Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Essence Hot Winter Drinks Review: Apple Cinnamon Punch, Caramel Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Chai Latte

I came to know about Essence's annual Winter Edition hand creams last year and have been hankering for a trio ever since.

Thanks to Hana, I finally got to experience the joy of owning a set of these limited edition hand creams. They made quite a journey before reaching my doorstep as Hana hails all the way from Czech Republic.

Do you prefer hot chocolate, chai latte or punch? With the new essence trend edition "24h Hand Protection Balm – Hot Winter Drinks", the cold winter months are sure to turn into a real pampering experience in October until December 2012. Softly fragranced combinations of aromatic hot drinks and wintertime delicacies such as caramel, gingerbread and cinnamon create the flair of cozy coffee shop visits. (Source: essence.eu/)

(Source: essence.eu/)

Name: Essence 24h Hand Protection Balm – Hot Winter Drinks
Price: 35 Kč for 75 ml
Made in: Poland

To start with, the creams sink in quickly despite the thick consistency. My hands feel moisturised and slightly softer to the touch for an hour or so. I had the impression that they do not provide enough moisture, and I was right. The constant reapplication relegates them to day hand cream category.

Personally, I prefer to use hand creams before bed, but they are not emollient enough for that (I wore them to sleep and I woke up with my hands feeling really parched).

The properties of the creams are about the same. The most notable difference is of course in the aroma. All three scents fill the room right off the bat. With the right scent, it would be heavenly but if I were forced to drown in a foul fragrance with no end in sight, I can't imagine what drastic measures I would take.


Apple Cinnamon Punch
The more I smell it, the better it gets. At first, it was downright awful with a capital 'A' but once I got used to it, it brought up memories of a scented candle that I used to light. I can't recall the brand or the name now...



The full ingredient list for Apple Cinnamon Punch:


Caramel Hot Chocolate
It has a sweet chocolate scent but falls short when compared to the perfection that is last year's Raspberry Chocolate Cookie.



The full ingredient list for Caramel Hot Chocolate:


Gingerbread Chai Latte
This scent is a blend of spices and a hint of tea. Out of the bunch, it smells most like the warm glow of Christmas.



The full ingredient list for Gingerbread Chai Latte:


There are so many better performing hand creams in the market so I can't recommend them. Will this curb my longing for next year's Winter Edition hand creams? No. Haha!

8 comments :

나니 (시언) said...

omg but the scents sound so delicious! D:

trb said...

ha. so it was nothing special? I have to say that I like these creams. I also liked the edition a year ago. but I usually have no problem with dry hands.

ecartman10 said...

At first I was going to say what a strange idea for hand creams, but then remembered I want cologne that smells like chocolate...or maybe peppermint. So hand cream that smells like aromatic winter drinks isn't strange at all.
I hope you're doing well!!!

Cereal said...

wished the packaging was better though :/

Blair said...

You have no idea how much it pains me to answer yes to your question, so I shan't haha! I only have one hand cream from last year's Little Bakery series and it smells amazing, much more than this year's *sob*

Blair said...

Really? I think that they are pretty cute!

blovetbeauty said...

gingerbread chai latte sounds good enough to eat though babes! take care babes

Miruku said...

I can never resist themed hand creams in Winter, even if I don't need them. I would definitely try the gingerbread one. Maybe it would be too tempting to eat though!