Beauteco Box August 13

This month's Beauteco Box offered a little less choice than the previous boxes. The three full sized products were exactly the same in each of the three boxes, while the two sample sizes offered a little more choice depending on skin type or preference. What I loved about this month's box was the bright yellow and blue colour scheme within the packaging - so bright and summery! Anyway, I opted for choice number 3 from the Beauteco boutique.

1) Arran Aromatics | Lavender and Tea Tree Facial Wash

Full size: £12.95 for 100ml

I'd never ever heard of this brand before, but the timing on this one was pretty good, as my beloved Organic Surge cleanser (which I also got in a Beauteco Box) is slowly coming to an end. I'm a bit on the fence about this cleanser containing loofah, as it might be a little bit harsh for a daily cleanser, but we shall see and find out. Now, the smell of this is something else. I'm already not a fan of the scent of tea tree oil, but combined with lavender it seriously packs a punch. Oddly enough, while I don't find it particularly pleasant, it doesn't put me off trying this either. It smells like it means business and I'm quite excited to find out if it can live up to my expectations.

2) Lord and Berry | Intensity Lipstick in Peach Gleam

Full size: £12 for 3.5g

I've heard of Lord and Berry before and seen a few of their products dotted around random blogs, but never really felt the urge to try any of their stuff. This lipstick goes on buttery soft and feels very comfortable, but it's the shade I've got a bit of an issue with. "Peach Gleam" isn't peach at all. I was expecting a light, milky orange, but what you get is a very heavily yellow based nude, which reminds me a lot of Benefit's Lady's Choice. It's not an ugly colour by all means, but it's nothing what it looks like on their website online.

3) Lord and Berry | Kissproof Lip Colour in Blossom

Full size: £7.50 for 1.2g

Another Lord and Berry product and this one is a lot more true to the shade you can see in their online catalogue. I'm really not a fan of lip liners, but this can also be used all over the lips for a long lasting colour, so I think I'll be using it that way instead. The term "kissproof" is not far fetched in this case, as I've been struggling all day to get the swatch off my hand - it really stays and stays and stays! Blossom is a dark, dusky lilac, which I imagine will look gorgeous on dark skin tones.

Left: Lord and Berry Intensity Lipstick in Peach Gleam | Right: Lord and Berry Kissproof Lip Colour in Blossom

4) S5 | Purity Serum

Full size: £44 for 30ml / Sample value: £14.67

I went for the Purity serum out of the choice of three targeted serums, as my skin's been really oily lately (possibly due to the heat). Well, shame on me for not reading properly, as this one's aimed at blemish-prone skin, which is not exactly the same thing. I'll give this a little try, but I do worry that it the salicylic acid it contains might be a little too harsh for my skin. Maybe I'll just save it for really bad skin days.

5) Melvita | Body Milk Rose

Full size: £16 for 200ml / Sample value: £2.40

I've really wanted to try something from Melvita ever since I've heard Jane at British Beauty Blogger rave about pretty much everything they produce. I find the smell of roses incredibly comforting, but I feel that the scent is soft and light enough even for people who aren't quite as enthusiastic about roses. Can't wait to get in the shower and give this one a little go!

Total value: £49.52

With three full sized products in each box, value for money is never really going to be an issue with this beauty box company and once again I feel like I've more than made my money's worth (which wasn't the case with Birchbox and the reason I cancelled my subscription). However, I feel that with the two full sized make-up products it would have been much nicer to have a choice of shades in the three boxes. As nice as it is to try out some new make-up, I don't think either of those colours will be particularly flattering for my skin tone. On the plus side, I've got four new brands which I've never tried before to play around with, which is pretty exciting! I'm still in love with Beauteco Box and my subscription stays until at least the next month.

Crystal Clear Deep Cleanse Gel Review

Crystal Clear is not a brand I was familiar with up until when they contacted me at the beginning of the year. Ever since, some of their products and skin care treatments have been popping up here and there, which piqued my interest in this brand - especially after I saw them featured in Elle, which I still consider my holy bible for anything fashion and beauty related.
I've got two products by Crystal Clear to review for those of you who are just as intrigued as me, but want to get an opinion on how their products work before you splash the cash. First up is the Deep Cleanse Gel.

It's been a while since I used a gel cleanser - I've somehow grown accustomed to the gentle effectiveness of a cream, foam or balm cleanser, so this had a lot to live up to.

The gel comes out clear and is to be massaged into damp skin, where you let it froth up and do its magic before rinsing it off again. It has a gorgeous citrus scent which is particularly welcome in the morning when it just gives me a nice little invigorating buzz every time I get a whiff.

As for its effectiveness, the hint with this product is really in the name. DEEP cleanse gel, boy they really mean it. It does state in the product description that it doesn't just cleanse, but it exfoliates as well. After using it, my face felt literally squeaky clean. My skin didn't burn, but I did get quite  the tightening sensation and any moisturiser and serum I applied afterwards sank in extremely quickly.

At first, my skin didn't like it. As a matter of fact, I broke out after the first few applications and was about to put it aside and switch to a milder cleanser - but I stuck with it, hoping that my skin was simply going through this "purging stage" some deep cleansing products and devices can bring on.

Turns out I was right. After a week those breakouts started clearing up - and so did everything else, revealing bright, radiant skin, which allowed me to step back from the heavy foundations.

I really do believe that cleansing is the single most important step in a skincare regimen. My skin can tolerate most creams and serums and doesn't really discriminate between budget and high end creams. But as soon as I change cleansers it shows immediately on my face.

With balms and creams I'm quite used to a soft, fuzzy, slightly plumping effect on my skin (sorry if that makes no sense to you at all), while this gel works in a completely different way. My skin seemed brighter and tighter, a bit as if a spot light was turned on it at all times - almost clinically clean.

Personally, I cannot make my mind up which effect I prefer, but if you struggle with problem skin, oily skin or breakouts, then I would definitely recommend this to you. I can honestly say I've never used a cleanser that was more thorough than this. And don't be discouraged if at first your skin rebels, just like mine did. Stick with it and you'll soon reap the benefits. As for dry and sensitive skin types, I'm a bit on the fence. You'd definitely have to follow up your cleanse with some very rich and moisturising products - maybe ask for a sample before you try to see how your skin reacts.

The Deep Cleanse Gel retails at £27 for 200ml