Famous for its Red Door Salon, among other things beauty-related, the world-renowned cosmetics powerhouse Elizabeth Arden recently rolled out the red carpet and opened its doors to the Asian press for a glimpse of its latest products carefully concocted at their laboratories. Jetting off to Singapore for a beauty insider’s glimpse into what the hottest products are to hit the market consisted of informative sessions headed by Elizabeth Arden’s VP of research and development Tony Vargas and Sebastian Clifton-Welker, their international marketing director. Our trip was concise yet rewarding, as we heard enlightening remarks on the newest products at the forum held at the Ritz-Carlton Millennia.
Given the demand for whitening and brightening in Asia, Elizabeth Arden has jumped on the bandwagon and tuned in to the needs of Asian women. Inspired by the term commonly used in the West, the “white glove treatment,” the products that exist in this line follow the same theme as the term, symbolizing a luxe way to be pampered and catered to. The white glove treatment usually means something of full service ensuring comfort, quality or something special. When mentioned, it immediately conjures up images of service in fine hotels, lab scientists who conduct research and graceful women on their wedding days.
Two immensely regal legends known for their elegance and grace were looked at for inspiration and guidance — Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. The woman who embodies this in our present time is none other than Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is the face of Elizabeth Arden White Glove. Personally, I think she looks as if she has some Filipina heritage in her. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why she was chosen to be their spokesperson — she looks slightly Asian and this line was specifically created for (and tested on) Asian skin.
Each of the products in the White Glove skincare regimen is formulated with most of the same key ingredients, but each one has a main task to perform. At the core of it all is the Emblica C Complex, which has kept the Elizabeth Arden research-and-development team tinkering away at the lab. Used for thousands of years in the East, Emblica (which is more commonly known as Indian gooseberry) is an herbal extract that is gentle and safe. When combined with vitamin C, Emblica can gently control the amount of melanin produced in the skin. The Emblica C Complex (a merger of Emblica and a vitamin C derivative) is phenomenal is many ways. This complex clarifies skin tone, increases skin’s radiance, acts as a strong antioxidant, maintains natural collagen levels, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and reduces freckles, brown spots and discolorations. That’s a huge checklist to tackle and when this Emblica C Complex is combined with botanical extracts like mulberry, bearberry and licorice, one’s skin tone can be much brighter and more even. In a nutshell, not only does White Glove whiten your skin, it minimizes signs of aging on your visage.
When the line is used in conjunction with the other products, it produces the most optimal results, since they’ve been engineered to enhance each other. After cleansing to remove makeup and impurities, then toning to remove the dead surface skin cells and to refresh the skin, it’s important to note the difference between the treatments to be used during the day versus the ones to be used at night, as skin has different needs at different times. The products to be used for daytime contain the Emblica C complex, while the nighttime products have a higher concentration of vitamin C. The vitamin C present in the products is safe to use as the dosage was administered to prevent irritation, especially for people who are normally sensitive to vitamin C-infused products. The entire line is ultra-gentle and safe to use on sensitive skin. In fact, Asian skin happens to be more sensitive than most other skin types. White Glove products are non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic, which makes it easy to incorporate into anyone’s regimen.
In the morning, applying the Intensive Revitalizing Essence after cleansing and toning is a must. It absorbs quickly and penetrates deeply into the skin’s surface to improve texture and clarity. The light essence is super-charged to protect against daytime aggressors. Applying UV Defense Lotion SPF 45 should be a no-brainer, especially in our tropical climate with major sun exposure. Prevention is way easier than repairing what’s already been damaged. At night, when skin recharges and needs something a bit more extreme, the time-released Fortifying Capsules face a duo of challenges. The preservative-free capsules aim to whiten and provide anti-aging benefits by boosting skin’s radiance and tone and also by minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. Once the main treatments have been applied, moisturizing properties can be applied (lotion or cream — your choice) and eye cream.
Normally, results can be seen in 12 weeks when using other whitening lines; however, results can be had after only eight weeks of using White Glove. Surely the longer you stick with a regimen, the more drastic your results will be. The melanin in the skin needs to be exfoliated before brighter, clearer skin can reveal itself. While the products can be applied to the entire face, the active ingredients will work solely on the pigmented areas and not lighten your whole face.
At the upscale Sentosa resto, Il Lido, the newest crème de la crème was presented to us amid a group of eager beauty press people from all over the region. Prevage, the anti-aging cream that has Elizabeth Arden fans wowed, has developed a night version, which is a morning-after cure. Skin naturally repairs itself from environmental assaults when we sleep, and we need adequate sleep for this process to be effective. Prevage was formulated to optimize the repair process, firm the skin by restoring resilience, hydrate intensely, give off radiance and smoothen skin.
Three main ingredients work their magic in this overnight cream, which gives the impression you are well rested even without a full night’s sleep. Who wouldn’t want that? Lather it on! Idebenone is a potent skin revitalizer and one of the most powerful antioxidants. It aids in the prevention of oxidation on the skin, which is the lead cause of skin aging. The Mega Complex-A, comprised of lemon peel extract, hydroxypinacolone-retinoate (so technical), colorless carotenoids and vitamin E, work in tandem with idebenone to fight aging, while high-performance moisturizers attract and bind moisture into the skin to give you a rested appearance. The moisturizing agents penetrate deep into the skin and not just on the surface, which is what most lotions target.
What I truly love about this product, aside from the results I’ve been privy to, is the packaging. The cream comes in an airless jar to keep the product fresh and sealed. It’s a one-touch dispensing tub that is hygienic and a cinch to use. The curse words in the beauty biz — dryness, dullness, loss of elasticity, wrinkles and fine lines — seem to melt away when using Prevage. I’ve been so happy with what I’ve seen so far.
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Elizabeth Arden is available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La Mall Mandaluyong and Rustan’s Alabang.