Combating Dryness and Dehydration with Caudalie Vinosource

For the last two weeks of May, my skin was an absolute disgrace – and not for lack of efforts to improve it. It was the worst I'd ever seen it. I am hugely blessed with very unproblematic skin in the break-out and blemish department (though less blessed with hereditary redness, thanks Dad), so I haven't really trained myself how to cope with a break-out should one arise, nor am I well-stocked on products designed to treat them. It was after a mid-finals breakdown that I noticed my skin was a little bit bumpy around the edges of my cheeks. They weren't particularly inflamed and didn't feel all that dry at this point, but were quite unsightly under foundation. It wasn't until the next morning that I woke up to find that these little lurkers had erupted with some serious gusto, inflaming both of my cheeks; they weren't just red and angry, they were also unbelievably dry and quite painful to the touch. If I hadn't been in the middle of my finals, and thus had a life and reasons to actually leave the house, then this would have upset me far more than it did. That's not to say I was unscathed by this experience, because really, what worse icing on the cake than catching a pre-bedtime glimpse of your crusty red face after a day spent trying to furiously learn post-war German foreign policy?

My first thought was that it might be an allergic reaction. I had been trialling two new Elemis products (reviews to follow) and had suffered this godawful breakout within about 36 hours. But the other part of me was dubious; in many, many years of using and enjoying Elemis skincare I have not once had a problem with any of it. I then cross-referenced the ingredients in said products with those in other skincare products that I have and use regularly, and couldn't pinpoint a new ingredient that could be causing me this difficulty. So with some trepidation I resorted to Google (as a self-diagnosed hypochondriac, going anywhere near a search engine with any level of ailment usually results in panicked certainty that death is just hours away). Google told me it might be stress-induced hives or a rash – it could have been either of those things, but the red bumps disappeared within 24 hours, so I was no longer on a quest to find out the root of the problem; instead, as a parting gift, I was left with horrendously dry skin for the rest of the month.

Enter the Caudalie Vinosource range – I picked up this little gift set back in January, but was finishing up various other serums and moisturisers before I got started with them. I’ve now been using these products in conjunction with each other for about six weeks and they’ve absolutely cemented themselves in holy grail skincare territory for me. The Vinosource range is designed to specifically target dehydrated and drier skin types so I prayed that this would answer my prayers after my worst-ever skin spell…and it did. Without further ado, a run down of each product in the set:

Caudalie Organic Grape Water

This is a fairly basic face spray made with grape extract, designed - according to Caudalie - to refresh, tone, moisturise and smooth the skin. This isn't a must-have product for me, but it definitely does what it says and keeps my skin hydrated all day, meaning my make-up sits better on my skin and that I don't get nasty dry patches. During my horrific episode, this really helped to soothe and calm the redness whilst rehydrating my horrendously parched skin. I probably wouldn't buy this on its own but as part of the set, it's a definite winner for me. 

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum

This was the only product I’d used before buying the Vinosource set—I’ve used it since about October of last year. This is a Caudalie bestseller and touted by many a beauty blogger as one of the best serums on the market for a dehydrated complexion. And I’m not here to go against that tide; it’s brilliant. Formulated with the Caudalie-patented grape seed polyphenols and with a healthy dose of hyaluronic acid, this is best applied after cleansing and toning, just before your regular moisturiser, day and/or night. I tend to use this incorporated into my evening routine, just before my night cream. According to its bumph, this serum ‘continuously captures and diffuses water deep within the skin to restore its moisture balance’—obviously I don’t know what’s going on in my various epidermal layers but this really, really makes a difference. When I first applied it I wasn’t convinced as it seemed to just sit on my skin—but it quickly absorbs and doesn’t leave a tacky, sticky or any other residual feeling on the skin. What I love the most about this little bottle of joy is how much it does for reducing the redness on my cheeks. I’ve accepted the cold hard truth that they will never be a normal colour, but any product that reduces the Rudolf effect is good in my books. A quick note on the smell—lightly floral, very gentle, and refreshing. Overall, a product that has become pretty irreplaceable to my skincare routine, and I’d heartily recommend it to anyone who has dry or dehydrated skin, sensitivity and/or redness.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet

This is a real discovery for me. A somewhat mousse-like texture (described as a 'gel cream'), this is designed to soothe and protect sensitive skin and replenish its moisture levels. I finished this 10ml sample in record time as it just totally transformed my skin after its little (okay, massive) rough patch. It sinks in beautifully and stopped all semblance of tightness and in the morning my skin felt so velvety and soft (kind of comparable to how my skin feels after regular use of Alpha-H Liquid Gold, another of my skincare staples). I can't heap enough praise onto this and used in conjunction with the serum and Grape Water, totally credit it with helping me get out of a skin-related disaster!

Have you tried the Vinosource range? What do you think of it?

The Caudalie Vinosource Hydration Kit is £26.10 and available here.

A quick note:

I can’t believe this is my first post in June, and I can only apologise! Things are more hectic than ever for me at the moment. I finished my final exams at the end of May and went straight into my full-time grad job three days later, and have been moving into a new flat meanwhile, so I'm without wifi until June 25th - please do bear with me! Harriet x

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

On my nails: Essie 'Tart Deco'

If you haven't heard of the Seche Vite Top Coat, you may well have been living under a rock. This is heralded as the 'world's finest top coat' and has received many a positive review on beauty blogs and in the press. Is it worth the hype?

In my opinion, yes. This is definitely the fastest-drying top coat I have ever used, as well as the glossiest and the hardiest (it near enough doubled the time it took my lacquers to chip). It dries to form an almost jelly-like gloss on the nails and my nails felt well-protected and strong. Supposedly it is formulated to penetrate through the nail polish to the base coat beneath it, assuming you've used one, and 'is guaranteed not to yellow while leaving nails silky, stronger and resistant to chipping and peeling,' all claims that I can't disagree with. I noticed whilst looking at the reviews on MakeUpAlley that a few people complained of 'shrinkage' - where the Seche Vite has pulled the nail polish up from the cuticle - but that seems to be combatted by painting the top coat over your lacquer before it's completely dry (but obviously not whilst it's still completely wet). I also tend to leave a half-centimetre-ish gap between my cuticles and where I start painting my nails, so I don't think that would be a huge problem for me should I find it the case anyway.

This is a relatively expensive option for a top coat but for me it surpasses other top coats I've tried by such a long way that I would absolutely justify repurchasing this. Plus, you get 14ml of product, which is considerably more than a number of more affordable options.

Have you tried the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat? What do you think of it?

The Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat* retails for £10.95 but you can get it for £9.85 with free delivery here.

Birchbox UK May 2013

Time for a very quick (it's 1am!) run down of this month's Birchbox - I didn't do a write up of last month's as quite frankly it was pretty pants. This month's theme is 'Red Carpet Ready' and it's definitely a winner for me.

OPI Nail Lacquer Mini

Birchbox say: 'For a red carpet worthy mani, just paint on this gorgeous colou from the iconic nail brand between a base and top coat.' Full size £11.50

As with all OPI minis, this annoyingly doesn't come with a name printed on the bottle. From a quick perusal of the magazine earlier I think it's 'Thrill of Brazil.' As an OPI junkie, I always welcome a new polish with open arms and this is a gorgeous colour - it's darker and bluer than it looks in the photo, so I'm not sure it's the most summer-appropriate of shades, but I'm really happy with it nonetheless.

Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Moisturiser (SPF 8)

Birchbox say: 'This concoction of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and ultra-hydrating botanicals boost and plump the skin's appearance and texture.' Full size £42.00

I've always heard great things about this brand and am always in the market for a daytime hydrating moisturiser so this is perfect for me. It has a herbal scent, which I like, and I will let you know how I get on with it. Possibly my favourite product in the box and a very decent sized sample too.

B/Attitude Body Souffle

Birchbox say: 'Known for their London restaurant Budda-Bar - and with a spa in Paris - B/Attitude's divinely-scented skincare treat nourishes and absorbs easily.' Full size £24.00

I've actually never heard of this brand, or of the Budda-Bar...nonetheless, this is a very silky, lightweight cream that sinks in beautifully and will be coming on my travels with me this summer. It smells a bit like a baby product (baby lotion/oil/that sort of thing) but it's quite a comforting smell so no qualms there from me. Another really generous sized product.

MakeBelieve Enhance Lip Gloss

Birchbox say: 'This make-up range by tanning experts Make Believe has us smitten. Each item enhances your natural (or safely assisted) tan for that big event, whatever your skin tone.'

I was a bit gutted to get a lip gloss in my box - only because I saw that others got a gorgeous highlighter! I've never used a MakeBelieve tanning product before, but on first try of this I'm not that impressed - it's non-sticky, which is a plus, but it has very little colour payoff and the shine isn't particularly mindblowing either. I'll give it a few more goes before I make my mind up though - and it is always a plus for me to get make up in a beauty box.

Beauty Extra: Doctor Duve Anti-Aging & Firming Eye Cream

Birchbox say: 'A skincare heavyweight to tackle all your skin concerns around the eyes. This will boost skin moisture levels, reduce puffiness and activate collagen production.' Full size £115

Well I'm glad that Birchbox acknowledge that a sachet is an 'extra' (ahem Glossybox) and don't try and fob us off with it being one of the main products in the box. This is a ridiculously overpriced eye cream - I'm not sure why as soon as a product is dubbed 'anti ageing' it simultaneously has to rob people of their pension funds. I'm not (yet) on the market for an anti-ageing cream, but I did try this tonight, and it's nice - not £115 nice, but good enough. Nothing other-worldly in comparison to other (cheaper) eye creams I've tried!

Lifestyle Extra: Kusmi Tea Detox Tea

Birchbox say: 'This healthy tea rids your body of pent-up toxins, boosts your energy and lowers your stress levels.' Full size £13.85

This smells absolutely gorgeous - but requires you to do it 'properly', i.e. use a strainer. Which unsurprisingly my charming student house does not possess. I'll take this home with me and give it a go then, but I've heard a lot of good things about this tea. Plus, it's another generous sample size. 

So those were my quickfire thoughts on this month's Birchbox offerings - do link me to your posts as I'd love to see what others got!