Battle of the Hand-creams

So, it is official, I have the softest hands in the world after my week (and a bit) long experiment. It has been a very easy experiment for me as it involved nails, skincare and beautiful products, it's not really hard work is it?  

In a nutshell, I wanted to review four hand-creams to establish which one I thought was the best. I rated them on their aesthetics, consistency, smell and of course effectiveness (out of 5). I already had two hand-creams in my repertoire, and thanks to Crabtree & Evelyn kindly forwarding two more, I was able to bolster this up to four. So here goes my scientific breakdown, well not really but it sounds good:

Crabtree & Evelyn Verbena and Lavender de Provence Hand therapy
I would rate this cream an all round 4. Aesthetically, I am not massively keen on the green packaging, but that is because it is not a favourite colour of mine. The size is very practical and can easily be popped into your handbag to apply on the move. The cream itself is a lovely consistency, not too runny and not too firm so it is absorbed into the skin effortlessly. The smell is very nice. Clean and fresh, and may I dare say, that my husband wore this and it could pass as a manly smell, so unisex wear-ability! Effectiveness, well, it was very good.  Any dry areas were dealt with, left supple and smooth and a nice barrier was left on my hands, not greasy just cared for. Price £5.00

Crabtree & Evelyn Pear and Pink Magnolia Hand therapy
After using this product for a few days, it did come through as a favourite of mine. I am not just saying that because it was given to me, it really was delightful.  I can only offer my personal opinion so here it is. Firstly I loved the high gloss packaging, it looks pretty and sophisticated, and the size is very generous for a hand-cream. I was a little dubious about the fragrance description, as I always imagined anything with Magnolia to be an older ladies scent, but no, it was beautiful. It was sweet but floral, fresh and moreish. I loved having the smell linger on my hands. The consistency was exactly the same as the latter product but with a slightly bigger opening in the tube. The effectiveness was just as good, if not better because I wanted to put more on! I would rate this as a 5. Price £13.50

Nivea Smooth Nourishing Hand cream
I used the Nivea Smooth hand cream and it was only okay. The cream looked like a Nivea branded cream, it is a recognised brand so you pretty much know what to expect. It looks very simple, clean and trustworthy. The consistency is slightly firmer than the previous two, so it took a bit more effort to work it into the skin.  This cream left a greasy residue on my hands, but after a couple of minutes this wore off. Smell wise, well it isn't amazing, as I mentioned previously, it is just the 'Nivea' smell. I love the original Nivea cream and it is always in my skincare products for those days when your skin needs some tlc. Yes, it was effective, but unfortunately, I had to remind myself to use the cream every time for the purpose of the review, not because I wanted to. I would have to rate this a 3. Price: £1.55

Caudalie Hand-Cream in PampleMousse Rose
Here is my final review. I received this hand-cream in my advent calendar last year. I just love the product packaging and the name, let's face it, any name with Pampelmousse in is just brilliant, it rolls off the tongue and stays in your mind. The silver background, with the almost Neon outline of fruits just cries out to be picked up and tried.  So I did, and I really liked it. The smell is lovely. Delicate with hints of grapefruit, again leaving a delicious scent on your fingers. Consistency wise it was very similar to the first two, if a little firmer but was quickly absorbed with little effort. The cream was effective for hand and nails, my hands were left supple and feeling (by now) exceptionally healthy! I would rate this cream a 4. Price: £6.00  

Overall, this experiment was a success. I didn't know anything about Crabtree and Evelyn hand therapy, nor about Caudalie Hand & Nail cream, but both brands have produced aesthetically pleasing packaging, with a high quality hand-cream inside. The price is not outrageous either, so I can see that they would appeal to a broad spectrum of customers. I would definitely buy these products and keep them in my hand and nail routines in the future.  
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4 comments

Nicki said...

Ally I wish I'd felt ur hands today to test their softness!! I always get Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream for Christmas from my mum. I really like it so it's good to know that it was one of the ones you recommended. :)

Unknown said...

Hey Nicky, that is hilarious! It might have looked a bit strange if you started feeling my hands :). Yes, they are gorgeous, highly recommend! X

Anonymous said...

Found this opinion really interesting on Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream just might try it out



C. Moore

charlottestanding3 said...

Thanks Ally

My hands are really suffering in this cold weather and I'm in desperate need of a new hand cream. I'll definitely try out your recommendations :)

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