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.

Sample Summary #4

I have no Instagram Sunday post to share today unfortunately, as I haven't been up to much this past week apart from lots of naughty things nobody needs to know about! ;)
Life's a little hectic again anyway, as me and the boyfriend will be moving into our first own flat tomorrow, eeek! I can't wait to make it all nice and homely, though it will probably take some time until we have enough money to make it look the way we want it to look.
In the mean time I have my thoughts on a few samples I worked my way through again!

1) Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm

Now, this made for an interesting experience when I opened up the sachet. The liquid inside was runny and - more importantly - luminous orange. Now, I get that some creams have a peachy apricot undertone to make your skin look healthier, but we're literally talking bright orange here. Not what I'd understand under "universal glow". Take a look yourselves:

Now, apart from the obvious orange-ness, the finish was really pleasant: light, but mattifying. Also, the in-built SPF of 30 is excellent. However, I spent a lot of time trying to blend it out, so it wouldn't look absolutely ridiculous on my face. Just when I thought I got it to an acceptable level and applied some powder and highlighter on top they ended up ridiculously patchy resulting in a fit of giggles when I looked in the mirror.
Sorry, this might be a good cream, but the shade is ridiculous. I might be pale, but nobody's naturally orange!

2) Lush Lemony Flutter

This little pot lasted forever and ever! Lemony flutter is an extremely moisturising all over balm, though I've been using it mainly for my cuticles. It's very rich without a doubt and smells very delicious. Citrusy, but without reminding me of kitchen cleaner. The main problem was that it was just so greasy that as soon as I started massaging it in it started running everywhere and making a huge mess.

A nice balm, but I don't think I'll repurchase.

3) Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Mask

I thoroughly enjoyed using this little sachet. The mask had a very light but pleasurable scent and an amazing light texture - a bit like spreading greek yogurt on your face. My skin began to tingle a few minutes after application, but it was by no means an unpleasant sensation. Afterwards, it did actually look brighter, nicely moisturised and refreshed. The effect didn't last particularly long, but the mask would work perfectly as a little skin pick-me-up before a big event or after a particularly stressful week.

4) Kiehl's Sachet Trio

I'm going to start with the Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. This stuff is amazing. I used it overnight, just before going to sleep, but it sinks in quickly enough to use throughout the day as well. I woke up with amazingly soft and nourished hands, even more so than when I do a little hand mask with vaseline or eight hour cream. For the winter, when my hands get extremely dry and my skin cracks, this is a must have!

The Ultra Facial Micro Serum was also a very pleasant product to use, just moisturising enough without overwhelming my skin. It didn't seem to perform any miracles, but I quite happily used up all of my sample

Lastly, the Ultra Facial Cream is also a very rich product which I feel would be more suited to dry skin types. It sunk in quickly enough and didn't leave any greasy residue on my combination skin, but I do suspect that it gave me a few breakouts, so I'll be steering clear in future.