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.
The Face Shop is one of the first Korean brands brought into the Philippines. In Korea, The Face Shop, Skinfood, Tony Moly, etc. sell for really low prices and are considered to be low-end lines. Here in Manila and other countries the prices are sometimes unreasonably jacked up compared to how much they sell in their home country. This is one reason why I am loathe to spend on these Korean lines (especially Skinfood) locally, since they're not good value for money. Nevertheless, Korean brands are always enticing and attractive because of their fun packaging and unique product lineups. The Face Shop's prices are generally fair so I didn't mind picking up their hand lotion to try.
This Peach & Pomegranate Fruit Garden Hand Lotion also comes in Mango & Orange. I prefer the tangy sweet scent of Peach & Pomegranate compared to the somewhat cloying fragrance of the other variant.
It comes in a 70ml tube with a pink screw-cap cover. The tube is smooth and the sticker features two fruits with colorful flower designs.
The pale pink lotion has a light cream texture that sinks on the skin in a minute or two. There is a slightly sticky after-feel even though the product description says otherwise, but I do not mind this as I use it primarily before bedtime.
The back of my hand is visibly more hydrated after applying this product. It does its job to moisturize, but it is not a deeply nourishing hand cream. My hands are softer and smoother in the morning but would return to their natural state in the middle of a working day. Those who do not want to apply hand lotion every night are better off looking for a more intensive hand care product such as Sally Hansen Age Correct Retinol Hand Cream, which can treat the hands and leave it soft and smooth for around two days. Overall, I would say this is an average lotion that only supplements moisture retention on the hands.
Hand cream is something I am always running out of. While I generally do not practice impulse buying, the bug usually catches me overseas when everything feels "now or never." It was one of those moments in SaSa when I spotted a glass jar stocked full with this Hand Cream while checking out at the cashier. I looked at the HK$20 tag, grabbed one and off it went with my other purchases.
I knew i wouldn't be blown away. After all, it is from Shiseido's FT (Fine Toiletry) line, which is the brand's humble drugstore offering. I was sure it was not going to be bad, but I also knew it was going to be basic, just like my one-time FT Cleasing Oil favorite.
The white translucent gel feels very light, quite different from the many hand creams I am accustomed to. I honestly didn't expect it to provide moisture. Blended out on bare hands it leaves a slight sticky film that eventually dissipates. While it did not moisturize my hands, I felt that it hydrated them. In face care analogy, this hand cream is a balancing water or a light serum as opposed to a cream. I am surprised though, for when I wake up in the morning my hands are noticeably softer and some lines are smoother. During the course of the day my hands go back to their original state after some labor, but this product always restores them unfailingly.
From my experience with Shiseido's FT products, I can glean that it offers reliable products at reasonable prices. While I would like to try other brands of hand creams (because there is so much out there), I wouldn't mind revisiting this one once in a while.
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. 
