Nivea Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect- Body Lotion Review

Nivea Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect- Body Lotion Review

Every time I open YouTube to watch some video, the ad that I get is that of Nivea Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect Body Lotion. I have seen it so many times, that I know the ‘Flaunt your back campaign-Anushka Sharma’ by heart by now :P . This ad placement is invariably the effect of me searching for cosmetics on the internet :) . So I thought – “let me finally put in my Nivea Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect- Body Lotion Review and hopefully break the Nivea ad jinx”. It’s soo boring to watch the same ad again and again and… again :P .

I got this body lotion about a year back on an offer. Now, Why did I buy it? – Good question!! I like to buy things which (seem to be ;) )are on offer!  I do not seem to think at that point in time, whether I really need the product :) . I bought it to use as a body moisturizer for my dry body skin and also to get rid of some of the colour difference on my upper arms(where most of my sleeves end). Though I am always skeptical about products that claim to make your skin fairer(Indian fair skin obsession!) I gave this a try since I wanted to get rid of the uneven colour on my upper arms.

Price : 225/- INR for 250 ml (I got it for 195 on offer :)  ).

Other available sizes-

Smaller size- 75 ml

Bigger size- 310/- INR for 400 ml

Best use:  before 30 months from Mfd

Packaging: It comes in a tall white curvy plastic bottle with a flip open cap. Often I’m in a hurry that I do not place things properly on the table. The flip cap prevents it from spilling over even if I accidentally keep it tilted. Nivea also has a 75 ml version of Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect- Body Lotion which should be travel friendly going by the packaging. Sometimes I notice that the product gets stuck near the opening and has to be cleaned.

Ingredients:

Nivea Whitening Cell Repair and UV Protect- Body Lotion claims to have UV protection, make skin smooth, repair damaged skin and also provide skin lightening. It is positioned as a multi-purpose lotion by Nivea.

The body lotion is white in colour and has a very runny consistency (swatch below). You might end up taking more than necessary on to your hand if you are not careful. The lotion is absorbed easily into the skin without much massaging. And, it doesn’t give the greasy, sticky feeling. But the moisturization is not good enough for my dry skin :( . It would be better suited as a daily lotion for the normal/oily skinned people.

It claims to have UVA/UVB filters that protects the skin – but spf is not mentioned. So I guess it does not replace my sunscreen.  I’ll have to continue using my sunscreens during the day. But if you do not walk under the harshest sun, I hope this lotion would do(Try this at your own risk!). It is much economical than the sunscreens and the price is in the affordable daily lotion range.

As far as the skin-lightening claim is concerned, which was the main reason(I like to believe that this is why I bought it from the store :P ) I got this body lotion- to get rid of the colour difference in my upper arms, I am disappointed.  I would still like to believe that the body lotion does work, but the horrible climate that I live in makes it a tough job for the lotion :( . Or it could be that the body lotion works better on the recent tan.  My skin has been tanned from sun exposure from a long time.

The smell is good. I apply it at times for the fragrance.

The same body lotion is available in the cream form and as body lotion in some other countries under the name Nivea UV Whitening Advanced Moisture Care. The thicker cream version could work better on the moisturization part.

To summarize

Pros:

• Non-greasy
• Fast absorbing
• Sweet smell
• Affordable
• Travel friendly

Cons:

• Does not work on dry skin
• Does not remove older tan

Verdict:

Not among the best body lotions that I have tried :( . For now, I’ll go back to my good old Nivea Soft cream.

My rating- 2.5/5

Product Review: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder

For my second review, I’ll be reviewing the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder inSunny (720).  The description on the NYC website is: “It glides on easily for a sheer bronze glow that looks like you just stepped off the beach. It is easy to use everywhere and is perfect for quick touch-ups throughout the day. “

I’ve heard that this is a pretty good dupe for Benefit’s Hoola bronzer, but I don’t own that bronzer so I can’t really give my own comparison.  Sorry, folks!  Anyways, I’m going to get onto my actual review.

General Thoughts

PRICE:  It retails for $2.99, so you can’t really beat the price here!  The Hoola bronzer retails for around $28, so if it turns out that this bronzer is a pretty good dupe, it’s a great bargain!

SCENT:  It has no real detectable scent.

FEEL:  This bronzer is definitely more on the powdery side.  It doesn’t exactly crumble when you touch it, but if you’re looking for a silky-feeling kind of powder that feels kinda creamy, this definitely isn’t it.  Product isn’t kicked into the air when you swirl a brush around, which is a plus, though!

PIGMENT:  This bronzer is pretty sheer and leans on the orange-y side.  It is completely matte. As you can see above, one swipe of product is definitely light coverage, while you really need 4-5 swipes to see the true effect of the bronzer.  It blends pretty easily!

PACKAGING: I like the fact that this packaging is sturdy.  It’s a compact that comes with a little mirror and it snaps closed.  This would be great for throwing in your purse as the mirror would be helpful for touch-ups and I definitely can’t see it opening up in your bag as it’s pretty secure once you close it.  I would say that the packaging is really basic, yet very functional at the same time.

VERDICT:  Overall, I think this is a great find! In terms of staying powder, on its own it stays for about 4 hours, but over a foundation the color lasts me the entire day.  For my skin tone, even though it is more on the orange side, I can use it for a contour (or at least my attempt at a contour, but we can get into that at a later date), but those of you with lighter-toned skin might not be able to do so.  The price is great and the sheerness of it doesn’t really bother me since that’s what I prefer, but if you’re looking for a more opaque bronzer, this might not work for you.  This is another 4 out of 5 ninja stars for me!

Facial mask review: Lululun Moisture Pink edition

LuLuLun is a facial mask brand that has featured in several beauty magazines in Japan, making it very popular in the country but also in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

I wanted to try those masks as they are not really expensive, and the package looked cute ^^ There are different types of those masks, Moist (pink), High Moisture (Blue), and Translucent Light (White).  All three are known for containing ingredients that reduce the production of melanin in the skin and to calm it. They also are good for sensitive skins, as they are fragrance, color, and mineral oil free! I chose the first one which is the basic moisturizing mask, available on a package of 42 sheets, or a travel pack of 7 sheets.

First, I was surprised as the package does not have the color of the photo but it was most a metallic pink instead of a plain baby pink as I was expecting. Just a detail. The package is cute, with instructions at the back, but no English. You just have some drawings to help but as it’s easy and you don’t need to be super smart to place a facial mask (…do you?), it’s not a problem ^^

The sheets are closed in a zip bag so it guarantees the freshness and you can close it back once you took your sheet. The biggest problem I found with that system is that the sheets are all stuck together, and it’s not easy to take only one. The first time I tried, I found my hands with 2 sheets and full of product… Plus, they are not easy to take off as they are deep in the bag.
Well, for the price you can’t really complain but once you’ll get one sheet, your problems won’t stop as it’s very hard to unfold it because it’s made in very thin and fragile cotton.

  ©nattacosme

Anyhow, once you’ll find the way and not have lost your temper, the sensation of the mask against your skin is very fresh! (Maybe a little too fresh sometimes). So your skin can relax while absorbing the essence. The sheet sticks well to your face so you can do whatever you want, it won’t fall off, but personally I prefer to take this time to relax myself and to stay lie on the bed with closed eyes.

When you will remove the sheet, you will be totally relaxed and your skin will be refreshed and very moisturized! The skin is not sticky, and will stay soft. I really liked this sensation, as it proves that your skin really absorbed the most of the product and liked it :D

These masks are made for a daily use, but as it stays really fresh in the package, you can easily use them only twice per week if you want.
Will I buy them again? I’m not sure yet, but maybe I’ll try the other types to see ^^ These are not the best facial masks that you can find, I think. But they are good for quickly moisturizing your skin and if you have a low budget. The travel package is very practical with very thin but secured bag.

 ©nattacosme

Main ingredients:
• Hyaluronic acid: High-quality moisturizing.
• EGF: Promotes turnover of skin cells.
• Arupuchin: Suppresses melanin production to promote glowing, bright skin.
• Papain: Disassemble the sebum,remove blackheads and corneum.
• Soybean extract: Gently soothe troubled skin.
• Polyglutamic acid: Nine times more moisturising than hyaluronic acid.
• Lecithin: Support the penetration of the above ingredients.

Taken from eyecandy

How to use:

-  Apply the mask after cleansing the face
- Leave it for 10-15 minutes
- Remove the mask and gently massage the skin to make it absorb the remaining essence

Note: Product expires 80 days after opening. 

Pros: 
♥ Price (can vary from shops, can go from 4€ to 9€)
♥ Fresh sensation that relaxes the skin
♥ Well moisturizing effect, with no sticky feeling
♥ Can be used daily, or less regularly
♥ Good for sensitive skins

Cons:▼ The sheets are thin and stuck together
▼ Not easy to take them off from the bag without getting a lot of essence on the hands

Recommending? :
Yes, if you have low budget and that you don’t mind getting annoyed when you try to unfold the sheets ^^

Review: Watsons Moisturising Facial Mask with Cucumber Extract

Review: Watsons Moisturising Facial Mask with Cucumber Extract

Hello lovelies, how are you?

It's been raining for almost a week here but thank God, the sun finally came out today. This week is supposedly my exam week so I've been studying non-stop but since the weather is very bad, my university decided to move it until next week. The rain and the studying pretty much kept me up all night which led to huge eyebags and bad skin>.< so I decided to use Watsons Moisturising Facial Mask with Cucumber extract that I bought at the start of the week.

As written on the back of the mask, "This specially formulated mask contains cucumber extract and natural collagen nutrients to tighten your skin and improve skin elasticity. Leaves your skin firmer and more supple"

The smell of this facial mask is very refreshing, it's not overwhelming. Just enough to calm your nerves and make you relax. It also has a lot of essence but it doesn't drip which is a plus point for me! After about 30 minutes on my face, it still has a lot that I used it for my neck and my hands. I massaged it and let my skin absorb the essence. It had an instant effect. It made my skin smoother and softer like a baby's skin hehehe ^o^ which made me really happy oh and it smells divine <3 Also I can feel that my face is a bit firmer than before. I am definitely in love with this mask. 

The only bad thing with this mask is after about 10 minutes of absorption into my skin. I notice a bit of itchiness and rashes on my chin and neck but after about 15 minutes, it was gone. I'll give this mask another try and see if the rashes came back, if it did I'm gonna stop using this. 

Overall Rating: 4/5 (-1 since it gave me itchiness and rashes but that's just me)

Repurchase: Maybe. I bought two sheets so I'm gonna try that one again. If there's no rashes then Yes definitely, a repurchase is in line but if it still appears then bye bye .

Have you tried this product? Did you have itchiness and rashes too or does it work well for you?

See you soon~

Another review coming up!