Cleanse, "Something" & Moisturise (Marks & Spencer Formula Calming Toner)

Member Name: blonde_girl774

Product:	Marks & Spencer Formula Calming Toner
Date:	10/08/09 (139 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap & Works Well.

Disadvantages: Can Leave Skin Feeling Dry and Tight.

I've discovered that I've done a review on pretty much every single beauty product I own which is either a sign that I spend far too much time on DooYoo or a sign that I really need to invest in some new beauty products, purely for the purposes of DooYoo of course. A couple of months ago now I invested in a new skincare range as Clinique was costing me a small fortune. I opted for the Marks & Spencers Formula range as Marks and Spencer has been around for over a hundred years now and has been offering a selection of beauty and skin care products for over fifteen years now. In fact their make up and skin care ranges have grown considerably over the last ten years and now boast quite an impressive collection. Their main and most affordable skincare range is called the Formula range and the products I purchased came from the Calming branch of this range. Products on offer include a day cream, a night cream, a cleanser, a toner, an eye cream and so on.

The Formula Calming Toner comes in a plastic bottle which is tinted a very light green which is enhanced by the light green colour of the toner inside (it has altered from the photo on DooYoo). It has a white plastic lid which can simply flip open or shut for easy access. The bottle contains 200ml of product in it and it's about five inches in height. The packaging is quite plain but it does seem quite classy despite the small price tag and also rather clean and fresh looking due to the colours. The toner itself is obviously a liquid that has a very pale green tint to it and although it's fragrance free there is a slight clinical scent to it which is quite pleasant. It is recommended that you use the toner after you have cleansed your face and before you moisturise. To apply the toner simply pour or tip a little bit onto a cotton wool pad (so half the pad is wet but it's not soaking as this is a waste) and wipe this over your face and neck area. You can repeat if you wish with additional cotton wool buds until they come away clean.

The toner is meant to be used in conjunction with the cleanser as it is meant to tone your cleansed skin, which should then be followed with a moisturiser both day and night. A toner is simply meant to remove any extra dirt or impurities from your skin as well as minimising facial pores and hydrating the skin after the cleansing process. According to some toners aren't really necessary steps in the facial care process unless you suffer from really oily skin where toners are a necessity at minimising the oil. However I've always found my skin responds well to using a toner and that it insures all make up is removed from my skin as sometimes cleansing alone isn't good enough although this issue is also up for debate. The Formula toner contains chamomile and aloe vera so it's very gentle on the skin and isn't as drying as some toners are. It's designed especially for sensitive skin, it's hypoallergenic and it doesn't contain any alcohol or any harsh additives either.

I've been using the toner for a few months now in conjunction with the Marks and Spencers Forumla Facial Wash and the Cleanser from the same range. The toner certainly seems to manage to remove any excess make up that the facial wash and cleanser misses as I very often find the cotton wool pad tinted with bronzer and foundation when I've used the toner. It leaves my skin feeling very clean and slightly tight as well which is due to it removing the oil from your skin which dries it out slightly. If I don't moisturise after using the toner then the tight feel will pass after about half an hour but I would recommend moisturising after using it. As to whether or not I think it's doing my skin any good it certainly leaves my skin a lot cleaner at the end of the day than it would be if I didn't bother to tone, however I have noticed my skin becoming a little dry since I incorporated the toner into my skincare regime so I would suggest watching out for this.

A 200ml bottle of the toner will set you back £2.50 and it's available from any larger Marks and Spencer store that has a beauty section. I tend to only use the toner in an evening as I worry it would dry out my skin too much if I used it twice a day and this has meant that in a month I've probably used a tiny amount of the toner. I normally apply it twice in an evening on two different cotton wool pads to make sure all my make up has gone and if I continue to use it at this rate I estimate the bottle will last me about a year. As for whether or not I'd replace this bottle I probably would, it's one of the cheapest toners I've come across and it does do the job in terms of removing all my make up. I'd recommend the Marks and Spencers Formula range as well simply because of its price and the fact it is quite effective too. This is getting three stars from me, it looses two just because it dries out my skin which isn't an overly nice feeling despite it doing its job!

Thanks for reading.

Summary: A calming toner from Marks and Spencers, suitable for all skin types.