Beauty Review: Lancôme Énergie de Vie

I mentioned in an earlier post how I had been directed to the Lancôme line by a friend of mine that worked for Chanel.  Along with my sample of the Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, I also received a sample of Énergie de Vie Liquid Care.  It’s a very lightweight liquid moisturizer.  I liked it.  So now I have two Lancôme product samples that I like and a new Lancome foundation.  Hmmmm….

This made me remember a video from Pixiwoo that I saw on YouTube where Sam used products all from the same line (she used Geurlain) in an experiment to see if products within a brand worked better together than if you mixed up brands.  Her goal was increasing the longevity of her makeup application.

If you don’t know who the Pixiwoos are, they are British sisters who are makeup artists that created the Real Techniques makeup brush line and have a huge YouTube following for their makeup tutorials.  Check them out if you get a chance. Pixiwoo YouTube Channel

So I decided to bite the bullet and….

So, yeah…..that’s how that went…..

What I ended up with is the toner, liquid care moisturizer, water cream moisturizer and the sleeping mask (this was a 100 point Sephora reward but I have since splurged for the full size)

So what is Énergie de Vie?  Well, according to Lancôme-USA:

Today’s signs of fatigue could turn into tomorrow’s visible signs of aging. Lack of sleep, high stress, pollution, daily life excesses—all these environmental factors alter the appearance of the skin. Lancôme’s Énergie de Vie is a simple routine, and extremely efficacious, that works to reawaken tired, dull skin, giving you an instant glow.

It is based on Korean beauty rituals which are very trendy right now.

Here is what I have experienced:

The toner – which is called an Intense Essence or “cosmetic water” – it is not an alcohol-based toner and is far different than any other toner I’ve tried.  It has a much more soothing feel and is designed to give an added level of hydration to the skin.  You use it after cleansing and before any serums (I love the Advanced Genifique serum which I reviewed here).

It boasts the following ingredients:

• Lemon Balm – known for soothing, calming, and anti-inflammatory benefits
• Goji Berry – known to strengthen skin defenses via its antioxidant action
• Gentian – contains specific sugars shown to help energize skin
• Vitamin E- known for its antioxidant activity

I find that this product is an extra step that I often skip.  I just don’t find the effects to be as significant as some of the other products.  I do not believe I will repurchase this product.

After the toner/cosmetic water I use the Advanced Genifique serum and then continue on with the Liquid Care moisturizer.  This is an antioxidant lotion that is said to combine the effects and feel of a serum, a lotion and a cosmetic water.  The feel is really nice and I do find that my skin responds to it well.  This is the sample that I had and the main reason I was led to the Energie de Vie line in the first place.  The only issue (such a strong word) is that is does tend to feel a bit tacky on the skin after it dries.  It doesn’t bother me….much….but it is obviously enough that I mention it here.  Each bottle contains at least 30 leaves of Lemon Balm and 250mg of Goji Berry. I use this product twice a day and I really love it.  It is definitely in my “ride-or-die” product listing for skincare.

I also decided that my super dry skin would benefit from the water-infused moisturizer so I picked up the Day Cream as well.  It is described as:

An energizing water-infused moisturizing cream that leaves the skin feeling nourished and looking revitalized for an instant dewy glow. This fresh texture, which delivers a cooling effect upon application, significantly increases skin moisture and hydration beyond 24 hours.

I find that I don’t reach for this very often because I feel the Liquid Care gives me the moisture I need to last through the day.  Especially if I use the night mask…..

The sleep mask is one of my favorite discoveries in this line.  It promises a cooling effect packed full of antioxidants that will have your skin glowing by morning.  Big promises but I find this product delivers!  I notice my skin feels smoother and – dare I say – younger by morning.  And I know it is a horrible habit, but I just want to touch my face when I wake up because my skin feels so much better than it did the night before.  This is a “must have” for me now.

So that wraps up my review of this line. And to just throw in my two cents regarding what Sam at Pixiwoo was trying to prove/disprove…..I think that having a skin care routine from the same line seems to make good sense.  I do supplement with exfoliators and masks during the week that are from other brands but all-in-all I have found that my skin is thriving and my foundation (also from Lancôme) does tend to stay on a bit better.

Let me know if you think staying “brand loyal” is good for your skin or if you think mixing it up is the best way to approach skin care.