Five of the best handwash and lotion duos

I was always frustrated by my mother’s attitude. It wasn’t until I had grown up that I realised it wasn’t her attitude specifically, but that of a generation of working class mothers who saw indulgence as almost embarrassing.

When something nice came into the house, something unnecessary, like a fancy scented candle, it would be put away immediately. For years, I was irked and frustrated by my mother’s refusal to actually use anything luxurious she was gifted.

It isn’t as though we came by such things very often, but they would expire in their packaging, squirrelled away in a bathroom cupboard shrine to their beauty, before she would take them out and use them. She changed her mind about this in the last years of her life, partly because being the mother of a beauty writer comes with perks, and I loved seeing her use and marvel at beautiful products, and finally come to realise that their purpose is to be joyfully used, and not sedately worshipped or guiltily revered.

As a result of the joy my mother took in special products, I do not believe in saving them. We should all whip out any stashed beauty or bathroom products today; particularly any fancy gifted hand soap and lotion. A good hand wash and cream duo are the perfect everyday indulgence. They feel and smell wonderful, are a delight to anyone visiting your home, and are a testament to taking joy where you can find it.

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Beautiful gifts

Most of us won't or can't always purchase them for ourselves, though as this column will show, they come at a range of price points, make a beautiful gift, and look wonderful in the bathroom. Field Day is an Irish brand, and its Wild Rose Hand Wash and Hand & Body Cream (number 1 in the photograph; €16.95 and €17.95 at fielddayireland.ie) is delicious. The fragrance is delicate and stays on the hands.

The supreme bathroom duo for me will always be the sumptuously androgynous Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Body & Hand Wash and Body & Hand Lotion (2, €35 and €50 at Brown Thomas). They make an immense statement in a bathroom, and, consequently, make a very special and luxurious gift.

If you prefer a clean citrus feel and something a little more affordable, Crabtree & Evelyn Citron & Coriander Energising Hand Wash and Hand Therapy (3, €19.20 and €27.60 at lookfantastic.com) are sharp sensory boosts. The hand cream is beautifully softening.

For an even more affordable but just as lovely option, try Rituals' The Ritual of Ayurveda Hand Wash and Hand Balm (4, €9 and €10 at rituals.com) which smells of Indian rose and sweet almond oil.

The new Rituals Dublin store opens at Dundrum town Centre this month, so you can head in to try before you buy if you prefer not to purchase fragranced products online.

For a modern look and fragrance at a reasonable price, try & Other Stories Nomad's Poem Hand Soap and Hand Lotion (5, €5 and €7 at & Other Stories). The soft coconut, peach musk fragrance is completely dreamy.