The Bronzer Of My Dreams - Soleil Tan de Chanel

I am ready to face the music and make a shocking confession about my vanity-inspired and obviously insignificant "hobby"! 

Superficial and girly things have the capacity to make me ridiculously giddy with happiness. If one of those items just happens to have the classic Chanel logo embossed on it, then the potential for excitement is almost always guaranteed. 

That kind of branding appreciation can be very dangerous for someone with low impulse control and a brief visit to the Chanel counter can often result in purchasing products purely based on the "wow" factor and with very little thought process! 

Soleil Tan de Chanel ($48.00 for 30 g) was the fruit on one such innocent browse and despite the fact that I neither use bronzers not do I know how to use one properly, somehow a tub of this classy goodness ended up on my vanity. 

It's been mocking me ever since so a few weeks ago I decided to put an end to it and give it a decent chance to impress me. 

Official Description;

The velvety finish of this light cream-gel bronzer leaves your skin with a beautiful sun-kissed look. Wear it on its own to enhance your complexion, or for a hint of outdoors radiance, over or under your favorite CHANEL Foundation.

The first thing that struck me about the Soleil Tan de Chanel was the unique sponge-like texture in the pot. 

It's best described as a creamy gel that applies velvety smooth at first, making it easy to work in to the skin, before drying to a fairly typical powdery finish.

The formula is actually pretty incredible,  both opaque and light, easy to blend allowing you to either wear it on its own or beneath a darker bronzer for contouring purposes. 

If you're looking for natural sun kissed skin (what ever your skin tone) then this is your product. There is absolutely nothing muddy about the Soleil Tan de Chanel, which is a feature I appreciate the most! 

At first I was worried that the shade itself would be too dark for my fair complexion but since this blends like a dream and has a beautiful sun-kissed effect the dreaded orange "Oompa Loompa" look is nowhere to be seen. The bronzing pigments combine with just a slight twinge of sophisticated soft shimmer particles to create a color that could be universally flattering to all! 

The one and only "flaw" of this Chanel Tub of Sunshine is that if you use a brush to apply it the slightly tacky texture of the bronzer may collect stray hairs on its surface, which is definitively not aesthetically pleasing . Choosing a non-shedding high quality brush for this solves the problem or application can be achieved differently. I find a sponge or fingers work just as well too.

I admit I was skeptical at first and even considered returning it since it was an impulse, unplanned purchase of a product I didn't know how to use properly. However I have found that the more I actually use this, the more I love it and in turn reach for it a lot more often than I could have imagined. In the summer it works to enhance my slightly tanned complexion and it's also ideal for adding a bit of a sunny glow to the skin during to colder months! 

Seeing how this is a high-end, hard to come by Chanel product I don't want to say that it's an essential part of my makeup routine. Additionally if you have experience with bronzers then I am sure you already have much cheaper dupes for this but if you are a "Bronzer Virgin" like me then give the Soleil Tan de Chanel a whirl as it's definitively very user friendly. 

Finally if it's a bit of luxury that you're looking for, then look no further. 

This stuff looks and feels like a million dollars and sometimes that's exactly what a girl needs :-)

Thank you for reading!

Have you tried Soleil Tan de Chanel? Do you have a favorite bronzer?

XOXO

ANJA

Completing the Collection - Caudalie Divine Scrub

I am not even sure how this scrub happened to me? The only product I was to allow myself was the Caudalie Divine Oil since that was somewhat practical for the summer months but the other two, Divine Legs & Divine Scrub, were to be left behind until I used at least some of the overwhelming bottles littering my homey-beauty place.
Obviously that didn't work out very good because here I am with a smug grin on my face, staring at the entire Caudalie Divine collection, nestled beautifully in the small beauty cabinet next to my vanity table. I will admit that I do feel a little bit guilty and I am sure my conscience will bother me significantly after a few weeks but for now I am giddy with excitement, with a dreamy-glazed look plastered on my face and a brain buzzing with possibilities, daydreaming of a possible "tanned" beach bunny inspired vision. 
I think its safe to say that I have a problem! 

The Caudalie Divine collection is one of the latest summer-inspired body care releases by the wonderful French brand, whose philosophy and formulation relies directly on the patented vinotherapie concept, which utilizes the anti-oxidant properties of grapes to care and protect your skin. The Divine line-up is no exception to this rule so its no surprise that all parts of the collection are chock-full of skin-loving ingredients that beautify and protect at the same time.

Today I want to introduce you to the last piece of the Caudalie Divine set which is the Divine Body Scrub and if you would like to see my reviews of the Divine Legs & Oil first just click here and here

Description;

A softening scrub with brown sugar and four natural plant oils, featuring a signature Divine fragrance. 

Divine Scrub gently exfoliates dead skin cells for luxuriously soft, delicately fragranced skin. It features four natural plant oils—grape, argan, hibiscus, and sesame—and the signature Divine fragrance of grapefruit, rose, pink pepper, vanilla, cedar, and white musk.

Ingredients;

Sucrose*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil*, Glyceryl Stearate*, Glyceryl Distearate*, Polyglyceryl-5 Dioleate*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Parfum (Fragrance), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract*, Tocopherol* Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil*, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Benzyl Salicylate*, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional

As a girly-girl that truly enjoys pampering and everything that comes with it, my experience with body scrubs is quite extensive and I definitively have certain preferences that i stick to. 
For me an ideal body scrub needs to be "scrubby" enough to gently polish the skin without being too abrasive and harsh, but not so light that it melts away before the job is done. Even though I enjoy both sugar and salt based exfoliants, my preferred choice will always be the formula spiked with essential oils that manage to hydrate my skin in the shower without being too greasy and without leaving a slippery residue that feels heavy after rinsing. A body scrub formula that combines naturally sourced ingredients and leaves the "nasties" in the chemistry lab, will always get bonus points from me as well.

The Caudalie Divine Scrub fulfills and even exceeds every single one of those requirements (amazing!). The texture is very dense and as such easy to scoop out of the jar, without worrying too much about spillage and waste. The application and feel on my skin is reminiscent of a micro-derm abrasion treatment that continually transforms into a creamier substance, losing its "grit" gradually and eventually melting away in a milky, silkening emulsion.

The "buffing" ingredient in this scrub is brown sugar which is further enhanced by the addition of four naturally hydrating exotic plant oils - grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan. This combination moisturizes, softens and lusciously nourishes the skin before you even step out of the shower.
The alluring Divine scent only further enhances this pampering routine by the same combination of
zesty grapefruit, fiery pink pepper, and calming vanilla, found in the Caudalie Divine Legs & Oil. 

After all is said and done, I admit that I am actually very happy I broke down and got the final two Divine products. Every single piece of the collection preforms beautifully on its own but when all three combine, the Divine feeling is obviously magnified significantly and its something I recommend everyone try at least once.

Since the Caudalie Divine Scrub is a little bit on the pricy side ($38.00 for 5.3 fl.oz.) and there are so many other body scrubs I want to try at some point, I cant say that this will be my primary exfoliant. However I would definitively repurchase this and use it with the other Divine products, especially when I need some extra TLC and some "bronzy" goodness!

For more information and to purchase the Caudalie Divine Collection just visit their direct website, our trusty Sephora and Amazon.

I hope this was helpful

Have you tried the Caudalie Divine Collection? Do you have a favorite body scrub?

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-) 

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

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)