SAVE YOUR SKIN: HEAVENLY HAND CREAMS

I'm afraid that even now in March, my paws seem to be dry and lacking in the super soft department. The weather has definitely not been my friend and the night time ritual of slathering on hand cream along with a good massage is the only resolve.
My fail safe go-to's though-out the winter months and all year long have helped improve the condition of my hands dramatically and I suggest you make room for these little beauties in your hand bag now, whatever the weather!

Current Loves!

I'm totally smitten with The Body Shops Absinthe collection, particularly the purifying hand cream (£10). I'm afraid you won't get a vision of Kylie as a fairy visiting you & doing a jiggle once you've applied the hand cream, but what you will get are fully hydrated paws (it's not a greasy hand cream even with the magic ingredient - shea butter!). I'm in love with the scent which lingers long after application and as a pregnant woman, smells are very particular with me, I either love or hate it!

Having to get public transport where people are constantly sneezing and coughing all over place makes me feel icky, especially if I have to touch the very same handrails, so you'll always find a bottle of  purifying hand gel or anti-bacterial hand gel in my hand bag. The above two are my beauty saving partners in crime right now!

For healthier looking hands...

I have used all of the above hand creams - they're all good, whatever the budget. I must admit, the cheapie - Nivea Creme does leave a slightly greasy touch afterward as it takes a while to sink in but it is good and has even been compared to Creme de la Mer - it has that protecting and hydrating factor. 

Soap & Glory always have the most delicious smelling skincare/beauty products but what is exceptional about this hand cream is that rehydrates asap and leaves hands feeling silky!

Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula helps with chapped skin leaving your hands all velvety but not 'fed' enough, what I like about it is that is protects against the weather and has a subtle scent. 

Jurliques Lavender hand cream not only nourishes, smells amazing but moisturizes well as it's thick and creamy - my Aussie rellies introduced me to this brand and it's a great buy at the airport!

A Little Goes a Long Way...

One of my fave splurges in winter is L'Occitane's shea butter hand cream (£19/150ml or £8/30ml - Hit the Duty Free counter at the airport!). I know a lot of friends swear by this hand cream and why not? It's gorgeously thick, creamy and sinks in well without being greasy, leaving hands super soft and hydrated. The smell is oh so sweet too... I've heard that if you do suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis, this is a great hand cream for keeping them hydrated & in good condition. 

With the older, larger tube design you'll find you may have to cut the end off to get the rest out & finish off the tube properly (I fear this is going to happen with my Body Shop Absinthe tube)! The 30ml tube is a great handbag essential and is in the plastic format. A friend of mine has the rose petals one and leaves the tube next to the kitchen sink, I love sneaking a smidgen, such a gorgeous smell!

What are your handbag or nightstand hand cream faves? If your hands are really out of control dry, I'd suggest exfoliating with a sugar scrub to help get rid of any dead, dry skin and apply a thick moisturiser and wear a pair of gloves overnight.
HOT TIP:  I also tend to use any excess anti ageing face cream on the back of my hands too.

Huge thanks to The Body Shop Greece for the Absinthe Hand collection! Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ! x.o.x.o

B if for Beauty, Bags, Books & Bulk Buy

I had this postcard from oooh, 10, maybe 12 yrs ago, but it was my ethos back then!

I think i may have helped boost the British economy with my recent trip home to see my folks and a few girlies who have just got engaged - congrats you guys!!! I seriously went all out and bought some bits back that i knew i couldn't get over here. A cheetah doesn't really change it's spots and some old habits die hard when it comes to beauty buys (from Boots). Some of the below (i say some because i have got an insane amount of stuff) are just what i live religiously by, although the Organic Surge Cleanser & Soap & Glory Flake me away is a new thang to try out- they have this other stuff called Sugar Spa scrub which is awesome!

From top left:

• This is a global product which i swear by and have done for 15 yrs+, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula just smells yummy and helps with the dry bits.
  
• The Sanctuary - Body Moisture Spray - divine smell and softens the skin straightaway, it's a total SOS in a bottle.
• Clarins One step cleanser - Love this & the half oil mix - helps leave the skin soft in the harsher drier, colder months (i was running out so picked up another bottle at Duty free). This is yet another wonderful smelling product which cleanses properly and gets rid of a hard nights out eye make up!
• Organic Surge Daily Care face wash - new yet to try out!
• Comme Des Garcons 2 perfume - How can i explain this - It's an incredible smell, people glide over to you and ask what you're wearing nearly all the time! It's one of my all time favourite scents but i alternate a lot depending on mood.
• Soap & Glory Flake me away - spa body polish - gotta get my pins scrubbed up for summertime show! The little pot is a travel sized body butter - v handy!
• Dr. Nick Lowe Super Charged SPF15 Day cream - 1st time buy, but it is good stuff.
• Simple Range of products - Night cream & Day cream are awesome because they always have no perfume, no colour and are great for sensitive skin. Oh and they're totally bank & budget friendly too!
  

Moving on, here's a tiny sneak peak of what i've picked up on my recent trip. More snapshots to follow! Believe me when i say there's more goodness to show! You may be aware of my love for bib style necklaces, the denim one above was a cheap and cheerful buy.

B is definitely for Bulk buy - why buy one when you can get 2 pairs of cute floral sequin flats?

Was having a Sex & The City moment - oversized clutch/across the body bag, nuff said!

Easy going vest top with decorative stitch detail on the back-cute eh?

B is for Books

I love books, call me a geek if you want to, but having come close to running out of reading material i ordered via Amazon for these little purchases. Yes, there are a few Greek books there, only the GCSE (aimed at 15/16 yr olds) book is based on the ancient language and is rather difficult and so outta my intellectual league - bedtime reading anyone?
Seriously there comes a time when after a girls gotta improve on grammar rather than 'Butcher the Greek language' as Fashion Butter calls it! I have been here for just over a year now and am as fluent as one can be, actually i'm fluent in the language of the Collins and Lonely Planet guide phrase books! Greek is such a beautifully rich and grand language that i want to be able to progress, advance and learn more - it's such a difficult language but i'm slowly getting there.

I'll mention the Girl with the Dragon tattoo, because everyone on the tube and trains were sucked into their own little worlds reading this book. It's been a while since i got into a good book.

Calling all Fashionistas: International deliveries

Man, i love ASOS! For those who aren't familiar with this amazing (and most successful) independent online fashion & beauty retailer, it stands for 'As seen on screen' - whatever you see on Posh, Cheryl, Nicole Ritchie, Mossy & Co, you're likely to be able to buy an ASOS.com version (not forgetting at a fraction of the price). Genius really and a huge Godsend.
NB: I have now noticed though, that they don't really write who the dress or product is in the style of anymore and the list of celebs that used to be in the side bar...

Launched back in 2000 and starting out with their own brand of clothing, this e-tailer has grown from strength to strength, stocking well over 35 brands (fashion & beauty), contemporary and also selected designer brands too. Everything about the website is just plain brilliant and so is the delivery too. They now send international (to US, North Canada from $8-$14 delivery fee, for Europe see above pic) & stock one of my fave beauty brands Soap & Glory! Yippeee!

I personally haven't tried out an international delivery to Greece yet, only because my recent transaction with a well known Arcadia Group brand let me down massively. My beautiful delivery was lost in the Greek post or stolen, who knows, so they had to refund me after i hadn't received anything after 4 weeks! For those of you fashionistas Greece side, this website is worth checking out, admittedly the own brand range of fashion (ASOS shoes and clothes) quality is only so-so, it's worth checking out the designer brands. I picked up 5 t-shirts for Mr.Perseus recently - different well known labels for what would have cost me an arm and a leg in Attica dept. store in Athens.
The website is packed with all things yummy - from style advice to the magazine with celeb interviews, trends etc etc... enjoy!

marc by Marc Jacobs cross town stripe buckle silk playsuit 268.75 euros