Sunday, August 5, 2012

Cleansers and toners: Nivea and Garnier

I know it's been a while, but a lot has happened since November! I've moved cities for a new job - well I'm 6 months in so it isn't really 'new' anymore, but you know what I mean! I am keen on starting up Beauty Bunting again, though, so this me doing just that!

In this post, I'm going to be talking about my all-time favorite make-up removal products - Nivea Daily Essentials Cleansing Lotion and Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.



I've lost count of the number of times I've purchased these, so you're going to be getting a comprehensive review here!

Let's start off with Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion.

This is a cream cleanser that I use with cotton pads like the ones in the above picture. It's not too thick or too runny, which makes it perfect for removing face make-up. I also use it to remove eye make-up, which is does extremely well. I've used more 'water-like' specialist eye make-up removers in the past, and I have to say, I prefer this one to all of them. The creamy consistency doesn't feel harsh on the skin (nothing worse than tugging and pulling at the eye area!) and you don't need a whole lot of product to do the job. As far as fragrance goes - it's nothing fruity or floral, but pleasant enough. It smells more like a lotion than a cleanser, which I think is a good thing.

This cleanser really does take off everything; foundation, concealer, mascara, lipstick - you name it! The only flipside to it is that this isn't one of those cleansers you can use on its own. You need to wash it off afterwards, otherwise it might cause breakouts. I have fairly sensitive, combination skin, and found that if I didn't wash my face after using this, my skin felt kind of greasy. Maybe if you have dry skin, it'll be different for you - but I think on general principle, you need to wash your face at the end of the day anyway!

All in all, I think this is a fantastic, great value product. You get 200ml for less than £4.00. I wanted to link to it on the Boots website, but it isn't listed there for some reason! It should be available in the bigger Boots stores in the cleansers section though - I've never had a problem getting hold of it.

Now,  moving on to Step 2 - Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner.

I use this toner after I have cleansed and washed my face. It's a wonderfully cooling toner, that leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh. It also catches any last traces of make-up that might still be lingering (eyeliner, I'm looking at you!)

According to the bottle, it's supposed to have grapefruit and Pro-Vitamin B5. I think it's the grapefruit that gives it its fresh scent which I really enjoy. I like to soak cotton pads with it and place them on my closed eyes. It doesn't irritate them at all, but actually makes for a very relaxing experience!

I was also impressed with the fact that this toner doesn't dry out my skin. Although I have combination skin, my cheeks can get pretty dry here in the UK, and I was apprehensive when I used this for the first time, but I've had no issues so far. I really recommend this product.

You can get it online on Feelunique for £4.03 but it's about 80p or so cheaper if you pop into your local Boots.

Hope this was useful, have a nice day!



6 comments:

  1. Great post :) i'm currently using the Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2 in 1 Make Up Remover and i love it :)

    Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog and for following :) i'd love to follow you back!

    http://sophiameola.blogspot.com/

    xx

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  2. I use the Nivea face wash and makeup remover wipes and love them both, would like to try more! :) xo

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    1. I think Nivea as a brand is quite underrated...people on Youtube etc. don't seem to talk about it enough! But then again, I might be biased - I have a soft spot for it since I associate it with my childhood. :) x

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  3. Love your blog!! You seem to be in a similar situation to me working full time and doing a blog on the side as a fun creative project!

    Thanks so much for your comments on my blog! I fixed up the follow button, it should work now. I'm also going to follow you too!

    I'm using the Nivea Daily Essentials Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, which is a more water like remover. Im pretty happy with it but I use it up so fast. I might try the cream Nivea one in your post, I was thinking about it for a while and now you've convinced me!

    http://yakateyyak.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Thank you! :D

      Yes, we do seem to be in a similar situation, don't we? I started this months ago, but had just kind of let it go. I'm determined to be regular now, though! Office jobs just leave little time for hobbies, and I want that to change!

      Oh, I've never tried the eye make-up remover! I definitely recommend the cream cleanser. I just feel that it's not as harsh on skin as the more 'liquid' ones, and that makes it perfect for colder/drier days. Glad this helped you! x

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