SWITZERLAND. As revealed last year by The Moodie Report.com (13 November 2003), Luxury Swiss skincare specialist La Prairie is preparing to launch its new pre-make-up primer, Cellular Treatment Rose Illusion Line Filler, into travel retail. The product is claimed to help skin look instantly smoother, younger and more radiant, thanks to its marine collagen microspheres. According to the company, these gently “˜plump’ the surface of the skin, helping to fill in lines and minimise wrinkles. In addition, light-reflecting polymers and optical diffusers help to camouflage flaws and even the skin tone.
Rose Illusion should be applied after moisturising, and before make-up, on areas where fine lines are most problematic – notably the eye and upper lip. The oil-free, rose-pink gel is presented in a 30ml jar and is priced domestically at $100.
“Rose Illusion is a great product for hectic times, when [consumers] need an immediate result,” La Prairie general manager for distributor markets and travel retail Europe Maike Kiessling told The Moodie Report last year. “La Prairie has lots of products that work deep down in the skin, where the real benefits are visible years down the line. Rose Illusion is different in that it offers emergency help, and makes lines look instantly invisible.”
She added: “That means that the target age-group is a little different too – in fact it is ageless. Rose Illusion can be used by younger women who need a little help the morning after a heavy night’s clubbing, or by older women who have had a hard day at work and need a pick-me-up before going out. Crucially, you don’t need to be a La Prairie customer to use this product. Our aim is to get it into the hands of consumers who have never tried our brand before.”
Also new from La Prairie is Swiss Cellular White, a collection of four whitening/brightening products that has been developed specifically for – and is exclusive to – the Asian market. It will be launched in the region in April. The line features an “˜anti-ozonant’, said to protect the skin against the potential environmental hazards of ozone, which is thought to be as damaging as free radicals in terms of accelerated skin ageing and impaired pigmentation.
Swiss Cellular White comprises a Whitening Lotion (€122); a Whitening Essence (€122); a Whitening Day Emulsion SPF15 (€140); and a Whitening Night Cream (€140).
The Whitening Lotion, described as gentle and refreshing, is said to soothe and balance skin, while enhancing the absorption of the other Cellular White products. The Whitening Essence is an intense treatment that can be used on localised “˜trouble spots’ or over the entire face to whiten and lighten stubborn age/sun spots, freckles and other discolorations. Whitening Day Emulsion SPF15 is a combined preventative whitener and moisturiser complete with protective sun filters, while Whitening Night Cream is described as a rich moisturising/brightening cream that works overnight to reduce the production of melanin.
The line is presented in glossy, white, porcelain-like jars, topped with polished, silver-coloured caps. The outer packaging is the La Prairie signature silver folding box, complete with La Prairie graphics.
In other news, more travellers are set to benefit from La Prairie’s new Amenities Program, which is now being expanded to encompass selected five-star hotels, luxury cruise ships and beauty/fitness spas.
On checking in, guests will find a selection of six, introductory-size La Prairie products – all exclusive Amenities Program offerings – in their rooms. These are Revitalizing Shampoo, Revitalizing Conditioner, Revitalizing Bath and Shower Gel, Moisturizing Body Emulsion, Gentle Facial Soap and Caring Body Soap. All these products are available for purchase only through the company’s Art of Beauty treatment installations.
In addition, as part of the hotels’ “˜turn-down’ service, guests will be left a small jar of La Prairie’s Cellular Night Cream on their pillows. And participating hotels will offer a “˜Beauty Butler’ service in the form of a bedside “˜menu’ of additional La Prairie treatment products. Guests will be invited to select solutions to specific problems – for example, dried-out, jet-lagged skin – and telephone the hotel concierge with their requests. A beauty butler will then deliver the appropriate La Prairie treatments on a silver platter.
“Attention to detail and the highest service level has always been La Prairie’s mantra and it is shared by our 5 Star hotel partners,” commented La Prairie vice president of brand development international Nadia Miller. “La Prairie Luxury Amenities Collection was a natural step in our Art of Beauty development. Customers expect the best when staying at a 5 Star hotel, down to the amenities offered in their rooms.”
Lastly, La Prairie’s Art of Beauty treatments are now available at the Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo Spa. The facility is available to clients of the luxury Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage, the Monte Carlo Beach Hôtel and the Hôtel Mirabeau. La Prairie has created a “˜Sea Luxury Treatment’ expressly for the location. It lasts for an hour-and-a-half and is priced at €188.
