Review: Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy

Who doesn't love freebies that come with magazines? When I found out that Women's Weekly magazine came with two Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy creams when purchased from Coles, I couldn't resist and had to give them a try! Valued at $24 for two 25g tubes, they were worth paying only $8 for- and I was lucky and received the Rosewater and Pomegranate Argan and Grapeseed creams- the others that were available were La Source and Citron.

Love the packaging

The Crabtree & Evelyn Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy is described as an intensive conditioning cream formulated with shea butter, macadamia nut oil and botanical ingredients which moisturise and soften hands, nails and cuticles. I was so excited to try these hand creams out as I had heard that Crabtree & Evelyn make excellent products so I was really happy that I could try these out for a great price. It couldn't come at a better time either, since I was looking into buying L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom hand cream which is very similar to Crabtree's Hand Therapy! The packaging between these are also very similar which I just love, and formulations are just beautiful.

I have tried many different hand creams, and I know what I like to look for in them- something that absorbs instantly and doesn't leave any residue or greasiness, as well as having a nice scent or being unscented. This literally removes most drugstore hand creams (except the QV Hand Cream which I love) as many of them are sticky and greasy which I absolutely hate. I try to love the Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream but it is just too thick and greasy- although it is amazing at softening my hands (I might do a review on it sometime!).

The Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy creams are excellent. Just like the L'Occitane hand cream formulations, it absorbs very well and doesn't leave any greasiness behind! I'm not a big fan of rose scented products but since the formula of the hand cream is so beautiful, I really can't complain. The Pomegranate Argan and Grapeseed is definitely my favourite, the scent is just lovely and refreshing. I love how the tubes are small and are a great size for the handbag- although I believe that you can only purchase it in the 50g tube or 250g pump.

Overall, I like these hand creams. Crabtree have done a great job for the packaging, which is luxurious looking; as well as having a formulation which sinks very well into the skin, moisturising the hands. Using these Hand Therapy creams along with my Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is just heaven to my hands!

Did you take advantage of this freebie with the magazine? Have you tried Crabtree & Evelyn Hand creams before?

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Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Sometimes a deal is just too good to ignore, even if it is for something we don't really need! Not only did I come across a "buy one get one free" offer for Revlon lip and nail products, I got my staff discount of 25% off on top of that! Needless to say, I walked out with two lovely lipsticks in hand at 63% off each (you don't get better than this for products that aren't discontinued!) from Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick range. After a long time swatching and admiring the amazing 48 different shades on offer, I decided to get Peach Me and Blushing Nude.

L-R: Peach Me, Blushing Nude

Shiny black packaging, so simple yet elegant

Before settling on Peach Me and Blushing Nude, the other shades I was contemplating on were Demure, Soft Suede, Teak Rose, Apricot Fantasy and Blushing Mauve (okay that listing was unnecessary but oh well...) but they all looked very similar to each other, moreso than the two I chose. If only I could afford to buy all these gorgeous shades!

Described as a lipstick enriched with moisturisers Aloe and Vitamin E which has a formula that seals in rich, luscious stay-true colour- I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with Revlon's Super Lustrous lipsticks. MakeupAlley averages reviews of a rating 4.3/5 which is amazing and on Beautyheaven a full 5 stars!

On application these lipsticks glided on like a charm, even with dry lips, and is much more moisturising than Rimmel's Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick which I reviewed here. Staying power is good, about a couple of hours too with eating and drinking in between. But what impresses me the most is the huge selection of shades on offer which are all absolutely gorgeous and appear flattering on me (perhaps not including Va Va Violent, a very scary and intimidating dark purple).

Peach Me

Blushing Nude

Yes, these two shades do look quite similar in the bullet but I swear they aren't! At least I didn't get the Soft Suede shade which is nearly identical to Blushing Nude. Peach Me has a pearl finish while Blushing Nude boasts a beautiful creme finish- and the pearl lipsticks do not look frosty or glittery at all which is amazing! I absolutely love the formulation of the Super Lustrous lipsticks as it is creamy with beautiful colour payoff!

L-R: Peach Me, Blushing Nude

Now you can see the difference between these shades! Peach Me is just like its name- a peachy orange shade that surprisingly looks more pink on the lips; and Blushing Nude a modest rosy pink that I convince myself that it doesn't look anything like my 07 in Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick range... hehe.

I haven't really been a lipstick girl until quite recently, as I had never been able to find shades that flatter my skintone and lipsticks which have a lovely formulation- but the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick has changed this! Even after purchasing a Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter and reading many praises about it, I wasn't completely "wowed" with it. The Super Lustrous range just works and I think I might indulge in a few more shades...

Have you tried the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks? What shades do you have?

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Review: Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I'm so sick and tired of dealing with awful nails and cuticles lately- the condition of mine have been dry and uncomfortably sore. What is even worse is that my cuticles are dry to the point of peeling- yuck! At work I stumbled across the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and had a quick try of the tester available and fell in love! I didn't buy it instantly but I did go home and did a little search online about this cuticle cream. Having won Beautyheaven's Best Nail Treatment in its Best in Beauty Awards 2012, and having many 5 star reviews to boast about, I knew that this little tin of lemon butter cream would be worth every cent of the $14.95 I paid.

Waxy consistency

Presented in a small vintage styled tin, its simple packaging is attractive and easy to use. I was greeted with a "lemon butter" fragrance as I opened it which reminded me of lemon cheesecake, which was quite refreshing! Despite being called a "cream", the product inside is quite firm and waxy, similar to a balm.

The Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is described as an intensive, natural treatment to nourish and moisturise the nails and cuticles, with a touch of lemon oil to make the nails smell incredible clean, healthy and beautiful. Vitamin E and rosemary leaf oil are to help condition the skin and assist with its repair while beeswax helps to seal in moisture, protecting the cuticles and nails from drying out. Sounds exactly like what I need!

100% natural, no animal testing and certified natural!

I've never had a good experience with a cuticle cream before- the only time I have used one was in a cheap nail kit I received as a Christmas gift some five or so years ago. It was a cream, and the scent was just overpowering and smelled of powder which was not pleasant! Needless to say I never used it again (it didn't even help with my cuticles). However the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is a different story. Non-greasy, absorbs instantly into the skin and does exactly what it claims it does! Just the right amount of product is picked up after swiping the waxy product with my index finger, and is lovely to apply- not much is needed as it is quite concentrated. The discomfort I had with my peeling cuticles was relieved- I couldn't even achieve this with a very thick hand cream! Just after one day of applying this cuticle cream, my cuticles and surrounding nail bed have never looked and felt better!  Here is a before and after shot after just one application of the cuticle cream (please excuse the awkwardness of my hand):

 You can definitely see a difference, even after just one application! I am very happy with this purchase (I seem to be quite happy with my recent purchases as of yet which is good) and have to say, I didn't really expect much from this humble tin of lemon butteriness. It has been very enjoyable to apply and the refreshing lemon scent doesn't hurt either and my cuticles are in a much better condition now!

Have you tried the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream before? How about other cuticle/nail creams?

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