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Why Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream Is Special

February 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Today we’ll be talking about our initial impression of the amazing Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream. It comes from Caudalie’s Energizing Regimen, and “energizing” is a perfect description. Do you ever have times where your eyes look more tired than you feel? That’s where this cream steps up to the plate. When your orbital skin looks tired, puffy, dull, and a bit less perky than you would like, 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream makes you look wide awake again.

About an hour after I first applied it, I noticed a nice surprise. There is a certain curve between my cheekbone and undereye skin that is the difference between looking wide awake and energetic and people telling me I look tired. (When I’m not. And even if I was, why do people feel the need to inform you of the perceived state of your alertness?????) After one application of Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream, that curve was perky, radiant, and perfectly contoured. If an eye cream can do that, it’s an instant hit in my book. Usually when I find a cream that does that, it contains high enough levels of caffeine that it dehydrates my eyes, but 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream does the opposite – it is incredibly hydrating and emollient. In fact, it’s moisturizing enough that I use it twice a day and continue to have the same great results. This is due in no small part to the amazing humectant and anti-oxidant ingredients, including grape-seed polyphenols, ceramides 3, tetrapeptides, horse chestnut, liquorice (which is amazingly soothing if you have rosacea), plant glycerine, and calendula amongst others.

I am also thrilled at how smooth eye makeup went on after applying the cream. In the picture we used to show the lush lashes that d.j.v. beautenizer Volume Lash mascara imparted, I applied 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream first, and after I massaged it in I put on concealer and shadow. By accident there was too much shadow on my brush, and usually this would result in a cakey look. Instead, the eye cream left such a smooth surface that just the right amount of shadow was deposited, and it provided such luminance that I really didn’t need that much concealer on my undereye. That which I did apply went on soft and dewy.

The package has a great suggestion for amping the product up – keep it in the fridge, so when you apply it, not only will this fab cream be a little thicker, but the cold will take down puffiness in no time and add some lift to your eyes. I do this with a few products and it really does work – just make sure that everyone in the house knows not to eat your $49 eye cream…

1st Wrinkle Eye Cream also says it reduces dark circles and, as the name implies, wrinkles. I’m thrilled with the results after a week of use, and will continue to report back on ongoing results over the next few weeks of use.

Find Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream at Caudalie-USA.com.

Why We Love Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream Mask

February 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Note: This week is Caudalie Week here at Style Chicks – we’ll be giving our initial impressions of a few products and then we’ll update you in the upcoming weeks with further results as we use this fabulous skincare line. Today, Lyn lets us know why she loves Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes!

Treating Dry Winter Skin

The winter weather has been frightful and my skin has been less than delightful.

I have managed to have multiple skin issues at once this week: some breakouts, dry and peeling skin on my nose/nostril area and I am red all around my mouth and really raw, and my skin feels very tight and dry around my eyes and it is making me look much older. The skin around my eyes is just dry and tight no matter what I do, and too flaky to apply any concealer or foundation on my dark under eye circle skin. Even my silk pillowcase feels scratchy (FYI: silk pillowcases are a great investment as they are gentle to facial skin and reduce hair damage and breakage when hair rubs against the pillowcase).

My standard go to creams and lotions are just making my skin feel raw, as in serious debating about applying Vaseline directly to my face kind of raw. I am not sure what this winter storm is doing that I have both pimples and such tight, raw skin at the same time, but when I look at my skin in the mirror and the phrase is important is to be pretty on the INSIDE comes to mind, with all due respect to inner beauty, what that means to me is it is time to get aggressive on the hydrating.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes

So I look at my creams, lotions and potions, and my new Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes catches my eye because it is a moisturizing cream mask for both face and eyes. It is used as an intensive skin mask twice a week, but in the case of extremely dehydrated skin, it can be used as a daily moisturizer by applying a thin layer to the face. Sounds like a good excuse to try it out.

I rarely like a cream for both my face and delicate under eye area, but this is for around the eyes and on the face. It is not too thick for the face but still does the trick for the eyes.

APPLICATION:

When the skin around my mouth gets this raw, even the uber-gentle Clinique DDML stings a bit upon application, but this didn’t sting at all. This was really soothing and almost melted the dry skin. I put on a second application on spot areas like around my mouth, forehead crinkle, the dry flaky skin on my nose, the crow feet area of my eyes, under eye and lips. There is a light pleasant scent upon application but I can’t detect any scent while wearing it.

My skin had a luminous glow without being greasy, it could be worn nicely under makeup and would make a great go-to product after a sunburn or a cold or flu when skin around nose is flaky and raw, this would be a great quick-trick to look healthy again.

I am impressed by the feel on my skin. Usually a cream product that is this emollient feels heavy or looks greasy after application, but this dries down undetectable as a product not sticky or wet or shiny it just leaves behind better skin. You can definitely leave the house with the cream on under makeup which is especially nice when the weather is still so cold and raw outside.

My skin immediately looked better and feels hydrated. Some products feel like a soft wax just on top of your skin, but this feels like my skin. My face felt good quickly and within about ten minutes felt very spa like without feeling heavy or sticky at all, I can see how this would be nice as a at home spa night mask face did not feel dry, cracked or itchy. Usually when my skin gets this raw, I have to slather on so much Creme de la Mer Concentrate that my face is too greasy of a base to wear any makeup, so I am glad to find a deep hydrating product to wear with makeup so my skin can get through the rest of this winter.

I will try Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes as a traditional mask at home spa night once a week or two and report the results.

Where to Buy It

Get Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes at Caudalie-USA.com

Why We Love Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter

February 4, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been searching for the perfect body butter for awhile now, without success. I’ve tried some nice ones, but there is always something that keeps me from using it regularly – it takes too long to absorb, the scent is too heady, too greasy, or it just doesn’t hydrate all that well.

I was recently sent Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter, and I tried it with a guarded excitement – the other Caudalie products I’ve tried have been absolutely jaw-dropping (we’ll be reviewing a few in the next couple of weeks – Vinoperfect Radiance Serum and Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream are life changing!), so I had hope that if Vine Body Butter was as good as the other products, that I had found the Body Butter I have been looking for. The verdict? It’s the perfect body butter, light fragrance, and mini spa experience rolled into one.

Let’s start with the scent. It’s incredible. The top note is like the freshest, most perfect peach you’ve ever had, and a more subtle citrus scent. When I asked the other Style Chicks what scent they detected, though, I kept getting different answers. Interestingly, it reminded each of us of scents we loved, and none of us came up with the same first answer. It seems like it’s an universally likable scent. I asked what the actual scent is, and it consists of sweet orange zest, peach pulp, carrot and iris. I could go on for pages on how great the scent is, but I’ll sum it up this way – the amazing scent of Vine Body Butter is replacing my regular fragrance now. It’s a subtle scent that just makes me happy. If you are interested in complimenting the scent, try Caudalie’s Hand and Nail Cream and their Foot Beauty Cream. Oh, and did I mention how fantastic the scent is?

Of course, efficacy and texture are top priorities in picking a body butter. On those scores Vine Body Butter hits it out of the park as well. It is a relatively lightweight consistency and glides on the skin with absolutely no greasiness. None. Massage it in lightly and your skin is just smooth, supple, silky, and dewy, but not greasy or oily. This is a big plus for me, especially for a daily use product – sometimes you can’t stand around waiting for several minutes for a body product to sink in before you get dressed. Vine Body Butter super-hydrates the skin upon application, and you can get dressed immediately. Of course, feel free to take your time if you have a few minutes. In fact, it makes for an amazing massage cream.

The results are the best I’ve seen in a body butter. I especially noticed the change on hands. I realize I sound like a broken record lately in my reviews, but it is really cold here on the East Coast. And cold, windy weather always wrecks havoc on the skin on my hands. After apply Vine Body Butter after my shower each day, I’ll rub whatever I have left over on my hands. My hands look sooooo smooth and, well, like skin of a child. My nails look instantly buffed and cuticles are quickly tamed. If it can do that for my incredibly dry hands, I can’t wait to use it during summer to get super supple skin all over! In fact, numbering among my reasons that I wish winter would hurry up and pass include being able to show off how great it makes arms and shoulders look – really makes you resent having to bundle up instead of wearing a sleeveless top!

So how does it work? Like the rest of the Caudalie line, Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter has highly effective, super hydrating and repairing ingredients. The Caudalie website product page mentions that it contains: “Grape Seed Butter, rich in Omega 6, Vitamin E, minerals and proteins and Grape Seed Oil to regenerate skin cells and fights effects of ageing, rich in Omega 6, Vitamin E. Caudalie exclusive ingredient, Vinolevure, which holds 100 times its weight in water, nourishes and strengthens. A Hydra-complex – from plant active ingredients, increases skin water reserves”. The tube also mentions shea butter, which works superbly in tandem with the other ingredients. These ingredients form a lipid layer on your skin to protect it. I am quite impressed at how well this layer works – I noticed that after several good hand washes, my hands still felt moisturized – this isn’t a cream you have to apply after every hand wash.

All in all, I’m thrilled to find Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter. It makes skin look, feel, and smell phenomenal, and protects against future damage. The tube is 6.7 oz for $36, which is a great price considering the relatively small amount you have to use for good coverage. It also makes a fantastic gift – baby showers, brides, get well gift, etc – it’s a luxuriously enough product that everyone will think that you found them the product that addresses their exact need – even if it’s just to be pampered.

Find the amazing Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter at Caudalie-USA.com.

How to: Benefit Cosmetics Mr. Bright Kit

February 3, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Benefit Cosmetics Finding Mr. BrightI love adding brightness to the skin, be it on bare skin or with makeup.

Stephanie from Benefit Cosmetics has a great Youtube tutorial on using the products in the Benefit Mr. Bright kit – pay particular attention to her techniques – once I had the makeup artist at my local Benefit counter show me these tricks, using the products became so much easier!

Enjoy!