Skin Care Review: Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Do you have favorite words? I do. As an English major in college, I used to read excessive amounts of literature, much of it from the Renaissance and Olde English periods. Every once in awhile, I'd stumble across a word that just struck my fancy for one reason or other. "Wherefore" is another of my faves. Did you know it doesn't mean "where"? Nope. It means "for what reason or purpose." So when Juliet plaintively wails the words "Romeo, oh Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?", she's not asking where he is, as so many people assume. What she's asking is why is he the ONE person she is forbidden to love. Sad, huh?

Anyhow, I digress. "Elixir" is anther of my most adored words. Every time I hear it or read it, I have visions of Zeus running around with unicorns for some reason. It's just a magical word. It's also fun to say. Seriously, try it. You really can't be in a bad mood when you are saying the word "elixir." So, now that I've got you chanting the old elixir mantra, let me tell you about Caudalie's fabulous Beauty Elixir, a lightweight spray infused with essential oils designed to nourish and smooth the skin and add radiance.

I came across Beauty Elixir while standing in line at Sephora. They really know how to reel you in with those cute little bins full of even cuter trial sizes of great products. Some of my favorite beauty finds have been accidental, grabbed three seconds before I check out with my "real" purchases. Beauty Elixir is one of those finds. According to the website, the elixir is "inspired by the "elixir of youth" used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary". As Caudalie tells it, "this treatment smooths features, tightens pores, and gives the complexion a burst of radiance." 

The elixir is packaged in a spray form. It's a clear, water-type liquid which, when left unshaken, has a thin film of oil on top. To apply, simply shake the bottle well and spray directly onto your skin. It adds immediate hydration and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. I typically don't use it on bare skin, but as a finishing mist for my makeup and then again periodically throughout the day to replenish moisture in my skin.

I find the ingredients in Beauty Elixir a bit confounding. The first ingredient is water, the second alcohol (plant derived). One would think that would make the spray rather drying, but I don't find that to be the case. Instead, it seems quite hydrating. It's also very refreshing, in large part due to the herbal scent and the peppermint oil, which causes a cooling sensation on the skin. Other ingredients include bitter orange flower water, rosemary oil, glycerin (hence the moisture), rosa damescena oil and plenty of other essential oils. Overall, it doesn't really seem to be a very remarkable concoction, yet it gives remarkable results, at least on my skin.

Given the number of potential irritants in the formula (peppermint oil, rosemary oil, parfum, alcohol), one would expect this to cause inflammation in my somewhat sensitive skin, but I haven't found that to be the case. As a matter of fact, I find that when I start to flush due to the dry heat inside, Beauty Elixir immediately calms and cools my face and diminishes the redness. I use it several times a day to keep things quiet. It also leaves my skin smooth, and sets my makeup beautifully.

Bottom Line: Beauty Elixir doesn't look like much when you just examine the ingredients list. As a matter of fact, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. However, due to the mysteries of chemistry, it somehow manages to be a lovely facial spray that calms, soothes, smooths, and comforts the skin while playing well with makeup. Next time you're at Sephora, give it a try!

INGREDIENTS:  AQUA (WATER), ALCOHOL*, CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA (BITTER ORANGE) FLOWER WATER*, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE)*, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF OIL*, POTASSIUM ALUM, GLYCERIN*, MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL*, COMMIPHORA MYRRHA EXTRACT*, STYRAX BENZOIN RESIN EXTRACT*, MELISSA OFFICINALIS (BALM MINT) LEAF OIL*, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER OIL*, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT*, TOCOPHEROL*, CITRAL*, CITRONELLOL*, FARNESOL*, GERANIOL*, LIMONENE*, LINALOOL*. (010/018) *Origine végétale - Plant origin