Neve’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balms

Tucked away in North Oxfordshire, Neve’s Bees is a charming family run business, named after founder Julie’s daughter, Neve. Following a spot of experimentation with “lotions and potions,” – blending beeswax with pure, natural plant oils and butters, they soon realised they could create an entire range of skincare products using only genuinely natural ingredients – ones that felt far better on the skin than anything they’d bought before. And so, Neve’s Bees was born. Today, they offer a wonderful selection of natural products, including ten different lip balms, available individually for £6.50 or as a trio for £18. Whether you prefer something floral, zingy, minty or simply plain and gentle, there’s a balm to suit every taste. Each one is blended with 100% natural ingredients -organic wherever possible – bringing together nature and a touch of science to create a beautifully rich, premium product. All of the balms are made with natural beeswax from Neve’s Bees own bees along with organic apricot kernel, organic jojoba and coconut oils, plus natural vitamin E for extra nourishment. The lip balms are in little slide tins which are small enough to slip into a coat pocket or handbag to keep lips moisturised when out and about.

I always seem to get chapped lips in winter and much prefer natural lip balms as they seem to soothe my lips much better. Using them both morning and night has become second nature, so I was quite excited when the parcel of Neve’s Bees lip balms arrived  and I could tell from the minute I opened the first tin that these lip balms are much better quality than an off the shelf lip balm. They smell lovely and have a silky smooth texture which glides easily onto lips, The balm is quite solid in the tin but quickly warms up with the warmth of a finger and once on your lips it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky and it leaves my dry lips feeling soft and hydrated.

I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors this week, so I’ve been able to really put these lip balms to the test.  My ideal lip balm is one that pampers and nourishes lips, keeping them soft and hydrated no matter what the conditions are and these lip balms definitely ticked all these boxes. Whether I’ve been out walking, cycling or when I was battling Storm Claudia, a quick application of this lip balm has helped to keep my lips protected and prevent them from drying out and I’m confident they’ll continue to keep my lips hydrated as the cold weather settles in.

The three balms I have been trying out are  –

Honey Vanilla – this is Neve’s Bees least fragranced lip balm and has just a hint of vanilla to soothe lips and allows the natural honey take centre stage.

Rosey is my favourite of the three balms, it is made from thousands of crushed rose petals and  scented with Rose Otto and Rose Geranium. It is rich in vitamins A and E and it’s really helped soothe my dry lips.

Buttermint is inspired by the classic sweets and contains a blend of vanilla and peppermint. This lip balm is great for the men in your life who need to protect their lips but don’t want a flowery or feminine fragrance. This nourishing lip balm is full of goodness and is ideal for restoring softness and moisture.

These Neve’s Bees lip balms make brilliant little gifts and are just the thing for popping into a Christmas stocking, adding to a Secret Santa bundle, or slipping into a card along with a money gift.

Neve’s Bees also donate 10% of their profits to wildlife causes, helping to restore precious wildflower meadows and providing vital habitat for bees and other pollinators so when you buy their products you’re also making a difference to the natural world.

The lip balms are available from the Neve’s Bees website here

Altruist Christmas Box

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

The cold weather always plays havoc with my skin, so I was really pleased to receive a lovely selection of skincare products from Altruist. The Christmas Box contains four fantastic products, chosen to offer round the year skincare and the products are beautifully packed in red shredded paper, making them look very festive.

Altruist products have been developed by consultant dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr Andrew Birnie and whilst they are suitable for all skin types, they are especially suitable for sensitive skin.

Inside the box are the following products

• Altruist SPF 30 Face Fluid – 50ml
• Altruist Moisturising Fluid – 50ml
• Altruist Primer SPF 50 – 30ml
• Altruist Moisturising Body Lotion – 200ml

It can take a month to see improvements in your skin when you change your skincare routine and I’m pleased to say I am now seeing positive results – my skin feels more hydrated and now has a radiance that definitely wasn’t there before.  

The Moisturising Fluid contains 0.5% Hyaluronic Acid and is enriched with glycerin, urea and shea butter to enhance the skin’s natural moisturising factors. It can be used as a both a day and night cream offering plenty of hydration for my dry, sensitive skin.  The cream soaked into my skin without needing to rub too much and it felt instantly hydrating.

I always use a face cream with SPF protection no matter what time of year as even a sunny day in the winter or a cloudy day in the summer can have very damaging UVA & UVB rays. I spend a lot of time outdoors, so it is very important for my skincare products to have a SPF rating so was pleased to find that both the Face Fluid and the Primer are SPF rated. The SPF30 Face Fluid is nice and light and is easily applied on top of the Moisturising Fluid. Once applied it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky like some SPF creams tend to be and is perfect for everyday protection.  

The SPF50 Primer is a light cream which is applied before foundation, as well as offering protection from UVA and UVB rays. It absorbs into my skin nicely, creating a soft, hydrated canvas for my makeup which now seems to last for longer. 

The moisturising body lotion is a lovely rich consistency and is nice and easy to apply. The skin on my arms and legs is quite dry and this body lotion is very moisturising and smoothing and I have noticed that after using it morning and night for a month a persistent patch of dry skin on the back of my arm has cleared up too.

I am really pleased with the Altruist products, my skin is looking much better and is no longer dry and problematic.  The Christmas Gift Set is a lovely set and is bound to be well received by anyone finding it underneath the Christmas Tree this year.

Altruist also donate 40p for every box sold, to charities that support children with albinism so when buying the giftset you are also helping a good cause.