There are two sides to every coin, which is why some people have a love-hate relationship with waterproof makeup.

On the one hand, they’re great because they are long-lasting. On the other, they can be notoriously hard to remove. Yes, that lipstick which can last you through a 10-course wedding dinner is the same one that you need to spend 15 minutes at your wash basin scrubbing off later that night.

So here’s what you should do with what type of waterproof makeup to help you get the best of both worlds.

Photo: Shutterstock

(Also read: How to Remove Waterproof Sunscreen From Your Face & Body Effectively)

We know how tempting it is to be more heavy-handed when removing mascara that is clinging to your lashes for dear life. But because the skin around your eyes is delicate, so you shouldn’t tug at it while removing your eye makeup. “Soak a clean cotton pad with a generous amount of makeup remover like the Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover ($8 for 50ml) and let it sit on the eye for 20-30 seconds to help dissolve waterproof makeup,” says Muhammed Nazmi Bin Ab Rahman, a makeup artistry coach with Sephora. “Swipe downwards and repeat until your eyes are completely clean.”

Use a cotton swab saturated with your eye makeup remover and gently remove any traces or residue under your waterline. “And always go for ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested makeup removers, especially if you have sensitive eyes,” adds Nazmi.

Like the previous tip for removing waterproof eye makeup, you should let the cotton pad saturated with your makeup remover sit for 20-3o seconds before swiping the cotton pad across your lips to remove the makeup.

Or try professional makeup artist Larry Yeo’s method. “Apply a generous amount of lip balm over the lips and use your finger to massage the balm into your lips. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and wipe it off with a baby wipe,” he advises.

Nazmi also recommends you keep to a lip ritual – lip scrub, lip balm (and a lip serum twice a week) – after removing the lipstick, especially if you put on lipsticks daily. “This keeps your lips healthy and makes lip makeup application smoother and easier because piling on lip makeup and using certain lipsticks can dry out the skin and lead to flaking,” he adds.

We like the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($36 for 17g), which has brown sugar crystals to gently exfoliate and shea butter and jojoba oil to nourish lips.

(Also read: Tried-and-Tested: 5 Most Waterproof Eyeliners in Singapore (And Which Can Survive Sweaty HIIT Workouts?))

Unlike eye or lip makeup, it’s a little trickier to determine if you have removed all your foundation. But to be sure, you should always double-cleanse using a makeup remover or cleanser like the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel ($27 for 236ml), recommends Nazmi. This has papaya and grapefruit extracts to exfoliate skin and remove impurities gently.

If you are particular, you can always saturate a cotton pad with micellar water and run it gently across your skin until the cotton pad comes off clean.