TESTED: Nivea Men Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm as Face Primer

by - December 21, 2015


This seems to be the hot new trend in the online beauty community lately, ever since NikkieTutorials on Youtube started using it in her videos as a face primer. I was intrigued, I have to say, especially since this 3.3oz bottle is under $10 and is available pretty much everywhere that they sell razors. But of course, affordability and availability are really only exciting if the product works, so I had to try it on for size. I was a little bit skeptical and a lot hopeful. I don't know if you guys know this, but I'm not the hugest fan of most primers because I feel like they tend to make my makeup look weird by the end of the day. Not sure what that is. Anyway, I was hoping to like this more.

Now that I've been using it for about a month, I'm ready to toss my hat in the opinion ring on this. SO. Is it worth the try and buy? Keep reading for my thoughts!



About:
The formula is quick absorbing, has no drying alcohol added, and enriched with Chamomile and Vitamin E to care for the skin:
  • Instant soothing feeling
  • Over time, improves skin’s defense through moisturization
  • Alleviates redness due to dry skin
The thing that I like about the way this product is describes is that it's meant to be soothing and hydrating to the skin, which is incredibly important for me in a primer. I find, especially during the colder months, that some primers can really leave my skin (and my makeup) looking and feeling really dry. And I do have to say, that this really does make my skin feel hydrated underneath my makeup. Really, the cool thing about this for me is that it's intended for use as a soothing skin care product, so when used as part of your cosmetic routine it's also doing something for your skin. Thumbs up.


So basically the way Nikkie said to use this was to apply a little bit to the skin and smooth it in until it starts to feel tacky and then apply your makeup on top of it. This is definitely the best way to do it, because if you try to apply when it still has some slip on the skin I don't find that it holds the makeup nearly as well. I like to pour a little bit out into my palm and then use my fingers to dab a small amount over my skin and then rub it in the way that you would moisturizer, patting when it starts to feel tacky.

The formula of this is kind of a thin, milky gel lotion. Does that even make sense? Anyway, the texture is great for creating a really lightweight layer on the skin. I also feel like the texture is what helps to mattify your foundation. For me, I absolutely don't like to powder when I use this, because with my skin feeling a lot drier lately I pretty much end up looking like the Sahara if I do powder anywhere other than under my eyes. Luckily, I find that I really don't need to powder when I use this, because it keeps me from getting shiny and holds my makeup really well.


My only issue with this product is the packaging - which is really not surprising, really, since it's not intended to be used as a makeup primer.  For me, the perfect packaging for this would include a pump, but I would absolutely settle for a little squeeze top. The problem is really just that I always seem to pour out too much product, which isn't great for this particular product because the way it works best is with a really light layer, so I end up throwing some away every time. However, this is of course a lucky problem, because it's really nitpicky.

Another aspect that I think could put some people off is the scent. I mean, it's aftershave, so it smells like aftershave. It has that very fresh, masculine scent that I think is just synonymous with aftershave, really. Luckily, I don't find that it lingers on the skin once it sets down, so I don't have to worry about walking around smelling like man all day - or having my aftershave compete with my perfume. Still, if you're adverse to that type of scent, this might be a put off for you.


Overall, I have to say... I'm pretty much in on this product. I've been using it pretty consistently - and because of the HUGE size (more the 3x the size of most actual cosmetic primers) I feel like it's going to last for pretty much ever. Because I've only used this in the winter, I'm really curious to see how it's going to perform once the summer comes around, but I actually feel really confident about it just based on it's performance so far.

I would recommend this for most skin types, though I suspect that people who are VERY dry might not like it because it could be a little too mattifying. Still, I would seriously say that at less than $10, this is pretty much worth a try for most people. Worst case, you either give it away to a man who shaves - or use it as aftershave yourself. Either way, it's very much worth the try out.

This is an internet beauty tip that really does work, friends! Thanks for reading!

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