Clarins Toning Lotion With Camomile > Reviews (1)

Recently I wrote about my experience with Clarins Cleansing Milk and as I bought it alongside the toning lotion as part of a duo, I felt I should tell you about that too!

Clarins make three different toning lotions - the one I have is the toning lotion for camomile which is for Normal or Dry skin. There is also a toning lotion with iris for combination/oily skin and finally the 'Extra-Comfort' toning lotion which is for dry or sensitive skin.

The toning lotion does not contain alcohol which is a huge plus point for me, as having dry skin I find that alcohol based toners worsen the problem and leave my skin feeling tight. As well as containing camomile which is softening, this also contains alpine herbs, linden, bi-ecolia and vitamins A, B and E which help improve the quality of the skin.

The toning lotion comes in a clear bottle through which you can see the yellow liquid, and has a white lid with a gold band and white writing adorning the front. It is the same, flat shaped bottle that the cleanser comes in and the two bottles do compliment each other when stood side by side. Like the cleanser, I feel that there is little other than the Clarins name and the flash of gold on the lid to make this stand out as a premium product.

Another gripe I have with the bottle, is simply that it's not entirely practical. It has a twist off lid, which is removed to reveal a short neck with a rather too large hole through which the product is dispensed. Clarins may call this a lotion, but it is in fact nothing of the sort, it's a liquid and I find that frequently too much runs out of the bottle at once - not great considering this is quite a pricey product. I actually started using this around three-four weeks after the cleanser since I was still using up the remains of my last toner. Despite this, the cleanser and toner have equal amounts of product left in them - which indicates this toner is being used up more quickly than the cleanser is. I'm pretty sure that's down to the hole in the bottle being too wide.

The leaflet that came with my duo did not give any instructions for use for the toner - only the cleanser. As the cleansing method had been slightly odd (in my opinion anyway), I consulted the internet and found that the Clarins website advises applying to two cotton wool pads, sweeping over the face and blotting with a tissue. I admit I only applied it that way the first few times, now I just rub over my skin using one cotton wool pad, as I feel two is a waste.

As mentioned the product has a liquid consistency and it is yellow in colour. It has a very faint floral scent to it which is pleasant, but not really noticeable once the product is applied to the skin.

I use this immediately after cleansing and the first thing I notice as it hits my skin is how cooling and soothing it feels. The fact that Clarins advise to blot the skin with a tissue after use may lead you to think that this will leave a sticky residue, but it doesn't so I normally miss out this step as I feel it unnecessary.

I find that the toner leaves my skin comfortable and not at all tight, and leaves it feeling clean after the use of the creamy cleanser. Any traces of make-up or cleanser that have been left on my skin are wiped away by this toner and can be seen on the pad, which gives me satisfaction that my skin is as clean as it could be.

I always find it quite difficult to say whether a toner is actually improving the tone of my skin, but with this one I do find that immediately after use, my skin does seem brighter and fresher looking, when used in conjunction with the matching cleanser. To be honest though the results do not stand out as being fantastic - and for the price of this stuff, fantastic is what I would expect. There is very little difference between this and the £3.99 toners I have used in the past, as far as I can tell.

I bought this as part of a duo for £17.99 which I feel was a bargain as individually the cleanser and toner cost £17 each from Boots. The bottles are 200ml which is a fairly good size, although as noted earlier in the review, I feel the wide opening on the neck of the bottle means that the toner is used up quicker than the cleanser.

Currently the Duo pack is available from www.cheapsmells.com for £19.99, which is still quite a saving on buying the products individually.

Although this is a good product, I'm not sure I would buy it again at the £17 price as I feel it's too much for a toner, but should I find the duo set at a bargain price again, I would be happy to give it another try.

*Also posted on Dooyoo