The new beauty trend: Mixing high and low

Believe it or not, the fashion trend of mixing high and low has infected the beauty world as well. “Many people wear Calvin Klein jeans with a Marks & Spencer white T-shirt, or combine Jimmy Choo with a Zara bag,” observes Susannah Rogers, La Prairie Switzerland’s international trainer. “It’s also happening in the skincare industry.”

For beauty issues they’re most concerned about, like age spots or dark circles, La Prairie’s found that women —even those in their 20s — tend to buy high-end products from brands they trust, and mix them with lower-end drugstore brands for less pressing beauty concerns (that facial scrub, for instance).

And in skincare, one of the most trusted high-end brands is La Prairie. “La Prairie’s philosophy is to give customers what they ask for, but in the most elegant way possible,” Rogers says.

One of La Prairie’s most beloved lines is their Caviar collection, which is celebrating two decades of providing women potent anti-aging benefits in every 24-karat nanosphere. “For the anniversary we wanted to launch something very unique, because our customers have been dedicated followers of the Caviar collection over the last 20 years,” Rogers says, “and they have been asking for an eye cream.”

Hence Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream, which Caviar fans are touting as the next “eye lift in a jar.”  This ultra-luxe new treatment targets seven of the most prominent signs of aging around the eyes: fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, loss of elasticity (sagging), puffiness (eye bags), dark under-eye circles, and dryness.

“It has marine lifting complex, one of the reasons why it does give a huge amount of lifting,” Rogers claims. “That’s primarily what makes it stand out from the rest of the eye products that we have.”

According to the cream’s literature, a new biopolymer of sweet almond proteins forms a smooth, elastic film on the skin, filling in wrinkles, firming skin, and creating the illusion of “lift.” The marine lifting complex (laminiairia cloustoni extract), a biomimic peptide and extracellular matrix tripeptide further help firm, re-plump, protect and renew.

Palmitoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein is a “dual-function” ingredient that relaxes and smoothes expression lines, while deeper wrinkles are filled in through collagen synthesis.

Algae extract (chlorella vulgaris) addresses dark circles and fine lines by also stimulating collagen synthesis and inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels, a primary factor in dark-circle formation.

Buckwheat wax and caffeine reduce under-eye puffiness, swelling, and improve microcirculation.

A special moisture complex provides long-lasting hydration and helps prevent water loss by forming a barrier film on the skin.

Other beneficial ingredients include vitamin E and sea algae extract to moisturize, revitalize and firm; arnica extract to combat inflammation; and Nylon-12 to provide a soft-focus effect that optically refines the eye area.

This means that with regular use, you’ll look like you had an eye lift, even if you’ve never gone near a plastic surgeon.

“We at La Prairie like to concentrate on combining the science with the luxury,” notes Rogers, who recommends using Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream morning and evening. Made for all skin types, it’s not limited to those with mature skin. “Everyone can use it. We would like to attract younger consumers, even men who’d like to use a good skincare product. Our mission is that everyone has the possibility of having beautiful skin.”

So if the eyes are your main area of concern, or if you’re already a La Prairie Caviar fan, start saving up those bucks for this high-end splurge. With the money left over, you can protect your investment with an affordable but effective drugstore-brand sunscreen.

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La Prairie is available at Rustan’s.