Sisley Black Rose
Precious Face Oil
8/26/14

The beauty world and beauty-conscious consumers embraced and adored Sisley's Black Rose Cream Mask, so naturally their first face oil (the second product in the Black Rose line) was highly anticipated by Sisley fans around the world. With different global launch dates, I felt especially lucky to get my hands on a bottle a full month before the majority of other regions. In skincare time, that's akin to a year!

With strategically-placed beautiful yet minimal ads (teasers, really) in publications like Vogue and W, the mysterious oil was featured on popular "must have" and "favorites" pages of well respected beauty editors who'd received sample bottles ahead of the launch. The product was a huge success long before its official launch date in the U.S. alone, thanks to endless praise from highly selective beauty editors and publications revered by skincare junkies like myself. Oh, how I love a fabulous marketing campaign.

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Sisley is one of few ultra high-end skincare brands that can get away with product videos like this, offering little to no information about the product. It's the allure. The prestige. The brand history. Having religiously used the Black Rose Cream Mask overnight twice a week for over a year, I could hardly contain myself when I got my hands on the oil. They recommend using the oil once a day, day or night before other skincare treatments. I have chosen to use it at night, before Chantecaille's Retinol Intense, which is the night cream I've been using as of late. Wow, wow WOW! It has the same lovely rose scent as the mask, and quite literally feels hydrating and nourishing as I gently glide the oil over my face and neck with my fingertips. Six to seven drops is more than enough for my face, neck and décolletage. 

After one night I was sold on the intensive hydration and radiance this oil gives my skin. I'm no stranger to face oils, but I can't name one that comes close to providing the benefits I reap from using Sisley's first face oil. By providing the ultimate in hydration, it both smooths any fine lines and prevents new lines from forming. Why mask or put a Band-Aid on something that can both treat and prevent? My sensitive and reactive skin can easily make or break a product after one use. I'm often asked by readers if products are "lifting." This product doesn't make any lifting promises, nor do most face oils. If you're looking for a product that will help lift or tighten skin, I recommend seeking that benefit from a serum, which would be applied after this oil. Both La Mer and La Prairie have serums that do just that. I wouldn't recommend getting into that type of product just yet, for most of my readers. They are often incredibly expensive and unnecessary until skin starts to lose its elasticity as you near your late 40s or enter your 50s.

The promise: 

Immediately, lines are smoothed, the skin is intensely nourished, supple and soft. All day long, the skin is moisturized and comfortable, without a shiny effect. After 4 weeks, wrinkles and fine lines are visibly reduced. The skin regains its fullness, and is toned and revitalized. The complexion is radiant.

Active Ingredients: 

• Plum oil (rich in omega 6): strengthens the barrier function and brings comfort and suppleness to the skin
• Camelina oil (rich in omega 3 and 6): nourishes, soothes and preserves the skin's lipid balance
• Phytosqualane: nourishes, moisturizes and strengthens the skin's protective film
• Natural Tocopherols: help to combat free radicals
• Unsaponifiables of avocado: regenerate, repair, nourish, soothe
• Padina pavonica: stimulates synthesis of glycosaminoglycans
• Black Rose extract: moisturizes and softens
• Bulgarian Rose essential oil: tones
• Magnolia essential oil: soothes
• Geranium essential oil: purifies

My verdict? An instant favorite. Sisley proved the power of these ingredients with their overnight mask, and the fact that I can treat my skin to this every night is delightful. My Chantecaille Retinol Intense night cream goes on incredibly smoothly, the oil cuts down on the amount of cream I use and I awake with glowing, perfectly hydrated skin. Anyone with normal/dry or sensitive skin will benefit from this powerful oil. Another home run from Sisley!

Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil is $235 for an .84 oz bottle. 

Available at: Barneys, Neiman Marcus & Nordstrom. 

Sisley
Black Rose Cream Mask
8/26/13

Let's sleep on it- or with it on, in this case. I posed the question, "do you use face masks?" on Facebook a few months ago, and was shocked that so many women aren't reaping the benefits of my favorite skincare ritual. I know that time is a major factor for many people, and I'd like to share the time-saving beauty (no pun intended) of masks you can wear overnight. There are no added steps involved, since these masks are applied after cleansing and toning in lieu of a serum and a moisturizer. Sound more enticing yet?

I've had my eye on Sisley's Black Rose Cream Mask after reading an article in a July NYT Fashion & Style article about masks you can leave on overnight. It was photographed beside my beloved NARS Aqua Gel Luminous Mask, and I've been using lots of products with rose water and rose oil to calm inflammation. It basically had my name written all over it. While the Chantecaille Jasmine & Lily Healing Mask has their signature Rosewater base, it's meant to soothe and heal. This new mask by Sisley is their very first to contain anti-aging active ingredients. It brightens the complexion, revitalizes and heals, plumps up fine lines, gives the skin a surge of hydration, and makes my face absolutely radiant. And...you can SLEEP WITH IT ON! No extra time or steps involved, so no excuses! This joins the ranks of some of my all-time favorite overnight masks, shown below. 

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(clockwise from top left): Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask | NARS Aqua Gel Luminous Mask | Chantecaille Jasmine & Lily Healing Mask | Valmont Renewing Pack

I'd received a sample packet of the mask from Nordstrom, and it was enough to cover my face and neck. Given that it's Sisley and priced accordingly, this reassured me that the tube would last for at least two months with twice weekly use. Given that my skin has been inflamed and irritated as of late, I was thrilled that I had no issues which rocks since I never bother doing those patch tests. I applied the mask about an hour before heading to bed and loved the soft, creamy texture. It glided over my face and neck with ease, and was incredibly smooth and cooling. I found the light and lovely scent to be fresh and relaxing. I awoke to perfectly hydrated, luminous skin. My face had a distinct glow, and I knew it was love. Our bodies do miraculous things to heal while we sleep, making nighttime skincare both incredibly important and a good thing to do for yourself. 

The mask can be used two ways; overnight like I enjoy it, or for about 10-15 minutes for a quick boost to revitalize dull or tired skin. Ideal after a long day, before heading out for the evening. Simply apply a generous layer as you would for overnight use, but tissue (not rinse) off any remaining product. Your skin will look radiant and stay hydrated all night. And let's not forget about the anti-aging active ingredients. This is a fantastic substitute for a moisturizer on days or nights when your skin needs a pick-me-up. 

My verdict? This dual-purpose mask can revitalize the complexion and provide a surge of hydration when skin appears tired or dull. Whether you're recovering from a late night out or want to improve your skin's radiance while you sleep, Sisley has formulated their best mask yet. This mask is already a cult favorite, and is often sold out at many stores. The secret is out!

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask is $158 for a 2.1 oz. tube. 

Available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, & Saks. 

Sisley
Nutritive Lip Balm
8/16/13

I love my lip balms, and this particular balm had been on my wish list for quite some time. Its hefty price tag, much like all Sisley skincare, kept me from procuring it sooner. I lived on Dr. Hauschka Lip Balm for years, and was quite happy with it. Then I made a typical Wendy move, and ordered up. La Mer was first on my luxury lip balm list, and it was love at first minty shine. Then I moved up to By Terry Baume de Rose, and knew I'd found the one. While I've been more than happy with Baume de Rose, curiosity got the best of me and I upped the ante and snagged the Sisley Nutritive Lip Balm. 

While I love many luxury brands, I don't subscribe to the notion that the most expensive products are the best. I like what works, and what feels and smells good, regardless of price. That said, I'm somewhat obsessive about lip and eye products, because they show signs of aging in frightening ways. Ways that make me test these products for preventative measures. A couple of ill-maintained faces were like my beauty boogeymen, assuring I continue taking excellent care of my skin. 

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As you're aware if you've read my recent posts, I'm in need of extra nourishing, healing, and soothing products for my currently inflamed and irritated skin. This happens to include my lips. Sadly, my beloved Baume de Rose which usually works wonders hasn't been healing enough for my chapped and parched lips. La Mer wasn't cutting it either. Both of those balms are generally incredibly soothing and effective lip treatments. They're just not true "balms" in terms of healing and consistency, which I desperately need. 

I decided to breakdown and open the jar of Sisley Nutritive Lip Balm I'd purchased weeks ago and hadn't touched. I was surprised that it was in a plastic jar at this price point, unlike By Terry which is $12 cheaper and in a pretty, frosted glass jar. It does come with a spoon to keep the jar germ-free which I like, but even that isn't high-quality plastic. Poor packaging aside, this is the most "balm-like" in texture. Its color is naturally yellow from its ingredients, giving it a medicinal look. Hydration is provided by hazelnut, plum kernel, and sunflower oils, in addition to shea butter and kokum butter. The consistency is smooth, but takes a minute to melt onto lips. It's not as hard as I expected, but it's also not jar to lip ready. It needs time to soften once it touches the lips. After a couple of minutes, it melts right in. There's no noticeable scent so that helps the sensitivity factor. It's incredibly hydrating if not a little boring, but it gets the job done. 

My verdict? I'm very thankful for this product while I'm tackling highly irritated, inflamed skin. But I'll be going right back to By Terry Baume de Rose and La Mer as soon as my skin is back to normal. This is only worth the money if you truly need healing from things like a really bad sunburn, very chapped and cracked lips, radiation exposure, and surface burns. A total waste of money for regular daily use. 

Sisley Nutritive Lip Balm is $72 for a .03 oz jar. 

Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Neiman Marcus.