Bamboo Body (Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion)

Member Name: MALU

Product:	Nivea Happy Time Body Lotion
Date:	01/10/09 (152 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: long-lasting moisturiser with an agreeable smell

Disadvantages: doesn't produce giggles

I needed new body lotion and decided to try a new brand. My eyes were wandering along the shelves at the chemist's and came to a halt at the NIVEA section. This was due to the shape of the bottle the NIVEA designer had created: the upper part of the right side is slightly curved in (see piccie at the top of the site). The bottle looks elegant and cries out to the consumer, "Grab me!", at least to the right handers among them.

I looked closer to find the right skin type and discovered 'normal to dry skin', just what I need. Under the name of the product NIVEA Body Lotion Happy Time half a slice of orange is depicted lying in some white sloshy stuff - obviously the body lotion - and underneath stand the words 'Feel-Good Sensation' and Bamboo Extracts.

Bamboo! This must be one versatile plant. We've got a bush in our garden, I've recently bought ankle socks made of bamboo and now body lotion! How's that possible? Search me.

The promised Feel-Good Sensation is elaborated on the back of the bottle, "It's a feel-good body lotion that makes your whole body smile! It keeps that feeling of lightness all day long and energises not only the body, but the senses, too." I found the idea of my 'smiling' body so silly that I had to buy the product. Later, at home, I looked at the NIVEA home-page and found that whoever had thought of this message hadn't had enough, they went on waxing lyrical, "Your silky soft skin will giggle every day when you experience new NIVEA Happy Time body lotion. Infused with the gorgeous feel-good scent of orange flower, it's what happiness is made of. It's pure bliss in a bottle."

Goodness gracious, smile - giggle - happiness - bliss, I only want a body lotion! I usually apply body lotion in the morning, and there can be no product whatsoever that makes me smile, giggle, feel happiness and bliss. I'm grumpy at that time of day!

Long-lasting moisturiser, that's what I'm interested in. So to the test: The cap is easy to open with one hand and when closed stays closed, this is a good thing. The liquid is rich and easy to apply. As I haven't the foggiest of what bamboo smells like, I can't say anything about this component. Regarding the orange flowers - with some imagination I can detect a whiff, but not more. On the whole I can say that the smell of this body lotion is agreeable but not very distinctive.

It doesn't take long until the lotion is absorbed, I'd say that you can dress after three minutes without smearing it into your clothes. The agreeable smell stays for a long time and I can truly say that my skin still feels smooth after hours. Yet, it doesn't utter a sound, not one giggle! Should I write a letter of complaint to the producers?

I could stop here, I've told you enough to help you with a buying decision. But aren't we here to broaden our horizon? I decided to add some background information when a British online friend remarked that she had thought NIVEA was a British product. This reminded me of a real life Italian woman who once started an argument with me about NIVEA being Italian. When I said it wasn't, she cried out, "But it's produced in Italy!" That may well be, but NIVEA is as German as, say, Bosch, Siemens and Volkswagen.

NIVEA cream was born in 1911 after some scientists had discovered the emulsifying agent Eucerit, the first water-in-oil emulsifier able to produce a long lasting ointment base. Thanks to its consistency, the cream was pure white, and the name NIVEA is actually derived from the Latin word nix, nivis meaning snow. The German pronunciation is NI-VEY-A with the stress on the second syllable.

Between 1928 and 1930 the product range was expanded to include hair care and shaving products, and the products were sold outside Germany for the first time. From the net: "Today, NIVEA is the world's largest skin and body care brand with its success rooted in continuity and innovation. This can be seen in the many successful NIVEA sub-brands: Body, Visage, Beauté, Sun, For Men, Hair Care, and Baby, each of which can be traced back to the beginnings of NIVEA cream."

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Body Lotion Happy Time is sold at Boots for 5.98 GBP (250 ml)

Summary: A good product from the NIVEA range.