Tag: Skincare

'My face instantly felt smoother and looked calmer, which is a miracle on its own,' Jan Moir, Daily Mail, March 4th

Crikey.  The indomitable, Daily Mail’s Jan Moir has just reviewed Creme de la Mer’s new face serum and appears to be wobbling precariously in favour.   The very idea of paying £210 for a beautifying ointment is to Jan (and probably, most of her readers) laughable.  So, her growing realisation that she might just get hooked on this one is, I feel, a tad uncomfortable.  The fact is, her experience illustrates what happens to lots of us women, when offered something that promises brilliance, at a price.

‘[...] to my astonishment, the results were incredible,’ she says.   ‘If my bottle lasts for two months, it would work out at around £3.40 per application.’  A little internal bargaining going on, perhaps? Cost per wear, weighing up what she could forgo to justify the cost, we’re all guilty.   ‘Yet eeek!  It still feels like too much,’  she says.  Yep, it does.

Yet, in the face of the possibility of extra-loveliness most, honest, law abiding, women will flounder.  And except for the er, morally consistent, or the cash strapped, or guilt prone, we fall.

Because if the pitch is sexy enough (beautiful bottle, captivating heritage, strangely, attractive price tag), the promise, alluring enough (miracle broth etc etc) and the effects, well, good enough (see Jan), most women, once exposed, will indeed buy – with or without the wobble.  ’I'm still in the latter camp,’ she concludes – there are two types of women in Jan’s book, those who will pay over the odds for skincare, and those who won’t, even if they’ve got the money.   But the delineation blurs soon enough: ‘… my will, like my blotchy skin, is fading,’ she says.

PS.  Jan, try Eucerin moisturiser on top - Lipo Balance for day and Anti Redness Night, at night.  They’re under a tenner and just under £20 respectively and are good.   They’re hypoallergenic, but they’ve got a loyal following among the super sensitive, which includes my friend Sam, whose other favourite incidentally, is Creme de la Mer.

Vogue Nippon, January 2010

And here are a few words on Oskia in English:

The secret behind this exciting new skincare line from London is the ingredient, MSM, or Methyl Sulphonyl Methane. MSM, a form of sulphur is vital for healthy cell metabolism and collagen production. Traditionally used as a supplement to promote healthy joints, one of its side effects is an improvement in skin, nails and hair. This, as well as first hand experience of its healing effects on a damaged knee, inspired founder Georgie Cleeve to create Oskia. MSM is combined with a host of plant, mineral and marine extracts, valued for their skincare benefits. Examples are niacinamide, currently prized for effective pigmentation spot reduction; milk peptides, for their line-smoothing effect and Swiss Apple Stem Cells, which help protect cell DNA and keep cells healthy. The result is a collection of six products and a skin, hair and nail supplement, Pure MSM (£29.50). Vogue favourites are Get Up & Glow (£64.50), a luxuriously rich, hydrating gel, to be applied under or instead of moisturiser or on top of make-up to add radiance; Bedtime Beauty Boost (£74), a light night cream, which drenches the skin with moisture and Perfect Cleanser (£38.50) a soothing, nourishing cleansing balm. Available online at oskiaskincare.com and at Liberty, London, +44 207 734 1234.