Happy Skin Make A Clean Sweep

June 14, 2014
As much as I love putting makeup on at the start of any day, there’s nothing that feels as refreshing as removing it all by the end of the same day. It’s like your skin can breathe again, plus no more worrying about accidentally smudging anything on your clothes or pillow like I almost always seem to do!

Of course, we all know how important removing makeup before bed is too. I simply can’t go to sleep without a clean face! And since I have acne-prone skin, it’s doubly important that I cleanse my face really well or risk breakouts the next day. When it comes to removing my makeup, I always start with a makeup wipe which is then usually followed by a cleansing oil. Since I’ve been using different cleansing oils for a while now I decided to switch it up a bit and try a cleansing water instead, and what better one to try than one of Happy Skin’s newest products: their Make A Clean Sweep Revitalizing Micellar Makeup Cleanser (Php599.00).

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Product info: Wipe away the remnants of bad vibes, heavy makeup, and a long day, and let your skin breathe. Happy Skin Make A Clean Sweep Revitalizing Micellar Makeup Cleanser makeup remover is a gentle yet potent water-based makeup cleanser. Micellar water, boasting the highest makeup removing powers, leaves skin fresh and clean without having to rinse!

Micellar water sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Bioderma, Vichy, Avène, etc. use Micellar water for their cleansing waters and other products so it should sound familiar. But what is Micellar water exactly? According to Happy Skin: Originating from France, it is a non-rinse, soap-free cleansing water that contains micelle molecules. Micelle molecules are brilliant in trappping makeup & dirt! They have the highest makeup removing powers. Being ultra-light, all-natural and fragrance-free, it leaves skin feeling soft, supple, and fresh. For those that prefer to not use thick oil cleansers, and even for those with sensitive skin, products that use Micellar water are really a great alternative!

Additional info: This makeup remover is infused with Japanese Tea extract, an anti-inflammatory which soothes stressed and tired skin. It’s loaded with revitalizing Lotus Seed extract, a powerful anti-oxidant which not only keeps skin looking plump and young-looking, it also locks in moisture as you cleanse!

As I mentioned, I have acne-prone skin, so to hear that that this cleanser also acts as an anti-inflammatory was good. I was hoping it would mean there’d be less redness from my acne to cover up, aside from the natural patches of red my face normally has. I also have dry skin and a product that’ll lock in moisture is something I always need. Very rarely do the cleansing waters I’ve seen claim to have anti-aging properties too, aside from Bifesta’s “Age Care” cleansing lotion. That’s always a plus!

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Happy Skin reminds me a lot of Benefit when it comes to their packaging. You can tell they really put a lot of thought and love into the design process because all their products are packaged in a way that they stand out and are cute and unique. I’ll even say that they have the best packaged products amongst all the Philippine-based beauty brands!

The cleansing water comes housed in a durable, plastic pump bottle which contains 100ML of product. I would say that’s a decent amount. It should last you quite a while if you wear only a light amount of or no makeup on a daily basis, but since I wear a fair amount of makeup everyday then I was a little worried. This ended up lasting around two weeks for me. When you look at the bottle, you can also see it’s not quite filled up to the top. Before purchasing, I asked the SA if they had a fuller one but she told me all the bottles really weren’t filled completely. It was only after that I realized perhaps they intentionally gave some allowance to make sure there won’t be any spillage.

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The consistency and texture of the product is, as you would expect, just like water. It truly is light and fragrance-free like it claims to be.

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Time to put this cleansing water to the rest. Here I’ve swatched a bunch of different makeup products on my hand to see how well it’ll remove them. This is what I have on me…
  1. Powder blush
  2. Cream blush
  3. A light-coverage foundation
  4. Lipstick (glossy)
  5. Waterproof eyeliner
  6. Non-waterproof eyeliner

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Happy Skin recommends to “pump 1-2 squirts on a clean cotton pad and gently wipe makeup off the skin“. That’s exactly what I did and ran the cotton pad over my hand a few times. The product looks to have been able to remove most of the makeup already, the foundation and powder blush especially. But you can still see traces of the cream blush, the lipstick, and both eyeliners. The brown eyeliner is one of the toughest I’ve ever used though and it still takes a good amount of effort to remove it even with an oil-based eye makeup remover so I’m not surprised that it’s still mostly there.

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After taking another cotton pad and repeating the same procedure my hand is now 99% makeup free. It took a bit of rubbing on the brown eyeliner before it finally disappeared. Here, there is only the slightest trace of the cream blush left. I’m sure another cotton pad would be enough to remove everything completely.

I would say as a makeup remover, this product is pretty darn good. The pictures alone prove that is some powerful water right there. You can even use it to directly remove makeup from your eyes, but I find it stings a little when it gets into my eye by accident so I’ll continue to stick to my trusty Maybelline “Make Up Remover Eye & Lip” for now. I’ve added this product to my daily skin care routine and so far I’ve been happy with it. Unfortunately I can’t depend solely on it to get my face as clean as I’d like it to be. I’ve read a handful of reviews from other bloggers saying they just use this only, or use this and then proceed to wash their face. In my case, thanks to the amount of makeup I use, I still need to reach for a makeup wipe first before using this. If not then I find moderate to faint traces of makeup left, foundation or BB cream in particular, on a cotton ball that I soak with either astringent or toner – both of which I use to test if my face really is clean or not. If I’m wearing makeup that is lighter than usual, I use about 2-3 fully soaked cotton pads. With heavier makeup, I need 3-4. I make sure to really soak the cotton pad so that I can also use the back of each one. Luckily the recommended 1-2 pumps is enough to soak the cotton pads I use. After the combination of this and my makeup wipes, then washing my face thoroughly after, my skin is super clean and refreshed once more.

Now I can’t fault the product when it comes to effectiveness because let’s be real – it all depends on you. The same would apply to many similar products also, like cleansing oils, face washes, etc. If you’re not a makeup user, only wear a light amount of makeup, or don’t even wear makeup everyday then of course you’d have an overall ‘easier’ and quicker time working with this to clean your face. If you wear makeup a lot like I do, from a moderate to heavy amount, then you won’t be able to depend on just this to get your face entirely clean. You’ll still need a little help from other products, that’s all. I won’t lie – cleansing oils in general are a lot more effective for me when it comes to dissolving and removing most if not all of my makeup. But this product is in turn a lot more convenient than a cleansing oil. No need to take the time to massage anything into your face and wash or wipe away the remnants after. Just pump, swipe here and there, then go. Now that I’ve been busier at work, and therefore a lot more tired than usual, convenience when it comes to things like skin care is where it’s at these days.

In summary, this is definitely one of the better cleansing waters I’ve tried. In fact, one of the better makeup removers I’ve tried. Period. It does the job, plain and simple. You just have to work with it in a way that suits you and your skin care routine best. It removes most of my makeup, no matter what kind, while leaving my skin feeling cool and refreshed after. Simply put, I highly recommend this!

WHAT I LIKE:
  • Cute and unique packaging
  • It comes with a handy pump.
  • The water has a slight cooling effect on the skin.
  • It effectively removes a wide variety of makeup.
  • It's moisturizing.
  • It calms down stressed and irritated skin slightly.
  • Works for all skin types.
  • You don’t have to rinse or wash your face after using this unless you want or need to.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
  • Only lasts around 2 weeks for me as I need to use it everyday.
  • Stings the eyes a little and leaves a bitter taste when used on the lips.