DARPHIN EXQUISÂGE BEAUTY REVEALING CREAM

I am on something of an endless hunt for what I think of as ‘proper’ moisturisers. You know, the type of product a grown up lady would use. I suppose given I am now 36, that is no great surprise. However, because my skin has changed so much in the last ten years - well, even in the last five - it still feels like a surprise to me. As a formerly acneic oily bird, it brings me serious joy to know my skin can tolerate (nay, demand, with much foot stomping and aggressive whining) a rich, luxurious cream.

As you can see in the image above, this Darphin number fits the bill. Texture-wise, there’s something delightfully fluffy going on, and yet it’s as nourishing as you could ask for, without veering into suffocation territory. Applying it is like simultaneously giving your skin a tall glass of iced lemon water and a slow, gentle pat, and I found it as immensely soothing as that description suggests. It contains peptides as well as plenty of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, all of which sit in a base of glycerin. So you’re getting the immediate benefits of hydration, mainly its ensuing plumping, plus the long-term benefits of the high-tech goodies.

It’s certainly up there on the price point scale, and for that you get all of the lovely shouldn’t-matter-but-somehow-do extras, including a sea green, frosted glass pot, a wonderful name (does ‘beauty revealing cream’ not sound straight out of the 1950s, in the best way?), and the most stunning, delicately floral scent, with a slight aquatic element. The fragrance of wildflowers carried to you on an ocean breeze, if you will. I am a huge fusspot about fragrance in my lotions and potions, and very few are like this one, eliciting nothing more from me than a happy, relaxed sigh each time I unscrew the lid.

I was surprised to see that Darphin is the first brand I have reviewed two products from on this site (you can read my review of its Lumiere Essentielle Illuminating Oil Gel-Creme here), but pleasantly so. If both your face and your spirit are in need of a treat, Darphin is one of those heritage brands that you don’t need to hesitate in choosing. I don’t think it gets the appreciation that it should, especially not here in Australia. Its marriage of an old-school French approach to skincare (focusing on indulgent textures and quality plant oils) with up to date science is not one to sleep on. And for my money, this Exquisage cream is the crown jewel of their wonderful moisturisers.

Sample/purchase info: purchased in 2018 via SpaceNK. Now available in Australia at Mecca (link here).