Burt's Bees: Almond & Milk Hand Cream

I quit drinking alcohol many years ago. Most of the time I do not miss it, but every now and again I get a craving for a sweet after-dinner drink, like a vin santo, a sloe gin or perhaps an amaretto. My health challenge currently rules out both alcohol and caffeine, making coffee off limits as well, but I read somewhere that the pathway to the brain from the nose and the mouth is the same, so that both of these cravings can be satisfied merely by smelling the drinks (those of someone you know, please!) instead of actually drinking them. I am pleased to tell you that I have put this theory to the test quite successfully with both beverages, and can highly recommend it if you are trying to wean yourself off either one or the other.

Another way to get your fix is by simply opening a pot of Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream. This stuff smells just like amaretto in a pot and hits you squarely the minute you open the lid. I picked one up last week while my daughters and I were cruising the product aisles at Boots: they for pretty much anything I was willing to pay for; me for something to tackle my gnarly summer heels. Being well into August now, my feet have been in flip-flops for almost two months and are in need of some serious repair work. I have tried many creams and balms on my heels over the years, but up until now had only found one that really worked. However, Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Cream is exceptionally expensive to use on your feet so I can't recommend that in good faith unless it is an emergency...only you can gauge the severity of the situation!

Instead get yourself a pot of this. It is thick and greasy, no good at all as a hand cream, but just the thing for Hobbit-like heels. I slathered it on, popped on some socks and drifted happily off to sleep with the sense that I had had a marvellous amaretto-fuelled evening without any ill effects. When I woke up my feet were amazingly soft and the gentle scent of almonds still hung in the air. It took three nights and some daytime sloughing with one of those cheese-grater-like heel tools, but my heels are, thankfully, back to normal. Retailing at £9.99, this rich, dense cream is very economical as it will last you a good long while. If you are a fan of marzipan or amaretti biscuits (and have scary summer-heel issues) then this is the cream for you.... and your feet!