This Not That: La Mer Creme De La Mer

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I first met La Mer after getting sweet-talked into buying it post-facial. You know the drill—“your skin NEEEDS this,” they say, without ever mentioning the price. You only find out when you're standing at checkout, stunned.

Two years later, and I’m still emotionally recovering. Was it nice? Sure. It felt luxurious, though the fragrance was intense—like it was trying to moisturize my skin and my sinuses. As for the anti-aging claims? Hard to tell. It didn’t deliver anything groundbreaking for me.

I started looking into dupes and saw Nivea Creme pop up a lot. Is it a true dupe? Not really. But it’s a solid alternative. Just as soothing and hydrating, minus the anti-aging benefits I didn’t notice anyway 😂. The scent is strong here too, and it definitely sits on your skin for a while—so it’s strictly a nighttime cream in my book. But I’ll take a little longer absorption time if it means saving over $100.

What I do love about Nivea is how simple it is. No fancy marketing, no miracle broth, no sticker shock. Just a thick, comforting cream that does the job—especially when my skin is feeling dry, tight, or irritated. I’ve used it on my face, elbows, hands, even as a post-dermaplaning balm. It’s versatile, dependable, and doesn’t make me feel like I need to take out a loan to stay moisturized.

Would I go back to La Mer? Probably not. It’s a beautiful product, but for me, it didn’t live up to the hype—or the price tag. Grab Nivea and never look back!