A Wren Says

I sat watching the video, as they praised the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. It was a must-have that multiple staff members kept at their desks to mist throughout the day. I kept that parked away in the recesses of mind. “Must be a good product. I should try it one day.”

And then I found myself, in a Sephora, needing to waste some time. A dangerous predicament. There it was a travel size Beauty Elixir. This seemed like the perfect time to test it out. I did have some upcoming travel after all. Wouldn’t this be perfect way to combat the dry plane air?

When I got back, I gave myself a mist to add some hydration to my skin at the end of my skincare routine. And then my skin yelled back at me. It was irritated and red.  Clearly, that was a fluke. I thought maybe it was a bad reaction with a different product. And yet, again and again, the same reaction would happen. My cheeks would burn and flush. As you might imagine, I stopped using it.

Beyond the clear sign my skin doesn’t like it, I couldn’t get over the smell. It was herbal, not at all like grapes. And no matter how hard I tried, I seemed to inhale it. The first time, it was my bad. I clearly breathed in too soon after spraying. But the next time? I misted myself, held my breath as long as I could, walked to a different room, and exhaled deeply. And then still that scent and taste came right into my nose.

I don’t like this product at all. The second ingredient in this alcohol. The other key ingredients are essential oils. I don’t see how these ingredients that often irritate skin if not used correctly can get to the claimed result of calming and soothing skin. Normally, I don’t bat an eye at these ingredients being included in a mix. But if it feels like it burns every time I spray, alcohol and essential oils are going to be the top suspects.

If you haven’t come to this conclusion already, I will officially say I don’t recommend this product. I am however, still in the market for a good mist to revive my skin during or post flights. I had a great experience with the Chantecaille rosewater mist on land. Maybe it is time to get a travel size and try it out in the air.  But let’s be honest, curiosity will get the best of me, I will be trying something new all over again.  

Do you have a great hydrating mist you love and would recommend? Also, do you know anyone who has had a good experience with this product?