A Best Seller?

The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector...

Talk about deep moisture! This is a great hand cream but there's a problem with it and it's a big one...

It stinks!!!

Ok I don't want to offend anyone, we all have different tastes as far as fragrances go and that's a good thing. It's just that this product seems to be either loved or hated. I'm part of the second groupand it makes me wonder if it has something to do with our personal preferences like for example cilantro. You either like or hate it. Seems there's no middle ground.

A web friend on Makeup Alley asked this week: "Does anyone else here find that The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector smells absolutely disgusting but works extremely well?"

I purchased it two years ago and I tried, oh how I tried to like it but just looking at the tube to take the picture below made me feel nauseous! I just don't understand how this product can be so popular, a best seller!

Total mystery!

In fact I'm a little annoyed at The Body Shop! They have great hand creams but all have fragrances that last and last, to the point that I just can't deal with them. Last summer I purchased their Wild Rose hand cream (I love rose smelling products) and received generous samples of both Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream and Almond Hand & Nail Cream. Their respective fragrances, way better than Hemp by the way, were so strong they lasted hours on my skin!

Now I do like a nice lightly perfumed hand cream but after half an hour or so I'm done, enough! These just don't give up!

I could still smell them even after washing my hands!

Since I don't want to walk around pinching my nose, in fact I'd have no other way than to use a clothespin since the smell would come from my fingers, The Body Shop's hand creams, yes all of them, are a no go for me!

After two years you would think I would have given my small tube of Hemp Hand Protector to someone but there's no one I dislike enough to do that!

Now about the Wild Rose Hand Cream...

It is a nice earthy rose smelling cream but like the others it's a bit strong for me to use on my hands and believe me, I loooove rose fragrances, in fact I'm not sure there is one rose scented product I've smelled recently that I didn't like. The thing is with The Body Shop's Wild Rose Hand Cream is that it's not like a fragrance that wears close to the skin or a standard body lotion whose smell would fade after an hour or so. I've enjoyed using a tiny bit of it on my arms for the smell but on my hands which I bring to my face often it gets to a point where it's too much so it's a no no. :(

Catherine likes it so it's hers!


Have you ever purchased a product and ended up finding it's fragrance was too strong or unpleasant?

Vichy NutriExtra Hands / Review...

With winter just around the corner most of us know that a good hand cream is a must and if you're like me you probably have a few scattered around the house. Am I the only one to have four at the moment? Erm... yes I mean, bathroom, living room, bedroom, my purse... I need them all over otherwise I forget to use them.

Isn't it fun when you get a 2 for 1 special? I just love them and so yesterday it was just impossible for me to resist especially when it's a product I know I'll be needing, you know, one for my purse and one for the office. On promotion at the drugstore I found this little combo of two Vichy Nutri Extra Hand creams for just under $10,00. Talk about a good deal! I do have favorites but I do like to try new ones and this Vichy felt pretty good when I tried it in store.

Vichy Nutri Extra Hands Nourishing Repairing Cream...

Recent Purchases from Weleda & Cake Beauty / Review

Roaming the beauty department at Winners last Friday I spotted these. I figured, they would bring a bit of freshness into my routine especially since on that day it was hot, really hot! Today, not so much! I don't know what's happening but May started with a Bang but since Saturday I could swear we're back early April! Today is the worst and my daughter had to wear a light winter coat this to go to school!

Summer will come, I know it will...

Weleda Citrus Creamy Body Wash

Super fresh, creamy so non drying, little is needed. A nice alternative for mornings where I find my skin a bit dryer and don't want to use The Body Shop's Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel. I'm still in the citrus family, aren't I? Revitalising and energizing, great way to wake up in the morning.

Regular price, $14.99, Winners, $5.99.

Ingredients (Weleda):
Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Alcohol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*,Citral*.
* from natural essential oils


Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Lotion

Described as regenerating nourishing care for mature skin, this is not the reason why I purchased it. I was curious about the texture and the fragrance. Light, it penetrates quickly but the smell at first is surprising. To me, herbal and not so pleasant. Fortunately it changes and about 20 minutes or so after application it becomes more sweet leaving behind the "greenness". Despite the light feel I was pleasantly surprised by the moisture it provided my skin. I didn't need to use much and my skin still felt supple by morning. Love the convenient pump.

Regular price, $20.00, Winners, $9.99.

Ingredients (Weleda):
Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Alcohol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE,Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil,Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Limonene*,Linalool*, Citronellol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Benzyl Salicylate*, Geraniol*, Citral*,Coumarin*, Farnesol*.
* from natural essential oils


Cake Beauty Lemon Chiffon Velveteen Hand Cream

Lemon? I just had to get one! Fresh fragrance that reminds me of lemon meringue. This cream surprised me, excellent moisture, penetrates quickly and the odor that lingers doesn't annoy me like so many other hand products have in the past. For some reason, I don't mind a strong fragrance in body products when used in the morning but on hands it's another matter. It seems it's the only thing I smell and so I steer clear of perfumed hand creams. This one is just perfect.

I don't know if this product is still available. Winners had many for $5.99 but I couldn't find it on Cake Beauty website. Some, if not all (I'm not sure) of their offerings are available at Murale. Their other hand creams sell for $18.00 but I got this one for $5.99 at Winners. 


I'm very pleased with my purchases and especially about the fact that the prices where so low. Next time you go to Winners have a look at their beauty department, you never know what you'll find.

Click on the picture to visit Winners

Got any good deals recently?

Some Empties...

Here are some of the products I've used in the past year, the ones I will not repurchase.

Nuxe Micellar Foam Cleanser, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water, Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals, Avène Ysthéal Crème, Caudalie Cleansing Water and RoC Enydrial Hand Creme.

In the case of the first two Nuxe products, they where favorites of mine but where unfortunately discontinued. I was able to repurchase while they where in clearance but now they are definitely gone. 

The Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals, was good but a bit of a disappointment. I found it slightly irritating, especially compared to the previous option. I really don't understand the reformulation.

Avène Ysthéal which haven't reviewed yet, is an excellent anti-aging moisturizer but for some reason I prefer Eluage to it, also from Avène. I will try to post about them soon. They are worth looking into since they contain a high  % of retinaldehyde and are available over the counter. They are more effective than creams containing retinol (again, non prescription options) and are less irritating. Great for those with sensitive skin.

Caudalie Cleansing Water, another good product from the brand but the price is a downer. Although I was planning to repurchase, $28.00 a little excessive.

RoC Enydrial Hand Creme is really nothing special. I've mentioned it previously in one of my first posts for this blog. It's an ok basic moisturizer that tends to leave a greasy feel. The only plus, for those who appreciate it, is that it's unscented. I didn't use this one during the day since it's took a while to fully penetrate. Best keep it for before bed time.

Dior Essentials Manucure Set

Now this is definitely going on my Christmas wish list! Yes I do write one. Remember I mentioned in a previous entry, I don't want to end up with a power drill or, God forbid, a new frying pan, as high quality as it may be. Christmas is for fun, for a bit of luxury! Also, I do "need" to renew these!

Dior Essentials Manucure Set 

$62.00 at The Bay

The set includes Dior's essentials for a perfect manicure. Full size Crème Abricot Fortifying nail cream (0.35oz), deluxe sizes of Pelline cuticle emollient, Base Coat and Top Coat, an orange wood stick and a nail file. All this presented in a elegant little patent travel bag.

If you've never tried these before, the Crème Abricot is quite simply dreamy one of my all time favorites. I use at night and as surprising as it may sound, it can also be used as a lip balm. I know, weird but it does work nicely. This product lasts a long time so don't worry if the color changes a little. It tends to get darker but retains all it's moisturizing properties.

The Pelline is a soapy liquid that softens cuticles and makes it easier to gently remove dryish bits. It doesn't feel like a classic cuticle remover, it's much gentler.

The top & base coats, well, they are of excellent quality. Both like the Pelline, are a little smaller than the regular sizes, 0.24oz instead of 0.33oz but still a good deal.

The little cosmetic bag, black patent finish, perfect!

Update: I thought it would be fun to include a vintage classic and elegant add from 1962

René Gruau for Dior

Vous pouvez lire cet article en français ici.

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter & Hand and Cuticle Cream / Reviews

This is somewhat a double entry. I reviewed, compared these on my previous post about Avène Cold Cream Body lotion and Cold Cream Hand Cream. I figured it would be easier to find if it's on its own.

This part below is copied/pasted from, Avène Body Lotion with Cold Cream / Review Just skip if you've just finished reading it.

Clinique Deep Comfort duo remains an outstanding choice in my opinion, especially if one is looking for unscented options although it does have that faint, distinctive Clinique smell. The Body Butter penetrates fast and doesn't leave any greasy feel. The hand cream is perfect for daytime since it too, is fast acting. It's a perfect choice when one is in a professional environment and wants to remain discreet. Some hand creams are so highly fragranced that they can be unpleasant for others even if you enjoy them.

Comfort Hand Cream and Cuticle Cream, 75 ml, $25.00

Deep Comfort Body Butter, 200 ml, $34.00

Reviews for the body butter:

MakeupAlley, 4.2/5 lippies for 129 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 36 reviews

Reviews for the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.5/5 lippies for 8 reviews
Beauté-test, 4/5 stars for only 3 reviews

Body butter ingredients (Beauté-test)
Aqua, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glycerin, octyldodecyl myristate, cetearyl alcohol, butylene glycol,cyclopentasiloxane, myristyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, catyl esters, isostearyl neopentanoate, polymethyl methacrylate, cetearyl glucosise, sodium hyaluronate, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, methyl glucose sesquistearate, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, stearic acid, aminomethyl propanol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, methyldihydrojasmonate, methyl phenylbutanol, ethyl 2,2-dimethylhydrocinnamal, xanthan gum, disodium edta, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, yellow 5 (ci 19140), yellow 6 (ci 15985)

Hand cream ingredients, where not available.

Like I've said already, these are excellent products but since the Avène fragrance is not an issue for me and that I get the same deep moisture, I'd rather go for the less expensive products.

This makes my wallet happy!

Avène Body Lotion with Cold Cream / Review

One Christmas I received as a gift, Clinique's Deep Comfort Body Butter with the Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream.

That particular winter was so cold my skin was paying the price by being super extra dry. This Dynamic Duo practically saved it. I was using Nivea Extra Nourishing Body Milk, but mainly in the morning. I don't like heavy fragrances at night before bed and although I do love how it smells, Nivea was a bit much. Looking online at reviews I zoomed on Clinique and so wrote both the Body Butter and Hand cream on my Christmas list.

Yes, I do write a Christmas wish list, every year. I just have to, otherwise I may end up getting a rechargeable hand drill or worse, a frying pan!!! Well, one year I did get a rechargeable screwdriver but that "was" on my list! Very useful, every woman should have one, I kid you not!

Back to body stuff

So, I just loved these Clinique products. Deep moisture and no fragrance, they where perfect! Why didn't I repurchased? Well, laziness! I was running out of both and just happened to be at the drugstore. Seeing Avène products on a shelf I figured, why not? It will save me a trip to the Mall.

I'm glad I decided to try them. I bought both the body lotion and the hand cream from the Cold Cream line. They've become favorites for the past year and a half.

Formulated for dry and very dry sensitive skin some of it's main ingredients are safflower seed oil, mineral oil, coconut oil and sesame seed oil. The texture is thick and smooth and it penetrates quickly. Using it every night, I rarely have to use a different foot cream. The fragrance is mild and fades rather quickly leaving just a soft clean scent. I love the fact that it comes with a pump for this makes it super convenient. Clinique's comes in a jar and so I had to use a spatula to scoop out what I needed.

Avène's body lotion leaves the same deeply moisturized feel on me as Clinique's with the bonus of being almost half price.

Avène Cold Cream Body Lotion

400 ml, $34.00

My first post ever was about hand creams and back then I did have a look Avène's Cold cream Hand cream. On that list it was my third choice. Now, it's my second. For daytime I now use Caudalie's because it sinks in faster and for the polyphenols (anti-oxidants). Avène's takes a little longer to penetrate and feels a  more greasy so it's a great choice for nightime.

Avène Cold Cream Hand Cream

75 ml, $17.00

Reviews of the body lotion:

MakeupAlley, it gets a 3.9/6 lippies for only 9 reviews. Seems it's not that well known south of the border.
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 213 reviews

Reviews of the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.4/5 lippies for 37 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 426 reviews

Body lotion ingredients (Avène website)
AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA). CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL (CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS SEED OIL). MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM). COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL (COCOS NUCIFERA OIL). CYCLOMETHICONE. SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL (SESAMUM INDICUM SEED OIL). SORBITAN STEARATE. C10-30 CHOLESTEROL/LANOSTEROL ESTERS. GLYCERYL STEARATE. PEG-100 STEARATE. ALLANTOIN. BEESWAX (CERA ALBA). CETYL ALCOHOL. CITRIC ACID. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). METHYLPARABEN. PHENOXYETHANOL. PROPYLPARABEN. SODIUM HYDROXIDE. SODIUM POLYACRYLATE. TETRASODIUM EDTA. TOCOPHEROL. WATER (AQUA).

Hand cream ingredients (Avène website)
AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA). GLYCERIN. CETEARYL ALCOHOL. GLYCERYL LAURATE. MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM). CETYL ALCOHOL. ALUMINUM SUCROSE OCTASULFATE. BEESWAX (CERA ALBA). BHT. DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE. DISODIUM PHOSPHATE. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). GLYCERYL STEARATE. METHYLPARABEN. PARAFFIN. PHENOXYETHANOL. PROPYLPARABEN. SODIUM CETEARYL SULFATE. SODIUM HYDROXIDE.

Clinique Deep Comfort duo remains an outstanding choice in my opinion, especially if one is looking for unscented options.

Comfort Hand Cream and Cuticle Cream, 75 ml, $25.00

Deep Comfort Body Butter, 200 ml, $34.00

Reviews for the body butter:

MakeupAlley, 4.2/5 lippies for 129 reviews
Beauté-test, 4.5/5 stars for 36 reviews

Reviews for the hand cream:

MakeupAlley, 4.5/5 lippies for 8 reviews
Beauté-test, 4/5 stars for only 3 reviews

Body butter ingredients (Beauté-test)
Aqua, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), glycerin, octyldodecyl myristate, cetearyl alcohol, butylene glycol,cyclopentasiloxane, myristyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, catyl esters, isostearyl neopentanoate, polymethyl methacrylate, cetearyl glucosise, sodium hyaluronate, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, methyl glucose sesquistearate, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, stearic acid, aminomethyl propanol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, methyldihydrojasmonate, methyl phenylbutanol, ethyl 2,2-dimethylhydrocinnamal, xanthan gum, disodium edta, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, yellow 5 (ci 19140), yellow 6 (ci 15985)

Hand cream ingredients, where not available.

Still, for me, considering the Avène fragrance is not an issue and that I get the same deep moisture, I'd rather go for the less expensive products.

Hand Creams

It would be great if we could all have beautiful looking hands. On the narrow side with long fingers & even shaped nails. We would all love to have even complexioned hands with no marks like we see in magazine adds. Utopia for most of us! If we can't change the shape of our hands, we can at least help make then comfortably smooth with, hopefully, strong nails.

This category is so large, with so many options, that it makes it hard to chose. Price is also to consider. You can get sample sizes at the drugstore of about $1 as well as high end ones in the $100 range.

Once in a while on Makeup Alley's Skin Care Board, we get questions like “What is the best of this or that?” This implies most of the time, on the expensive side. Often there will be no answers. The reason being that once you start to get interested in ingredients, their purpose & actions on skin, you figure that they are all similar & some “lower” end products are in fact superior. But again, for some of us, the presentation, or, just the fact of saying we use Dior, La Prairie or Chanel makes us feel good. It's like owning a pair of Gucci sunglasses or a nice Guerlain compact. Most of them are good & so it only depends on how much you're prepared to spend.