Winter Skin On My Mind: Caudalie Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face & Eyes {Beauty Review} {Beauty & Olfaction}

In this series, Winter Skin on My Mind, I will look at hydrating products that are hopefully efficacious for women, men or children. They are not necessarily the same, but looking at a jar of cream from a family perspective can yield unsuspected results like when I discovered that my tyke's German diaper cream could officially double as a face mask.

I have had winter skin on my mind since the end of the summer holidays what with the dehydration due to the sun and greater outdoor exposure. So, as soon as I was able to study the shelves of my local pharmacies I decided to give a product by Caudalie called Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face & Eyes/Masque Crème Hydratante Visage et Yeux a go.

The brand is well-known by now for its use of the antioxydant power of Bordeaux winemaking by-products such as grape rape or seeds. What is now termed vinotherapy has become a sort of sub-field of beauty treatments including spa ones.

Caudalie (koh-da-lee) is a lovely musical word in French that has an even lovelier meaning: it refers to the vintner's unit used to measure the span of time in which a flavor is felt in the mouth until it fades away. A caudalie or cdl lasts for 1 second. The longer the lingering aromatic sensation, that is the number of caudalies, the better, the more flavorful...


The family-owned brand Caudalie is steeped in the tradition of Bordeaux winemaking. It was founded in 1996 by Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas after meeting with Professor Vercauteren of the Bordeaux Pharmacy faculty who told them about the virtues of grape seeds which were then routinely discarded. Château Smith Haut Lafitte belongs to Mathilde Thomas's parents since 1990. And so rather quickly, an outlet was found for the refuse of grapes, thanks also technological advances that allowed for the stabilization of grape polyphenols or tannins. These are said to have 25 times the antioxydant power of Vitamin C.

Caudalie products also offer the particularity of having had the creation of their products' scents entrusted to renowned noses such as Anne Flipo and Olivia Giacobetti. Sampling some of their creams you can immediately feel that the fragrances are more complex than average in an effort to recapture the charm of the vineyard country but also to help make the beauty ritual a break and an escape, however brief. There is something to be said for the anti-wrinkling property of a pleasant scent. Just like a warm bath, it is relaxing. 

Caudalie Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face & Eyes presents the advantage of being easy to apply as you can put it all over the face, and neck potentially. It is gentle. One always appreciates products that can be applied in one sweep rather than having to worry for what to put or not to put in the eye area.

It is a versatile product that can be used either as a mask thickly layered or as a day cream for very dry skins when thinly layered.

What I like also about this product is that it is a mask that does not need to be washed away but simply wiped away with a tissue. A lingering trace remains on the skin and makes you feel decidely like you have bought more than a quick complexion booster.

The result is a skin that is slightly sticky and fresh-feeling and which looks more luminous. It definitely possesses many caudalies of hydration as the effect is persistent over several hours. I think it's a good start for prepping the skin for winter.

A tube is priced at $40 and 20,30€ and available at caudalie.com.