La Prairie
Skin Caviar Luxe Cream
9/26/13

A longtime cult favorite, this luxury moisturizer graces the vanities of everyone from celebrities to skincare fanatics, and the Skin Caviar line remains beloved by many, with the Skin Caviar Luxe Cream having recently celebrated 25 years. My first experience with La Prairie was due to my generous and well-heeled sister, who'd come out to Portland for a visit after I'd just moved west and landed my first job as a Jr. Designer at adidas in 1999. I lived on ramen and PB&J back then, so her visits were always a welcome treat. We found ourselves at Saks one afternoon, and I found myself wanting everything on the La Prairie counter. She took direct aim, had the saleswoman gather up her bounty of beauty purchases, including my first La Prairie product. I applied that eye cream as though it were the last jar on earth; sparingly and with great care. I remember how hard it was to go back to anything else after such a luxurious product. Warning: this product has the same effect. 

As my career progressed I started using Crème de la Mer, which was the holy grail of moisturizers to me. I still adore that cream, and use it frequently during cooler weather. That said, I recently fully reacquainted myself with the magic that is La Prairie and can't imagine giving up my Skin Caviar Luxe Cream. From the classic blue jar and silver top to the embossed silver spoon, no expense was spared on packaging. Once inside you'll find one of the richest, most luxurious creams on the market. No, it doesn't smell like caviar or fish. It smells quite pleasant, with a delicate scent that mostly dissipates after application.

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The texture is creamy and thick, with a little going a long way. This isn't for those seeking a matte look, but creates a perfect and natural dewy glow. It screams healthy skin, which I love. The amount shown above on the spoon covers my face, neck and décolleté. Here are key benefits, directly from La Prairie:

• Drenches the skin with intensive moisture and nourishment

• Delivers concentrated firming agents to help stimulate collagen production

• Reinforces the skin’s vitality and enhances its natural anti-fatigue factor

• Smoothes and retexturizes skin’s surface with targeted Alpha Hydroxy Acid exfoliation

Since Caviar Extract is rich in protein, it transforms the texture of skin while providing serious hydration and making skin feel incredibly smooth and silky. I tried samples of this cream for a week prior to making my first purchase, and I couldn't stop touching my face and neck. Nothing had ever radically and instantaneously improved the texture of my skin the way this cream managed to. Have I mentioned the firming and improved skin elasticity? Come morning, my skin was radiant, taut and the softest it had ever been. After a single week of samples, there was no going back. My skin can be a gnarly mix of sensitive, allergy-prone and combination, and I've had nothing but positive experiences with this cream as well as other Skin Caviar products. Hurray! Since the cream is so rich, I've been using it nightly after toner and serum (and Cellular Power Infusion every three months, which deserves an entirely separate post). I clean the metal spoon with toner after use, and air dry. 

My verdict? Yes, this cult luxury cream is a major splurge. But given how little you use each application and the miraculous, immediate positive results...I can't imagine being without it. Pick up a sample at your local La Prairie counter inside upscale department stores. You won't regret it. I promise. 

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream is $410 for a 1.7 oz jar. 

Available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman. 

Chantecaille Healing Mask

Chantecaille
Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask
8/5/13

I became a Chantecaille fan after falling in love with their Retinol Intense Cream. I still can't get over how incredibly gentle that cream is, and had high hopes for the rest of their line. I knew any brand who managed to make a gentle and soothing Retinol cream was capable of other skincare magic. I decided to purchase the Chantecaille Anniversary Set from Nordstrom to get a better feel for their full product range, from eye creams to serums and masks. I'd read raves about their Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask, and was thrilled that a deluxe sample was included in the set. 

From the moment I began applying the mask, my skin felt cool and instantly soothed. It has a very light and pleasant scent, with rosewater as the product's base. Directions indicate to apply a generous layer twice a week for 10-20 minutes, or leave the mask on overnight as a nighttime moisturizer. Love that! I'd only left it on for about 20 minutes the first night, but was amazed how soft and bright my skin looked the following morning. I immediately ordered a full-size jar. 

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My new mask arrived last week in Chantecaille's very zen and high-end glass jar with a heavy lid that feels like polished stone. Because I wasn't already psyched enough about this product? Wow. You know how much I appreciate good design. Coincidentally, my skin was rather angry the day of the mask's arrival; my cheeks were super flushed and hot to the touch, and I was developing my monthly pimple on my chin. I washed my face, toned with my Clarins toner (alcohol-free), and generously applied the mask to my face of fire. Within minutes, the same cooling and soothing properties took effect. I decided to leave the mask on for a full hour, and as I rinsed it off I noticed that the redness and irritation had vanished, and my skin felt soft and smooth. Even my emerging monthly pimple seemed to be retreating. For those with roseacea, Chantecaille lists this as an incredibly effective treatment for daily use. Also noted for relieving sun and windburned skin, jet-lagged skin, and pretty much any form of irritation. 

Last night I decided to use the mask as my nightly moisturizer since my skin has been so irritated lately. Allergies, medications, and any sort of imbalance can do a number on me and my poor skin. I sleep on a silk pillowcase so I don't get creases on my eye area, and because silk also helps your skin and hair retain moisture. I'm happy to report that I awoke without a sign of irritation and with outstanding hydration. I don't foresee myself being without my healing mask anytime soon. 

My verdict? This dual-purpose healing mask and calming night cream is like nothing I've ever tried in any price range. Applying a generous layer doesn't actually take long and uses much less product than I originally thought, making it last at least a month if used twice a week. Worth every penny, and then some. My skin loves this as both a mask and a calming night cream. Win/win. 

Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask is $79 for a 1.7 oz. jar. 

Available at Neiman Marcus, Barneys, & Bergdorf Goodman. 

Moisturizer - Chantecaille

Chantecaille Retinol Intense Cream
7/11/13

I've had a couple of bad experiences with Retinol, but I've had great success with other Chantecaille skincare products and decided to give this cream a try. When the word Retinol was uttered, I used to cringe. I'd tried both an eye cream and another face cream containing the anti-aging ingredient and had visibly poor results, with one lone product being a happy exception. My skin became red and just didn't agree with the products. I'd just about written off Retinol until I saw that Chantecaille had a Retinol cream with excellent reviews. I've found the line to be gentle overall, so they'd already established my trust. Retinol has so many amazing and highly-coveted benefits, from warding off wrinkles to banishing breakouts, tightening pores and improving skin texture, I couldn't say goodbye.

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Since Chantecaille categorizes this as a nighttime treatment, I knew I'd have less irritation. Many age-fighting products containing ingredients like Vitamin C and Retinol have adverse effects on my skin in daylight. The idea that a night cream could not only clear up but also banish acne is refreshing. Once again, I must reiterate my love of all products working their magic while we sleep, when our body naturally goes into healing mode. After reading many an article about how Retinol loses its effectiveness over time, I decided to use it 3 nights a week, and continue using La Mer on alternate nights. I've simply incorporated this cream into my nightly regimen as I would any night cream - as a last step. Directions indicate applying two to three pumps onto fingertips and gently pressing onto entire face and neck until fully absorbed, careful not to tug at or pull skin. Very similar to La Mer's application method. To my delight, the application area also includes the delicate under-eye area where we all need an extra boost of anti-aging benefits. 

I immediately loved the soft and smooth texture of this cream, and how my skin happily drank it up. It's practically unscented, with perhaps a very slight Pure Rosewater scent, which is the product's base. Not exactly heavily perfumed. It's also Paraben-Free, which several of my readers have indicated is important to them. Because the cream feels so light during and after application, I was thrilled that my skin remained dewy and deeply hydrated all night, and still felt soft and supple come morning. Not only have I not experienced a single adverse effect, I've noticed major improvements to my skin texture (including smaller pores), a more even skin tone, and vanishing fine lines around my eyes. They've quite literally disappeared. Granted, they were small - but who wants wrinkles?! Not I. 

My verdict? This surprisingly gentle and effective night cream has become part of my nighttime skincare regimen three times a week. I see continued improvements with each passing week, and while it's somewhat expensive, it should last about two months with use three nights weekly. The smart pump design also keeps the cream germ-free. I simply can't say enough great things about this product. 

Chantecaille Retinol Intense Cream is $110.00 for a 1.7 oz. bottle. 

Available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, & Barneys.