keep one eye open

No matter how much beauty industry hype surrounds a new cleanser, I never get excited. I know I'll never try it out. You see, I have an irrational fear of washing my face. There's something about standing in front of a medicine cabinet mirror that convinces me that, if I close my eyes to splash water onto my face, I'll open them to see a figure hovering behind me in the mirror. Maybe I've just seen too many predictable horror movies. Or perhaps I'm still just too freaked out by the third season Doctor Who episode 'Blink,' in which menacing angel statues can only move when you're not watching them. Either way, it's an inconvenient fear.

So when cleansing wipes that didn't require rinsing started being released, I was the first in line. However, not only did the formulas strip moisture from my skin, many of the cloths themselves were rough and irritating. Not exactly something you want to drag across your eyelids to remove stubborn eyeliner. So it was with a healthy dose of skepticism that I picked up Boots No.7 Quick-Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes on a whim at Target.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the wipes gentle and soft, practically fluffy when compared to their competitors. The formula quickly removes make-up, even waterproof mascara, while gently cleansing and toning. Although I still follow up with moisturizer, these wipes don't strip and dry out my skin like some of their drugstore peers did.

Best of all, I can manage to remove all of my make-up while leaving one eye open at all times, keeping me safe from creepy stone angel assassins. This may not be a priority for most beauty consumers, but it's a major selling point for me.