Taking it up a notch: Aftelier Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir

Facial oils are a particularly delicious sort of treat for me to use, and I have oils for every occasion and whim. I adore all kinds, including those made with a combination of luxurious natural fragrance and skin-loving non-fragrant oils. There is room in my life for all of them, and I'd like to share my current favorite with you, Aftelier Perfumes Honeysuckle Face Elixir.

Ingredients: Honeysuckle absolute from Italy with rice bran, sweet almond, apricot kernel, camellia, grapeseed, squalene (vegetable-derived) and rosehip seed oils

I like to use Aftelier Perfumes Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir (15ml, $65) a couple of nights a week, and especially on the weekend. It's got special spa duty around here--when I create custom beauty treatments with raw ingredients such as coconut oil or if I want to soup up my facial masques, I use a couple of drops of this brilliant oil. Also, sometimes I like to mix two drops into my nightly cleanser, massage into my face and remove it with an organic cotton muslin cloth. A little bit of well-formulated face oil with natural absolutes can transform your favorite skin care products, making them even more effective and totally soul-satisfying. If you're new to facial oils or if it's a subject you're well-educated on, Aftelier should be your first stop if it hasn't been already. This is the first time I can ever recall smelling real honeysuckle outside of the actual bush, and it's a real treat. Mandy has used her sourcing and alchemical genius to take true luxury up another notch. Less floral and more ripe melon-like fruit, it deserves to be showcased the way it has been in this face elixir. It's unusual, tender and very sultry.

Also consider Mandy's other face elixirs: they are all formulated similarly (aka brilliantly), but which one you should choose really just depends on your preference with fragrances. Also on the roster currently are Ylang Ylang and Rose blends. I personally use the Ylang Ylang most frequently because it has a particularly soporific effect on me that sends me off to dreamland on the fluffiest cloud you can imagine. It's a pastel peach-hued cloud, if you're wondering. If you're looking for an aromatherapeutic facial treatment oil that is all-natural, light as a feather and is versatile enough to customize your other skin care products, Aftelier's Face Elixirs are certainly not your only choice, but in my opinion, they're the best.

Screw-cap sample vials are also available for $6 each.

(sample provided by Aftelier for my consideration)