I met the La Prairie Vancouver team at the recent EO Golf event I attended; and as a guest, I was later invited down to their outlet, at Holt Renfrew, for a facial.
I was able to bring a guest along for a personalized La Prairie experience, valued at $600. However, it is not actually available for purchase. You are only able to experience the following if you purchase $1,500 worth of product. For every $1,500 spent you are given the facial as a complimentary add-on bonus. This was a one-on-one skin analysis and consultation with one of their specialists, as part of their signature La Prairie facial, which is tailored to your skin’s needs.
I got to know the extent of their four lines, each colour coated for easy identification. The blue is their base with the greatest focus on lifting and firming. However their entire collection has ingredients that fosters both. The white is for those who want to brighten, aka “whiten” their skin. The gold is designed for those who need the extra hydration, as the richest of the collections. And the purple-fuchsia Platnium is their top tier line with no jar/bottle under $1,100. This series has the most of the anti-aging ingredients and boasts the greatest benefits.
Each bottle is said to have enough products for 3 months of use, with some allocated for day and others night use. I was told that you will see the benefits as early as 1 month of continuous, regular use. Benefits include the even-ing out of skin and the reduction of discolouration from scars.
During the onset consultation, where I disclosed to not having any stand out skin issues and to not subscribing to a daily regiment, I was given the option of which collection to use. Considering I probably won’t get this opportunity again, I opted in for the Platinum for the full pull.
The treatment is done in their private cubby of a room where the facials are held. Just large enough for a bed, sink, counter, stool, and a single person to navigate around it all.
You are asked to disrobe and dawn on their branded wrap towel, before making yourself comfortable on the padded massage table. Once situated you are directed to ring the door bell to alert the tech that you are ready for your treatment to commence.
The service is a series of steps, each punctuated with a toner. This is not one of your regular ones with alcohol, but more like a lotion that absorbs clean and dry. This is coupled with a serum that adds moisture, which helps to absorb the creams, as most of them don’t contain water, so don’t absorb into the skin that easily.
Things start with a cleanser and moved on to a scrub and face massage with their own facial massage cream. Every square inch of my face was massaged, in and around the orbital eye socket, pulling up along the jaw, and sculpting the hair line crown.
Of all the steps, I especially enjoyed the cold and tingling sensation of the fruit peel. Unlike other peels that get washed and/or wiped off, this one was massaged off. A gentle kneading to remove dried on bits by bit. During the three minutes it took to set, I got a back and neck massage to further the already indulgent experience.
A take away for me during this is that skincare is not to be confused with the above creams and lotion. This is more like medicine for the skin, and not just preventive solutions. The session ended with eye serum and hydration for dewy glass skin, plus a layer of their sun screen, which is a must.
This was honestly the best facial I had and will probably ever had. As well as the best thing that has happened to my face. If you can afford the product and get the chance, I strongly suggest that you do and take it.
Holt Renfrew | Canada’s Designer Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Retailer
737 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1E4
(604) 681-3121
holtrenfrew.com
