Caudalie's Beauty Elixir ($18 for 1 oz/ $49 for 3.4 oz) mist is one of those cult products I'd always wanted to try for myself and see what the raves were all about. So, after finishing a bottle of Skindinavia Make-up Setting Spray, I went ahead and ordered a bottle of the Caudalie to replace it. I could just imagine misting my face with the refreshing Beauty Elixir on a hot summer day... What a relief that would be, right? And so luxurious...
Well, my Caudalie dream hasn't quite come true though. Here are the good things about it: the mist is very fine (not squirty at all), the frosted glass looks beautiful on my vanity, and it does feel cooling on the skin for the 3 seconds before it dries. Aaand that's about it when it comes to what I like about this product.
Here's what I don't like: guys, what is the point?! Does this give my skin an amazingly glowy finish? Nope. Does it smooth or tighten the pores? Nope. Does it contain effective skin-loving ingredients? Nope. Is the smell absolutely amazing? Nope, more like spraying your face with a gentle mouthwash (combination of alcohol + peppermint scent). What the heck am I missing here?!
If I sound a tad angry at all, it's because I am. I feel that Beauty Elixir is Caudalie's golden egg-bearing goose: they put some water, alcohol, fragrance (why?!) and a few essential oils in a pretty bottle, and it rakes in amazing profits. No skincare profit for me though - I'd much rather use something like
Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Floral Toner, which actually does contain beneficial ingredients and retails for between $10-13 for a 6 ounce bottle. You can use it the exact same way as the Beauty Elixir, it just doesn't claim to be a 'part-toner, part-serum mist' - but it sure does perform better.
Beauty Elixir fans, tell me, what am I missing? Is there some magical way to make this work? I have to say that so far, my experiences with Caudalie have been less than satisfactory every single time: I strongly disliked the popular Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, and found the S.O.S. Serum very sticky.
Do you have any favorites in the Caudalie skincare range?
Sorry you didn't like it! I really really love Caudalie products. The beauty elixir is perfect for feeling refreshed in the middle of a hot day, when I feel tired or after working out - I love the smell! I've gone through countless bottles of SOS and love it bc it's so light, absorbs quickly and not sticky for me whatsoever. I love the vinoperfect eye cream and the premier rides moisturizers. I'm such a fan of most of their things, but it sounds like their range just doesn't agree with you.
ReplyDeleteLove the blog (first comment), keep up the good work!
I'm glad there are plenty of Caudalie products that work for you so well! I think maybe part of the Beauty Elixir's charm is the smell, but it's just not my cup of tea as it turns out. I quite like the thermal water sprays on hot days, not that they're not very overpriced just like the Caudalie, haha :) Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate that!
DeleteI agree with you on Andalou toners! They are the best that I have ever used. I love the 1000 Roses and the Blossom+Leaf (Rose Geranium) toners. Very nourishing to the skin (and mind). I toyed with the idea of getting this Caudalie toner, but after trying it in Sephora once, I decided against it...
ReplyDeleteOh, I haven't tried the Blossom+Leaf one yet - maybe I'll get that one next time! Good for you for resisting the Caudalie :)
DeleteWhy, why, WHY do people keep putting sensitizing essential oils into face products and/or scenting products that go on the face? I just bought (and now must return) the Sunday Riley primer because it seems to have some sort of citrus eo in it, which isn't listed in the ingredients but which I am SUPER allergic to. Peppermint causes an actual painful burning on me. :( And my favourite foundation formula so far (Armani Luminous Silk) has a strong scent that I worry will trigger migraines on my bad days.
ReplyDeleteWould you recommend the Skindinavia? Is it scented? D:
Hi Toby! I completely understand your struggle - I have some sensitivity to citrus oils as well, and even though I love the scent, I can't use many products that contain those :( I've heard a lot of people complain about the eos in Sunday Riley products, which is why I believe she released one of her facial oils in a completely fragrance/ essential oil free formula. The Skindinavia was very lightly scented from what I remember (the ingredients list has fragrance at the very end), and it did contain alcohol, but actually seemed more gentle than the Caudalie. The spray itself didn't prolong the wear of my make-up, but got rid of the powdery finish - so for me, it wasn't really necessary, I could just use any spray toner to do the exact same thing. Hope that makes sense!
DeleteHi Monika! Thanks for the response! & sorry neither the Skindinavia nor the Caudalie worked for you. I might give the former a try anyway. Fingers crossed it does better for me. :)
DeleteI've never tried this, but I always thought it was over-hyped - the inclusion of alcohol and fragrance just seems like a bad idea all around. I'm sorry you spent the money - but at least now you know, I guess!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I satisified my curiosity for the mere $18 :D I'm glad I tried it though - it's nice to cross something off my wishlist and realize it's not a necessity for me!
DeleteI didn't get on with this either. Smelled nice!!! But it irritated my skin a little & I ended up giving it away!
ReplyDeleteI guess now I have to try the Andalou toner! At the moment I am just using a random rose water spray from Wholefoods. I tried to decant it (added some sodium hyaluronate serum that I find too sticky by itself) into a small muji bottle as a midday refreshment (I guess it was so dry here I constantly got shocked touching equipments)...Unfortunately, the bottle squirt right into my nose...
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have played with, the rosewater spray from Jurlique has an excellent nozzle but I don't want to pay 35 bucks just for...rosewater.
I bought the Jurlique spray at an airport as the sales lady really sold it to me, hah, but it really just is rose water... Indeed a nice bottle but it's so heavy you can't travel with it! And it only lasts 6 months before it's not good anymore. Even with daily use I didn't use it in time.
Deletei tried this on at a spa and thought it smelled nice but yea...nothing revolutionary. i don't get mist products to begin with.... they seem so unnecessary and the markup for this is very high. high enough to have high expectations which unfortunately we not met.
ReplyDeleteDo you know why I liked this so much? Because I think it dried out some of the oils on my face when I used it obsessively one summer! LOL. When I first tried it years ago, I thought it did nothing and smelled funny. Then when I tried again, it was the most refreshing thing ever. I don't get along with Caudalie face products for the most part and try to resist the allure of the pretty frosted glass bottle, but I may end up spending a gift card on it this summer. It's too bad the bottle isn't reusable!
ReplyDelete1000% Agree with you, Monika!! I don't even understand why C. Hirons likes this so much. To me, it is just plain bad and sting like crazy. I use Glossier face mist -- basically rose hydrosol with nothing else on it, you can even find something similar at Whole Foods, etc.
ReplyDeleteI don't totally hate the smell of this but it definitely isn't the best scent to be dousing yourself in either. I bought a bottle totally based on hype and found it to be similar to the cheaper spray waters I once used - the Uriage Thermal Spray is my favourite spray to relieve my skin of caking foundation/powder and to feel nice on my face throughout the day
ReplyDeletethe pretty bottle and hype surrounding this product always made it so tempting, but I could never justify an expensive bottle of water! Glad to know that I can pass on this!
ReplyDeleteI will have to agree with Liz above. I believe the Beauty Elixir actually dried out my oils. I am very oily and acne prone, and I noticed that with regular use of the product throughout the day, at the end of the day, my skin is less congested and blemish prone. I do like the smell and love. The only negative is it kind of waters down my makeup.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear it works well for you, Viv! I guess it just wasn't my thing, but I can completely understand how a lot of people love the scent, it is very calming :)
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