Review: Caudalie Divine Oil

Divine Oil's thick glass bottle has solid weight to it
and can withstand drops on a soft, carpeted surface.

By December 2017, I had been hunting for a body oil for some time. My skin was in dire need of something moisturizing and if it the oil was multipurpose, then a higher price point was justifiable—plus, Christmas had just passed and I had some spending money to treat myself with.

I hunted at Ulta and Sephora until I found something that piqued my interest: Divine Oil by Caudalie, a high-end French skincare brand that utilizes grapes from their vineyard to boost antiaging and other restorative properties in their products. (They are also part of 1% For The Planet, in which members contribute one-percent or more of their sales towards environmental causes!) I already knew of Caudalie through Sephora's free samples and was always pleased to test out their products. All their products smell heavenly and if I couldn't purchase them, I may as well indulge whenever I visit Sephora.

Seeing the beautiful golden bottle on the shelves with its cylindrical wooden cap, of course, I had to try it. One whiff and I was taken. You can't imagine how luxurious this smells! Divine is just the word that describes this scent. As a dry oil, it absorbs exceptionally fast. And this oil can be used in several ways: etched across the front, it declares, "Body, Face, Hair" below the product name.

The price point is normally quite high for me at $49.00 USD. But... since it was a luxury brand; I had a bit of holiday gift money to splurge on, and it was a multipurpose oil; I went for it.

Disappointingly, I found out that it was not compatible with my face. Perhaps one or more oils in the 4-oil blend, the fragrance, or a combination, my face broke out when I tested this. Just recently I saw on the Caudalie's product page that it's no longer advertised for face use:

This multi-use, luxurious dry oil moisturizes, nourishes and enhances thanks to its unique formula made with exceptional blend of oils (grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan) combined with our patented anti-oxidant Polyphenols. It envelops the skin with a subtle, floral and sun-kissed fragrance, with woody notes.

Use it on the body, hair, nails, in the bath or as a massage oil.

Presumably, their new bottles do not advertise
"Body, Face, Hair" beneath the product name

Despite being unable to use on my face, I was very pleased how this moisturized my hair without leaving a greasy feeling. I also think the spray applicator is super convenient, although it sprayed in a concentrated stream half of the time (as opposed to a fine mist). This also makes you feel so sexy if you get someone to use this during a massage! Hehe~!

Notably, this doesn't seem as moisturizing as a proper lotion. After showers I'd only use Caudalie's Divine Oil if I was rushed, otherwise, I'd reach for something creamier if I had the time to moisturize.

I rarely have empties for any product unless they are an absolute favorite. This Divine Oil didn't hit all the marks for me, so I didn't use this every single day... But since this product smelled so good and was adequately moisturizing, I would use this product before bed when my skin felt parched or if I wanted to be perfumed by its scent. There were weeks when I stopped using this product (when I try out new products, such as my Sephora PLAY! Beauty Box subscription). I managed to finish the 100ml bottle within 10 months of purchasing.

4 out of 5 stars

The brand Caudalie is a very chic brand, but with its very chic pricing I can't help but think that the spray should function properly each time for a product priced as the Divine Oil. Otherwise, the alluringly beautiful glass packaging houses a marvelously perfumed dry oil that's fast-absorbing yet still skin-quenching with its 4-oil and polyphenol blend. I can't say that I'll purchase this again because this was discontinued at Sephora and the market now has several dry body oil options which I'd like to try out (and there's also to option of creating my own body oil). Overall, Caudalie's Divine Oil was one of the nicer products I owned while I had it and I enjoyed it thoroughly each time I applied it to my skin and hair. 

Thank you for reading! ✥ Have you ever tried a 'dry oil' before? Let me know what you think and if you have suggestions of other products for me to try in the comments below.

You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney

This spotlight features the book based off of David McRaney's blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart. Sparked by our own conversations of politics, mental health, human rationality and interaction, I was recommended this book by a friend from Sociology class.

You are Not So Smart is a book about the human psyche, and it is so intriguing. Each chapter begins with a different psychological or biological Misconception and the actual Truth that often disagrees and/or is much more complex than the Misconception. It is a snippet of summarization before you dive deeper into the topic.

David McRaney's analogies and dry humor make psychological theories easy for the average person to understand. It draws a direct relation to the reader as if you and McRaney are sitting down for coffee, with him explaining how our brain evaluates risks vs. rewards and why we aren't actually close with all of our Facebook friends.

Like a casual conversation, McRaney provides great information on dozens of subjects but it isn't the same as attending a lecture in college or reading academic articles on each individual matter. You Are Not So Smart won't earn you a degree. It does make you a little more knowledgeable of things you previously didn't know.

This book isn't meant to be read in one sitting. You most certainly can, but this may trigger the first stages of an existential crisis. I keep this in the bathroom for those longer potty breaks or whenever I slather on a time-consuming face mask. Most chapters are not very long and I can breeze through two-three chapters before I need to set it down, process what I just read, and think about how much these concepts factor into my life. Still, this book keeps drawing you in because you're ultimately learning more about yourself.

A dear friend gifted me her paperback copy after she was done reading it. Seeing the highlighted paragraphs and post-its gave me insight on the topics which stood out to her. I particularly loved this chapter about Groupthink she highlighted.

The quote below about self-fulfilling prophecy stood out to me:

When you fear you will confirm a negative stereotype, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy not because the stereotype is true, but because you can't stop worrying that you could become an example proving it. 

This self-fulfilling prophecy, being only a matter of perception, can be easily sublimated. 

Another study by Steele measured the math abilities of men versus women. When the questions were easy, the women and men performed the same. When they were difficult, the women's scores plummeted lower than did those of their male peers. When they ran the tests again with new participants, but this time before handing out the problems told the subjects that men and women tended to perform equally on the exam, the scores leveled out. The women performed just as well as did the men. The power of the stereotype--women are bad at math--was nullified.

As McRaney says at the end of the chapter, "The things you think are true will become reality if given enough time to fester" (235). This reminded me of the activity called positive affirmations. Learning about the self-fulfilling prophecy helped me understand the importance of rejecting the stereotypes that others may label me with, because I may otherwise succumb to them if I'm unwise to it. By ingraining into myself positive sentences like "I am smart," "I am strong," and "I am resilient," not only do I combat negative stereotypes but also reinforce positive thoughts so I may subconsciously act more self-assured and confident. 

In all, You Are Not So Smart is a fun and informative read. David McRaney's explanations are peppered in with humbling jabs at the average person's decisions, as well as reassuring reminders to combat it before they are made. However much he tries to lighten the subject, as one of the millions of subjects he's talking about I can't help but clutch my heart when he hits too close to home. You may want to step away between some paragraphs and reflect inward before continuing reading. Even so, this book demystifies psychological and scientific theories into understandable concepts that anyone can comprehend.

I highly recommend this book if you're curious or bewildered about why you act how you do; just know that you are most definitely guilty of many of these acts as I am! Thankfully, after reading this I can actually address the things that I do and (hopefully) make the best decisions possible.

Available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle eBook, or Audible versions.

Thank you so much for reading! Do you like to read about psychology? This semester, I'm taking a Positive Psychology course, and it is so interesting and useful in my personal life. As always, if you have any book recommendations to share please leave them in the comments below!

(via Pinterest/readmill.com)

Goodbye, Mori Kei

Since I haven't touched my mori tumblr blog in well over two years—or even worn a coord—I thought to write out a goodbye to signal parting with this beloved fashion style.

I keep Mori Kei's concepts in my heart, as I still adore the natural world and am even pursuing a career in preserving it in some way (my major is Environmental Studies)... However the fashion, which is filled with lots of layering among other things, has not suited me for quite some time.

I am trying to revive this blog, and it would be a disservice to not warn anyone following who hope for more mori-oriented posts. Thus, before I begin posting about so many other things, I write here to say farewell to a fashion that reflected my love of the environment in every stitch of its fabric.

I’d like to say how wonderful the community is and how much it’s affected my sense of identity. I am forever grateful to this lovely international group that is so kind, supportive, and wholesome.

With love and gratitude,

Trista

Are you interested in buying my gently-used mori clothing?

I plan to begin selling extra clothing I have laying around on my eBay store. Follow my store and check back often for listings! Alternatively, you can post in the comments on specific clothing you are looking to purchase. I will ensure to notify you if I have matching items and before I list any of them. I will also advertise items for sale on the International Mori Flea Market Facebook group.