Waterproof eye makeup can be a godsend for looking great all throughout long days, but the pain of removing them sometimes drives us nuts too.
So when we saw those video advertisements on Facebook recently, showcasing the cleaning prowess of the new L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water and how the most stubborn of eye makeup can be cleaned off within 3 seconds, with a single cotton pad, we were intrigued. Very intrigued.
What’s so different about this micellar water?
The L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water is a makeup remover that claims not only to easily remove waterproof makeup, but also to do it quickly within 3 seconds. Unlike some other makeup removers, the micellar water is also said to be moisturising for your skin, so you don’t feel like your skin is shrivelling up after you’re done cleaning.
Of course, it’s not only for eye makeup! The L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water is suitable for removing makeup on the whole face, and no rinsing or double cleansing is required.
The L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water has a “no-nasties” formula, so it is free from oil, alcohol and fragrances, ingredients that are known to clog up pores, dry out the skin’s moisture barrier, or irritate sensitive skin.
Its Bi-Phase Micellar technology is new for micellar waters on the market, and it’s this which apparently allows it to remove stubborn, waterproof makeup so easily, yet without damaging or drying out your skin. Does it really fulfil its quick-cleaning claim though? Continue reading on to our review to find out!
We put it to the test!
So, this is me with a full face of makeup. This is stronger and more intense makeup than I’d usually wear on an everyday basis, but for the purposes of testing the micellar water, I really went all out.
This is a closeup on half of my face. On my eyes, I’m wearing a brown, smokey eyeshadow look, a smudge-resistant and waterproof eyeliner, two coats of waterproof mascara on my top lashes and one coat on my bottom lashes. The products I have on my face that day are all heavy-duty, hard-to-remove ones, which are perfect for really putting the L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water to the test.
Does the L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water remove eye makeup in 3 seconds?
I typically don’t like to wear mascara because of how it’s such a pain to remove, so I was very pleasantly surprised at how easily it came off. I gently pressed a cotton pad soaked with the micellar water onto my lashes for around 3 seconds, then wiped it off once. Furthermore, it didn’t sting my eyes even when I was pressing the soaked cotton pad near my lashline to really make sure it was able to dissolve my mascara.
There was some smudging of the mascara underneath the eye, which is completely normal as the micellar water has thinned out the mascara for easy removal. This is very easily wiped off with a gentle swipe of the cotton pad – you don’t want to be rubbing that area and tugging on the thinner skin there!
More importantly, there was no mascara left on my eyelashes after this process! My eyeliner was also completely gone, there were no more random spots or remnants of it even near the lashline where it’s typically more difficult to remove. This means that after some gentle pressing, and a single swipe of the cotton pad, my eye makeup removal process was done. I don’t think I’ve ever taken off waterproof mascara and eye makeup this quickly or this easily before.
How does the micellar water perform on the rest of the face?
On the rest of my face, I’m wearing brow makeup, foundation, blush and a nude-rose liquid lipstick. I’ve cleaned up half my face first, just to show the visible contrast between my skin with and without makeup. It took me one and a half cotton pads to remove a half face of makeup (including my eye makeup).
You can really see how my eyelashes face downwards (as they naturally do) on the side where my eye makeup has been cleaned off, while the other half still has its curls nicely held in place by my mascara.
When I had enough of playing Harvey Dent, I quickly wiped off the rest of my makeup.
Another closeup shot of my bare face. My skin’s natural redness, pores and other blemishes are visible now that all the make up has been taken off. The above picture was taken immediately after I had wiped off my makeup, without having washed my face or patted it with tissue beforehand. My face looks clean and healthy, not overly dry and without any greasy layer left over from the micellar water either.
How many cotton pads did all that take? A grand total of 3 and a half (one of these was only used on one side).
My final thoughts
Honestly, I’m a cleansing oil type of girl and I hardly ever use micellar water to clean off makeup unless I’m feeling particularly lazy that day. I had the impression that using micellar water takes a longer time than cleansing oils, and that it doesn’t clean off makeup as thoroughly. Both of these misconceptions were proven false by the end of my test.
The L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water was great for removing foundation, but the time when it really shone was when it came down to removing stubborn eye makeup, like waterproof mascara. Mascara has always been tricky to remove for me, not only because of its waterproof formula but also because it’s applied so close to the eye, making it tough to really get a thorough clean without getting your eye irritated as well. With the L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water though, cleaning mascarabecame a breeze not only because it dissolved the makeup so quickly and easily, but also because it didn’t sting my eyes at all despite having gently pressed the cotton pad there for 3 seconds.
Do take note that you should shake the L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water thoroughly before you pour it on to your cotton pad! The top layer is what actually removes your stubborn, waterproof eye makeup, so you really need to make sure it’s mixed well before using. When using it, I made sure I shook it such that the two phases were thoroughly mixed up before I poured it out onto the cotton pad. My face felt clean and hydrated after makeup removal, so I didn’t feel like I needed to cleanse or tone my face again after removing my makeup.
L’Oréal Paris Bi-Phase Micellar Water (400ml) retails for SGD 22.90 at leading Watsons, Guardian, and Unity stores, as well as major supermarkets and hypermarkets from July 2017. There will be a promotional discount for July for all L’Oréal Micellar Waters!
Other products in the range
If you don’t frequently use heavy makeup, or waterproof eye makeup that is difficult to remove, you can still try the other micellar waters in their range, which are equally hydrating and caring for your skin!
Moisturizing Micellar Water with French Rose Extract
For: Normal and sensitive skin
Refreshing Micellar Water with French Mountain Water
For: Oily and combination skin
Both retail at SGD 20.90 for 400ml at leading Watsons, Guardian, and Unity stores, as well as major supermarkets and hypermarkets from July 2017.
This article is brought to you by L’Oréal Paris.
