Breaking (Bad) Resolutions and Treat Yo Hands with products from The Body Shop.

So it's not even two weeks into January and I've already broken my nail polish resolution. There have been some incredible sales and promotions recently. a-england's anniversary 30% sale, the Zoya get 2 free promotion, and Cult Nails free shipping for their one year anniversary/birthday.

After deciding that a-england would be a major splurge (the pounds to US dollar conversion is not good for the wallet), I decided to go with the Zoya 2 Free promotion instead. A total cost of $6.95 for 2 polishes and shipping is a GREAT deal, so I couldn't pass it up. Zoya Kelly and Zoya Yara will be the two new additions to my collection and my first Zoya polishes ever. I can't wait until they arrive!

I also took part in the Cult Nails free shipping promotion. I decided to purchase Time Traveler since the swatches I've seen from other blogs are gorgeous. Time Traveler will be my first Cult Nails purchase as well. I love trying new brands!

I'm considering these part of my birthday present, since my birthday was last week (January 5th, yay me!) and I've gotten some birthday cash from my family. With "treat yo self" being the motto for my birthday (courtesy of Parks & Recreation), I went in search of a great body butter for my hands. I was going to stop by Bath & Body Works, but after 60 seconds in the door I realized it was way too crowded for me. It was during my lunch break so I didn't have time to wait on a long New York City line.

So I went across the street (gotta love the city) to The Body Shop, which was also having a sale and had no line. I didn't end up finding a butter (I'll just get Lush Lemony Flutter), but I did purchase a three pack of The Body Shop hand & nail creams and some lip balm. The three pack included 3, 1 ounce tubes of hand & nail cream, which normally retails for $25 (ouch!), but was on sale for $12.50 (way more my style).

From left to right: Almond  Hand & Nail Cream (for all skin types), Hemp Hand Protector (very dry skin), and  Wild Rose Hand Cream (mature skin).

The Almond Hand & Nail Cream is a good everyday moisturizer. It smells good too, nice and subtle, not overpowering. All of these hand creams take a little time to absorb.

The sales person at The Body Shop told me that the Hemp Hand Protector was named the top beauty product of the year in the industry. I don't know the exact publication/website/blog, but I figured I would give it a try. I am not a fan of the smell of the Hemp cream, but you can instantly feel the softness on your skin after using it. I think I'll end up leaving the Hemp Hand Protector at home and using it before bed. 

The Wild Rose Hand Cream is probably my favorite of the three based on smell, but I like the smell of roses to begin with. The smell is a bit strong though, probably because of the rosehip oil. So if you're sensitive to smells and don't like floral scents, this probably isn't the hand cream for you. 

Overall, I'm a fan of all three of these. I keep reaching for them whenever my hands feel dry and I keep at least one in my purse. Between the cold winter weather and all the acetone I use, having a good hand cream is key. The Body Shop also won me over as a new favorite store. After buying these products, I went onto The Body Shop website to look at their products again, where I found out that they don't test on animals and use a lot of Fair Trade, natural products. These things are a big plus to me right now as a consumer and it's great to find brands like this. I will be shopping there more often from now on!

Are you a fan of The Body Shop? What are some of your favorite hand creams or butters? Share your thoughts in the comments section!