La Prairie’s latest products. Image writer’s own.
A few weeks ago I was invited to the launch of La Prairie‘s newest products which were celebrated with a divine lunch at Soul Bar with a view of Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. The lovely La Prairie experts from the brand’s Australian headquarters flew over to introduce their latest offerings to a captivated audience of beauty editors in a relaxed and sociable setting. Between three delicious courses we learned about the fascinating science and technology behind the La Prairie’s luxurious products and what makes them worth the price tag to those who are serious about investing in their skin.
Three of the brand’s clever new products were gifted to each attendee on departure, by which point we had sampled each one on the backs of our hands and I was eager to try them for real on my face. The instructions were simple but exciting, to try each one for 14 days and report back with the results, so here are mine:
Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster ($430) and Line Interception Power Duo – Day Cream and Night Cream ($490)
As a 37 year old woman I like to think I have nice skin, I’m quite fair and have been careful with wearing sunscreen, using good moisturiser and staying well-hydrated over the years. My mother first introduced me to the idea of a beauty routine when I was 12 and my first cleanser, toner and moisturiser quickly became part of my daily routine and I enjoyed the adult aspect of taking responsibility for my skin. Fast forward to now and as much as I still regularly use beauty products I’m perhaps not quite as religious with them as I should be and my skin is prone to being a bit dry and not always looking its best.
The promise of these two products, Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster (which was launched in 2015) and Line Interception Power Duo – Day Cream and Night Cream (launched this year), is that your skin will look younger and firmer after 14 days. While I’m not all that concerned about looking younger at the moment and am all for aging gracefully, I’m curious to know if my skin will look fresher and less tired and if anyone else will notice the difference.
The Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster is designed to be used after cleansing and before moisturising as it’s a pinky serum that you’re meant to apply and let dry before you moisturise. The product uses neuropeptides to plump your skin and a herbal brightening complex to even out your skin tone. I have to admit I love the scent of the Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster (and the moisturiser too), it reminds me of beauty products I tried and loved in Paris years ago and was a good way to start. The serum is light and was quickly absorbed into my skin, I couldn’t resist running my fingers across my cheeks a couple of moments later and was surprised how smooth the texture of them was already.
Next up, I applied the day cream from the Line Interception Power Duo which is in a clever bottle that dispenses both the day and night creams for easy use. The day cream was the perfect weight for daytime use with an inbuilt SPF30 sunscreen that is important in this part of the world. It absorbed well into my skin leaving a soft, velvety feel that made me want to keep touching my face because it felt so nice.
That evening I applied the Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster again (and marvelled at the charming scent again) and then the night cream from the Line Interception Power Duo. The night cream was as rich as I was hoping it was going to be, as I prefer a reasonably heavy moisturiser for evening and the texture and the weight of this one was perfect for me. The creams are designed to complement each other with the day cream protecting and hydrating your skin while the night cream repairs and renews your skin, stimulating the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid for a fresh-faced you.
I immediately noticed a difference in the softness and texture of my skin with that supple feeling staying all day and into the evening. Although hoping for the skin of a newborn isn’t exactly realistic after 14 days, I was pleasantly surprised that at the end of two weeks my face definitely looked fresher and amazingly the lines on my forehead were without a doubt a little softer (Note: this product isn’t an eye cream so I didn’t apply it too closely under my eyes.) After several comments from friends that I have a glow about me I was keen to spend the next two weeks trying my next La Prairie product.
White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion ($725)
Another of La Prairie’s new releases is the White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion which was what I got to apply for the next 14 days. This product is a clever elixir designed to make your skin more radiant by reducing redness and the appearance of dark spots, the effect being that it evens out your skin tone. Each little pearl (and we all know you can’t go wrong with pearls) contains some amazing ingredients, from a luxurious golden caviar extract to an oil-soluble form of Vitamin C and Diglucosyl Gallic Acid (DGA) which combine to illuminate your skin.
When you press down on the pump it crushes one of the little pearls, releasing their goodness and activating the ingredients for you to use. The scent was light and fresh and the product was absorbed quickly and easily into my skin on application. Each pearl has just the right amount for you to properly cover your face but make sure you use it before you moisturise as it’s designed to be a serum.
As my face has light acne-scarring, can be prone to redness and sometimes looks a bit dull I was interested to see what the difference would be with this one. On the first day I felt that my skin looked brighter but by 14 days there was a definite dewy effect and the scarring that I’m not so fond of was less obvious. The result was a well-rested looking face (despite busy deadlines) that looked healthy and fresh.
After 4 weeks of La Prairie’s amazing products working their magic my skin now looks the best it has in a long time. To say I’m happy with the results would be a huge understatement as I’m in awe of how much these products have changed my skin for the better. If you’re after skincare that really works and are prepared to pay for it La Prairie’s latest releases are definitely worth it.