Cosmo HQ Review: We Tried Dieux’s New Cleanser and It Dethroned All of Our Other Makeup Removers
In case you're new here (welcome!), Cosmo HQ Review is the corner of the internet where we (aka Cosmo's team of beauty editors) try out new, buzzy, and iconic products to see if they’re worth the hype and, ultimately, your money. On today's lineup? The just-launched Ethereal Facial Cleansing Oil from Dieux, the same brand behind the celeb-favorite Instant Angel Moisturizer (Mrs. Hailey Bieber is a devoted fan) and the viral Forever Eye Masks. With a 10,000+ person waitlist and Dieux’s cult following, we knew this oil cleanser would have a lot to live up to. It promises to remove makeup and excess oil while thoroughly cleansing the skin. And we were lucky enough to get our hands on it weeks before the launch date.Keep scrolling for three beauty editors’ unfiltered reviews of Dieux's Ethereal Facial Cleansing Oil.About the Dieux Ethereal Facial Cleansing Oil:Dieux Ethereal Instant Makeup Removing Cleansing OilKey benefits: Removing makeup and excess oil while cleansing the skinPrice: $28 Size: 3.38 fl ozJasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor "I must admit: this was the first oil cleanser I’ve ever used in my life. As someone with acne-prone and super-dry skin, non-stripping creamy cleansers have always worked best for me. But I was willing to give this a try in the name of beauty journalism—partly because I don’t love using cleansing balms to remove my makeup, and partly because the rest of my team had rave reviews (keep scrolling for those).When I first put this into my hand, the slick formula made me nervous. But once I mixed it with some water and started emulsifying it by rubbing my hands together, it turned into a lovely milky texture. It takes off all my makeup with just a few swipes, and it doesn't feel overly oily on my skin. (I currently use the Sofie Pavitt Micellar Pads, but I have to go through at least two or three rounds of removal before I can start washing my face.) It left me feeling refreshed and cleaner than any cleansing balm or makeup wipe.It's worth noting that the formula's first ingredient is a palm oil extract, which has a reputation for clogging pores. That said, it's also commonly used to break down makeup, SPF, and excess oil. If you’re super acne-prone, this is something to keep in mind before adding Ethereal to your routine. I haven’t had a problem so far, but if I start breaking out without changing anything else in my skincare or makeup routine, this may be the culprit."Jasmine Hyman for CosmopolitanEven my three layers of blush were no match for the oil cleanser. Lauren Balsamo, beauty directorDieux makes one of the best face washes I’ve ever used—the Baptism Gentle Foaming Facial Gel Cleanser. It has a really plush, cushiony lather that feels delightful, and unlike a lot of gel cleansers, it really gets in there to deep-clean pores without drying out skin. I love it so much, I recently awarded it “best gel face wash” in our 2025 Holy Grail Beauty Awards.That said, I do need to use an oil cleanser before Baptism to fully remove my tinted sunscreen and makeup at the end of the day, so I was jazzed to see a sample of the new Ethereal Cleansing Oil on my desk.The two best things about the formula are the texture and the way it makes my skin feel once I rinse it off. So many oil cleansers are thin and drippy and end up making a mess, but this one has a slightly thicker consistency, so it massages in nicely without running down my face and hands. Now for the rinse off. I’d normally never use an oil cleanser without following up with a gel or cream wash after, but Ethereal leaves zero film or product-y feeling on my face, so it actually feels clean (not just free of makeup) without a second cleansing step. After massaging it into dry skin, you just add a little water, and it rinses off with no weird residue.Jasmine Hyman for CosmopolitanThe consistency goes from oily to milky with just a bit of water.Beth Gillette, beauty editorI was an early adopter of the oil cleanser, which has given me extremely high standards. What's worse: an aesthetician recently told me to ditch all oils, including the cleansing variety, if I wanted to clear my skin. For months, I opted for micellar water to take off my eye makeup before a thorough cleanse with my go-to gel face wash. So when I heard Dieux, a brand that carries one of my all-time favorite non-comedogenic moisturizers—the Air Angel Gel Moisturizer—I admittedly wrote it off and continued on my oil-less path.But beauty director Lauren Balsamo, who’s had a similar acne-prone trajectory as I have, waved a green flag, so I said eff it and decided to try it out. I braced myself for impact as I massaged the lightweight oil into my skin. It feels much lighter than other oil cleansers I've tried and spreads evenly over my skin. And to my surprise, it removes all of my makeup. That’s where my micellar water era has been falling short, considering I’m not a “natural” girl. At any given moment, my face is covered in foundation, concealer, contour, bronzer, blush, powder, eyeshadow, mascara, brow gel, brow pencil, lip stain, lip liner, gloss—like, a makeup remover has to put in a whole lotta work with me. But this one actually gets everything off, so once I go in with my gel cleanser (currently, that’s iS Clinical Cleansing Complex), my face feels so freakin’ clean and ready for any and all actives and treatments I’m about to throw at it.Now, is it good for my acne? Hard to say, considering my skin is hormonal as hell and it’s hard to predict whether it’s just my DNA making me break out or a new product. But I’ve used this for over a month at this point, and I’ve had some of my best skin days (and also some not-so-great ones), so I don’t think I can confidently connect the two. All I know is I love how it removes my makeup and how light it feels on my skin—so much so, that I plan to keep using it as my go-to oil cleanser.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanBeauty editor Beth Gillette’s makeup melted off in just one step.Final Thoughts:The Ethereal Facial Cleansing Oil is one of the best makeup removers we’ve tried in a looong time—and the fact that it doubles as a face wash makes it even better. If you’re acne-prone, proceed with caution. But if you’re looking to remove every trace of makeup, sunscreen, and sweat from your skin this summer, look no further than this $28 bottle of magic. We have a feeling this is going to be one of Dieux’s biggest launches yet.More Cosmo HQ ReviewsHonest Beauty Editor Takes On Point of View BeautyIlia’s Limitless Mascara Finally Comes in BrownHere’s the Tea on Dyson’s Newest Hair Tool LaunchJasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
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