Coastal Salt & Soul Heavenly Hand Cream

Coastal Salt & Soul Heavenly Hand Cream Allure special projects editor and self-proclaimed

creature of habit, challenges herself to snap out of her beauty rutwith an Allure Beauty Box subscription. Come back monthly to find out

how she uses the items in the box—the ones that earn a permanent placein her medicine cabinet, and the ones that don’t quite make the cut.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I am beginning topanic because I’ve barely made a dent in my shopping list. For me,procrastination has become a time-honored holiday tradition that’s upthere with tuning in to the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story onTBS, or pretending to eat pickled herring at the stroke of midnight on

New Year's Eve to appease my father. When the December Allure Beauty

Box arrived, it was a welcome distraction from my daunting shopping

list, and I readily dug in. What I found, however, was that in

addition to some necessary goodies to help me brace for the bitterly

cold months ahead, the box also contained some unexpected gift ideas

for the friends and family on my list.Coastal Salt & Soul Heavenly Hand Cream

Whipping winds and subzero temperatures have done a number on my poor

fingers. Add compulsive hand-washing to the mix (it’s cold and flu

season, people!), and my winter-worn hands were seeming like they were

here to stay. That is, until a glimmer of hope arrived in the December

box: a dainty tube ofCoastal Salt & Soul Heavenly Hand Cream

© 2015 | Kristina Sherk Photography | www.Kristinasherk.com

. Its nongreasy formula delivered a dose of much-needed moisture to my

parched palms without leaving behind a slick residue on my keyboard

and a trail of typos. The distinctive scent, however, was what truly

set this hand cream apart. This is going to sound awfully specific, so

bear with me. But, you know that inexplicable smell in the housewares

section of Anthropologie that makes you linger there even though you

came in specifically to find a dress for the bridal shower you’re

attending in just a few short hours? That is exactly how I’d describe

Ocean Gardenia’s sweet, yet citrusy fragrance. I didn't get a chance

to try the other scents—Blushing Peony and Mediterranean Citrus—but

now I want to get my baby-soft hands on those, too.

Verdict: This deeply moisturizing hand cream is a trick I definitely

want to have up my sleeve this winter. But it’s way too good to keep

to myself, and honestly, it’s a versatile gift that works for just

about everyone on my list. (As a bonus, its pretty packaging means I

can scrap the wrapping paper and scotch tape: A simple satin bow will

suffice.)Tula Advanced Neck Cream

Some grandmothers pass down family recipes. My grandmother’s lasting

legacy was this invaluable beauty tip: “Always do to your neck exactly

what you do to your face.” At the time, I dismissed it with an eye

roll, but now I’m hanging my head in shame for ignoring her. And I

should have known better. With barely a crease on her face, only the

white-knuckled passengers in her car might have been able to guess

that she was a senior citizen. While I may have brushed off her sage

advice for years, it's found its way into my current skin-care

routine: my three-times-a-week retinol treatment that I slather from

hairline to décolletage and top off with a thin layer of ultracreamy

moisturizer. These two heavy-hitting treatments work wonders on my

face but ravage my wallet.Tula Advanced Neck Cream

was a welcome addition. Packed with peptides, it helps to restore

firmness and smooth crepey skin just as well as my normal p.m.

process, but at $80 for a 1.7-ounce jar compared with $170 for 1 ounce

of Crème de La Mer, it’s practically a steal.

Verdict: In terms of its benefits, it’s neck and neck with my usual

anti-aging creams, but it charges into the lead with its price tag. A

firmer neck feels a lot better when you have a fuller wallet.