Nude Skincare - The Best Products For Oily Skin

After receiving many messages requesting coverage of products designed specifically for oily skin (as opposed to my dry/combination needs) I headed straight for the e-mail and contacted my favourite skincare company, NUDE. A few days later a couple of oil busting beauties arrived in the safe hands of my lovely friend Ellie. I left her to play with them for a month before chatting about the formulas, textures - and most importantly - results. If you're prone to excess oil than this one's for you!

Moisture Balance - £48/40ml

"THANK YOU!" was the greeting I got when me and Ellie first checked in. She's a mum, in her late twenties and has suffered from break outs since she was a teen. "I genuinely can't remember the last moisturiser I tried that didn't cause my face to erupt into a mountain of spots." Containing calming ingredients such as seaweed and liquorice to help soothe the skin, this refreshing gel combats the signs of ageing whilst keeping the skin hydrated yet free from excess oils. "It's extremely sheer which helps a lot. I find thicker, richer textures are too much and will always make my skin feel weighed down and greasier. This is light and breathable without being at all drying. It's just nice to not feel self conscious about looking shiny when I'm wandering round the supermarket."

Moisture Balance swatched/ blended

The texture absorbs at a helpfully lively pace, allowing the gel to be liberally applied both morning and night to ensure the best possible results are achieved. A month later and Ellie is still a fan. "The very top of my forehead still gets the odd bout of grease, but it's nothing compared to what I used to have. Also, my pores aren't clogged which makes a huge difference to the overall look of my skin. It's a very easy gel to use and takes no time at all, which is good for me because I have more important things to do then faff about waiting for my face to dry. My t-zone isn't anywhere near as shiny as it was a few weeks ago, plus the surface feels a lot smoother. I've had a few spots but none on my cheeks, which is a very rare thing for me. I do feel awkward spending nearly fifty quid on my skin, but lord knows how much money I've spent on rubbish over the years. If this fixes things for me then I guess it's worth it, I'll just have to see how I feel when the bottle runs out! So far it's a big thumbs up!"

Cleansing Facial Wash - £14/ 100ml

Ideal for use on normal to combination skin, this delicate gel cleanser swiftly wipes away all traces of stubborn make up. Transforming into a gorgeous refreshing foam when massaged into a wet face, NUDE Cleansing Facial Wash will leave your complexion blissfully squeaky clean. Fantastic for use both morning and night, the gentle ingredients in this award winning formula - such as aloe vera and moringa - are perfect for calming down oily skin.

Cleansing Facial Wash pumped from bottle

Both myself and Ellie have fallen head over heels in love with this product - it performs beautifully, leaves the skin feeling remarkably soft, plus won't break the bank at only £14 for 100ml; enough to last up to a good 4 months.

"Whilst this didn't change my skin as dramatically as the Moisture Balance, I really did enjoy using it. It didn't leave my face feeling tight or stingy which can sometimes happen with cleansers. This is something I can see myself using a lot."

If you've read about NUDE before but felt the products weren't suitable for your skin type then hopefully this will cover any gaps. Another friend with oily to combination skin is testing out a range of Liz Earle products as we speak, so expect a full review later next month.

Nude Moisture Balance and Cleansing Facial Wash are available from Space NK, John Lewis and nudeskincare.com

*these products were free samples obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Becca Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector

"YOU STUPID WOMAN!" were the scathing words I shouted at myself when I realised I'd yet to feature this product on The Beauty Bite. You see, this isn't just some tube I have lying about my make up stash - this is something I use on a weekly basis, sometimes daily if the mood takes me. This is one of my favourite products of all time.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is a cult classic. Available in 6 easy to wear shades (the colours apply sheer, adding just a hint of warmth or coolness to the skin), this water based moisturiser is packed full of light diffusing particles that instantly reduce imperfections whilst providing the complexion with a healthy, natural glow. Suitable for use on its own or over make up, the added benefit of SPF 20 transforms this product into a one stop shop of sun care, hydration, light coverage and subtle radiance - perfect for those who adore the always-in-fashion-'barely there'-look.

Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector swatched/ lightly sheered out

With super fine mica particles helping to create an up lifting glow I'm addicted to mixing this in with my daily foundation, providing the skin with an extra dose of healthy looking sheen. With added ingredients such as vitamins A, B, D and E, the skincare benefits of this product stand pretty high too, helping to both aid tissue repair and stimulate collagen renewal. No, your skin won't look 10 years younger by slathering this onto your face, but it will appear fresher, brighter and wonderfully pampered.

Extreme close up of product on skin

Incredibly versatile in its usage, this product can be applied in a whole manner of ways: on its own as a blemish reducing base/ set with powder for a semi matte glow/ dotted along the cheek bone as a decadent highlight/ mixed with concealer to instantly lift the under eye/ layered over primer for an ultimate dewy finish - the options are endless. Priced at £32 for a 50ml tube, this product lasts a long time thanks to the small amount of cream needed to provide both radiance and coverage to the entire face. If you're a fan of clean, understated make up then a Shimmering Skin Perfector is a must. I'm already saving up for the Pearl to help me get through the winter months...

Becca Opal Shimmering Skin Perfector is available from selected stockists worldwide and zuneta.com for £32.

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

We all have guilty pleasures, and this bright yellow, big brushed, weirdly spelt (volum'?) mascara is mine.

Having launched onto the market way back in 2008, The Colossal still continues to brag at being able to give lashes up to 7 times more volume thanks to its easy to load collagen enriched formula. Whilst I guess emphasis should be put on the words "up to", in general I think this mascara does a great job at bringing both a burst of instant length and thickness to the table. After all, here's what my lashes look like after just one quick coat:

Before:

After:

Whilst at times the large brush can be right royal pain to use, overall I've made my way though about 4 tubes of this formula. Leaving my eyes perfectly framed for anything up to 12 hours, I rarely - if ever - encounter any clumping or flaking thanks to the beautiful lightness of the texture. Granted it's not the most exciting or enjoyable product to use, but it does its job and it does it well. I just wish it looked a little bit prettier in my make up bag.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara is available from selected stores worldwide and boots.com for £7.19

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub

When it comes to bathroom booty chances are my Mr will blissfully use any of the many lotions or potions found lying about regardless of scent, price or product claims. Whilst he's been known to spectacularly recoil in horror at the discovery of his torso violently reeking of chocolate, this subtle smelling unisex scrub has become a firm favourite for us both thanks to its refreshing aroma and ultra gentle exfoliation.

Containing ingredients such as peppermint, orange and pine essential oils, vitamin E and Jojoba beads, this invigorating scrub makes for an ideal morning pick me up thanks to its awakening fragrance and creamy softening lather. With ground olive stones gently working against the body to buff away dead skin cells, you'll be quickly left from top to toe with brighter, softer, smoother skin - not bad for 2 minutes work.

Energising Body Scrub before lathering

Available in either a generous 200ml bottle or dinky travel sized tube, Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub has deservedly won itself a permanent spot on The Beauty Bite households bathroom shelf thanks to it's natural ingredients and noticeable results. If you like your exfoliation to be more soothing than scratchy (who doesn't!?) this scrub will be right up your street.

Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub is available from lizearle.com (prices starting at £5.35)

UNTIL AUGUST 31ST RECEIVE A FREE 50ML ENERGISING BODY SCRUB AS PART OF THE LIZ EARLE SENSATIONAL SMOOTH SKIN OFFER. HURRY - PROMOTION ENDS NEXT WEEK!

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Laura Mercier Healthy Lips Sheer Lipstick

Many years ago whilst on a modelling shoot for a Sunday Newspaper, the ultra friendly make up artist kindly sent me home with one of these beauties as a memento of our day together. Ever since I've literally got through tubes of the stuff; repeatedly reaching for it on those days when all I want is a quick burst of colour to instantly perk up my complexion.

Available in 6 delicate shades, Laura Mercier Sheer Lipstick provides a light wash of colour with a semi matte finish. Containing botanicals to help care for your pout, these are brilliant handbag essentials to keep your look both fresh and natural throughout the day. I've carried a tube of Healthy Lips firmly in my purse for well over 5 years now and love the subtle finish it gives - ideal for work, rest or play.

Healthy Lips swatched

Whilst I long for the taste to be vastly improved, the colour itself applies evenly, hugging the lips with a bright comfortable light texture. Though it claims to plump and condition the mouth I can sometimes find the formula a bit drying, particularly if the product is over 6 months old. It's nothing that a gentle slick of lip balm can't fix, but it's something to be aware of if you're prone to chapping. In general I find this formula easy to wear - yes, it's not the greatest lipstick I've ever tried, but the colour is simply fantastic against my skin tone. See!

Healthy Lips applied to heavily pigmented lips

Cool in its properties, this shade lacks any hint of brown making it an ideal candidate for those of you with ultra pale skin. Whilst some reviews on the web report the product turning fuchsia on the wearers lips, this is all to do with the sheerness of the formula when layered over your unique natural colour. If you're near a Laura Mercier counter and fancy investing in an effortless and easy lip product then this bullet would be my top tip. My make up collection certainly wouldn't be complete without it.

Laura Mercier Healthy Lips is available from selected stores worldwide and spacenk.co.uk for £16.50

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Launching in the UK this October, right now I have nothing but utter love for this fruity foundation.

Available in a range of 6 shades, this base follows in the footsteps of the original Healthy Mix formula with the added flourish of vitamins, antioxidants and fruits - such as pomegranate and lychee - to help promote longer lasting natural radiance. Whilst being relatively sheer in it's coverage, this base offers a light and dewy complexion that both looks and feels refreshingly natural against the skin. If you're someone who doesn't like the sensation of feeling heavy product on your face, Healthy Mix Serum's ultra light texture is a fantastic alternative to thicker radiance foundations.

Shade 52 Swatched/ lightly sheered out

I picked up a bottle last month during a trip to Belgium, and whilst at the time I believed I was purchasing the lightest shade on offer, I actually grabbed the second tone on the 6 colour scale:Vanille 52. Grouped into 3 brackets of 2 (Fair, Medium and Matte), 52 is a yellow based option that sits closely to the likes of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B10. Thanks to the sheerness of this formula it's pretty easy to buff down any of the colours to find a suitable match. I've been using a large bronzing brush to apply 52 and am able to lighten it just enough to work against my cool, pink complexion - a bit of effort but worth it.

Healthy Mix Serum applied to bare skin

Lasting around 8 hours wear without feeling at all greasy or dull, Healthy Mix Serum leaves the skin looking beautifully soft and radiant even after removal. The smooth, light texture of this base makes it a great choice for all skin types - it won't clog pores, it won't sit on dry patches, it won't slip on oily areas. In fact, as long as you're happy with a light to medium coverage, I can see this working beautifully for the majority thanks to it's comfortable formula and gorgeous scent.

Extreme close up of product on skin

This is without a doubt my favourite high street base of the year: it performs well, feels delicate against the skin, sits weightlessly on the face and gives an immediate natural glow. Already available to buy in selected European countries, those of you who aren't able to pick up a bottle just yet, do trust me when I say it'll be worth the wait.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is available in the UK from October 2011 priced at £10.99.

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

Cosmopolitan Virtual Make Over

Yesterday night my boyfriend stumbled upon a website that joyfully kept him entertained for hours. After uploading a quick head shot of himself, he sat there until 2am, crying with laughter as his face was super imposed onto the bodies of Katy Perry, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez. Creating a disturbing mixture of glossy locks and rugged facial hair, Cosmopolitan Virtual Make Over has become a huge hit in our household.

Whilst the men in your life might use it solely for weird entertainment purposes, for us girls it's a great tool for trying out hundreds of styles and colours with just the click of a mouse. Ever wondered what you'd look like blonde? Always dreamed of curls like Alicia? Fancy it sleek and short a'la Ri Ri? With thousands of combinations to mix and match, you'll instantly start seeing your style in a whole new light. For me, I'm become quite taken with the auburn tones of Jessica Biel - a colour I've never dared try before. If you're planning a trip to the salon, or just fancy an amusing way to waste a Sunday afternoon, then this website is for you!

Now, when I'm 50 should I go Blonde or Brunette...?

The Next Generation Of Foundation

The world of beauty is literally buzzing right now thanks to a new wave of innovative bases, eager to unleash their hard working potential on cosmetic consumers worldwide. Here are just some of the best new formulas the industry has to offer, including one of the most incredible high street foundations I've seen for years:

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint - Launches September 15th, £21/40ml

Founded in 1995, Liz Earle has changed the face of skincare for millions of women across the world. Now, 16 years later, she releases her much anticipated make up range, starting with the phenomenally gorgeous Sheer Skin Tint SPF 15. Creamy to apply, this careful blend of botanicals works in harmony with the Liz Earle skincare collection, enabling your skin to look fresh, bright and dewy thanks to it's comfortable light to medium coverage packed full of the likes of avocado and vitamin E. Available in a trio of shades, any mail orders of the base will receive samples of all three tones (Bare, Beige and Beach) to ensure you end up with the perfect match. I've been trialling this out for the past few weeks and have been utterly blown away by both the quality and coverage on offer. Skincare fans, this is for you!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - UK launch early October/Currently available in selected European Countries, £10.99

Having picked this up last month in Bruges, this little beauty has most certainly become my highstreet base of the year. Available in 6 shades, Healthy Mix Serum offers the wearer weightless medium coverage with just the perfect amount of glow and radiance. The gel texture applies like a dream, leaving the skin looking smooth and soft thanks to fruity ingredients such as lychee and pomegranate. I simply cannot get enough of this foundation - definitely one to watch out for come autumn!

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation - Available now, £25/30ml

Inspired by the qualities of BB creams, this 18 shade foundation has made quite the splash since it's launch back in June. Allegedly untraceable on the skin when photographed, this formula claims to offer the perfect complexion thanks to it's lack of SPF ingredients. Personally I've not been too taken with the texture - it's one of the only foundations that seems to make the flaws on my skin look worse - yet the support for this product online has been immense. If you're near an Illamasqua counter I strongly recommend you pick up a sample; when it works well with the wearer's skin the finish is quite simply divine.

Jouer Cosmetics Luminizing Moisture Tint - Available now from Cultbeauty.co.uk, £29/50ml

New to British shores, Jouer Cosmetics has a cult following in America for one simple reason: it's fantastic. This mineral rich light weight tinted moisturiser helps soften the skin, blurring fine lines and wrinkles thanks to delicate light diffusing particles. With added non chemical SPF20, this is an ideal option for autumn skin, providing moderate, natural coverage that visually lifts the complexion with a warm, subtle glow. Smooth in texture, this quickly absorbs into the skin giving a clean, non greasy finish within literally a matter of moments. Available in 5 shades (Pearl, Golden, Glow, Bronzed and Deep Bronze), you can pick up a trial selection of 4x5ml bottles for £16. An ideal addition to any handbag.

Veet Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser

I hate hair removal. It's always a pain and takes too long. Whilst I reguarly fall in and out of love with my ultra snazzy epilator, I often find myself crawling back to the trusted razor and soap if I need smooth legs fast. And before anyone mentions waxing, lets just say I had a wonderfully bad experience which only time and chocolate cake can heal. Lots and lots of chocolate cake.

Veet's Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser launched back in spring, promising to both noticeably slow down hair regrowth whilst keeping skin silky smooth and soft. I was fortunate enough to blind test the product a month before it's official release, applying the lotion liberally to one leg each and every day for 4 weeks straight. Unaware of either the company or claims behind the formula I honestly recorded my results comparing the hairs on my left and right leg for overall texture, density and thickness.

Veet Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser swatched/ rubbed in

Whilst my hair undoubtedly grew back, the leg which was treated daily to a burst of Veet Moisturiser felt noticeably smoother thanks to its softer, finer hairs. This product won't enable you to only shave once a month, but it does make the regrowth process less obvious, not to mention the skin on your legs miraculously smooth to the touch. Priced at £4.99 for 250ml, this is a handy product to have in your hair removal arsenal - if only for it's wonderful moisturising properties. Quick absorbing and moderately time saving, it's definitely been one of my top summer lotions.

Veet Hair Minimising Body Lotion is available from chemists nationwide and boots.com for £3.33 (rrp £4.99)

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm SPF 35

It's official. In the world of make up 2011 has become the summer of the BB cream. Whilst brands such as Garnier and Clinique launch their very own takes on Asia's biggest cosmetic sensation, make up giants MAC have approached the trend from a slightly different angle by producing a single toned balm designed primarily for use as a primer. I, being the complete foundation fanatic I am, was simply desperate to learn more...

Sold as part of the ever growing Prep + Prime range, BB Beauty Balm promises to work on an array on complexions, instantly re-texturizing the skin whilst offering a high level of built in sun protection. Unlike most BB creams it sells itself as simply a foundation base, something to help even out skin tone before fuller, thicker coverage is later applied. In all honesty I wasn't particularly blown away with this product's primer skills - after all, at £21 it sits near the likes of Laura Mercier - yet as a light tint to instantly perk up my sleepy morning skin, I've been pretty impressed with the results.

MAC BB Beauty Balm swatched/ slightly sheered out

Creamy and smooth in texture, the balm dispenses fluidly from the finely tipped nozzle, providing around 1 to 2 layers of delicate coverage with a firm squeeze of the tube. When applied the colour is easy to sheer down, making it an accessible choice for those with fair to light medium toned skin. Over on Temptalia, Christine who is an NC30 needed to apply a tinted moisturiser over the top to darken the colour, it's best to bare this in mind if you are considering purchasing this as more of a facial tint than a primer. On me it's absolutely fine (so go ahead pale ladies) but I can imagine for a fair percentage of you this limited beige shade will automatically make this product a complete no go; which is utterly ridiculous when you consider just how big the MAC foundation range is

MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm applied to bare skin (no other make up applied except mascara/tinted lip balm)

The finish is divine. My skin looks smooth and radiant, whilst light blemishes and larger pores are softly diminished under a layer or two of product. Application with my fingers repeatedly gave the best results, allowing me to really work the balm into any areas I felt needed extra attention. Throughout the day the effect held up pretty well, yet believe me when I say the coverage provided is extremely sheer - if you want to hide red spots or dark patches then you'll need a lot more than a light dab of this stuff.

Extreme close up of product on skin

On a personal level I like this product. It leaves my skin both feeling and looking good, plus the added SPF 35 is hugely appreciated on a day to day basis. As the above picture shows a single application of this balm gently mutes down my freckles and gives a good indication of the level of coverage it can give in terms of blemishes and sun damage. If you have fair toned, relatively clear skin then this will work beautifully as a tint - but otherwise it'd be best to approach this as merely an illuminating primer. I'm disappointed at the one-shade-fits-all approach and for that reason alone I can imagine many of you struggling to fit this into your routine. If MAC expand the range then I'd definitely recommend you go for it, but for now, go find a shade that works for you. After all, make up should be made to fit us all.

MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm is available from MAC counters worldwide and maccosmetics.co.uk for £21

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Jouer Cosmetics

Jouer Cosmetics have now officially launched over at make up heaven cultbeauty.co.uk - and I tell you now, it's an absolute corker!

Bronzer and Lipgloss slotted together

Founded by Christina Zilber, Jouer effortlessly embraces the "less is more" mantra focusing it's strengths on timeless, natural and versatile colours. With products containing the likes of botanicals, Jojaba Oil and vitamin E, it's easy to see why this brand has already gathered a loyal following state side. I've been playing with several items from the range and have become completely smitten with the smooth textures, innovative packaging (the pieces slot together allowing you to make your very own personalised palette) and gorgeous flattering tones. If you're a fan of Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier then Jouer will be right up your street thanks to it's tremendous selection of easy to wear shades .

Suntan Bronzer (heavily swatched) and Wind Lipgloss

I'm currently in the process of testing the highly praised Luminizing Moisture Tint - so expect a full review in a week or so - but for now, lets just sit and gaze at the beautiful swatches above. That Bronzer's got SPF 39 in it, don't you know!

Jouer Cosmetics are available now at cultbeauty.co.uk with prices starting from £10.

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*

Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion SPF15

Burt's Bees is one brand that continuously impresses me with it's wide range of affordable, high quality formulas. It seems almost every time I pop into Boots they have another beautifully packaged addition to add to their repertoire, focusing on soothing, natural ingredients to help both gently maintain and protect the condition of skin. One item that's found it's way firmly into my daily routine is the royal jelly based Radiance Day Lotion:

Made up from 98.2% natural product, this specially formulated cream uses the nourishing qualities of royal jelly to help boost the skins overall radiance. Each and every morning I automatically lean to my left, pump out a modest portion of lotion and lightly massage it over my face. The texture is thin and creamy, coating the skin with an instantly transparent layer of light sun protection - an easy solution for anyone whose favourite foundation might be lacking an added SPF. After several weeks use I feel my complexion is visually bright and clear, particularly on the cheeks where I tend to work the product in slightly deeper. Yet it's on a day to day basis, especially after I've applied a light layer of make up before work, that I really feel my skin is at it's most glowy.

Radiance Day Lotion pumped directly from the bottle

If you're someone who feels their complexion is perhaps looking a bit more lacklustre than usual, Radiance Day Lotion is an accessible product to try. Whilst the results I've had have been fairly modest, the formula itself feels comfortable and hydrating on the skin, leaving my face free from pesky flakes or irritating dry patches. As a morning moisturiser and light make up base this fits the bill perfectly, especially thanks to it's gorgeous scent and quick absorption speed. Hand on my heart I can safely say this will remain part of my routine for many years to come.

Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion SPF15 is available from selected stores worldwide and burtsbees.co.uk for £19.99 (55g)

*this product was a free sample obtained by the Beauty Bite*