The internationally acclaimed skincare brand ESPA have unveiled a new look, and also some new products for 2011. Their new Lift & Firm range has been specially designed using as many natural ingredients as possible to tackle those dreaded signs of aging – sounds good to me so I’m rather pleased that I’ve been given the opportunity to test out the range as my first signs of aging are definitely starting to show!
I’ve been studying my face pretty much daily for a while now, driving myself mad about any negative changes or signs of aging... you know the type of thing I’m talking about; it’s that first fine line, the one that you know will turn into your even more dreaded first wrinkle, or maybe you’ve noticed your skin starting to look a little less plump – all these signs are never really wanted, but along they come anyway! I know these laughter lines etc show part of our life story, and that worrying about it probably makes matters worse but that doesn’t stop me worrying and wanting to prevent them as much as is humanly possible.
Super Active Lift & Firm Mask (£45, 55ml)
They say:
“An intensely rejuvenating treatment to actively lift, firm and smooth lines.
Key Benefits:
- Toning, lifting and firming, the mask reduces the appearance of lines
- Nourishes and softens the skin
- Calms and desensitises the skin
- Suitable for maturing, stressed or de-hydrated skin types
Key Ingredients:
- Larch extract - a very powerful anti-ageing ingredient that has been proven to reduce the appearance of lines and tighten the skin to improve firmness and elasticity
- Argan Oil - known to restore the hydrolipid layer, reducing the appearance of lines. It also has extremely high levels of antioxidant Vitamin E and Essential Fatty Acids to nourish the skin
- Pelan Silt – encourages cell renewal Frankincense, rich in Vitamins A and C – regenerates
- and protects
Treating the Skin:
Apply a generous layer to the face, neck and décolleté after cleansing once or twice a week.
Leave for at least 20 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly and finish with Lift & Firm Moisturiser. Apply
Lift & Firm Intensive Serum beneath your moisturiser for maximum effect.”
I say:
I loved using this mask; I really think that using a mask like this can benefit your skin greatly. Firstly because masks are usually crammed full of great for your skin goodies (this one has antioxidants, vitamins AND super ingredient of the moment, Argan Oil in it, to name just a few), and also because a mask is left on the skin for a decent amount of time (20 minutes in this case) so these potent ingredients can really penetrate into the skin and do their thang!
I was really very impressed with the results when using this mask; it was a doddle to use, surprisingly un-messy and left my skin feeling beautifully soft, smooth and surprisingly firmer! I loved using it on my neck too, I’m always scared that my neck will be one of the areas that really shows my age without me being able to do anything about it (along with m y hands) so seeing that this says to also use it on the neck was really encouraging!
Lift & Firm Intensive Serum (£47.50, 15ml)
They say:
‘A concentrated, ultra smoothing and rejuvenating treatment
Key Benefits:
- Firms and restructures the skin
- Lifts the skin and restores elasticity
- Stimulates collagen production and plumps the skin to smooth lines
- Protects the skin from free radicals and boosts cell regeneration
- Hydrates and deeply nourishes
- Ideal for maturing skin
Key Ingredients:
- Gotu Kola – stimulates the renewal of collagen and restores elasticity
- Larch – a powerful active that lifts and firms the skin
- Irish Moss – hydrates the epidermis and nourishes the skin
Treating the Skin:
Gently press two pumps of serum onto the face, neck and décolleté morning and evening before
moisturising. Apply before Lift & Firm Moisturiser and Lift & Firm Mask for optimum results.’
I say:
Serums are a hero product for me, and this one is no different; I absolutely love using it. The texture/consistency is gorgeous, it’s a dream to apply to my skin and a little goes a long way. The photo of the serum on my hand shows one pump and that will cover my whole face, I use a second pump for my neck and décolleté (as instructed) and again that is a more than adequate amount for these areas!
My skin absorbs this serum so quickly and the potency of the ingredients in it makes my skin feel instantly moisturised and look much brighter.
Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum (£55, 15ml)
They say:
‘An ultra-firming, age-defying, smoothing treatment developed specifically for the delicate eye area
Key Benefits:
- Stimulates cell renewal and collagen production to lift and tone
- Gives an instant firming effect
- Reduces the appearance of dark circles and helps reduce puffiness
- Smoothes lines
- Deeply nourishing
Key Ingredients:
- Micro-Algae – smoothes the appearance of fine lines
- Cyatheaceae Tree Fern – instant lifting and firming effect
- Golden Root – instantly brightens the eye area and reduces puffiness
- Inca-Inchi Oil – nourishes and hydrate
Treating the Skin:
For optimum results, gently press one pump of serum from the inner to the outer curve of the
eye socket (avoiding the eye lid) morning and evening before moisturising with Lift & Firm Eye
Moisturiser.’
I say:
This product is amazing, if you can only afford to get one product from this range then make this it. Using this eye serum instantly made my eyes look brighter and made the skin around my eye feel tighter (in a good way, not a using hand soap on your face way); and because of the slight cooling feeling I actually felt more alert after using it – not necessarily what the product was designed for but great for using in the morning to wake myself up a bit more whilst doing my skin a whole load of good.
Also, please do remember to pat the serum on as directed, don’t rub it in! I find using my ring finger best for this as it applies just the right amount of pressure without dragging the skin (which could cause more damage in the long term)!
Lift & Firm Moisturiser (£38, 25ml)
They say:
‘A deeply nourishing age-defying complex to help smooth lines and stimulate collagen production
Key Benefits:
- Firms and strengthens the skin’s structure
- Lifts the skin and restores elasticity
- Stimulates collagen production and plumps the skin
- Boosts cell regeneration
- Protects the skin from damaging free radicals
- Minimises the appearance of fine lines
- Provides deep nourishment
Key Ingredients:
Sea Amber – stimulates the renewal of collagen and restores elasticity
Larch - a powerful active that lifts and firms the skin
Anise Extract – reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
Avocado Oil – hydrates and moisturises.
Treating the skin:
Smooth daily over cleansed face, neck and décolleté morning and evening. Use with the Lift &
Firm Intensive Serum and Lift & Firm Mask for optimum results.’
I say:
Moisturising is so important, keeping your skin moisturised is a key part to preventing wrinkles and so I’d always say to buy the best moisturiser that you can afford – although even if you just use a cheap vitamin E (or similar) cream it’s better than using nothing at all.
This moisturiser is actually very affordable in my opinion; I’d happily pay this price for it as my skin really did feel plumped, soft and smooth when using it. I have combination skin and the product worked equally as well for both my dry and oily areas, so it really is suitable for all skin types, which is great! Also, the product absorbed SO quickly which is also very useful when you want to get your makeup on; and it smells divine, a little bit similar to a Dermalogica candle I have... it’s really, really lovely.
Lift & Firm Eye Moisturiser (£40, 15ml)
They say:
‘An intensively nourishing eye treatment to give an instant lifting, tightening and brightening effect
Key Benefits:
- Gives an immediately perceptible tightening and lifting effect
- Dramatically improves the reduction of lines
- Stimulates collagen to enhance elasticity and firmness
- Rejuvenates and revitalises the skin
- Long term strengthening of the skin’s connective tissue
- Brightens the eye contour and reduces under-eye puffiness
Key Ingredients:
- Summer Snowflake Bulb Extract (this is a Nobel Prize Winning Ingredient) – helps to slow down cell proliferation and reduces the appearance of lines
- Lupin Seed – promotes the production of a high quality collagen that gives the skin it’s firmness and elasticity
- Echium Oil – a plant derived source of Omega 3, 6, & 9 able to rejuvenate and revitalise the skin
- Algae Extract – long term strengthening of the skin’s connective tissue
- Argan Oil – an immediate tightening and line reducing effect
- Larch – skin tightening and instant radiance
- Golden Root – instantly brightens and reduces under eye puffiness
- Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating, increasing skin elasticity, age-defying’
I say:
As with the eye serum, I found this moisturiser to be very cooling and really amplified the effects of using the eye serum. The fine lines around my eyes looked smoother, more plumped and the whole eye area was brighter too - and all of this was pretty much an instant reaction. With regular use this has been even more noticeable.
I’m completely sold on this range, I am so impressed with the results I’ve had in a relatively short amount of time (some of them pretty much instantly, as mentioned) and through regular use of the range I feel that my skin has improved greatly. Not only that, my makeup seems to apply much, much better too and whilst it’s not the cheapest range out there, I do feel that it is a range that is priced fairly for the results I’ve experienced.
ESPA products, and indeed the Lift & Firm range are available from
espaonline.com,
Liberty of London and selected
Harvey Nichols stores!
Sponsored post, my views are still my own!
