Even after a dozen years of covering beauty, I still pump my elbow in a celebratory “Yes!” motion when a company gives me a big-ticket face lotion or serum for, um, research. So imagine my dorky delight when I was asked to try the new Clé de Peau Beauté Synactif Crème that costs a cool grand.
With that $1,000 price tag, I was hoping the opulent formula would make me look like Naomi Campbell. No such luck. However, I did notice a difference in my complexion after just a few days of testing. I’m about 10 days deep, and my skin is velvety smooth, radiant, and more even—as if I’m a pampered socialite rather than a haggard writer. The texture of the cream makes me feel spoiled, too. When I apply it, the sensation is like soft butter melting into my skin. Even better: It comes complete with a rose-gold tray and spatula so you can proudly display your beauty riches on your bathroom counter.
What really makes the moisturizer so valuable, however, is the science behind it. It took 12 years to develop the Synactif line. The collection includes four other products ranging from a $100 bar soap to a $275 night treatment. The technology is designed to make sure that your skin’s lymphatic channels (the vessels and capillaries that work together to rid waste from the body) are operating efficiently. Think of it as a natural detox process that helps fight signs of aging and allows all of the top-notch ingredients to work at the highest level. Of course, if you put that much time and resources into a product, you’re not just going to phone it in with the fragrance. The brand spent 11 years creating an exclusive scent for the line with rosemary, iris, and rare roses from the Delbard nursery in France.
I’m guessing that it will take me another two months or so to finish my sumptuous jar of Synactif Crème, so the full effect remains to be seen. In the meantime, I’m definitely enjoying feeling like a million, well, a thousand bucks.
