Escentual #micellarblindtrial

I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to take part in Escentual's Micellar Blind Trial. They sent me, and 99 other bloggers, 7 anonymous samples of 7 different micellar waters. With Bioderma's huge rise to cult status they became the product du jour. The point of this trial was to get rid of any brand pre-conceptions and see if they really worked. This is what I thought.

I was going to split them all up and review them all separately, but made it into one post. However, I think they are very similar in many ways. I'd never used a micellar water before this so it was interesting to see if they might have a place in my routine. We had to fill out a survey as part of the trail but I think I've changed my mind since then. I find it very difficult to pick an outright favourite as it entirely depends on what make-up I'm wearing.

The List
Sample A - Dior Instant Cleansing Water
Sample B - Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals
Sample C - Caudalie Make-Up Remover Cleansing Water
Sample D - Avene Micellar Lotion Cleanser and Make Up Remover
Sample E - La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution
Sample F - Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution
Sample G - Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution

They all were really nice to use as a cleanse in the morning, with the exception of C which felt very drying. They clean off excessive treatment and any oil and sweat (charming) from over night. For evening make-up removal, B and F struggled a little with removing eye make-up and I had to use two cotton pads instead of one for both eyes, but I should probably bite the bullet and use two cotton pads anyway. With most I ended up with a bit of a black face but that occurs with my normal make-up remover. C felt really abrasive, and I could work out what I didn't like about D, but I wasn't the most keen on. They all have a bit of a scent but it's not pungent, and in a majority of cases is quite nice. A and E are probably my favourites, having disliked A at first I came round to liking it.

From the survey Bioderma came out on top with 4.5/5. However, which one I would recommend would depend on a person's skin type. The full results can be found here.

So, the verdict. Do they have a permanent place in my skincare routine? Maybe.

They're ok for eye make-up or if you're changing your make-up during the day. My face never felt fully clean after using them for foundation. You're just wiping it off, not deep cleansing it. My skin has been breaking out more, but I can't be fully sure it's down to this. I like using them as a pre-cleanse, but not for the full thing. However, they're good for lazy nights as they're much better for you than face wipes. And they're brilliant for a morning refresh. 

I imagine I'll buy the cheapest one (unless it's C, I could probably cope with D) once I've worked through the generous samples. The pipette bottles are really nice and I'm going to keep them for holiday decanting. Interesting fact, my G sample didn't have a fully formed pipette so couldn't be squeezed out and had to be tipped. This didn't effect it in any way.

Huge thanks to Escentual for giving this opportunity to me, and the other bloggers. It's been great to try lots of different things I wouldn't normally be able to try. And while I'm thanking people, this post marks my 50th blog post, so thanks for sticking with me this far readers. More good things to come I hope.

All the micellar waters are available from Escentual.com