All about: the new Lancôme Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Essence

I love a truly luxe beauty item – it stirs the senses and the emotions like you wouldn’t believe, and at every turn you feel like you are allowing yourself that little bit of time for extra pampering i.e. true ‘me’ time in every sense of the word.

I also love the feel of using oils on my skin – face and body – so when I heard that Lancôme were introducing Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Essence and that it was a mix of both, I was seriously intrigued.

But first, a little background. When he developed Absolue, his ultimate creation for Lancôme, in 1965, the legendary Armand Petitjean reprtedlty aimed to capture “inspired, authentic and serene beauty” in a skincare product: the art of beauty à la française. 50 years later, the range continues to represent Lancôme’s high standards of excellence and sheer fabulousness, hitting its peak (I thought) in 2012 with the launch of Absolue L’Extrait. The company’s most complete regenerating collection, it draws two exceptional active ingredients from the heart of the Lancôme® Rose: Lancôme® Rose native cells and the Pressé of these native cells. It was the ultimate holistic beauty experience – high performance and high sensoriality in one delicious swoop.

This year however, they have unveiled what they term a “sensational trompe l’oeil texture” that offers women in search of sensoriality a product that feels like an oil but isn’t one. Yep, that’s right – all of the nourishing benefits of an oil, but in the ease of a lotion. That’s Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Essence, and what a marvel it is.

For thousands of years, oils have held a singular place in cosmetics and the art of living. For women in search of all the sensorial benefits of oils but who do not use them, the Lancôme laboratories have reinvented oils and dream up a new-generation texture. The idea of an oil that develops a sensation identical to oil on the skin, but without being an oil or containing a single drop of it. Rather, it is formed using an extremely high percentage of humectants cleverly combined in an ultra-fresh emulsified gel texture. This gives the enveloping, comforting and nutritive sensation of oil, combined with the lightness and freshness of a lotion. And it comes with a proven record - after the very first application the Ultimate Essence reportedly strengthens the skin’s barrier function by over 31 per cent.

The whole Absolue L’Extrait range has always emphasised a holistic, sensorial experience when it comes to the usage of its products.  The same applies to this new essence, for which it has also devised a ritual meant to awaken all of the senses and having tried it, I can vouch for the fact that it feels amazing!

It goes thus…

Step 1: Pour equivalent to 1 pipette of Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Essence into the palm of your hand.
Step 2: Apply the formula to five points on the face and blend it with fingertips over the forehead, cheeks and chin, using long gliding strokes, working from the centre of the face outwards.
Step 3: Finish with light downward strokes on the T-zone, around the lips, along the jaw line and down the neck.
Step 4: Briskly rub hands together to warm them then press palms on the forehead, cheeks and chin.
Step 5: Repeat this movement on the facial contours. 

Just gorgeous, and a reminder to stop and care for yourself at LEAST once a day. Halleljuah to that.
Absolue L’Extrait Ultimate Essence is available right now, RRP NZD$498.00