Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Beauty Elixir

Hey everyone!


Some girls had questions about Beauty Elixir I mentioned on my last post, so I decided to do a full review on it.
I hold this product very dearly om my skincare stash and I really think it's a class on it's own!



The packaging
It comes in a translucent glass spray bottle with a silver plastic cap. I really like the glass exterior, but it's not that travel friendly. It comes in 30 ml and 100 ml sizes. I haven't ever used the 30 ml one. I guess it's a purse size, but mine can't hold on any more, so I haven't bought it!

The actual product
You can smell the scent once you open the cap. The main ingredients are: extracts of grape, essential oil of rosemary, orange blossom and rose extracts, benzoin, myrrh, essential oils of organic balm mint and mint. I can really smell the grapes and the distinct kick of mint. I don't have a professional nose for scents after all! The thing I can say for sure is that it's really refreshing and moisturizing. It minimises the pores, helps with dehydrated skin and has even helped with some pimples I have that time of the month.


How I use it
Now, this can be used in different occassions. You have to shake it first and then spray it on your face, you can see some oils floating on the surface and these have to be incorporated. I use it after I've applied moisturiser, as a final boost on my daily skin care. You can also use it after you've finished all your make up, to give an extra radiance and glow. In that way, it's like Fix+ by MAC, but I consider this is better. There is a similar water/lotion spray by The Body Shop, with a huge difference in price that does the same as Fix+ and Beauty Elixir in terms of a finishing makeup product. I can't say I would choose anything else than Beauty Elixir, simply because I like using it for its skincare properties. And of course, you can use it whenever you like, just for a burst of hydration!
I store it in the fridge in the summer, Athens is boiling hot then! As this is completely organic and natural, I can't let it outside.


This is my fourth bottle and each one has lasted me a long time. It retails for €36 on feelunique. In France it's a lot cheaper, but any local pharmacies didn't sell Caudalie products, so I order it online. Today though, the lovely Sophia from Carousel Coral told me she had seen it in several ones in the past here in Athens and sent me this link. As you can see, you can find it less than the feelunique price in Greece, so ask your local pharmacy if they have any Caudalie products.


I can see why it has maintained such popularity, it's a must have and a staple for me!

Have you tried Beauty Elixir?





jacket a short coat More (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

My dry skin: Everyday routine

Hey everyone!

This winter treated me really badly. My skin went totally nuts because of the cold. I had been using products that are very gentle to my skin, but the past months I noticed they didn't provide me the moisture I needed. My skin went flaky and was really dehydrated so, I decided to change some of the products I used.

A little parenthesis here, for a great makeup remover I should mention. I really like Bioderma Sensibio (or Crealine) for removing my makeup, especially my eye makeup. Most of you probably know it, it's a makeup artists' favourite and many beauty bloggers rave about it. What more can I say that hasn't already been said about it? I love it too and I've been using it almost exclusively for six months or so. I don't really like makeup wipes and oils, they are greasy and always leave a residue. I also use Sanoflore's Botanical cleansing milk, but I find the Bioderma one comes more in handy. There's a micelar water I also really like by Vichy, but I think Bioderma's is slightly better, because it's more lightweight.

When I was searching for new products, I watched a video by Kandee Johnson and her everyday routine. She's been using a Burt's Bees scrub every single day for a decade. I like her skin and I love Burt's Bees, so I ordered it.



The Burt's Bees Citrus facial scrub comes in a glass jar. It's a brown, really thick scrub. I like the scent, to me it's cinnamon, I can't really smell the citrus!

I take a really small amount from the jar, add 1-2 drops of water and this becomes a nice paste. I use this every night, after I've removed all my makeup (when I wake up, I only rinse my face with water).


Before I moisturise, I use the SOS Thirst Quenching serum by Caudalie. It's a nice serum, great for that extra oomph of hydration you need when the weather is cold. I absolutely love this product, but I think in the summer, my skin won't need it that much.



I love La Roche Posay for moisturising my skin. I've used their products for most of my adult life, but this winter my beloved Hydraphase Intense Legere didn't satisfy my skin so much. However, for the last 2 weeks, I started using it again. It's spring time and it's not cold anymore!



Up until 2 weeks ago, I used Vichy's Aqualia Thermal. It was harcore. Really hydrating, amazing scent and no flaky skin at all. Now, that it's warmer though, I feel that it clogs my pores. But suberb moisturizer! Well done Vichy, well done.




Beauty Elixir is a little guilty pleasure of mine. Yes, it's ultra pricey and I don't really need it, but seriously I love it and I can't live without it. I use it after I've moisturized, 2-3 spritzes do the job. I rarely use it to set my makeup, but it works wonders for my skin. It's not a product I started using in winter, I bought in 2009 for the first time on a trip to Paris. I watched many videos on youtube recently that mentioned it, and also heard that's a Victoria Beckham favourite. Who knew?



I don't use any eye cream. I know, you'll say I must use one, but it's a pain in the bum. Also, I haven't found a decent one that moisturizes well and vanishes my dark circles. I've used vitamin E a few nights of the week on my eye area for some years now. I use the standard ones that come in gel capsules, they are really cheap and you can find them in any pharmacy or chemist's.




What is your everyday skincare routine? Do you have any favourite products?

 
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