I Tried A $2,000 Face Serum And This Is What Happened

I'll admit that there's something about luxury beauty products that make my heart skip a beat. Be it $100 lipsticks, $300 foundations, or $500 sleeping masks, just the mere thought of them is already enough to make me enjoy them even before I begin the process of actually using them. Everything from ripping open the packaging, holding the precious bottles in my hand, to actually feeling the lavish textures on my skin, luxury beauty products are not designed to only deeply regenerate but also to pamper your senses.

Personally, I've always enjoyed products that feel richer and more nourishing, even though my skin tends to fall somewhere in the combination to oily type. And for as long as I remember, gel-textured products that disappear almost instantly after application just never appealed to me. I've also always prefered products that are delicately scented because they made the process of applying skincare feel enjoyable instead of just another thing to tick off my to-do list.

Which is why I fell in love with La Prairie's Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask the first time I tried it a few years ago. It was probably the most expensive product I've tried back then and I remember putting La Prairie under the Skincare Holy Grail file since then. Everything from its souffle-like texture to its powdery scent are incredibly indulgent and not only do I love how soft and supple it made my skin feel, I thoroughly enjoyed the ritual of applying it. So when La Prairie invited me to a luxury staycation and a chance to try out the extravagant Platinum Rare facial using the its newest Platinum Rare Cellular Night Elixir, I immediately jumped at it.

The facial was everything it promised: a deeply restorative treat that replenishes and recharges skin, prepping it for optimal self-renewal throughout the night. Throughout the 90-minute experience, my skin was coddled with utmost care as my therapist performed an extensive and ultra-relaxing facial massage, during which I fell asleep. My skin was instantly more radiant and felt more supple, and when I woke up the next day, my skin texture looked more refined.

Related article: 8 Fabulous Face Masks For Every Skin Type In Singapore

I was sold. So I decided to continue using it nightly, just to see how much it can change my skin. For starters, the Platinum Rare Cellular Night Elixir is positioned as the most potent and most luxurious product of the brand, packed with the highest concentrations of some of the most prized ingredients. Its purpose? To feed skin with essential nutrients so as to optimise cellular respiration and boost the detoxification process which in turn, leads to improved immunity against external stressors.

Designed to deeply rejuvenate skin in just one bottle, the directions of use call for one pipette-full of product to be applied each night—which works out to be about $90 per use. In all honesty, this doesn't come cheap. But as I dispensed a pipette-full of product onto my palm and slowly massaged the serum-like fluid into my skin, its delicate floral scent instantly makes me feel at ease. It has a light and spreadable texture that leaves my skin feeling nourished and more supple. Personally, I like to take my time and do some simple, light massage steps as I apply my skincare and I especially liked the fact that not only does it not leave behind any greasy or sticky residue once it's fully absorbed, it allowed my fingers to glide along my skin without tugging at it.

Related article: 11 Foundations That Will Fix All Your Skin Issues

Formulated with the highest concentration of the brand's Exclusive Cellular Complex, each drop douses skin with essential nutrients like amino acids, nucleotides and sugars, which are vital building blocks necessary for cellular components like proteins and DNA. In addition, the brand's Advanced Platinum Complex also provides skin cells with Platinum peptides, lipds and brightening ingredients to firm, strengthen and impart skin with a natural glow. And how did it fare for my skin?

Firstly, I need to come clean about my skin condition. As previously mentioned, I've always had combination skin and mostly prone to shine and oiliness. However, prior to this, I usually see enlarged pores in the morning as a result of dehydration from sleeping in air-conditioning overnight. But after about a week, I noticed that my skin looks smoother and more even. The appearance of these dehydration pores seemed to have diminished. After two weeks, my skin also looked brighter, almost like I had a full eight hours off rest even on nights when I didn't. And now that my bottle is coming to an end, I think I also notice my skin looks firmer and more taut, and the areas around my nasolabial folds do look less shadowy. I can't say much about wrinkle improvements because that's not much of a problem for me but I've caught myself touching my face on several occasions because my skin just feels so much softer and smoother now, it's almost like I'm constantly exfoliating my skin and applying a hydrating mask. More importantly, the Platinum Rare Cellular Night Elixir isn't overly rich for my skin. I woke up day after day with a well-balanced complexion that looked more even-toned than the previous one.

So if you have just received a fat bonus and have the urge to splurge, I say go ahead. Or even if shelling out $1,890 for a luxury serum is not an everyday occurence for you, I say why the hell not? Because aside from what it does for your skin and the utterly sensorial experience—hello, daily DIY facial?—you can't quite put a price on this level of joy and bliss it comes with.

Related article: This New Skincare Range Promises To Make You "Look Younger, Longer"