Review: Caudalie Beauty Elixer

WHY: I'm sure you guys have seen this product floating around the internet like I have. And like a lot of people, because of it's presence (omnipresence?) I felt compelled to try it out. The small size at $18 it isn't cheap, but the cost also isn't super prohibitive to try out unlike if it only came in the mega $48 size! I bought this when I had some Sephora store credit, which was cool because it was kind of like I was trying it out for "free," haha. (I love the return policy by the way! Got store credit for some make up brushes I bought a year ago and never used, so returned for store credit to buy this and a make brush I now use every day! Woo hoo! <3 you Sephora!).

REVIEW: Like other beauty bloggers, I am not sure what this elixer is really supposed to "do" specifically, but the experience was nice. I grew accustomed to spraying this on after a shower as it was nice and refreshing, and felt great when my face was still a little red & blotchy from the hot water + face products. It was especially refreshing when my face was having an "angry" day (which I am starting to think is cased by continued use of face wipes, but not 100% sure yet... might be the moisturizer with AHA in it too...). Some people hate the smell, I didn't mind it, but I also didn't love it. Peppermint is fine, but I am totally a spearmint kinda gal. I'm not sure this product did anything magical to my skin like some people think it does. I didn't get magically clear skin, or anything like that, though I think some people are just brain washed into thinking this elixer is doing that for them but they really have skin like me: skin that breaks out either the week before, or the week of the "girly" time of the month, but then it looks its most amazing the week after the "girly" time of the month. If you start using a product during the break out phase, of course you are going to think the product is magical when you enter your awesome skin week of the month, haha, but if you are aware of your skin's phases/cycles then you should know to not just a product by its performance during your super week, but its performance during your break out times. I don't think it did anything magical during my break out times other than mentally sooth me, and sometimes calm my red skin down.

VERDICT: Would I buy this again? I don't think so, but I really do like the idea of a face spray! Maybe I should be trying out make up settings sprays, Mac Fix+, or some kind of spray toner because I loved the experience  and would love to use a spray that actually has real results vs placebo affects, haha. If I ever did buy this again it would probably be this same small size, and probably if I was able to find it at a discount!

Updated Opinion: L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eye Shadow

You have probably seen my previous post about the L'Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eye Shadow because it is currently my most viewed post here! (thanks guys :) )

That being said, my opinions about this product has changed so I think it deserves another post. Generally, I still believe what I said in the previous post, along with everything else I noted in my Maybelline Tough as Taupe post where I also discuss my new opinion on the L'Oreal Shadow. So here is what I didn't mention in that post: I actually went and returned the L'Oreal shadows (I purchased them at CVS and CVS pretty much is as nice about returns as Sephora, at least they have been whenever I have returned things), and here are my reasons why:

1. I felt guilty for breaking my Kill It Quest vow for TWO products.
2. The L'Oreal matte shade, no matter how I played with it, just didn't work for me because of its yellow tones to it. Even though Wet 'N' Wild Brule isn't a cream shadow, it does way more for me than the L'Oreal Endless Pearl did. I wanted Endless Pearl to be basically a creamy fast version of Brule that I could put on and run out the door, but it just wouldn't let me do that, haha.
3. The L'Oreal shimmer shade, Iced Latte, was a duplicative color in my collection, and after a week or so I decided that I couldn't really justify that given my resolutions, plus the fact that I have neglected my Stila Kitten for quite some time that I didn't think it was smart. If I haven't been using Kitten, why would I expect that I would use Iced Latte enough to justify its purchase?
4. After feeling what a cream shadow could feel like with the Maybelline Tough as Taupe and having my eyes opened to what I preferred, I realized that the powdery nature of the L'Oreal wasn't really something I was looking for.
5. The little presser thing annoyed me.
6. The L'Oreal shades are more suited to be used as a main eyeshadow color, something I don't need more of yet, rather than a base color, something that I have been looking for.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Yep your receipts girls, and check your return policies. No reason to send a product through a Kill It Quest or Project Pan in the future when you can return it and get your money back. Who cares about getting your monies worth out of a product you are kind eh about, when you can just get that money back and get something you like more! :)