White Caviar Illuminating Cream drenches the skin with moisture as it provides lifting and firming benefits. Pearlescent powders in the cream give immediate illumination, while a complex of brightening ingredients works to control age spots and discoloration on the skin’s surface. Continued use promotes brighter, younger-looking skin as dark spots are prevented, and the skin is firmed and protected from environmental damage.

White Caviar Illuminating Serum interrupts the cycle that creates age spots, stopping discoloration before it begins. As existing spots fade, firmness, hydration and anti-oxidant protection are increased. This lightweight fluid may be added under any moisturizer to help prevent future discoloration and keep the skin looking its best.
White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum is a high-performing antidote to under-eye darkness. It causes the skin in this area to appear lighter and brighter for a more wide-awake and energized look. In addition, puffiness is reduced and the skin is lifted, firmed and smoothed with wrinkle-reducers. This formula adds power to any eye cream worn over it, increasing hydration and protection benefits.

Typical of products from La Prairie, this system combines premium ingredients with serious science, so expect serious price tags to match. White Caviar Illuminating Cream retails at $450/ 1.7 oz.; White Caviar Illuminating Serum at $450/ 1.0 oz.; and White Caviar Illuminating Eye Serum at $250/0.5 oz. As a luxurious touch, the White Caviar Illuminating Système is housed in substantial white pearlescent jars with silver caviar beads around the cap.

On-counters now, La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Système is available at Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and www.laprairie.com.

Silver Threads begins its journey with green leaves and bergamot, followed closely by tuberose, Indian jasmine, pimento, orange blossom, and ylang ylang, and finishes off with sandalwood, vetiver, musk, and peppery moss. I think of this as the ‘stop and smell the roses’ fragrance – worn by a woman who appreciates all of her five senses and the creature comforts around her.

Gold Threads kicks off with tangerine, Chinese plum, and clove bud, with pepper, Kyoto rose, cinnamon bark, coriander, lily of the valley, and ylang-ylang as the middle notes. Cedarwood, patchouli, golden myrrh, and imperial incense ground the perfume. For anyone in an adventurous mood, this spicy oriental is the way to go.

Platinum Threads - designed for the ‘woman in her element’ – includes violet leaf, rare galbanum, and plum as its front line, with crystal jasmine petals, crushed Persian rose, leather, cardamom, and iris in the middle. Indonesian patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, golden amber, and labdanum provide the base of this chypre – type of perfume popular in the early 20th century that’s now making a comeback.

Each of these fragrances retails for $125 at Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom’s, and www.laprairie.com. The website www.lifethreads.com, launching in October, will release the various short films based on the scents, and showcase the video for ‘Life Threads.’ For more info about the talented Ms. Kaplansky, her website, www.lucykaplansky.com, gives tour dates. She’ll be appearing at La Prairie counters around the country to perform material from her Red Thread album, including the single that grew out of this La Prairie collection.

Smelling pretty never had so many facets.

(Photo Credit:WWD, March 27th 2009)

La Prairie obviously does not believe in the Recession. It adds the Cellular Serum Platinum Rare to its existing Platinum Collection, and the serum debuts in April.

Of course, it ain’t cheap: $650 for 1 oz (the 1.7 oz moisturizer was priced at $1,000).The serum does everything that the cream does, but also contributes to the skin’s brightening and tightening.

According to the article from WWD, the serum’s key ingredients include colloidal platinum, said to help maintain the skin’s electrical balance; a sugar polymer which is said to create a mesh on the skin’s surface for immediate firming and line smoothing; Hesperidin Smart Crystals, a proprietary submicron delivery system, said to deliver hesperidin, an antioxidant, to protect the skin’s DNA mechanism in its cellular nucleus; resveratrol and malachite for their antioxidant properties, and watercress extract, vitamin B3 and Kombucha mushroom extract to increase skin brightness. As well, the product contains the brand’s proprietary Cellular Complex, a cocktail of ingredients said to help stimulate the skin’s natural repair process and energize skin.

The serum will be available at the usual suspects: Nordstrom, Bloomingales etc. in April, 2009.