Nuxe Paris: 5 tried and 3 true

I won a Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm in a Facebook contest, and I had wanted to try this lip balm for some time, so I was very excited to get it. Let's fast-forward to the end really quick, then I'll backtrack. This does not work for me as a lip balm. It is very thick, it is unfortunately grainy and feels waxy on the lips. Once you are able to melt the grains with the heat of your fingers, it's much better, and has a pleasant citrus-honey scent. I tried using it on my lips for a full day, and just couldn't get over the texture. Then I had the idea of trying it on my cuticles, and I have to say that as a cuticle treatment, you couldn't do better. It's also great for elbows and heels, and the jar is generously sized, so all of this is feasible. It is a wonderful skin protectant and is very emollient, and would be useful for outdoor activity or just waiting for the bus in the freezing cold (ahem). But, I like my lip balm to be smooth, and that's just not something I'm willing to compromise on. I am into the fact that there are no ingredients of animal origin (unless you count the bees), and no artificial anything here. This is a 0.5 oz jar, and it retails for $21.

I also received some samples of otherNuxe products, and I had an instant love affair with a couple of them. The sordid details follow.

The next thing I tried was Creme Fraiche 24 Hour Energizing Moisture Cream (dry to very dry skin). Now, I'll admit, I LOVE skin care products almost as much as I love perfume. In fact, skin care was really my first love. This is one of those creams that I'm going to covet heavily until I purchase a jar (you win, Nuxe!). Ingredients include vegetal milks of lupin (!), jasmine extract, pea, green tea, acacia flower, almond, soy, coconut, oat and wheat proteins, hazelnut and jojoba oils, and chamomile flower water. The fragrance is derived from essences of neroli, petitgrain, white orange rind and siberian pine needles. AND (this is the best part), it has glycolic and lactic acids, though most likely in very small quantities. This cream is rich but not greasy, super hydrating, cosmetically elegant to the nines, and smells like a dream. It comes in a whopping 2 oz jar for only $43. Brilliant.

Next up is the Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Face Cream. This one was far from comfortable, and an overall bust for me because of my sensitive skin. I'm not sure exactly what made my skin react a bit (with redness and itchiness), but this cream is intended for sensitive skin, so I would caution all of you sensitive gals and guys out there to skip this one. The texture and smell is very nice, and I wanted to like it, but after about a half an hour, my face started to feel hot and taut (the uh-oh moment). This cream also has a lot of natural ingredients, but some are different from the Creme Fraiche such as horse chestnut, honey, tomato, carrot, rosemary, imperata cylindrica root and sunflower extracts. It retails for $40 for a 1.6 oz jar.

The only product from the Reve de Miel line that I tried and really liked was the Ultra Comfortable Body Cream. It's strangely refreshing on the skin, has a wonderful botanical/honey scent and the hydration lasts quite a long time. It boasts some really good ingredients, too: hyaluronic acid, macadamia seed oil, and carrot and chestnut extracts among them. It retails for $35 for a 5 oz tube.

Our last stop is the Huile Prodigeuse Multi Use Dry Oil, which is very luxurious, and very European. You can use it on the body, face and hair, but I just tried it on my body. The texture is very thin, so I can see how this would be most useful in spray form (I had a packette to work with in this case). It has macadamia, hazel seed and sweet almond oil, and the fragrance is to die for. It smells mild and slightly sweet, and while it takes a little while to absorb into the skin, it's worth the wait. I can't remember the last time my skin felt this soft and smooth. It's $44 for a 3.4 oz bottle. I think this would make a really lovely gift.

I like (and am linking to) Skinstore.com for these products, as they have frequent 20% discounts and great customer service. They have this storewide discount happening right now, if you use the code CYBER20.
EDIT: as of 12/7/10, the 20% discount code is TINSEL 20