Now that the winter weather has well and truly arrived I have found my skin and hands specifically feeling a lot dryer and looking a bit worse for ware! So time for action but with Christmas, the recession and just generally feeling a bit strapped for cash I went to the trusted Avon catalogue looking for a bargin.

Avon do many different ranges, this on "Skin so soft" promises to give you silky smooth, healthy looking skin. The tube is 75ml (so can go through hand luggage in an airport which is very handy) with a screw lid, the tube stands on the screw lid so gravity forces all the cream towards the opening meaning there is a lot less squeezing and shaking to get the last of the cream out! The tube has pink and black writing on it and some pink pictures and looks very classy, this surprised me somewhat as I often find Avon packaging can be a little basic and I know this is to keep the cost down but it is still nice to find something that looks the part.

This cream is specifically designed to help prevent chapped or cracked skin and to protect in cold weather, as a result I find it a little thicker than some hand creams, personally I really like to thick white texture but it is useful to remember that as it is thicker you only need a small amount. I use about a 20p piece size and massage all over my hands paying particular attention to my cuticles and around my finger nails as the cold weather can increase "hang nails" which we all know can look unsightly and hurt like hell!

I found that the cream soaks into the skin very easily and doesn't leave an oily residue that I have found from other hand creams. There is a very slight flowery smell to the cream but this doesn't last very long. I found that the cream left my hands feeling nice and soft and not at all sticky. I have been using the cream for a few weeks now and have noticed a definite improvement in the appearance of my hands and indeed my nails, so much so that I bought another tube. Just a s a little tip, I find that keeping a tube in my handbag and one at easy reach on my desk means that I use it a lot more and thus reap the benefits.

The only issue I have found with this hand cream is that you need to be very careful not to get it on your clothes, especially anything black as I found that it left a white mark that wouldn't rub out and hence the clothes had to go into the wash that evening.

The price varies per brochure, as with most Avon products, but can generally be picked up for around £1.50, a complete bargin as it really does work. Great product from Avon.