Up & Up Exfoliating Cucumber Cleansing Towelettes

A few weeks ago, Target held a party at Roy Thomson Hall to celebrate summer and push its new summer line. All attendees, including myself, received a swag bag that was actually pretty impressive considering that hundreds and hundreds of bags were being given away.

One of the many items included in the bags was a full size package of Exfoliating Cucumber Cleansing Towelettes, made by Target's Up & Up line. While I'm not a big towelette fan—they never feel like they truly clean my face—I decided to give this product a shot by using it twice-a-day, most days, for over two weeks.

I quickly discovered that this is one of those form-over-function products. The form part comes from the towelettes' terrific scent and texture. While cucumber is in this product's name, it doesn't really smell like that vegetable. The scent is certainly fresh and energizing, but it's not like a cucumber. Instead, it's much, much better.

Also excellent is the texture. "Each towelette has a side with textured beads for gentle exfoliating and a side that is smooth for makeup removal," explains Target. The smooth side is nothing special but the textured one feels amazing. The "beads" are really just small, evaluated bumps in the towelette but somehow this addition manages to create a massage-like feeling when you press it into your skin. Together, that texture and scent easily "...leave face feeling clean, smooth and refreshed," just like Target claims.

However, I don't agree with the company's claim that daily use will "...deep clean and exfoliate skin, removing dirt and impurities." It does an okay job at removing makeup though several passes are needed to get everything off; which is hardly a challenge given that terrific scent and texture. The sheets are also quite large and I never needed more than one to take off my makeup.

But while this product was able to get rid of surface dirt, it didn't do a very good job of getting down deep into my pores. Within a few days of regular use, I noticed that  I had more clogged pores. Then the blemishes started appearing. They were small but they were definitely more frequent than normal. Since the only thing I had changed in my face care routine was how I was cleaning my face, I have to blame the towelettes.

And that's really too bad because, just in case I haven't been clear, this product feels and smells amazing. It's also nicely priced at under $5 for a package of 30 wipes and conveniently packaged in a resealable plastic wrap.

Would I buy this product: Yes though I have no plans to use these towelettes on a daily basis. Instead, I want to have them on hand for a quick face wash after say, a sweaty walk on a humid summer day.

Should you buy this product: While I wouldn't rely on this product as your primary cleanser, it is a a great one if you want a quick and easy way to remove your makeup while making your face feel great.