LUXURY SKINCARE: HOLIDAY PAMPERING

When it comes to skincare in North America, speed is the name of the game. Most women want to be able to cleanse, tone and moisturize in five minutes or less – hence the growth of two-in-one products that cut out a step and shave off precious minutes in the process. But perhaps in all this rushing, we’re missing out on something. For decades, Parisian women have approached skincare in a vastly different manner than their North American peers. The luxury skincare regime, morning and night, is a cherished break from the day to de-stress and pamper themselves with the most luxurious skin creams and serums. When that bathroom door closes, husbands and children dare not interrupt this private time.

But just what makes a luxury face cream a truly pampering experience? It begins with cutting edge technology. “A prestige cream like our Time Arrest Crème with Age Reversing Platinum Technology contains a highly effective nano-particle Platinum delivery system that carries active ingredients into the deepest layers of the epidermis, directly targeting problem areas,” says Dr. Frederic Brandt. The higher price allows chemists like Dr. Brandt the ability to use more expensive technology and higher grade ingredients. “First and foremost, it has to deliver great results.”

Face creams, like fine wine, vary wildly in the quality of ingredients. That’s a big reason for the price gap between mass and prestige products. Prestige beauty companies will handpick the finest ingredients for their top-of-the-line products. Pierre Darphin was one of the first skincare entrepreneurs to adopt this approach in 1958 when opened one of the first beauty institutes in Paris that treated the entire body. He refused to compromise on the quality of essential oils in his Aromatic Care formulas.

But results aren’t the only reason to use luxury creams. It’s as much about the pleasure you get from using the cream as it is solving skincare problems. “We spend months and months perfecting the texture of a formula so that it glides on the skin,” says Chanel’s Christelle Lasserre. “It can’t be sticky or too thick. It’s the most difficult part of formulating a cream.” She says the best way to get the most from your luxury cream is to take your time and really enjoy the products. Gently massage the products on the skin and inhale the scent. “Even the colour has to be just right. I want it to be so attractive, you want to eat it,” she laughs.

Thierry Wasser, inhouse perfumer at Guerlain agrees. He spends hours blending just the right notes of rose to lightly scent every one of the company’s skincare products. “I am constantly updating the rose scent to keep it modern and fresh. It can’t overpower a product. But it must be strong enough to romance the user. Skincare is as much about dreams as fragrance is,” he says on a rare visit to Toronto. “I even carefully colour each product. The colour must reflect the purpose. For hydrating, a cream should be light blue. Lifting or energizing creams are tinted soft orange. And anti-aging should be pure white.”

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