From The Straits Times    |
best micellar water singapore garnier vs bioderma - review

As a fairly lazy person with really, really sensitive eyes, micellar waters have been nothing short of a miracle. Gentle eye makeup removers have always been handy, but I’ve always had a hard time finding a makeup remover that’s effective but doesn’t sting my eyes. Even then, makeup removers still almost always need to be followed by a rinse with a proper cleanser. 

To compound matters further, my sensitive eyes make it tricky even just washing my face, because any soap that gets in my eyes immediately turns them red and makes me feel like I’ve got pebbles under my eyelids (anyone else in the same boat here?). I find that avoiding getting too close to my lash line is the safest way to wash my face, but that means that any eyeliner or mascara needs to be thoroughly removed beforehand.

I’ve been in love with the Bioderma micellar water for years, and my favourite is the blue one from the Hydrabio range as it gives my skin extra hydration. I avoid wearing mascara most days, and when I do I try to only use non-waterproof ones so they come off easily and don’t require too much harsh rubbing or liquids near my delicate eye region. For the same reason, I rarely fuss with the blackest and most waterproof of eyeliners, and just pick one that’s the easiest to apply.

Garnier launched their micellar waters recently, and I chose to try out the dual layer one to see if that might be more effective at removing waterproof makeup than the Bioderma one. Based on all the bi-phase removers I’ve ever tried, that second layer in the formula should make it more suited to waterproof products.

For the test, I picked a few of my eyeliners that to my knowledge are waterproof, budge-proof, popular, or just plain stubborn. I also swatched one of my favourite liquid lippies (liquid lips are never easy to remove), and a mascara just to switch things up.

The products I used in order of the swatch. 

best waterproof eyeliners lipsticks singapore

(L-R) Marc Jacobs Beauty Magic Marc’er Precision Pen Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, Shu Uemura calligraph:ink Liquid Eyeliner Pen, Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil in Push (a dark blue), Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita, Benefit Cosmetics Badgal Lash.

The mascara is unfortunately not waterproof, but the eyeliners will give you a clear idea of the prowess of each micellar water.

This is my starting point, after giving all the swatches about five minutes to fully dry down.

Best micellar cleansing water singapore bioderma vs garnier

I used Bioderma on one cotton pad and Garnier on another, and swiped the soaked cotton pads across the swatches using the same pressure and speed. The top line was Bioderma and the bottom was Garnier. 

As you can see below, both cleansing waters had a very similar impact on the waterproof eyeliners and didn’t take much off with one swipe. While the Bioderma broke down the mascara more smoothly and held up as well with the black liquid liners, the Garnier did a better job at putting a dent in the super stubborn Urban Decay waterline pencil as well as the liquid lipstick.

Best micellar cleansing water singapore bioderma vs garnier 1

A second swipe shows Bioderma breaking down the eyeliners a little more, but the Garnier has managed to completely clean up the waterline pencil by this point.

Best micellar cleansing water singapore bioderma vs garnier 2

After five swipes, the Bioderma has started to break down the liquid lipstick and has continued to clean up the liquid liners, but is clearly struggling with the Urban Decay pencil. That said, the Garnier had begun to leave a very slight white cast on my hand by this point, while the Bioderma left my skin feeling cleaner. Both were fairly hydrating, though I would probably opt to rinse my face with water after using both products.

Best micellar cleansing water singapore bioderma vs garnier 5

The final verdict

If you’ve got really stubborn waterproof makeup or love liquid lipsticks as much as I do, the Garnier micellar water is definitely worth the investment at just $19.90 for 400ml. But when it comes down to three of my best waterproof eyeliners, I have to say that I prefer the results yielded by Bioderma ($40 for 500ml), especially in terms of how it made my skin feel at the end of it. 

Bottomline: Both versions are really great and while the Bioderma eventually removes liquid lipstick and waterline pencils, it’s nice to have an option that can handle it a lot quicker for the days your makeup is just a little too stubborn..