Nivea Express Primer Review

Once again I got sucked into a recent marketing ploy which made me feel as though I must, must, must be using a primer. However, on second thought I reckoned that trying a primer may not be such a bad things.

Why Use a Primer? 
Primers are one of those beauty tools that some people swear by and others don't bother with at all because they don't see the point (I've always fallen into the latter category). They can come in a cream or gel form but they all tend to work in the same way. Here's the point.
   Providing a smooth base for applying makeup
   Minimising pores
   Evening skin tone
   Helps make-up last longer
   Provides a protective barrier between skin and make-up

While most primers should be used after you've moisturised, Nivea have gone a step further by combining your primer with a daily moisturiser. This lotion can be used with or without make up to both moisturise skin and provide a base for anything you want to put on top. Here's what I thought.

In General
The packaging on this bad boy is a little deceiving, the tub is nowhere near as big as the box suggests.

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That said, the formula is light and easy to apply and little goes a long way, so the 50ml should last a long time. I bought the version for dry/sensitive skin so was surprised to smell that the product still had quite a definite Nivea scent. Not sure how well that would go down with people who actually have sensitive skin

As a moisturiser
I've been using this every day for a week in place of my usual moisturiser - Clinique's Dramatically Different Lotion - which is great but costly. So far it's worked just as well, it deals with my dry skin in the morning without leaving me oily by the end of the day.

As a primer
I've used this a twice over the past week under my usual set of make-up - Maybelline BB cream and Naturals Cream blusher. I applied the primer then waited the recommended 5 minutes before applying anything else, I didn't notice any change in the application of the products. On a work day I usually I find that my make-up has pretty much faded away by 2-3pm. However, after using the primer, did last a few hours longer than usual. However if you want all day staying power and a smoother base, you may want to team this with a dedicated primer.

For the price, this is definitely a keeper for every day use.

What primer do you swear by?

Nivea Express Primer Dry/Sensitive - £3.99 Superdrug