No, it is not champagne! It’s Caudalie, of course, silly!
When the weather changes, my skin tends to suffer. I did talk about it a while back, but twice a year history repeats itself so I’m always on the lookout for new products to restore the glow through the transition phase and if they have pollution protection, even better.
Enter Caudalie Vine[Active], a collection of four products designed to support the skin and help prevent cell burn-out, which accelerates close to out mid-thirties.
The Anti-Cell Burnout Complex has vitamins E and C, stabilised grape seed polyphenol, and spruce extract to, respectively, maintain radiance, boost collagen and maintain melanin productions, preserve collagen and natural hyaluronic acid and stimulate cellular defense and, protect skin against oxidation.
Obviously I’ll start with the oil. The Overnight Detox Oil (£36) is 100% natural with omega 6, vitamin E and six essential oils (carrot, grapeseed, lavender, white sandalwood, sweet almond, rose, musk and neroli).
It’s a luscious oil that sinks well on the skin; which wakes up plump and healed. I love the distinctive herbal smell this oil has.
The VineActive Glow Activating Anti-Wrinkle Serum (£36) is another favourite. So light in contrast with the oil, it is great for wearing under makeup.
It has the Anti-Cell Burnout Complex together with hyaluronic acid in low molecular weight. It helps with skin ageing prevention and pigmentation.
Again, I use it in combination with the oil, at night and the VineActive 3-in-1 moisturiser (£32) during the day, which contains the same ingredients of the serum, for added plumping, plus anti-pollution polysaccharides and soft focus mattifying powders making it a great day cream, nourishing and creating that protection barrier. An SPF wouldn’t go amiss!
Finally, another obsession of mine: eye creams. The VineActive Energizing and Smoothing Eye Cream (£27.50) also carries the anti Burnout complex together with peptides, fern and liquorice extracts and horse chestnut to lift, combat puffiness and dark circles.
Very light and quickly absorbed, I feel this eye cream is suitable for day or night. It also doesn’t upset my sensitive eye, which is a bonus!
The range is available from the Caudalie website and shops, as well as selected retailers.
And there’s also the purifying VineActive Facial Treatment available at the Caudalie spas, which deep cleanses and detoxifies. It includes thorough cleansing, deep exfoliation, detoxifying mask and moisturising, with a lymph and blood circulation activating facial massage.
Oil on my face. That is something I never thought I’d put on deliberately. Having had problematic, blemish skin all my life, I always struggled with the oiliness of my dry skin.
And now, I cannot live my life without it. For those that like me ran away from facial oils, give it a go. The reasoning behind it is that if you provide oils to the skin, it won’t produce, or produce much less of it.
The this works stress check face oil is a bliss, I’ve been loving it recently. On top of its redness relief, calming and hydrating properties, thanks to its botanical oils, vitamin C, E and omega 3, it has the most calming neroli, patchouli, lavender, vetivert and camomile fragrance. A treat for face and mind.
It is 100% natural and works towards detoxifying and regenerating stressed skin. Full review coming soon!
I love that Dr Jackson’s everyday oil also comes in a handy roll on, perfect for travelling, and perfect to carry on the plane. Definitely one to invest on for the holiday season, for its portability and to help sun exposed skin heal!
For more specific needs, the 
The market is brimming with great products, for all budgets. It is a great time for facial oils. And my skin is grateful!
This year, Dove is celebrating 60 years. A lot of those have been spent, apart from caring for our skin, supporting a healthy body image: all shapes and sizes hold #RealBeauty.
Needless to say, I was so glad to receive the bottles for what they remind me of: the sometimes very hard task to love myself as I am.
I try that, not only through the way I do love my body (most of the times!) and am not scared to show my individuality out there. Of course I do also look up to other women that make me strong in my quest!
Indemne.
And if you suffer from breakouts like me, you might want to use, in conjunction with Eau de Génie, the Gimme Clear! lotion.
Just because I have a blemish prone skin does not mean I don’t think about concerns; I should be so lucky! I have to be double careful with my regime.
Now, these babies are made to not only work on texture, giving skin more elasticity and less sagging, as well as plumping, helping fill out the natural structure changes that come with age and impact firmness.
I tried the fabulously smoothing Facial Oil, which is extremely light and smells divine.
The nourishing Day Care face moisturiser is light, non-comedogenic, has SPF 15 (UVA protection, is very light, absorbing quickly and making a good makeup base.
Hands up if you’re guilty of, at some point in your life, not re-applying SPF as often as you should not to ruin your makeup? o/
So we get it: sunscreen is very important. Even in the city, and all year around.
It also creates an anti-pollution barrier that can be reinforced throughout the day, effortlessly.
A while ago I appeared on Instagram bobbing along looking like something out of a sci-fi movie. remember that?
After using for about a month, I noticed my skin is calmer. Usage overlapped with my pre-menstrual period, when my breakouts are more active. Although I still have some, I feel they disappeared much quicker.
Using it is very easy: wash your face, attach the activator device, make sure the metal pin is all the way in, pop the mask on like sunglasses and hit the button.
And that is the catch and what people have been feeling uncertain about: the mask itself costs £59.99 and can be re-used. Now the activator, which is a necessity for it to work, costs £14.99 and deliver 30 treatments of 10 minutes, enough for a month.
Again, making your skin a priority might require some compromise on other areas and back up from your parents. This is how I went through countless treatments when young.
Furthermore, I’d say that after a while month I will get extra activators and not do it every day. Maybe every other or even every three, just as maintenance.
Now, why not, this Christmas, give the gift of good skin?
Perfect for this time of the year and multitasking, this kit will cater for many skin concerns. You can also layer the masks – when I say this is a super muilti-tasking kit, I mean business!
Water. More than half of our bodies is made of it. We all love it and know how important it is in our lives and beauty regimes.
To start with, the essence is very fresh; in the morning it does help you wake you up. The Activating Water Essence basically prepares the skin to receive and better absorb the care; it feels soft and revitalised after application.
The lovely 
Eucerin has an extensive range for all skin concerns, and you probably noticed that I do tend to love them.
This complete regime has all the basics – day and night creams, a moisturiser and eye cream, as well as targeted care, the Hyaluron-Filler Concentrate.
For me, although I can clearly see the correcting properties at work, the coverage is too sheer to use alone.
Having said that, I do have to mention the 
So Many Lovely Things 