If you’re anything like me, you’re lazy. However, I also love putting my best foot forward. I genuinely enjoy looking on point, because it gives me more confidence in myself that people are seeing who I feel that I am; outfit on 100, hair done, and makeup on FLEEK. Being lazy and proud, but also someone who likes the achievements you can reach with levels of effort, I face a dilemma. The makeup-guru-inspired art I willingly perform on my own face to look my best often leaves me motivation-less where I find myself at the end of the day when I have to wash my makeup off. Even if it’s a typical work day, I still feel like I do a lot, to the point that it’s a definite process taking off my mascara, eye-shadow and liner, contour, highlight, concealer, etc.
I use makeup wipes, but a lot of them only took 97% of my makeup off and left an uncomfortably oily and heavy residue (to break up the makeup), which lead to me washing my face with a cleanser almost immediately afterwards and even then all of my makeup wouldn’t come off. Even typing this exhausted me.
BUT NOW, IN 2015, THE FUTURE IS HERE, WITH MICELLAR WATER.
Recently, I went to my friendly neighborhood Target and purchased this product called Micellar Water. My sister told me about her friend who travels a lot, particularly to Europe, and swears by it. Apparently, beauty fanatics in France are obsessed with it.
Basically Micellar Water is a toner-like liquid, used to take off your makeup and rehydrate your skin. A washing period becomes obsolete with Micellar Water because there are cleansers in it that will break down your makeup in such a way that will keep you feeling fresh-faced instead of sticky or clogged. I want to say it’s a miracle product with that description: it rehydrates like a moisturizer, cleans like a cleanser, and corrects like a toner.
The day I planned to try it out, I remember specifically wearing a lot of makeup because my skin hasn’t been looking so hot lately. Primer, foundation, the full monty. After I finished my plans for that day, I went to work. I would not suggest using this product on small or medium sized cotton balls, because you feel like you’re wasting it. Maybe I have a big face, but I wasn’t sure how much was too much, and I didn’t have any cotton pads. I didn’t want to over-saturate to the point that the product got on my hands but the cotton balls absorbed the product fairly quickly and held it. When I used it on my face, I could see it cutting through the layers of makeup I put on, but it took a few cotton balls (9-15, groups of 3, semi-saturated) to really get all of it off. I also mixed a little Witch Hazel to help the cleansing and evening processes, or see if it would make a difference. Directly after using the product, I did notice a freshness that other makeup removers definitely didn’t give me, but naturally I was still skeptical. I went on with the rest of my day and didn’t feel uncomfortable, which I enjoyed, but my brain still kept reminding me to finish off what I had started. I tried to avoid the sink and my typical night facial routine, but the pull was too strong. I did end up washing my face after using it, but it was several hours after. I’m not sure if you can rinse but don’t necessarily have to, but I was motivated to being a creature of habit.
I want to assume the reason why Micellar Water recently has been approved by the FDA to be sold in the United States is for several reasons. With the whole drought in California, possibly in line with the general uprising in the need to save water, and the adaptation of “the modern woman” not having the time to bebogged down by sinks and plumbing, skin brands are moving towards the cleanse-and-go method. I respect this idea, but I still hold true in the idea that if it’s not broken, why fix it? What’s wrong with washing your face? Why do you have to take your makeup off in the middle of the day when you don’t have access to your home supply of creams, cleansers and toners?
Also, maybe French women are raving over this product because they don’t need much makeup. For some reason, I’m under the impression that every woman living there is wired in their DNA to be genetically gorgeous and effortless, so it’s likely that a small percent of them wear any amount of makeup. Probably only some mascara and a lip stain just to look awake, as they take long dramatic drags of cigarettes and sit at their cafes looking out the window thinking abstractly. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if none of them wore makeup, what with their perfect dewy skin, pouty lips, naturally-rouged cheeks, and long eyelashes…
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’ve seen too many independent foreign movies on Netflix. But have you ever seen an ugly French girl? Or at least one that didn’t have good skin? (You probably had to think about it a little, maybe Google it, admit it.)
Regardless of my digressions, I think it’s an interesting concept. If you’d like it to try it out, I’d suggest the Micellar Makeup Wipes from the same brand, Simple. I personally have sensitive skin, which they cater to, and the results have so far left me lackluster. I’ve tried their moisturizer which I liked and their regular makeup wipes, so I’m hoping that my tampering and impatience with the integrity of this latest product is to blame for my unimpressed impression of it. I find it peculiar that I don’t see many other brands advertising anything like this currently on the market (Nivea, Garnier, Tesco Pro Formula and L’Oreal all have a version of this product as well), because I feel like if an FDA-approved product would be released under a more high-profile brand (no shade to drug store brands). It was released in pharmacies in France, so maybe they’re trying to “keep it in the family” or something.
In terms of when it’s going to popularize, there is no foreseeable timeframe. It might never become popular, similar to the home remedies you see on Pinterest made of Epsom salt and a variety of other materials you can buy at your local pharmacy/convenience-store hybrid. Regardless, I think that it could definitely be a success here, particularly California because that’s one of the largest epicenters for individuals being glammed-up and on-the-go.
Let us know what you think about this product.What have you guys heard about it, if anything? Have you tried it? Do you want to now?
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This is not an advertisement for Simple Skin Care.