I know in today’s skin care world Nivea is a controversial brand. Some say that their products are outdated and they contain ingredients that are not exactly ok, other still swear by some of their staple products like the original Nivea cream in the blue tin case (personally I think that one is too greasy for oily and combination skin), but I like some of their products like the deodorants, the shower gels and the micellar water. Other products are just ok and I tend to grab them sometimes because they’re easy to come by and they’re affordable.

So now, since it’s so damn hot outside and I don’t like to wear even light foundations but I still need a little bit of coverage, I was at my local DM store and I was browsing for face tints when I saw this BB cream. They have a newer product that is supposed to be really good but it was more expensive, so I decided to try this BB cream first and see how it is.

Packaging:

The BB cream comes in a plastic tube that contains 50 ml, with the usual white and blue design that is consistent with all Nivea products. I don’t like plastic tubes because it’s hard to tell when there’s only a little product left, but we have to work with what we have.

Texture:

This product looks and feels just like a face cream, so it has a thick consistency, and it’s available only in two shades (at least that’s what I saw), a light shade and a medium shade. I got the light shade, but even this one I think it would be too dark for the winter when I’m extra pale. Now, it’s perfect but it’s a shame they don’t have a true light shade and a dark shade for dark skin tones.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Talc, Methylpropanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Triisostearin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499

The key ingredients are jojoba oil, shea butter and mineral pigments and it also has SPF 15, which is too low (I don’t know why they even bother), so an extra SPF is strongly needed.

Price and accessibility:

Nivea products are widely available in DM and Douglas stores, in several online shops and even in supermarkets (although mostly just the bath and body products like shower gels and body lotions). I got mine from a DM store for about 7.5 euros and I also had a 20% off coupon for it so I paid even less. I think it’s an affordable price for a BB cream, especially since you don’t need a large amount of product for good coverage.

My overall opinion:

This BB cream does absorb nice into the skin, even on my combination skin and I applied it after my SPF face cream, so it wasn’t too greasy. It evens out the skin tone and it provides light coverage, so for acne spots and other imperfections a concealer or a spot of foundation is still needed. It blends good into the skin and it looked good even after an entire day of sweating at 38 Celsius degrees (what is it with this temperatures, really?)

Overall, I do like it and I think it’s a very nice BB cream for light coverage, but I highly recommend using an SPF complementary to this and personally I use an extra hydrating product, especially during heat or extreme cold. What I like about Nivea products is that while they remain basic, they just get the job done. They’re not amazing, yes, but for someone who is constantly looking for affordable skin care products, they are a good option.