Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème, Exceptional Global Skincare

One of the most luxurious moisturizers I’ve had the pleasure of trying, has got to be without a doubt, Or Rouge (CAN $425.00/30 ml) from Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. Sourced from the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco – a land beloved by M. Saint Laurent, lies the star ingredient of Or Rouge: the pistils of the Saffron flower with their almost mythical regenerative properties. Housed in a fluidly shaped receptacle in tones of black, gold, & red – created by furniture and interior designer Noé Duchaufour Lawrance, it echoes the oriental influences at the heart of Yves Saint Laurent Couture, with each golden cap finished by hand and resulting in a swirled brushed finish – each as unique as a fingerprint. There is also an accompanying applicator designed to mimic the Saffron pistil’s shape, although the one I received is significantly different and rather utilitarian (see the photos of the event I attended lower down the post, to view the actual applicator).

Making advances in the field of premium skincare, Yves Saint Laurent and their SKINSCIENCE committee of experts have begun delving in Glycobiology – putting it simply, this is the study of the structure, biosynthesis, and biology of saccharides (sugar chains or glycans). The pistil (Saffron) of the crocus flower bears a rare ingredient with a high concentration of glycans, an ingredient that our skin begins to lack as we age, resulting in subsequent skin & cell deterioration, as well as being extremely high in Crocin, an ingredient that has well documented anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, which helps with quick cellular renewal and turnover, firming & toning, as well as aiding in eliminating dark spots of the skin.
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Through the millennia, Saffron has been highly prized by many cultures – at times valued even higher than gold. Legend has it that the Greek God Hermes had wounded his friend with a discus; 3 drops of blood then fell to the ground and on that very spot, a mauve flower grew with 3 blood red pistils – that flower was then named Crocus after Hermes’ wounded friend. Even Alexander the Great camped on a field of crocuses that bloomed overnight – which he took as a sign from the Gods, leading him to turn back his army. The legendary Cleopatra – famed for her fierce cunning as well as her lavish beauty rituals, reputedly added Saffron to milk in order to create a golden coloured elixir to bathe in – fit for a queen, no doubt.

The crocus plant is self-propagating and produces its own offspring, with the flowers blooming only in Autumn on one unpredictable day of the year – making it one of nature’s most evanescent (and quite finicky) treasures. The women who tend these flowers, watch over them carefully – waiting for that one single precise moment to begin harvesting them: at the first light of dawn, when the flowers are laced with dew and the petals still remain protectively closed around the precious pistils, drawing each flower delicately from the soil.

Once gathered, each of the three Saffron heads per flower are then tenderly removed and carefully dried, before being stored in airtight glass jars. It takes 150,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram of Saffron. This precision and delicate work needs practiced & deft hands, which is why this this skill is passed down from one generation of women to another – a celebration of an ancestral act.
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The ‘terroir’ (much like the soil conditions that nurture the most prized wine grapes) of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains was selected by the YSL SKINSCIENCE team for its perfect climate: the altitude, ideal soil conditions, rainfall and temperature yield the richest source of this exceptional harvest, and now this potent compound can also be found in Or Rouge.

Holt Renfrew, the exclusive retailer for the Yves Saint Laurent Or Rouge Exceptional Global Skincare range, recently held a private launch event to which I was invited and given the opportunity to learn even more about this incredible face product, and where I also received my first henna tattoo – a gorgeous crocus flower-inspired creation which lasted about 2 weeks before gradually fading away, by the talented henna artist, Shaista Jalal.

Crocus Sativus flowers with their three vivid & distinctive pistils at their heart – also known more commonly as saffron

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème (sealed applicator)

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème

Or Rouge Crème (CAN $425.00/30 ml) | Every detail of Or Rouge (french for “red gold”) just screams subtle luxury – starting from the Asian-influenced shape of the container, to the product itself. An off-white cream that bears a fresh/floral scent and in a texture that is a cross between slippery-feeling and buttery smooth. That this cream is incredibly rich, you can tell from the instant you begin applying it – a little goes a long way, as it spreads effortlessly and seems to almost glide along your skin. As I have combination skin, I found that Or Rouge is much too emollient for me to wear during the day, but as a night cream, it has literally transformed my skin: a thin layer applied before bed, and I wake up to the softest, most even toned looking skin. For the past few weeks that I’ve been testing this moisturizer, I’ve also noticed that the tiny lines around my eyes seems to be significantly improved as well, looking more filled-in but as to any firmness, I can’t say my skin seems changed in that respect, although I’d probably need specialized equipment to really test that, right? buy Celebrex online padstyle.com/wp-content/languages/new/ no prescription

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Or Rouge Crème launch

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Oriental Perfume Collection (Majestic Rose, Supreme Bouquet, Noble Leather)

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | Receiving my first henna tattoo at the Or Rouge event, executed by artist Shaista Jalal

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | The finishing touches to my henna tattoo at the Or Rouge event

Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | The Saffron-insipired design of my henna tattoo, Or Rouge event

With über-stylish Carrie MacPherson, Editor in Chief at Zurbaines – at the Yves Saint Laurent Or Rouge event

Striking a pose with the lovely Stephanie Boridy (Holt Renfrew Personal Shopper par extraordinaire) at the YSL Or Rouge event

No one is exempt from time, and while ageing is a natural process, I don’t intend to go down without a fight. Happily, Or Rouge is one skincare product that truly delivers on its claims – and at that price, it better. Interestingly enough, I was sent a 15 ml container of product versus the 30 ml sold at counters, so I’m guessing mine was a media/press version, as I can’t seem to find that size listed anywhere (a smaller size like mine at half the cost of the original would actually be an ideal entry to this range). Yes, there are face creams available that provide positive results & at a fraction of the cost, but for those that can afford it, you owe it to yourself to indulge in this little pot of magic. The way I see it, my face is definitely worth the expense (just cut back on other frivolities), then sit back and enjoy the compliments.

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