A few months ago, La Prairie released its first ever foundation. It immediately got the industry talking, not least because it came with a Dhs863 price tag. It’s a steep ask for a beauty product, but one, as it turns out, that is entirely justified.
Buro 24/7 Middle East’s Managing Editor Maddison Glendinning has been testing the foundation for the past couple of months. Here’s why she’s entirely sold on the product…
1. The formulation
La Prairie is known for its expertise in skincare. Combine that with a foundation and you’ve got a HG product straight off the bat. The formula contains the brand’s Caviar Water, a potent mix of the most effective components of caviar delivered in an Exclusive Cellular Complex that helps to rebuild cells as it wears on the skin. This is blended with soft-focus treated pigments which gives the foundation its colour — together they form a powerhouse pairing of skincare and coverage that leaves skin looking dewy without unwanted shine.
2. The wearability
I road-tested this product throughout the Dubai summer — i.e. the most trying time on any cosmetic product. And to my (entirely delighted) surprise, it held up. Applied in the morning and set with a little powder, I wrote, edited, ran to meetings, stood outside waiting for my Careem, cooked dinner and at the end of the day, my skin looked as good, if not even better, than it did in the morning when first applied. This is likely due to the skincare element as it’s feeding my skin throughout the day as opposed to sitting on top of it and then sliding off. Plus, it’s buildable from light to medium coverage so you can adjust depending on your mood/beauty vibe.
3. The benefits
Whilst I know that it’s essential to wear an SPF every day (Michelle Doherty of Alpha-H taught me this), I’ll admit that I often forget. So the fact that this badboy has SPF 25 built in is a lifesaver. Plus, it has PA+++ which specifically guards against UVA which contribute to skin aging.
4. The packaging
I’ll admit that upon first glance I wondered how practical the packaging was for application and portability but any concerns I had were immediately eased when I tried the product. The brand has used a net-diffusing system to release the product and a simple push down on the cushion delivers a substantial amount (you can adjust this by pressing lighter/harder depending on your needs). Plus, the compact is refillable so once you’re done, simply top it up and you’re good to go.
The verdict
If you’re a skincare lover looking for a foundation that will help your skin and not harm it, the Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion is as good as it gets. Each time I wore the foundation, someone commented on how my skin was glowing and whilst that most certainly was also due to some summertime perspiration, the foundation was definitely doing the majority of the heavy lifting. I’m onto my third compact and I can’t see this product being dethroned as my number one choice any time soon…
La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion is available at La Prairie counters across the Middle East.
Now, find out which celebrity beauty mogul has just trademarked a skincare business.
