It felt like I’d had a facelift — without the pain and downtime.
Indeed, it was a most refreshing experience.
WAG was invited to SPA Valmont in the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, a French-flavored boutique hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, to try some of its new products firsthand. The Swiss-based company, synonymous with luxury skincare, had just announced three products — the Eye Instant Stress Relieving Mask, the Moisturizing Eye-C-Gel and the Perfecting Powder Cream. And boy, do they work.
But the products’ effects are hardly a surprise. Valmont is known for its Triple DNA solution, an exclusive blend that includes sperm from wild salmon sourced from British Columbia — yes, sperm — with water from a single Swiss glacier and natural ingredients grown in a garden in the Swiss Alps. The result is a potent emulsion that’s described as a weapon against dryness and aging.
As soon as we arrived, the luxury treatment began with a voluminous, sexy ’do by hairstylist Ric Pipino, whose clients include Lady Gaga, Donna Karan, Jaime Pressly, Petra Němcová and Elizabeth Banks. With my locks looking luxuriant, I moved into a spa room where I experienced the products.
The Eye-C-Gel — which is slated to debut in April — doesn’t actually contain Vitamin C. Rather its name refers to the C-shape of the eye contour, where the product is applied. The gel combines the Triple DNA with plumping sugars for long-lasting hydration, silanol — to boost collagen production — and menthyl lactate, which offers a cooling sensation. The result is an invigorating refresh that creates plump, vibrant, youthful skin ($105).
Next was the Eye Instant Stress Relieving Mask — also slated to retail in April — which is a great companion for on-the-go guys and gals. The portable treatment contains a precursor solution, which is packaged separately from the under-eye masks. This is done purposely to avoid the lack of concentration associated with presoaked masks.
Upon pressing the solution, the mask becomes thoroughly saturated. After just 15 minutes — in the morning, before bedtime or even before a dinner date — your eyes feel energized. The precursor contains caffeine, which helps with puffiness; green tea, an antioxidant; arnica, a perennial with anti-inflammatory agents; and mucocele polysaccharides, which encourage cellular renewal and hydration ($145 for a set of five applications).
With my skin feeling refreshed, I was ready for makeup artist Mina Matsumura to work her magic. Matsumura — who has worked for film studios, fashion shows and magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire — collaborated with Sophie Guillon, the CEO of Valmont Group, to create the Perfecting Powder Cream. The product is actually a light-to-medium coverage foundation that glides onto the skin like a cream and then morphs into a silky powder. Available in four shades — fair porcelain, fair nude, medium beige and warm beige — it combines Valmont’s signature Triple DNA with its H2 Complex, which mixes squalene from olives with sorbitol to enhance the skin’s natural glow. And when exposed to the sun’s UV rays, the product’s Silicium D2 Complex triggers the production of collagen to protect the skin, along with added SPF.
Even the applicator is specially made. The sponge was designed with Cellbian sponge technology, which offers an antimicrobial that shields the skin from breakouts, a common frustration with traditional, porous cosmetic sponges ($145, retailing this month).
Armed with a hairdo courtesy of Pepino, a makeover courtesy of Matsumura and Valmont’s exclusive products, I felt a confidence that was — most important — underscored by my healthy skin.
Valmont’s products are available at the SPA Valmont at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Manhattan, the Hotel Bel-Air Spa in Los Angeles, the Delamar Greenwich Harbor and on the company website.
In May, Valmont is slated to announce its grand opening for retail in Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
The SPA Valmont at Hôtel Plaza Athénée is at 37 E. 64 St. in Manhattan. For more, visit
valmontcosmetics.com.
