ESTRELAEVRA: #COMECLEAN WITH GARNIER

The blog-o-sphere has been in somewhat of a frenzy since Garnier brought the Micellar Cleansing Waters to our shores. In a previous post, I briefly divulge my thoughts on one of the cleansing waters (and although at the time I only had the pleasure of using it once or twice) South African online beauty community RubyBox recently provided me the opportunity to once again put the Micellar Cleansing duo to the test. Bear in mind, I am no skincare boff', however, I do prefer the comfort of knowing what it is I slather all over my face. So, with my laptop and google search engine on the ready, I scoured the 'net to learn exactly why micellar waters have received rave reviews from beauty critics around the world and of course what makes Garnier's oh-so-special.

Not new to the world of skincare, micellar water has in actual fact been around for hundreds of years. When our fabulous French feminine counterparts observed the local water too harsh on their skin, micellar water was introduced as a solution to cleanse skin without stripping it of all the good, nutritious stuff. So basically, micellar water is formulated of micelles, which are tiny active molecules suspended in soft water where the micelles act as a magnet gently attracting dirt, oil and impurities, dissolving it without drying out the skin. Experts say that cleansers that contain foamy solutions almost always strip the skin, leaving behind harsh chemicals thus making cleansers formulated with micelles a much better solution for sensitive skins.

As you know I film the odd beauty video for my YouTube Channel. I very recently filmed a MAC Lipstick Collection and Swatches video where self-inflinctingly, I had to apply, wipe off and reapply about 17 lipsticks! I KNOW. The friction on my lips was torture. By the time I reached for Candy Yum Yum, my lips were well stained with no signs of returning to their natural colour. In a last and desperate attempt to salvage what I had hoped would be a decent lip swatch video, I reached for my Garnier Micellar Water and in literally one swipe, I kid you not, my stained lips were once again back to normal. If you watch the video, it will become very apparent when I started using the popular micellar water.

While my lips were happy, the rest of my face, not so much. I wouldn't say I have troublesome skin. On the (VERY) odd occasion I succumb to the perils of laziness and sleep with my makeup on, irritation is non existent. On nights, however, when I did opt to use Garnier's Micellar Water, I broke out the following day. Not severely but still, it was enough for my S.O (yes - he's the observant type) to comment. I gave the Micellar Cleansing Water a rest and the pimples disappeared. When I tested fate once more, the result was the same.

I then decided to try my hand at the Garnier Pure Active Micellar Cleansing Water and I breathed a sigh of relief. While my skin is combination/dehydrated, the latter cleanser (which is suited for combination/oily types) seemed to be more forgiving.

Since I pack on quite a bit of makeup on a daily basis, I don't resort to using the Micellar Cleansing Water alone. Call it paranoia but I have white pillowcases - not risking anything! Read my previous blog post about my nighttime cleansing routine which includes the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.