Vichy's hot new cream

I received this new skincare cream from Vichy with a sweet little comp slip saying it would make a perfect post for Mother’s Day. It’s always a tricky decision whether to give something that shouts anti-ageing and menopausal!  But personally, anything that helped or improved the appearance of my skin I would be grateful for. So with this in mind I may well introduce Vichy’s Neovadiol Magistral to my mum next Sunday, and even have a little slather myself!

Although none of us like getting older in terms of skin biology and the word menopause is hushed over, the fact is 1 in 4 women is menopausal, 1 in 3 will be in years and 1 in 2 will be in 50 years. So, with our ever increasing ageing demographic, it’s smart to wise up on how skin behaves leading up to the peri (from 35 years) to post (after 50 )menopausal years. Peri-menopausal skin can act drier and more fragile, but a new observation from Vichy has discovered that after menopause, the skin changes again and loses up to over half of its lipids. These play a leading role in the skin’s structure, whereby the oils particularly omegas 3, 6 and 9 ensure skin remains nourished and provide it with energy to remain dense and supple – like a well sprung mattress. On hand to re-spring and upholster is Vichy’s new breakthrough densifying balm. it harbours a powerful trio of treatment oils  along with other active ingredients to help stimulate the production of proteins for growth factors. Although it looks extra creamy in the pot, it definitely has a balm like feel and sinks in quickly giving an instant softness to the skin. In tests 2 in 3 women preferred it to their usual cream. Ageing? We're ready to face it!

Vichy’s Neovadiol Magistral Densifying and Nourishing Balm, £26.

www.vichy.co.uk

Darphin adds to its skin arsenal

FLOWERS FROM THE LAUNCH TO ILLUSTRATE THE BLOOM OF YOUTH!

Magazines may tell us 30 is the new 20, but we just wish our brain receptors would tell our skin! Yep, 30 and beyond are great ages, more experience, more wisdom, more settled... but it’s also a time when there’s more changes to the skin.

The French brand, Darphin who have clocked up more than 50 yeas in anti-ageing expertise reveal that once we hit the big 3-0, skin flips from youthful to needy. Lines start appearing around the eyeline, forehead and mouth. That pink cheeked perkiness loses its radiance and skin’s bank of youthful resources is gradually depleted. Although emergency measures aren’t needed, help certainly is, which is why this month they’re introducing two skincare innovations in their Ideal Resource skincare line. Cleverly called the Wrinkle Minimizer Perfecting Serum and the Micro-refining Smoothing Fluid – who wouldn’t want a bit of this skin treatment jargon? They both profess to give a triple action of targeting radiance, lines and texture.

THE PERFECT SKIN COUPLE

Kapow! At the heart of both products is their hard working botanical trio called The Line Polish Complex. Knotweed, White Hibiscus and Centella Asiatica all dance together and support the natural cell renewal of the skin, smooth the appearance of winkles and help to minimise imperfections. In tests, 35% saw an instant result in radiance, and after four weeks, 29% of women said skin texture had improved in terms of softness and less visible pores.

The Wrinkle Miminizer Perfecting Serum, £59 works specifically on lines. Rich in Tannin Tree Extract, it helps support the skin’s natural collagen fibres.

The Micro-refining Smoothing Fluid, £50 feels like velvet and helps the sloughing of dull skin, much like an exfoliator. It’s ideal for the 40% of women over the age of 25 who have combination or oily skin as it boasts shine control powers.

The Ideal Resource Line is available from selection Darphin salons and online from 6^th February.

www.darphin.co.uk

La Prairie's super serum

Please allow me to share this anti-ageing story. I recently met a woman I used to go to school with via a business contact, and post greet duly looked her up on Facebook – as you do.  Now, if my memory serves me right she was always a year above me at school, but on her Facebook profile she was now miraculously seven years younger than myself! Without trying to sound too catty, the seven years she had shaved off her birth date hadn’t done her any justice. She looked good for age. Her true age, and to delete seven of them was foolhardy in my opinion.

My stance on ageing is simple. Look good for your age category. Obviously teens and 20’s don’t have too much to worry about as Mother Nature is on their side, but once you hit your 30’s tougher action needs to be taken other than manipulating your birth year. Some go for non-invasive procedures such as Botox and fillers, myself I prefer to rely on ingredient led skincare. Anything with lifting and tightening gets my full attention.

My newest discovery is La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift. If you’re looking for the Bentley of serums, this is it. It’s an experience opening its grand silver cylinder, whereby the hallowed cobalt blue bottled serum is proudly mounted on grey felt. As its name suggests, it offers the highest concentration of pure Caviar Extract of any of their skincare treatments with the added va-va-voom of being combined with a unique Recovery Complex that alters the skin’s basic structure for long-term firmness.

Before I continue let me tell you the price tag. £304. Yes, that’s right, you’ve read it right. £304! I’m mentioning this early in the copy, rather than at the end so you get over the shock. But in its defence – it’s bloody marvellous! The minute you pump and apply, the skin looks smoother – almost de-stressed. There’s no tightening sensation on the skin, so it doesn’t leave your skin feeling unnatural. Skin feels nourished thanks to its combination of vitamins, nucleic acids, phospholipids, proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids. Without getting too technical there’s also an exciting new pentapeptide and an exclusive Cellular Complex all of which add up to making it a deluxe five star skin experience. My husband has noticed a difference. Now that’s a miracle! I wouldn’t say I look younger, but most definitely fresher in  tone and somehow my skin looks like it’s had a daily yoga workout. As for the price? It does work out less than a £1 a day for the whole year!

La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift available from Urban Retreat at Harrods, Selfridges and selected House of Fraser stores.

Origins puts back the bounce

According to experts, skin has become ever grubbier thanks to the environment becoming dirtier. For skin to able to function properly , and therefore to look its best, layers of pollution, long-lasting make-up and the skin’s own sebum needs to be removed in order for those expensive anti-ageing products you splash out on to work at their optimum.

I believe good skin hygiene is your secret youth inducer. Sloppy cleansing makes for a grey skin tone, blemishes and blackheads. My cleansing ‘wardrobe’ is bigger than my make-up collection. Why? Because the more dewy your skin looks, the more you can down-play your make-up if you so wish.

Two products I’ve added to my cleansing arsenal is Origins Plantscription Anti-ageing cleanser and treatment lotion. In true Origins style they use plant extracts as their modern day pharmacy, and both contain the tongue twister, angoeissus. A scared tree found in West Africa, they’ve discovered that the extract of the bark has an excellent ability to protect collagen and help boost skin’s natural production levels of a glycoprotein called fibrillin. Cutting through the science, all you need to know is it results in a firmer, more resilient, younger looking complexion.

I don’t normally use toner, but I find the treatment lotion used post cleanser gives my skin a nice clean sweep. When used together, they’ve been clinically proven to preserve skin’s moisture barrier – and it’s true, my skin does look and feel more hydrated, and therefore looks a little more bouncy and radiant. And who doesn’t want to bank a bit of bounce? Remember, it’s something your cleansing routine that needs to be addressed, not another layer of ‘miracle’ cream to make that small skin difference.

Origins Plantscription Anti-aging cleanser and treatment lotion, both £25.

www.origins.co.uk