Micellar Cleansing Water Reviews (Best & Benefits)

For the past 4 years, I have been a fan of micellar cleansing waters. What is micellar water?

• It's a cleansing solution used to remove makeup. 
• It looks like water and is unscented. 
• It's applied with a cotton pad or cloth and is wiped away. 
• No need to rinse after. Skin is left feeling clean.
• Micelles (think tiny oil molecules) are suspended in water, and attract makeup, dirt, etc. 
• Since it's so gentle, it can even be used on the eyes and is nice for sensitive skin. 
• It's amazing for travel (think not as harsh as wipes, no need for toner) and is best for normal-dry skin. 
• It's also great for those who don't want a lot of makeup removal steps/products and best if you don't wear heavy-duty makeup. More on that later! Onto the reviews:

I'm reviewing 4 of the most popular brands of micellar water:

• Simple Cleansing Micellar Water--$7.99 6.7oz (mass retailers, online)
• Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water--$13.99 400ml (UK, online)
• La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution--$20.99 (ULTA, online)
• Also comes in different versions for oily skin
• Bioderma Sensibio H2O--$20+ (UK, Beautylish.com, online)
• Also comes in different versions for oily skin and different sizes

Testing Methods

• I purchased at least 2 bottles of all and tested them for a year or more (Simple has been tested for close to 6 months since it was recently released).
• I varied my methods: using one product daily for a week or more, testing each with different types of makeup (such a liquid, cream, and powder products), testing with cloths, cotton pads, Qtips, tissues, as well as the amount of product I used
• I tested the micellar waters on arm swatches of makeup, which I recreated for 3 items below:

For matte lipstick, I found Simple and La Roche-Posay to remove the least amount of product in one swipe. Bioderma completely removed the swatch. I found similar results with long-wear concealer and waterproof mascara. Bioderma performed the best.

Overall:

• I've found my commenters do not wear a lot of makeup, do not like having a lot of products, and do not know a lot about micellar waters (I've shared them three times and find many are still unfamiliar), so I thought this was a great option to share. 
• Micellar cleansing water is not meant to remove long-wearing makeup, such as waterproof mascara (I'd use an eye makeup remover for that) but I wanted to show the capabilities. It will work, but it would take forever.
• In general makeup removal, I experienced similar results with all. All of them worked to remove light to regular makeup (moisturizer, primer, liquid foundation, cream concealer, blush, eye shadow, liner, mascara, lipstick or gloss). Simple did cause a pimple (rhymes!) to form one of the weeks I tested it daily (no, I didn't use new products that week), but so many of you love it, so try it.
• In terms of swatches, Simple and La Roche-Posay were the most gentle, and left the most makeup behind. Garnier and Bioderma performed the best. I would repurhase any of them, but Bioderma remains my favorite.

Do you use Micellar Cleansing Waters?

Extra Elle:

• Had an eye appointment yesterday. I must have "designer" eyes because my eyes only want the most expensive products, like my eye drops and contacts. I've tried just about everything and the expensive stuff works the best for them. Luckily, I am frugal in other areas!
• I finally got all of the beach stuff cleaned and put away as well as all of the laundry. I still feel out of whack for the week. Does that happen to you?