The Caudalie Experience

'CAUDALIE EXPERIENCE' DAY!

When my local pharmacie in Saint Ambroix, Languedoc-Roussillon, offered me the chance to participate in a 'CAUDALIE DAY', offering me a free facial, I jumped at the chance.

Yesterday was the day...and I was treated to half an hour of cossetting in a small back room which had been beautifully decorated with Caudalie spa pictures on the walls, flowers and plants strategically placed and small candles flickering. There were sofas, a treatment chair, a table with the products all displayed and soft, relaxing music playing. I was even given a Caudalie grape herbal tea...which was delicious (and no need for sugar). I was ready to be spoilt!

Obviously, the young lady offering the treatment used as many products as she could on my face in the time available...all of them vital to the preservation of my dry skin....but what the hell? It was nevertheless a most enjoyable experience, even if the aim was ultimately to sell me as many of them as she could to me afterwards.

She gave good advice, was quick to analyse my skin's needs and knew what she was talking about...the chemistry of essential oils etc., so I was impressed.

I came away with a complete personalised beauty programme. Reviews of the items I bought to follow shortly...but here is a brief run-down of the products used on me during the half hour session.

CLEANSING STAGE..............

GENTLE CLEANSER for eyes and face.

My beautician added a small quantity of the facial scrub to this product to gently exfoliate my skin. The mixture smelt very pleasant and slid easily over my face. Whilst exfoliating, it did not feel too gritty or rough. It was removed gently with soft sponges. When I read the box afterwards I realise why it smelt so good and why it is such a thorough cleanser. It contains: grape-seed polyphenols, cornflower water, oat milk, sweet almond and jojoba oils, shea butter, coriander, sweet lime, memon, guaic wood, sweet prange, vetiver, sandalwood and a hybrid lavender. OUF! How do they cram so much in?!!

TONING STAGE........

GRAPE WATER

This was spritzed over my face and left it it feeling fresh and clean and the smell was delicious.

BEAUTY ELIXIR (EAU DE BEAUTE)

Not quite sure what the difference between these two toners was...but both were equally pleasant and this latter comes in a handy handbag size bottle for daily spritzing and feel-good factor. It contains extracts of grape and essential oils of rosemary, orange blossom and rose extracts, benzoin, myrrh, organic balm mint and mint. Mmmmm!

HYDRATING STAGE........

VINOSOURCE MOISTURING CREAM MASK

Now this is my idea of a beauty mask! None of your revolting pink concoctions to spread across your face and hide from your husband/hope no one rings the doorbell! This is a wonderful rich treatment that can just be left to penetrate deeply into the skin and does not require removal. Once again, it is full of all those wonderful CAUDALIE scents that are their trademark. It contains grapeseed polyphenols, grapeseed oil glycerin, cornflower, essential oils of lime, lemon, orange, hybrid lavender, corainder, vetiver, wild guaic wood and sandalwood. WOW! My skin is so dry it happily absorbed the lot in a very short time. My beautician recommended that I use it twice a week instead of my usual night cream treatment. She added to this a few drops of PULPE VITAMINEE REGENERATING CONCENTRATE... a magic little bottle containing a wonderful blend of essential oils: grapeseed oil, sweet almond and musk rose oil, neroli, petitgrain, carrot, sadal and lavender . This latter can also be added to your day cream to transform it into a more penetrating night cream.

FINISHING TOUCHES....

Finally, she applied VINOSOURCE RICH ANTI-WRINKLE ULTRA-NOURISHING CREAM, which smells totally wonderful - the final 'cocktail' of ingredients being grapeseed and linseed oils, omega 3s and 6s, borage oils, chestnut extracts, olive squalane, shea butter, camomile, violet leaves, cedar and beeswax. She added TINTED MOISTURISER to this....a nice touch so that I didn't have to emerge into the world with a face scrubbed of all make-up. Eye make-up was left in tact.

My beautician's final tip was that I should take a 3 month course of CAUDALIE VINOCAPS nutritional supplement capsules to penetrate my skin from within. As I really do believe that beauty comes from within...I shall definitely give them a go once my bank balance has recovered from this month's expenditures and a recent holiday to Italy!

Take my word for it....
CAUDALIE PRODUCTS ARE AROMATHERAPY FOR YOUR FACE!

The whole experience had me luxuriating in wonderful scents which lasted well beyond the treatment itself.