Chanel has added a new boosting serum to their firming/anti-wrinkle line Le Lift in August this year. At the beginning when they launched their Le Lift V-Flash, I contemplated whether to try it or not for a week or so as I never liked their Le Lift Serum. Regardless, I decided to give their Le Lift V-Flash a try as lifting is a part of my main targeted skincare regime.
Scent & Consistency
I would say that Le Lift V-Flash Serum has a bit of alcohol smell kicking through, but it has quite an artificial fragrance like the rest of Le Lift products in general. It actually smells relatively less strong than others, but I would say that the scent is still on the overpowering side.
Texture-wise, Le Lift V-Flash is a dense light gel type serum that has a cooling sensation upon application. It actually reminds me of their Le Jour de Chanel which has a similar texture and feeling onto skin.
It goes on slightly sticky but then disappears completely and leaves a velvety smooth skin upon touch without any oily residue. I think that it has quite a fresh neat finish.
How to Use
The company suggests to use it before applying their Le Lift Serum as a boosting serum, but I've been using it just by itself as I really can't stand their Le Lift Serum >_<. So I've been using Le Lift V-Flash before their Le Lift Firming Anti-wrinkle Restorative Cream-Oil and Le Lift Masque de Massage using both of my hands with an upward motion rather than rolling and massaging in. I've also noticed that you can actually use it with other high-end Firming and Lifting products from different brands, and I've noticed that it works just as fine.
Effectiveness
The texture by itself seems to form a very fine film on the skin, and you can actually feel a tightening sensation once it's all set. It isn't uncomfortable at all, and it has a quite pleasant lifting effect. The firming effect that you will get from the Le Lift V-Flash is very similar to Roloxin Lift Instant Smoothing Mask (full review). It isn't dramatic, but it does seem to control puffiness around my face pretty well as the swelling on my face seems to go down quite quick in the morning. And when used with other firming lifting products such as Le Lift Masque de Massage and La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask, the lifting and firming effect seem to be amplified, which you can notice even just a night after. My jawline looked more defined and there has been significantly less puffiness around my face in the morning upon wake-up. However, it doesn't seem to improve even minor expression wrinkles around my forehead very well by itself.
Benefits
A powerful, ultra-light serum that delivers targeted firming and wrinkle-correcting benefits. The formula provides 12 hours of continuous lifting and firming action, while preparing skin to receive the full benefits of LE LIFT creams. Skin is visibly toned and smoothed, and the appearance of wrinkles is reduced.
Key Ingredients
After 12 years of research, Chanel scientists discovered a new approach to address individual aging concerns. Researchers isolated a remarkably potent extract from the Edulis Morning Glory and created a patented compound 50 times more concentrated than the original molecule. The resulting ingredient, 3.5-DA*, intuitively detects and targets individual factors of aging to help the product restore skin to its optimal firmness, while improving tone and suppleness. Combined with Resveratrol-12, (a powerful breakthrough anti-oxidant) and 3.5-DA, the serum helps defy the signs of aging.
*A Chanel-exclusive form of dicaffeoylquinic acid.
Full ingredients
AQUA (WATER) | GLYCERIN | ALCOHOL | PENTYLENE GLYCOL | NIACINAMIDE | DIGLYCERIN | SECALE CEREALE (RYE) SEED EXTRACT | IPOMOEA BATATAS ROOT EXTRACT | PHENOXYETHANOL | PPG-6-DECYLTETRADECETH-30 | TAPIOCA STARCH | MALTOOLIGOSYL GLUCOSIDE | DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL | HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE | PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL | TREMELLA FUCIFORMIS (MUSHROOM) EXTRACT | AGAR | SODIUM HYALURONATE | CARBOMER | XANTHAN GUM | PARFUM (FRAGRANCE) | POLYGLYCERIN-3 | ARGININE | CAMELLIA KISSI SEED OIL | ADENOSINE | TOCOPHERYL ACETATE | ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE | ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN | HYDROCHLORIC ACID | TOCOPHEROL | IL91A
Verdict
Le Lift V-Flash may seem to be quite economical at a glace compared to some other lifting products on the market. However, when you consider the fact that it only comes in 15mL, you might end up buying it more frequently if you decide to use it every day and night which turns out to be more expensive. And it's only a boosting serum, meaning if we look at it from that angle, it ends up being the world's most expensive lifting boosting serum comes in a tiny plastic bottle. And if you decide to even add Le Lift Serum on top just like how Chanel suggests, then it ends up costing even more.
- Chanel Le Lift Masque de Massage (Recontouring Massage Mask) & Le Lift Massage Tool
- Chanel Le Lift Firming Anti-Wrinkle Restorative Cream-Oil
- Chanel Le Lift Skin Recovery Sleep Mask
If you are really ready to pay for both the boosting serum and the serum, then why not get a proper more result-driven firming/lifting product from the other high-end brands? I personally believe in the less is more philosophy, and instead I recommend you get one good product for your skin if you are thinking of purchasing both Le Lift Serum and Le Lift V-Flash together as you can actually find better products on the market.
However, if you are thinking of using just one under your moisturiser, then Le Lift V-Flash by itself seems to be quite effective as a boosting serum since it almost delivers the firming effect instantly although that's pretty much about it.
Where to Buy
- Nordstrom (Free shipping & samples)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Free shipping & samples)
Recommendations
- Chanel Sublimage Masque
- Chanel Sublimage L'Extrait & L'Essence (concentrate/ oil serum)
- La Mer The Lifting Contour Serum
- IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning (First Essence Lotion)
- La Prairie Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster
- La Mer The Treatment Lotion & The Concentrate