Caudalié Beauty Elixir - Possible Dupe

I'm not really sure when the Caudalié Beauty Elixir exploded all over the cyberspace and practically made a bloggers and youtubers go complete gaga over it... I want to say it was when the all mighty Lisa Eldridge mentioned it within her French Pharmacie recommendations.

Of course, I, too, had to experiment for myself, so I did some spritzing of it at my local Sephora.

I wasn't really impressed by it.  It seemed like any regular toner to me, and I was a bit turned off by the smell.  It was a bit medicinally herbish for me... but it smelled a little familiar.  I was never able to pinpoint what it was though - imagine all of those videos of gurus trying to describe a fragrance on youtube, haha.
R and I concluded that it may be what hippies smell like, you know, underneath the B.O. and hair (just a thought)

Yesterday, R and I lurked around Sephora for ages, and it finally hit what the Beauty Elixir reminded me of!

Not my photo

White Flower Oil!

White flower oil is an analgesic that's been used in Asia since forever.  It's made from a traditional blend of aromatic herbs such as lavender and mint, which heal headaches and minor pains made worse from poor circulation, inclement weather, or dietary habits and addictions.  You can inhale (wafting) it to help clear sinus congestion.  For headaches, you can apply it to your temples, forehead, neck or any other painful areas - avoid the eyes, sensitive tissue areas and broken skin areas.  However way you use it, a little goes a long way!!

Ingredients:  Wintergreen, Menthol, Camphor, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender.

From the website, ingredients in the Caudalié Beauty Elixir are:

INGREDIENTS : AQUA (WATER), ALCOHOL*, CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA (BITTER ORANGE) FLOWER WATER*, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE)*, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF OIL*, POTASSIUM ALUM, GLYCERIN*, MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL*, COMMIPHORA MYRRHA EXTRACT*, STYRAX BENZOIN RESIN EXTRACT*, MELISSA OFFICINALIS (BALM MINT) LEAF OIL*, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER OIL*, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT*, TOCOPHEROL*, CITRAL*, CITRONELLOL*, FARNESOL*, GERANIOL*, LIMONENE*, LINALOOL*. 

My point is the White Flower Oil is easily a much more natural dupe for the Beauty Elixir if you're not using it for the purpose of a toner.  If you're just using it because it refreshes or energizes you, then a tiny bottle of white flower oil will do the same thing for a serious fraction of the cost.

I'm definitely passing on this hype.

♥ M