Struggling with finding the time to write that novel you just know is sitting inside of you? Wondering if you’re ever going to meet a nice, normal boy who doesn’t What’s App you photos of his bits? Feeling terrible about the amount of Mexican food you consumed last night before collapsing into bed without the 40 minutes of cardio you swore you’d do ever single freaking day until you lost your post-holiday muffin top?

Alas, I can’t help you with any of that. You’re, like, totally on your own. Sorry for you. However, if you’re battling with back end o’ winter dryness, I reckon NIVEA’s new body creams (R39,99 each) could serve you very well. They’re pretty much the lotions you know and love, but now in a richer, high oil-to-water formula that, like the lotions, makes use of NIVEA’s Hydra IQ technology which makes helps the hydrating ingredients penetrate a little deeper into your skin.

I was given all three variants to try; Rich Nourishing and Irresistibly Smooth for dry skin and Intensive Moisturising for normal to dry skin. While you’d expect the two formulated for drier skin to have a richer, thicker, almost body butter-like texture, they actually feel just like the Intensive Moisturising variant which is great. I love that NIVEA’s figured out that nourishing dry skin simply means making use of more hydrating ingredients that penetrate well as opposed to serving up a thick layer or gloop.

Having tried all three, it’s hard to pick a favourite. They all absorb in flash and don’t feel sticky in the least. And while each one has a slightly different scent, the variation is so incredibly subtle that you’d be hard pressed to pick one you liked best based on that alone. To my nose, they’ve all got that fresh, clean ‘NIVEA’ scent everyone knows and loves. Still, if pressed to pick just one I’d probably go for the Rich Nourishing tub as it contains a minimal amount of alcohol and lots of Shea butter and sweet almond oil.

Anyway, if you’re in the market for a hydrating body cream to slap on after a shower or bath, these are rather nice. But if you’re seriously, crazily dry, I’d alternate the Rich Nourishing one with a dead skin-sizzling AHA product like Environ’s Derma-Lac lotion.

Love, love

Leigh