To tone or not to tone, that is a question often asked. Toner is that one step in a skincare routine that is often neglected, and if you read numerous magazines, articles and blogs, there doesn’t seem to be a general consensus on whether to include or skip this step. I personally cannot do without it, I get anxious when only a quarter remains in my current botttle, and love that feeling of freshness and purity it gives.

To say that I have tested more than enough toners to fill up my kid’s pool is still an understatement, but along the way I developped a clear preference for some and an even clearer dislike for others (Katia most definitely knows which one -)). However, as you might might guess, a beauty blogger’s curiosity means that our endless quest for that new holy grail product almost never ends, so when the Qiriness Fresh Miscellar Water* was released, I couldn’t resist giving it a test run.

Marketed as a miscellar water even suitable for sensitive skin, this clear fluid is hypoallergenic, paraben-free, alcohol-free, color-free and fragrance-free, and can be used to remove make up, purify the upper skin and soften, refresh and soothe the face. Ingredients include Mallow Flower (soothing), Pro-vitamin B5 (moisturizing), Linden Tree (softening) and Lotus (anti-inflammatory).

First of all, I have to admit that I never used this toner to remove my make up, so I cannot vouch for it’s strenghts in that. I only ever used it after having already removed my make up and cleansed my skin. Second of all, I admit to finishing the entire bottle…which should give you an indication of whether I like it or not. Soft to the touch and very refreshing, my skin perked up right after applying it, and though it sometimes left a soap-like foam on my skin, it did not dry out nor cause allergic reactions to my skin. The liquid was softly fragranced, but that’s part of the input of the Lotus, Linden Tree and Mallow Flower, so again no drying effect. Mostly followed by a spritz of my trusted La Roche-Posay Serozinc toner, the combination of two clears out any impurities that might be in a gentle but thorough manner, but without giving that squeaky clean feeling, you know the one, where your skin begins to itch, pull and makes you scared to even grin because it might crack like ancient, Egyptian parchment (Looking at you , Origins OTT…).

All in all, a great daily toner. Is it the best toner I ever tried? Not exactly, but it is highly recommendable for those looking for something better than your average drugstore brand toner.

Available at Ici Paris XL
200 ml – 25.98 euro