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 :-) 

Caudalie Divine Oil is Divine Indeed

Couple of years ago I absolutely hated any kind of oil treatments, regardless of what their purpose or function was. I was convinced that using them anywhere on my body would leave me greasy, uncomfortable, dirty or even worse acne-prone. 

Fast forward to the present and my shelves are practically overflowing with various oil products meant to moisturize, heal or even enhance every part of my body. Everything I used to think about oils has now been proven wrong. 

I have noticed that my favorite oils have a few things in common with each other and there are several guidelines I tend to follow when I make my selection. 

The properties I look are moisturization, absorption speed, longevity, short ingredient list and fragrance. While I can appreciate fragrance-free formulas if an oil has a fragrance I love then that's the one that holds preference. 

One of my favorite dry oils comes from Caudalie, a brand I am very familiar with and whose products are used regularly in our household. Caudalie Divine Oil is one of their most recent releases and it very well be my favorite Caudalie product to date. 

Official Description;

Discover the benefits of this versatile oil from head to toe, using it to nourish hair, nails, skin, or enhance baths and massages. The unique alchemy of four natural oils—grape oil, extra-virgin argan oil, extra-virgin hibiscus oil, and sesame oil—engage closely with the skin to ensure that the benefits are truly complete. 
The subtle fragrance will make you swoon as it caresses your skin. Lush with rose, a burst of grapefruit, and spicy pink pepper, this fresh fragrance rounds and warms with cedar, vanilla, and white musk. The composition is modern and infinitely desirable.

Ingredients;

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Isoamyl Cocoate, Coco-Caprylate, Fragrance, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), Tocopherol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate (Octisalate), Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

Caudalie products are all formulated and created based on their own patented Vinotherapie discovery, which showcases  the power of grape seed antioxidants better known as Polyphenols.

The Caudalie Divine Oil features a unique combination of nourishing grape oil, extra virgin Argan oil, sesame oil and the all-important polyphenols. The formula is said to rejuvenate, nourish, soften, moisturize, protect against free radicals and in time restore skin's own lipid balance. It all sounds very impressive and even though I can't vouch for all of their scientific claims, I can tell you that it makes my skin and feel amazing. 

I believe that the majority of consumers use body oils like this one more during the summer months. That makes a lot of sense when you consider that the oil sheen makes tanned skin look amazing and summers are no time to be using heavy body butters that take forever to dry. Personally I now use oils year-round and during the winter months I have beer known to spike my usual lotion with oil for some extra hydration. 

Caudalie Divine Oil comes with a spray pump which makes application and distribution even more goof-proof. Since this is actually a dry oil it sinks in very fast and leaves no grease behind, making it usable (sparingly) for hair as well. The fragrance of the Divine Oil is very summery and beach-like, reminding me a lot to a similar product made by another French skincare company, Nuxe. 

I use and love both almost equally!

My final verdict on this product is obviously very positive and I can see myself using and repurchasing the Divine Oil for a long time. Caudalie prices can be a little high and this product is no exception ($48 for 100ml) but if you are in a pampering mood or need more moisture then this oil is an excellent choice!

Caudalie Divine Oil and the rest of their products can be found directly on their website  or Sephora (instore/online)

Have you tried the Divine Oil? Do you have a favorite dry oil? 

XOXO

ANJA