Before I get into this sighting, I should back up in case you're new to micellar waters. For a quick definition, check out this article. According to Marie Claire UK, micellar waters originated in France in the 1990s and they were created to help Parisian women gently cleanse their faces (according to that Marie Claire UK article, Paris has "notoriously harsh water"). According to Best Health, micellar waters are "non-rinse, soap-free cleansing waters that contain micelle molecules" and they are generally applied with a cotton pad to cleanse the face and remove makeup.
Now that you're up to speed on micellar waters, let's take a look at this brand new one from Simple, shall we?
image credit: @chaparrita._ for Nouveau Cheap
Simple Skincare Cleansing Micellar Water
(retail: $6.99, 6.7 oz)
Reader @chaparrita._ on Instagram spotted the new Simple Micellar Water at her Target this week and kindly shared this pic with us.
Keep reading for a closer look and more info...
image credit: Kathryn for Nouveau Cheap
Longtime reader Kathryn also spotted the Simple Micellar Water at her local Target this week and kindly shared this close-up of the bottle. This product is also available online at drugstore.com, where it retails for $6.99 as well. Drugstore.com's listing HERE includes a full list of ingredients as well as product claims, in case you'd like to more info.
Micellar waters are extremely popular in Europe and Canada. I believe that the most popular and talked-about micellar water to date is Bioderma Sensibio H20 (around $30 on Amazon). In fact, if you check out online reviews of the Garnier and L'Oreal micellar waters (available only in Canada and Europe), many bloggers/vloggers compare their drugstore versions to the Bioderma product. I have no idea if Garnier or L'Oreal have plans to release their micellar waters in the US, but I'm thinking that micellar waters in 2015 might be what cleansing oils were in 2014 (i.e., the next big thing to hit the drugstore level).
I have personally only used one micellar water to date, which I already had planned to review for you here in the coming weeks (Yves Rocher Hydro Vegetal Hydrating Micellar Water). If you're in the US, there are a few less expensive alternatives to higher-end micellar waters out there (the one from Yves Rocher often goes on sale), but this new version from Simple is definitely the most convenient and least expensive I've seen to date, which is quite exciting if you've been wanting to try a micellar water without a lot of commitment. If you're outside of the US, I know that micellar waters are old news to you, but hey, we're finally catching up here in the good ol' US!
I will most certainly purchase and review this product in the near future, but sadly I won't be able to tell you if it's a dupe for the Bioderma since, as I mentioned above, I have only tried the Yves Rocher micellar water to date. But I will definitely compare it to that one!
Have you spotted the new Simple Micellar Water in your area yet? Think you'll give it a shot? If so, will this be your first micellar water, or have you tried others? I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks again, @chaparrita._ and Kathryn, for the great sightings and pics. I really appreciate it!
Oh thank The Lord!!!! I have been waiting for this type of product to hit stores in the US. I have been using my bioderma I purchased in France sparingly so I don't run out but it's such an amazing concept of a product! I am going out today to try and get my hands on it. Thanks so much for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome! I'm super excited to see this here too. I'd love to know how you think this compares to the Bioderma when you try it. :)
DeleteSuper-excited about this! And Simple tends to put out a lot of coupons, too...
ReplyDeleteI'm originally from Germany and I send my mom so many times to our local drugstores to get the one from garnier or loreal and send it to me but it's always sold out she can never find it!! So exciting target has it now I'll be definitely stopping by later! Thanks for sharing!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome! I would absolutely love to know how you think this one compares to the others when you try it! :)
DeleteI'm super excited! I see the garnier one on IG constantly and have been dying to try one. Plus I akready love simple!
ReplyDeletei saw this at target over the weekend, and i almost bought it, but i wasn't sure how it would do with my oily skin, lol. how do you like micellar water? i understand that you have oily skin as well?
ReplyDeleteNiki @ Cheapalicious
this is something I would defiantly try,also right now i'm trying Sephora's brand and I love that but it is pricey. So a drug store alternative would be great, now I just have to figure out if we cary this one or not.
ReplyDeletesephora brand has a micellar water (triple action cleansing water) as well. its $20 for 13.5 ounces and $12 for 5 ounces. the simple is def cheaper and i hope i find it this weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteSephora also has a cleansing water in their Sephora Collection skin care line. I have not tried it yet, but have heard good things about it. I plan on picking it up next time I'm at the store.
ReplyDeleteSephora collection also has cleaning water. 12$ for 5oz or 20$ for 13.5oz.
ReplyDeleteHey G, thanks for this very informative post. I read both articles you link to and I have to admit that I've never heard of this product. It is a very interesting concept though. I am going to try this for sure even though I am a huge fan of oil cleansers. Who know? I might like this better than oil!
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome, Carol. If for some reason you don't like it for cleansing the entire face, you might still like it as a secondary product to remove residual stubborn mascara after traditional cleansing (some readers have mentioned here that they use Micellar Water for that, and I know I've seen reviews where people mention that use as well). I can't wait to hear what you think!
DeleteI'm so excited, like I was shaking while reading this! My skin reacts badly and gets inflamed from makeup wipes, I hate the feel of oil, and cold cream makes me greasy so micellar waters are my thing. I've been hoarding bottles of the garnier when I went to the Uk and was getting low. All my beauty nightmares are over! (Assuming the simple water is good like garnier/ bioderma)
ReplyDeleteOmg, I'm so happy that YOU'RE happy about this! I can't wait to hear how it works for you. Keep us posted? :)
DeleteI've been wanting to try a micellar water, but didn't want to spend $20-$30 on one... especially as there is no telling what my skin will react to. Can't wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting! I really hope more companies release in the US soon! I am currently using the L'Oréal one and it's alright. It doesn't remove my waterproof eyeliner or mascara. However, I use it after my cleansing oil routine to get into the lashes or any area that is sensitive. I can't wait to read your review on the Yves Rocher!
ReplyDeleteBeing a French woman living in the US, I'm excited! Micellar waters have been part of my daily routine for years (I've reviewed a few) and I was very disappointed when I moved here and realized they weren't a thing in the US!
ReplyDeleteYou can find quite a few different ones on drugstore.com/beauty.com, but in-store your choices are basically limited to La Roche-Posay in drugstores (if your drugstores even carries it) and Caudalie at Sephora.
I personnally dislike Bioderma Sensibio as it leaves my skin sticky after use. My favorite micellar water currently is by Lierac (I buy it on drugstore.com).
Thanks so much for the tip about Lierac! Great to know! :)
DeleteYES i'm so excited. I was so sad when target removed the no 7 brand's cleansing water. Ive been using Sephora's brand for the time but this one is way cheaper and easier to get !!!
ReplyDeleteTarget in the future won't be selling No. 7 brand products. Right now they have a contract to sell it, but when it's over, it won't be renewed and then more No. 7 brand products wI'll show up Walgreen's since Walgreens and Boots have a partnership.
DeleteHi Velvet Frogg- Do you happen to know if No. 7 will still be sold at Ulta?
DeleteOk I'm totally gonna try this!
ReplyDeleteI just bought this! It worked really well, but not well enough because I still needed my regular cleansing oil to remove my waterproof mascara. I love non-oily making removers though for those early morning makeup mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI purchased this over the weekend. I have acne prone oily skin. It did remove my makeup for the most part but as Hao said above I still needed to wash my face after. Something I feel I can get away without doing with my bioderma.
ReplyDeleteHow does this smell does anyone know? I'm in love with the scent that the ysl top secrets micellar water and have been searching for something with a similar scent
ReplyDeleteSimple products are fragrance free. :)
DeleteI have this and it doesn't really have a smell. Which I like - fragrance free is better for skin! I got a chance to try it and it did a good job removing my hard-to-remove Eyeko black magic mascara! Personally I plan to use this just to remove heavy eye makeup for special occasions, but I just wanted to test it and it removed mascara and concealer around my eyes very well. I didn't find it to be super hydrating like they claim, but I think that's fine since it's not supposed to be a rinse-off product so I think it should just leave your skin feeling normal.
DeleteUlta sells one by Vichy at $17 and it's similar to Bioderma but this is less than half so I'm gonna need to pick this up.
ReplyDeleteFor a note on waterproof makeup: I've never heard of a micellar water removing waterproof makeup completely. Even Bioderma cannot do that, so I wouldn't expect it. I fine with one coat of waterproof mascara micellar water removes like 90% of it so after one day it's fine but after a few i can feel residue. If you use multiple coats then you still need an eye makeup remover.
ReplyDeleteI will most definitely be trying this, especially at the price point. You can't lose!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up! I wonder what ever happened to the cleansing oil they announced last year. I thought it would have launched by now.
ReplyDeleteI found this at my local Target and was so excited I bought it on the spot! I've been trying so hard to get my hands on some micellar water but, just like you, I can't seem to find it in stores anywhere. When I saw this I immediately grabbed and threw it into my basket. I've never used a micellar water before and am really excited to use and review this one :D
ReplyDeletexo
Miss Amelia Joy <3
I wish oil cleansers had had (or will have??) more of a moment-- did *any* drugstore brands release any, apart from Garnier and Eclos? I ADORE my Eclos cleansing oil, but I'd have liked the opportunity to try more.
ReplyDeleteI tried two kinds of micellar waters when I was in England, L'Oreal and Superdrug's house brand (superdrug=one of the main UK drugstores), and neither cleaned enough to be a substitute for a cleanser. I broke out while using each one, either from the residue and/or from my face still having gunk on it. Since I have no desire to add extra steps after cleansing, micellar waters do nothing for me. Maybe for people who already use toners, or don't wear sunscreen?
I saw this at my Target over the weekend. Picked it up, put it in my cart, remembered I got a bottle of Bioderma for Christmas and put the bottle of Simple back. It WILL be the next one I try though. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Simple products (got my mother hooked on their foaming cleanser). I'm going to look for this when I go shopping this weekend.
ReplyDeleteCVS carries La Roche Posay, Vichy, and Lierac micellar waters! I love the La Roche Posay one but it's kinda expensive for how much I use it. Can't complain though because it does wonders for cleaning my ultra sensitive skin
ReplyDeleteOmg G!! This makes me so happy. My fave cleansing products for my lazy night routine are the Dior and Shiseido cleansing waters. (I tried the Sephora brand and found it left too much residue on my oily skin.) However, I use my cleansing waters sparingly since they are luxury products :) I cannot wait to find and try the Simple water!! I just realized today that my Dior water has that word on it too... Micellaire! :D thanks for the informative post!!! I certainly have noticed the lack of these types of products at the drugstore level and hope this will be the new "cleansing oil of 2015" ;)
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's sells some cleansing wipes that say on the package that they have micellar water. I always look at them but so far haven't purchased yet. I want to say they are $3.99 for a pack of 20 or so.
ReplyDeleteTotally a new to me product! I can't wait to see US reviews on it. And mostly, yours!
ReplyDeleteHmm this did a good job removing mascara for me but I was disappointed by it last night. I had dramatic eye makeup and took a shower and washed all my makeup off with my usual facial cleanser. I had used the Makeup Geek black gel liner on my top lash line - that stuff is long-wearing! So it was still intact after my shower. The micellar water just did a mediocre job of removing the liner that was still left after my shower. Jojoba oil did a better job of removing it. So I think this works better with regular, not long-wearing makeup like gel liner. Not too bad though since I rarely wear long-wearing products.
ReplyDeleteI also prefer to use an oil based remover for my eyes. The cleansing waters I have tried are great for removing makeup on the face and undereyes :) I am always wary of cleansing waters that claim to remove waterproof eye makeup as usually oil based removers are more appropriate for that job! I love cleansing waters for lazy nights when I don't wanna use my Clarisonic :)
DeleteThanks for this G!! I really need something gentle to remove my makeup especially around my eyes because my eyes have gotten so sensitive lately!! I've stopped doing my makeup a lot because of it...going to definitely try this!
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering since Loreal owns Garnier how much of a difference in ingredients if any will be for each micellar water products. I do want to try them when they come out and see if my combination skin likes it or not. Thanks G for the heads up u Rock!!!
ReplyDeleteI am worried that it might aggravate acne prone skin. Maybe for $7.00 I could take the plunge and try it though.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty new to the world of micellar waters, but the little bit I've been using them....I've fallen head over heels for! My newest crush has been Perlier's Hydro-Zone Micellar Water HSN item #337-949, currently $20 for 6.7 oz. Although it was $13.50 when I picked it up so keep an eye out for sales! Its fanflippintastic! Fragrance-free, gentle, light hydration and really works well! I'm excited to try the Simple one too! My skin is über sensitive so I feel these waters are the answer to my angry skin prayers! Lol
ReplyDeleteFound this at Rite Aid today. :) It was $8.29 there.
ReplyDeleteI just found out that Bioderma is coming to the US. Beautylish.com will be carrying it. When you go to their site they have a banner at the top to click and enter your email to be notified when it arrives!
ReplyDeleteThis stuff is wonderful. I thought it was toner, and bought it on a whim. After I read the bottle, I have it a try. I wear studio fix foundation, which is a heavier coverage, along with all my blush and powders and potions, one cotton pad took all of it off, including my eye makeup. This stuff even tackled my waterproof liquid eyeliner that my normal face wash/makeup remover doesn't touch. It was seven dollars at my local cvs. I am so pleased with this product!!!
ReplyDelete