Guerlain Abeille Royale Cleansing Oil

[unpaid/sample] If you’re in the mood for a new cleanser, I can suggest Guerlain Abeille Royale Cleansing Oil – pricey at £42 but ever so lovely. It’s a luxury buy and feels like it in use – a silky, light texture on the skin with a honey-ish aroma (if bees ran spas this is what they would smell like) that makes light work of even water-proof make up.

You only need about 3 or 4 drops to do your entire face so it’s going to last a good while. After massaging the oil drops around your complexion, add a few drops of water to emulsify and then either rinse or wipe away. I like a luxury cleanser to leave something more than clean skin – because any cleanser can cleanse – and this is generous on leaving a supple, smooth feel. It’s HERE, but read on…

I love a lotion although have to admit that I’m a sporadic user rather than a regular one. This Guerlain version is a good reminder why they’re such a nice step in a routine. ‘Fortifying’ is one of those ambigious words in beauty that can mean more or less anything – in this case, I interpret it as meaning strengthening so that your complexion is in good order to resist pollution and external aggressors. So, this is a good first step hydrator before you add any other products – royal jelly is full of proteins and lipids so you will certainly feel an immediate skin silkening and softening. If you imagine a light oil-in-water texture then you have it. It’s £55 HERE and I’d take this over the cleansing oil – a lovely way to use a lotion, that I learned from watching Japanese skin care videos, is to pull apart a cotton wool square so you have two very thin squares. Soak them with lotion (you don’t need to drench) and layer onto your skin. Lie down, read a book or whatever for 20 minutes and then peel the pads away. Your skin should now feel softer than a cloud.

There’s a place in my heart for Guerlain with its resoluteness in providing the kind of traditional French skin care that exudes familiarity, luxury and efficacy for older women. Although I’m at odds with their anti-ageing messaging which is sometimes jarring, I never get a product that doesn’t feel special. I know, like every brand, they’re trying to appeal to a younger audience, but I’d hate to see them neglect the women that treat these skin care pieces like treasure and absolutely trust their skin to them. Not that they are neglectful – but sometimes it feels like Guerlain is the last bastion for a posh beauty shop for customers who don’t know, or care, who Kim is.