C.E.O.

I've been a huge fan of Sunday Riley since I first tried her products and with my recent obsession with Vitamin C (I've tried like 6 different Vitamin C serums in the past year) I HAD to get my hands on the C.E.O. range.  I've been using it for over 2 months and have loved the results.

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C.E.O. C + E antiOxidant Protect + Repair Moisturizer $65- It's call C.E.O. because it contains Vitamin C 5% (in the very stable, oil soluble form of THD Ascorbate) to brighten dark spots, prevent skin aging, boost collagen, and give anti-oxidant protection.  Exopolysaccharides - Comes from French Polynesian, these protect the skin from micropollution particles. Lastly is has Lime Pearl Extract for its AHA exfoliating benefits and Bisabolol derived from Chamomile to calm and smooth skin.  I love a cream with some texture to it, I started using this when it wasn't quite hot out and it made the perfect day cream, hydrating but not too heavy, as it got to humid and hot summer days I switched to using it at night and something lighter during the day.  Great all skin type cream, but oily skin may prefer it in the winter or evenings.

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It's rare that I have a serum last longer than the face cream I start at the same time, but I'm still using C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum $85 and the cream is empty (I do tend to over use products and bring them all the way down to my chest).  The Serum contains the same Vitamin C at the C.E.O. Cream, only they use it at 15% for even more brightening action.  A Phytosterol Complex from soybeans helps reduce redness and skin sensitivity, making this a great Vitamin C for sensitive skin.  Saccharide Isomerate Extract helps with pore size, skin texture, and reinforces skins moisture barrier.  It also contains Glycolic Acid to mildly exfoliate and boost cellular turnover.  I found it interesting the Glycolic Acid also keeps the Ph of the formula balanced to stabilize the high percent of Vitamin C.  One pump goes a long way, which I loved because I normally kill a serum in 2 months or less.

After using these 2 products my skin definitely looks brighter, my pores have been non-existant, I've been in the sun quite a bit (with SPF) so I haven't seen my dark spots fade a lot, but I've been really happy with the results I have seen.  If you're looking for a glow, to even out your skin tone, and prevent future damage, definitely give the C.E.O. line a try. Available exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Some of my favorite skincare products come from the French brand Caudalie, so when I heard they were joining forces with Harvard to bring new advancements from their already potent resveratrol, I said "put it all over my body".   The line contains their signature Vine Resveratrol and combines it with Micro Hyaluronic Acid to boost firmness, elasticity, and help your skin to boost its own Hyaluronic Acid levels.  I started using the entire line October 1st and continued through November 1st, here's what I thought.

Let's see how many products I can hold in one hand

Let's see how many products I can hold in one hand

The Firming Serum is the key formula in the 4 product line up.  It's also the product I finished first.  Consumer studies on the serum boast denser skin in 7 days, firmer And lifted skin in 28 days, and smoothed wrinkles in 56 days.  Well, after using it twice a day, I only made it to day 28 before I ran out of product.  I'm typically not heavy handed with my skincare, but the serum is thicker than most and I spread all my skincare down my neck, I found I needed quiet a bit of it.  The dropper style dispenser also leads you to believe you can use a full droppers worth.  Last complaint is that the dropper isn't long enough to get out all the product, so I was q-tipping the rest out to get to 28 days.  Despite it only lasting 28 days, I love the results from this serum, my skin was so plump and hydrated and definitely looked firmer.  Great for all skin types who need a boost in hydration and some help with fine lines.  I would recommend it for late 20s and up.  4/5 Stars $82.

I typically hate having sunscreen in my moisturizer because so many irritate my skin.  The Face Lifting Moisturizer SPF 20 was a nice exception to this.  I do wear 30+ SPF so I would still prefer not to have it added in, but on my days running out the door this is a great option.  Its lightweight fluid texture provided a great deal of hydration without being greasy.  I switched to a different moisturizer after November 1st, but now I'm thinking to switch back, I miss how soft it made my skin! 3.8/5 Stars $66

My favorite time for skincare in evening, mostly because I can layer on as many products as I want.  The Resveratrol Lift Night Infusion was a nice addition.  It has a lightweight whipped creamy texture, almost mouse like.  In Caudalie's studies they found 93% of users noticed smoother wrinkles and 90% noticed their skin was more relaxed in 28 days.  Well this is one of the products I kept using after 11/1.  I've been loving how my skin looks in the morning, so refreshed like I actually slept 8 hours (I usually get 4-6).  As its been getting really dry in LA I've found myself needing to add some more oil or alternating with heavier creams, but I keep going back to it.  It's spreads really far, feels like it will last me a long time. I would recommend this to anyone 30+ with Combo-Dry skin in need of a solid great night cream 4.2/5 Stars $76.

Lastly we have the Eye Balm.  Now I'm a bit of an eye cream snob, I've used nearly every one on the market, so I'm quiet particular.  Caudalie reports that 80% of users noticed less puffiness in 28 days.  I don't get puffy, so I can't really talk to that.  It's very lightweight, I felt that it did help my skin stay hydrated, however I like my eye creams a lot thicker.  I felt like I needed an eye cream on top, so I used an Amore Pacific one on top.  I keep grabbing it every morning and night, so I must not hate it, but I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites.  Would be a great starter eye cream for someone, or apparently anyone with puffiness.  3/5 Stars $62

All in all the Resveratrol Lift line has been enjoyable to use, the textures have been different from the rest of their products, and I've enjoyed that.  I still prefer the Premier Cru Face Cream and Eye Cream but this is definitely a nice more affordable option.

UPDATE

Just finished using the Resveratrol Lift Face Lifting Soft Cream after 3 months of use.  It was what I loved about the SPF Moisturizer, and without the sunscreen that I didn't.  This kept my skin hydrated when it was dry, but wasn't so heavy that I ever felt greasy.  My skin glowed every morning I wore it, and stayed super soft and plump.  It even helped when my red was peeling from too much retinol/peels.  I would 100% use this again, the texture was amazing, and I knew my skin was going to always look smooth.  5/5 Stars 😉 $76