The secret to rosy, glowing skin
Women of a certain age are very susceptible to advertisements for products promising to magic away the years. My bathroom drawers are full of discarded skin creams and hair products that have not lived up to their lofty promises.
So, I viewed the new L’Oréal Golden Age range with a high degree of scepticism.
However, six weeks down the track and I like the products so much, I’m considering changing the habits of a lifetime and adopting a slightly more complicated daily skincare routine.
It all began when I reluctantly decided it was high time to upgrade to a higher-octane skin product than the one I had been using since I was a teenager.
L’Oréal’s new range of Golden Age products claimed their formula "stimulated the epidermis to restore the skin’s rosy colour and radiance".
"Poppycock," I thought, but decided to trial the range anyway on the off-chance of a miracle.
Some weeks later, a friend asked me if I’d been out in the garden that day.
"Nope, been in the office all day," I replied. "Why?"
"Your skin looks as if you’ve had a touch of sunshine," she said.
I peered in the mirror with my glasses on. During my hectic working week, I’d been too busy to notice the subtle transformation but on close inspection, there was a slight but unmistakable glow in the cheeks’ department.
So, the two minutes’ extra ‘work’ morning and evening were paying dividends after all.
Being a pedantic type, I had followed the instructions to the letter and used the serums and creams exactly as directed, patting and massaging them into my skin day and night.
One of the litmus tests for me was the morning touch-test. If I could still feel the effects of the cream on my cheeks when I woke up and if my skin felt supple and well-nourished, it was obviously potent enough to perform its ‘magic’ all night.
Having initially speed-read the blurb about the products, I reread the fine print which told me things I’d rather not know.
"With age, features begin to sag and the face loses its firmness. Beyond this skin slackening, the skin gets thinner and micro-circulation slows down. It loses its natural colour and can look washed out.
"L’Oréal laboratories have combined an exclusive complex of flower extracts and neo-calcium in a daily care formulated for skin losing its youthful density and natural colour."
I liked what L’Oréal Global President Cyril Chapuy had to say about ‘mature’ women.
"Women in their 60s now were in their 20s in the 70s. These are the women who demanded and exercised their right to control their own bodies, to let their femininity shine and to enter prestigious universities previously restricted to men. They demanded the right to freedom and responsibility, and to be working wives and mothers. They broke down barriers, allowing us to be the women that we are today. Now they want to feel good about themselves, and have begun another more intimate battle."
L’Oréal has been around for a long time which suggests it must be honouring its promises to the women of the world. For all their Parisian pedigree, the products are in the mid-range price-wise ($30-$45 a jar) and there’s no false packaging which always infuriates me.
I’ve also trailed their new mascara, L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Original Mascara, which is exceptionally good. The handle is longer than usual making it much easier to apply without your nose getting in the way and the brush is finer without delivering globs and blobs to the lashes.
I’ve been faithful to one brand all my life but I think I might soon become a traitor.
See the full range of products in the gallery above.