In a world of creamy makeup removers, peels, butters and balms, cleansing in beauty is big business. Although many beauty bloggers would now turn their noses up as a makeup wipes it’s important not to forget how we all reached for our trusty Boots makeup wipes in our teenage years. A staple of every young girls beauty arsenal, the makeup wipes were there for us for every makeup malfunction, teenage boy drama and for removing the makeup evidence from every forbidden night out.
But this isn’t a blog all about makeup wipes. Although I no longer use these daily (there will always be an emergency pack on the side lines) today cleansing has become my most important and loved step in my skincare routine. For cleaning, refreshing, renewing and TLC, cleansing is a step not to be ignored. So, when Boots reached out to me announcing they had revamped one of their well-loved skincare ranges and they’d like me to test out their Cucumber range, I was both flattered and excited to revisit the products I had loved so much 12 years ago.
What is it all about?
These Boots ranges are “masstige”, fancy talk for budget and prices start at a reasonable £1.50. The Cucumber range in particular is designed for normal/combi skin types. These new formulas have already gone through lots of testing before they came to me; including 2000 samples being reviewed, 8.5k people feeding back, 400 fragrances smelt by customers… so I’ll be moving all my premooo skincare to the top shelf and be using these products all week.
And the hype?
The range mainly focuses on cleansing and has 7 different textures and formulations for cleaning skin and removing makeup. Although many beauty junkies shy away from budget skincare through my industry experience I have often found that larger brands with the bigger research budgets and higher order values with their suppliers, can offer (we) the consumers a better deal on skincare without compromising on quality and science. I am interested to see how the Cucumber range lives up to the more expensive products in my routine.
Products on trial…
Boots cucumber eye make-up pads 40s – £1.50
My favourite product from all the range is the eye makeup remover pads. They are gentle on my delicate eye area, but the formula is tough and breaks down even waterproof mascara which means minimal rubbing and stress to the eye area (bad for wrinkles). I stopped using a stand-alone eye makeup remover a while back because I could be fussed with an extra step, but these pre-stacked lads are really great, there are loads in the pot and they are less than £2.
Boots cucumber cleansing wipes 25s £1.00
What is says on the tin – cleansing facial wipes to wipe away the day. Hang on a sec! Are these not for makeup removal? As a teen I would have definitely considered a makeup removing wipes as enough to remove my makeup. As a more knowledgeable adult I know that a makeup wipe is not enough to remove all traces of makeup and dirt from your skin so I am glad to see that Boots are not calling these makeup-removing wipes. Although I found using them takes off 80-85% of my makeup I would always follow this with another cleansing step like the cleansing lotion and cotton pads. If makeup isn’t on your face and you just want wipe away the day this product would be more appropriate for you.
Boots cucumber facial scrub 150ml – £1.50
A scrub formula like this one isn’t something I would personally recommend daily for someone with sensitive skin as the gritty textures can irritate the top layer epidermis. This however is great for normal skin types to slough away dry skin and give the skin a brighter and smoother appearance. It has a sandy texture so use it lightly and remember you don’t need to rub this stuff in too hard it will do more harm than good. A gentle circular motion is exfoliation enough. You will need to rinse twice to remove all residue.
Boots cucumber micellar water 100ml – £1.99
I was super excited to try this product because micellar water has been in my cleansing routine for 6 years straight now.
The cucumber micellar smells of nothing, which is a good sign because micellars are designed as “no-rinse” formulas so a fragranced one wouldn’t be the best for skin. This one is designed for “all skin types” and I can say that its removed up to 90% of make up only leaving behind a smidgen of eye makeup which was removed after a second cleanse. There was zero residue left after use and my skin felt soft, not taught or dry like how many micellars can leave the skin feeling.
Boots cucumber moisturising lotion 150ml – £1.50
This product is perfect for summer when a more lightweight daytime moisturiser is required. My pores are larger during the hotter months so I swap out heavier day creams then to avoid congestion of the pores. For something with a little more hydration or if you are planning on wearing makeup I would suggest the Boots cucumber moisturising cream 100ml
Boots cucumber facial wash 150ml – £1.50
This product has the words “wash the night away” so I assume it’s to be used in the morning after you sleep. Many people don’t wash their face with a product in the AM but it’s just as important to do this as our skin goes through so much renewal and detoxifying whilst we sleep, it’s important to wash away the secretions and dead cells when we wake. Not to mention any bacteria we may have picked up from our pillowcases.
I found this formula refreshing and light – perfect for simple mornings cleanse pre skincare.
Boots cucumber facial toner 150ml – £1.50
Next up I want to hero the Cucumber facial toner. Since I went to a dermatologist and realised I was more combination skin than dry a toner has been my T-zones best friend. This one is really refreshing, and I can see the pores visibly tighten after use but not taught or uncomfortable which can happen when a toner is too astringent. I would only use this on targeted areas as my cheeks and forehead skin is still dehydrated
Boots cucumber eye gel 15ml – £3.00
A refreshing product for lightweight hydration around the eyes – best for people in their early 20’s not in need of anti-aging yet.
I think we live in a time where the 17 year olds of the world no longer want just a makeup wipe to remove their makeup, so expanding the skincare ranges to offer a more encompassing range of cleansers, still at an entry level cost, is a good move. Likewise older people who loved the range when they were younger but grew out of it because their needs changed should re visit the range as I found the products to be quality and hardworking.
My favs? I’ll be keeping the facial toner and eye makeup pads in my skincare routine for sure.
*this is a paid partnership with Boots.
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