Product Review: Nina Ricci Mild Milky Cleanser & Smoothing Softness Lotion

The Product
I was at Winners awhile back perusing the beauty section for discounted beauty deals when I happened upon these two products. Sadly there was no lotion to complete my set as above, but 2/3 aren't bad right? I love Nina Ricci's fashion designs which are always so ethereal and graceful, so logically their beauty products must also echo this philosophy right? Well, read on and see readers...

The Guts
The Mild Milky Cleanser is formulated for all skin types and claims to relax, purify, and sooth stressed skin. Ingredients include aloe vera, cotton seed oil and a most deliciously elegant scent. The Smoothing Softness lotion also seeks to comfort and moisturize skin with its mix of aloe vera, castor oil, and gingko biloba

Price and Packaging
As I bought these at Winners the price was pretty cheap, like under $20 for both. Some Internet research tells me though that the products usually hover around $20-30 each, which isn't that bad considering they are "designer"! The products are encased in frosted plastic bottles, with the cleanser featuring a pump dispenser. I really love the bottle lid on the toner with its sparse, modern lines and use of clear plastic. The product itself is also colored in pale neutral tones of light rose and cream.

Effectiveness
The first thing you must know about the Milky Cleanser, is that it's more like a cold cream than a traditional foaming cleanser. Milk cleansers are meant to be one of the gentlest cleansers you can use and are recommended for those with sensitive or mature skin. Simply take a cotton ball (or few) and squirt a bit of product onto it, then smooth over skin - no rinsing required. It was simply amazing to see the amount of dirt that came off! Usually if I used this cleanser at the end of the day, I would go through at least 3 cotton balls before my swipes ran clean. This product is also amazing for taking every speck of makeup on your face, including my gel eyeliner that requires a special oil-based remover to take off! Post-application my skin felt smooth, soft, and super clean. Since my skin is neither sensitive or mature, I used this cleanser in the morning and a gentle scrub at night.

The Smoothing Softness lotion claims to "envelop the skin in a soothing and calming silky softness" and I must say that I am very pleased with its fulfillment of these promises. The toner has a light, feminine, scent and feels coolly refreshing on the skin. The lotion also absorbs quickly, leaving nothing but silky softness. My skin feels smooth and radiant!

The only cons to these products I could find were that it felt wasteful to go through a handful of cotton balls every time I want to wash my face. As well, I can imagine that if you get any sort of blemishes at all, or live in a hot climate, or do sports, then these products will not be strong enough to do you right.

Buy it or ditch it?
Buy! If your skin is looking for some soft, gentle, goodness, then these are the products for you; however for all others these products will not pack enough punch to do much for you.

Final Verdict: B+ Worked well for me, but may not be for everyone.