Wednesday, April 2, 2008

HG

I'm gonna really really miss my Japanese class... =(
Today was the last lecture. I still have the oral this Friday and a couple of exam help sessions next Thurs and Fri @ Harbour Centre... and we might go out for karaoke this Friday, but it's not gonna be the same! I've never enjoyed a university class as much as this one. Two semesters together - the same enjoyable 6 (minus a couple (from 1st term) and plus a couple (from 2nd)). We got to know each other's personalities... inside jokes... tons of laughs. It reminded me of the mini - how close-knit we are.

I'm surprised at how many ppl think I look like I'm in 1st year... at least they say I act older.

Anyway, I wanted to rave over the award-winning Crabtree and Evelyn hand therapy collection!
Crabtree and Evelyn originated in 1973 in Massachusetts.
I used to always think that store was for old people who liked potpourri. When you walk in, you'd be hit with a floral stench (as I thought at the time). BUT Nad got me La Source Hand Therapy cream from the airport during Spring Break and I was so surprised at how well it worked! These creams have shea butter in them "to soothe and help protect hands". What I like about them is how little you need and how the cream is instantly absorbed into your hands - no grease at all! Your hands feel supple and moisturized.. and it's not one of those creams you have to keep creaming yourself with throughout the day in between washes - just right after you wash your hands. And it's not just for hands! The other day, I noticed my feet were looking very unloved... so I slathered some cream on. The next morning, all the dead skin disappeared! Whala.
La Source Hand Therapy 1.7oz [$7]
I loved it so much that I went to the store to see what other scents they had. The employee was a bit annoying in trying to sell me the products, but she did introduce me to the Gardener's Hand Recovery! I'm no gardener but WOW. I tested it out - it's a dry, grainy scrub and it really exfoliates your hands and makes it look younger, smoother, and SO SO SO soft. You rinse it off with water and do it once a week. Then she said for best results, use the Gardener's Hand Therapy (same as La Source xept a different scent and for dry hands).
I think this is pretty much on the same level as L'Occitane's classic Shea Butter Hand Cream [$25~30] except it's a fraction of the price and that L'Occitane claims that the cream creates a protective barrier on your hands that even lasts through a hand wash. From my experience, either the soap I use to wash my hands is too powerful or something else b/c it didn't work. Plus, I find that this cream is a bit less concentrated than L'Occitane's so it doesn't take as much effort to rub the cream in. As for the packaging, it's practically the same as LOccitane's. It's made of a thin metal tube with a plastic twist on cap. You can roll the bottom easily like your used toothpaste tube. Some ppl have a problem with it - they don't like the dents that are created when they put it in their bag... they don't like the look of it, saying it looks too old-fashioned (I happen to love the look), and they don't like how it's a twist-cap b/c they lose it. I don't have a problem with it at all. I think the metal is great to keep the cream cool, and when you take some of the cream out, it sticks to your hand so you can take your time in screwing the cap back on.

Gardner's Collection - Most moisturizing out of the Therapies
This is the Hand Therapy 3.4oz that retails for $14USD.
On MakeupAlley, they have 69 reviews. 94% would buy it again.
And this is the Hand Recovery 3.5 oz that retails for [$20]
I think this scrub is very overpriced and wouldn't buy it regular price.
So together, it'd total to about $34USD not including tax if I were to buy them at regular price.
Luckily I didn't buy it then (though I was really tempted to despite that employee) 'cause when I went down to Seattle Premium Outlets, they had C&E store! I totally forgot. This was practically the only other thing I bought down there. I got both the Gardener's Hand Recovery (for $11) and Therapy (for $9) - so I got both for $20!! Saved over $14 woot wooot. Great sale -- I was surprised at all the young and old people in that store buying these creams. They were buying 10 at a time (10 was the limit) in all different scents! They must have known how great these were all along - I felt like such a newbie haha.

So now I have the Gardener's duo sitting next to my sink in my bathroom, and the La Source Hand Therapy on my bedside table. How lovely.

This is definitely my new HG hand cream and hand scrub. My mom likes it a lot too.. in fact, she just sneaked (lol I was gonna write 'snuck') into my bathroom to take some. I always wondered what HG stood for in makeupalley.com... I just found out that it means "Holy Grail" hahaha So when someone says their product is HG, it means that the product is their favourite/absolute ideal. Japanese class is my HG class haha

Back to Japanese.... AH I need to pack and think of 3 questions for English tutorial tomorrow!
Oyasumi.

3 comments:

Nat said...

yay! glad u like. im not too fond of the dented look either but it's a good point - u can roll it up and get all the cream out. i didnt even think to look at other scents.. la source has its own hand recovery too. yeah next time i go to states.. will get more C&E stuff, tho i havent even opened mine yet hehe.

THEY HAVE COOKIES IN THE STORE! i mean they sell cookies.. albeit overpriced,..but WOW. COOKIES.

Nat said...

only six people in the class?? yowzie. i thot i had small classes! they actually run those classes w/ so few people?

i opened my cg powder..WOW at the smell T______T SIGH. sigh sigh sigh. couldnt really get past it to really try it out.. blehhhhhh.

Natasha said...

oh really? la source has its own hand recovery? The lady said the gardener one was the only one that did. COOKIES?!

haha no not only 6 ppl - but those are the 6 i'm closest to that are the same from last term. Oops didn't make that very clear.

I thought you returned your CG powder??