Cleansing Lotion VS Micellar Water

I feel a bit sorry for makeup wipes at the minute. According to skincare experts/snobs/whatever you choose to call them, wipes are 'oh-so-out'...or something to that degree. They have essentially been proven to smear makeup/dirt around your face and dry out your skin in the process. I really don't want to be a skincare snob, but I must admit- I hate that 'tacky' feeling left after using a makeup wipe- how people sleep easy after just 'removing' makeup with a wipe is beyond me!

Enough talk of makeup wipes! (gosh, they're 'out'. remember?) These lotions and waters claim to do the entire job so you don't have to slave away washing your face, but I really wouldn't trust myself to remove all my makeup with just a cotton pad. Washing away the grime of the day now ought to be done via a bottle- if we're following 'trends'- but please, this girl's gotta make sure her face is properly clean.  

So today I'm putting these two Garnier cleansers to the test: the Micellar Water and the Fresh Cleansing Lotion. I'm judging them on how well they remove makeup and how they make your skin feel post removal. Would I ever trust myself to use these alone and not cleanse my face afterwards? Let's see shall we...

Micellar Water

The hot product of the year, Micellar Water contains molecules that capture and lift dirt away from the skin. I tried to research the science behind it since I still wasn't sure and Google threw 'an aggregate of surfactant molecules dispersed in a liquid colloid' at me. Thank you for nothing Google old pal. Lab Muffin has done a great post on the science here if you want to know more- it's interesting, but it's throwing me back to my Chemistry GCSE knowledge and I've recycled most of that for other, less intelligent purposes. So anyways...

Claims: Cleanses and removes makeup in one easy step. Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Smells: Like nothing, really. Maybe a little bit soapy. Maybe that's me wishfully thinking it's gonna do some real cleansing. 

On the skin it feels literally like water. I guess the main ingredient in this bottle is water, so it's not surprising! 

Does it remove makeup? Urm...hell yes! I'm so impressed. There's absolutely no pressure required on the skin- no tugging over the eyes to remove mascara either, with is such a nice change and super helpful seeing as the skin around our eyes is so delicate and needs extra lovin. A little goes a reasonably long way as well.

After cleansing, skin feels smooth and pretty clean. I do still want to wash my face but I can totally see how some people would be happy just to moisturise and get their beauty sleep. After cleansing with water however, I can definitely tell that my skin still feels super soft.

Verdict: Love! Works like magic. See below on liquid liner, lipstick and concealer.

Cleansing Lotion

This Start Afresh Cleansing Lotion is a more traditional method of makeup removal. Its has the texture of a cream lotion and is enriched with Lotus flower and Moringa extract.

Claims: Removes makeup and refreshes skin in one easy step. Non-greasy and suitable for normal-combination skin, as well as being gentle on sensitive skin. However, it then says on the back that it's also suitable for dry skin. Hmm?

Smells: Lovely! I'm a sucker for a scented product, I can't lie. It smells faintly floral but in a fresh way. I want a perfume that smells like this lotion!

On the skin it feels like applying a mixture of a lotion and a moisturiser. A bit strange but not unpleasant at all.

Does it remove makeup? I love this product for removing 'base' makeup. Foundation seems to melt away quickly and easily. Eye makeup however is a bit more tricky and requires some work. It also leaves smears and I'm still not so sure about the sensation of rubbing lotion over my eyes!

After cleansing, skin feels soft and smooth but there is still makeup left on the skin. I like my skin to feel properly clean, not as though a product is attempting to moisturise when it isn't a moisturiser! The aforementioned skin-suitability confusion might have something to do with this. People with dry skin might like this product as it definitely leaves some moisture... but I definitely feel like I have to wash my face after removing makeup with this. 

Verdict: Love the smell and how it works on base products, but as you can see below, it tends to do a bit more smearing than cleaning, especially when it comes to eye makeup. It's not awful by any means, but the results aren't as good as Micellar!

I really do rate both of these products- so much more than any kind of makeup wipes I've ever tried- but Micellar Water is definitely the winner! 

Let me know if you agree and what your favourite methods of makeup removal/cleansing are. Do you know of anything that beats this magic water?

Til next time xo