What is a beauty routine that you can't miss in a day?
Among all beauty routines we had in a day, there is one in particular that I feel is the most important. It's so crucial that if we didn't do it, then we commit a sin!

Yep, cleansing our face at the end of the day. Thoroughly.

But something as simple as face-cleansing could be a burden at times, especially when you're dead-tired at night and just want to jump on your bed and forget everything. "Who the heck still thinking about cleansing face? I want to sleep!" >> Well, that's me after a loooooong day at work.

So yeah, face-cleansing should be quick and hassle-free. And for us lazy girls, micellar water could be the answer to our wishes.

Most of you might have heard of this micellar-thing, or even tried it before. Well, who doesn't know about the cult classic, widely-loved Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water? It was the one who started all the micellar water trends! But today I'm not going to talk about Bioderma, I'm here with another micellar water that works just as great, not to mention that it's affordable : Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

WHAT IS MICELLAR WATER?

According to board-certified dermatologist Hadley King of Skinney Medspa, micellarwater is made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water. “The idea is that micelles are attracted to dirt and oil, so they are able to draw out impurities without drying out the skin,” she says. Therefore, micellar water can be used as a facial wash, makeup remover and moisturizer all in one. (Huffington Post) 

In non-scientific terms, Micellar water contains small particles called micelles that act like a magnet to gently lift oil, dirt and makeup residue from your skin. That's what makes Micellar water very effective to cleanse your face thoroughly--without having to rinse afterwards.  Sounds cool, right? You can learn more about Micellar technology on Garnier USA website here 


Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water has 2 types : All-In-One Make-Up Remover (Pink) & All-In-One Waterproof Make Up Remover (Blue). Sadly, it's only available in countries outside Asia, so of course it's not available in Indonesia. But worry not, because you still can purchase it from online stores that sells Western beauty products. Mine is Australian version, and I got it from Achishoppe Health & Beauty

Packaged in a huge plastic bottle, this Micellar water can be used up to 200 times, that's what Garnier suggests, but I'm sure it would last long even if you use it everyday, because it's damn 400ml.



Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water claims to be suitable for all skin types (even sensitive ones), removes makeup, cleanses skin and soothes at the same time. And the best thing is, no rinsing needed & it's fragrance free!

I'm not sure about the paraben and other chemicals (I'm a science noob lol), but you can take a look at the ingredient list here

HOW TO USE?

It's pretty simple, just soak the cotton pad with micellar water and gently wipe your face with it. No harsh rubbing needed. The micellar water will do the magic for you.


I put some makeup on my arm to test the cleansing power. Here we have waterproof mascara, pencil eyeliner, cream blushes, matte lipcream and eyeshadows. And I'm going to wipe them in one swipe


Everything is perfectly removed except waterproof mascara & eyeliner. To remove waterproof makeup completely, I usually soak the cotton pad with Micellar water and let it sit on my eyes for a minute or two before swiping it off, or when I'm running out of patience I'll just rub the cotton pad (vigorously lol)  several times until the stubborn make up is completely gone.

Here's how I usually use the magic water in my cleansing routine :


As you can see, my face is greasy & my makeup starts to melt because I've been wearing it all day long. Here I'm wearing long-wear liquid foundation, waterproof pencil eyeliner & mascara, cream blush & glossy lip cream. I need about 4 cotton pads in total to remove everything completely without any residue, and I must say Garnier Micellar Water excellently does what it claims. It effectively strips my make up away without making my skin dry and tight. No oily or sticky residue, my skin feels clean & fresh.

I despise cleanser that stings my skin, I mean I truly hate it, but this one feels really soothing & calming. No stinging or burning sensation whatsoever. I just really love how it feels on my skin! There was a time when my skin was acting up due to allergic reaction, and this cleanser didn't hurt my skin even more. So I can say it's really safe for sensitive skin. It doesn't break me out too, even though I didn't wash my face again afterwards.

Another thing that I love from this Micellar Water is it's fragrance-free. Once I had Micellar Water that has fragrance in it and I didn't really like it. I prefer cleanser to be fragrance-free so Garnier gets a plus point from me ^^

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Effectively & quickly removes make-up, oil & dirt 
• Doesn't make skin dry or tight
• Safe for sensitive skin
• Refreshing, soothing & calming the skin
• No sticky or oily residue
• Fragrance free
• Huge bottle! Definitely would last for a while
• More affordable compared to similar type of Micellar water in the market (IDR 250k for 400ml)

CONCLUSION

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is now my favorite product to remove makeup at night, especially at times when I came home late and I didn't have any energy left to go to the bathroom just to wash my face lol. For a lazy girl like me, Micellar water & facial cleansing wipes are the best cheat, so I can't live without one of them I guess lol. Even though both are easy and practical, Micellar water somehow wins over facial wipes because you don't need to wash your face again afterwards (but you still can if you want to). For daily maintenance I would choose Micellar Water, but when I'm traveling, facial wipes seems to be the best choice.

Compared to several Micellar water brands I've tried before, I think Garnier is on my top list because Garnier has better value (more product, less price) and in terms of effectiveness and comfort in usage, it works just as great as similar micellar water in the market.