Everybody and their mother (on YouTube) have been raving about how great the Nivea Post Shave Balm as a primer, but if you're a gal from the Philippines or somewhere in Southeast Asia, chances are, Nivea does not sell it locally. What a bummer, right?
I know, I know, if one is desperate diligent enough, then it is possible to get it from local online shops that can buy it abroad in bulk and sell for a huge markup locally. Personally, I bought mine at Ulta Beauty webstore for under 7 bucks but I've seen Philippine online sellers sell it for between 600 pesos to 1300 pesos (that's $12 to $25!!!).
***Note: On the video below I said it's $10-$12 but it slipped my mind that I bought 2
Kaloka diba? Anyway, that's why when I heard that 1 locally available product, the Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer might be a great dupe for the Nivea Post Shave Balm as a primer, I went ahead and bought it...but wait, there's more! I also found an intriguingly similar product to the Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer, the Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer so I grabbed it too!
***Note: The Master Zero Oil has another variant, the gel one that's supposed to perform better but I cannot find it EVERYWHERE!
***Note: The Master Zero Oil has another variant, the gel one that's supposed to perform better but I cannot find it EVERYWHERE!
Armed with my loot, I proceeded to perform an experiment (WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW). I know I should just call it a try-it-with-me video but saying it's an experiment sounds better, haha!
I only bought sachets because (1) I went to several Watsons branches, HBC branches, Mercury Drug branches, and various supermarkets in my area and only found sachets, and (2) I didn't want to waste my money in case they don't work out as intended. I've also reasoned to myself that someone who might be looking for dupes won't want to shell out a couple of hundred pesos in one go.
Edit: I had no idea there's another variant of the Master Zero Oil until someone mentioned it in the comments section of my video. If you know where I can get it around QC/Makati/Ortigas then please let me know so I can review that too.
PRICE COMPARISON
- The Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer comes in a resealable sachet for 25 pesos and contains 7g of product.
- The Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer comes in a sachet for 25 pesos and contains 10 ml. of product.
- The Nivea Post Shave Balm Sensitive comes in a breakable glass bottle packaged in a box for under $7 and contains 100 ml of product (so nasa around 30 pesos sya per 10ml)
If you've got relatives abroad, like in the US, perhaps you can ask for the Nivea Post Shave Balm as a pasalubong, haha!
CONSISTENCY, SCENT, AND APPLICATION COMPARISON
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| Left - Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer, Center - Nivea Post Shave Balm, Right - Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer |
- The Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer feels like the Ponds moisturizer and looks like it too! It looks like a thick lotion and spreads the same way. It does a slight whitish cast on the skin but that can be covered once you've applied foundation over it. It takes about 5 minutes to be absorbed.
- The Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer looks and feels like a VERY thick cream, almost like toothpaste in consistency but it can be spread out easily. It also has a whitish cast but that can be because it's described as a whitening and brightening moisturizer on the packaging. It takes about 5 minutes to be absorbed.
- The Nivea Post Shave Balm Sensitive looks like a serum and has a slight silicone-y feel after application. It looks watery and spreads easily. It absorbs within 1-2 minutes too!
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| Everything spread out. Notice that only the Nivea one in the middle completely disappeared/got fully absorbed |
As usual, I tested everything on my face and did a full day review for each. I don't have a video yet for the Nivea Post Shave Balm but I've been using it for almost 3 weeks now with no issue at all. In fact, it really makes my makeup last...better than uber expensive primers I've tried from well-known brands!
I have a video featuring my first impressions full day review of the Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer & Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer as primer and comparing both to the Nivea Post Shave Balm plus the Quick FX Mattifying Primer... you know, to make watching the video really sulit :)
By the way guys, I'm someone who has sensitivity to paraben and alcohol so both made me oil up in 2-3 hours, but please keep in mind that my face reacts the same way to the smashbox primer so not bad! FYI, alcohol and paraben compounds are common ingredients in lotions, makeups etc so this may not be an issue for you. For reference, I have ultra-sensitive oily skin.
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| Here's a photo of me after 8 hours of wearing both Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer (right side) & Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer (left side). |
And guys, here is the video! It is in TAG-LISH (mixture of Tagalog and English) as requested by majority of my YouTube viewers.
Watch the VIDEO!
COMPARISON FOR PRIMER EFFECT AND LASTING POWER
If you don't have time to watch the video, here's a quick summary of how long it took before my face oiled up using the various products as a primer.
Nivea Post Shave Balm - Takes about 5-6 hours before I notice any oil and only in the T-zone area. Makeup adheres to my face the whole day! This is the bomb when paired with the UD All-Nighter. I've had my makeup last for an entire super warm humid day running errands and that's with circuit training and hitting the gym to boot using this!
Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer - Lasted only 2-3 hours before oiling up. Some foundation around my nose were gone at the 3 hour-mark but I was able to make this work by blotting and reapplying foundation. The secret is to blot before retouching your makeup or else the makeup will cake up. I had to blot twice in an 8 hour period but I can say the same for Maybelline Babyskin so not bad. My pores looked more visible on the side with Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer.
Vaseline Men Moisturizer - Lasted only 2-3 hours before oiling up. I was able to make this work by blotting and reapplying powder. The secret is to blot before retouching your makeup or else the makeup will cake up. The foundation was harder to blend on the side with the Vaseline Men Moisturizer and you have to be careful to dab/pat your brush/sponge when retouching or else some foundation will come off.
Quick FX Mattifying Primer - Usually takes about 3-4 hours before I notice oil. Works for me when I only have light activities for the day.
Note: As of this writing, I've already tested the Nivea Post Shave Balm for 3 weeks, and both Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer & Vaseline Men Facial Moisturizer for 4 days each. The video above is a first impressions review.
Overall Findings:
I would just like to say that in the end, they ALL worked for me, but the Nivea Post Shave Balm worked the BEST for me. If you have dry skin or have no sensitivity to certain ingredients, then I think that both Master Zero Oil Facial Moisturizer & Vaseline Men Moisturizer are worth a try. If they work for you then yey! If not, then you didn't really lose anything!
By the way, I found out that they're great for your legs right after shaving too so YAY!
Let me know how they are when you try them!
EDIT:
Guys, as of the time na ma-upload yung video and this blog has been posted, naghanap na ako nung Master Zero Oil na Gel (dahil may isa pa palang variant yun) pero WALA TALAGA EVERYWHERE. Places I've look at so far:
EDIT:
Guys, as of the time na ma-upload yung video and this blog has been posted, naghanap na ako nung Master Zero Oil na Gel (dahil may isa pa palang variant yun) pero WALA TALAGA EVERYWHERE. Places I've look at so far:
- Watsons SM Makati
- Watsons SM Megamall
- Watsons MOA
- Watsons SM North
- Waltermart North Edsa
- 3 Mercury drug
- 2 HBC branches sa province
- Grocery ng trinoma
- Grocery ng SM North (both hypermarket and supermarket)
- Grocery ng SM Cebu
- Grocery ng Robinsons Cebu
- SM Batangas
- Starmall
- Mercury sa Pasay
- HBC sa Monumento & Waltermart North Edsa.
I will do a review for that once I'm able to find that variant! Let me know where you've spotted it!
Let's stay connected!
Email Me: pinaybeautyandstylelover @ gmail.com
I bought everything with my own money. No one paid me to write this blog/review nor to do a video.
#niveapostshavebalm #niveapostshavebalmreview #philippinedrugstoremakeup