Sparkled Beauty

At the beginning of the month, Vichy Neovadiol Magistral Elixir arrived at SB HQ and created quite some buzz right front and center.

The first buzz was that it is Vichy (a brand I have good luck with) and it is an oil for the face (a type of product I am very interested in at the moment)!  

Magistral Elixir is a reconstructing anti-aging concentrated oil with 10% Omega 3-6-9 for a firmer and smoother, luminous skin. Uh huh!

The second buzz was interestingly its targeted clientele - women in menopause or post-menopause! I am not there yet, but this is not the first time I tried a product outside my age range, so why not? Prevention is key, lol.

If your skin is heading toward the fragile state of tissue substance loss due to hormonal slowdown/ aging, it is time to start looking into something like this.

The third buzz are the oils in this bottle:
- Safflower seed oil: rich in omega 6 (72 - 80%, twice as much as argan oil) and omega 9, nourishing and softening
- Rice bran oil: high doses of omega 3, 6 and 9 (40 - 52%) and Gamma-oryzanol, a super antioxidant (4 times more than vitamin E)
- Shea butter: rich in omega 6 and 9 (42 - 51%) with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.

It definitely feels like an oil, coming out of the dropper, but turns into a satin finish with a subtle glow once I rub it in. It is not greasy on the face and does not take long to dry. The scent is light and luxurious, like most Vichy products.

Check out this beauty! The glass bottle is classy, the amber colour looks so good and the dropper is ideal in dealing with oils.

The last buzz is how to use it:
- As a serum: One drop for the whole face before  moisturizer. I have other serums to use and save this oil for better uses (below).
- As a balm: 2 drops mixed in a day/ night cream. The moisturizer turns into a thicker balm and offers deeper nourishment, like a luxurious spa treatment. I normally do this at night.
- As a mask: 6 to 8 drops all over the face. The brand suggests to wipe off the excess after 10 minutes but I head to bed with it and only wash off whatever is left in the morning. My face feels smooth and plump, like baby skin.

Ingredients: Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrespermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower Seed) Oil, BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), Tocopherol, Capsicum Annuum (Fruit) Extract, Fragrance, F.I.L. B160931/2.

The oil is paraben free, suitable for sensitive skin, $58 for 30ml. Definitely an investment, but I appreciate the extra benefits it gives. If you are in your 20's or early 30's, you might not need Magistral Elixir just yet, but keep it in mind when the time comes :)