19 In Beauty

Nivea Q10 My Skin My Way

 

NIVEA at home

To be perfectly honest, I’ve never used skin care from a pharmacy before (except for French pharmacies, which is a whole different category).  I’ve always been skeptical of the effectiveness of products at a drug store price point.  At 48, I need all the effectiveness I can get!  I always assumed I needed to spend department store or specialist skin care line kind of money to get something truly great.  After all, I have breakout-prone AND dry skin.   It sometimes feels like I need a village of experts and a shelf full of products to address all of my skin’s issues.  It turns out, all I need are a couple of steps.

NIVEA slider

When NIVEA invited me to meet with some of their skincare specialists, I kept an open mind about this ‘pharmacy’ brand.  Since June, I’ve used the following four products that they recommended to me: Micellar cleansing water for sensitive skin, Q10 serum pearls, Q10 anti-wrinkle day cream, Q10 anti-wrinkle night cream, and Q10 anti-wrinkle eye cream.  The only time I deviated from these products is on a handful of really hot humid days when I opted for the NIVEA lotion for oily skin instead of the Q10 day cream, which I thought might be too much in the heat.  Replacing my usual gentle soap and warm water with micellar cleansing water has worked wonders for my sensitive skin.  I do a double cleanse; once to remove makeup and once to clean my skin.  My face doesn’t feel tight or stripped, and I can definitely see a big difference in my skin’s hydration levels.  No more face soap and water for me!  Also, I’ve been thrilled with, and quite surprised by, the results of the Q10 line.  The night creams and day cream were especially surprising.  In almost any other brand, rich hydrating products like these would cause an instant breakout on my T-zone and cheekbones.  I even took the products with me on holiday to the Austrian Alps in July (where the altitude makes the air dry, the days are hot, and the nights are cold).  My skin almost always freaks out when I’m away from home when the water, food, and climate are so different.  This time it was fine.  My French mother in law borrowed my Q10 creams while we were together in Austria and liked them so well she bought them for herself after the holiday.  I can see why NIVEA’s Q10 night cream and day cream are are so popular… and so can my mother in law, apparently!  (I’ve never been a fan of the term ‘anti-age’ but this a beauty-industry-defined category, so I’m using it here for clarity).  My skin is super hydrated with these products, which is why I think it has been behaving so well, EVEN on holiday.

Nivea Q10 rangeMy skincare on holiday in Austria!

Instead of being sparing and precious about my skincare products, I now use the NIVEA ones liberally, both day and night, on my neck and décolleté as well as my face.  Quite honestly, I had been ignoring my neck and décolleté until now.  Sun damage and ageing happen in those areas as well, so I’m not quite sure why I haven’t been paying more attention to them.  This summer for the first time, I noticed that my chest and my face are a really different colour (see photo below).  My face is always protected with the high sun protection in my makeup, but I’ve been very slack about my neck and décolleté.  I suppose because I was spending a fortune on my skin care before, I was being quite parsimonious with them, and didn’t ‘waste’ it on anything besides my face.  Anyway, now I’m treating those areas at night with both the serum and night cream, and I’m making sure I use sunscreen and/or the Q10 day cream (which has SPF 15) there for daytime.  Perhaps next summer my face and chest will match!

Makeup and NIVEA

As a brand, NIVEA (along with their flagship product, the blue tin of cream) has been around for over 100 years.  They invest a lot of money into research and development to create new effective products; this Q10 range is a good example of that.  Also, they’re always rated one of the most trusted brands in Europe.  Since I’ve been working with NIVEA and have been discussing the range with friends and family, I’m surprised that I had never tried it before. So many people are wildly enthusiastic about the products; even my husband had lots of NIVEA on his shelf that I hadn’t even noticed before!  I don’t know if you’re already a NIVEA fan or if you’ve never tried them, but if you haven’t, you may be as pleased as I’ve been with their Q10 range.  It doesn’t irritate my very reactive difficult skin, and I’m not having any breakouts.  I don’t expect miracles from ANY cream, but I do want my skin to look the best it possibly can, and the nourishing Q10 products are delivering that.

Thank you to NIVEA for sponsoring this post and for introducing me to your fantastic products.

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19 Comments

  • Reply
    melissa williams
    October 18, 2017 at 6:49 PM

    Whatever you’re doing it’s working sista. I hear ya about the neck and décolleté – Mine is a different color too. I finally get my face looking improved and BOOM! my neck and chest go to hell. 😀 There’s a lot of buzz about the new Nivea line and I have the Q10 “Skin Firming and Toning” gel-cream on my bathroom shelf. I think I’ll be more consistent with using it after reading your post. Also- What candle is that on your mantel? Looks so luxe.
    Lovely as always, Lisa!
    ~Melissa xx
    https://freshairandfalselashes.com

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 19, 2017 at 8:09 PM

      Thank you so much, lovely! I’ve got to get this chest and face colour differential issue sorted 🙂 Let me know your results with NIVEA. Firming and Toning Gel-Creme?! How did I miss that one?!

      The candles are Cire Trudon Solus Rex and Ernesto. My bedroom is never without those two… they’re just fantastic. xx

  • Reply
    LA CONTESSA
    October 19, 2017 at 3:14 PM

    YES, I know the cream that has been around for 100 years………but had not looked into the SPECIALITY CREAMS.
    I spend 150.00 on a night cream which the jar keeps getting smaller and smaller………..when I started it was 103.00.
    I picked up a tube of cream for 7.00 recently…and the name escapes me and I have a cat on my lap SO I cannot go get it!
    I LOVE THAT CREAM…………………
    I will give the NIVEA A TRY AS WELL.
    THANK YOU!
    XX

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 19, 2017 at 8:02 PM

      I could kick myself for the years of La Mer and La Prarie! I mean, I could have bought the sparkly Saint Laurent boots with all the money I spent on expensive skincare 🙂 Better late than never! Let me know what your $7.00 cream is when you have a moment. xx

  • Reply
    Mithra Ballesteros
    October 19, 2017 at 3:25 PM

    Yes you are a walking billboard for the benefits of a skincare regimen. I can read fine print from the glow of your skin. I will do or buy whatever you tell me to. And I live the scent of Nivea products.

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 19, 2017 at 8:00 PM

      Oh, thank you so much, Mithra. Yes, that Nivea Q10 night cream just smells like bedtime to me now 🙂 xx

  • Reply
    Sandra Sallin
    October 19, 2017 at 6:22 PM

    Wow, I always thought that Nivea was too greasy for me. I’m immedately buying that micelar water for cleansing and as soon as I finish my moisturizers I will buy the Nivea ones you recommend. It’s nice not to need to spend a fortune!

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 19, 2017 at 7:59 PM

      I agree; I wish I could get all that money back I’ve spent over the years, trying every single skincare product on the market! I’ve got pretty oily skin (especially in summer) and I don’t find the Q10 line too greasy for me. I also use a lot less product than I thought was necessary. I tend to put cream lightly on my face, but LOAD it under my eyes! Let me know how you like the micellar water; it has been revolutionary for me. Like I mentioned under Greetje’s comment, I do a double or triple cleanse, depending on how much makeup I have on that day. xx

  • Reply
    No Fear of Fashion
    October 19, 2017 at 6:28 PM

    I had a similar experience. I have used Clinique all my life from when I was 20. Two years ago I had had it with expensive brands and marketing. Since then I use day cream and night cream from a cheap supermarket chain. Apparently they win cnsumer prizes time after time. But I have used Nivea too and those products were really pleasant. I think I will go back to them. And perhaps I should ditch the facial soap and water too.. (still using the Clinique soap). It somehow doesn’t feel clean if you haven’t used water.
    Greetje

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 19, 2017 at 7:56 PM

      It took me a while to get used to NOT using soap and water. I’ve always had oily skin, so a good double cleanse with soap was always necessary… or so I thought! Switching over to micellar water has really changed the game for me. It doesn’t FEEL as clean, but I do it twice or sometimes three times as well, and my skin is so much better. It isn’t as stripped, it doesn’t get as red, and it definitely feels a lot less dry. Maybe try it for a week, and do a double or triple cleanse like I do! xx

  • Reply
    Abby@Midlifecrisisnut
    October 20, 2017 at 12:37 PM

    I have to admit I’ve never tried Nivea Q10 face products, just the body lotion. But I guess if it works well for my bum it should work for my other cheeks as well 😉 I will give it a shot for sure. Looking absolutely gorgeous there in the the last picture! So refreshed and rejuvenated! Missing you! xx Abby

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 23, 2017 at 9:08 PM

      They are so worth a try, Abby. I’m not sure I’d have tried them if I hadn’t been invited to meet with their experts, but after that and using the products for a few months, I’m a believer! Thank you, my love xx

  • Reply
    RetroChicMama
    October 20, 2017 at 6:08 PM

    Now this is interesting to me as it backs up my sneaky suspicion that price & label aren’t always best when it comes to beauty products.
    I think the longevity of this company speaks volumes too.
    With regard to your findings on their micellar water I am already a firm believer. I have the same success with it & also stopped using foaming cleanser since it now strips my older skin.
    Really interesting read Lisa, thank you x

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 23, 2017 at 9:07 PM

      Glad you liked this! Yes, the micellar water is totally game changing, especially for eczema people like me. xx

  • Reply
    jacqui
    October 20, 2017 at 11:45 PM

    Love these products, and adore the smell it reminds me of my mum. Thanks for sharing. x Jacqui http://www.mummabstylish.com

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 23, 2017 at 9:06 PM

      I love the scent too… especially the night cream. It just smells like bedtime 🙂 xx

  • Reply
    Ann
    October 26, 2017 at 5:59 PM

    OK, OK, OK! I’ll try the Nivea creams. 🙂

    Interestingly, a couple of months ago I was persuaded to buy the Micellar water for makeup removal and cleaning. And from my experience it really is da bomb!

    I’m so down with you and other commenters about the fortunes I spent looking for skin care products that actually work. So wonderful, albeit rather late in the game, to find things that are working for people.

    BTW, you look wonderful. As someone above said, you really are glowing.

    And that vanity mirror of yours is gorgeous!

    • Reply
      Lisa
      October 31, 2017 at 7:12 PM

      They’re SO worth a shot, Ann! Such good value. I’ve been using them exclusively since the summer and I’ve honestly never had more compliments on my skin. Giving up sugar has also helped my skin a lot (that really HAS to be my next post… I’m so eager to finish it now).

      Thank you on the mirror; it was the first piece I bought when we moved into this house! I need sparkle in my house too, apparently! xx

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