Sunday 16 February 2014

Hands on

When I feel tired, stressed or a bit yucky in general there's one thing that is always guaranteed to boost my mood - washing my hands with a lovely smelling soap and then applying a fresh, luxurious hand cream. It's incredible how taking a few minutes of indulgence, massaging in a sweet smelling rich lotion into your hands and cuticles will instantly invigorate and refresh you, almost as if you'd just had a nice long shower... well, almost... That's why I have a hand cream in more or less every hand bag, together with my pocket gel for that instant pick me up wherever I am, and today I thought I would do a comparison of some popular hand creams in different price ranges.

So let's have a look at today's contestants in order of price, starting with the most inexpensive which is the Garnier Body 7 Days Mango Hand Milk (£1.99). There are four different hand creams in this Garnier range, all addressing different needs and this product targets dry and coarse hands. It's an intensely moisturising cream with mango oil that adds nourishment to keep hands protected and the product claims to keep the skin hydrated even after a hand wash - so in theory if you keep using this you should always be one step ahead of dehydration. This hand cream has a lovely fresh, fruity and slightly aquatic scent, like most of Garnier's products and it sinks quickly into the skin. The only thing I'm not too keen on is the texture which has a slippery silicone feel to it, a bit like a cheap primer but that's probably the protecting ingredients and it also means that a little goes a long way. It's a lovely effective and budget friendly hand cream and you do get a generous 100 ml for next to nothing.
The Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream (£5) is a cream that is often mentioned in blogiverse as great for dry or chapped hands and it has a loyal loving following. It contains shea butter, macadamia oil, marshmallow, fennel and lotus flower extracts which almost sounds like an exotic salad, and it certainly smells as yummy and delicious as one with a very fruity, light mix of berries and citrus, musk and vanilla - a typical delectable Soap & Glory scent. When I've used this cream I can't help but smelling my hands, it's just that yummy. The texture of this cream is much more to my liking since it's very silky and creamy and it  makes your hands super soft without leaving any oily residue. Again you get quite a lot for your money, 125 ml and with the very reasonable price, you can afford to be as generous as you like when you apply it.

Next up is Caudalie's Hand and Nail Cream in Pink Grapefruit (£5.70) which with its 30 ml has a considerably less amount of product than the others, although the smaller packaging also means that it's more handy to carry with you in your handbag. For me this hand cream raises the bar significantly in terms of quality and it's most noticeable in the texture. In addition to traditional Caudalie ingredients from grapes and vine, including Vinolevure - a vine extract that protects and strengthens the skins immuno system and helps it to retain moisture, it also contains shea butter. The formula is beautifully light weight with a slight shimmer and it instantly blends into the hands when you apply it, making them velvety soft. I really love the original Caudalie hand cream scent of fresh, warm orange peels, but this is another incredibly delicate, soft and invigorating aroma from mixing citrus fruits with sparkling mint. It's a wonderful, glamorous hand cream and a real treat. 

The last hand cream, and also the one at the top of the price range is an old favorite of mine - the amazing Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (£20 for 100 ml). It's a great moisturising  cream with extracts of Sesame, Japanese Mulberry and Myrrh. that softens and protects the skin, but it also nourishes and strengthens your nails and cuticles. It has a luxuriously creamy and smooth consistency and to say that it makes your hands soft and supple is the understatement of the year, there's just no dryness that this cream won't fix and then of course we have the beautiful refreshing creamy citrus scent that makes every application a pleasure. In comparison with the other creams it is a fairly expensive hand cream, but it also makes your feel fabulous and who doesn't want that on one of those days when you've had a wardrobe malfunction, your hair has a life of its own and things aren't generally going your way.

Most of the time it's fairly easy for me to pick a favorite among the products that I have tested, but in this case I can honestly say that all four of these hand creams are of great quality and the difference between them (except for the price) is really down to the small details. But it's based on those small details that ultimately my favorite is Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.
Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream has just the right creamy but light consistency, it treats your hands as well as your nails and an amazing scent to top it all off. I usually buy this in duo pacs every time I'm at an airport to make sure that I have a steady supply of it and I have repurchased it four or five times already. I absolutely adore this cream and although this is my personal favorite it's great to know that you can get hand creams in any price range that don't compromise on quality - how handy is that?

63 comments:

  1. I love Soap & Glory Hand Food, it's the perfect hand moisturiser x

    daisy-drops

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  2. I'm one of the few people that actually hate Soap & Glory hand food. It moisturise my hands like a cheap drugstore cream and I even hate the smell. :D

    Blu Button Box

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    1. I'm the same with some other products that are really hyped up e.g. Baby Lips - didn't do anything for me at all :o). Xx

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  3. I love the soap and glory hand food :) but i am currently using Lush's charity pot , and its lovely :)
    Melissa [ theinkedblonde

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    1. A good hand cream is so important, I can't be without one :o). Xx

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  4. I love the Clarins Hand and Nail treatment cream always leaves my hands soft.

    www.steffystravelblog.blogspot.com

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    1. I agree with you, it's a gorgeous cream :o). Xx

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  5. Great review! I love Clarins. Now I'm using the Yves Rocher Vanilla hand cream and I'm loving it.

    Jasmine xx
    For a Real Woman
    So easy Spanish!

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    1. That's so nice of you, thank you very much :o). Xx

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  6. I'm seeing a lot of Soap&Glory products these day, should have a try. Great review by the way ! xx

    Enora remainreverie.blogspot.fr

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  7. Great choices, and I love the Clarins Hand and Nail too! The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector is my all time fave, but the Clarins is so nice and silky, and I love that it helps your nails too. Great review as always hun x

    Claire | AgentSmyth

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    1. Hey Claire - thank you so much! It's nice to know that there are so many high quality creams available :o). Xx

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  8. Am already a big fan of Soap & Glory's hand food, couldn't survive the winter without it!!!
    Deborah
    moonstoneandmay.blogspot.co.uk
    xxx

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  9. Im obsessed with Hand Food, rthe fragrance is divine!

    Josie xoxo Fashion Mumblr

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    1. It's a lovely cream, and what a bargain - 125 ml for £5 - a steal :o). Xx

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  10. The Soap & Glory Hand Food Cream is one of my favorite because I love the scent! And it does a great job at moisturizing. I've had a sample of the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream and really liked it but I think it's quite a lot of money for a hand cream so I don't know if I would purchase it in full size. :)

    Allthingsglitterandbeauty

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    1. I can't be without out, but there are so many to choose from which is great :o). Xx

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  11. Replies
    1. Yes it seems to have quite a fan club :o). Xx

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  12. Great post ;-)

    www.mylovelyworld9.com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, have a lovely day :o). Xx

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  13. Har faktiskt inte testat några av dessa handkrämer. Men håller med dig, det är helt underbart att få smörja in sig med en skön återfuktande handkräm. :-)

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    1. Provade en annan från Björk and Berries som var jättehärlig också, men det är lite knepigt att få tag i den här :o). Xx

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  14. Great post! I use one from Nivea :)

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  15. i haven't tried the others but i do love the soap and glory, i also have a boy shop one i'm using at the moment that's quite nice!

    writingwhimsy.com

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    1. There are so many lovely ones to try :o). Xx

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  16. i love hand food, i always keep some at work!

    from helen at thelovecatsinc.com

    ps. there's a £150 high-end skincare giveaway on my blog here, if you fancy entering!

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    1. It's so wonderfully fruity and lovely :o). Xx

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  17. These all sound lovely; I love your descriptions! I love S&G's Hand Food and that's what I'm currently using, alongside Gloves In A Bottle. xxx
    The Jolly Fashionista

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    1. Oh, I hadn't heard of that - very interesting, another thing to check out :o). Xx

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  18. Replies
    1. It's beautiful isn't it - so fruity and luxurious :o). Xx

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  19. Great range of products. We love the smell of the 'Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream' :-)

    x Roch & Tash x
    www.next-route-style.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Hey ladies - hope you've had a great weekend, it's a lovely little cream for sure :o). Xx

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  20. I love Hand food lately but really want to try Clarins!Lovely post sweety!! <3

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    1. That's very lovely of you - thank you very much :o). Xx

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  21. I just picked up one of the l'occitane hand creams + love the smell but I don't love the formula/how it feels as much as I expected! Thinking I'll try one of the caudiale next!

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    1. Ah that's a shame, they also have really practical travel size tubes. I really enjoy the Föeur Chérie - the scent is gorgeous :o) Xx

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  22. I need the cream - this winter has been brutal on my poor hands!

    By the way, I wanted to let you know that I’m hosting a huge giveaway with $500 of prizes, including a Clarisonic, Naked 3 palette, and Amazon gift card. You should check it out on my blog!

    xo
    Dolce
    www.mydailysweet.com

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    1. Wow, that sounds amazing, will definitely have a look :o). Xx

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  23. I just started using the Soap & Glory hand cream and so far I'm loving it. It smells gorgeous and leaves my hands feeling so soft x

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  24. I hear so many amazing things on the Soap & Glory Hand Food cream..sounds like it smells wonderful! I really should try it! Thanks for sharing with us!
    xo, Lily

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    1. It's a lovely affordable hand cream and you get a lot for your money too :o). Xx

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  25. Great post! I haven't tried any of these hand creams, but the ingredients listed in the Soap & Glory hand cream have me interested!

    xo Glazed Over

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  26. Great post! I'll be trying some of these creams out :) xo's

    Laura
    Pink Frenzy

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    1. Sounds great! I hope you'll enjoy them :o) Xx

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  27. nice post, i love hand creams, have you tried the L'occitane ones? they are my fave

    www.beckysbeautique.co.uk

    xx

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    1. Oh yes, they come in great travel sizes - I love the Fleur Chérie :o). Xx

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  28. Always wanted to try smth from Soap and Glory, now will defenitely go for this hand cream ! Thanks for sharing!

    liz-breygel.blogspot.com

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  29. I've been eyeing that Clarins hand cream for a while now! Sounds like a must-buy! I love the signature S&G scent!!! Why is it so addictive?!

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    1. The one from Clarins is just amazing! I know what you mean, I wish they would come up with a scent spray in the same amazing maple fragrance they have in the Breakfast scrub :o). Xx

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  30. Very lovely products! I've tried most of these but not all. I will add the Clarins to my wish list. Thanks for sharing all of these! xoxo Lauren
    www.willsingformakeup.com

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    1. It's great for your nails, so think of it as a 2-in-1 product :o). Xx

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  31. Hand lotion is something I used to never give much thought, but now I love it! Especially Lush's Charity Pot or Norwegian hand formula :)
    lipstickandlightening.blogspot.ie

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    1. Lush does have some amazing products :o). Xx

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  32. Helpful post, I'll give the Clarins a try! XO~Ireland
    http://hillbilliesinheels.com/

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