Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Collection Review

Getting Beachy feels everytime I use Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Collection.  The newly reformulated range features new products and four restorative marine blends and a new hero ingredient of anti-oxidant rich Green Seaweed Extract. Marine Goddess here I come!

Crabtree & Evelyn say 

The La Source collection draws inspiration from the restorative powers of the sea around us, and is carefully designed to restore, condition and rejuvenate the skin from head to toe. Formulated with a blend of ingredients such as underwater algae, mineral salts and seaweeds the products in this collection allow you to escape everyday life and immerse yourself in spa-like rituals.

My thoughts

I absolutely adore the scent - fresh and Summery. It lends itself so well to the products in the range and there is a whole host of products for top to toe. I was sent a few bits from the range to review and have definitely fallen in love with this uplifting, feel good collection. Oh, and of course, all the products have that all important bathroom shelf appeal. A huge thumbs up from me.

La Source Refreshing Body Wash 500ml £27

Described as 'A crisp, clean scent of refreshing aquatic notes, musk, and gentle shoreline breezes' this body wash swathes the bathroom in its glorious scent and leaves skin feeling cleansed, soft and refreshed.

La Source Exfoliating Body Scrub 175g £20

One of my favourite products in the range, the body scrub is smooth and creamy with enough grittiness to do its job of exfoliating, leaving skin smooth. Contains a refreshing marine blend of green seaweed extract and purifying brown algae extract.

La Source Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy 25g £8

Moisturising, softening and leaves hands smelling great, what's not to love about the classic hand therapy hand cream? Features the restorative marine blend of anti-oxidant-rich green seaweed extract and protecting red sea algae. The hydrating power of hyaluronic acid and ceramides contribute to improve the skin’s natural moisture barrier. I notice an instant plumpness and improvement in my hands condition as soon as I apply. 

La Source Triple Milled Soap 100g £7

For those of you who  like traditional soap there is one in this range, with all the goodness of shea butter and mineral skin loving properties from the collection, this is a bather's dream. 

La Source Eau De Toilette 100ml £37

And finally, we get to my absolute favourite item in the range - the EDT. I have worn this every day since receiving my package. In Spring/Summer I suffer terribly with hayfever and scents irritating my delicate nose. La Source EDT however is a revelation in scent terms - it is light, refreshing, Summery and oceanic. Does anyone remember Oceanus? It's similar-ish to this beautiful scent. 

Eau La Source is described in the following way - 

Take your senses on a journey with the new Eau de La Source®  Eau de Toilette, featuring a delicate marine accord and our antioxidant-rich Green Seaweed Extract. Experience the tranquillity of deserted shores as the spa-like scent of crisp ocean breezes, marine aromas and clean citrus notes soothes your soul and revitalises your spirit. Golden notes of amber evoke the warmth of rich sunsets, while Petitgrain and Basil bring to mind far-flung beach destinations.

• Marine aromas and clean citrus notes
• Golden notes of amber complemented with petitgrain and basil 
• Eau de toilette strength
• Perfect daytime fragrance

Literally transports me to the sea. I adore it! The husband also likes it so it's a win win.

Have you tried this range?

*PR Samples 

Prismologie Skincare Reviewed

What a real treat it has been trying out and experiencing luxury skincare brand Prismologie. Created to inspire people to embrace the mood enhancing powers of colours, through six distinctive colours chosen for their unique qualities. I know it enhanced my mood when this splash of colour arrived through my letterbox!

The six colours are - White for Clarity, Yellow for Confidence, Pink for Comfort, Green for Serenity, Red for Vigour and Indigo for Stillness. Diamonds, Citrines, Rose Quartz, Jades, Rubies and Sapphires are crushed into the formulations for their wellbeing properties. Working with leading Perfumers they created fragrances that unfold to complement the colours - Neroli for Clarity, Bergamot for Confidence, Rose for Comfort, Vetiver for Serenity, Cedarwood for Vigour and Oud for Stillness. The result is some really quite stunning scents for the products.

But do they work?

I was sent the above products to try out and below are my thoughts

Prismologie Jade & Vetiver Hand Exfoliant 75ml £35

Prismologie say - A creamy gel, enriched with moisturising oils, fine exfoliants, jade micro-crystals and the serene scent of vetiver to cleanse, restore and refine working hands.

My thoughts 

This is a really gentle exfoliator that leaves hands feeling nourished (from the moisturising oils) super smooth and soft and beautifully cleansed. The scent is lovely and warming. Just gorgeous and a perfect base to apply your hand cream.

Prismologie Citrine and Bergamot Shower Gel 200ml £30 & Body Lotion £30

Prismologie say 

Shower Gel - A foaming gel with brightening mineral and botanical extracts, citrine micro-crystals and the refreshing scent of Bergamot to leave you feeling thoroughly cleansed and good to glow.

Body Lotion - A silky lotion infused with botanical oils, citrine extract and Bergamot fragrance to hydrate and awaken skin for a thoroughly radiant you.

My thoughts 

If you are looking for a bright and uplifting start to your morning then you will adore this sunny combination of Shower Gel and matching Body Lotion. The shower gel is just how you expect a shower gel to be and the Body Lotion is wonderfully light so it absorbs instantly leaving wonderfully soft skin. As ever the scent is fantastic, zesty but not overpowering.

Prismologie Hand and Cuticle Cream with Rose and Rose Quartz 75ml £30 

Prismologie say  - A sensuous cream enriched with botanical extracts, Rose Quartz micro-crystals and Rose fragrance to soothe and moisturise stressed hands

My thoughts 

I really like rose scented products but I am fussy, they cannot be that old lady rose scent that I think most people deplore, it has to be like a delicate flower. Happily for me this hand cream has a beautifully light and fresh rose scent that is just the perfect pick me up, it's more a like a hint of rose which I think will appeal to most people. The lotion is once again light but does the job of softening hands with just a small amount of product. 75ml will last you ages.

Prismologie Foot Cream with Oud and Sapphire 75ml £28

Prismologie say - A deeply moisturising cream with antioxidants, mood enhancing actives, Sapphire micro-crystals and Oud fragrance to help soothe your tired feet and leave skin soft and supple

My thoughts 

This is my favourite product in the whole range. Quite frankly the best smelling footcare product I have ever used. Usually foot creams are fragranced with lavender which is not a scent that personally appeals to me much, this product pleasingly does not contain it, hurrah!

I apply this as I go to bed and it gets to work. Moisturising for truly soft feet and calming, relaxing my mind, aiding sleep with its warm and musky Oud scent. Sublime.

Skin Care for mind & body, I love it!

For more details visit www.prismologie.com

Soap and Glory and Bliss Stocking Filler Gift Ideas

If you are like me and have left everything to the last week before Christmas then worry not as I have a few Christmas/Festive posts coming your way that will have you sorted.

First up are these cute ideas that will leave your lips (and hands) in tip top condition.

Soap & Glory 'MERRY KISS MUCH' Gift Bauble £5 - available from Boots stores.

The bright and fun bauble contains a full size Soap & Glory A GREAT KISSER Lip Balm in Juicy Peach.

Formulated with mango butter, apricot butter, lingonberry oil and pomegranate extract, A GREAT KISSER Lip Balm is not  at all greasy or too sticky and as lip balms go, it smells utterly delectable. 

Bliss Mistletoe Gems £13 - www.blissworld.co.uk

I love the shiny and festive packaging of this lip and hand care duo which is ideal for the cold weather and Winter months.

It features a 30ml handbag size high intensity hand cream which has a lovely fresh scent and is really concentrated and so effective that you literally only need to use a pea sized amount each time for perfectly moisturised hands. (Contains Macadamia Oil + Grapeseed Extract)

It also contains a full size fabulips - a traditional style stick formula lip balm that has a subtle vanilla scent which does a great job of softening and conditioning lips on the go. This has already found its way into my pocket.

*PR Samples

Three Hand Creams To Protect Your Hands This Winter

Regular readers of BeautySwot.com know that I am a real hand cream obsessive. Currently I have three fabulous hand creams on the go. As we slip into Winter I thought I would share the ones I am currently using.

Dr. Organic Snail Gel Hand & Nail Elixir 50ml £14.99

This hand cream contains snail excretion which I must admit I thought was a bit yucky but having tried the facial serum and got an instant glow, I realised that actually if you didn't know, you wouldn't know. The hand cream has a lovely, fresh lemon scent and is more of a runny serum in texture than a cream.

It promises to provide up to 24 hours of moisturisation. Soothes and revitalises skin and improve skin elasticity. I find it to be really light and not at all greasy. It leaves my hands looking instantly younger, plumped and silky smooth and eases any tightness that may be there. I really like this hand and nail elixir and use it during the day.

L'Occitane Delicious Hand Almond Hand Cream 30ml £8

Well it is no secret that I adore the L'Occitane Almond collection. The Shower Oil is my holy grail bath product, the scent is the nicest I have ever encountered. Delicious Hands is enriched with Almond Milk and Almond Oil and features the same delicious scent. Just like the other hand creams from L'Occitane this is a light, lotion like cream that is easily absorbable with no greasy residue. The 30ml size is perfect to pop in my handbag which is where I keep this for some out and about softening action.

If Almond isn't your thing then check out the wider collection from L'Occitane as I am sure one of the other great scents will tempt you.

Bee Good Honey, Borage & Echium Intensive Hand Repair 50ml £12.99

The Bee Good brand as its name suggests uses honey as one of its key ingredients in its range of skincare.

Bee Good say

Bee Good’s natural Honey, Borage & Echium Intensive Hand Repair is our most intensive multi-use repair treatment to rescue and soothe even the driest skin.

Packed with naturally active ingredients this rich, hard-working cream is an everyday miracle for hands, feet, elbows and knees in need of a little extra TLC.

The active ingredients include moisturising British wild flower honey, British echium oil to replenish and calm and shea and cocoa butters to combat dryness. Protective antioxidant vitamin E is blended with skin-strengthening borage and antibacterial British propolis.

My thoughts

Unusually the cream is housed in a round pump action bottle so I keep it beside my bed to apply and treat my hands just before I go to sleep. As you would expect from a product that contains the word 'Intensive' in its description, the cream is thick and feels extremely nourishing leaving my hands feeling well nourished. I don't suffer from excessively dry hands or particularly dry skin so it is hard to assess it on those claims but I like to think that I am giving my hands a real treat through the night.. It has a lovely sweet scent but don't worry it is not overpowering, I find it to be most pleasant at bedtime.

*PR Samples

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Hand Cream

No7 say 

Visibly younger. This super hydrating, easily absorbed, protecting and renewing formula has been created to target the signs of ageing and help your hands have a more youthful future. It intensively conditions with day long moisturisation for softer and smoother skin and works to reveal younger looking hands in 4 weeks. Fine lines are visibly reduced, skin feels more supple with improved elasticity and looks more even.

My thoughts 

This is a lovely cream, it has a scent that is one that I would call a real cream fragrance. Texture wise it is a curious mix of feeling light on the skin, instantly absorbing with a non greasy finish and yet also feeling rich and comforting at the same time. Hands are left feeling comfortable and moisturised, super soft and appearing smoother for hours. It also has added protection of SPF15 which is fabulous.

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Hand Cream 75ml £10.50

*mini sample 

Inside The August Glossybox 2014 - Glossybox is 3!

It is hard to believe that globally Glossybox has turned 3, the concept of having beauty products delivered to your door monthly is hugely popular and it seems, certainly for now, that this enthusiasm shows no sign of abating.

I get very excited when my postman knocks with this monthly box and this month it was no different.. The outer carton this month was black and glossy with a pink bow as shown in the pics above. The actual box has had a little redesign and is not glossy and more box shaped. As ever the items were wrapped up with a bow, this time it was a smart black colour. Very pretty.

However, what is really important is the contents and this month, I personally was not disappointed. Every single item will be used.

A closer look at the contents

So the highlight for me is the Kryolan for Glossybox Highlighter in Cashmere FULL SIZE £12.95

Readers of BeautySwot.com will know I pretty much wear a highlighter every day so I cannot wait to wear this one. No glitter, just a beautiful natural shade cream highlighter for a velvety gleam.

Comfort Zone Essentials Cleansing Milk FULL SIZE 250ml £20

I have just finished my cleanser and although I have a few others to work through I don't have a cleansing milk so will be interested in giving this a go and discovering a new brand at the same time.

Figs & Rouge Mini Hand Cream 20ml (full size 80ml £6.95)

I can always do with a new hand cream and this one from Figs & Rouge is a fruity affair, now I am not a major fruit scent fan but this Mango and Mandarin one isn't bad at all, not overpowering and quite refreshing. The 20ml size is ideal to pop in my handbag.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml (full size 250ml £38)

I was pretty sure that this has already appeared in a previous Glossybox so I checked back to find that yes my memory was correct, this appeared in November 2011. OK it was ages ago but it seems I hadn't forgotten ;-) Philip Kingsley is also celebrating this year, 40 years of Elasticizer so the tie in is rather nice.

Anyway, my hair is in need of a good condition so this will be used up..just need to find a spare 20mins!

Lalique L'Amour EDP 2ml (full size 50ml £67)

Now I know that perfume samples of this size are not always appreciated but this is a really gorgeous scent and it does come with a hefty price tag...so in this case I think it was worth popping in the box. L'Amour is a truly sensational soft floral perfume with a hint of tea about it with the inclusion of Bergamot. It also features top notes of rosebuds, floral white heart notes and a musk base. Addictive.

Finally, a little birthday bonus

Yves Rocher Pink Nail Polish 3ml FULL SIZE £3.60

This dinky bottle contains a pretty creamy pink shade called Rose, it is very similar to a tea rose lipstick shade. I love it as a nudey easy to wear shade, you can see me wearing it in the top pic. I needed two coats to achieve opacity and smooth application. The brush is tiny but on my small nails it was ideal.

Final thoughts

This month my box was really rather good, excellent value with 3 full sized products and ALL the products will be used.

The August Birthday GLOSSYBOX is £10 (+P&P) and will be available throughout August 2014 from www.glossybox.co.uk while stocks last.

*PR Sample

L'Occitane Vitória-Régia Day Body Lotion & Hand Cream

Completing the au Bresil Collection from L'Occitane is the Vitória-Régia Day Flower range . Where the Vitória-Régia Night range is sweet and floral the day collection is a green and fresh floral which is every bit as fragrant.

L'Occitane say 

The story - 

The majestic vitória-régia flower perfumes Amazonian waters with its captivating fragrance. A versatile plant, its petals transform from white to pink, intensifying their floral aquatic scent. Ephemeral, this flower dismisses itself after two days, giving way to new life

Hand cream - 

Enriched with shea butter, this light cream hydrates hands, while leaving them delicately perfumed with the green, aquatic floral notes of the Vitória-Régia Day Flower fragrance. It contains a vitória-régia extract from the Amazônia region of Brazil.

Body Lotion 

The smooth Vitória-Régia Body Lotion melts rapidly into the skin leaving it soft, supple and pleasantly perfumed with aquatic floral notes.

Contains Vitória-Régia extract typical from Amazônia.

My thoughts 

The day lotion has a fabulous and delicate fresh scent that is mirrored in the hand cream. Both are light to apply but absorb fast leaving silky smooth, soft skin that smells wonderful.

I love the size of the hand cream, perfect to travel with.

The au Bresil collection is quite simply gorgeous and my love affair with L'Occitane products continues..

L'Occitane Vitória-Régia Day Body Lotion 250ml £20

L'Occitane Vitória-Régia Day Hand Cream 30ml £8

*PR Samples

Dr.Ceuticals Super Repair Hand Cream Review

Dr.Ceuticals say 

Regular application of a hydrating cream is key in the
battle against skin dryness and ageing. This advanced glycerine-based hand cream boosted with anti-ageing coenzyme Q10 and a pro-collagen peptide helps to intensely moisturise and replenish lost moisture and suppleness to hands. Skin-conditioning Allantoin and antioxidant Acai combine to further boost repair and nourishment. Light and non greasy the cream sinks into skin quickly to leave hands dry-to-the-touch but restored.
My thoughts 

This is my current hand cream for popping on before I go to bed. It smells lovely and fresh, but still with a familiar cream scent. It is light and non greasy, instantly making hands look better and smoother and feeling beautifully soft.

Dr.Ceuticals Super Repair Hand Cream 7ml £9.99

* Currently on offer at Boots for £6.99

Yardley London Jade EDT & Blue Orchid Hand & Nail Cream

Last year I fell in love with Yardley London's fragrance launch - Polaire and this year they have done it again with their newest fragrance - Jade. Its name pays homage to Yardley's first fragrance of the the 60's - Sea Jade.

A smart and simply designed round bottle that is clean and mininal contains a perfect Spring/Summer garden scent.

Jade is a crisp, green floral chypre that is fresh and elegant which transcends any particular age group, appealing to all. It is quite strong but not overpowering and it has excellent staying power. Very nice indeed.

Top notes - Peach, Bergamot & Galbanum
Heart notes - Rose, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang & Orris
Base notes - Patchouli, Sandalwood & Moss

Yardley London Jade 50ml £19.99

I have also had a chance to try out the new floral Bath & Body Collection from Yardley London and first to be reviewed is the gorgeous Invigorating Blue Orchid Hand & Nail Cream

This new collection is affordable and features bright, modern packaging.

Blue Orchid is a rather deliciously sweet scent, a mix of juicy fruits - mango, orange and redcurrant, florals - of water lily, bluebell and vanilla orchid with a warm and woody base of cedarwood, mahogony and one of my all time faves.. tonka bean. It also contains Q10, vitamin E, shea butter and sweet almond oil.

It leaves skin silky soft and smooth and nails feeling conditioned. A gorgeous bargain.

Yardley London Invigorating Blue Orchid Nourishing Hand & Nail Cream 75ml £2.99

*PR Samples 

Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream Review

Another gorgeous hand cream recommendation for you today, this time from natural skincare brand Balance Me. I have already reviewed the Super Moisturising Hand Cream which had a lovely formula but the scent wasn't quite able to win me over. As predicted though the Rose Otto Hand Cream is far more to my liking.

Balance Me say

We have combined the best elements of our multi-award winning super moisturising hand cream with our most cherished rose essential oil blend to create a richly hydrating cream that has the lightest of textures and is perfect for dry, delicate and sensitive hands. Our ultra-soothing and skin-quenching rose otto hand cream deeply smooths and moisturises dry hands with its emollient blend of anti-oxidant rich, protective Arctic cloudberry, soothing cameila and kukui nut oils and our exquisite aroma of softening rose otto, palma rosa and rose geranium essential oils.

My thoughts 

The Rose Otto Hand Cream has a lovely and appealing delicate rose scent. The cream is non greasy, absorbs fast and leaves skin feeling velvety super soft, hydrated and smooth looking. What is there not to love!

Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream 50ml £10

*Balance Me promise no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, dea, plegs, poropylene glycol, artificial fragrances and colours.

*PR Sample

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream - Review

Winter is in full flow now and as mentioned many times before on BeautySwot.com I do love a good hand cream and naturally I want to share this with you.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream is a multi-purpose cream for dry skin or lips but my favourite application for it is as a hand cream to apply to my hands just before I go to bed.

This product has been on the market for a long time. Developed in 1957 it is said to be one of the best selling products in Japan and it is easy to see why. The cream has a concentrated Glycerin Formula and is enriched with Vitamins B2, C and E. It plumps, hydrates and soothes dry skin beautifully, absorbing fast without leaving an oily or greasy residue. The product is yellow in colour and initially has the medicinal scent of Camphor (smells like Vicks Vapor Rub) which I really love and also has the added bonus of helping to clear my airways to breathe easier (ideal in the Winter) though if you are not a fan, the scent, sadly for me, disappears fast.

Use on rough dry skin,split cuticles, chapped lips, cracked heels, calluses and sunburn anywhere on the body.

Contains no artificial colour or fragrance. Great stuff.

You can buy it in a tub format (70g) from Boots for £19.50 or in this tube format of 33g for around £13 from various online stores.

*PR Sample

Pivoine Flora & Cherry Blossom Hand Creams From L'Occitane

As part of my winter skincare regime I have purchased some wonderfully soft leather gloves to protect my hands when out in the elements. Of course, being the hand cream obsessive that I am a hand cream or two or three are never far out of reach.

Readers of BeautySwot.com will know that L'Occitane is a brand that I love and these gorgeous hand creams in a handy 30ml tube are perfect for popping in the handbag to apply anytime.

Both contain Shea Butter, are light and non greasy leaving skin feeling soft and silky.

Cherry Blossom containing cherry extract has a delicate fruity scent of cherries

Pivoine Flora contains grape oil and has the flowery scent of peonies.

L'Occitane 30ml Travel Size Hand Creams cost £8 each

Smiths Of Jersey - Spa Quality Products In Your Home

I have had a lovely pampering morning at home with new British bodycare brand Smiths Of Jersey. Inspired by the sea, the capsule range consists of four products. Certified organic and harnessing the benefits of local seaweeds and marine extracts this is a luxurious range of products that bring the Spa into your home.

Smiths of Jersey Regenerating Honey & Sea Salt Body Scrub 200ml £24.95

Smiths say

Say goodbye to dry areas and a dull complexion with this luxuriously nourishing Thalasso Body Scrub. Mineral-rich Atlantic Salt blended with Honey, Shea Butter, Organic Sweet Almond Oil and Marine Extracts gently exfoliates and removes impurities, rapidly renewing the skin cells and intensely moisturising to restore softness, suppleness and radiance to the skin – for spa-quality results at home.

My thoughts 

This body scrub is to be applied to dry skin and then washed off using a body wash (I used the one in the collection) It feels buttery soft out of the container but as it is rubbed over the skin you can feel the grains of salt as they exfoliate the skin. It has a pleasant scent that is slightly salty. As water made contact with it, my skin felt like I had applied grease to it but I needn't have worried because as soon as the body wash was applied the scrub rinsed off leaving my skin soft and smooth.

Smiths of Jersey Marine Rich Detoxifying Bath & Shower Wash 300ml £19.95

Smiths say 

Experience pure spa indulgence at home with this soft lathering organic body wash. Packed with detoxifying and toning Marine Extracts, collagen-boosting Sea Kelp, Barley Sprout Floral Water and Papaya Extracts to deeply cleanse, maintain pH balance and rapidly renew the skin cells - leaving the skin feeling soft, supple and revitalised.

My thoughts 

The bath and shower wash has a gel like texture that just glides across the skin, it doesn't foam which personally I prefer in my body washes. This has a delicate fresh scent which I liked, feels really gentle to the skin and my skin felt beautifully soft when I stepped out of the bath.

Smiths of Jersey Sheer Hydration Body Lotion 200ml £24.95

Smiths say

Gently massage this sensationally silky lotion into the legs, arms and feet for the ultimate skin treat. Packed with revitalising Marine Extracts, Propolis, Elemi oil and Organic Cornflower Water to effectively restore skin’s natural moisture balance, increase suppleness and alleviate the signs of ageing. Skin is left feeling deeply soothed, hydrated and silky smooth, without a dry patch in sight.

My thoughts 

Once again the scent on the body lotion is really delicate which is ideal for those of us who are not overly keen on heavily scented products and prefer our scent to come from our perfume.. Texture wise this is a really light lotion which absorbs fast and does a fabulous job of hydrating the skin. At the end of my pamper session I was surprised at how super smooth my skin was, how even the tone and flawless my legs appeared. You know when you see airbrushed legs in adverts?..well that is how my legs looked.

Smiths Of Jersey Nourishing Ultra-Rich Hand & Foot Cream 100ml £18.95

Smiths say

A beauty must-have, this organic hand & foot cream has a sensationally rich texture that melts into the skin. Enriched with moisturising Shea Butter, soothing and hydrating Sea Fennel, collagen-boosting Sea Kelp and other revitalising Marine Extracts to effectively nourish, moisturise and regenerate dry and cracked skin, restoring silky smooth softness to hard-working hands and feet.

My thoughts 

Oh now this was amazing. The hand and foot cream is reasonably light in texture but made light work of my feet, leaving them literally like silk and incredibly soft that I couldn't stop feeling them! I absolutely loved this product. As with the other products the scent was delicate.

Final thoughts

Often I read descriptions and claims of products and take them with a pinch of salt but it was hard to disagree with the words from Smiths Of Jersey, having used the products I found myself nodding along as I agreed with everything they said. The products provided me with a spa like experience in my home, were a real pleasure to use and left my skin feeling so good that I just could not fault them. Home pampering at its finest.

For more information visit www.smithsofjersey.com

*PR Samples

Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream Review

Another fabulous hand cream to pop in your bag ... Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream with macadamia oil + grapeseed extract.

Bliss say 

Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream contains macadamia oil and grapeseed extract leave dry hands silky, not greasy.

• Supreme softening and surface smoothing
• Silky but grease-free
• Smoothes rough cuticles

My thoughts 

If you are not a fan of floral or herbal/medicinal scents you will love this hand cream. It has an exceptionally nice fresh scent with a faint hint of citrus. This cream has a lovely texture that is easily absorbed and non greasy leaving you with gloriously silky soft skin.

Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream 75ml costs £18.40
Product shown - Travel Size 30ml £5

*PR Sample

Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream

As the colder weather approaches a hand cream is a must to combat the drying effect and to keep cracked, flaky hands at bay, although for me personally a hand cream is a staple in my beauty regime all year round. I have mentioned before I have hand creams everywhere! I always, without fail, apply hand cream before I go to bed and this award winning hand cream from Balance Me is the one that comes with me to bed.

Balance Me say

Multi-award winning and seriously rich, our cream has been formulated to leave even the driest hands smooth and soft to touch. Our unique and uplifting blend of renowned ancient skin conditioners (benzoin and yarrow) shea butter and sweet almond oil work together to really turn back the clock on hard-working hands.

Also includes the essential oil Patchouli (calming) Indonesian kukui nut oil for supply skin and skin smoothing carrageenan gum.

Ultra effective and seriously smoothing.

My thoughts 

This hand cream is quite thick to apply, you will only need a little as it goes a long way and it absorbs fast with no greasy finish. Skin looks plumped and smooth and seriously soft. The scent is slightly medicinal and herbal and is not really overly appealing to me (although the more I use this cream the more I am getting used to it) but I know that could just be my issue as lots of people have told me that they love the scent and it even had my own husband asking me "what is that lovely smell".

Super Moisturising Hand Cream is a very effective hand cream which I would recommend you give a go.

Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream is available in 3 sizes 100ml, 50ml and 30ml and retails at £14.50, £10 and £7.50. For stockist information visit balanceme.co.uk

*Balance Me promise no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, dea, plegs, poropylene glycol, artificial fragrances and colours.

*PR Sample

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream

The hand cream obsessive is back (aka me!) and this time it is with this gorgeous, gorgeous hand cream from French brand Nuxe. Perhaps best known for their iconic Huile Prodigieuse multi-purpose dry oil, this natural brand, as I have recently discovered has quite a few gems in their skincare range and I cannot wait to get to know the brand better.

Rêve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream

Nuxe say

This hand cream nourishes, soothes and repairs the hands (Sunflower Oil, Rose Muscat and Sweet Almond Oil, Barley Extract, Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Acacia Honey). Hands are protected against external aggression (Vitamin E).

My thoughts

This is a reasonably thick and rich hand cream that smells utterly delectable. I absolutely love the sweet honey scent and it just feels like it is doing good things for the hands. It leaves hands looking smooth and feeling soft and silky for hours. Really, really nice.

Rêve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream 75ml costs £10

*PR Sample

COWSHED Cow Slip and Cow Pat Hand Creams Reviewed

I seem to have done a complete about turn - going from never using hand creams to ensuring having one in the kitchen, one in my bedroom and one in my handbag.. so when I saw that I could get a rather bargainous 12 months subscription for Easy Living Magazine complete with a gift of 2 free hand creams I naturally signed on the dotted line...

Cowshed is a brand that I have never tried before although I had heard of it..I must confess the names of the products didn't really appeal to me but it would seem that I have been missing out.

A little bit about the brand (from their website)

Cowshed has evolved into a holistic range of products and treatments, all bound together through their continued use of natural botanicals from sustainable resources containing the highest quality essential oils. On top of which they guarantee;

No Parabens (preservatives)
No Petrochemicals (petroleum bi-products)
No Sulphates (artificial foaming agents)
No Animal Ingredients (spare a little organic beeswax and wildflower honey)
No Artificial Fragrances or Colours
No Animal Testing (not now, not ever)

We continue to make all of our products in England, ensuring local sustainability and optimal 'just picked' freshness.

Cow Pat Moisturising Hand Cream (50ml) £8

They say

Delicately scented with grapefruit and coriander, this hand cream sinks in quickly, leaving skin well nourished. 

My thoughts

Scent wise this is is fresh and herby, I wasn't sure I was going to like it from the description and it is so far removed from the usual hand cream scents but it is strangely addictive. This is a light cream that I would use for general moisturisation as it leaves hands soft but I don't feel the results last... if my hands were really dry I wouldn't be reaching for this.

Cow Slip Soothing Hand Cream (50ml) £8

They say

Maintain youthful hands at any moment of the day with a mini tube of our award winning hand cream!

This luxurious hand cream uses spearmint oil for its healing and antibacterial properties as well as petitgrain, peppermint and sweet orange to maintain moisture and restore supple skin for younger looking hands.

My thoughts 

Another curious ingredient concoction that actually smells so very nice, this cream feels light but once applied you can really see the difference in the condition of the skin. My skin looks super smooth and well moisturised but it is not greasy at all. 

Out of the two I prefer the Soothing Hand Cream for the results it gives.

Have you tried this brand?

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - Review

Every Winter my husband suffers from chapped hands. His lovely soft hands become very dry, rough and scaly. Quite often they split and bleed particularly between the knuckles. The condition is so bad his hands resemble the hands of someone far beyond his years. Recently they looked so awful that even one of his friends felt he had to comment on the state of them!

I try to get him to use moisturiser, occasionally he will reluctantly try something, and whilst it may work for a short while (a couple of hours), they soon become very dry again. When I mentioned that I had been sent a hand cream suitable for very dry skin to review and that it was rather pointless me trying it as I don't suffer from dry hands he did offer to give it a go.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector 

The Body Shop say 

Our best-selling Hemp Hand Protector helps soften and protect hands. It is dermatologically tested for very dry skin and contains Community Trade hemp seed oil.
Relieves very dry skin
Restores moisture and suppleness

My thoughts (husband's thoughts)

First of all I think the fact that the packaging wasn't at all "girly" convinced him to try the product. The scent is subtle and herbal (again not 'girly'). This is a thick cream that melts into the skin, is non greasy leaving hands wonderfully soft instantly. However.. the brilliance of the Hemp Hand Protector is that hands remain like this ALL DAY. Used twice a day my husband's hands have been TRANSFORMED and restored to pre Winter hands. I make no apologies for the capitals, this is a product worth shouting about.

Bottom line: This works!

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector costs £10 for 100ml 

*PR Sample

Winter Hand Creams - My Top Picks

Three gorgeous hand creams, each one has been a saviour for me this winter, keeping my hands, soft, smooth and hydrated day and night.

L'Occitane Almond Smooth Hands £8 for 30ml

This is a light hand cream that I use after doing the washing up or washing my hands or just if my hands feel a little dry through the day. Although this is from the same collection as my holy grail shower oil  the scent is much fresher and delicate. It is green and leafy, the smell is just like the burst you get when breaking open an almond shell. Enriched with softening almond milk and smoothing almond proteins. I love it.

Crabtree & Evelyn Himalayan Blue Hand Therapy £5 for 25g

This hand cream is slighter thicker than the L'Occitane one and therefore a bit more moisturising. I keep this in my hand bag for applying when out and about. Especially when my hands have been exposed to the cold. I had no idea what to expect from this scent but it is rather delicious. Crabtree and Evelyn describe the fragrance as an enigmatic blend of smoked black tea, warm ginger and spices, and golden champaca, touched with a mysterious accord of patchouli, leather notes, and exotic woods. You need to smell it to appreciate it. Contains shea butter and macadamia nut oil.

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Creme £52 for 100ml

The tube pictured is a 30ml version that came in an Estee Lauder cracker. As the name suggests this is a real treatment hand cream which is thick and creamy. I pop this on for overnight intensive moisturising. Rich and indulgent, this has the familiar Lauder scent which is one of my favourites. Smooths lines and reduces dark ageing spots.

Hand Creams From L-R   Crabtree& Evelyn, L'Occitane, Estee Lauder - You can see the difference in texture by looking at these.

What have you been applying to your hands this winter?

*PR Samples

What's Inside My November 2012 GlossyBox

The theme of November's GlossyBox is 'Stocking Fillers' and its aim is to serve as an inspirational gift guide.

When the delivery man knocked on my door with the familiar box I had no idea what to expect inside. I think this month's box is another winner. Out of the 5 samples inside I will definitely be using 3 of them completely.

The contents

ALISON CLAIRE NATURAL BEAUTY Mango Body Butter 50ml (£15 for 200ml)

This is a new brand. A wonderfully sweet mango scented thick (but spreadable!) body butter that has so far left my skin feeling lovely and smooth. Look forward to using this.

MONU Firming Moisturiser 20ml (18.50 for 50ml)

This is a Marine Collagen enriched cream that is for dry/sensitive skin so I will probably pass this on to my sister as I have normal/combination skin. I have used heavier creams before not designed for my skin type and they just leave it looking and feeling greasy.

NAILS INC Notting Hill Gate Nail Polish 4ml (£11 for 10ml)

A cute sized bottle, Notting Hill Gate is a bright, almost neon pink shade that is probably better suited for Summer. Personally I would have much preferred to have had Porchester Square (a mushroom colour) in my box as it is the shade I would most likely wear more often and more suited to this time of the year.

CRABTREE & EVELYN Himalayan Blue Hand Therapy 25g (£5)

I love hand creams, one of my all time favourites is the rose one from C&E and this is going straight into my handbag. It is the perfect size to carry around, smells absolutely wonderful and fresh. Described as - An enigmatic blend of smoked black tea, warm ginger and spices, and golden champaca, touched with a mysterious accord of patchouli, leather notes, and exotic woods. Very nice indeed.

DERMALOGICA Daily Microfoliant 13g (£38.50 for 75g)

I actually have sachets of this facial exfoliator that I haven't got round to trying but I far prefer this sample pot to use, it is a bit like a salt shaker! A decent quantity for daily use to judge whether I like it or not. I will be started this tomorrow, look out for a full product review shortly...

Final thoughts 

Generous sized samples and a decent variation of product type mean that I give this month's box a thumbs up.

For more details on GlossyBox click here 

*PR Sample