As regular readers of my column know (are there any regular readers besides my mom?), I turned 30 last December. The next day, almost as if the collagen gods received a notice, I spotted a rather deep wrinkle in my forehead. I stared at the Cetaphil and Olay lotion in my medicine cabinet with scorn. “We need to break up,” I thought to myself. “It’s not you, it’s me. I need more.”
And I felt like I did need more…in the form of expensive potions, creams and whatever it took to prevent future wrinkles to sprout. My soap-and-water, no-frills approach to skincare was clearly a habit to be left in my 20s. I made an appointment with my dermatologist immediately and kept a watchful eye on my forehead.
There is no happy ending to this story. I left my doctor’s office with a prescription for an expensive night cream and my wrinkle remains (let’s just hope it’s not getting deeper). Seriously though, I’ve calmed down about the whole thing, but I have realized I probably need to invest a little more time and money in my face.
Which is why when Bluemercury’s publicist invited me to try the new La Mer Sculpting Facial (using, yes, those super expensive creams you’ve read about in the glossies), I jumped at the chance. Full disclosure: the service was comped in the name of journalism. And I’m here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that this facial is oh so worth it.
Many delicious smelling concoctions were applied to my skin. The esthetician massaged my face using “proprietary movements influenced by the sea.” When I emerged an hour later, I honestly can say my face never felt more hydrated. I wanted to learn more about the magic, so I caught up with Bluemercury CEO and Co-Founder Marla Malcom Beck afterwards to pepper her with my questions. Between her answers and my dermatologist’s prescriptions, I’m feeling much more confident to face my next decade.
Julie Bensman: Is it just me or does New York City really take a toll on your skin?
Marla Malcom Beck: Urban environments tend to add more stress to the skin, especially the enhanced exposure to city grime and air. Using deep cleansing products is especially important in urban environments to ensure impurities are removed from the skin.
JB: La Mer products have a reputation for being amazing, but also expensive. How are these products different from everything else on the market?
MMB: We have clients that try to trade to different, more accessible products, but time and time again, they go back to the original La Mer Crème. There is just something magical about it – it has some sort of unique healing and rejuvenating property that we don’t see with other products. Skin is just more supple after using it.
JB: If a woman could only afford to invest in one La Mer product, what should that be and why?
MMB: The Crème, either in the original form or the new updated lighter soft form. The key with the original formula is to warm it up in your hands first so it spreads more evenly. It’s really thick!
JB: What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received that you want to pass on to our readers?
MMB: Use glycolic products to exfoliate. The key to prepping skin for a moisturizer as rich and effective as La Mer is to first exfoliate to remove the dry, older skin cells. This preps your newer skin cells to absorb the cream. Putting on a cream without exfoliating just causes it to sit on top and feel heavy!
