Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream

Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream 120ml - £47

This year I couldn't really decide what to do for my birthday... I love birthdays so much, but after a rough start to the year I just wasn't in the mood. Then about 2 weeks before the big day I got really sick - nothing at all serious, but it was a lingering cough & cold situation that I couldn't shake and it just made me exhausted and unmotivated all the time while it lasted, so I was in no mood for planning a celebration of any kind. The conclusion I ultimately came to was that what I really needed and wanted for my birthday was to invest some time (and money) in something I often neglect... Self care. I skipped the usual party for a quiet dinner with some very close friends and spent my actual birthday having a nice lunch, shopping and investing in some skincare products I'd wanted for ages and then I took myself for a much-needed facial. It was the best present ever and I didn't realise how much I'd needed a little TLC. One of the products I bought is the Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream. I'd always wanted to try Aēsop products before and it was fate when I happened to pass by their shop in Sloane Square - I didn't even know it was there. I walked in, smelled a few testers and asked for something I knew I needed... A good moisturiser.

I'm the worst at skincare and I always have been. Don't get me wrong... I have so many products and I do use them, but I'm really inconsistent. Historically when I've decide to do my skincare regime, I've gone all the way and it usually lasts for about a week, followed by nothing for months. I've gotten away with it in the past, but let's face it... I'm closer to 40 than 30 now and it's time to be serious about looking after myself, including my skin. No more going to bed with my makeup on (this is my worst habit), skipping sunscreen, forgetting to moisturise for weeks at a time or being too lazy for eye cream... It's time for a skincare makeover and so far I'm keeping up with it, but it helps that I treated myself to some products I'm actually excited to use.

The salesperson at Aēsop Sloane Square was super helpful and explained that what I needed from the brand was really dependent on my skin type and what I wanted from a product. After hearing this, I was wooed... I am so unimpressed by someone trying to sell me anything without knowing what I need. I explained that I have dry, sensitive skin and she provided me with two options to try. Both were lovely, but quite frankly the other one didn't smell very good to me. I was once told by a facialist in a fancy spa in Knightsbridge that what smells good to someone is often their body's way of telling them what it wants or needs... It makes sense really. As an example, I'm allergic to truffles and I hate the smell of them so much that I'm like a human truffle pig - I can smell them from a mile away. So I bought this theory hook, line and sinker. Using this logic, I chose the Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream, which to be honest is a bit more expensive than I expected, but it was a birthday gift so c'est la vie.

I've been using Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream every single day for just over a month, often twice during the day and even sometimes before bed in lieu of a night cream since it's suitable for both day and night. It's a medium-weight cream and to be honest, I feel that's an accurate description. It's rich and you can feel it, but there is a lightness to it. It's a happy medium between super thick, heavy moisturisers and those that feel like a super light veil. The main ingredients are chamomile bud, sandalwood and rosemary leaf, giving it a slightly floral scent with a little bit of woodiness. It's a comforting fragrance that's not too overwhelming - I hate skincare products that smell overly perfumed, so for me this one hits all the right notes. Aēsop recommends a half teaspoon portion per use, though I feel like I use a little bit less than that. I've had mine for over a month and I've hardly made a dent in it, so a little goes a long way and it lasts for ages.

Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream is suitable for normal, dry and sensitive skin. My skin tends to be quite sensitive and I sometimes break out, itch or have a lot of redness when I try various products, but I'm happy to say that's simply not the case with this product. In fact, I've seen a reduction in redness since I started using it and I feel more confident about how my skin looks without makeup. Also, I find so many products geared toward dry skin leave my face feeling like an oil slick, but not this one... My face feels soft, matte and looks radiant when I use this moisturiser. It's all I ever wanted from a face cream!

Aēsop Camelia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream comes in a 60ml jar for £35 or a £120ml jar for £47, which is a better deal. When I purchased the cream in-store, I was also given some samples to try of other products I might like that are suitable for my skin type and the salesperson took my details to keep a record of what I bought so the next time I come in I don't have to remember. That level of customer service combined with a superior product and stunning, minimalist packaging made my first Aēsop experience worth every single penny and I can't wait to try more!