NIVEA Men Creme – Made in Germany… Or is it?

Remember when BIC For Her came out a few years ago? Yes, we have lady pens in America. The reviews on amazon.com still make me laugh.

Segue into beauty. I mean grooming.

Last year, I blinked extra hard to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating when a tin of NIVEA Men Creme popped up on social media. Initial reaction:

NIVEA and I go way back. For those of you whom I don’t yet know, I was raised in Poland and the German made staple was an ever-present accent in our household. Imagine my surprise when arriving stateside, I realized that what’s sold here has an entirely different ingredient deck. Oops. But also WTF?!

During a visit to a stark drugstore in Finland last summer, I spotted the masculine blue shade with a silver rim and happily handed over a crisp 10 Euro bill. NIVEA is a deal wherever you go. Mimicking the all-purpose concept of the iconic original, this “dude, where’s my creme?” version is formulated to appeal to all other halves out there. While I’ve never been anything but thrilled with the classic, the concept of greener grass proved real yet again. Below are my thoughts.

In the spirit of full disclosure, it did not turn me straight, did not turn female heads, and after applying it liberally to my hands, I was still unable to change a tire.

NIVEA Men Creme is a lightweight moisturizer suitable for use on the face and body to address dryness, flakiness, or tightness of the skin while replenishing moisture levels and providing instant and lasting comfort. Does it work? Absolutely. Should you get it? Yes, you should. Everybody needs to use a moisturizer, whether it’s for the face, hands, dry elbows, or ears. If you shower and use traditional soap, you need to replenish some of that moisture. But…

Because history tends to repeat itself, the NIVEA Men Creme sold in Europe differs from what is now available in the U.S. If you go by the ingredient list that is…

With regard to its texture, there is no resemblance between the original Creme in the blue tin and the new Men version. If anything, Men Creme is most similar to Nivea Soft (the lighter cousin) as it’s just as whipped yet not quite the gel-cream consistency. Absolutely traceless, it absorbs within seconds, which is genius since guys usually don’t like to look shiny nor… ‘moisturized’. Performance wise, it is a solid pick, a great buy and belongs in every grooming kit.

Nowhere near the signature powdery aroma of the cult favorite, NIVEA Men Creme smells a whole new kind of mass. Neither butch, gay nor European, the aroma is definitely manly but it may be just a little too unfinished. It’s not that the citrus fragrance is generic, but more that the brisk notes are clouded with strong hints of what can only be compared with a certain body spray. Without getting too nitpicky, most guys will enjoy this moisturizer because it’s a fantastic drugstore option that delivers without breaking the bank. Just make sure to get the ‘Made in Germany’ version!