'Luxury 4X4' Skincare
Welcome to a new franchise at PIBE. ‘LUXURY 4X4’ is a collection of features that will focus on the crème de la crème of luxurious beauty. Today we begin with skincare to spotlight and celebrate four highly recognised brands and why their skin products and treatments are so exceptional.
You may ask why luxury labels are more expensive and this can be due to an amalgamation of factors. From higher concentrations of active ingredients and the technology used to extract them, to the clinical research behind formulas and their greater levels of efficacy.
‘Luxury is being reconsidered in the wake of the pandemic with people buying less, but better,’ says Jenni Middleton, Director of Beauty at WGSN. ‘These Skinvestors are driving investment in higher-quality products that are results-driven, evidence-based and science-backed’.
So read on for our first LUXURY 4X4 instalment- the skincare to invest in right now.
La Prairie Pure Gold Radiance Cream, £683.00
Switzerland is known for its sweeping alpine scenery, masterful craftsmanship and world-class chocolate. However, thanks to La Prairie it is also a symbol of decadent skincare engineering. Since their inception in 1931, La Prairie has been famously known for their bottles of skin caviar, which are hailed by skin enthusiasts everywhere. To continue this tale of luxury, the brand's latest launch has reached a new height of innovation as they introduce their Pure Gold Radiance collection.
Oh golden hour, that warm gold-tinted light that we all crave when on holiday. It hits as the sun sets and makes us feel beautiful and healthy when it floods over our bodies, however it is always fleeting. This collection by La Prairie is inspired by golden hour in the Alps but to capture that radiance and recreate it requires a special rare ingredient: gold. A metal that is enriched with unique properties found in no other mineral. ‘Under white light gold shows as a warm yellow tone to the human eye and provides immediate radiance when applied to the skin’, explains Dr Jacqueline Hill, Global Director of Strategic Innovation and Science at La Prairie.
Another way that gold is so superior is that a large fraction of its atoms are concentrated at the particle’s surface, allowing active ingredients to attach easily. Making gold an incredibly luxurious delivery service for these active ingredients when they are absorbed into the skin and released. La Prairie have developed this into their exclusive ‘Pure Gold Diffusion System'. So when applying the Pure Gold Radiance Cream, gold particles are first deposited onto the skin’s surface to give you an instant glow, before they penetrate the skin to nourish. ‘Active ingredients will then gradually be released from the gold particles over time when they interact with specific biomolecules’, explains Dr Daniel Stangl, Director of Innovation at La Prairie. ‘This process is steady and slow, and that’s why we call It ‘time-controlled release’.
Does this level of innovation and opalescence sound too good to be true?
‘This product is rare as it gives the skin both instant and long-lasting results in true equal measure. When I first applied the Pure Gold Radiance Cream to my freshly washed face it was instantly cooling and as smooth as silk. It settled onto my skin giving me a ‘lit from within glow’ that I have only ever achieved by being soaked in the sun while on holiday. The moisturiser was rich and deeply hydrating yet not heavy and easily sunk into my skin as I massaged it in. After a week of use I noticed my skin was continuously more even in tone, smooth in texture and any dry patches long had disappeared. A promise of such benefits we often get sold and then disappointed by- but not here. I could get very used to always looking plumped and glowy as though the sun was hugging my skin.’ - Sarah Barnes Beauty Editor PIBE.
Waterhouse Young HydraFacial, £250.00 for 45 minutes
Facials will forever be a ‘treat yourself’ kind of indulgence. However gone are the days where your skin was just cleansed and massaged with a scented oil, sending you into a blissful sleep. Now facials are results-driven using the latest technologies and fundamental for great skin upkeep. Scheduling in a good facial should be as consistent as booking in at the dentist. Think of it as personal skin maintenance, a thorough once over to really decongest and rebalance your skin to get you glowing once again.
However this does not mean facials have lost their relaxing and pampering touch. In the heart of the Harley Street medical district, sitting in a beautiful townhouse in Marylebone is Waterhouse Young. Founded in 2012, the leading luxury skin clinic specialises in effective and non-surgical aesthetic treatments and is home to the award-winning HydraFacial. This facial is delivered with a calm touch but uses a multitude of techniques to target skin concerns such as hyper-pigmentation, acne-prone areas, wrinkles and fine lines.
The forty five minute skin resurfacing and rejuvenating treatment can be personalised uniquely to you. It starts with a deep cleanse and exfoliation to remove dead cells and uncover new healthy skin beneath. ‘The HydraFacial MD machine is an incredible innovation in skincare technology. Specialist HydroPeel tips, which are spiral in design, are used together with specific serums and a vacuum to create a vortex effect,’ says Anna Miller, MD of Waterhouse Young. ‘This helps to dislodge dirt, oil and impurities from pores as well as delivering ultimate hydration to your skin.’
A mild glycolic and salicylic acid peel is applied to help resurface and smooth skin’s texture, followed by an infusion of hyaluronic booster serums and antioxidants to really feed the face with hydration. Here the HydroPeel tips really help deliver the serums into your skin to deeply nourish. Finishing on a round of LED light therapy, where LED light is shone onto the skin to improve circulation, reduce redness and stimulate collagen production. ’With no after effects we recommend our FaceLITE Mask £299 for at-home red LED top-ups in between treatments,’ explains Miller. ‘The hypoallergenic mask has a soft silicone finish and can be worn for ten minutes, letting LED light energise your skin cells and increase tissue oxygenation to keep up that revitalising boost.’
Intrigued to try a medical grade facial?
‘The idea of resetting and rejuvenating my skin to improve its overall health was the ultimate goal. The HydroPeel tips provided such suction satisfaction and my skin felt like it was really being put to work even though the extraction and unclogging of my pores was painless. The results really were instant and my oily and dull complexion was replaced with a beautiful clear sheen. What surprised me most was the longevity of the effects post-treatment. In the month following, my skincare products glided on smoother and were more easily absorbed. I only wore SPF with no need for foundation or even concealer as my skin texture was soft, hydrated and glowing. This is a must-try skin MOT and truly unlike anything you can achieve at home.’ - Sarah Barnes Beauty Editor PIBE.
Dr Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum, £110.00
When you think of glowing skin you think of Dr. Barbara Sturm. The German A-List facialist launched her full skincare range back in 2014 and is known for her science-based products that hold cult status with skincare devotees and many of Hollywood's famous faces. The complete Molecular Cosmetics line is formulated for those who crave highly effective yet uncomplicated skincare. The regimes are simplistic but the products practical yet luxurious, with each formula providing hydration, nutrition and regeneration.
Dr. Barbara Sturm’s philosophy is centered around an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and the belief that skincare and diet are married together. Think of this skincare like the organic vegetables you buy, you know they are going to be good for your health and therefore worth investing in. However the products still look deluxe in chic matte white jars and clinical bottles that hold beautiful textures such as light syrup like serums and cloud like creams.
The latest addition to the Dr. Barbara Sturm label is her Vitamin C serum. That miracle beauty buzz word that exploded in the skincare stratosphere and ever since has consistently been the ingredient to work into your daily routine. Skincare products containing Vitamin C lure in consumers with promises of brightened complexions, however high percentages of concentrations can damage the protective skin barrier and lead to inflammation.
What makes this Vitamin C serum so special is that it contains the optimum concentration of 5% Vitamin C in a stable form that is safe and gentle on the skin. The serum has an active ingredient complex that features oil-soluble Vitamin C THD, stabilized, synthetic Vitamin C in glycosidic form and an extract from Kakadu Plum (plant-based Vitamin C). The serum is also laced with Zinc, which is a booster to transport the Vitamin C and increases the absorption into the skin for greater efficacy.
All sounding a bit technical? Together this potent and powerful mix can help a multitude of sins. From protecting skin from UV damage, reducing dark spots and pigmentation, to boosting collagen production and protecting skin from free radicals and environmental stressors.
Is this the skincare hype to believe?
‘Each morning I religiously placed one pipette length of the serum into my palms and then used my fingers in tapping motions to cover my face. The light fluid always sank in quickly as though my skin was thirsty for it. Breakout areas of small spots and redness were calmed and irritation soothed. I began to notice my complexion looked brighter and my skin felt bouncy and fresh, while those sacred and sporadic ‘good skin days’ became increasingly regular. This is also a brilliant addition to your routine when it comes to preventative skincare, as the powerful antioxidant helps to fight free radicals that lead to oxidative stress, in turn helping to prevent premature ageing. So use it now and thank us later’ - Sarah Barnes Beauty Editor PIBE.
Lisa Franklin and CACI Lift Treatment, from £125.00 for 60 minutes
This last year saw us all working from home, slumped over makeshift desks, peering down at computer screens day after day. Along with phones being our sole use of lockdown communication, ‘text neck’ also became more prevalent than ever. Consistently looking downwards is not beneficial for our skin and face shape. So when you feel you need more than a jade roller to help lift and rediscover those cheekbones, it is time to take your skin to the gym to tackle the effects of gravity and remind it how to stay plump and tight.
CACI International has been making waves in the world of non-surgical facial treatments since its conception in 1992. CACI stands for ‘Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument’ and is essentially a clever micro current machine that works to transmit small electrical signals through the skin. Clinically proven to improve skin elasticity by up to 88% as well as lifting and re-educating muscles- think of this as your ultimate non-surgical face lift.
Their new synergy system is the result of twenty five years of research and the latest launch in non-invasive facial technology. It uses different probes and rollers to let LED light therapy (warm coloured light) penetrate the skin and lift muscles. While micro-currents regenerate skin tissue, and help to repair lost collagen.
Recently opened as the new Knightsbridge flagship is the renowned Lisa Franklin Clinic Privé that has also been awarded the official CACI ambassador salon for London. The Lift treatment starts with a rich cleanse to prep the skin for orbital microdermabrasion, whereby a rotating hand tool resurfaces the skin by removing dead cells. This is followed by micro-current lifting where the probes use the LED light to help lift muscles all over the face. To finish a CACI Hydro Mask is applied and LED rollers are worked over the skin to intensify hydration and soften the appearance of fine lines.
How much do you see this miracle lifting action?
‘Set within Lisa Franklin’s peaceful clinic space, this treatment sounds intense. Yet the stellar combo in this single synergy machine painlessly tones facial muscles, boosts skin’s shape and texture, works on deep lines and prevents skin from sagging. The LED light probes held my skin in place and when released I could gently feel my muscles reacting. Incredibly when I sat up post-facial, my jawline, cheekbones and brow areas looked naturally lifted. The therapist also focused just as intently on the orbital microdermabrasion which helped to brighten my complexion and reduce shallow acne marks. You will leave with a glowing halo and the confidence to preach that great skin is always worth the investment.’ - Sarah Barnes Beauty Editor PIBE.
This PIBE Beauty exclusive has been produced by:
Words by Beauty Editor / Sarah Barnes
Photography / Studio PIBE