Oh, J'adore Dior Capture Totale!

I just celebrated another birthday, so I thought it would be an appropriate time to invest in some good skincare. I am definitely not a stranger to anti-again products or high-end items, but forking out lots of dough has, at times, seemed like a waste.

The Capture Totale Rituele Nuit comprises of 2 different parts: (1) An anti-aging peeling toner; (2) A gel-cream format night cream. They retail for $85USD and $125USD respectively, which is certainly a bit of an investment.

One of the toner's active ingredients is salicylic acid, though I'm not sure of the percentage. It is quite exfoliatory and helps get rid of the dead skin cells that are hanging out on the surface of the skin. There are also other ingredients to help it be more gentle, so you don't feel like you are applying astringent to your face or anything, and there is absolutely no burning, and I have pretty sensitive skin It also has a pleasant, flowery scent, and comes in a shiny plastic purple bottle, which helps with the illusion of prestige. As per the drections, you are to wet 2 cotton pads and apply from the throat up to the facial contours and cheeks and then swipe across the forehead and nose. It leaves the face feeling very sightly sticky, but only for a few minutes. The bottle contains 3.4 ounces, and so far, in the month I have been using it, I have gone through about 1/5 or so of it from using it every night.

Now, for the cream. It has a unique oil-cream consistency, which means it feels quite moisturizing without being thick or heavy. The application instructions recommend using just a small amount, and warming it in between the hands before applying. For me, I use about a pea-size for my face and then another pea-size dollop for my neck/throat/decollete. This cream comes in a jar, which some may find unsaitary, but it does come with a spatula. The cream is quite lightweight, has the same pleasant scent as the toner, and absorbs quickly into the skin. I have combo skin with a very oily t-zone, and I have not had any breakouts whatsoever. I do sometimes wake up oily in the t-zone, but that happens regardless of what I use. I don't now how this will fare in the dead cold of the Northeastern winter months, but for early spring weather (which is still quite chilly), it has rich enough. I do think this 1.7 ounce jar will last quite a while, as I've had it for a month and have barely made a dent in it.

As for visble effects? I do notice that I wake up with more radiant-looking skin, and my morning skincare and foundation/powders apply more smoothly. I also notice a reduction in the blackheads on/around my nose (undoubtably the results of the salicylic acid). I can't attest to any wrinkle reduction, as I didn't have any to begin with (I am more about prevention.). I am very pleased with these 2 purchases, and I imagine that I will continue purchasing, and probably add the serum and eye cream to my routine, too. (Currently, I use a non-Dior eye cream, and do not use serum.)