I received a travel-size tube of Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream by Nuxe as a part of a gift-with-purchase, and I have applied it at bedtime for the past month or so. In short, I am underwhelmed by its performance, and on top of that, I don’t like it much.

The most distinctive part of using this cream is its noticeable, clinging, powdery scent that seems to clash with every other scent in my household, including skin care, haircare, perfume, and laundry detergent. Well, speaking of laundry detergent, it somehow reminds me of Perwoll Black detergent (although I have not compared the scents side-by-side). If I put on an item freshly-laundered in Perwoll Black, I can smell it on myself as I get dressed. Unlike Perwoll Black, the scent of Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream does not quickly disappear from my consciousness. After applying the hand cream, the scent accompanies me to bed and sometimes threatens to keep me awake–I find it that distracting. But it is not an offensive smell, and perhaps my reaction is overly sensitive.

The texture of the cream is unremarkable because it applies very much like a regular body lotion to me, and it performs no better. It spreads easily without feeling greasy, and it absorbs readily. The texture is pleasant enough–it’s not stiff, heavy, slippery, or greasy. I think this hand cream would be adequate if used during the day, but I cannot use it during the day because the scent would drive me nuts. Although the formulation is supposed to impart repairing and nourishing benefits to the hands and nails, I have noticed no appreciable benefit over using my usual body lotions or hand creams.

I award a two-flower rating to Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream. A 2.6-ounce (75 ml) tube currently costs US$19 at Beauty.com

Reviewed by Theresa