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!

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.