Review: Nivea Express Hydration Primer

Recently I have seen so many people blogging about this product and I was drawn in when I saw it on offer at Savers for £3.49 instead of the usual £4.99; my life was full of joy until I saw it on offer in Boots at £3.33 (PENNIES ARE PRECIOUS) soon after having bought it. Basically my blog post is about stressing the importance of looking around for cheaper offers instead of just buying the first one you see. Joke, it's not. But, hold the phone, when has Boots (aka overcharge central) been cheaper than Savers?!

You can buy this product here where it's currently on offer for £4 or here where it's on offer for £3.33. Come on, save that dollar.

Basically this product is a moisturiser/primer hybrid which creates A MOISTURISING PRIMER, please, hold the applause. There are two versions available, one for dry and sensitive skin and one for normal and combination skin, this is the version I bought because heck knows what my skin type even is. Nivea claims that this product 'moisturises and provides a smooth base for effective make-up application' and that it is instantly absorbed into the skin.

I can say that this does absorb incredibly quickly into the skin making it much more efficient for when you have limited time to do your makeup because you can basically put your base makeup on immediately after. I've been using this product in place of my usual moisturiser, the Garnier Moisture Match Protect and Glow, as my skin feels moisturised and gets rid of the tight feeling after having cleansed and toned and so using a moisturiser before hand isn't needed.

I was quite disappointed with how Nivea have made the boxed packaging a lot larger than the actual product itself as it makes you think you're getting more for your money when, in reality, the glass jar sits on an elevated cardboard platform and the thick base means there is less room for the product itself. I know a lot of other companies use this 'trick', OH THE FALSE ADVERTISEMENT, but I'd still be willing to repurchase it if I continue liking it because anything under £5 I consider cheap and affordable. Despite my complaints about how much product there is only a little bit is needed to cover the face so I can imagine this lasting quite a few months.

The formula of the product is more like a gel rather than a cream in that it is incredibly lightweight and has a cool, moist (must hold back immature laughter) feel. I really can't describe the smell of the product apart from that it makes me feel as though it's going to be really refreshing and cleansing. The foil layer over the product also adds to the sense of freshness.

Is it weird that I literally want to dive into the jar?

I'm not sure whether this product actually increases makeup longevity but, to be honest, I don't have that much of an issue with my makeup lasting all day so I can't really make a fair comment. I do feel like my makeup still looks acceptable towards the end of the day (prays no-one sees me at the end of the day to avoid screams of 'NO IT DOESN'T') but think it all depends on the other makeup products I use and not so much the primer itself.

I do like this proudct in terms of how quickly it absorbs and how lightweight it is under makeup, however, I can imagine that some people won't enjoy using this and so wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a heavy, hydrating cream moisturiser because I don't think this would give enough moisture. The version for dry and sensitive skin might have a thicker consistency however compared to this normal and combination version. As a primer I can't really comment but it's always worth trying as the low price means it isn't causing much financial damage.

I'm currently looking for a heavy night cream as I feel as though my face can look quite dry due to wearing makeup everyday, especially as the weather is going to start getting colder soon. I'm currently using Pond's which I like and am enjoying but want to try Johnsons instead, does anyone have any suggestions?