My go-to lip balm is Blistex DCT but when I’m feeling flush I tend to spring for Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra-nourishing lip balm (R195), mostly for sentimental reasons. The first time I snapped it up was in a French pharmacy in Saint Tropez so I associate it with fun in the sun.

When I’d heard they’d updated the formula I wasn’t impressed. To me, Nuxe’s lip balm wasn’t broken and didn’t need fixing. Still, I’m pleased to say I really can’t tell any difference between the old formula and the new one. It still feels a bit waxy but goes on smooth and has a subtle grapefruit scent. All the notable ingredients from the old formula are still there – barrier-forming beeswax; hydrating Shea butter and sweet almond oil; multi-tasking honey; antioxidant vitamin E and soothing calendula extract.

What’s changed, however, is that the formula now contains 25-percent more Shea butter and includes a new ingredient, propolis. I’d always known this was a ‘bee thing’ but wasn’t really sure what it was so I googled it and now almost regret it. As it turns out, propolis is essentially ‘bee glue’, something they use to seal their hives, and a merry mix of bee saliva, beeswax and a resin they collect from plants. Sies! Still, that hasn’t put me off. Propolis is a fab healer thanks to its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

The new pot now lives next to my bed. I hate that its lid is brown. The white one was prettier, but hey. The moment I slather it on (in a nice thick layer just before I black out) my mind wanders to a happy family holiday in France.

Another lovely treat Nuxe’s PRs sent me is their Reve de Miel hand and nail cream (R195). It touts itself as rich and luxurious but the texture’s actually very light and absorbs fast. As I don’t have super dry hands, this is great as my skin’s left feeling like it got the ‘drink’ it was after and I can carry on with life as usual – after I stop sniffing my hands! I really like this product’s soft, honeylicious scent.

Ingredients-wise, Nuxe’s 90% natural hand cream includes coconut oil, glycerin, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, honey, beeswax and vitamin E. Don’t’ get a fright if you spot a whack of alcohols in the list. These are the plant-derived fatty type that hydrate, not the boozy kind that can dry you out.

If you’ve got very dry hands I think you’d be better off with something a bit richer and velvety-feeling, like Crabtree’s Gardener’s Hand Therapy*. But if you’re after something light and beautifully fragranced you’re going to appreciate a little tube of Nuxe.

Love, love

Leigh

*While you can get it, anyway. The company filed for bankruptcy late last year which is super sad as I loved their stuff. So much so that I’ll be scouring eBay for the next five years, hunting down every last one of their Vetiver & Juniper Berry soaps with the dedication of vampire slayer hunting the monster that bit her kid. Sigh.