Worth the Hype? - Bioderma's Crealine H2O Micellaire Solution

I'm sure you've all heard of this before, and if any of you watch YouTube you're probably really sick of hearing about it by now. I've seen blogger after blogger rave about this product while reminiscing about their trips to Paris and the wonders of French pharmacies. But is this stuff really liquid gold? Is worth forking out $36 a bottle for?

Before we jump into the pros and cons, let me just get a pet peeve of mine about of the way. I hate when people refer to this as "Bioderma." Bioderma is an entire brand of skin care products - many of which are freaking fantastic. In my mind, referring to this as Bioderma, this is the equivalent of a beauty vlogger pulling out a lipstick and going "This is Mac!" No. That is not Mac. That is a Mac lipstick.

This make up remover is not Bioderma. It is the Bioderma Crealine Micellar Solution.

Mind you this is not even Bioderma's only Micellar Solution. They have a version for very dry skin and a version for oily skin as well - just in case your skin is picky. I have only tested the Crealine version.

Rant Over.

Pros:

Feels like water
Smells like water (perfume free which is excellent news for those of you with sensitive skin)
Takes off most of your make up with a few swipes
Oil-free
Doesn't give you cloudy vision when you accidentally get it into your eyes
Takes off lipstick like a dream
The 500ml bottle will last you a really long time
Won't make you break out

Cons:

Doesn't remove the eyeliner that falls in between your eyelashes
Works less well on waterproof make up
Still takes me three or four swipes, even after holding the solution over my eyes for 30 seconds
Doesn't replace your face wash (and isn't meant too)
Will take up a lot of space and weight in your suitcase


So the first time I tried this out, I had a "hallelujah this is the greatest thing ever moment", because I absolutely hate the creamy/oily texture that you get with most eye make up removers. This really feels like you're just using water and yet picks up a crap load of stuff.

Exhibit A: (Taken at the end of a long day when most of my makeup had already worn off)

This is why you're supposed to always remove your makeup before going to bed. Yuck.

If this is your first time using a micellar water you are probably going to be smitten with the magic fairy/unicorn formula of this for at least a week. I certainly was.

And then...

I realized that it still wasn't taking off my eye make (especially waterproof) any more effectively than my 3€ eye make up remover was. Traces of mascara and eyeliner were getting left behind. Maybe it isn't so magical afterall.

That being said, you really can't beat the texture, and I love not feeling like I'm going to permanently lose my eyesight every time a bit of product slides onto my contact lens. I've been looking for something that would remove my face and eye makeup without making me break out. This does that. The eye makeup remover I was using before didn't. So that means 10 extra points for the Crealine Solution!

Worth the hype?

YES - if you are living in France or have a supplier who can get it to you for $10 a bottle. I definitely think this is worth that. I really, really enjoy using it.

NO - if you have to buy it off Amazon for $36+ a bottle. That's just my personal opinion. But really, this is just a makeup remover and has no extra nourishing properties for your skin. There are cheaper micellar solutions out there if that's your thing, and despite what some clever promoters might have you believe, this one is not made out of mermaid tears.

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Have you tried it yet? How did it work for you?

If there are any other French skincare products that you would like me to review, please let me know in the comments or on twitter, and I'll do my best to check them out.