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Bling for your face | Philstar.com
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Fashion and Beauty

Bling for your face

CHUVANNESS - CHUVANNESS By Cecile Van Straten -
Gold is everywhere, as seen from the world’s leading fashion houses — in Louis Vuitton shoes, Chanel bags, Alexander McQueen leggings, and the best beauty brands.

Not only is the color big in fashion trends today, it has very good feng shui in the Year of the Pig.

This Mother’s Day you might want to consider La Prairie’s latest offering for that special mom — and it’s in gold.

A few weeks ago, I attended an intimate launch at Rustan’s Makati, where a small tent was set up on the fifth floor.

On that particular day, sales associates of La Prairie had a quota to fill. It was, in fact, one million pesos.

Not that the staff was particularly stressed. Sales were brisk and they only had to sell, actually, 34 bottles to fulfill the quota.

The product they were launching — a 30 ml bottle of La Prairie’s Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold — is priced at P30,000.

I was surprised at the number of women, a lot of them Chinese, buying up a storm. Some of them didn’t even linger long enough to chitchat or have a cocktail. They literally came in, bought three bottles, and left.

Not too long ago, the brand enjoyed an "incredible reception" in mainland China, where they launched in November 2005.

"I’m sure you’re well aware that Chinese women love only the best," said Vickie Kent, vice president for Asia Pacific. "They only want to buy the best and La Prairie is pretty much perceived as the very best money can buy."

Kent flew in from her Shanghai base to personally meet Rustan’s customers and talk about La Prairie’s de-aging benefits.

She carried a bottle of Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold and rubbed two tiny drops onto the backs of our hands. It created a stunning glow to the skin.

Kent says Rustan’s is "actually one of our most successful markets because we have the best sales associates who are very familiar with the products and passionate about introducing them to the customer."

The ideal customer for this product would be "one who has multiple aging concerns, but seeking alternative methods to surgical procedures."

La Prairie comes from a famed rejuvenating clinic in Switzerland that was founded in 1934. Their approach to skincare is to marry medicine and medical technology with luxury in order to deliver the most advanced de-aging benefits.

"Whereas some companies may be working with cosmetic chemists to develop their products, we’re working with doctors in medical facilities all around the world to develop the technologies we use today," Kent said.

But instead of flying all the way to Switzerland, you can enjoy La Prairie’s benefits right in your own home. Like the 24-karat gold in their latest offering. "Not the gold used for jewelry, but the gold that’s actually very soft and malleable," Kent said.

"It may sound frivolous, but it’s actually one of the most important elements in medicine today. You find gold on pacemakers. The stents that they use in cardiovascular disease to open up the clogged arteries are also made of 24-karat gold.

"It’s the only element that cannot be compromised or changed by any other element in the environment. It can’t be corroded or broken down in any way. And because of that it makes a perfect treatment vehicle for internal medical treatment."

And now La Prairie has found a way to incorporate 24-karat gold in a form called colloidal gold that can penetrate the skin to provide de-aging benefits.

Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold is a liquid suspension of 24-karat gold that dissolves immediately into the skin to slow down the breakdown of collagen and elastin.

This multi-taking "super serum" illuminates and brightens skin immediately while reducing age spots, rapidly plumps lines and wrinkles within one hour and speeds exfoliation to reveal fresh, younger-looking skin.

It uses Quartz Liquid Crystals and Reflective Pigments, as well as La Prairie’s own Cellular Complex, to super-charge your skin’s ability to de-age.

The result is an immediate, brightening, rejuvenating glow with long-term results.

Only two tiny drops are applied to the full face and neck. Used day and night, one bottle can last up to six weeks. Used once a day with some other kind of de-aging product at night, it should last about three months.

"The pure gold serum is gel-based, there’s no oil in it. Any skin type can use it. And once it’s applied, it penetrates into the skin to provide de-aging benefits," Kent said.

It can be applied with makeup.

After applying the two drops, Kent suggests using a moisturizer over it — "preferably La Prairie moisturizer," she laughs. "We have a cream that goes with it, called Radiance Cream. And over that you can apply your makeup."

"It just gives you a luminous and hydrated surface on which you can put your makeup, and it will remain that way all day," she said.

"But the real benefit is happening inside the skin. The makeup’s on the outside and you look great, but the treatments that work on the inside are actually encouraging cells to function more like they did when they were younger."

ASIA PACIFIC

CELLULAR RADIANCE CONCENTRATE PURE GOLD

GOLD

LA PRAIRIE

PRAIRIE

RUSTAN

SKIN

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