I’ve been trying this Melting Cleansing Gel from Elemis for about a month now and I absolutely love it! I didn’t think I could find anything to top my Botanical Cleansing Balm but this product just suits my skin perfectly.

The cleanser is initially oil based with a slight gel like feel. I apply it to my dry skin and it really seems to do the job of giving my pores a deep clean and removing any impurities. I then use a muslin cloth and water to remove the cleanser which it turns it into a milky cleanser which is easily rinsed off in the water. The bottom picture shows what happens with the addition of water where as the middle picture shows the slightly oily cleanser which you apply to dry skin.

My skin is definitely oily in places and blemish prone so I spent years thinking an oil based product wouldn’t suit my skin but I couldn’t be more wrong. The oil in this cleanser really seems to draw out an impurities and I’ve been suffering a lot fewer skin problems since I started using it.

I actually prefer this to my other cleansing balms as when you add water it is really easy to remove which leaves you without any residue on the skin. You could easily use this cleanser alone without a toner as it does leave my skin squeaky clean but without any tightness or dryness. I bought this for £17.46 from Gorgeous Shop which is a small saving from the shop price and even though this is alot more than the Botanicals range I’ll be repurchasing this when my tube runs out.

I had bought a couple of 50ml trial size samples from the Elemis range to try and the Balancing Lavender Toner was my star item. So much so that I’ve now bought myself the full size bottle and a few other goodies to boot.

I won’t say too much more about the toner as you can read my initial review here but this is one of the most gentle toners I’ve found. You can clearly see on the cotton wool how well it removes any final traces of dirt and oil however my skin feels soft and smooth after using it without any hint of tightness.

The Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser I bought in the trial size sample didn’t seem to quite control my blemish prone skin as well as I’d hoped so I’ve decided to give the Melting Cleansing Gel and try which seems a little more like my favourite Botanics Cleansing Balm. I’ve been trying this for a couple of weeks so now so I’ll give this a few more days to see how my skin responds before doing a full review.

These two little face masks were just a couple of free gifts I’ve received along with my other purchases but I do love getting a few little extras! These both will give you at least about 5 applications which I think would give most people a good amount of time to see how much they like a face mask. I bought my Elemis bit’s on line from Gorgeous Shop as the toner and melting cleanser were both £17.46 which was the best discount I could find for Elemis.

Since falling pregnant my usual Botanics Cleansing Balm just doesn’t seem to be keeping my skin clear in the same way it used too. Previously it had been doing my wonders fro my slightly troublesome skin and I’d suffered hardly any breakouts. Unfortunately for me pregnancy seems to make my skin go a little haywire so I’ve decided it’s time to try a new cleansing routine.

Elemis is such a famous brand which is used in so many spa’s that I decided it would be well worth a try as it has products for all the different skin types. I had originally been going to buy the full size products however I spotted these travel size 50ml cleanser and toner’s which I thought would make the perfect trial size. This size allows my a good 6 weeks of using the product to see if it suits my temperamental skin before buying the full size products.

The cleanser I’ve opted for is the Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser which is suited to oily, blemish prone skin types. The cleanser is a creamy liquid which removes all the excess oil and any makeup or dirt from my skin without leaving it feeling dry. My skin feels a lot smoother than it has done in a while and I’m suffering fewer breakouts which makes my feel as though it must be cleansing deep into my pores.

The toner is from the same range and is Balancing Lavender Toner. It doesn’t contain any harsh alcohols or astringents which can dry your skin out. It seems to remove any final traces of oil or makeup which may have been missed whilst cleansing and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. I think it’s also meant to help re balance the pH of my skin which will help to prevent any further break outs.

I picked up the cleanser and toner for £6.20 each from timetospa which also offers free postage and packaging. I’ve been really impressed with these products and will be buying the full size versions however if you want to buy something smaller as a trial size then this travel range is a good buy.

Why is it that you always seem to run out of all your favourite products at the same time? This month it was my cleansing balm, toner and moisturiser but I guess at least it’s allowed me to take advantage of some the 3 for 2 offers Boots are currently running.

It’s not often I purchase the same cleanser twice as I’m often tempted by new ranges or products on the market but this is my second jar of Botanics Cleansing Balm. I won’t bore you with the details as the full review can be read here but needless to say I love it as it really helps keep any blemishes at bay on my combination skin.

I hadn’t tried any of the other products from Botanics before but with the 3 for 2 and reasonable prices I figured I might as well give them a go. As I needed some more toner I picked their Rosewater Toner. This is quite fragranced and I’m not really a floral person but so far it seems to be doing it’s job by removing any last traces of the residue from my cleansing balm. I’ve only been using it for a few days so I’ll do a proper review in a few weeks to see how well it suits my skin but so far it’s doing a good job.

As I needed a third item I picked up the Conditioning Clay Mask which I thought might work out as better value than the 99p face mask sachets I keep picking up. First impressions are that this mask is slightly more runny than usual clay face masks and did need to give it a good squeeze to mix it as there seems to be a little bit of water which separates from the rest of the mask.

The mask was still easy enough to apply though doesn’t dry as much on your face as a typical clay mask. Probably a good thing as at least it doesn’t crack every time you speak though in a way I missed it drying as that normally makes me feel as though the mask has done it;s job and it’s time to remove it. That said I think because this mask doesn’t dry on you skin it is less likely to dry your skin out so I didn’t need quite as much moisturiser as I would usually do after a face mask.

Overall a good face mask as my skin was left clear and soft which is what I expect from a face mask. If you love the Botanics range this 3 for 2 offer is definitely worth a look as my cleansing balm was £6.63, the toner was £4.07 and the clay mask was £4.8 saving me the price of the toner.

As my Suti cleansing balm has just run out I’ve decided I want to see what other cleansing balms are available and how they compare as a cleansing balm seems to suit my skin so perfectly! I popped into Boot’s to have a look for one and the only one I could find was this cleansing balm from Botanics.

The balm is very buttery in texture and melts easily on contact with the skin. I massage it into my skin and then gently remove it using the muslin cloth which comes in the box. The formulation has more of a buttery texture than my Suti cleansing balm but it works just as well to remove all my makeup and other impurities. You can really see from the cleansing cloth the amount of makeup and dirt you remove from your face!

This leaves my skin feeling so soft but also very clean. My skin is usually oily and I do get some blemishes but this really seems to help even though it’s oil based. I think it gives the skin such a deep clean that it removes anything from your pores which stops them getting blocked. My skin also seems a little less oily which I think is because the balm doesn’t strip my skin as much as other cleansers. The cleansing balm is only £6.63 from Boots I well worth the price tag!