One beauty product that I always hoard is the French skin care brand Caudalie.
I was happy to find its stand-alone store in New York, and I always look for it in the famed pharmacies of Paris. It’s also a constant in my Sephora PH shopping cart.
For long workdays, I spray on the Beauty Elixir when I need a quick refresher, before I step out of the car for a meeting, and especially during warm days.
This cult product contains green grape for instant radiance, peppermint essential oil for a refreshing feeling, rose essential oil to soothe dry skin and rosemary essential oil for purifying.
The product is so loved that there’s a limited-edition pink bottle. Trust me on this: You’ll love how effective and multipurpose it is—it tones, tightens pores, preps and sets makeup.
A few other products I love from Caudalie are recent discoveries.
First is the Fleur de Vigne Instant Foaming Cleanser. This soap-free cleanser comes in an airy foam and takes care of the skin’s pH balance while cleansing it. It contains sage, chamomile and green grape.
A luxe treat is the Premier Cru The Eye Cream. The price is justified by its efficacy in smoothing wrinkles, firming the eye contours, reducing dark circles and puffiness. Its power comes from only good ingredients like peptides and avocado oil.
Serums
Serums are necessary especially when the air gets drier from cold weather. I have the Skin Perfecting Serum. It’s a lightweight formula that has natural salicylic acid, grape seed polyphenols and organic essential oils to reduce the appearance of imperfections, and enlarged pores.
For those who have dark spots, including pregnancy marks, acne marks, sun pigmentation and age-related dark spots, you can try the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. It’s one of Caudalie’s most popular products because it delivers results rapidly with potent ingredients, the most vital of which is the Viniferine, which is “62 times more effective than Vitamin C.”
Skin SOS
In December, I’m planning to go a place where there’s snow. So I will most likely bring S.O.S. Intense Moisturizing Cream.
This one means serious business for extremely dry skin. It’s also a lifesaver if your skin is a bit sensitive because it gives hydration with antioxidant grape seed polyphenols, calming organic grape water and nourishing olive squalane and borage oil.
It relieves, tightens and visibly plumps up the skin to give long-lasting comfort and prevent any more skin problems.
Reliable Dior
Another brand I can rely on is Dior. Now is the time to treat yourself to some of its luxury beauty treats.
The Dior Lip Maximizer is a beautiful gloss you can use on its own—with eight different colors to choose from, based on your skin color.
It’s also a good topper to give your regular lipstick a twist. It gives maximum hydration and the right shine to make your lips look plumper.
Another lip product to consider and would also be a good stocking stuffer is the Dior Lip Glow. Its “Color Reviver” technology means it reacts to the unique chemistry of each person’s lips for a most natural flush. It’s a bestseller, with two new finishes, Matte and Holographic, aside from the original Glow.
On its own, the tinted balm has a soft, blurring effect that enhances the lips. It’s also good as a base for matte lipstick. The Holographic finish has the same effect, but with just a little more iridescence.
Another must-have is the Joy by Dior Eau De Parfum. The scent is a medley of flowers and citrus fruits, along with a touch of woods and musk. This is because of the blend of bergamot, mandarin, rose Grasse absolute and jasmine blend with fruits.
For warmth, there is sandalwood and the Dior signature of powdery whisper of musk.
It’s the fragrance for those who want to make just the right impression.