Elizabeth Arden 8hr Cream

It’s been around for longer than I can remember but it took me a long time to get on the Elizabeth Arden 8hr Cream (£26) bandwagon. At first, I hated the smell and couldn’t see the need for it…. now, I don’t leave the house without it.

So what changed?

For many years I put off buying it as I thought it was just a fancy pants over priced lip balm but on a flight, the onboard shopping magazine had a full feature on the benefits of this pot of wonder so I bit the bullet and bought it. It came in bloody handy as I burnt my nose so badly on that trip, it helped relieve the pain and damage i’d done!

Coming in a variety of pots and potions, the 8hr cream is available in tube form, a lip balm tube, a lip balm stick and even for a wee while, a swish glass jar. The 8hr cream has quite a strong medicinal smell that I have learnt to love but it does come in a fragrance free version which is a big hit as the scent is quite polarizing. You love it or hate it.

I could go on for a good long while listing all the uses for the Elizabeth Arden 8hr cream but the most beneficial I find is as a nourishing lip balm, cuticle cream, burn care and moisturiser. The thick emollient cream really soaks in to dry, chapped skin and helps to relieve that sore tightness you get. It’s also a make up bag essential as it helps pep up that too-dry matte lipstick we all have lurking at the bottom of our make up bags, turns powder into a cream blush and gives a summer sheen to the cheek bones and collar bones. Unruly eyebrows are a thing of the past too, not that I have that problem myself!

I won’t lie, I still think £26 is a lot of money for something that I basically use as a lip balm but I make sure to stock up at the airport or on  allbeauty.com where it is quite often cheaper. I picked this new tube in Duty Free and saved about a fiver or so. As soon as I bought it I cracked it open and kept it with me throughout the flight as you can use it on dry skin, lips and hands.

I have the full size tube on my desk and a mini travel sized cream in my handbag so I am ready for all eventualities. I get really dry skin on the heel of my hand from using the laptop + mouse and the 8hr cream is the only thing stopping it looking scaly!

I think if you try it, you’ll be a convert but it is definitely an expensive leap to make for the first time!