Cleansing Essentials | Toner, Micellar Water & Makeup Remover | Empties
I've been on a roll with empties and thought it made sense to group together some cleansing essentials like toner, micellar water and makeup remover. I think we all know that a good cleanser is essential to good skin. But that's just part of a truly getting your face clean, in my humble opinion.If you saw my latest Nighttime Skincare Routine, then you know I take my skincare pretty seriously. After using an oil cleanser to remove my make and then using a traditional cleanser, I like to take the extra step of using some kind of toner or micellar water to make sure my skin is totally clean.I don't often use makeup remover, but sometimes it's necessary to remove waterproof mascara, or to fix makeup mistakes. So, here are my thoughts on what I've used lately...
toner.
First up is the Eminence Rosehip Tonique. I discovered Eminence last summer when I attended a beauty expo and was really curious about the line. It's been around since the 1950s and its products are free of parabens, animal by-products, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, harmful colorants and fragrances, mineral oils, petroleum, and other harsh cosmetic chemicals.There are actually dozens of products in the line, so I was a little overwhelmed about what to choose, so I went with something safe and bought the Rosehip Tonique. The main ingredients are rosehip juice and salicylic acid. The rosehip juice is moisturizing and brightening. The salicylic acid exfoliates skin and helps make your skin smoother.[highlighted_p boxed="true" center="false"]Salicylic acid is a hero ingredient for my skin (it's in the Sunday Riley UFO Oil that I recently reviewed as well as the Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser).[/highlighted_p]I really liked using the Rosehip Tonique. It was refreshing when I sprayed it on my skin, but honestly I couldn't say if it alone made a huge difference in my skin, or if it just helped the other products work better. So I'll probably hold off on re-purchasing.The other toner is the NARS Multi-Action Hydrating Toner. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know I love this toner. It's moisturizing and also gently exfoliating. It's great before makeup to smooth skin; it's great at night to prep skin for treatments. It's awesome. I've repurchased this several times and will continue to do so.
micellar water.
I've used up several of the mini sizes of the Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water and I have to say that I'm not super impressed. I picked them up using Sephora VIB points, and I often use them for travel. It does a solid job of removing any left over makeup, but I don't think it's great for removing mascara or heavy eye makeup. Also, many Caudalie products have a strong fragrance, and prefer my skincare to be less perfume-y. I don't regret using this, but I won't be purchasing a full sized bottle.The Sephora Collection Triple Action Cleansing Water, on the other hand, is amazing! This may be the best micellar water that I've tried, and the fact that this big bottle is only $12 makes it that much better. It has no distinct scent, and works so well to remove those last traces of makeup. It's great all around my eyes and it doesn't leave any residue.I'm currently testing the cult favorite Bioderma micellar water, so I'll report back soon and let you know if Sephora still comes out on top.
makeup remover.
Last I have some makeup removers that I've used lately. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with the Charlotte Tilbury Take It All Off makeup remover. It's a bi-phase cleanser, so it definitely has that oily feeling. I found that it left an oily residue and wasn't particularly effective at removing heavy eye makeup. I got this in a gift set that I bought last year in Toronto, and I won't be purchasing a full size.The Clinique Take The Day Off makeup remover is pretty good. It removes makeup and doesn't leave a residue, but I can't say I was thrilled with it. Maybe it's just because I've preferred to use micellar water rather than a traditional makeup remover to get my makeup off. I think this works well, but I won't be repurchasing anytime soon.It looks like the only things that were winners in this roundup are the Sephora Collection micellar water and the NARS toner.
Let me know if you've tried anything here, or if there's another toner, micellar water or makeup remover that I need to check out.