REVIEW: Lapureté Okuru Skin Care...

A few months ago, those fabulously generous folk over at beautyheaven blessed me with a competition win, and this is what I scored - a Lapureté Okuru skin care set ♥ And as a bonus, every gal who participated in their recent beautorium event scored a travel size cleanser and night cream from this range - beautyheaven, you're simply the best!

Couldn't believe my good fortune, especially as I've had no experience with this brand before, and to receive the entire set was a wondrous treat - Mild Crème Facial Cleanser & Toner, Triple Effects Eye Crème, Protective Day Crème & Resurrection Night Crème, all encased in a stylish white waterproof cosmetic pouch that easily holds the lot. There's also a Double Intensity Serum and Facial Exfoliant in the range that I'm keen to try...

WARNING: this will be a relatively long post with lots of info and pics, so make a cuppa, put your feet up, and read on...

According to their website, Okuru is a plant that grows in Western Africa, and apparently the locals have been using it for centuries to keep their bodies and skin healthy. The story goes that the seeds contain natural peptides that are effective for minimising the appearance of expression lines. I've been using this set since Easter Sunday (roughly 6 weeks), and while there hasn't been a dramatic improvement in the wrinkles and creases on my face, they are definitely less obvious than before...

First up, the packaging of all products is brilliantly practical, and an inspiration to other companies. Each item has a 100% hygienic dispenser, and the white bottles (even the generous travel-sized ones) are semi-opaque so you can see precisely how much is remaining. Hallelujah! In the pic below I've marked the level of product with a --- which means in a month and a half, I've used less than 50% of what's in the containers. This is a significant factor because this range doesn't come cheap (rrp for the set is a hefty $219.50) although they do seem to have regular "specials"...

Lapureté Mild Crème Facial Cleanser & Toner

This was my least favourite of the set because it simply doesn't remove every skerrick of makeup, even with double cleansing, nor do I understand how it can clean AND tone at the same time (the toner content appears to be Witch Hazel). But when used after a more potent cleanser, my skin is left fresh, refreshed, and not in the least bit dry or tight...

This white cream cleanser has that tell-tale stale oil smell that I find in most natural or organic skin care products, but it's not invasive and doesn't linger on the skin. At $39.90, I would not purchase this as I wear quite a lot of make up, and I believe there are better and more effective cleansers on the market for far less outlay. But if you're an au naturel gal, then this is a super gentle cleanser that won't irritate your skin, plus it won a beautyheaven Best in Beauty Award last year :-)

Lapureté Triple Effects Eye Crème

This is a beautiful eye cream, and has reduced the crinkles and crows feet on the outside and underneath my eyes, a result that's obvious to me when I smile. I don't have dark circles so I can't comment on it's effectiveness in that regard, but sadly it has done zilch for my eye bags - however, after trying heaps of puffy-reducing creams and serums (from cheap to outrageously expensive) over the years, I've come to the conclusion that nothing will make any difference to mine other than surgery :-( 

The sturdy pump delivers way too much product, but it's easy to reduce the quantity dispensed simply by applying a far more gentle pressure on the nozzle. Us reviewers often refer to only needing a "pea-sized" amount, but ONE THIRD of a pea is more than enough of this stuff - it's incredibly rich and soothing, but it's also light and doesn't leave a greasy residue, just a thin film of hydration to keep this ever so delicate skin from drying out. I've been using this in the morning as well, and not had a problem with applying concealer or eye make up over the top of it. I can barely detect any fragrance, but what there is is faintly floral. Oh and there's a "2" on the bottle, which means you apply it before the day or night creams...

Lapureté Protective Day Crème

Mmmm yes, a delightful day cream - light and easily absorbed, yet it contains enough enriching ingredients to soften the skin and keep it hydrated throughout the day. No SPF listed, but rather "UVA Defense" - there's no information on the bottle as to what component actually provides the protection, but the Lapureté website contains the following:

"...a unique marine element that provides super-antioxidant protection against the damage caused by UVA radiation. The marine element not only provides a highly effective filter that minimises free radical formation, but also fights the free radicals present that cause up to 90% of skin ageing."

I'm guessing the "marine element" is Thermus Thermophilus, but don't quote me on that as it's not actually stated in their blurb, but my dear friend Google tells me that this odd sounding ingredient is a bacteria derived from a thermal spa in Japan. Hmmm...anyway, moving right along...

Those gals who don't like sticking their fingers into jars will LOVE this dispenser - it's quite ingenious, and I'm hoping that other manufacturers will pick up on the idea. Once you remove the protective cap, on the top of the bottle you can see a slightly raised circle in the centre - you depress the whole area around this circle, and precisely the right amount of cream squirts up in the shape of a flower around the ring - love it! 

It needs a minute or two to sink in, but after that you're read to apply your primer or foundation, with no product balling-up issues. The fragrance is fresh and pleasant, and decidedly unusual - I've noticed that some of the beautyheaven reviewers say it smells like roses, but I don't get that at all. In fact I find it almost impossible to describe, but here's my stab at it - herbal sherbet! 

The cream feels quite dense at first touch, but once it hits the warmth of the skin, it spreads very easily, and it's a pleasure to gently massage it in, and it sure creates a marvellous surface for your foundation - even at the end of the day, my skin feels soooo soft, and my make up doesn't seem to skin into my creases as much, not even in the deep frown lines between my brows...

Lapureté Resurrection Night Crème

The night cream is similar to the day variety but quite a bit richer, the fragrance is identical, it has the same niftily hygienic dispensing system, but obviously, being a night cream, it doesn't contain the mystery UVA Defense ingredient. Instead it includes an extract from the Resurrection Plant (Myrothamnus Flabellifolia) - a potent anti-oxidant that "drenches" (don't you just LOVE that word!?) the skin with moisture for up to 24 hours. I did some research, and the Resurrection Plant is so called because it shrivels and dries up completely during winter - in fact it appears to be dead as a door nail, but as soon as the first rain arrives, it springs back to life in a few hours. The Zulu name for it is "uvukwabafile", which roughly translates as "wakes from the dead".

Well I can't actually say that my 58 year old face has been resurrected, but I can see (and feel) an improvement in the skin elasticity, and my jawline doesn't appear quite as saggy as before. My complexion feels hydrated, supple and cared for, and there's not a trace of an oil slick on my T-zone next morning. I think this is my favourite of the range - when I wake up, my skin is as soft as a newborn babe's, and yet there's a firmness to it that wasn't there before. You'll need to massage this one in well though - it does take a while to sink in, and even then, it leaves a silky layer on the surface to keep the hydration levels up while you sleep...

Overall I'm rather impressed with this skin care, and ever so grateful to beautyheaven and Lapureté for the opportunity to try the range, which in case you haven't read the labels in the pics, contains no parabens or petrochemicals. All the packaging is sturdy, but super light if you're travelling. 

I'll continue to use the system until it runs out, and will post an update on my progress, probably in another 8 weeks or so. Till then I'll hold off announcing whether I'm going to invest in it in the future - I won't make that decision until I've given all three moisturising creams the opportunity to work some miracles on my ancient skin...

Have you tried any of the Lapureté range? What's your verdict?

Take care of you,

kats xxx