Friday, December 27, 2013

A brief end of the year hiatus.

Hello to all you Belles!
I'm sorry I haven't posted for awhile, it's been a very busy month and I haven't had the chance to sit down at my laptop or pull out my camera to make posts!  I've certainly been having blogging withdrawals these past few weeks but I'm super excited to get straight back into it right after NYE! I've got lots to share with you so thank you for your patience and support! Please keep visiting and reading substance for Belle in 2014!  I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year and may 2014 continue to bring endless joy, love and success to all of you. xx 

Monday, December 2, 2013

Product Review | Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion Skin Conditioner



While I enjoy having and maintaining soft and smooth skin, I can't say that moisturising everyday from head to toe makes the top of my favourite things to do list. So when I first saw the commercial for the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion about a month ago, there was no denying that I got a little bit excited, genius idea! Beneath that excitement though, I admit that I quickly became rather skeptical about the product. Why? Well, despite being a brilliant time saving idea, I figured that if it were that simple or that good, someone in the beauty/skincare world would have thought of it a long time ago and many skincare brands would have perhaps already attempted to create their own versions (maybe they have, I'm not sure?), and body lotions/moisturisers would've become a thing of the past. At least I think so anyway. 

Anyway, I went and purchased a bottle a few days after seeing the commercial and needless to say I jumped right into the shower when I got home and put it to the test. There are two options available just like in their range of body lotions: normal to dry skin & very dry skin. I picked up the "very dry skin - with almond oil" one (hoping that if it worked, that it would be highly more moisturising than the normal to dry skin version). I wanted to use the product for a while and give it the best chance to perform before I did a review - I have been using the product every single day from November 4 2013 and I think I have only about one shower use left. So I've basically used up the entire product before doing this review.


What the Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion Skin Conditioner claims to do -

"A new and more convenient way to moisturise."
The caring formula optimally works with your wet skin and is quickly absorbed, Result: A silky, soft skin feeling when stepping out o the shower. There is no need to apply a normal body lotion afterwards.

I really wanted this product to be great, but unfortunately it is not something that I will be repurchasing. While it is an innovative idea in skincare, I think that the formula needs to be reworked so that it has a much more moisturising/conditioning power. I say this only because I didn't find that it conditioned MY skin at all. I honestly felt that I was just wasting product every time I used it. It was like taking a bottle of normal moisturising lotion into the shower, rubbing it in and then washing it off and down it went into the drain. There were days that I would stand in the shower for longer to give it a few extra minutes to really "absorb" into my skin, but even then after rinsing it off and coming out of the shower, I didn't feel like my skin was soft or smooth, not like a normal cream/lotion would make my skin feel. In fact, I would say that the product is more or less like a body wash, except that it doesn't lather on application. The product comes out almost like a normal cream lotion but slightly more diluted and watery. It has taken me about a month to use up the entire 400ml bottle, and at times I did use it quite sparingly. So it doesn't last very long, particularly if you're using it everyday to moisturise your whole body from head to toe (I had to squeeze out about a golf ball size of product each use to feel like I was covering all of my skin).



I didn't use this product with super high expectations at all, as I said I was already quite skeptical in the beginning, but I am disappointed because it would've definitely come in handy and reduce the time it takes me to get ready. Ah, the convenience. 

Having said that, it is certainly not a terrible product. If you try it, you may find that it works for you. Personally, having dry skin I would prefer the traditional cream/lotion that I can feel has really softened, smoothed and absorbed into my skin. What I do enjoy about this product is that it leaves a lovely fresh scent on your skin even after you've towel dried, basically the same as their body lotions. I would not be against trying another brand or version of an in-shower skin conditioner/moisturiser. If there are any out there that you know of, please let me know!


Available at Priceline, Chemist Warehouse ($6.69AUD), Big W, Kmart, Target, Myer, Supermarkets & selected Pharmacies $7.99 AUD.