Monday 29 September 2008

#79 Dream Creme

Ah. So. Well. I'm struggling for a start. You see, I feel as though I've been wrong-footed. In the months that I've been writing my blog, a trend seems to have developed. More often than not, my blog has been about the very best 'little-known' products vs the worst 'big branded' products. You see, as much as I enjoy using (and abusing should they miss the mark) the Lauders and Neutrogenas of the world, I've been consistently more impressed by the more specialist, home-grown brands - the Korners, Omoroviczas and Sarah Chapmans out there. Well, a couple of weeks ago the Creme de la Mer Press Office saw fit to send out a big pot of their famous Creme to a bunch of beauty editors who had, perhaps, forgotten all about the miracle broth and its reputed benefits. The delivery coincided with the end of my regular night cream, so, I thought, why not give the famous formula a whirl?

I spatula'd a tiny bit out, rubbed it between my fingers as instructed on the pot, and massaged it all over my face. Ordinarily, I'd steer well clear of such a rich formula (which does not claim to be chemical or paraben free). My skin's on the oily side of normal - but with the onset of winter, I've been waking up to a more dry patches than normal and thought that this was probably as good a time as any to try the Creme.

First things first. I rather liked the smell.
Secondly, it's really, shockingly, unctuous and thick - like old-school Nivea - and the smallest amount (for me, a globule the size of a couple of peas) covered my face and neck.
Thirdly, it needs to be patted and rolled over skin - you can't simply rub it in like a lotion, but I found that my skin absorbed it easily, and felt spongy and soft just minutes later.
Lastly, I was afraid that the heavy formula might encourage breakouts so used it sparingly over my nose and chin.

As it turns out, it's been two weeks and my skin is entirely clear, soft and dry-patch free. The dehydration lines to which I'm so often prone, on my forehead and on the left hand side of my mouth, have all but disappeared - making my complexion look visibly younger.

Let me stress, however, that it has not been long enough to see any anti-ageing benefits (although, to be annoyingly truthful, I'm still wrinkle- and crow's feet-free), but as far as bright, luminous and even skin goes, this has done the trick. Of course, there are a lot of creams out there that can buy you similar results, but, not many that when accidentally smeared over a patch of eczema manage to shrink it overnight. Hmmm, miracle broth? Perhaps there's some promise in this pot after all.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, I just wonder what the INCI of the cream are? there must be parafiin oil, there must be preservatives, there must be also some herbs I guess, but what it is it? having the same skin type as you do I know it means for usual sensitive skin, that uses oil to defend herself an reacts fast with redness or spots AND dryness. well, good at least is you got the cream for free.

Miss Malcontent said...

Thanks for your comment! The formula certainly isn't entirely natural, so I know it will offput many. I know that the cream includes the following: sea kelp, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, lecithin, Vitamins C, D, E and B12, plus oils of citrus, eucalyptus, wheat germ, alfalfa and sunflower - certainly unremarkable ingredients, but proven to hydrate and strengthen skin. As with every product out there - proof is in the pudding, and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant, in-depth post, as usual. But I still can't justify the price tag ... I think I'll stick to my rosehip oil and Olay combo.