la mer has been dethroned!

Yes, I know saying that might be considered blasphemy in the skin care world. But I don’t care. Hang me. I have found a product so much better than La Mer it’s ridiculous. (And it’s half the price.)

Last time I was at Sephora, I got a sample of a new product called Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum. It’s got Resveratrol in it (the anti-aging ingredient in red wine that Harvard, the NY Times and everyone else is going crazy over).

 

I sure hope that's a table wine.

Any way, I put the Vinexpert Firming Serum on ½ my face (because I’m crazy) before going to bed that night.

You can’t. It was. I couldn’t believe. I can’t even form a sentence I’m so excited about the product. Give me a second.

OK. First I just want to say, “Super expensive, La Mer, I spit on your fancy Tiffany-type box.”

Where was I? Oh yeah, that morning I awoke to find the Caudalie side of my face not only looked amazing: years younger, clearer, less fine lines (by a mile), more radiant, but here’s the kicker. I looked in the mirror, and tried to remove an odd fleck from my face. Turns out it was a long, lost dimple I forgot I had. I’m not kidding. I guess my skin had lost elasticity and had gotten too couch-potato-like to form a dimple when I smiled. Yes, this stuff is that firming.

That was just the first application. By the 3rd application, I noticed a DRASTIC, I’m talking DRASTIC, reduction in the size of my pores on the Caudalie half of my T-zone.

And just so you know I’m not hallucinating these results. I immediately, ran back to Sephora to buy it and the sales woman told me it was sold out (and always is) and that it’s their best seller. She said I should put my name on a list to make sure I got one. (Apparently, this new product is the wii of the skin care world. And rightfully so.)

I just wish they’d introduced this product before Donatella went off and had herself turned into a muppet.

Helpful Sephora Lady Tip: Instead of ripping open the sample packet, stick it with a pin. It keeps the sample fresh and controls the amount released. It worked great. And I didn’t have to wipe my face on my bathroom counter to use the sample like I usually do:)

I've gotten some emails asking where people can find the products I talk about in my posts. Feel free to use Google “search the web” box, to the right, to find out where you can find it (and for how much).

Comments

[RJ]

thank you for sharing this!!! can't wait to try this...

[jenny]

Hey RJ,
Let me know what you think of it. I'm dying to know if you think it's as amazing as I do. And if you think it kicks La Mer's arse.
thanks!
jenny

[Kevin]

Baby,
I hate to burst your bubble, but the active ingredient in Caudalie is witch hazel (think Preperation H). Certainly, it is firming and toning your skin, but it is only temporary. Over time your skin will quit responding to the "firming" action. What you will have is much more looser skin. Its called a rebound effect. The only way to firm skin is to build an infrastructure by speeding up the cellular turnover process. None the less, you are one funny woman and I love who you have brought some brevity to the "serious" business of beauty. A true fan, Kevin

[jenny]

Hey Kevin,
This is a new product from Caudalie. Maybe you were thinking of an older product line.
I just looked at the ingredients of this product.
As we all know the ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity/weight. The Resveratrol grapevine shoot extract and the grape leaf extract both come much sooner in the list of the ingredients than the witch hazel. In fact the witch hazel is way down toward the bottom of the list. I have used lots of products in the past with witch hazel (some even with it as the #1 ingredient -toners for example) but I have never, ever had a product have such an amazing beneficial effect on my skin. Which leads me to think it might be the grape/Resveratrol releated ingredients that are doing the trick. (And as far as I know I have never had a sagging rebound effect from toners ). If you're interested you can read more about Resveratrol and why people left and right are getting grants to study it's anti-aging benefits, in this NY Times article. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/science/02drug.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/H/Harvard%20University
thanks
jenny

[KimmyDarling]

Hi, Jenny--

Wondering if you know if there is a difference between the Vinexpert and Caudalie's Lifting Serum. The Vinexpert is only on Caudalie's UK site, but the ingredients look identical to those in the Lifing Serum on the US site.

Thanks!
Kimmy

[jenny]

Hey Kimmy,
Here's the link on the Caudalie USA site. But it doesn't have a price on it (I have no idea what that's about.).
http://www.caudalie.com/us/produits/detail-produit-23-2.php
(It should say resveratrol on the active ingredient list.)
I found it on the Sephora site the other day (it said "out of stock" but now I can't find it. I think they may not have enough product to meet demand right now. Good luck!!!!! Let me know if you find a black market dealer:)
Thanks
jenny

[kia]

amazing. this is one review that will have me going ga ga in sephora. thanks for sharing!!

[KimmyDarling]

Jenny-- an update! Just got word from Caudalie:

"Thank you for your interest in CAUDALIE!

Our Lifting Serum has been repackaged to include a new name – VINEXPERT Firming Serum. It’s absolutely the same wonderful product."

Yay! That's what my Sephora had, so I bought it yesterday (after reading your review) on a hunch that they were the same!

Kimmy

[jenny]

Thanks Kimmy! That's good to know. Now I just have to find some. Under both names it's still out of stock at Sephora.com and Caudalie US. Uggh. I'm going to be wiping my face on the inside of my cut open sample pack in a couple of days. I hope you like it!
jenny