Review: Atrixo Intensive Protection Cream

This is the last in my big pile of Atrixo products that I've slowly been working my way through for nearly two years (!!) and I gotta say that it seems like I left the best till last - this one is by far my favourite product!

The love starts already from the outside. While I know some people find tubs unhygienic, I personally prefer them over squeezey tubes for three reasons:
a) They look nicer on my bedside table
b) You always know exactly how much you've got left
c) There's this satisfying feeling of dipping your finger into a big ol' tub of cream (just me on this one?)

Then there's also the scent... I really love the scent on all Atrixo products and this one is no different. It's soft, very subtly sweet and extremely comforting. This particular one actually reminds me a little bit of sun lotion, which is definitely not a bad thing!

The cream is very similar in texture to a silky body butter and is very satisfying and smooth to apply. Even though this is the intensive cream, I find that it actually sinks in a lot quicker than the regular version. I still only use it overnight - there have only been two hand creams ever that I've used during the day time just because I hate that dreadful sticky feeling you get from applying hand lotion. It works wonderfully as an overnight treatment, though, and has me waking up with baby soft hands every morning. What more could you ask for?

Granted, the tub isn't particularly handbag friendly, but at £4.59 for a gigantic 200ml tub it's truly amazing value for money.

Review: Atrixo Regenerating Treatment

I like winter, but I absolutely hate what it does to my hands - dry, chapped skin with knuckles that crack so bad they even bleed sometimes are the norm. A thick, moisturising hand cream is a must for the colder months to avoid the agony of my skin splitting every time I move my fingers.

I've had this hand cream for a while, but it was only during the last couple of weeks that I dug it back out, as my hands were in need of some serious TLC. I'm really not a fan of greasy hands during the day, so I tend to just apply a thick layer of rich cream at night and let it do its work while I'm fast asleep.

Upon first application I wasn't quite sure if this would be moisturising enough for my extremely dry hands. It doesn't give that "instant hit" of moisture that I've had from some other creams and there remains a slippy layer on my hands for quite some time. However, when I wake up my hands are visibly softer and smoother and with frequent application they are now crack free and soft.
I'm not sure I could recommend this for constant application during the day time, as it does take quite a long time to sink in, but over night it's a great way to pick up dry and chapped hands during the colder months.

Atrixo Regenerating Treatment retails at £5.79 a tube.

Monthly Favourites: January 2014

1) Yes Nurse! Hand cream

There's not much to say about this hand cream that I haven't said before (check out my full review of this one here), but it's quite possibly the best hand cream I've ever used. No faffing about with greasy, slimy hands that won't let you touch anything without leaving a snail trail. This sinks in pretty much instantly and protects my hands from the harsh environment. Every winter my hands would get so dry that the skin would crack at the knuckles - now that's a thing of the past. The tube in the picture has been in my handbag for a while, so it's gone a bit manky and it's starting to run low as well, but I can definitely see myself repurchasing this.

2) MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush

I've had this product for ages and it's only recently, when rummaging through my stash, that I rediscovered it. I've not put it down ever since! It's got quite a hard, waxy cream texture, but I find that that makes it perfect for placing a strategic highlight on top of the cheekbones as well as above the lip on the cupid's bow. It works best when blended in with fingers, as I find that brushes struggle to pick up the pigment. I actually reviewed this product on my blog in May two years ago, back when I lived in Germany for a bit and wrote my posts in two languages! Click here for a blast from the past.

3) Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray

This mini thickening spray came as a freebie with a magazine sometime last autumn I think. The first time I used it I was a tad overzealous and as a result my hair went literally horizontal after blow drying. There's volume and there's too much volume. After that incident I've banished the spray to the back of my unwanted drawer, but something made me dig it out again at the start of the month and give it another go. Turns out, if you're not overgenerous with your application, this is actually a brilliant product that gives me just that little bit of lift to my hair without being at all sticky or drying on the hair. 

4) Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

Right before Christmas there was a 3 for 2 deal on all Rimmel products on at Boots, and as I was in the market for a new foundation and mascara anyway, I popped this into my basket as well, seeing as I'd heard so many good things about the Color Tattoos from various blogs. Turns out, I can completely understand the hype. The formula is simply brilliant. Nice and creamy and blendable to begin with, it eventually settles into a powder finish that does not budge all day. Permanent Taupe is a little less pigmented and more muted compared to the other shades on offer, but it works amazing with a winged eye liner. I can't wait to get my hands on some of the other colours, including On and On Bronze!

Sample Summary #11

I've been rubbing, spreading and smothering my way through an array of samples again, so it's about time I gave you another run down of mini sample summaries to see what's gone straight on the wish list (or straight in the bin).

1) Kerastase | Elixir Ultime

Full size: £34.50

Rating: 4.5/5

The Kerastase Elixir Ultime is hailed as the mother of all hair oils, so I was expecting nothing short of miracles for my hair. After the first application, I have to admit that I do see where the hype is coming from. Despite being an oil, this doesn't really feel oily - it's more sticky in texture and my hair literally drank it up like there was no tomorrow. It did everything I look for in a good hair oil: It gave my hair a little extra kick of moisture, smoothed away flyaways, added a bit of shine, but without making the hair seem greasy and limp. It wasn't quite mindblowing enough for me to rush out and spend £30 on a full sized bottle, but if you're in the market for a hair oil and don't mind spending a bit extra, then you really can't go wrong with this.

2) Clarins | Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Full size: £20

Rating: 4/5

I remember getting my Mum one of these as a present, as it was highly recommended to me by the shop assistant for somebody who uses their hands a lot. It's hailed to be a fast-acting hand cream that takes no time at all to sink into the skin, but at the same time repair some serious damage both from ageing and harsh environments. As far as sinking in goes, this is right up there with my favourites and one of the few hand creams I could apply during the day. As far as damage control goes, it did leave my hands nice and soft, but it didn't work quite as well as my beloved Yes! Nurse hand cream (which is also a lot cheaper). I don't think it's quite heavy duty enough for what my poor hands have to withstand in the winter.

3) Clinique | 7 Day Scrub

Full size: £18.50

Rating: 3/5

I'm a bit lost here with the 7 day claim on this scrub. What is it supposed to mean? Are you meant to use it every day for 7 days? Does it take 7 days to see results? Does an application last for 7 days? I don't know!! What I do know is that this performed like a pretty average facial exfoliator. The grains were a good size, the texture firm enough not to end up down the sink, but soft enough to not tug skin when you spread it. A decent product, but at that price point I would expect something to really wow me to justify spending that extra bit of money. As it stands, you can find pretty good drugstore alternatives at no more than half the price.

4) Weleda | Millet Nourishing Shampoo

Full size: £8.95

Rating: 1/5

Oh my.... is it possible for a shampoo to leave your hair even dirtier than it was before the wash? This is an all natural product free from SLS and other foaming agents, so I wasn't expecting a rich lather anyway, but this just left my hair heavy, tangled and slightly on the oily side. Such a shame, as it has a zesty scent that is simply to die for under the shower.

5) Shiseido | Ibuki Refining Moisturizer Enriched

Full size: £42

Rating: 4.5/5

Eugh, how I miss this little pot. This was pretty much the perfect moisturiser for me. It was rich, yet lightweight and an absolute pleasure to apply. Even from this little sample size I could tell the difference it was making to my skin, which seemed clearer and just a little bit more alive. Good enough, in fact, to run errands and go shopping completely make-up free. The only downside is the price. At £42 a pop, it really ain't cheap, but I'm still hovering over the buy button, as this might just be worth a little extra splurge.

6) Louis Widmer | Skin Appeal Peeling

Full size: £11.20

Rating: 4/5

I can't say I've ever heard of a brand called Louis Widmer, but judging from the writing on the sample it seems to be a Dutch brand. The Skin Appeal series in particular is targeted at young, breakout-prone skin and while that's not exactly me (my skin is more on the combination side and my teenage years are well and truly a thing of the past), I really enjoyed using this product. It's definitely one of the harsher products I've ever had the pleasure of using, so not one for those with sensitive skin. But on the plus side, it left my skin feeling really squeaky clean, as if it literally got into every single pore to get rid of all of the rubbish that has accumulated there over time.

7) Eucerin | Dermo Densifyer Day

Full size: £24.42

Rating: 3/5

Another name that leaves me a bit baffled. I've heard of many different skin concerns, but does anyone really want their skin to be... denser...? Opening this sample I didn't think I'd get on with it at all, as it's just the type of heavy, thick cream that usually leaves me looking like I've been in an oil wrestling match, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. Turns out it wasn't quite as bad. As it's so thick a little goes a long way on my skin type and you can definitely feel that there's something on your skin, but it's been working pretty well in the cold winter months at creating a barrier on my skin that has kept the occasional redness or dry patches completely at bay. As far as samples go it's huge and even though I've been using it for 3 months I've only just started getting to the bottom of it. I feel that while it's good on my skin, it would perform absolutely exceptional on dry to very dry skin types.

8) Rodial | 5 Minute Facial

Full size: £35

Rating: 5/5

This stuff is flippin amazing! I'd never tried anything from Rodial before and I'd highly questioned their approach to beauty with names such as "Size Zero" cream and rather dodgy looking meal replacement sticks. But, I've got to give it to them, as far as face masks go, this might just be the best that I've ever tried. It applies as a smooth cream, then dries and hardens, just like a mud mask would. You're then meant to rub off the hardened product, but I found that only about half of it came off by rubbing and I had to rinse the remainder off with water. (It also made a right mess of my bathroom sink, let me tell you that!) What I was left with was skin that was (sorry, there is no other word for it) radiant and just... just, wow. Absolutely worth the £35 - although I found it £10 cheaper on Allbeauty (see link above) and will be purchasing a full sized tube soon!

Review: Yes! Nurse Hand Cream

Me and hand cream have a very difficult relationship. While my hands definitely need a good cream as they're in and out of water quite a bit and always get really dry and cracked in winter, I don't use it anywhere near as much as I should. To me there is nothing worse in the world than that feeling of greasy hands when you can't touch anything because it slips through your fingers and leaves a greasy film on all your possessions. Eurgh!

But how could I resist this little box of prettiness? They say you shouldn't be swayed by packaging, but this adorable box with its gorgeous illustrations totally stole my heart. Just look at it!

But let's get to the actual product at hand (see what I did there? Har har!). It was originally designed for nurses, whose hands suffer a lot from constant washing and disinfecting, but who can't afford to stand around and wave their hands about in the air, waiting for a cream to sink in. Sounds familiar somehow!

And I'm glad to report that this lovely product has almost completely cured my hand cream aversion. I apply this every time I go outside and before the end of the first song on my iPhone, it's already completely sunk in and I can touch anything I want without leaving a slimy snail trail.

At this time of the year my hands are usually so dry that the skin around my knuckles cracks and starts to bleed. Not only doesn't that look particularly pretty, it's also rather painful. But this time I've not only completely dodged that problem, but the skin on my hands actually feels rather soft and lovely. It's only fair to say I'm in love!

Aside from individual tubes of hand cream, Yes! Nurse also offer a subscription service which gets you two tubes of their lovely cream as well as a little extra each month. While that's not something I'd get for myself, I think it's a great gift idea for anyone in your life whose hands might need a little extra TLC.

You can find Yes! Nurse hand cream at £5.49 per tube here. Or click here to sign up to their subscription service.

Atrixo Enriched Moisturising Cream Review

When I was contacted by Atrixo a few months back I couldn't quite place the brand name. The logo and the name rang a bell somehow, somewhere, but I couldn't quite figure out where I'd seen them.
Atrixo make a variety of hand creams catering to different skin type needs at very reasonable drugstore prices. One of the products I got to test out by them was the Enriched Moisturising Cream.

If you've read any of my other hand cream reviews you'll know that I'm quite awkward with hand creams. I hate the greasy, sticky feeling they leave on my hands and will pretty much never use a hand cream during the day, preferring to lather up over night, when getting cream on everything I touch doesn't bother me.

The Enriched Moisturising Cream comes in either a squeezy tube or a pot. The cream is pretty much identical, though I find that it's a little bit thicker in the tub and also seems to sink in a little bit faster.

As soon as I had a little whiff of the cream, it hit me straight away where I'd heard of Atrixo before. It turns out my mum used to use this cream religiously a few years back. So you might be able to imagine that the soft camomile scent instantly transported me back to my childhood, wrapping me in a warm blanket of comfort.

As for the formula, I have to admit I'm quite impressed considering the budget price tag. I've even found myself using the potted version during the daytime and carrying a little handbag friendly pot in my handbag for slathering on on the go, which is something that doesn't usually happen. I won't lie and say it sinks in straight away, as I do find myself waving my hands about for a few minutes after application, but it doesn't take anywhere near as long as most other hand creams I've tried.

I like to use the squeezy tube over night and it does enough to make my hands soft over night - not to mention the camomile scent actually helps me relax and unwind a little, making for better sleep (at least that's what I tell myself). For winter, when my hands get extremely dry to the point of skin cracking, I think it wouldn't quite be strong enough, but for the rest of the year it does an excellent job.

I also have the "intensive" and "regenerating" versions of this to try which I imagine will give my hands a stronger hit of moisture, so maybe more suitable for when the temperatures turn back to freezing. I'll keep you posted on how I get along with them, but for now let's enjoy this "summer", shall we?

The Enriched Moisturising Cream is available in a 200ml tub for £2.80, a 100ml squeezy tube for £2.50, or you could opt for the mini size at £2.05 for 50ml.

Soap & Glory Hand Food Review

I've never seen a hand cream prop up so much across women's hand bags, desks and night stands as Soap & Glory's hand food - in this country at least. I don't think there's a female Brit that hasn't at some stage tried this cream.

For me, there aren't many hand creams I can use during the day. I just hate that sticky, wet feeling they leave on your fingers and having to run around like a t-rex for ages, waiting for it to sink in. As a result, I will usually only use a hand cream before going to bed, slathering on a fairly thick layer and letting it sink in while I'm snoozing away, even if a lot of it ends up on my pillows and sheets.

Upon first application, this hand cream was everything I hate in a hand cream. It melted into a sticky, slimy gloop and took forever to sink into my skin. Impossible for me to use in the day time, unless I was sat around doing nothing with my hands - which happens, well, never.
Over night however, the story was a different one. I woke up to baby soft hands every morning, which made it a bed time staple in no time.

And of course, no Soap & Glory review would be complete without at least mentioning the product scent. Fragrancing seems to be something S&G are absolutely brilliant at and this hand cream is no exception. It smells like marshmallows and the scent lasts long enough to still linger a little bit in the morning when I've applied the night before.

Nevertheless, I'm sorry to say that this won't be a repurchase for me. I'm still on the hunt for a hand cream that sinks in quickly enough to use during the day time, so if you've got any suggestions, please let me know in the comments section below!

Soap & Glory Hand Food retails at £5.00 for a 125ml tube.

Essence 24h Hand Protection Balm review

Before continuing any further, please note that I'm reviewing a hand cream, yet I really don't like hand creams. I consider them a necessity, as especially in winter my hands can get so dry the skin on my knuckles actually cracks and bleeds, so a good hand cream (or a thick slather of vaseline or 8 hour cream over night) can usually prevent this problem. But the thing is that I hate - HATE - the feeling of greasy hands while I go about my day to day business, so I've just resigned myself to applying hand cream over night to do its magic for the following day.

The thing that made me buy this one in an instant was the price - let's not kid ourselves here. It cost 1€. That's less than a pound! I was sold in an instant. With such a low price I didn't expect any miracles, so I wasn't overly disappointed when this turned out to be a complete dud.

Let's start with this (in my opinion rather outrageous) claim of 24 hours of intensive care and protection. Yeah... no. It doesn't happen, sorry. I've tried other intensive hand creams before and while they left a horrible greasy film that took forever to sink in, I'd wake up to beautiful, soft and nourished hands. With this there's no difference at all, so I guess it's already an achievement that my hands don't get any worse.

So, if it's not a very nourishing cream, does it sink in quickly at least? No, it doesn't do that either. In fact, it just sits on your hands for ages, so I assume that most of it has ended up smeared all over my bed sheets, rather than sunk into my skin like it's supposed to be.

On the plus side it has a light and pleasant smell, slightly reminiscent of Nivea cream or baby lotion, which I find very comforting. It comes in a lightweight tube which is easy to carry around. And it only cost 1€. But next time, I'd rather invest a little more money and get something better out of it.

Sample Summary #4

I have no Instagram Sunday post to share today unfortunately, as I haven't been up to much this past week apart from lots of naughty things nobody needs to know about! ;)
Life's a little hectic again anyway, as me and the boyfriend will be moving into our first own flat tomorrow, eeek! I can't wait to make it all nice and homely, though it will probably take some time until we have enough money to make it look the way we want it to look.
In the mean time I have my thoughts on a few samples I worked my way through again!

1) Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm

Now, this made for an interesting experience when I opened up the sachet. The liquid inside was runny and - more importantly - luminous orange. Now, I get that some creams have a peachy apricot undertone to make your skin look healthier, but we're literally talking bright orange here. Not what I'd understand under "universal glow". Take a look yourselves:

Now, apart from the obvious orange-ness, the finish was really pleasant: light, but mattifying. Also, the in-built SPF of 30 is excellent. However, I spent a lot of time trying to blend it out, so it wouldn't look absolutely ridiculous on my face. Just when I thought I got it to an acceptable level and applied some powder and highlighter on top they ended up ridiculously patchy resulting in a fit of giggles when I looked in the mirror.
Sorry, this might be a good cream, but the shade is ridiculous. I might be pale, but nobody's naturally orange!

2) Lush Lemony Flutter

This little pot lasted forever and ever! Lemony flutter is an extremely moisturising all over balm, though I've been using it mainly for my cuticles. It's very rich without a doubt and smells very delicious. Citrusy, but without reminding me of kitchen cleaner. The main problem was that it was just so greasy that as soon as I started massaging it in it started running everywhere and making a huge mess.

A nice balm, but I don't think I'll repurchase.

3) Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Mask

I thoroughly enjoyed using this little sachet. The mask had a very light but pleasurable scent and an amazing light texture - a bit like spreading greek yogurt on your face. My skin began to tingle a few minutes after application, but it was by no means an unpleasant sensation. Afterwards, it did actually look brighter, nicely moisturised and refreshed. The effect didn't last particularly long, but the mask would work perfectly as a little skin pick-me-up before a big event or after a particularly stressful week.

4) Kiehl's Sachet Trio

I'm going to start with the Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. This stuff is amazing. I used it overnight, just before going to sleep, but it sinks in quickly enough to use throughout the day as well. I woke up with amazingly soft and nourished hands, even more so than when I do a little hand mask with vaseline or eight hour cream. For the winter, when my hands get extremely dry and my skin cracks, this is a must have!

The Ultra Facial Micro Serum was also a very pleasant product to use, just moisturising enough without overwhelming my skin. It didn't seem to perform any miracles, but I quite happily used up all of my sample

Lastly, the Ultra Facial Cream is also a very rich product which I feel would be more suited to dry skin types. It sunk in quickly enough and didn't leave any greasy residue on my combination skin, but I do suspect that it gave me a few breakouts, so I'll be steering clear in future.

Surprisingly Good and Surprisingly Bad

This post is about two products that have really surprised me after I bought them - one in a positive way whereas the other was underwhelming to say the least.
I will start with the good surprise:

Nivea Pure & Natural Hand Cream

Before I start there's something you should know: I HATE hand creams. I'd never ever use hand cream if I could get away with it, but unfortunately my hands get really dry and when it gets cold it can get so bad that the skin around my knuckles cracks open and bleeds. So I have to use hand cream. My problem is the really horrible greasy feeling it leaves and walking around like a T-Rex for half an hour, unable to touch anything because I'll leave a sticky film. The solution I've come up with is that I only use hand cream at night before going to bed, which means it needs to be quite moisturising.
The ONLY reason I bought this was because it was cheap. Nivea strikes me as a brand that is very good at being average. They don't seem to have any stand-out products, neither exceptionally good or exceptionally bad - essentially a brand to stick with if you don't want to take any risks.
It actually took me two or three weeks to realise that this hand cream is as a matter of fact really good. It only takes about five minutes to sink in and leaves my hands feeling velvety rather than gloopy and disgusting. At the moment it's moisturising enough for me to only apply it over night, but I feel that as the temperatures drop I'll have to apply it during the day as well. But you know what? I haven't got a problem with that.
I can't find an RRP, but you can get this for £2 for a 100ml tube at Tesco at the moment. This is really a product that has wowed me when I wasn't expecting anything from it.

On to a more negative surprise:

Origins Modern Friction face scrub

This had just won a beauty award when I was looking for a new face scrub. It's one of Origins' top sellers and as I hadn't tried anything from this brand before I decided to give it a go. I read some reviews about it being quite harsh and grainy, but that didn't really put me off as I like my scrub to give me a good scrubbing.

My skin isn't overly sensitive, but this stuff it couldn't handle. "Harsh" is an understatement. It has a very dense texture and the grains inside are relatively large. You're supposed to use it dry if you have normal skin which I found absolutely impossible, as it felt like I was tearing off bits of my skin. Sensitive skin types can use it damp and it's a bit better then, but you're still faced with another problem.

Once it gets wet, it starts foaming on your face. This isn't really a problem as such, as many of us will love a good lather, but this scrub is so jam packed with LDL and fruit acids it physically hurts. A little bit of the foam got in my nose when I was washing it off and it stung so badly it made my eyes water. And don't get me started on the two times I opened my eyes too early and got some of this product in! You may as well just dunk your face in petrol.

Retailing at around £30 it's not cheap, though you do get a generous 125ml tube, which (unfortunately) seems to last forever.