I never use to believe the hype around the so called "miracle" cream. All the fuss over it and customer testimonials all seemed too good to be true and I have always been far too reluctant to buy it. Then I received a little sample of the Elizabeth Arden Eight hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser for face in one of my Glamboxes and was really impressed by it. It was a small sample that lasted only a week, but within that week I really saw an improvement in my skin. I then decided to get my hands on the product that started it all off – the Eight hour Cream Skin Protectant.

This product is absolutely amazing when it comes to moisturinsing. I have yet to use a product that is as effective as this. It really penetrates the skin and I definitely feel that it not only moisturises the top layers of skin but the bottom layers as well. Besides the usual use of moisturising, it can also me used to sooth and heal chapped and sensitive skin. I've used this on rashes, dry skin, sunburn and also as a full face moisturiser once a week. This product is also incredibly good at treating scars and stretchmarks.

As a face moisturiser, I find it gives me a deep moisturise that I can feel in my skin even after washing it. I apply it at night, because it is very oily and glossy but by the morning it is completely absorbed and my skin looks and feels thoroughly moisturised and healthy. It even gives my skin a beautiful soft glow that I really love. My skin feels incredibly smooth and soft to the extent that after the first time I tried it as a deep moisturiser I couldn’t stop touching my skin. It seems unreal to me and I still struggled to believe that it had worked so well.

I often use this on my lips and cuticles. Just the other day I somehow managed to slightly rip the skin away from my thumb's nail bed - which was VERY painful! I applied the cream and the next morning there was a dramatic improvement in the skin and the pain was almost completely gone.

I have heard that all makeup artists have this in their makeup bag for highlighting cheekbones and as a gloss on lips and eyelids. Apparently it is even used to keep eyebrows in place. I can appreciate those uses and attest to how well it works on lips and for moisturing cheeks in winter – but to me the best thing about this product and the thing that draws me to it, is that it is so versatile. I have used it for so many skin treatments that I’ve actually lost count and it would be time consuming to write them all out (Cuts, bruises, rashes, dryness, etc). Basically if it’s skin related, this product can be used.

I understand why it’s so highly regarded and this has truly become a product staple that I will ALWAYS have close at hand.

The current price for the cream seems to be around R145 for 50ml.