Reviewed by Reader on September 11, 2015

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by Alexa Calllaghan

When asked if I would be willing to review a new (to the shop) product, I was unfamiliar with the Cornelia line of cosmetics. No big surprise there as every one of the products I have purchased from the TIA site was previously unknown to me. The first thing I did was, of course, to go online to research the company and learn more about Cornelia Lumina Gold Spontaneous Smoothing Serum ($98). I was able to ascertain little. I discovered that there are distributors who curate and sell Cornelia to spas, high-end hotels and retail stores. They offer a wide range of products for face, décolleté, body and hair which are distributed internationally. The point being if it is good enough for high end hotels and spas it should be a good product.

When I visited their website I learned that they offer three lines: Cornelia Signature, Cornelia Works and Cornelia Lumina. The product I was given is from the latter. I got more info from the tiny flyer in the box than I did online. The heading is “Introducing Jewelry for Skin.” This is not just a clever marketing blurb. Each of the five products in the Lumina line have precious stones or gold in their formula. They each target specific “areas of concern.” I will be reviewing the Gold. My initial reaction was a positive one.

The packaging and its contents are quite chic. The box is cleverly evocative of jewelry gift boxes. The bottle, nesting on a satin-like white insert, has a gold lid. A milk glass looking interior container appears to float inside clear glass.

The feel of the serum is as luxurious as the container design. Upon application, it is quite smooth. A big plus for me is that it absorbs quickly, but not before I am able to spread it. For the first time ever, two full pumps is all I need to cover my face, throat and décolleté. The tactile experience is lavish, leaving my skin feeling silky. Sunscreen and makeup glide on smoothly. The scent is lovely but does not linger.

I have tried many of the promising new products that have received positive reviews on the TIA website. This includes the heavy hitters: E’shee, Your Best Face, Medik8 Firewall, MitoQ and Medik8 Growth Factor.  

Although I have marionette lines and elevens, my biggest concern is not my wrinkles, but the sagging skin under my chin.  Up until now, my best result has been with combining ultrasonic and light treatment about 3 times a week. My routine is daily ultrasonic cleansing, YBF Prep once or twice a week. Once a week on different evenings, I apply Your Best Face Private Reserve Antioxidant Oil, a royal honey masque, Arcona mask or Arcona Cleansing Pads. I rotate cleansers using different ones in the shower with my Clarisonic and at the sink. I also rotate facial serums. Before the trial I was applying MitoQ for AM and Medik8 for PM. When I started using this Cornelia serum, I smoothed it on both AM and PM.

Not for lack of trying, I have come to realize that the best I can hope for is slowing the progression of signs of aging. The products I have used consistently are AQ Eye Serum, (under the eyes), E’shee Gene Therapy For Eyes (on the eyelids and above the eyes) and Your Best Face Define (for lips). My morning serum has been MitoQ and I was currently using Medik8 Growth Factor most evenings. (Except when using the once a week dose of YBF facial oil.) I recognize that each product has its strengths, hence the number of products in my arsenal. When I began the trial of Cornelia Gold Spontaneous Soothing Serum, I applied it as both my AM and PM serum.

Cornelia states it uses “nontoxic, natural ingredients”: Dimethicone (to make it easily spreadable and give a protective barrier on the skin.  It can fill in the fine lines and wrinkles on the face), Cyclopentasiloxane (an additional lubricant, which adds a protective barrier, fills fine wrinkles and temporarily plumps skin), Polymethylsilsequioxane (yet another lubricant). 

The majority of ingredients explain why the Gold is so easily spreadable and feels silky as it glides over the skin. The filling of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as the temporary plumpness, are cosmetic. The preservative antimicrobial agents are understandably necessary. However, the gem here is the sodium hyaluronate, holding 1,000 times its weight in water and filling in the connective fibers.

I enjoyed using the product. I would recommend it to someone with younger skin whose primary concerns are fine lines and wrinkles and moisturizing. However, I feel that my 60-ish skin needs products that do more to boost collagen growth and increase elasticity in my sagging skin.