD):
With only three ingredients, two of which are emollients (cyclopentasiloxane, caprylyl methicone) and one being vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate), the Dissolving Spray is a liquid makeup remover that dispenses from a fine-spray nozzle. Promising to remove every trace of makeup, including waterproof eyeliner and mascara, the spray does exactly what it promises. It's not as efficient as my favorite cleansing oils from Shu Uemura, but it really does remove everything!
After spritzing it all over the face and massaging it over makeup, the product has to be wiped off instead of washed off, unless you are okay with spending some extra time washing off the slick residue. The only other drawback I can think of is that the product has to be sprayed carefully because you might get it in your hair. I wash my hair every other day so if some product accidentally gets into my hair, my roots will be extra greasy the next morning.
Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Cleansing Oil Stick ($32 CAD):
A solid cleansing oil housed in a twist-up tube like a giant stick of glue, the Cleansing Oil Stick is made with sunflower seed oil and extracts of turmeric, primrose seed, sandalwood, rice, green tea, ginkgo leaf, basil, spearmint, and sage. Promising to melt upon contact, the Cleansing Oil Stick was more difficult to spread than I thought. This could have benefitted from being housed in a jar instead as the top of the stick gets really icky very quickly as melted makeup builds on top of it. Also, because of the size of the stick, it's hard to apply it directly over the eyes.
Nevertheless, the product works just as well as the Dissolving Spray in removing makeup. Even the toughest eye makeup will come off with some gentle massaging motion. Again, the product should probably be followed up with a foam cleanser to remove any greasy residues.
Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover Lip Oil Stick ($18 CAD):
A cool-looking translucent lip balm made with various emollients such as ethylhexyl palmitate and infused with vitamin E, this is a solid-to-oil lip makeup remover that promises to tackle even the most long-lasting liquid lipsticks. The product certainly works as promised and removes liquid lipsticks like a champ. However, I've never had any trouble removing lip products before. Therefore, I don't think I see the real purpose of this product, especially given that both the Dissolving Spray and Cleansing Oil Stick work just fine at removing waterproof lip colors... Also, if your lip product stains, the Lip Oil Stick won't really solve that issue so you will still have to invest in a potent lip scrub.
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Pretty Gritty Skin Polish ($34 CAD):
Hands down my favorite product out of both collections, the Pretty Gritty Skin Polish is a gentle powder-to-foam scrub formulated with baking powder, tapioca starch, powdered dog rose seed, and citric acid (an AHA). Similar to my favorite powder cleanser from Tatcha (reviewed here), this product not only cleans but gently exfoliates, leaving my skin feeling so smooth and squeaky. Once the product touches water, it foams like any regular liquid cleanser but what remains are some very fine scrubby particles. The only downside I've noticed with this scrub is that my skin felt a bit dry after use. Therefore, I would recommend that you tone and moisturize immediately after using the polish.
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Pore Refining Gel ($32 CAD):
This is a peel-off mask formulated with extracts from nine different plants (ex. sugar cane, mistletoe, juniper, sage, honey, peppermint, lemon balm). The formulation has a clear viscous texture when you squeeze it out of the tube and within ten or so minutes, the mask completely sets to a peelable film. To be honest, this mask did nothing for me. The peeling off process was very fun and satisfying but I didn't notice any pore-refining or even moisturizing effect. This is definitely not a product I would recommend unless you simply like peeling stuff off of your face...
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Lip Love ($18 CAD):
Made with castor oil, vegetable oil, shea butter, and beeswax, the Lip Love is a simple liquid balm with a cooling minty flavor. The formulation is melty and moisturizing, perhaps not as heavy as the Jack Black balms but definitely more nourishing compared to your average stick lip balm.
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Hot Springs Hydrating Gel ($34 CAD):
An intriguing gel moisturizer made with encapsulated water from century-old Japanese hot springs, the Hot Springs Hydrating Gel feels super lightweight. When first applied on the skin, the product actually turns into water and nicely absorbs to leave behind a smooth and blurring finish. Unfortunately, the moisturizer is heavy on silicones, which is my holy nemesis ingredient (you can read all about why in my Paula's Choice Calm Collection review). However, if you don't mind silicones and want a lightweight moisturizer that doubles as a primer, definitely check this out!
Availability:
Urban Decay is available in stores and online at Sephora and UrbanDecay.ca.
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| Urban Decay Meltdown Remover Dissolving Spray | Cleansing Oil Stick |
With only three ingredients, two of which are emollients (cyclopentasiloxane, caprylyl methicone) and one being vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate), the Dissolving Spray is a liquid makeup remover that dispenses from a fine-spray nozzle. Promising to remove every trace of makeup, including waterproof eyeliner and mascara, the spray does exactly what it promises. It's not as efficient as my favorite cleansing oils from Shu Uemura, but it really does remove everything!
After spritzing it all over the face and massaging it over makeup, the product has to be wiped off instead of washed off, unless you are okay with spending some extra time washing off the slick residue. The only other drawback I can think of is that the product has to be sprayed carefully because you might get it in your hair. I wash my hair every other day so if some product accidentally gets into my hair, my roots will be extra greasy the next morning.
Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Cleansing Oil Stick ($32 CAD):
A solid cleansing oil housed in a twist-up tube like a giant stick of glue, the Cleansing Oil Stick is made with sunflower seed oil and extracts of turmeric, primrose seed, sandalwood, rice, green tea, ginkgo leaf, basil, spearmint, and sage. Promising to melt upon contact, the Cleansing Oil Stick was more difficult to spread than I thought. This could have benefitted from being housed in a jar instead as the top of the stick gets really icky very quickly as melted makeup builds on top of it. Also, because of the size of the stick, it's hard to apply it directly over the eyes.
Nevertheless, the product works just as well as the Dissolving Spray in removing makeup. Even the toughest eye makeup will come off with some gentle massaging motion. Again, the product should probably be followed up with a foam cleanser to remove any greasy residues.
 |
| Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover Cleansing Oil Stick |
A cool-looking translucent lip balm made with various emollients such as ethylhexyl palmitate and infused with vitamin E, this is a solid-to-oil lip makeup remover that promises to tackle even the most long-lasting liquid lipsticks. The product certainly works as promised and removes liquid lipsticks like a champ. However, I've never had any trouble removing lip products before. Therefore, I don't think I see the real purpose of this product, especially given that both the Dissolving Spray and Cleansing Oil Stick work just fine at removing waterproof lip colors... Also, if your lip product stains, the Lip Oil Stick won't really solve that issue so you will still have to invest in a potent lip scrub.
 |
| Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover Lip Oil Stick |
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| Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Pretty Gritty Skin Polish |
Hands down my favorite product out of both collections, the Pretty Gritty Skin Polish is a gentle powder-to-foam scrub formulated with baking powder, tapioca starch, powdered dog rose seed, and citric acid (an AHA). Similar to my favorite powder cleanser from Tatcha (reviewed here), this product not only cleans but gently exfoliates, leaving my skin feeling so smooth and squeaky. Once the product touches water, it foams like any regular liquid cleanser but what remains are some very fine scrubby particles. The only downside I've noticed with this scrub is that my skin felt a bit dry after use. Therefore, I would recommend that you tone and moisturize immediately after using the polish.
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Pore Refining Gel ($32 CAD):
This is a peel-off mask formulated with extracts from nine different plants (ex. sugar cane, mistletoe, juniper, sage, honey, peppermint, lemon balm). The formulation has a clear viscous texture when you squeeze it out of the tube and within ten or so minutes, the mask completely sets to a peelable film. To be honest, this mask did nothing for me. The peeling off process was very fun and satisfying but I didn't notice any pore-refining or even moisturizing effect. This is definitely not a product I would recommend unless you simply like peeling stuff off of your face...
 |
| Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Pore Refining Peel |
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| Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Lip Love |
Made with castor oil, vegetable oil, shea butter, and beeswax, the Lip Love is a simple liquid balm with a cooling minty flavor. The formulation is melty and moisturizing, perhaps not as heavy as the Jack Black balms but definitely more nourishing compared to your average stick lip balm.
Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Hot Springs Hydrating Gel ($34 CAD):
An intriguing gel moisturizer made with encapsulated water from century-old Japanese hot springs, the Hot Springs Hydrating Gel feels super lightweight. When first applied on the skin, the product actually turns into water and nicely absorbs to leave behind a smooth and blurring finish. Unfortunately, the moisturizer is heavy on silicones, which is my holy nemesis ingredient (you can read all about why in my Paula's Choice Calm Collection review). However, if you don't mind silicones and want a lightweight moisturizer that doubles as a primer, definitely check this out!
 |
| Urban Decay Rehab Makeup Prep Hot Springs Hydrating Gel |
Urban Decay is available in stores and online at Sephora and UrbanDecay.ca.
