La Prairie Cellular Power Infusion: Quick Look

La Prairie has finally brought their Cellular Power Infusion serum to Singapore. Touted as the most advanced skincare product ever produced by La Prairie, it's definitely set to grab the attention of consumers. Apparently the Cellular Power Infusion is the fruition of 70 years of research, and the result of three patent-pending technologies, and is supposed to kick-start your skin's renewal process to give you younger looking skin.

The product consists of a clear liquid base, as well as a purple/blue coloured liquid active ingredient, which you then mix into the base before use. La Prairie has this really cool-looking promo image showing the active ingredient being mixed into the product.

At the event, we also got to play around with "activating" the Cellular Power Infusion, and I have to say, it does look pretty impressive in person as well. The liquid active ingredient is actually stored in the bottom of the container, and you twist the base of the container to send it shooting into the clear base. After that, you're supposed to shake the bottle well to mix the serum thoroughly before use.

The bottle on the right shows a bottle just after being activated, while the bottle on the left shows a bottle that's been mixed up. After the serum is mixed, the Cellular Power Infusion takes on a transluscent lilac colour - probably the most unusual colour I've seen for skincare to date.

The product itself is housed in a very stylish, sleek bottle, and you apply it using a dropper. Place a few drops on your palm and spread out onto your skin to apply. The interesting thing about this product is that La Prairie claims that it recharges the energy of your skin cells, and speed up stem cell renewal, as well as protect your skin from the elements.. La Prairie also lists the key ingredients as Swiss Snow Algae, Phyto Stem Cell Extract, and Tissue Guidance Matrix (apparently a similar skin-like matrix is also used to treat burn patients), further adding to the product's "wow" factor.



One thing I was wondering was: can a topical product really affect your skin's DNA? I mean, part of the reason why cancer is so hard to treat is because nothing that is applied or ingested into our body can rectify those rogue cells that keep multiplying, right? If stuff applied to our faces really changed our bodies, scientists could probably invent a cancer-curing body cream. So I'm admittedly a bit skeptical about the "increasing cell energy" part. But then again, I'm not a cosmetic scientist, so I really can't say for sure.

That said, the La Prairie Cellular Power Infusion does contain tried-and-true ingredients that do help improve the skin's quality, such as glycerin, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, grape seed extract, and carica papaya fruit extract. Some of these ingredients hydrate the skin, some provide anti-oxidant benefits, and some encourage skin cell renewal and have exfoliating properties. So even though I'm a skeptical ingredients-obsessed label reader, there are still other ingredients in the product that convince me that it's more than just a bunch of marketing mumbo-jumbo.

The serum itself is a light, lilac liquid that's quite watery in feel and texture. It isn't your typical serum with a thicker gel texture.



Once you rub the Cellular Power Infusion into your skin, it absorbs fully, without leaving behind any residue. However, it does feel a little sticky immediately after application, and the feel is similar to other products which also have a high concentration of sodium hyaluronate (that's not a bad thing, since sodium hyaluronate hydrates the skin). However, if you let it absorb for a few minutes after application, it absorbs fully without leaving behind any sticky feeling.



The Cellular Power Infusion is only meant to be used once every 3-4 months, the reasoning being that once your skin's regeneration has been improved, the effects will last for some time. How this works out for the consumer is that when you buy a set, you get four vials of product, and each vial lasts 7 - 10 days. After all four vials have been used 28-40 days later, you can wait for another 3-4 months before you need to get another set. I guess the infrequency of usage helps to even out the high S$780 price tag somewhat. Continuous usage of the product doesn't harm your skin, but is just unnecessary.

Each set of four vials comes in a very nice white leatherette case, featuring possibly the sleekest-looking skincare packaging I've seen in a while!



One thing I have to say is that the consumer testimonials and reviews I've seen for this product are very positive. We were also told at the event that the PR people even received phone calls by excited users after a few days, claiming that their skin had shown visible improvement within just a few days. Now, I have to admit that is quite something - I usually think of skincare as showing effect within a few weeks, not days!

Another thing I felt was a good point about the product was how easily it fits into anyone's skincare regimen. The Cellular Power Infusion is meant to be used after cleanser and toner, but before moisturizer and other creams. It is meant to help the skin renew itself better, so regardless of what other products you're using, high-end or drugstore, the product would be a standalone addition to whatever routine you have right now, without the need for accompanying creams or other products.



Obviously, the Cellular Power Infusion won't be for everyone - not everyone may have aging as a main concern, and not everyone may want to splurge on skincare. But if you want a luxurious, novel addition to your skincare regime, and if you are looking for a product that would make a difference to your skin without having to revamp your entire routine, this would probably be as good as you could get.

And yes, the above photo is a picture of some of the bloggers and kind PR folks at the event. And the below photo, is a photo of food! Although I don't really post food photos on my blog (because, you know, this isn't a food blog), I love taking photos of food, so yes, here's a gratituous food photo!



(Information provided at an event. All opnions are mine. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

La Prairie Radiance Collection: Cellular Radiance Emulsion

Perhaps the thing La Prairie is most famous for is that it has really expensive products. However, the brand is also known for its anti-aging products, and its commitment to premium, exotic ingredients, and past products have included precious metals, like platinum and diamonds. So while the price is a deterrent, there is a lot to back up the prices.

One of La Prairie's ranges, the Radiance Collection, has a focus on using gold as an ingredient in the skincare range. The gold is primarily meant to brighten and add radiance to the skin. The latest product to be added to this collection is the Cellular Radiance Emulsion, a moisturizer, while the star product of this range is the Cellular Radiance Concentrate, a serum.



The Cellular Radiance Concentrate is a serum that is literally infused with gold, which is pretty cool to me. Imainge actually applying bling to your skin! The product comes in a luxe-looking gold bottle with a dropper, and even inside the dropper, you can see the serum glistening with suspended gold particles.



The serum even glistens and blings on your skin!



Once rubbed in, you can really see the gold flakes glistening on your skin as well. The gold bits function similarly to gold glitter on the skin, and are very light-reflective, as you can see in the photo below. I'm not too sure if everyone would be fond of this effect, especially if you are planning on wearing makeup over it during the day, but given that this is a skincare serum, I guess it is probably meant for use at night.



The Cellular Radiance Emulsion is a light moisturizer that is meant to be used in tandem with the Cellular Radiance Complex serum. This product comes in a shiny silver tube, with a very sensible pump top. Very neat, and very hygenic.



The Emulsion itself is a light white cream, and has a very lightweight texture. This would probably be perfect for hotter weather, or for people who have oily skins and feel that intense moisturization is not needed.



Here is the Emulsion blended in. The product blends in well, and doesn't feel sticky or oily once its been rubbed in well. I think it would be quite wearable under makeup.



Some of the other products in La Prairie's Radiance Collection include the Cellular Radiance Cream, which is a heavier moisturizer, meant for skins that are drier and would like an alternative to the Emulsion. Like the Emulsion, the Radiance Cream is meant to be used in tandem with the Radiance Concentrate.



The product is a white cream, with a thicker texture. It does take awhile to skin in, so I imagine this would be good for cold weather as well.



The Radiance Collection also comes with an eye cream, called the Cellular Radiance Eye Cream. This comes in a cute little jar.



The product is a white cream, also with a thicker texture. Once again, it takes a while to skin into the skin fully, but unlike some other eye creams, it doesn't feel overly rich or too much. I think this does strike a nice balance, and is neither too heavy nor too light.



Here's a shot of some of the products in the Radiance Collection.



While I personally believe that you don't necessarily need expensive skincare to have good skin, if you fancy a little pampering, these are unique and good quality products that would be worth looking into.

To end off, here's a shot of myself together with some of the other bloggers and staff at the event.