Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Anti-stress Moisturising Cream (SPF15)

I have had this product for about a month or so now and I won this product in a Debenhams Beauty club competition along with other Lancome products, so I did not buy this. I haven't really tried a lot of Lancome products before as they are fairly expensive. I have only have a few makeup items from Lancome, I have never bought any skin care products as my skin is sensitive due to my eczema.

- About the product and packaging

The cream comes in tub which is white in colour and it has a really pretty luminescent, metallic pink lid. The tub I have is the 50ml size (which I think is the only size available) and it is fairly large and it is also really quite heavy, which makes it feel really expensive in my opinion. This product states that it is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive so it is great that I received this one as a prize. Overall, I like the packaging as it looks nice and expensive but I don't like that the cream is in a tub. The tub container is not very hygienic in my opinion as you have to put your fingers in it, which means that some little bits can get into the cream - so I have been using a mini spatula. I think it would be better if this cream was in a tube or pump dispenser type of container instead, as it would be a lot more hygienic. This product also comes with an instruction/information leaflet in various languages.

- Lancome description

"The power of strong protection, ultimate soothing and continuous moisture. Skin feels soft, plumped up with moisture and radiant. All women know that everyday life can be stressful and dehydrating for skin. External aggressions such as the wind and air-conditioning can alter skin quality and cause dehydration." Lancome UK site

- Consistency, texture, scent and appearance of the product

The product is a cream which is really thick in consistency so I thought that it would be difficult to apply and absorb but it has a velvety smooth texture, so it is easy to apply and it absorbs fairly quickly. I like the texture and consistency of this product and I also like the scent of the product. I don't think everyone would like their skin care products to be scented, especially individuals with sensitive skin, but the rose/floral scent of this product is really nice in my opinion - although I do think it would be better if the product was unscented. The cream is not the normal cream/white colour but it is a light pink colour, which I like as it is a bit unusual.

- Using the product

Before I use this product I wash my face with my Avene gentle cleanser which is amazing for sensitive skin and it does not irritate my skin at all! After I have cleansed or exfoliated my skin (I am currently using the clinique 7 days facial scrub, which is great) I then pat my face dry and apply this moisturiser. I use a mini spatula (that did not come with this product) to get out a small amount of the cream as I don't really like to out my fingers into products like this as even with clean hands you could still put bits into the cream. I only use about a small pea sized amount of this product, you really do not need a lot, as a little goes a long way. I apply the cream to the back of my hand so I can then take even smaller amounts of the cream and apply specific amounts of cream certain areas - as some areas are drier than others. I then gently massage the cream into my skin, which takes less than one minute and that is it. I really like the application of this product as it applies so smoothly to my skin and it has a really nice velvety texture.

- Results and the longevity of the effects

I really like the results of this product, as soon as I apply the cream to my face it instantly makes my skin feel incredibly velvety smooth and so soft which I do not have all of the time due to my eczema that flares up every few months or so. So a moisturiser that makes my skin, even when I have eczema, really velvety smooth is just fantastic. As the moisturiser makes my skin really smooth and soft it means that it makes a great base for my foundation and other make up items. The only negative point about this product in terms of the effects on my skin is that it can sometimes irritate my skin slightly when my eczema flares up but most of the time it does not really irritate my skin. The longevity of the smoothing, softening and moisturising effects of the cream is really good, as my skin looks and feels moisturised for most of the day. But by the end of the day, as my skin is extremely dry, the moisturising effect will have worn off.

- Overall opinion and would I buy this product?

Overall, I am very impressed with this product mainly as it makes my skin so incredibly velvety smooth, soft and moisturised for the majority of the day. It also makes my skin smell like roses, which I like, but others may not like that this product is scented. I find that after using this product I can experience some irritation but this is only when my eczema flares up and the irritation only lasts for a couple of minutes. The positives of this product out weight the negatives but not by much as the effect of the product are fantastic but it can irritate my skin very slightly and it is fairly expensive but you do only need a small amount of cream each time you use this product (which for me is twice a day). I do not think I would buy this product unless it was on sale as it is fairly expensive but it is a great moisturiser in my opinion.

- Price and availability

I received this product along with five others as I won a Debenhams beauty club competition a couple of months ago, so I did not buy this product. But this moisturiser can be bought from Sebenhams, the Lancome official UK site (link at the end) and Boots for £37, which is fairly expensive in my opinion. You may also be able to find this product or a sample of it from eBay.

Conclusions

Positives

*Easy to apply and it absorbs fairly quickly into my skin
*Scent is really nice - it smells like roses! But some people may not like skin care products to be scented
*This cream has a thick consistency and a velvety smooth texture which makes applying the cream really nice and easy too
*This product makes my skin so soft and the smoothest it has been in a while and it contains an SPF of 15
*Really nice packaging although it has some flaws in my opinion
*Fairly widely available

Negatives

*It is fairly expensive at £37
*This product did irritate my skin slightly
*The tub container design is not very hygienic and a tube container would be better and more hygienic in my opinion

For more information: http://www.lancome.co.uk

Thank you for reading my review - this review is also posted on ciao under my username labellavita1992