Brilliant Budget Beauty: Nivea Cleansing Micellar Water and Express Hydration Primer

Firstly, sorry for the long title- I swear products are starting to have longer and longer names. Nivea have been a brand I've always loved for their skincare; they are one of the only budget brands that rival luxury skincare quality. With many cheaper ranges, you can tell why they don't cost as much as some high-end products- they leave a greasy feel, dry out your skin or generally don't live up to their claims. But I've always found Nivea to consistently produce, quite simply, bloody good products for a fraction of the price. I've recently wanted to change up my cleansing routine- the Clean & Clear deep cleansing lotion having dried my skin to within an inch of it's life. A lovely woman in Boots, Brighton, recommended this Nivea Micellar Water, and I fell in love as soon as I started using it.

Micellar waters have been 'in'  for a while now, and are a perfect solution for those who suffer from sensitive skin. This Nivea micellar water cleanses the skin and easily removes all make-up (working surprisingly well on tough mascara residue), whilst being incredibly gentle and refreshing. Clean & Clear left me with red, dry, damaged skin (I recommend you avoid it), but within a few weeks, Nivea has transformed my skin and really re-hydrated it.

You may think, 'it's too gentle- it won't remove my make-up properly and give me that 'deep cleanse' feel'. It works exactly the same as any other cleanser (although I always think it's worth double cleansing anyway to make sure all make-up is removed), but without all the harsh irritants that can often inflame your skin and leave you with that dried-out feeling and redness. It soothes and cools the skin, and is just a pleasure to use.

The primer was also recommended to me; I picked up the primer for normal/combination skin, but it available for dry/sensitive skin too. Designed to sit in between your moisturiser and your make-up, this primer claims to hydrate while creating an even, smooth base to ensure your make-up lasts all day. This is not the best primer I've ever used, and certainly isn't good enough to get heavy make-up to stay put on your face til 6pm and beyond. It doesn't smooth out skin and cover pores as well as, say, the Maybelline Baby Skin primer, and doesn't leave your skin with that super-soft primed feeling.

However, it does really help nourish and hydrate your skin better than any other primer I've used. If you usually wear quite light, natural make-up, this could work for you. It does feel nice, refreshing and soothing to use, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a primer that works well- it's more of a light moisturiser than a primer!

So, a massive yes for the micellar water (BRAVO, NIVEA), but not so much for the primer. The cleansing water is around £4 too, so it's a massive bargain that is well worth having amidst your skincare stash. 

What do you think of Nivea skincare? What's your favourite high-street cleanser?