I was one of one hundred beauty bloggers who took part in the escentualdotcom #micellarblindtrial back in May
We received seven vials of micellars that were labelled A to G and we had two weeks to put these waters through their paces.
Apart from the label on the bottle and the smell of each product, they all looked the same.
I trialled the products in two ways. I removed my make up every night over 14 nights with the samples. I made sure that my foundation (Black Opal) mascara (Chanel) were consistent whilst my lip colour varied. I focused not only on how effective it was a removing make up but also, the fragrance, texture and how it left my skin in order to report back to Escentualdotcom. With each product, I restricted myself to four cotton pads. One for each eye and two for my face. I then went over the skin with the Guinot Micellar that I was using at the time to see how much if any make up was left of my skin.
I wrote quite detailed notes for each one, but the shortened version is below:-
Sample A – This smelt bad. It is a strong, acrid smell which I really don’t like when you shake the bottle it does not bubble very much. It removed the mascara quite easily and did not leave my skin taut. Using the Guinot there was still a lot of make up on my face. I would not buy it because of the smell.
Sample B – Another fragrant one, but this was pleasant, unlike Sample A. When I removed my make up I felt like it had done a good job, but I ended up using four Guinot soaked pads. This one was not very effective but it was enjoyable to use.
Sample C – I love the smell of this one – it smelt a bit like the Caudalie Enzymatic Peel Mask. It cut through make up well – it left the least for the Guinot to remove, but it did leave the skin a little tacky after use.
Sample D – This one smells familiar – a smell that I don’t like. I think it is the Avene. It did quite well with the mascara not great with the foundation. Left plenty for the Guinot to remove.
Sample E – removed my make up with ease but it did leave the skin taut after use. I feel like this one had the best skincare elements as my skin was smooth after – it had a pleasant, subtle fragrance but I would not buy it again because of the tautness.
Sample F – Took off two coats of mascara and foundation with ease. It left very, little for the Guinot to remove. It did not leave the skin taut and did not have a discernible fragrance – my favourite.
Sample G – The eye make up was removed with ease and it did not leave the skin taut. A light pleasant fragrance but did not remove as much make up as Sample F – I would buy it though.
The second way that I tested the products was with the swipe test. using the two products in my collection that are hardest to remove. Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof eyeliner and MAC Ruby Woo.
Daniel Sandler
Sample F worked the best giving the cleanest swipes with the fewest strokes with G being highly commended. Samples A B and C had the hardest time with the product.
Ruby Woo is easier to remove then Waterproof eyeliner, but again, F provided the cleanest swipe in the fewest swipes
The results are below and show the Sample F is the clear winner,
Sample | Swipes(Daniel Sandler Waterproof Eyeliner) | Swipes(MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick) | Average |
A | 10 | 6 | 8 |
B | 10 | 3 | 6.5 |
C | 8 | 3 | 5.5 |
D | 6 | 2 | 4 |
E | 6 | 2 | 4 |
F | 4 | 2 | 3 |
G | 6 | 2 | 4 |
In both the nightly make up removal and the swipe test Sample F was the clear winner both for me and the other 99 bloggers, and Sample F is B I O D E R M A ! ! ! which is my favourite micellar and I guessed the Caudalie and Avene micellars correctly too. If you are interested in looking at the results have a look here… http://www.escentual.com/micellar-water-blind-trial
This really is an excellent way to test products as it makes you focus on the results and nothing else. You are not distracted by the brand name and your associations with the packaging, who other reviews say and it really does focus the mind.
So congrats to escentualdotcom and congrats to Bioderma – a worthy winner.