Drugstore Hand Cream Reviews | Dry and Chapped Hands

To keep your hands beautiful, dewy appearance and healthy, you don't only moisturise them only in winter but all year round. Personally, I have very dry and chapped hands, especially I always wash my hands which make them even worse. The more I wash, the more I need to rehydrate my hands and a more heavy- duty hand cream I need. I use hand cream a lot so I have dozens of hand cream at home and I have tried so many different brands - most of them are good budget drugstore brands. As I use hand cream a lot and they use up so quickly, I will not be able to afford those pricey hand creams so I have been seeking for some cheap yet good quality drugstore hand creams. 

1. Johnson's 24 hour Moisture Radiance Hand Cream  £1.99 75ml

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It is formulated with shea and cocoa butters with a very strong vanilla scent, it smells just like the actual vanilla fudge literally, which smells really lovely. It truly instantly soften my hands and keep them hydrated. Although it claims it is a 24 hour moisture, you have to re- apply it after 1 or 2 times of wash as the hydration lost. Money wise, it is cheap and can last for a couple of months or a month if you are a frequent hand cream user.

2. Nivea Q10 Plus Age Defying Anti Wrinkle Hand Cream  £2.05 100ml

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Nivea has been working so good on moisturising as always. This hand cream is one of my favourites which you can tell by how much I had used. It really hydrates my hands and leave them feeling smooth and healthy. It is formulated with Q10 to fight against ageing. Although I am too young to have a visible anti- wrinkle effect on me, the Q10 is definitely helpful to soften, repair and restore my hands to keep them healthy and soft. The consistency is good - not too creamy leaving your hands too greasy or too thin ending up apply it a lot. It is unscented which is perfect when wearing perfume and the price is great - £2.05 for 100ml. 

3. Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream With Macadamia Oil + Grape seed Extract £18.50 75ml

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Bliss Hand Moisturising Glamour Gloves £39

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This is not one of my favourites - probably the least favourite among all the hand creams I have. It is pricey, not rich enough to heel dry hands and greasy. But it has a fresh citrus scent. Contrary, I am in love with the Bliss's glamour gloves! They are amazing and incredible - they immediately soften my hands and cuticles, giving me the most healthy, glowy and soft hands I have ever had. The gloves are easy to clean and can use up to 50 times. £39 for 50 times 20 minutes hand treatment just literally stop you to go to beauty salons for an expensive but quality- uncertain hand treatment. The Bliss Glamour Gloves are definitely our dry hands rescuer and worth the highest rating!

4. Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand and Nail Cream  £4.19 75ml

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I have already emptied this hand cream because it is just too good that I can't stop using it. It soften and protect my hands and cuticles beautifully, quickly absorb to skin and leave my hands non greasy. It is unscented so that you don't have to worry your perfume will be overwhelmed by the scent of hand cream. This is definitely one of the best hand creams I have tried for very dry hands. 

5. E45 Repair and Protect Overnight Hand Cream  £4.19 50ml

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E45 promises to protect, maintain and improve skin health with quality products for different types of skin, from sensitive skin to very dry skin, and different types of skin problems, from eczema to dermatitis. This innovative overnight hand cream is amazing. Night is probably the time that is least likely you will wash your hands so it is the best time to let them rest, repair and rehydrate. Therefore, a good quality of hand cream is desperately needed to maximise the effect and this E45 Overnight Hand Cream will be the best choice. It contains vitamin B3 which is useful to prevent water loss, which is especially important and beneficial to very dry skin. Apply a thin layer of E45 hand cream before going to bed, you will find your hands very soft, amazingly hydrated and smooth in the morning. Most importantly, it is fragrance free and non greasy which will not leave anything on your duvet or beddings. 

6. Garnier Hand Repair Hand Cream  £3.99 100ml

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This hand cream is definitely one of my favourites, I have already emptied it and going to repurchase it soon. The texture is funny but this is one of the reasons I love it - it is more like gel than cream or lotion; when I rub it into my hands it feels like water, it absorbs very quickly and leave my hands no greasy. Not only it soften and nourish my hands but also my nails and cuticles - which is absolutely amazing! It keeps my hands soft all day even after washing them. Also it has a delicate lovely smell. It is a must- have item if you have super dry hands!

7. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream  £26 75ml

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The texture is rich, it soothes dry hands nicely and has the Elizabeth Arden unique smell. Overall, it is fairly good. However, I would go for the Garnier one in terms of value and overall performance, personally. 

8. Molton Brown Gingerlily Replenishing Hand Cream £10 40ml

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The one I am using is a sample but I have already fallen in love with it! It smells amazing and lasts for whole day even after washing hands which also can be used as a fragrance. It works amazingly - keeps hands soft, beautiful and not greasy. Even if it is the full size, 40ml, it's still perfect to put in your clutch or hand bag. 

I own a lot of hand creams also body lotion because my skin is super dry ( no matter it's face or body) and I need a lot of moisturising. I have been always trying different brands of hand cream and keep finding the good ones for super dry hands. After trying so many hand creams, I discover that an expensive luxury hand cream doesn't literally equal to a good quality hand cream. In contrast, a cheap ones can be the best ones. 

I hope you will enjoy it! ❤️

What I wore in Athens

As for a city walk, I chose to wear something simple and comfortable. So I paired my comfy leather shorts with a blue laced crop top and with a t-shirt underneath to keep myself nice and warm ( as it was a gloomy day). Accessory wise, I wore my DIY earrings on one side just to give a little touch of edgy. I always like to wear the Shu Uemura lip gloss  in At02 because it goes with any outfits, gives the look a modern edge and it's versatile. 

Blue Laced Crop Top: Topshop

White T-shirt: eBay

Earrings: DIY 

On the last day, I wore a pair of vintage jeans with the H&M laced bohemian top and accessorised with Primark silver Bracelets and a simple silver round necklace for a go- to- plane outfit - comfortable and casual. 

Silver Necklace: New Look

Jeans: Vintage shop

Athens | Greece

I stayed in Santorini for 2 days and then flew to Athens for another 2 days.

The airport in Santorini was the smallest I have ever visited - from checked in to security check to boarding gate, just less than 10 mins! 

Bye Santorini! I will definitely miss you and come back again in the future! ❤️

This was the first lunch I had in Athens - four cheese penne and chicken & mushroom spaghetti - they were lovely! 

Sightseeing

Remembered the earrings? I was wearing them on one side to give a little touch of edgy ;)
( Please check out my previous post for how to make them )

Happy Train - sightseeing tour around Acropolis :)

Temporary Tatoo - guess what print I chose haha ;)

At night, I went to spa at Athens Fish Spa. I chose the 50 mins Aroma Oil Massage, it was incredibly relaxing and soothed my body so much! The staff were friendly and they spoke excellent English. The service was fabulous and the environment was so relaxing! It's like bringing you to a haven of peace from a bustling city - a true holiday escape! The price was reasonable and there was young person discount - age under 25 can get a discount of 20% off. I would definitely give them thousands of likes and a big thumbs up - just love it so much!

Night view 

One of the most famous flea markets in Athens - Monastiraki Flea Market. There was a lot to discover and things you would love! 

Dinner - ordered a small platter and some fried cheese balls. The small platter was huge - pita breads, Greek traditional sausages, chicken and pork Souvlaki, some vegetables and chips - definitely more than enough for 2 people! They were delicious, I particularly liked the Greek sausages and its dipping sauce. The cheese balls were good, they were tangy and not rubbery but I would prefer some melting cheese balls. 

Last day in Athens

 Koulouri with tomato and salami for breakfast - love it! (Greeks love to use tomato as ingredients, I found tomatoes in almost every dishes!)

I love the Greek Frappe!!

Melissinos Art -The Poet Sandal Maker, the most famous sandal maker in Athens, offering excellent custom- made sandals for all age men and women. The staff were really sweet and friendly, they altered the sandals for you again and again until they fit perfectly to your feet. People might think the staff were rude but I think it's just because they don't speak good English. Although the choice of style was limited, you would definitely find one that you love.  They were genuine leather, comfortable, simple yet stylish. The price was fair, range from baby size €18-€33 to adult size €33- €38. 

The strawberry lemonade was amazing! The sweetness and the sourness was just perfectly right! It's refreshing and so good for summer! The staff were super nice and the waffles were super delicious! 

Last meal in Greece. I'm gonna miss the place and the food so much!

Apivita and Korres are the popular natural cosmetics and skin care in Greece. They are popular and you can find them in almost every pharmacy in Greece. I had bought some masks from Apivita and a cleansing foam and a lip butter from Korres. I had used one of the masks from Apivita, the intensive hydration mask with cucumber, it was so refreshing the moment I applied on my face. The consistency was thin but with a strong fresh cucumber scent and instantly gave you a cooling effect. However, it was not as good as I expected for an intensive hydration. It gave you a basic moisture but not an intensive one and my skin didn't feel instantly soften or radiant. Nonetheless, I will keep trying out other products of the brand ( may be I can find one that works on me) as I like the idea - Natural! 

I hope you will like my sharing!

Please let me know what you think about it in the comment box.

Much love ❤️

What I wore in Santorini

Recently I had bought this peacock feather headband from New Look and I think it is very suitable to wear it on holiday. So I paired it with a simple white- black- white look and finish it off with a summery orangey red shoulder bag. As to emphasis the headband, I kept all other accessories simple by just wearing the Primark 12 Pack Silver Stack Bracelets; and to create a bohemian style, I wore this white H&M cut out lace top with fringing on the hem. 

Peacock Feather Headband: New Look

Necklace (the evil eye): Oia

Lace Bohemian Top: H&M

Black Leather Shorts: eBay

Silver Bracelets: Primark

Sunglasses: eBay

Sandals: Topshop

Bag: Zara

As this day I was going to the beach so I kept all my clothing comfortable and simple. I wore this floral dungarees and paired with my favourite Primark bohemian necklace. At night, I wore the crochet coat to keep myself warm. As I had only brought this Zara bag with me, you will see it appeared on every of my outfit. I particularly like the colour of this bag because it is absolutely suitable for a summer vocation. Despite of the bold colour, it went well with all my outfits. Also, the size is so perfect that it is not too big - an over sized bag will make me end up fill it up and makes it so heavy, and it's not too small that I could put all the essentials in it.  

Floral Dungarees: Topshop

Crochet Coat: Topshop

Bohemian Necklace: Primark 

Sandals: Primark 

Blue and White | Sun 🌞Beach | Santorini

I am officially back from Greece now, I can't believe time had gone so quickly and I missed it already. It is definitely not enough to explore such a good place in 4 days for two locations - Santorini and Athens. However, due to work reason I could only get 4 days holiday and I thought it doesn't feel like I've been to Greece if I don't go to Athens, yet Santorini is the place I have always wanted to visit, so I decided to visit both cities. But I regretted now because both cities were amazing and it's absolutely worth to spend longer to explore the volcanos, enjoy the beautiful sea view in Fira and enjoy the sunset in Oia; also the delicious food and the ancient monuments in Athens. I wish I have already planned for the next trip now haha

Nissia Apartments Kamari 

The hotel located on the beachfront, just a few steps to the beach; easy to access, lots of restaurants, bars and shops nearby opened until mid night. The rooms were comfortable with a private balcony and an outdoor hydro massage mini pool; and the staffs were absolutely nice and friendly.

Sorry, I forgot the name of this restaurant (basically, most of the restaurants opps!) 

I ordered some Greek traditional and famous dishes - Grilled octopus, Greek coffee, stuffed calamari and fried cheese. The fried cheese was actually frying the whole piece of cheese, it was very chewy and tangy. The stuffed calamari was stuffed with tomatoes and cheese - it was absolutely amazing, it was well cooked, not rubbery and the sourness of chopped tomatoes balanced the greasiness of cheese which made the whole dish absolutely amazing! 

Traditional Greek coffee is brewed in a briki - pour 1/4 cup of cold water into the briki, add a teaspoon of coffee powder and a handful of sugar (optional), use medium heat to boil and stir until the coffee dissolves. When the foam rises to the top, remove from heat and pour into the coffee cup carefully without disturbing the foam. 

Greek coffee has a very strong taste, it tastes sour and fairly bitter. I'm not sure if it is the right way to taste a Greek coffee but after tasting a few cups of Greek coffee, I found that I should leave the coffee for a while to let the grinds settle to the bottom, otherwise you will taste all the grinds and ruin the taste of a beautiful Greek coffee.  

This is Oia

The sunset was not very clear but it's still beautiful! :)

Cable car to the old port - it was so scary as the cliff was incredibly steep!

Donkey riding - omg they walked so fast and the steps were so steep! However, the scenery was so beautiful! 

The volcano! Didn't get the chance to explore it tho.

Frappe! What a nice cold drink to cool down a bit in this hot summer weather! The taste of coffee was strong, it's sweet but not that syrupy sweet - bravo!

Fira

OMG! The lamb was sooooo good! It's tender, well seasoned and the portion was perfect! The Greek salad was awesome - loved the crumbly feta cheese and the fresh green veggies! Loved the crunchy, firm and crisp prawns as well! They tasted perfect even only seasoned with a hint of salt.

Kamari Beach - the sand is black! 

@ Mama's House

Enjoyed and relaxed in Santorini! I will definitely come back again! I wanted to stay in the cave houses, either in Oia or Fira, next time!

I hope you will enjoy my sharing of my stay in Santorini and the post for Athens is coming soon. 

Much love ❤️