Caudalie Gentle Buffing Cream

RRP: £17 for 60ml

--What does the promo say?--
"This rich scrub eliminates impurities, dead skin cells and excess oil while stimulating cellular renewal. Your complexion’s radiance is gently restored and your skin is soft and clean. For all skin types, even the most sensitive. Contains grape-seed oil, jojoba microbeads, honey, plant cellulose, liquorice, essential oils of sweet lime and sandal wood, and extracts of coriander, limette, lemon, guaiac wood, sweet orange, vetiver, sandalwood and lavandin."

--Packaging--
A very sweet-looking white tube with the custom Caudalie silver grapes logo. Plastic, with stand-alone screw-top lid.

--Application--
The Caudalie website advises use "on cleansed face, neck and décolleté once or twice a week using gentle circular movements. Rinse with warm water."

--Scent--
A very incense-heavy scent, with the sandalwood and coriander coming through most strongly. Lovely, though, and very unusual.

--Appearance--
A slightly yellowish, off-white cream, with the exfoliating particles visible only as tiny lumps.

--Texture/consistency--
Very creamy and rich, as promised by the brief. The exfoliating particles are very gentle (again, as promised) and feel good when the exfoliator is applied to the skin and massaged in.

--Effects on skin over time--
Short-term, skin does feel smoother, but I didn't feel that this effect lasted. Equally, I also noticed no difference in my skin condition over time: the recurrence of spots was in no way improved and dry patches kept returning, indicating that even if the buffing cream can get rid of these in the immediate period during and after use, there is no element of prevention or of long-term cure.

--Value for money--
This seems to me to be quite expensive for what it is. This is a shame, as it smells divine and I so wanted it to be effective. It seems this is just another case where you shouldn't trust anything claiming to be 'for all skin types' (where, yet again, it seems that this product would be best for normal or sensitive skin). Instead, I would recommend exfoliators by either Liz Earle (hers is cheaper too at £12 for 70ml) or Lush's Ocean Salt (£11 for 250g) for keeping things natural (at least Caudalie's products are chock-full of natural stuff, right down to the exfoliating beads themselves - can never understand why companies insist on using artificial exfoliating elements or beads when there are plenty of natural ingredients that do the job just as well). However, sucker that I am, I haven't given up on Caudalie yet. Their 'get your beauty prescription' tool on their website seems accurate and informative and I can't wait to try the products that the widget recommends - the Gentle Cleanser, the Beauty Elixir (toner), the Matte Finish Fluid (moisturiser) and the Purifying Concentrate (balancing complexion serum). Maybe there's hope yet...

perfect partners
Vinopure Purifying Mask, £17.50 for 50ml
Gentle Cleanser, £14 for 200ml