MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH NIVEA

When it comes to skincare, it really does depend on what your skin is like and what your personal preference is. I have combination skin but it's definitely more on the normal to combination type, so I always buy and try products that are suited to my skin. And trust me, I have tried a ton of products, drugstore to high end, but one that always stands out for me is Nivea.

Nivea have been going for years, 103 to be precise, so they must be doing something good. Nivea is so affordable and definitely a favourite of mine. Their products are so gentle on my skin and don't break me out. So this post is dedicated to a few of my favourite Nivea skincare products. 

I miss and match my skincare products and update my routine like there's no tomorrow, to make sure I'm trying out new things, but the above products make always make a regular feature.

When it comes to removing makeup, I always use Nivea Facial Cleansing wipes for Normal to Combination skin and usually use a cleanser afterwards. These wipes are ideal for me because they get rid of majority of my makeup so cleansing is a breeze. I typically use Nivea eye make up remover first to avoid the panda eyes look. Next in comes the 2-in-1 Cleanser and Toner.

I like using ordinary cotton pads with the cleanser to make sure everything is off my face and it leaves my skin feeling fresher.

Nivea's Daily Essential's face wash gel and gentle exfoliator are a dream come true. They do exactly what they say they will without leaving my skin feeling irritated or tight, like some face washes have in the past.

When it comes to lip balms, I've got millions and I love them all, but this basic lip balm from Nivea just tops them off for me. It's so cheap, so nourishing and it smells really good too so I'm not going to complain!

What do you think of Nivea skincare?

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Refreshing Facial Wash Gel

Gentle Exfoliating Scrub

Eye makeup remover

Facial wipes

2-in1 Cleanser and Toner

Lip balm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVIEW - NIVEA EXPRESS HYDRATION PRIMER

Because I have combination skin I find that makeup doesn't last on my face very long. It just clings to my dry patches and basically melts off my oil spots, unless I use a primer that is! I adore the Beautiful Movements Prime & Create primer but it is a little bit on the pricey side as it retails for £20 for 20g so I decided to give this one a whirl. As I'm sure you're all aware me and nivea skincare products get on like a house on fire, I don't think there is a single nivea product out there that I've tried and haven't loved, this being one of them. The main thing I want from a primer is to mattify my skin without drying it out and aid my makeup in staying put all day and this does just the trick!

Express Hydration Primer for normal to combination skin is just what I've been looking for in a primer. At first I was a bit dubious about this product as it has a very watery consistency when applied to the skin, the primer soaks in really quickly and you'd be none the wiser about it's runny consistency! It instantly mattifies my skin, combating my everlasting battle with oily patches and helps soften my skin to make makeup application a lot nicer! I've definitely found since using this primer that my makeup lasts longer and gives my makeup a nicer look in general. I love how the product is so light and airy so it doesn't leave my skin feeling cakey and without a doubt my skin feels so much smoother as a result of using this. Like all nivea products it has a lovely fresh scent which is very subtle and I just love it. Despite all my praise I have for this product, I am a little disappointed about the packaging as the pot inside is extremely smaller than the box it comes in! But nevermind, the pros definitely outweigh this con.

It is certainly one of the best primers I have ever used and I highly recommend it.

Nivea Express Hydration for normal to combination skin is widely available in Boots/Superdrug/Tesco and retails for £4.99.

MAY FAVOURITES

Hello ladies! This week has been pure madness so far so I apologise for the lack of posts and the late may favourites, but lets just get this show on the road!

This month has been a budget month, so none of the products are from 'luxury brands' but I know for sure these products are going to be my favourites for a long time!

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It

Nivea Soft Hands, Face and Body cream

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 100 Ivory

Superdrug's Vitamin E Skin Care All over body cream

Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It

I bought this because I found the name quite amusing (and I'm a sucker for cute packaging), and turned out to love it! You apply a thin layer to cleansed skin, leave it for three minutes and then scrub it off, resulting in blackhead free soft skin. Without question, this has been a revolution for my skin and I honestly don't know what I would do without it.

Nivea Soft Hand, Face and Body Cream

I usually use this as my everyday hand cream and I adore it so much. The formula is really nice as it's not oily but it gives enough moisture to leave my hands really soft. The product is clearly designed to be an all over moisturiser, but I think it may be too heavy on other parts of my skin, especially my face. This is a handbag essential and I doubt I will be using any other hand cream any time soon!

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Well hello new favourite foundation! If you're looking for a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat foundation, this is probably as good as you're going to get. The medium coverage, which is easily buildable, and almost dewy finish really reminds me of YSL Touche Eclat and the fact it's only £6.99 in Superdrug just screams bargain! This foundation blends really well with my skin, gives me good coverage and smells amazingly are just some of the reasons for why it has become my new favourite foundation!

Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care All over body cream

Love, love, love, love, loveeeee this product so much! I can almost guarantee that this body cream will blow your socks off, because it certainly did mine! Everytime I use it, I'm left with silky soft skin, what could you want right?

ps. it's so cheap for a massive tub

Nivea Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes for combination skin

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

NYC Nail polishes

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Nivea Face Wipes

Like I've said in earlier posts, I like to take my makeup off with makeup remover wipes before cleansing and exfoliating and I just feel like these wipes are the best for the job. They take my makeup off with ease and don't make my skin feel greasy, probably the best makeup remover wipes I have ever used.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

A lip scrub that tastes like bubblegum? Of course it was going to be one of my favourites! I wouldn't say there is anything special about this lip scrub, it does what it's meant to do, although it definitely stands out the crowd due to the bubblegum flavour! I honestly cannot part with this product!

NYC Nail Polish

NYC offer really cheap but good quality nail polishes that I have fallen in love with! I really like the range of colours they offer and I especially love the formula of the polish. The colours are bright and vibrant, they don't chip and they dry quickly- pretty much a faultless nail polish! My favourite shade at the moment is Bubblegum Pink which is pictured above. 

Real Techniques Buffing brush

I recently purchased a few brushes from the Real techniques range but this is by far my favourite brush out of my entire collection! The bristles are sooooo soft and it blends my foundation into my skin beautifully. Never ever will I use a different foundation brush!

So that's my favourites for this month and all I can say is roll on June!

A TEENY TINY SUPERDRUG HAUL

Sooooo I went into my local superdrug with my mum and because I haven't been paid yet I intended not to purchase anything. Whoops. But to be fair, I barely spent anything so I have no reason to feel guilty! 

What did I pick up? Oh just a few essentials. Like I said in my May Empties post, I like to use face wipes to remove my make up and because I have combination skin (more on the dry side if I'm honest) these wipes seemed perfect so I'll let you know how good, or bad, these are in some upcoming posts. I also picked up my favourite hand cream and heat defence spray and some other bits.

I'm not a massive fan of drugstore makeup, I mean some items are complete gems and I absolutely love them but generally speaking they're obviously not as good as the high end brands, but nail varnish is an exception. There was no way I was going to walk past the NYC counter without taking advantage of the 3 for 2 offer. No way! I actually love some of the products NYC make, especially their nail polish. I picked up a glitter nail polish, which I wear would over an opaque nail varnish, called Lights Camera Glitter, a clear topcoat and a bubblegum pink nail varnish which funnily enough is called Bubblegum Pink. I am currently wearing the Lights Camera Glitter over Barry M's Gelly Hi Shine in Blueberry and I adoreeeeee it! Expect a post very soon!

The final item I bought which I think is by far the best, is Superdrug's Vitamin E All Over Body Moisturiser. I love love love love love this. I have previously used this before, loved it then and I love it now. I seriously cannot rave about this enough. Trust me ladies, whatever moisturiser you are currently using, bin it and get some of this (okay well maybe don't do that but you have to try this!) Everyone I have spoke to and all the blog posts I have read love this product, and when you try it you'll understand why. As you know I'm really funny about the smell of products but this smells great and leaves my skin silky soft. Just perfection in a tub, and for £2.99 you can't go wrong!

I hope to be reviewing some of these products very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

APRIL FAVOURITES

           Can't believe it's May already, seems like only yesterday I was tucking into my christmas dinner! Generally, April has been a good month for me but I can't say the same for my poor bank account. I know I did a post a couple of weeks back of my favourite products at the moment, but they weren't my all time favourites for the month, but this is!

So my favourites this month are a bit random. All the products this month that I overused to the extent that I'm pretty much running out of them already (I brought majority of these products under six weeks ago!)

Nivea Anti Perspirant 48hr deodorant

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Paisley 

These are two products I've relied on heavily this month.

Nivea Anti-Perspirant 48hr Deodorant

I have really sensitive skin, so 'spray' deodorant usually irritates me and I'm not a massive fan of 'roll on deodorant' but I've found this product actually worked for me! It smells really nice, doesn't irritate my skin and stops me from sweating, and lets be honest that's the most important bit. It's actually on offer in Boots at the moment for about £1.50 so I've stocked up!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Paisley

Dry shampoo has to be the greatest thing ever invented and I personally don't think there is a brand out there of dry shampoo as good as Batiste. I use it in between washes just to make my hair look 'fresher' and I usually go for tropical scent, but I picked this bottle up purely because I liked the packaging, and I'm glad I did because it smells like strawberry laces (as in the sweets!) Long live Batiste!

MaxFactor MASTERPIECE Colour Precision Eyeshadow in Pearl Beige

Inglot Lipstick in 230

MaxFactor MASTERPIECE Colour Precision Eyeshadow in Pearl Beige

I love this product! When I was in Boots the other day, I was speaking to the woman on the MaxFactor counter about different products and how I wanted a face highlighter, and she suggested that I should use this eyeshadow. I would have never chosen this item myself, but it does the trick perfectly. It's really pigmented but subtle at the same time, so it truly helps in my attempt to look more awake in the mornings! 

Inglot Lipstick in 230

I usually prefer nude lips but when I saw this shade I just had to have it! It is the most vibrant red lipstick I have ever used or owned in my life and the great thing about it is it literally lasts for hours, so its a steal at only £10! Plus it leaves my lips feeling really nourished despite being a matt finish lipstick. This is the only Inglot lipstick I own and I need more! I love so many of their products and I really can't fault this lipstick.

MUA Nail Lacquer in Lush Lilac

Essie Nail Lacquer in Rosebowl

MUA Lush Lilac

I know there has been a big hoohar lately regarding MUA lack of originality with packaging making it look rather suspiciously like Essie Nail Lacquers but it doesn't bother me. I know it's a bit unfair on Essie, but I really like their packaging anyways so for me it's a bonus. I really like MUA nail lacquers because they dry quick and look like an expensive brand when in reality they're only £1 each! What a bargain! I love this shade because it's so versatile and perfect for summer!

Essie in Rosebowl

This colour is just perfect! As you know I received this colour in Aprils glossybox and I've been in love ever since. Essie are notorious for brilliant nail lacquers and they definitely didn't let me down in this colour, it stay bright, it's long lasting and goes on with ease.

Original Source Shower Gel in Chocolate and Mint

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel

Primark Sultry Lashes

Original Source Chocolate and Mint Shower gel

Shower gel leaving me smelling like After Eight chocolate mints, need I say more? Loved this shower gel so much!

Clarins Cleansing Gel

I've mentioned this before but I really don't think I can stress to you how amazing this product is! It leaves my skins fresh and soft every time I use it, guaranteed. It has to be the best cleansing gel I have ever used and I would recommend you go buy this immediately. The bottle I'm using at the moment is smaller than the regular bottle as I got this in a set, and the original sized bottle is around £19 (I purchased it the other day!) and it is so worth that. Honestly you cannot go wrong with this product and I mean that!

Primark False eyelashes

These have to be my favourite false eyelashes and needless to say I have stocked up this month! I would say you can wear each pair about three times which is definitely value for money considering they're only a £1 per set. The glue they come with is surprisingly good, but I always like to wear  them with my own eyelash glue just to be on the safe side.

That's it for this months favourites, and hopefully next month I'll have some new exciting products to show you!

So what are your April favourites? Do you like/dislike any of these products?