Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner Review

Kiehl's was a brand I never really considered buying into. Sure, I'd heard rave reviews about their Creme de Corps and I knew some people were absolutely mad about Kiehl's, but personally nothing really sparked my interest in them. I don't know if it's the packaging which just looks - let's face it - boring and plain or the fact that they don't seem to advertise an awful lot and aren't talked about that much on beauty blogs either.

It was actually when shopping for a toner back in Cologne when (during a short bout of insanity) I thought to myself, "Let's try a brand I've never tried before!" and scuttled over to the Kiehl's counter. The very lovely lady recommended this one for a Kiehl's virgin like me, as it's a toner most people seem to get on with without any trouble at all.

The thing that really stands out about this product is that for a toner it's incredibly thick. When I squirt a little bit onto a cotton pad it literally just sits there until I rub it in rather than soak the pad like other ones do. I was actually told you could use this without a cotton pad and just pat it into the skin using fingers alone.

As a matter of fact I did get on quite well with this product. My skin isn't overly sensitive, but it felt very gentle and hydrating, without leaving skin feeling either tight or greasy. Using the toner without a cotton pad gives skin a big moisture boost, whereas using some cotton with it gives the skin more of a gentle deep clean getting out all that gunk your cleanser didn't (my preferred method).

Going with the theme of gentle, the toner smells of almost nothing, though I can sometimes catch a very faint hint of baby lotion when applying it around my nose.

One thing I really like about it is that it's one of those products that seem to last forever and ever: I've had my bottle from early June onwards and I'm only just about below the top edge of the label! The fact that it's so thick makes it very easy to get just the right amount out of the bottle each time rather than soak the cotton pad as well as your hands and the floor with out-of-control toner.

The bottle is made out of plastic, which strikes a perfect balance between sturdy and light-weight, making it perfect for travelling.

The only downside is that it does tend to look a bit mucky after a while, leaving white residue on the walls of the bottle (a little like gone off milk), but if that doesn't put you off then I can whole-heartedly recommend this product for anyone looking for a gentle, yet effective toner.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner retails for £16.50 for 250ml.