To Bronze or Not to Bronze - Caudalie Divine Legs

There are a lot of reasons why I have always shied away from any kind of bronzers or tan enhancing products. I don't like orange, I am not capable of pulling off the "dirty" look, tanning product scents are just plain offensive to me  and most importantly those "leathery skin" people freak me out.

Sure, there was a time when I envied some of my friends who were able to achieve that "bronze goddess" look and there was that summer when I seriously flirted with the idea of tanning bed memberships but thankfully the fixation never reached epic proportions and I came to my senses. 

Despite being beauty and makeup conosseur, my bronzer application technique is severely lacking and no matter how much I try or which product i use, more often than not my attempt just ends up making me look dirrty (wash your face kind of dirty!). 

Today I have finally accepted my "fair - alabaster" complexion, I use a lot of high-quality sunscreens and stick to highlighters and good skincare  to achieve that "glow" we are searching off.

For the most part I am perfectly fine with my "paleness" and I am comforted by the fact that I am not exposed to harmful sun rays that I would need to worry about later on in life. 

However every once in a while, during the summer, a "bronzer-type" product will be released and following who-knows, what kind of logic, i end up coming home with yet-another "promising" item that is certainly going to transform my skin completely. 

Most of the new arrivals turn out to be disappointments as expected and end up being tossed into a designated "sunshine" box that I pass on to others quite regularly. 

Not too long ago I finally added the Caudalie Divine Oil to my body care collection and with it I received some very generous travel sized extras of a few of Caudalie's best sellers. 

One of the samples included was the Caudalie Divine Legs mini tube. I had every intention of putting it away for my "sun box" but I fell in love with the Divine fragrance and seeing how the Divine Legs  was scented the same, curiosity got the best of me and I resolved to actually give it a "proper try" before passing judgment and  condemning it completely. 

I expected to be disappointed and had absolutely no expectations regarding its preformance, so the fact that I liked it was unexpected and even more exciting. 

Caudalie's Divine Legs gave me some much needed bronzed hope. 

Description;
This ultralight tinted body lotion gives legs an instant sunkissed glow and adds radiance to already tanned legs, without any of the downsides of a self-tanner. The universal tint blends perfectly with all skintones and dries in an instant, creating a beautiful, bronze finish.

Directions for Use;

- Apply to legs on clean and dry skin.
- Removes easily with water at the end of the day.

Key Ingredients;

Chicory Extract, Carob Extract, Grape Oil, Copper and Gold Pearlizers

Complete Ingredient List;

Water, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract*, Caramel*, Glycerin*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil*, Methylpropanediol, Coco-Caprylate*, Isostearyl Isostearate*, Parfum (Fragrance), Arachidyl Alcohol*, Myristyl Alcohol*, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Caprylate*, Behenyl Alcohol*, Mica, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexyldecanol*, Hexyldecyl Laurate*, Myristyl Glucoside*, Arachidyl Glucoside*, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Tocopheryl Acetate*, Xanthan Gum, Inositol*, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Phenylpropanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate*, Gymnema Sylvestre Leaf Extract*, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Serine, Sorbitol*, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Urea, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin*, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol (133/018). *Plant origin.

Initially when I saw this I wrongly assumed this was a self-tanning product, which worked by either building up your tint or giving intense color that would gradually fade away. I was wrong on both accounts because Caudalie Divine Legs is a lightweight, tinted body lotion that provides color and bronzing effect without using any form of self-tanner.
It is because of that feature that the colour provided is very temporary and not waterproof or even water-resistant in any sense of the word. This is very important to understand because when Caudalie states that this is water washable, they are being very specific for a reason - the tint will come off in the rain, on the beach, pool and even perspiration might remove some of it. If you are aware of that effect and understand the purpose of the Divine Legs in the first place then there shouldn't be any surprises as you'll know not to put yourself in "water - danger" situations when you are rocking the Caudalie tint.

The Caudalie Divine Legs colour is best described as a combination of dark copper and soft golden pearl shades, producing a warm golden toned tint that doesnt come off orange on my skin-tone (that's a first!). The shimmer is very fine and since there are no big glitter-chunks, it translates into a very soft, natural and body flattering yellow-toned golden sheen. If i had to estimate I would say that the resulting "tan-colour" is up to three times darker than my normal pale self. The Divine fragrance is said to contain notes of grapefruit, roses, vanilla, pink pepper, cedar and white musk. Personally I am in love with the scent and I was thrilled to find that the fragrance actually lingers for a very long time after application - on my skin it lasted over six hours, which is phenomenal for a body type product.

The texture is lightweight, runny, moisturizing and very easy to work with. The best part of the Caudalie Divine Leg formula is that the dry-down is instant, which means there in no waiting around for it absorb and no worries about weird stains on your bedding, furniture or favorite clothes. Once blended, all you are left with is the beautiful "bronzy-glowy -sheen", no tackiness, no rub off or transfer and lots of compliments. How perfect is that?

As Caudalie is primarily a skincare formula, its no surprise that the Divine Leg formulation is chock-full of skin-loving ingredients that pamper and comfort your skin while you are playing up your tan. All of Caudalie products contain their signature grape antioxidant oils and this is no exception. The grape oil is ultra-nourishing, hydrating, soothing and protective of your skin s natural moisture barrier.
Its important to mention that Caudalie also does not use parabens, sulfates or phthalates to spoil the fun of this product and that's something we can all appreciate. 

In conclusion I want to say that I am very happy with Caudalie Divine Legs and the fact that its the first "bronzer-like" product that I have been able to use successfully makes this even more special. The effect is very temporary of course, which is perfectly fine with me but since the price tag is so high ($38.00 for 3.4 oz.) I can see this becoming hard to justify on a regular basis.
However this would be perfect for special occasions where you need a little bit of a summery boost, say like an outdoor wedding, outdoor summer party or anytime you need a bit of confidence.

The Caudalie Divine Legs and other products from the Divine collection can be purchased directly from their website, our trusty Sephora and Amazon

Have you tried the Caudalie Divine Legs? What is your favorite bronzer or self-tanning product?

XOXO

ANJA

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