L'Occitane Hand Cream Collection

It was in Changi Airport on the way back to Manila when I saw this Hand Cream Collection. I had been sniffing along L'Occitane's shelves, one of which was dedicated to hand creams. The selection was mostly travel exclusives in boxes of 3 or 4 of the same scent, and I finally settled on this one because of the variety and beautiful tin.

The colorful swirls and the see-through pane of plastic are doubly appealing.

There are four 1oz (appx. 30ml) tube-type hand creams, each featuring a different scent and texture.

Shea Butter, Rose, Lavande, and Pivoine Flora. A real sampling treat for my nighttime hand treatment!

The Shea Butter Hand Cream is one of L'Occitane's classic hand creams. It contains 20% pure shea butter and is intended for dry skin. Its texture is thick and while moisturizing, oddly did not moisturize my hands as well as the others. Each time I applied the Rose Velvet Hand Cream, it instantly filled the air with the divine smell of roses -- this one's a concoction of Grasse, Bulgarian, Moroccan, and Turkish species. The cream has a light pink texture and made my hands soft and smooth in the morning.

The ingredients list above for Shea Butter and Rose.

Lavande has the lightest texture among the four choices, and surprisingly it offers better moisturization for me than Shea Butter. The scent is pure lavender that I am not so attached to, however it can be quite addicting because I truly felt more relaxed the more I breathed in the lavender scent on my hands. Among the four variants, I would choose a full-sized Lavande for purpose and practicality. Pivoine Flora (Peony) is another floral concoction enriched with grape seed oil and shea butter. I am not so fond of the scent. Its hydration properties is just about the same as Lavande's.

Above: Lavande; below: Pivoine Flora.

Overall, L'Occitane's Hand Cream Collection didn't just provide a visual delight, but also a sensory experience with real results.