Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Serum $59 Review

This Sephora only exclusive was recommended to me by an SA. Since I was on a mission to stop the fine lines forming on my forehead I decided to give it a try. I like this much better than the Kinerase C8 Peptide Intensive Treatment.

"The serum is highly concentrated in anti-oxidants to immediately correct the first signs of ageing and tired skin. Wrinkles appear smoothed and skin looks more supple and incredibly luminous. To use apply morning and night on face and neck avoiding the area around the eyes." ~from product packaging.

The Verdict: A

I've worked this into my daily regimen and I apply this under moisturizer. It's non-greasy, lightweight and has a fairly runny consistency which makes fast absorbing. There's a very light smell to it that is pleasant and not at all obtrusive. I mainly use this on my forehead and temples. I've got deeper lines on my neck that I'm still hunting for the right product to use.

The best part is that I am definitely seeing the results of this. I can crinkle my forehead without fear because as soon as I'm done "expressing" my skin bounces right back. I even stopped using this for about 2 weeks and the results didn't disappear from discontinued use.

Product Packaging

I love Caudalie's use of the inside of the outter packaging! They usually place helpful tips and illustrations showing how to apply the product on the inside.

The actual product packaging itself is aiite. I'm thankful for the pump dispenser but the plastic container doesn't let me see how much is left.

LUSH Tea Tree Toner Tab Review

I went to the salon and on the way back I tried to resist the sweet alluring smells wafting out of LUSH but I failed slightly. I say slightly because I only caved to 2 items: some toner tabs and a hair treatment tub. The other 2 are samples that the kind SA threw in :) I'll review all of these as I use them but for now I'll only be reviewing my spotlight item: LUSH Tea Tree Toner Tabs!


LUSH has 4 different types of toner tabs to address different skin conditions. I got the Tea Tree Toner Tabs to help soothe acne prone skin. They're $1.50 each (yikes!) or $7.95 for 6 tabs (smaller yikes!).

To use these, first boil a pot of water. Once the water has boiled, remove the water from the heat and drop in one of the tabs. Then place a towel over your head and let the tea tree steam seep into your skin. When the tab fizzles out the steaming is complete! Just pat skin dry and then finish with a moisturizer. The SA recommended allowing the tea tree water to cool and then pouring it into a spray bottle and to use it as a toner. I loved his idea for turning the tab into a multi-use product!



I have to admit 1 tab per pot of water seems rather wasteful to me. So I used this with my Conair Facial Steamer in my pre-masking ritual. I let the facial steamer heat up and then I just shaved off a about 1/4 of one toner tab into the water basin.

The Verdict: A
I know some people find the scent of Tea Tree oil to be quite pungent but I actually don't mind it. When I used it with my steamer I found the scent to be relaxing and spa-like. I'm not so sure about the effect of this for my skin though. My skin was all clammy after steaming so it was hard to gauge the benefits of incorporating the toner tab. However I'm confident all the antioxidants and tea tree oil goodness were busy working behind the scenes to beautify my skin :)

Caudalie Cleansing Water $12/$23 Review

I had heard a lot of nice things about this toner and when I ran out of my usual Shiseido toner, it was a perfect time to try this guy out! I say that I "ran out" of toner knowing full well that I have like a bajillion little promotional sample sized toners stashed away in a promotional makeup bag under my bathroom counter. I bet if I poured all of the little toners into 1 container it'd fill a full-size toner bottle....but I digress!

So back to this toner! As with most Caudalie products, you can purchase Caudalie Cleansing Water in 2 sizes: 200ml/6.7oz for $23 or 100ml/3.4oz for $12. This toner is a micellar water meaning it will attract dirt from the skin to gently cleanse and remove makeup without rubbing. It is suitable for all types of skin, including sensitive skin.

The Verdict: C
I have to first say this is called Cleansing WATER - meaning not oil so I was skeptical it would remove makeup. Well, I was right. If you soak a cotton ball with this stuff, it will remove some makeup but it really is no comparison to cleasing oil. I would not recommend using this as a makeup remover because there's a lot of stuff that gets left behind.

I gave it a shot for eye makeup too. With mascara and full eye makeup, I used cleansing oil first to get rid of as much as I could and then used the Cleansing Water to remove any remaining residue. It removed some, but again it wasn't as thorough as I'd hoped. I even lost an eyelash or 2 in the process. When I'm going light on makeup, this stuff works great for removing pencil liner.

I also tried using this solely as a toner. As it is alcohol-free, it does not tighten skin or suck moisture away. It is also odorless, so there is no funky smell at all. It does get very slighty soapy as it's applied and because of that it leaves a weird gummy film after it's dried. I find I have to rinse my skin after this and that just tears it!

Unfortunately after all this trail and error, I will not be re-puchasing this. I'll probably use up the bottle I have for removing pencil liner only.

Caudalie Eau de Beaute Beauty Elixir $15/$49 Review

This product is a 2-in-1 toner and serum combo. It claims to hydrate and smooth skin using essential oils and plant extracts. It also tightens pores and makes skin radiant. There are 2 sizes available: 1 oz for $15 or 3.8 oz for $49. The 1 oz bottle is meant to be travel friendly (also the size shown in the pics).

It can be misted on clean skin or over makeup and used as a toner or to hydrate the skin at any time of the day. The product has to be shakened up before use because the oils in it separate from the water and it forms little yellow gobs that float towards the top.


Close encounter with the yellow gobs!!!

The Verdict: A+
This is currently my favorite Caudalie product! If you are considering the Caudalie Grape Water - skip it and go straight to this! I thought the Grape Water smelled like old bottled water and was grossed out when it was misted on my face. The Beauty Elixir's got it's own smell too but it smells more medicinal than dirty. I should warn that the medicinal smell does linger for some time before it dissipates - about 1-2 minutes. Also, my final complaint - this stuff seems to go quickly. Even after a few spritzes I actually notice the level of product has gone down. This leads me to think the bottle must be made of really thick glass so that it only appears to contain a lot of product.

When I mist this on, it gives skin a cool refreshing feeling. There is alcohol in it to give it that astringent effect, but it's not at all drying. It hydrates without overly wetting skin and the smell combined with the coolness literally "wakes up" my skin! Once it dries, it's either absorbed by the skin or evaporated so there's not a trace of film left behind. I really love this product but I have a feeling it's a love it/hate it kind of thing. Definitely try it out before taking the plunge!

Caudalie VinoPerfect Radiance Revealing Mask $42

Caudalie is a relatively young company that was launched in 1995. Their products originate from the benefits found in grapeseeds and they are all-natural. They extract and stabilize polyphenols which have been shown in laboratory tests to be 10,000x more effective than Vitamin E in fighting free radicals. Caudalie holds the patent for the extraction of polyphenols. From these roots, the company has since patented Resveratol (grape vine stalk extract #uno) to address cell renewal and Viniferine (grape vine stalk extract #dos) to treat dark spots and enhance radiance.

**Warning** The following is copied directly from the product itself and it's box (I got lazy :P)

The extraordinary combination of an ultra-soft brush applicator with a super-active formula. This fresh peeling mask renews the appearance of the skin, tightens the appearance of pores and provides an immediate burst of radiance to your complexion.

Apply twice a week on clean skin. Then the applicator to the ON position Press lightly. Apply avoiding the area around the eye. Leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse. Theun the applicator to the OFF position, then rinse and wipe the applicator.


Applicator in OFF position.


Applicator in ON position - with a bit of the mask squeezed out.

The Verdict: A-
This mask feels cool when applied and I think it's a good mask to try if you have sensitive skin. It's completely non-irritating and it makes skin brighter and more radiant. There's no smell to the product and the consistency is quite thick and creamy. It's a peeling mask that is rinsed off so it never hardens or dries out.


Close-up of the brush. It's soft and feels just like a foundation brush.

At first I was excited to try out the brush applicator becuase I thought it would be like a mini-spa experience! Unfortunately, the product is only squeezed out from the very middle of the brush and it was hard to spread over my skin evenly. I'm thinking(hoping) this is just a learning curve and I just need a couple of tries to get the hang of it.


Shot of how the product is dipensed from the middle of the brush only.

I really enjoyed this product and I will definitely continute to use this. I like the cool feeling it has and how gentle it is. Also, since you use the brush applicator to apply it, a little goes a long way.


I was looking all over for a little instruction pamphlet but then realized the instructions were printed directly on the inside of the box. In fact, Caudalie uses every surface of their outter packaging for printing. I loved how it was eco-friendly! I gripe I have with Caudalie in general is that they package their products for the English, French, German and Italian speaking populationg. Because of this, it looks like a lot of detail is printed but it's actually only a 1 sentence description. Also, with all the extraneous information it's like a "Where's Waldo" hunt for the English text - haha!

Korres Love Your Lips Collection $29

I don't know why but I just couldn't resist this gift set when I saw it at Sephora! I'm such a sucker for gift sets! I'm also a known Ziploc packer - that's right. I pack any and everything using Ziploc baggies. You have no idea how excited I was when they came out with Ziploc Big Bags! Korres seems to always put their gift sets in ziplock packaging and it always catches my attention - I have a problem, I know.

Korres beauty products are dermatologist-tested and all-natural. They're made without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. The lip products are also silicone, mineral oil, propylene glycol and ethanolamine-free.

The set comes with all full-sized products: 1 Pomegranate Lip Butter and 3 Cherry Full Color Lip Glosses. If you were to purchase all 4 items separately it would cost $57 ($9 for the lip butter and $16 each for the lipgloss), so I think this is a fairly good bargain.

The Verdict - Pomegranate Lip Butter: A

This lip butter contains shea butter and rice wax (whaaa?) to hydrate lips and make them softer. The color of this lip butter is a sheer coral but I think it really gives my lips a nice POP! It's so rich and goes on very creamy. There is no cool feeling and no sticky feeling. The butter really does melt into lips and give them a very nice tint. My lips are pretty pigmented and even this showed up. It's not very shiny but it gives a very natural sheen which I really like. I don't like that I have to dip into the pot but other than that I have no complaints. This can be worn alone or under the glosses too!

Came with a sturdy plastic seal.

The Verdict - Korres Cherry Full Color Glosses: A-

These glosses smell fantastic! They have that good cherry smell as opposed to cough syrup cherry smell. The glosses really do smell like a basket of fresh cherries and are rich in cherry oil for moisturization.

I love the colors of the glosses! They are neutral shades that range from light to dark.

#11 Light Pink is a milky pink that is sheer when applied and blended but I was pleasantly surprised because it actually lightened my lip color rather than disappearing completely.

#32 Beige Pink is a glittery pink champagne. When I say glittery, I mean Glittery! When applied the gold shimmer in this really comes out and it's pretty dramatic on me. I've layered this on top of the other glosses for a more subtle effect. I only dab a little bit in the middle of my bottom lip.

#33 Nude is a maroon beige. It looks dark but after applying and blending it becomes a bit sheer and has a rich color to it.

The best part about these glosses is that they are absolutely NON-sticky! I'm not a fan of sticky glosses (think MAC dazzleglasses) but I can live with them, no problem. I do however appreciate when I find a gloss that is non-sticky.

The gloss looks fine when its capped but when the cap is removed, I find that the bottle of gloss itself is really small. I think the handle of the cap could be made smaller, as it's pretty chunky making the wand fairly short. Also the applicator of the gloss is more slanted than I'm used to. I have to be careful when I applying to make sure I'm only putting the gloss on my lips and not around my lips too. Aside from these 2 quirks, I'm really happy with this purchase. It's so hard for lip colors to show on me and the fact that these are natural and actually retain their color when applied makes me a HUGE fan!

Phyto 50% Off at Bath&Body Works

I was first introduced to Phyto by my college roommate and I gotta say I was kind of annoyed by it. Looking back I was young and naive and stubbornly believed all shampoos had to have that gel-like texture. If only I knew then what I know now! Since then I've come a long way and I've come to accept and find comfort in the watery consistency of their shampoos.

Phyto was founded by famed Parisian celebrity hairstylist Patrick Alès in the 50's. All their products are plant based and botanically extracted. The brand's name "phyto" literally means "derived from plants" in Greek! The products are all-natural and are not tested on animals. Phyto is an eco-friendly brand and is environmentally conscious in their product packaging. Their shampoos used to come in glass bottles which they've recently switched to aluminum - the eco-friendly containers are tri-functional: The material is recyclable, non-reactive to the contents, and preserve the ingredients without artifical additives.

If you like aromothera-shampoos - stop reading this post. This line of shampoos is not going to deliver on clouds of scents that float you to a fairy dream world. Nope. These shampoos and conditioners were developed to address specific hair problems and they do their job well.

PhytoPanama $24

This is one of the old glass containers I mentioned. I really like the vintage look of it - it's so apothecary (if that's even the right word to use). This shampoo is specifically for oily hair that requires frequent washes. I used to have oily hair and this was the initial product that I tried. Occasionally, I feel my hair is overly oily and I keep this on hand to give it a good clean.

It's got a tar smell to it, but no worries it's not a lingering smell. Once you rinse and condition the tar smell is gone. It's very effective to hold the grease at bay, and it's gentle enough that it can be used on a daily basis. If you have oily hair definitely give this a try. I know, I've been there - you cannnot go for more than 24 hours without washing you hair or else you risk that unflattering stringy look.

PhytoSylic $24

Here's an example of the new aluminum containers. The aluminum feels like kind used for the Sigg bottles which is supposed to be one of the best quality aluminums out there. I'm thankful for the switch to aluminum because it's so much lighter than the glass bottle. That sucker was heavy! One more time for emphasis - Heavy!

This shampoo addresses dandruff (yea I'm a hair mess) and helps to exfoliate the scalp. When I use this I try to focus the product on my scalp. The trick to pouring out these runny shampoos is to pour a little bit into your palm, dunk that on your head, pour out a little bit more and dunk again. This one's got that tar smell too and I think almost any product that addresses dandruff/ excess oil uses the ingredient that has that smell. Again the smell will not linger and will dissipate after rinsing and conditioning. I like this shampoo because it doesn't sting your scalp or have deliver a cooling affect, but you will feel the results. My scalp feels clean and simply normal when I wash with this. A good product to try if you've got dandruff.

I wanted to show the plastic guard that is built into the new aluminum bottles. I really like that they incorporated this into their design. Since the shampoo is so runny, the smaller opening helps to slow down and control the flow of shampoo as it's poured out. Nice touch Phyto!

PhytoVolume $24
I don't have a pic of this one (there's one group shot of it with my initial Bath&Body Haul) but it looks exactly like the Phytosylic bottle above just with different words printed on it. This shampoo's job is to volumize and it's got a slight citrus scent to it that is quite refereshing. I've got thick asian hair so this did not give me that oompfh I was looking for. It's actually supposed to address fine thin hair but I thought I'd give it a shot anyways. Not a bad shampoo at all but just not for me.

PhytoBaume $22

Just like the shampoos, the conditioners also address specific hair issues. This one's just a plain ol' all-around use conditioner. I've not found a conditioner to address oily hair/scalp so I just use this one. It's consistency is gel-like, it's not as creamy as typical conditioners and it's got a light minty smell.

After applying, I just comb it through with my fingers. I also try to concentrate on applying this to the ends of my hair. I find that if I leave this on for a few minutes and rinse out with cold water, my hair gets super soft (you can use this same trick with any conditioner). You can probably use any shampoo you want but I'm supersticious about shampoo/conditioner pairings and try to use the same ones from the same lines.

Diorshow Iconic Review $27

I was really intrigued by this mascara as it's gotten some pretty decent reviews. I really wanted to try this out because of the unique stubby brush. The more commonly seen bristle brush never felt like I was appying mascara. It felt more like I was dabbing on mascara cause the bristles are so long by time I think I'm near my lashes, I've poked my eye out. This mascara's not cheap so when I found this as a gift set at Sephora (for a limited time only) I decided to try it out.


The wand is slightly spiraled with short stubby, comb-like bristles. If you look closely at the picture you can see the bristles are actually plastic and have rounded tips so it doesn't prick if I accidently poke my eye.

The Verdict
I do like how easy it is to apply mascara to my bottom lashes due to the short bristles. The mascara doesn't clump when it's applied and it's easily layered. I find that I need at least 2 layers to fill out my sparse lashes. Although this doesn't do anything to help curl my super straight asian lashes, the formula doesn't completely undo my shu-made curl either.

Although I love the natural "look" it gives my lashes, I won't re-purchase this because the mascara takes at least 30 min to dry. While it's drying each time I blink I get a gummy feeling when my top and bottom lashes touch. Also my eyes are sensitive and when this mascara does finally dry, it dries out my eyes too.

Gift Set


With the purchase of the full-size mascara you get a zippered carrying case and a sample size of Dior Addict High Shine in Catwalk Mauve #680.


The carrying case has a mirror on the inside and is very well made. The cover of the carrying case has a soft leather feel to it. The zipper is sewn very well and zips up seamlessy from the outside. The down side is that the mirror gives a funhouse reflection and the 2 bands in the case only fit the mascara and the sample size lipstick. I tried putting a NARS lipgloss and MAC lipglass in the band but the items were too small. The full size Dior lipsticks are too big for the band.

Freebies


I also got this envelope of samples from cosmedic lines that make products from natural ingredients. I haven't had a chance to try all these yet but I'm excited because I really like to try the all-natural lines out first to see if they smell alright and if they're effective.

REN Skincare Review

Recently there was an online promotion from REN to receive a free Intro Kit with any order over $80 plus you automatically get free shipping with any order over $60. I picked up a couple of items to try out since I just LOVED the REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask so much! On the website, REN has already grouped skincare products they recommend for combination skin so I made my choices from this pool of products.

REN Multi-Mineral Pore Minimising Detox Mask $30.73

This mask is a deep cleansing clay mask that draws out skin impurities such as sebum and dead skin cells. It also has an ingredient (Spirulina) to encourage cell renewal. The mask also claims to reduce pore size which is something that I'm always interested in.

You apply this mask to clean and toned skin and let it dry. It dries and hardens fairly quick, so I have to apply this in sections to my face. Once it is dry you're supposed to gently rub off as much as you can and then rinse the rest off with warm water. I did not like the "rubbing" part of this. I think it's supposed to help stimulate your skin in some way but I find it frustrating to scrape off a mask that is pretty much caked-on.

I don't think I would re-purchase this because although it is a good product, I'm just not WoWed by the results. For now, I'll be sticking to my Shiseido The Skincare Purifying Mask. It gives me relatively the same results if not better, feels more comfortable when applied, does not harden or dry out and it's slightly less expensive.

REN Matte Balancing Fluid $52

This mattifying fluid claims to reduce shine and restore balance to leave skin clear and beautifully healthy. It contains a smorgasbord ingredient list that you can look up on their website.

Let's cut to the chase: I was disappointed in this product. I have a history of being disappointed with anti-shine lotions. They always end up adding shine and this one was no exception. I would not re-purchase this or any other anti-shine lotion again. I put this on after cleansing and toning at 8am and by 9:30am I was already a mirror. I don't know why I continue try these things. In my teens I was very oily but I'm no longer super oily. I've now got combination skin and an oily T-zone but it's nothing a few oil-blotting sheets can't handle. For the most part my face stays pretty matte except for my nose. Cheeks matte, temples matte, forehead matte, nose oily, chin slightly oily.

Freebies
Along with my order, I was given a free REN Intro Kit $40. The Intro Kit included sample sizes of:

1. Rosa Centifolia Facial Cleansing Gel
2. Glycolatic Skin Renewal Peel Mask (love this!)
3. Vita Mineral Radiant Day Cream
4. Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum (wanted to try this)
5. Frankincense and Boswellia Serrata Revitalising Repair Cream (wanted to try this) 6. Active 7 Radiant Eye Maintenance Cream

I haven't had a chance to properly try out all these products as I'm too happy with my Shiseido skincare regimen. As soon as I give these a fair trial, I will provide a sufficient review.

REN Glycolatic Skin Renewal Peel Mask $55

I'm not usually a fan of peel masks. I find them annoying to remove and I hate how you have to pick at your face. I'm also not usually a big fan of natural cosmetic lines because they usually smell pretty funky and I don't find them as effective. I first saw a review of the REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask by Jen, my go-to beauty guru at http://www.abeautyfulsentiment.com/ (definitely check out her site because like I said - she's my beauty guru :) and I was finally motivated to try this out!

If you read the product description from the REN website there doesn't seem to be anything this mask can't do! This mask is part of the REN product recommendations for combination skin and mature skin. It claims to renew the complexion, reduce fine lines, improve skin tone, firmness and radiance. It also helps with post acne scarring, blemishes, blackheads and sun damaged skin. All concerns of mine! Can it get any better?

The Verdict
This mask is not a traditional peel mask but it gives the same effect and results. What I really love about it is the instant results. Your skin becomes so radiant and smooth and it only takes 10 minutes. This mask is a thick gel that looks, feels and smells like orange marmalade. When I apply it there is a bit of a tingly sensation. My cheeks are really sensitive to this mask and the sensation on my cheeks get to be unbearable after about 3-4 minutes so I just wipe off the mask from my cheeks but leave the rest on my T-zone. Due to this I definitely do not think this is suitable for people with sensitive or delicate skin. The good news is that once wiped off your skin doesn't continue to react (no redness, breakouts or peeling). After the full 10 minutes I just rinse the rest of it off. For now I'm using this mask once a week and I really love the results it's been giving me! I have noticed a huge reduction in blackheads and my skintone is extremely radiant!

Freebies
I also got these free samples from Sephora along with this purchase: Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel and Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum.

**Update** I 've been using this every morning under my moisturizer on my forehead and neck - but honestly not really seeing any results. It's supposed to help with any fine lines/wrinkles. Since it's a gel, it is very fast absorbing but unfortuntately it has a weird smell that is a mix of old lotion and old flowers. This sample lasted me about 1 week and I really don't think that was enough time to see the effects.


**Update** This stuff rocks! I was interested in trying this out but did not have high hopes of it giving any sort of instant results. I was completely wrong! This serum really and truly delivers! I have started to notice some fine lines on my forehead and when I apply this I feel a slight tingling and 5 minutes later - smooth! Also I have not broken out once using this. The serum is clear and quite runny but is not one bit oily or greasy. There is no smell to it either! It also claims to help minimize dark spots but I have not noticed any dramatic difference. It does however give my skin an overall radiance. I just don't notice my old acne scars lightening.

Read the full review for Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum.