I’ve been using Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for a couple of weeks now, and I thought it was time to give my feedback.
In case you are new to micellar water, it is a lightweight product that you can use to cleanse your face and remove your makeup. Some women use micellar water instead of cleanser and/or makeup remover, and others use micellar water as a first step in a double cleansing routine. I’m a cleansing fanatic, so I do the latter. I use micellar water to remove my makeup, and then I follow up with a cleanser. Micellar water works by pulling dirt, oil and makeup away from your skin so you don’t have to scrub. In addition, you don’t have to rinse off micellar water which is why it is so easy and fast to use. Micellar water can be a lifesaver for those occasions when you get home late or are just exhausted and don’t want to do a complicated cleansing routine.
I don’t have a lot of experience with many micellar water brands. The first micellar water that I tried was Simple Micellar Water (reviewed here). Initially, I didn’t have the greatest luck with Simple. It burned my eyes, and I couldn’t use it to remove my eye makeup. In retrospect, I’m wondering if my often finicky and sensitive eyes were going through a rough patch, because I gave Simple MW another try about a month or so ago, and my eyes didn’t have a problem with it. I apologize Simple Micellar Water if I was unfair to you 😉 Nevertheless, when I used up the Simple Micellar Water, I chose a different brand.
Partly to get some more experience with another brand and partly because I had heard good things about Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water that came out last year, I decided to try it. There is the regular pink version that I bought, and there is also a blue version, Garnier Micellar Bi-Phase Cleansing Water for waterproof makeup. My skin and my eyes react well to the pink Garnier Micellar Water – no irritation at all. And it removes my eye makeup very well without any tugging. It is incredibly gentle.
As an addendum, please shake Garnier Micellar Water each time you use it. I didn’t see this instruction on the bottle, but Laura, a reader and online friend, weighed in to let me know that Garnier MW as well as some other brands require mixing of the ingredients before each use.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is good for all skin types including sensitive skin, and it can be used on the face, eyes and lips. It has no oil, no alcohol and no fragrance. The bottle contains 13.5 fl.oz. The price varies by where you’re shopping and it’s widely available.
I haven’t tried BioDerma, the holy grail of micellar waters, because I think it’s too expensive. Basically, I don’t want to pay a lot of money for a makeup remover. I like Garnier Micellar Water a lot, and after two solid weeks of using it, I haven’t had any problems at all.
Have you tried Garnier Micellar Water yet? If so, what did you think?
I have tried BioDerma, Vichy and Caudalie. Out of those three I liked BioDerma the least. Go figure. lol I have read the raves about Garnier too. I am glad that you reviewed this Allison. I will try it next.
If I use cleansing water at all it is as the last step in my cleansing ritual. I cannot seem to think of these cleansing waters as anything more than a gentle toner. The only instances I use them as intended is when I go makeup free for the day.
I can believe it, Laura. I’m not convinced that one brand is the be all end all! I sometimes use MW as a last step, but Garnier actually does a good job removing my eye makeup and my foundation so I mostly use it as a remover/pre cleanse and then I follow with a cleanser and then a toner. Probably overkill, right??
I’ve pretty much given up on the cleansing water after trying the simple cleansing wipes.They promise to gently remove makeup and I found them lacking.My face definitely still needed the makeup removed thoroughly and I found it to be an unnecessary step on my cleansing routine.Honestly,there are better products out there IMHO.In all fairness I only tried the wipes and was so disappointed I gave up on it all together so maybe trying a different brand in a different way would make me a fan,I’ll have to look for a sale and give it another shot.Thanks for the review,I really enjoy everything you write. 🙂
I didn’t have as good results removing my makeup with Simple MW as I do with Garnier, Laura. I also prefer using the liquid and my own cotton pads because I can control the amount that I use. I don’t think MW on its own is enough to give a really thorough cleaning so I use an additional cleanser. Maybe I could skip the MW altogether and just use eye makeup remover like I used to, but I hate cleansing with my foundation still on. I feel like I’m moving it around my face, lol. So I am an MW as a pre cleanse fan. If you do find a good sale on the Garnier, I think it’s worth a try, Laura, and if you do, let me know what you think!
I know a lot of people swear by Micellar water! I have not found one that gelled well with my skin. I shall keep trying tho…
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I have tried both Bioderma and this and frankly I don’t find any differences between them. I don’t use tons of makeup and neither is my face sensitive so both worked equally well on me but of course Garnier wins because it’s only a small fraction of Bioderma’s price.
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Glad to hear that I’m not missing out by spending the big bucks and buying the Bioderma, Shireen!
I keep Simple’s MW in my medicine cabinet but I still have to use two or three cotton pads to remove my makeup. It’s not Simple, lol. But it is easier to me than washing my face, shame on me, lol I haven’t tried Garnier’s version, but I’ve also tried Bioderma’s and honestly, I don’t see the difference between that and Simple in terms of performance.
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I use 3 cotton pads to remove my makeup, Judy: one for each eye and one for my face. I don’t like smearing a used pad on the different areas so using 3 doesn’t bother me 😉 That’s great to hear that you don’t see a difference between Simple and Bioderma. I’m all for saving money on something utilitarian like MW!
I’ve never tried this but I’ve been curious for awhile!
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If you decide to give it a go at some point, I definitely recommend Garnier over Simple MW
You certainly can’t beat the price! The fact that it doesn’t bother your sensitive eyes definitely makes me want to try it. Thanks for the thorough review, Allison!
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You’re welcome, Helen! I’m glad I tried this. It’s a good one
I LOVE Garnier micellar waters. I have the bi phasic but I normally use the regular, as it removes my eye and face makeup just fine. I also love that it’s so affordable and I’m with you, why pay so much money for something that removes makeup? lol
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I’m with you on that! I’d much rather save my money and buy makeup!!
I do like micellar water. Embryolisse is my favorite.
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I didn’t know Embryolisse had an MW. I have to go to Target to see if they carry the brand. Altho I’m satisfied with Garnier, if I can easily buy Embryolisse I’ll give it a try since it must be CF and I think you also have sensitive eyes so it would most likely work for me.
I love cleansing waters. I haven’t tried the Garnier one yet, but I will.
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I think you’d like it, Carleen!
I’m happy that this one worked for you because I’ve seen so many mixed reviews about similar products. I guess to each her own.
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I think you’re right, Aleya. Everyone has their own reaction to skincare products. Because of the burning eyes problem that I had with Simple MW, I decided not to repurchase even though the problem went away. So far so good with Garnier!
I have the pink version and I really like it, especially for eye makeup.
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Glad it works for you too!
Once I finish my two bottles of Bioderma, I’ll try out the Garnier. I’ve heard good things about it.
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I’m just too cheap to spend a lot of money on micellar water, so I’m glad that Garnier works well for me. I think it’s worth a try when you finish up your Bioderma. I’d rather spend $ on makeup!!
I’ve got three brands of Micellar water and will be adding this as my fourth brand since I’m almost finished with Simple. I don’t use these to remove eye makeup unless I haven’t used mascara. I’m so happy to learn this is fragrance free since I’d have avoided it otherwise.
My favorite use of Micellar Water is for mornings that I don’t have time to shower. My face just needs refreshing from the night’s skincare and they do the job.
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Good to know there are so many ways that women use MW in addition to or instead of removing makeup, Marcia! I need to add your use to my post!
I’m a big fan of Bioderma but for $7, it’s pretty hard to beat!
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I’d rather spend money on makeup than MW, Mai!
I like this too, it’s pretty affordable. Caudalie is my next favorite
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Everything from Caudalie is lovely, but I haven’t tried their MW yet
I can’t wait to try this product because I have tried Simple which is OK but I am looking for something a little better myself!! Enjoyed your review on this beauty water!
Ursula
http://www.blueridgebeautyblogger.com
Thank you, Ursula! I feel the same way you do about Simple MW, just OK. I liked Garnier much more.
I absolutely love this stuff! I have found it works wonders when it comes to removing my makeup!
Thank you for chiming in, Courtney! So glad to hear that Garnier MW works well for you too. PS I love the name of your blog. I’ll check it out!
Glad you liked it, Allison! The pink Garnier is a solid dupe for pink Bioderma, even though the ingredients are different.
Ah, glad to hear that, Anastasia!
I have been loving this thing. I love the size of the bottle and it takes off most of my makeup really well. My waterproof mascara – I need to add some coconut oil or cleansing oil to remove it – but love this product. So glad that it works for so many.
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I’m glad you mentioned waterproof mascara, Honey, because I just got one to try out for review and I don’t have any MU remover for waterproof mascara. Just curious, have you tried the Garnier Bi-Phasic MW on waterproof mascara? I was wondering if it was worth purchasing the other formula.
I have not tried the waterproof makeup one, but have heard good things. It will be my next buy when this one runs out or if I have a coupon or something on sale. I didn’t get it first time around because I wasn’t sure if the original pink one would burn my eyes – which many can and do. I found it doesn’t hurt my eyes at all… so I am going to pick up the other formula next. 🙂 I use coconut oil mostly to remove my waterproof mascara… so we’ll see 😉
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I was so happy that the pink one doesn’t burn my eyes either, yay!! I’ll use coconut oil to remove my new waterproof mascara if the pink one doesn’t do the trick. Thanks, Honey!
I’ve become such a huge fan of cleansing waters recently. I love how gentle but effective they are at cleansing the skin. My current favorite is the Dr. Jart+ one, which is quite pricey, so this sounds like a great inexpensive option! I’ve been hearing a lot of people rave about it, so it must be good. Thanks for the review, Allison!
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I love Dr. Jart but I haven’t tried the MW yet. I’m really happy with Garnier and glad it’s so affordable so I can save my $$ to buy makeup!
I have tried Bioderma, Caudalie, Nuxe and a couple of other brands and love them all, so much so that the bi-phase makeup removers have now been relegated to the back of the shelf. These are so much gentler!
Can you use the MWs that you mentioned to remove waterproof mascara/makeup? Curious because I just received some waterproof mascara (haven’t tried it yet) and I’m wondering if regular MW can do the job
I have both of the Micellar waters from Garnier and I like them. The bottles are so big they will last me a while.
Glad to know you like the Bi-Phase version too. I was curious about it since I just got some waterproof mascara.
I’ve been using the waterproof makeup one and its my new favorite!
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I’m glad to hear that you like the Bi-Phase version. If I end up liking the waterproof mascara I just received for testing, I may pick up the blue one too!
I really want to try this, as I’ve tried a few other micellar waters. I like them as a back up for cleansing, like if I’ve worn some long wearing stuff that needs a little help to get it off.
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I think it’s a terrific MW. No scent, no stinging, gets my makeup off easily and more completely than Simple MW did. I think you might like it, Tess, for the times you want a “backup cleanser”
These sound amazing. I love Micellar waters, I have only tried a mini of the bioderma one and thought it was ok. So far all the other ones I’ve tried (l’oreal, vichy, Marcelle) are just as good if not better so I don’t see the point in spending the money either. If I ever use up my stash I will grab one of these for sure.
I am very satisfied with Garnier. I like it better than Simple MW because it’s gentler and more effective. I am going to receive a sample of Bioderma to try out, and I’m curious to see if it’s any better than Garnier. Can’t imagine it can be 😉