Which cotton pad/puff is best?
First of all, let me say how sorry I am that I haven't posted since early September. I am in my last semester of undergrad. I am getting a degree in microbiology and I am taking two whopper-classes this semester: Molecular Bio and Immunology. I will not be posting to my blog with any sort of regularity until this nightmare is over. Now, on to the fun stuff!
If you're like me, you use cotton pads/balls/squares several times a day. I use them to remove my makeup and apply my toners. I average using 4 cotton pads a day so I go through them quickly. Over the last year or so, I have been testing different brands and different types. I have my definite favorites and my definite never-buy-agains. Disclaimer: As is everything in this blog, these are just my opinions. You may love something that I hate and that is OK. I'm just sharing my life choices with you and you've chosen to read them.
COTTON BALLS: No. This is the old-school beauty toner applicator. They certainly work, but I find that they absorb more product than you need (thereby wasting expensive/precious product). They also leave a snail trail of bits of cotton fluff that catches in my nails or in my eyelashes. When I use cotton balls to remove my makeup, I end up using more of them (and then more eye-makeup remover.) Their small sphere shape doesn't leave me enough surface area to get off the clown levels of eye makeup I wear on a daily basis.
GENERIC COTTON ROUNDS WITH NO SMOOTH TOP OR BOTTOM: No. This is better than the cotton ball because the shape lends itself to removing mass quantities of eye makeup. However, it leave cotton fibers on my face/nails and absorbs too much precious product.
I have found three brands (4 products) that I keep returning to: Missha (a Korean brand), Swisspers (An American brand) and Shiseido (a Japanese brand).
SWISSPERS PREMIUM: These are the easiest to find where I live (Tennessee). They're sold just about anywhere that carries beauty items and I can get them by the case at Costco. They have one smooth side (lint-free) and one textured side. Prices vary depending on the retailer. Walmart carries a 100 count sleeve of the product shown above for $2.27. This product is the most inexpensive of all the brands I listed. However, they are super dense. I think they absorb too much product. I have noticed that the money I save on cotton pads doesn't cover the extra money I spend on needing more toner or makeup remover. I do like the round shape. I like their packaging. It doesn't take up a lot of space. I wish they made a thinner product that was lint-free because that's the product I'd use.
SHISEIDO: This is the ultimate cotton pad. This is the cotton pad that beauty vloggers/bloggers have been raving about. I don't prefer this product. It is actually my least favorite of the four I listed. This is the most expensive product of the brands I listed. 165 sheets come in their standard package and retails for $10.00. These are too thick and also absorb a lot of product. I find cutting them in half works better for me. They do feel like luxury though. Both sides are lint free. I also hate the packaging. They are sold in a plastic wrapped bale. I need to remove them and put them in another container for use. (I normally just use my cotton pads out of their packaging- like a savage.) These are easily obtainable as they are sold in stores at Ulta and Sephora and dozens of online retailers.
MISSHA- The Premium Silk-Feel Cotton Puff: I have only been able to purchase these online from Missha's website (Misshaus.com). They come in a large box and only contain 80 pads and retail for $4.00 +shipping. I am a Missha VIP so my price is $2.80 +shipping. The pad is wrapped in lint-free cotton and they are not particularly thick so I don't feel like I am wasting tons of product. my least favorite aspect of this product is their crimped corners (see picture). There have been several times where I poked my eye with these corners. The crimping makes them extra pokey. The shape of the pad itself reminds me of a maxi-pad or bandage for wounds.
MISSHA- Cotton Puff 100: Winner! These are available from Misshaus.com and retail for $3.00 for a box of 100. My price is $2.10 +shipping for being a Missha VIP. They are sold in a small box.They have recently changed their packaging so I can only speak to the old packaging. They are lint free on one side and their long edges have a soft crimp.This crimp has never bothered me like in their Premium Puff. These are the perfect blend of not too thick to waste product and not too thin as to be ineffective. These are my FAVORITE. I order 6 boxes at a shot and it takes me several months to use them all. They are often sold-out of this product especially when they are having their annual sales so this product requires planning on my part to keep my cotton pad needs met.
What is your favorite cotton pad?
If you're like me, you use cotton pads/balls/squares several times a day. I use them to remove my makeup and apply my toners. I average using 4 cotton pads a day so I go through them quickly. Over the last year or so, I have been testing different brands and different types. I have my definite favorites and my definite never-buy-agains. Disclaimer: As is everything in this blog, these are just my opinions. You may love something that I hate and that is OK. I'm just sharing my life choices with you and you've chosen to read them.
COTTON BALLS: No. This is the old-school beauty toner applicator. They certainly work, but I find that they absorb more product than you need (thereby wasting expensive/precious product). They also leave a snail trail of bits of cotton fluff that catches in my nails or in my eyelashes. When I use cotton balls to remove my makeup, I end up using more of them (and then more eye-makeup remover.) Their small sphere shape doesn't leave me enough surface area to get off the clown levels of eye makeup I wear on a daily basis.
GENERIC COTTON ROUNDS WITH NO SMOOTH TOP OR BOTTOM: No. This is better than the cotton ball because the shape lends itself to removing mass quantities of eye makeup. However, it leave cotton fibers on my face/nails and absorbs too much precious product.
I have found three brands (4 products) that I keep returning to: Missha (a Korean brand), Swisspers (An American brand) and Shiseido (a Japanese brand).
These are my top 4 cotton pads but they are NOT equal.
SWISSPERS PREMIUM: These are the easiest to find where I live (Tennessee). They're sold just about anywhere that carries beauty items and I can get them by the case at Costco. They have one smooth side (lint-free) and one textured side. Prices vary depending on the retailer. Walmart carries a 100 count sleeve of the product shown above for $2.27. This product is the most inexpensive of all the brands I listed. However, they are super dense. I think they absorb too much product. I have noticed that the money I save on cotton pads doesn't cover the extra money I spend on needing more toner or makeup remover. I do like the round shape. I like their packaging. It doesn't take up a lot of space. I wish they made a thinner product that was lint-free because that's the product I'd use.
SHISEIDO: This is the ultimate cotton pad. This is the cotton pad that beauty vloggers/bloggers have been raving about. I don't prefer this product. It is actually my least favorite of the four I listed. This is the most expensive product of the brands I listed. 165 sheets come in their standard package and retails for $10.00. These are too thick and also absorb a lot of product. I find cutting them in half works better for me. They do feel like luxury though. Both sides are lint free. I also hate the packaging. They are sold in a plastic wrapped bale. I need to remove them and put them in another container for use. (I normally just use my cotton pads out of their packaging- like a savage.) These are easily obtainable as they are sold in stores at Ulta and Sephora and dozens of online retailers.
MISSHA- The Premium Silk-Feel Cotton Puff: I have only been able to purchase these online from Missha's website (Misshaus.com). They come in a large box and only contain 80 pads and retail for $4.00 +shipping. I am a Missha VIP so my price is $2.80 +shipping. The pad is wrapped in lint-free cotton and they are not particularly thick so I don't feel like I am wasting tons of product. my least favorite aspect of this product is their crimped corners (see picture). There have been several times where I poked my eye with these corners. The crimping makes them extra pokey. The shape of the pad itself reminds me of a maxi-pad or bandage for wounds.
MISSHA- Cotton Puff 100: Winner! These are available from Misshaus.com and retail for $3.00 for a box of 100. My price is $2.10 +shipping for being a Missha VIP. They are sold in a small box.They have recently changed their packaging so I can only speak to the old packaging. They are lint free on one side and their long edges have a soft crimp.This crimp has never bothered me like in their Premium Puff. These are the perfect blend of not too thick to waste product and not too thin as to be ineffective. These are my FAVORITE. I order 6 boxes at a shot and it takes me several months to use them all. They are often sold-out of this product especially when they are having their annual sales so this product requires planning on my part to keep my cotton pad needs met.
The packaging.
What is your favorite cotton pad?
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