Perhaps the Most Famous Face Cream in the World is Good but Not Good Enough. I had read about it for years – the magical face cream that celebrities, beauty editors and socialites the world over rave about: Creme de la Mer. The official website (www.cremedelamer.com) even uses the word “miraculous.” So, after having two kids and finding myself creeping into my mid-thirties, I decided to perk myself up a bit, splurge a bit and purchase the famous face cream at our local Nordstrom department store. I paid $125 for a one ounce jar. It felt decadent and exciting.

As I applied the Creme, I thought to myself, “Well, this is it. No more tight, worn skin. I’ll have fewer blemishes, soft, supple skin.” I applied it just as the saleswoman suggested, rubbing it between my fingers until it glistened and called out to be applied to my dehydrated, aging skin. As I smoothed it over my cheekbones I couldn’t help but think, “Am I going to wake up looking like a girl of 25 again?”

Well, I have been using Creme de la Mer now for six months (the original jar has lasted me this long because I only use it at night). Here is the flat truth: the Creme is a great night cream. I like the smell, the texture and the way it interacts with my skin. It HAS reduced the amount of blemishes I have to almost nothing, if I use the Creme every night without fail. I notice that if I skip a night or two, I break out again. This could be a combination of dirty skin and just getting older, but I had not noticed this effect with other night creams, so I guess de la Mer is working in this department. It HAS NOT made my skin any less dry or much softer. I personally have come to believe that softness and dryness in skin has more to do with a person’s insides than what we apply on the outside of our skin (i.e. – water, healhty diet, sleep), but I expected a bit more from de la Mer in terms of making my skin supple and youthful – as was my impression by the hoards of reviews by celebrities and beauty editors. I also HAVE NOT noticed a reduction in my fine lines/wrinkles. Now, I’m only 33, so perhaps the “magic” of de la Mer would be better worked on a woman a few years my elder. I’m not sure – I certainly have not seen drastic results on this mid-thirties mom.

So, at the end of the day, my final review of Creme de la Mer is this: it’s a great cream if you have extra cash and want to splurge, but I think other products on the market work just as well for a much smaller chunk of change. In these hard economic times, I’ll probably be heading back to the Neutrogena counter soon.