Happy hydration! This cute hand cream contains shea butter, macadamia nut and olive fruits teamed up with pore pleasing avocado and sunflower oils. Add to the mix the delicious Mandarin Tea scent and you’ve got your perfect dream crème!
Fragrance: African Rooibos, pomegranate, neroli, orange blossom.
Part of the delightful parcel of products from Soap ‘n Sorbet, I only recently opened Love + Toast Mandarin Tea Hand Cream. So apt for the Lunar New Year season with its whiff of the Orient, this product was a lifesaver for my parched hands that were dry from the increased washing that accompanies this annual festival.
It is cruelty-free, never having been tested on animals and also paraben-free. Containing a subtle blend of green tea and citrus scents, this light and luxurious hand cream (35 g/S$19) is a pampering treat for the hands. ‘Light and luxurious’ sounds almost oxymoronic but it is exactly that. My skin absorbs this lightweight moisturiser in an instant, yet the lightness in texture and feel does not compromise its performance – my hands are adequately moisturised and callousness is kept at bay with this smooth and effective hand cream. I love that it stays on. I’m a fitful sleeper and I move a lot in the night, so it is a joy to find that the cream hasn’t smeared or worn off overnight. While it isn’t a heavy-duty hand cream and might not palliate terribly dry skin, it certainly is an excellent one for everyday use.
Its hygienic squeeze tube packaging is perfect for quick applications and would easily slip into any purse or handbag. I was particularly impressed by the fact that its foil opening was completely sealed to ensure product freshness (you will need a clean, sharp implement to release the moisturiser). The fresh burst of fragrance that greeted me when I opened Mandarin Tea was amazing! I’m glad I need not worry about product/scent degradation too – its white plastic cap closes firmly. :)
The funny thing is that I’m not exactly a huge fan of hand creams (very happy I was, with Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy Cream). However, this product has made me hanker for more of its kind. I currently keep this on my bedside table so that I can reach it easily – I’ve been using this almost every night – but I am longing for another one to put in my everyday bag (I intend to purchase Sugar Grapefruit or Gin Blossom).
Created by Margot Elena, who is also the lady behind Tokyo Milk, all Love & Toast (also referred to as Love + Toast) products are accompanied by whimsical artwork. The aesthetics of this brand hits you immediately when you see the delicately-crafted packaging with their cute images and cut-outs of a heart and a slice of toast (love + toast, so adorable) – a visual treat for the eyes and a nice addition to the tactile pleasure of using this hand cream. :)
If you would like to try this Love & Toast hand cream, do take part in the Makeup Stash! Lunar New Year 2010 giveaways!
Image source: Soap ‘n Sorbet
That’s good to know – thanks for the review. I’m always on the lookout for good handcreams that were both light-weight and easy on the wallet and I kept going back to these on the soap n sorbet website. Now I can make a firm commitment on buying this!
Neutrogena Norwegian formula used to be my staple a long time ago, but it suddenly seemed to stop working and more cracks started appearing on my palms! Horrors! So I started trying Jurlique, Crabtree and Evelyn, The Body Shop, Kiehl’s and Etude House. One of my current favourites is the Patyka handcream but a new brand is always fun to try, isnt’ it?!
Hey TUG (I hope you don’t mind me calling you this, hehe!),
Thanks for sharing a new brand with me. I can easily take a look at it today (will be near a Bud Cosmetics store). Could they have changed the formula on the Neutrogena hand cream? :( I’d love to hear your take on the ones from the other brands you mentioned.
SnS is having a special for its Facebook fans – a free Steam Cream for orders over S$65 – so now’s the time to order! ;)
hello!may i know where u got this Love & Toast Handcreme in Mandarin Tea from exactly?
Hi Hilary,
As stated in the post, I received it from Soap ‘n Sorbet which is an online store for cult skincare brands. :)
Hey Mag! No problem with the TUG thing :D
Thanks so much for letting me know about the Facebook fanning for SnS, will check it out immediately.
Now, long “post” ahead
Reg. the Neutrogena cream – that is a very real possibility, but I brilliantly chucked the box as soon as I started using the cream.
As for the others :
I loved Jurlique (I used the rose fragrance) – loved the fragrance (admittedly strong) loved the cream and loved the brilliant way it sunk into my skin without residue. Plus it worked wonderfully.
I used to use the C&E gardener’s hand therapy (?) the one in the brown tube pretty obsessively but at night mainly because it was rich and could have some greasy residue – I don’t think I ever suffered from chapped hands thanks to that.
TBS and Kiehl’s are two brands I bounce between. An old standby used to be TBS’ almond handcream. I bought the holiday Cranberry hand cream, but did not like it as much as the almond one. Also recommended, is the “soft hands, kind heart” campaign LE handcream. It has an unusual floral fragrance and it absorbs into skin like there’s no tomorrow!
I fluctuate in my purchases of Kiehl’s because occasionally I protest against the much too jacked up prices here and stop buying from them for a while. And then they advertise a sale and all my will power goes down the drain…lol…but IMO Kiehl’s and TBS handcreams seem to survive handwashing much better.
Etude House – I bought the Hello kitty LE tube – it smelled good and was cute, but unfortunately it didn’t do much for my extremely dry hands. It would probably work as a good preventive cream but not in reviving “prone to dryness” skin.
I also used to use the L’Occitane shea butter handcream, but again like the C&E, only at night, for the same reasons (extremely rich and heavy)
Other brands on my to try list are: Burt’s Bees, Clinique Deep Comfort, Dove pro-age and the Garnier hand creams. Also, have you seen the Taylor of London handcreams at Mustafa Centre? They look gorgeous – haven’t tried them yet.
Oh, do give that Patyka family diffusion range a try – I love their cleansing milk (for mornings when i have no make up on) and the body wash & lotion.
Hey TUG,
I’ve always wondered about the Jurlique but I’m not really fond of the rose scent. It sounds like a good worker though! Thanks for reminding me about the C&E Gardeners Hand Therapy Cream; I have that one!
I’ve never tried TBS and Kiehl’s, so now I have to check them out, right? ;) The limited edition TBS one sounds interesting. I like unusual scents. Maybe they’d bring it back. Thanks for mentioning that the creams from these brands survive washing.
Etude House – I have the lemon sugar one or something like that. Very simple and light. I know what you mean about it being preventive vs reviving.
I love the L’Occitane Shea Butter one! It smells great but yes, it can be a tad too rich.
I will take a look at that list you mentioned – so many goodies to try! :D And thanks for introducing Patyka to me; I shall use the hand cream sample soon. :)
hihi, i tried gin blossom and the fragrance is awesome! i would strongly recommend you to get it though i have not tried the others :)
Hi Shopaholic,
I have a sample which I’m trying out now! :)
fell in love with the graphic on the tubes since i first saw them on Chic magazine. & i can’t stop reading ur posts since this morning. u have so many review of the products that i’ve always wanted to give them a try. =)
& like u, i keep my hand cream beside my bed. that’e the last routine i try to do every night before i shut my eyes.. =)
Hi Carol,
SnS has periodic sales too – do look out for them!