Lasting Finish Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 03 // Review

Nude lipstick. Two little words that fill me with fear. For years I have lusted after the thought of a perfect nude shade that compliments my skin-tone and does not leave me with the dreaded 'invisible' lips phenomenon, but I have never found the correct shade. In the past I have attempted the nude lipstick, but my attempts were either too pale, too brown or too pink, just never looking quite right. 

As a result I soon gave up my nude lipstick endeavours and opted for brighter shades, favouring pinks and reds. However, around a fortnight ago I realised my graduation ceremony was looming... should I go lipstick-less? Lip gloss was a no-no due to the embarrassing likelihood of the 'wind-sticking-my-hair-to-my-lips' scenario that all us girls have experienced at one time or another, and pink or red shades seemed a little too daring for such a formal event. So once again I found myself toying with the idea of nude.

My first port of call on the hunt for a nude lipstick was Rimmel. I have had good experiences with their lipsticks in the past, particularly the Kate Moss line which I have featured on the blog before. I know that the formulas work well and leave a nice finish so I was confident that the line would be the right option to choose. As for shade choices there were a couple of nudes in the range that caught my eye, but I eventually opted for the shade 03.

03 is a nude with a slight pinky undertone. It is not too pink and not too brown, in my opinion the perfect balance of both for my skin-tone. The lipstick made my lips look like a polished version of themselves, nothing too obvious or over the top, so perfect for formal occasions such as my graduation.

On the day I was really happy with the way the lipstick looked. I had to reapply a couple of times, but it was comfortable to wear and felt moisturising. I also love the smell of these lipsticks so was quite happy when it came to reapplying because I could catch a whiff of the sweet vanilla scent! This lipstick has quickly become my favourite nude choice and I will definitely be wearing it on a regular basis.

The Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipsticks retail for £5.49 and are available from Boots and Superdrug stores and online. 

Do you have a go-to nude lipstick? Let me know your favourite in the comments!

Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes // Review

When I am travelling or feeling particularly lazy, there is nothing easier than cleansing face wipes to remove make-up. This week I was away from home for a few days so picked up some new facial wipes to use. I like wipes for travelling as they are convenient, take up little space in your luggage, are easy to use and easily disposed of. Quick and simple, just what you want when you are away from home.

For my trip away I opted for the Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing wipes. I chose these wipes firstly because they were on a half price offer, but also because their ingredients are 95% of natural origin (something that instantly caught my eye and appealed to my chemical awareness radar). These wipes are free from parabens, silicones, colourants, mineral oils and alcohol - a promising list of things that I would like to avoid in my skin care routine. 

The first thing that I noticed when using these wipes was the strong scent. The scent, although pleasant and fresh, was particularly strong and overpowering for my personal preference. The packaging claims to remove make-up and mascara whilst being suitable for sensitive eyes, however I would disagree with this. I found that whilst removing the make-up from my eyes, I had problems with irritation and a stinging sensation. I have never encountered this issue with other facial wipes so I believe that it may be caused by the strong scent. For this reason I would suggest that those with sensitive skin or eyes may have issues with the scent of this product causing irritation in spite of the claims that these wipes are suitable for all skin types.

Despite the reaction that my eyes had to this product, the wipes did perform well. They effectively removed all traces of make-up (including a particularly stubbon waterproof mascara!) and left my skin feeling fresh and clean. 

Although these Nivea Pure & Natural wipes sounded ideal for me, I have to say that I am disappointed due to the issues I had with the scent of this product. If Nivea had a fragrance free version of these cleansing wipes I am sure that I would love them, but unfortunately they do not and thus I shall not be repurchasing these Pure & Natural wipes.

The Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes retail for £3.09 and are available from Boots and Superdrug stores as well as on the Nivea website.

Do you use cleansing facial wipes to remove make-up? If so, which is your go-to brand for facial wipes? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new suggestions!

Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm // Review

Lip balms are an important staple in most people's beauty regimes. You want something that hydrates the lips and combats any unsightly dry skin, whilst being easy and pleasant to apply. That's where Nivea's Milk & Honey lip balm steps in. 

This lip balm is a part of the Pure and Natural range where up to 95% of ingredients are from natural origin - right up my street! This particular lip balm contains natural ingredients that are organically grown and is 100% free from preservatives. As the name suggests this lip balm has a sweet milk and honey scent, very pleasant but at the same time not too overpowering. If (like me) you tend to favour sweet and edible scents then this product is definitely one to try.

The product itself is in stick form so very easy to apply and more hygienic than a pot lip balm. The balm is a bright yellow colour, something that would perhaps be a little off-putting to some people, however there is no colour transfer when the product is applied to the lips. When I use this product in public places I do wonder whether people think I'm applying a yellow lipstick and I have had a few funny looks!

I found this lip balm effective at moisturising my lips and it did not feel too greasy or sticky, so is comfortable to wear. Overall I really enjoyed using this lip balm and would definitely repurchase it. 

Nivea's Milk & Honey lip balm retails for £1.99 for 4.8g and is available from supermarkets, Superdrug and Boots stores, and on the Nivea website.

Do you have a favourite lip balm product? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new recommendations!