Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale White Age Defying and Brightening Serum Review

From their site: 

With complete age-defying and complete brightening action, this serum delivers all its benefits directly to your skin. At the heart of its pure-white, silky soft formula lies the combination of two exclusive high-performance ingredients. 

The Imperial Orchid Molecular Extract holds the secret of the orchid's longevity, with the ability to fight all the signs of skin ageing. A new White Orchid Extract provides powerful action at different stages of the process* involved in skin clarity and luminosity. Within moments, your skin appears radiantly youthful. Absolutely moisturized, it becomes firmer and smoother.

Facial contours are re defined, wrinkles are visibly reduced, the skin's texture is refined. Evenly toned and freed of imperfections, your skin reveals a unique whiteness and translucency. It glows with a pure and visible radiance. For maximum effectiveness, use this serum in conjunction with your Orchidée Impériale cream.

This is what it looks like in person. The bottle could've been flashier, but it is what it is! It's pretty heavy duty though. All glass!

My Take:
I purchased this as a Christmas present for myself last year. I wanted something that can brighten the skin as well as combat signs of aging and this fit the bill. I haven’t had the best results using products that claimed to brighten/whiten and reduce signs of aging, so I was skeptical about spending this much money on a product, however, I’ve had great experience using their AbeilleRoyale products, so I thought I'll give this a try. 

It took me longer than usual to write this review, because I wasn’t sure if it was doing anything to my face at the beginning, but I didn’t want to rush to write a bad review about it either. Am I glad I waited, because I LOVE this product! 

The serum has the perfect consistency, not too thick, not too fluid. It has a pearlescent look to the serum which reflects light when it’s on your face. It is one of the most hydrating “whitening” serums I’ve used. It sinks into the skin within seconds of applying and the smell is divine and airy. It feels soft and delicate on the skin. Face is never greasy or shining after this.  

I have noticed an overall brightening effect to the face. The best way to describe it is a halo effect on your face. Your face looks like it’s lit up from within and everything looks and feels soft and smooth. More importantly, this didn’t irritate my skin like most whitening or strong anti-aging products would. It almost calms and balances my combination/sensitive skin, which is very rare.
I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a solid anti-aging serum that also treat dark spots that can give you a glowing complexion! 

Verdict: Buy it!
Orchidee White Age Defying and Brightening Serum  is $460
Read more from their site: http://www.guerlain.com/int/en/base.html#/en/home-soins/soin-catalogue/skincare-orchidee-imperiale-presentoir/orchidee-imperiale-white-age-defying-ser-10.html_call=1

 

My $3000 Skincare Routine! La Mer, Givenchy, La Prairie, SkinFood, and Guerlain with reviews!

Yes, I buy and pay for all my products. If anyone wants to send me freebies. I'll be happy to accept ;)

Hey guys!

So the question I get asked the most in person is always "What do you use?” My routine has a few staple products that never change, I do like to play around with new toners or face washes, but as of now, here’s my routine and I've enclosed links that'll take you to my review of the product that I've reviewed.

Clearly, I use a lot more products than most people would need. I do so for a few reasons-- I write a beauty blog and mainly the fact that I work in the luxury industry. Normally you don't need to have a complete day AND night sets of products. So you can probably cut the cost by half.
 

Face Wash: Nude Cleansing Oil ($36) in the morning and La Mer Foam Face Wash ($65) at night
Always try to use a gentle cleanser in the morning. Your face is never too dirty in the morning and you don’t want to strip your skin of its natural oils. I think I might switch to La Mer’s cleansing fluid or another cleanser after I finish the one from Nude. They changed the formula and it’s kind of too rich for me now.

Toner: SkinFood Platinum Grape Cell Toner $60  in the morning and Guerlain abeilleroyale Lotion (which is a toner) $61 at night

You don’t really need to have two different toners. I just like to try different products so I have two. I actually have 4, but these two are my main ones. I think eventually I will go back to SKII’s Facial Treatment Essence, which is holy water for the face!

Serum: Guerlain Orchidee Imperial Serum ($465) in the morning and La Mer Regenerating Serum
($275)
I like to treat my face differently day and night so I use two different serums. I always use one that prevents sun spots and hyperpigmentation during the day and I use a rich anti-aging one at night. La Mer Regenerating Serum is one serum I will always have in my array of products. It is by far the best anti-aging serum I’ve used. I love the Guerlain Orchidee Imperial Serum. It has a light shimmer but you can’t see it on your face. I almost like it more than the La Prairie Illuminating Brightening Serum. It’s more hydrating and soothing. It smells great too.

Eye Cream: La Prarie White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum ($265) and La Mer Eye Concentrate
($180)
I actually use La Prarie Eye Serum more. I just have some La Mer Eye Concentrate left so once I'm done, I'm just going to switch to the eye serum only.

Moisturizer: La Mer Lotion during the day and Givenchy Le Soin Noir ($380) or La Mer Cream at night ($275)

I will always have La Mer Lotion for use during the day and the Givenchy Le Soin Noir Cream. It’s two of the best products I’ve ever used for my skin. Le Soin Noir is pricey, but it’s totally worth the money.

Mask: I use cheap facial masks from My Beauty Diaries and once a week I use La Mer’s Refining Facial Mask.

I use Retin-A Gel at night as well.

You have one face. Invest well.

Get your wallets out! It's the Best of 2012 from yours truly!

2012 has been an exciting year for beauty. I got to try many different products I love and some I didn't care much for. This is a collection of some of my favorite products of 2012. I couldn't list everything I liked, so this is a solid list of everything I use and will continue to buy! 

Some honorable mentions that I would love to point out that didn't make the list or I didn't have a category for are: Skinfood's Rice Washoff Mask, Fresh's Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask, Natura Bisse's The Cure Serum, and Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate.  If you do a search on my blog, I've written a review on all the honorable mentions in the past. :) 

Happy and goodbye 2012!

May 2013 be even more exciting for beauty! Thank you all for being here with me. It's been great to share my thoughts with you all! 

Noted: Prices might change. The price listed is reflected at the time of the blog post.  

Favorite Toner

SKII Facial Treatment Essence $195

This not only acts as a hydrating toner, it is also a treatment for the overall face. It will brighten your entire complexion and lighten any spots or acne scars. I call it the holy water for the face!

Favorite Day Cream

La Mer Moisturizing Lotion $230

It’s hydrating even for the most sensitive skin. My skin tends to react to a lot of products and whenever I get a reaction, I always put this on to calm my skin. I actually have this and also the Oil-Absorbing Lotion (also $230) to switch back and forth depending on the weather. The Oil-Absorbing Lotion is the only lotion that has been able to prevent my nose from being oily. The Moisturizing Lotion is great to use all year long. Stop doing your research on La Mer and just buy it!

Favorite Night Cream

Givenchy Le Soin Noir $380

Why it’s the best? It’s a black facial cream! You will not find another cream like this on the market (actually, it’s kind of hard to find this in the US). It is extremely hydrating and it plumps and firms the skin. Everytime I stay on this for a few days, people start commenting on my skin asking what I use. It’s on the pricey side, so I only use this at night and also although it goes on clear, some people have said it does leave a greyish film on their face. The texture is almost like gelatin or pudding. It’s a great anti-aging product that is worth investing.

Favorite Serum

La Mer Regenerating Serum $260

I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t know what a serum does and often times they skip buying a serum. From my experience, a serum is a very important part of skin care. It is a treatment that targets your skin concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles, or sun spots. It is not a moisturizer, however, I know some people use a hydrating serum and skip a moisturizer altogether.

A serum goes on before your moisturizer and after your toner.

You can almost see the difference in your skin in one day while on this serum. The overall texture of the face is more even and smooth. It encourages collagen production to fill in wrinkles and lines and gets rid of acne scars and imperfections. I tend to breakout at times and this serum has been great at preventing break outs. This is one product I always ask people to buy and everyone loves it. 

Favorite Eye Treatment

La Prairie Illuminating White Caviar Eye Serum

It is very hard to find an eye cream that works. I've tried many big brands and I am always hesitant to recommend an eye cream to anyone, because everyone's skin is different and often times eye treatments don't always work for everyone. However, I have been dealing with dark circles and this has been the only eye treatment that I saw a noticeable different. I do recommend it for people that have dark circles. It is expensive so get a sample first.   

Most Luxurious

Givenchy Le Soin Noir Lace Mask

Why it’s the most luxurious? Need I say more? Just LOOK AT IT!

Favorite New Product

Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Serum $150 or $200 for the larger size.

I haven’t used this long. I got a sample of it when they launched it and I remember loving how my skin feels and look when I used it. It smells amazing as well. I'm sure they will expand on the line next year! I also really like the unique design of all the bottles. I wasn't sure I like it at first, but they all look very stylish.

Favorite New Line

Guerlain Abeille Royale

The power of royal jelly and honey! I love this new line. It’s a great anti-aging line that is not too harsh or active. I wish they would come out with a body cream that has the scent of this line. My favorite thing from the line is the toner! it's absolutely fantastic! 

Best Brand Design

Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford always goes above and beyond with its branding and marketing. His beauty line is no exception.

Guerlain Abeille Royal Lotion Review $61

Born from the exceptional repairing power of bee products, this toner prepares the skin to optimize the firming, wrinkle correction action of Abeille Royale skin care.

As if stimulated from within, the skin is smoothed and firmed, glowing with a youthful radiance. Its fresh, delicately creamy texture leaves the skin soft and plump.

Continuing the trend of calling a toner "lotion", this "lotion" is actually a toner. I don't understand why they do this 'cause it can be confusing for people buying products on the internet and sometimes I don't even know a particular line has a "toner" until I see it in person. OK, that's my little rant, let's move on to the product itself.

This is probably my favorite toner at the moment right now. The texture is thicker than your usual liquid toner. I would say it's almost like a serum, but a little watery. The scent is very pleasing to the nose and very relaxing. It's sweet, but not overpowering. I wish they would come out with a body lotion with this scent.

There isn't a way of telling if it's a toner is good or not, so I always look at the ingredient list and see what the first 3 ingredients are. I remember this toner had Royal Jelly listed in the first few ingredients, meaning it's one of the most prominent ingredient in the toner. I've always been a fan of Royal Jelly. I take Royal Jelly supplements on a daily basis. It's great for anti-aging and overall health. It slows down the aging process.

This toner would be great for all types of skin. I have very sensitive skin and sometimes when I feel my skin is dehydrated, this toner soothes it. It also claims to have firming and wrinkle correction action, but honestly, I haven't really noticed that, but it is very soothing and hydrating, probably the richest toner I've ever tried. I also don't really think a toner should claim to have lifting or anti-aging benefits. Spend that money on a good night cream or serum, not on a toner.

The price point for this is not too bad for luxury brand toners,

Verdict: Buy it! 
Guerlain Abeille Royal Lotion is $61
Read more about it at- http://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/Guerlain-Abeille-Royal-Lotion-Skin-Care/prod139350093/

Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Serum ($141.00)

I am a big fan of Royal Jelly and its healing properties for the body and skin. I take it orally on a daily basis, so when I saw Guerlain is coming out with a line of products sourcing from Royale Jelly, I jumped right on it.

I believe the best way the test out a line is to try their serum. Serum usually has the most amount of the ingredient that the line is based on so if the serum doesn't really do magic for your skin, the moisturizer with the same ingredient prob won't do much for you either.

What I love the most is the smell of this serum. I wish they would come out with a body lotion of this scent. It's sweet, but not overpowering. The texture is like any other serum on the market, more on the creamy side than liquid.

From the website it says- "Abeille Royale, the new anti-aging Youth Serum, employs the active power of bee products to repair wrinkles while lifting and firming skin. "

Unfortunately, when compared to other luxury products on the market, this one didn't cut it. I didn't see any difference in my skin and in fact I saw how my skin got worse when I switched from La Mer's Regenerating Serum to this and when I switched back to Regenerating Serum, I saw a difference immediately.

I would say skip it! If you love the scent as much as I do, i would say buy their toner. It has the same scent and the texture is almost like a serum. It's a great toner (they call it "lotion" in the line). I'll write a review on that sometime.

Grade: B-
Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Serum is $141.00