Absolution Day Cream

RRP: £52.95/30ml
--What does the promo say?--
"Absolution skincare day cream is a certified organic moisturiser for women with mineral sunscreen. This complete skin care is high in antioxidants, anti-radical and hydrating active principles. The perfect ally of your hectic days. To obtain your bespoke skin care, adapted to your skin’s mood, you just have to add one drop of La Solution + of your choice to target and reinforce its efficiency. La Crème du Jour anti-ageing action is combined with a mineral sunscreen (Mica). Everything you need to enjoy life with serenity! Certified organic by Eco Cert."

--Packaging--
Very edgy, urban, modern and unisex, combining Art Deco style angles with Mary Quant monochrome. My sample (part of the box of goodies I received from Being Content ) was just a sachet, but this apparently delivers, in its full-size form, an efficient pump-action system to allow the correct dosage to be dispensed.

--Application--
I was using this 'neat', as it were, but if you're using the full range, what you're supposed to do is dispense the required amount and then mix it with a drop of "La Solution" that suits you best (the idea of the brand is for you to create your own bespoke skincare by mixing and matching the more specific elements that you need with their 'basic' creams). As it was, even using the day cream on its own gave no problems.

--Scent--
A very strong smell of bitter orange characterises the overwhelming first impression that you get, to the extent that it's almost masculine, even though there is a day cream for men as well (which my fiancé informs me actually has a milder scent). If you don't like it, steer clear: I doubt that the "Solution" of your choice would do much to mask or alter the scent.

--Appearance--
A white, slightly stiff and lumpy cream.

--Texture/consistency--
Blends in well, but takes a long time to do so.

--Effects on the skin--
For this amount of money, and for something packed with such a diverse range of ingredients whose effects have been proved positive (such as green tea, aloe vera, borage, hyaluronic acid, neroli, and centella) I was surprised to see no effect whatsoever on my skin - positive or negative.

--Value for money--
See above. You pay over £50 only for nothing to happen whatsoever, and then to see something happen, you have to pay another £63 ON TOP OF THAT (since the Solutions can't, I don't think, be used by themselves) to see any effect at all. Woof. Since the cream in itself is targeted as an anti-ageing product (the inclusion of hyaluronic acid gives a strong clue), the older generation might have more luck in seeing tangible effects on their skin, and may feel the pinch a bit less when it comes to paying for the stuff. So even though the bespoke aspect of this is all very original and impressive and everything, I think I'll be giving this one a miss.

perfect partners
Absolution Cleansing Water, £27.50/50ml
Absolution Night Cream, £54.75/30ml
Absolution La Solution Anti-Ageing, £62.75/15ml
Absolution La Solution Energie, £62.75/15ml
Absolution La Solution Radiance, £62.75/15ml
Absolution La Solution Controle, £62.75/15ml