Chantecaille Vital Essence, My Cashmere Sweater Serum

Now I do feel it necessary to qualify that I do not own a cashmere sweater, but I'm sure you understand the analogy.  This is my go-to serum.  It feels amazing, soothing, hydrating, everything those of us with sensitive skin yearn for.

The basic elements of this serum is rosewater, seaweed and vitamin C.  The vitamin C is what you can see snaking its way through the clear serum in a new bottle.  The one shown above is the Vital Essence with addition of Arbutin, which has a slightly different bottle.  The serum also contains ingredients that draw moisture to the skin, that brighten, improve skin tone and elasticity and lessen fine lines.  Perhaps my favorite addition is Aloe Vera, which heals and reduces inflammation.  For those who don't know, I have very sensitive skin that is prone to redness and a burning sensation if it touches something it doesn't like.

The version containing Arbutin is supposed to, according to Cari, my Chantecaille artist, protect hyperpigmentation areas and keep them from becoming darker in the sun.  I have tried both versions and, I must say, that I do not think the Arbutin version is worth the extra $8.  I didn't notice much of a difference.  Although, I probably wouldn't really notice if my hyperpigmentation (in the form of acne scarring) was not getting darker.  I just notice it is still present.

This is one pump.  The milky coloring can be attributed to the vitamin C.  I usually use two pumps and smooth it all over my face right after cleansing.  It spreads very easily and calms any irritation from washing my face.  The texture is not liquidy in a runny sense but feel somewhat liquidy or gel-like in application.  It sinks in quickly and leaves my face looking brightened.  I have noticed that from continued use, my face is more hydrated, produces less sebum and has an overall brighter appearance.  I don't have any wrinkles (nope, none at all) yet, so I cannot comment on it's fine line fighting capabilities (and I am not willing to let me boyfriend try it just for the purposes of reviewing.  Plus, he wouldn't use it regularly enough to show any results anyways.)

Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone really (except anyone who must avoid soy or estrogen because it does contain soy and estrogen derivatives).  At $106, which is an $8 price increase from when I first purchased it, is quite pricey, but I still think it is worth every penny.

This product can be purchased at Neiman Marcus

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