little white truths

I've been meaning to review this product for ages, it's just that so many other posts had to come first - to the point that I saved the last two applications of this to use on the day that I knew I had time to review it.

So here we finally are!

As you may know, I've been slowly buying and using Andalou products over the past year or so. It started when I came across a couple of items from the brand that I absolutely loved, and since then I've been exploring the range.

I'm pleased to say that this toner is yet another Andalou product that I'm obsessed with, to the point that I've given it an HG tag. While I never thought I'd find another budget toner to match my HG Nivea toner (reviewed here), it's finally happened and I'll be buying both of them from now on. More on that below.

Andalou claims/product details:

• For parched/depleted skin
• This instant facial refresher hydrates, fortifies and balances
• Improves the appearance of tone and texture with skin-friendly enzymes, vitamin c and coconut water electrolytes, for a healthy, smooth complexion
• AquaCacteen, derived from prickly pear cactus, nourishes and soothes while water-binding nutrients provide lasting hydration for a lifted, firmer appearance and renewed vitality
• ECOCERT certified
• To use: shake well; after cleansing, close eyes and gently mist over face and neck to best prepare skin for moisturising; for skin-soothing hydration day and night, mist lightly with or without makeup
• RRP $19.99 AUD for 178ml, but do shop around (I bought mine at 40 per cent off)

Verdict

I absolutely love this product and I can't wait to buy another one. I knew I would be giving it HG status almost from the first use, and I'm going to miss it once I use the final application tonight.

It's a standard fluid toner that comes in a bottle with a pump. The directions say to mist this over your face after cleansing, but I get more benefit from applying it to a cotton pad (I open the bottle and forget the pump to do this: less waste). Reason being, it does a beautiful job of removing that last layer of gunk from my face - and it does so without feeling astringent but instead rather gentle, and it hydrates my dry skin to boot.

Oh! The coconut scent. I absolutely love it: it's definitely there but not overwhelming, and it's a natural scent because coconut water is included early in the ingredients list and I can't see artificial fragrance listed anywhere. So if you like things that smell nice but don't like the fake stuff, then this might be one to try.

Do note that I've tried misting this over makeup, and while I love how it feels, the spray isn't great for that and I get blotches that upset my makeup, leaving me with little holes in my foundation. So I don't recommend it for that, but I do recommend decanting it into another bottle with a finer mist, since it does feel beautifully hydrating and adds some radiance to the skin while removing the look of powder from my face. Indeed, I may end up buying two: one for toning and one for decanting and misting over makeup.

On the claims: yes it's great for parched/depleted skin; yes it refreshes, hydrates and balances; yes it gives me a healthy, smooth complexion (my skin's smoother when it's hydrated); and yes it nourishes and soothes while making my face look more awake.

Overall I love this toner and I recommend it. It's cheap (especially if you can find it on special), it hydrates my dry skin, it smells gorgeous and it tones well to boot. I suspect this will stay on my HG list forever.

Definitely worth trying.