Chantecaille has been known for their luxurious skin care especially for those with sensitive skin. And here I am today to share their two beautiful moisturisers perfect for post-summer / autumn! :)
Chantecaille Flower Harmonizing Cream
I must say, Flower Harmonizing Cream is very versatile. It's a great base to mix with face oil or even with a liquid foundation to use as a tinted moisturiser, which I enjoy especially during cold seasons. But hey, you can also put a hydrating serum underneath if you want. During the daytime, I like to add a few drops of John Masters Organics Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil (full review) for fool-proof intensive comforting and hydrating benefits. And I follow up with May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon (full review) for nighttime rejuvenation. Of course, during warmer seasons, you don't need to add any of those, but just using a small amount of Flower Harmonizing Cream will be more than sufficient :).
Scent & Texture
Flower Harmonizing Cream is 94% natural, so I was quite skeptical about the penetration of the cream initially when I first came across it a few years ago in Australia.
However, let me tell you, Flower Harmonizing Cream spreads very easily and penetrates into skin quite deep and fast. A small amount goes a long way, so a jar should last quite long.
The scent though might not the best if you are used to those luxury skincare brands. The cream certainly isn't fragranced, and the natural scent isn't particularly good or bad. It doesn't smell like an essential oil, so I think that even those who are pregnant would enjoy it too :).
Benefits
A unique and rich assortment of essential oils, botanicals, seaweed and vitamins nourishes and sooths skin promoting a more youthful looking complexion. This wonderfully complete moisturizing cream helps prevent loss of moisture cocooning skin against everyday stress.
- Saccharide Isomerate acts like a water magnet helping minimize dryness*
- Energizing Microalga re-energizes and softens the look of rough and uneven skin tone for a more luminous and youthful glow *
- Black Currant is rich in anti-oxidant components
- Edelweiss Extract, a wild mountain blossom, is a powerful antioxidant and is allotted soothing properties*
- Beech Shoot Extract helps moisturize skin promoting a more elastic and youthful appearance*
*Tests performed on ingredient
Full Ingredients
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aqua/water/eau, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco-caprylate/caprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Peg-8, Peg-40 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Squalane, Saccharide Isomerate, C12-20 Acid Peg-8 Ester, Isopropyl Myristate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Farnesol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alcohol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Algae Extract, Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Wax, Narcissus Poeticus Flower Wax, Sodium Polyacrylate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Tocopherol, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Bht, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid [citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool]
Hydration
Flower Harmonizing Cream provides long-lasting hydration pretty much equivalent to Sisley's Moisturizer with Cucumber (full review). If you found Moisturizer with Cucumber a bit too light, but La Mer The Moisturizing Cream (full review) and La Prairie Cellular Time Release Moisturizer Intensive (full review) quite rich, then you should try out Chantecaille Flower Harmonizing Cream! It's almost as effective and the texture on your skin is just right in between those high-end hydrating moisturisers. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it for oilier skin types as it pretty much focuses on soothing and hydrating skin.
Versatility
The best part is that Flower Harmonizing Cream is also layerable, so you can customise how much hydration you want depending on how your skin feels at the time. This is how I do it. I start with a tiny amount, and press it into my skin to make sure that it's fully absorbed before putting another layer on top. When you do so, don't forget around the corners of your mouth and the delicate eye area.
Yes, Flower Harmonizing Cream is safe to use around the eyes, which comes very convenient when travelling as you just need one product. I have to say that it does hydrates eye area very nicely without irritating my eyes. It's nowhere as hydrating as La Prairie Cellular Eye Contour Cream (full reivew) or La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream (full review), but it still works great for dry, sensitive and dehydrated skin as it's buildable. I've also noticed that my extremely dry sensitive lips stays quenched longer when I use my lip balm on top of Flower Harmonizing Cream :3. Yes, I quite like that XD.
Whether your skin has been aggravated from the heater, A/C, sun or even pollution, the cream is very gentle and soothing enough to help with your skin recovery. I wouldn't say that the speed of recovery is as fast as their Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask (full review) or even Sisley Sunleÿa Age Minimizing After-sun Care (full review) though.
Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion
For some reason, I never had a chance to buy the full size product as all those sales associates keep putting a deluxe size sample of Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion into the shopping bag whenever I make a purchase O_O. I guess that means either it's the most popular in the range or they just have lots of samples on hand. LOL. Trust me, my skin doesn't look sensitive at all, so I'm pretty sure that's not why they include the emulsion sample all the time :P. Regardless, no complaints here as I've been enjoying using them during summer :D. Indeed, it has quickly become a old ritual over the past few years. Save samples for the coming summer - Consume All - Repeat.
Scent
The scent is a bit of a twist. Unlike its name "healing", personally it doesn't smell that "healing" at all. There's no particularly artificial scent, which is nice and good for skin. However, it kind of smells like old socks -_-. Certainly it isn't something that I would expect from Chantecaille :/ cough cough. Well, it isn't too bad, it's just not pleasantly scented, that's all. You won't actually notice the scent much when you get used to it. The good thing is that there's no such lingering scent after putting it on, which is why I don't mind using it :).
Texture
As an emulsion, Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion is rather in a bit thick in consistency. Frankly, it feels more like light cream on the skin.
It spreads very easily and gives a pretty similar finish to their Flower Harmonizing Cream - dewy glowy look.
Just like their Flower Harmonizing Cream, Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion is a warmer season moisturiser underneath make-up and sunscreens. They go on very smooth on top without peeling and gives a healthy glowy finish.
Full Ingredients
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aqua/water/eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether, C12-20 Acid Peg-8 Ester, Coco-caprylate/caprate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharide Isomerate, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Powder, Lecithin, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Cyperus Rotundus Root Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Xanthium Sibiricum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Jasminum Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Wax, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Narcissus Poeticus Flower Wax, Peg-8, Sodium Benzoate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Ascorbic Acid [citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Farnesol]
Benefits
The Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion is infused with calming and hydrating botanicals to help sooth skin and diminish visible redness. Powerful ingredients instantly soothe and care for skin, helping it appear more radiant and balanced.
- Magnolia Youth Complex contains two potent soothing extracts from the bark of the Magnolia tree (Magnolol and Honokiol) to help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles and improve visible redness *
- CelluSoothe TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is a blend of Japanese Honeysuckle, Siberian Cocklebur Fruit and Purple Nutsedge with soothing and antioxidant properties to improve visible redness and moisturize skin*
- White Lily Bulb helps soften and moisturize skin
*Tests performed on ingredient.
Overall, Flower Harmonizing Cream and Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion are great value for what you get. If you are a skincare minimalist or want to do a skincare detox, you might want to consider trying out the cream :). If you also live or work in a polluted area or in a city, and want to give your skin a bit of break from all those environmental stresses, this cream and/or emulsion can be a great option too.
Effectiveness
However, I would say that Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion feels a bit more neat on the skin once it's fully absorbed. It hydrates skin a bit less than the cream, and hydration longevity is also much shorter than the cream. It works great on sun exposed skin too, but if your skin gets very dehydrated, then you will probably like the cream better. For this reason, I feel that the emulsion is designed for dehydrated combination / normal / sensitive skin types.
Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion is also 94% natural, which seems to be kind to skin, seeing from my man's skin. He has very thin pale eczema prone sensitive dehydrated skin, and he actually quite liked the emulsion more than the cream. According to him, they both work nice and calming equally, but he just prefers neat finish :P. Oh well, there you go, that's his preference :). Regardless, we both haven't been getting any sunburn this year, so we would say it works!
Although it doesn't say that it's okay to use around eye area, I've been dabbing some around my eye area >_<. Naughty me! :P I know, but it has been working great without making my eyes all watery XD. Surprisingly, it has been serving me very well as an eye make-up base! It doesn't make my eyelids too oily, which tends to be one of the problems that I face in summer.
Where to buy
- Nordstrom
(Free shipping & samples)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Free shipping & samples)
Recommendations
- Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil (Dry/ Sensitive/ Eczema Skin)
- Chantecaille Vital Essence (Hydrating serum)
- Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask
- Sisley Sunleÿa Age Minimizing After-sun Care
- High-end Hydrating Moisturisers (Guerlain vs La Mer vs La Prairie vs Sisley)
- Luxury Skincare Guide (La Mer VS La Prairie VS Swiss Perfection VS Sisley)
