The Drugstore Wonder - Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia

The drugstore can sometimes be overlooked in the Canadian Princeza world, what with all the shiny, fancy luxurious pots cluttering my vanity and clouding my senses with their opulent textures and scents. Its sometimes easy to forget that the high price tag is not the only way to get a performance driven, premium quality product. And don't even get me started about all the ridiculously overpriced disappointments. 

Luckily all it takes is one product to renew my faith in the beauty god's and the fact that the item in question comes from a drugstore, heavy-duty bargain brand such as Nivea is only icing on the sweetly scented cake. I love discovering little wonders like the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia ($3.99 here!) and proving the little snob deep inside me wrong and proving a point that seems to reiterate itself over and over again - "price tags mean nothing". This lip balm indeed preforms as good or even better than some of my much more expensive contenders. A huge score for the bargain beauty category! 

Some of my other Nivea excursions have ended in disappointment and regret but this time the little tin of this comforting lip butter manages to impress and stun my skeptical, sometimes snobby, girly self. 

In Canada the Nivea Lip Butters are available in Original, Raspberry Rose Kiss, Caramel Cream and Vanilla & Macadamia but selection can vary greatly depending on geographical location. The huge success may prompt Nivea to release more flavors and even some limited edition tins - that is my hope, anyways! The fact that I am pushing for limited editions is a testament to how much i enjoy the formula used for these hydrating lip potions. 

Official Description;

The moisturizing formula of NIVEA Lip Butter with Hydra IQ contains Shea Butter and Almond Oil and provides intense moisture and long-lasting care. The indulging formula creates senationally soft lips.

Ingredients;
Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aqua, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, BHT, Aroma, CI 77891, CI 77492

I will admit right away that this was a complete impulse purchase at my local grocery store, bought on a whim and once again seduced by the "mini" packaging. I am the advertising teams dream consumer - pretty, unique or just plain amusing outer shells have made me purchase many unnecessary and disappointing products. 

Luckily this cute tin was inexpensive and the product inside turned out to be phenomenal for a change! 

Since I had only vaguely heard some buzz regarding the Lip Butter launch and hadn't done any of my extensive product research prior to purchasing, I wasn't really expecting much from the Nivea Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter. I knew it would moisturize of course but based on previous Nivea Lip Products experiences I didnt think it would do much more than that. To be perfectly honest the appeal of the little tin faded rather quickly and it almost got swallowed by the uber amount of other lip treatment candidates. 

When I am wrong I say I am wrong - and I couldnt have been more wrong when it comes to this little drugstore wonder! I fell in love with the Lip Butter with one single use and today the Nivea status has risen to a whole new level thanks to the Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss formula. 

This is one of those rare lip treatments that manages to hit all the important features when it comes to a successful, all-encompassing lip care.

First off the Nivea Lip Butters contain high concentrations of Shea Butter, which deeply hydrates the lip tissue and seems to almost "lock" in moisture even after just one application. The texture is smooth, balmy and somewhat tacky in the tin itself but that "stickiness" does not translate on to the lips and once applied there is no left-over greasy residue to deal with. On the lips themselves the Lip Butters create a glossy (not shiny!) sheen with absolutely no tint, which makes it ideal for achieving that coveted healthy, no-makeup, radiant look. 

The fragrance of my Nivea Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter has a very milky-sweet undertone, with vanilla being most prominent but the overall scent is best described as comforting and even soothing. I can't get enough of it! 

There is definitively a flavor associated with the Lip Butter, which is usually a negative for me but this particular formula makes it work nicely by keeping the taste soft and as un-artificial as possible. I would describe it as a very light vanilla sugar cookie variation but without the usual sweet cloying factor and temperament. I personally love it and haven't met a person that had anything negative to say about it. A clear winner for the gourmand-lover like me! 

In conclusion I really have absolutely nothing negative to say about this drugstore wonder - high quality, high performance lip treatment that does not make me cringe at the cash register! 

Thank you for reading!

Have you tried the Nivea Lip Butters? Thoughts? What is your favorite lip balm? 

XOXO

ANJA

The Princeza Guide to Bedtime Beauty

It really is no secret that I happen to be a high-maintenance girl in almost every sense of that concept. My natural "girliness" drives almost everything I do and experience throughout my day and as such I embrace it wholeheartedly and openly. The tomboy nature of my childhood has all but died out now and pink sparkly-shiny things seem to dominate my existence and my surroundings. There is nothing wrong with that, right?

This femininity naturally extends into how I approach my beauty regiments and nothing illustrates that more than my bedtime rituals. Each and every step of this routine is designed to relax, comfort and elevate the beautification process, which is something I look forward to especially on those really bad days. It might sound like I am putting way too much thought into this and over-complicating the whole experience but that is exactly the point when you are doing something you love. At least whoever goes to bed with me will be able to reap the benefits of my silky, fragranced self :-)

For better overview I have divided the bedtime beauty process in several steps so you can see just how seriously I can take this!

1. Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness 
I try to shower each night before bed for two reasons - I have a thing about being clean all the time and more importantly I value my sleep immensely so the chances of a morning shower are usually slim to none.
The scent can be very important for bedtime use so I try not to choose any "perky" or "energizing" scent combinations. A gentle, soothing and moisturizing formula is always a must so that along with the fragrance requirement can make my choice somewhat difficult.
One that hits all those points and is one of my favorites is the This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel ($28.00 for 8.4 oz) and the Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Bath & Shower Gel ($25.00 for 10 oz)

2. Butter Yourself Up 
I firmly believe that smooth, silky and soft skin is one of the top attributes of our femininity. Not only does your skin feel more comfortable with proper moisturization but it can also elevate your confidence like nothing else, regardless of the given situation. Bedtime pampering gives you the perfect opportunity for this because as we all know your skin renews and rejuvenates itself best during the night so arming it with some extra emollients can only amplify that effect.
My personal collection of body lotions and rich body butters are quite extensive but the ones I reach for more often during the summer months are Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter ($42.00 for 8 oz), Barr-Co. Fine Shea Butter Lotion ($24.00 for 16 oz) and the amazing The Body Shop Divine Calm Body Butter ($20.00 for 6.75 oz).

Bedtime 1 with The Body Shop , Anthropologie, Josie Maran

3. Amplified Bedtime Skincare Routine 
I already have a very extensive night time skincare routine with serums, eye creams and heavy duty moisturizers already in place. I like to refer to this as my core regiment and the major theme here is once again regenerate and rejuvenate in order to help the skin's natural nigh-time repair cycle. The products may change but their purpose remains relatively the same.
Every few nights I try to elevate the core with some additional weapons from my bathroom cabinet that really make a difference in both my skin quality and feel.
I am talking about overnight hydration masks (Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Water-Max Sleeping Mask), resurfacing treatments (Dr. Brandt Overnight Resurfacing Serum), targeted imperfection creams (Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel) and nightime eye serums (Ole Henriksen Truth is in the Eyes Vitamin C Peel Concentrate)

4. Luxury Girly Necessities 
These steps illustrate my high-maintenance nature best. They are obviously not must-have's and most probably don't have all that many major skin or body benefits but are complete indulgences of the beauty world and as such my favorite perks of being a girl. Taking the time to add these little steps to my bedtime make a huge difference when it comes to calming, comforting and preparing me for that lovely slumber time we all need more of.
Deeply moisturizing treatment hand creams take care of the most overlooked but so important body part and only take a few minutes to apply so I really have no excuse when it comes to using them. I keep several mini tubes on my bed-stand and the ones that always stand out are the impossibly cute LUSH Tiny Hands Hand Lotion ($8.95), Compagnie de Provence Wild Rose Shea Butter Hand Cream ($5.50 for 1 oz) and Lollia Relax Shea Butter Handcreme ($25.00 for 4 oz)

Bedtime 2 with Lollia, Compagnie de Provence, LUSH

Moisturizing and nourishing lip treatments are always a must for me and the ones that I love the most (right now) are Tatcha Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm ($36.00), First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy ($15.00) and the new Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss ($3.99)
My eye lashes get some extra help and conditioning with the Mavala Eye-Lite Double Lash Night Treatment ($18.00) and L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum ($14.99)

Bedtime 3 with Lush, Disney, Prada Candy

5. Bonus Point Steps 
You are probably rolling your eyes by now but I promise I almost done! The finishing touches to this elaborate bedtime indulgence parade are a quick spritz of perfume (PRADA Candy), dusting powder on the sheets (LUSH Silky Underwear Dusting Powder) and maybe a pillow spray (DREAM Pillow Mist)

I think its pretty obvious at this point that I have an obvious cosmetic fetish and rest assured I am fully aware of this but I would still gladly recommend all of these products to anyone who is looking to make their bedtime routine a little more luxurious!
After all beauty products are wonderful perks of our feminine existence and we are all worthy of a little luxury :-)

I hope you enjoyed a tiny glimpse into my beauty product world

Do you have a bedtime routine? What is your favorite part?

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-) 

Snobbery Step Aside - My Drugstore and Budget Beauty Favourites

One of my lovely subscribers (Hi - Melanie!) messaged me this weekend with a request for my personal drugstore and budget buys list. Some of you might already know about my slogan "Every Comment Makes Me Do a Happy Dance (really!), which meant that after I did a terrible version of the "chicken dance" I went over to my various stash locations (hiding spots), looked through my vanity drawers, bathroom shelves and makeup bags, determined to make my first request turn out as perfect as it possibly can be. 

If you are familiar with Canadian Princeza, then you might have noticed that the vast number of the products I have reviewed tend to be mostly in the "high-end" category. Scrolling down the "brands" listed you would also notice that the blog's primary topic seems to be skincare and treatment products, which are usually priced a lot higher than makeup basics so that makes my collection seem even more disproportional. Just because I don't have a lot of "drugstore" products reviewed and listed on my blog (yet!) doesn't mean that I have anything against them, that I don't use them, that i don't appreciate a "good value" or that I think I am too good for lower-end stuff. Personally I almost always buy products that have good ingredients, great formulation, "ethical" brand concepts, excellent reviews and innovative research. Every once in a while I get mesmerized by product packaging and limited edition incentives but I am finding that this is happening a lot less often and now that I am writing reviews and reflecting more.

The one category where I have to be extremely careful is skincare and that's only due to my sensitive, reactive skin, which can literally end up out of control in a matter of days. That being said I am a firm believer that the price tag attached to a product does not guarantee success, good results, innovation, good ingredients or even truthful advertising. In fact sometimes it seems the higher the price, the bigger the claims and therefore the worse your disappointment feels. I can think of a few high-end brands that have completely lost my trust, business and endorsement due to problems attached to their "promises" that had not a lot of backing or truth to them at all.

These days we have to be smart in choosing what we purchase and what we allow to be used on our bodies. Its a "dog eat dog" world out there, advertisers can deliberately mislead, ingredients are coded in a way that is harder to understand, the prices are rising every day and we, ordinary girls have to figure out a way to get through the complicated, consumer web and make choices we can stand by.
Higher price doesnt mean a better product at all and luckily the so called "budget" brands, along with a whole slew of "independent small-time" companies have noticed this shift in their customers mind-set and are finally coming out with formulas that are inexpensive, highly efficient, filled with good ingredients, attractively packaged and even philanthropic in nature.
I for one am tickled pink just thinking about the possibilities and more than happy to feature and promote any brand that fits in that category!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite products that won't break the bank (too much!) bur could break your skepticism :-)

Budget Beauty Favorites with MILANI , Haus of Gloi, Nivea

Here is a list of my "Snobbery-Free" Beauty Favorites;

- L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Balm (Satin Pink) - $7.96 at Walmart
- Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream - $8.97 at Walmart
- LUSH Banana Moon Soap - $7.95 for 100 g at lush.ca
- LUSH Coconut Deodorant Powder - $7.95 for 65 g at lush.ca
- Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Litchi Milk Tea - $10.00 for 6 oz at Haus of Gloi
- LUSH Bubble Gum Lip Scrub - $9.95 for 25 g at lush.ca
- Klorane Gentle Shampoo with Oat Milk - $12.00 for 200 ml at well.ca
- Klorane Desert Date Nutritive & Repairing Hair Mask - $15.99 for 150 ml at well.ca
- Milani Illuminating Face Powder - $12.79 at well.ca
- Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash - $11.99 for 147 ml at well.ca
- Dr. Bronner's Organic Rose Liquid Soap - $3.99 for 2 oz at well.ca

I hope you enjoyed my first "Budget Beauty Collection" and at least got a few ideas for your next purchase!
Thank you Melanie for the request and the wonderful message you sent me - I really appreciate all of my readers so hearing from any of you just makes my day :-)

Please let me know if you want to see more posts on this topic and if its possible in any way I will gladly accommodate all requests from everyone!

What are your favorite budget finds? Anything I might be missing out on?

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)