[Trendzilla] The Crème de la Crème (de la Mer) of Men's $kincare

The Crème de la Crème of Men’s $kincare

Radiant Infusion, $95

The Mist, $55

Moisturizing Gel Cream, $130

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More About

• Creme de la Mer
• Bloomingdale
• Max Huber
• Skin Care
• Fashion and Style

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In this second, super-not-so-special edition on men’s skincare, we learn that money buys nicer things. Sad face.

For many skincare enthusiasts as well as people on an obsessive mission to keep themselves looking as youthful as possible, Crème de la Mer by La Mer is the holy grail of all creams. There’s even a great PR story behind it: After the face of aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber was burned in an experiment gone awry, he came up with his own remedy, which became Crème de la Mer. It’s known as the best, most luxurious product around. In fact, yours truly nearly cried upon opening a box of samples sent over by La Mer. Glorious, really.

I’ve always crinkled my nose at the price of Crème de la Mer—about $130 per ounce—but it really does provide a dewy, healthy glow that hydrates dry-skin sufferers but isn’t too heavy for those with oily skin. Skin feels softer, firmer; the stuff even helps fade away any creases and lines. And hey, why spend all that cash on something as temporary as clothing and as harmful as makeup when you can take care of your skin instead? But, as always, stop by a counter first (at Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus) to ask for a few samples before investing in any sort of skin product.

In short: highly recommended for both men and women. If you can afford it.

So while I’ve been testing different types of skincare lines on the boyfriend/guinea pig for the past few weeks, it’s been decided that, yeah, La Mer really is the best.

Damn.

RADIANT INFUSION, $95
A tonic meant to brighten complexion and minimize pores, Radiant Infusion also works well as a soothing men’s aftershave product—without the almost seemingly requisite burning sensation traditional aftershaves bring. The tonic feels like a thin gel that still allows men to apply crème afterward without it feeling too cakey.

THE MIST, $55
Traveling can cause your skin tons of stress and dryness—whether it’s the recycled air on airplanes, smoke-filled environments or just roasting under the sun all day—and this helps fix that. You can spray on the Mist any time you want, even over makeup for the gals, but it feels best for men post-shave, just to help sooth and smooth away any of those bumps and burns.

MOISTURIZING GEL CREAM, $130
“That’s crazy!” the boyfriend exclaimed, when he found out the price of La Mer’s Gel Cream. He then paused and said, “It feels really good, though.” This is the lighter version of the famous Crème de la Mer, which makes for the perfect choice for men and women during these summer months. Skin feels hydrated and renewed, and the product wards away any kind of oily breakthrough all day. Skin even looks andfeels better. Radiant. Serious miracle cream, folks. Boyfriend: “That is what I’d use. In an ideal world.” Me, too.

vchang@ocweekly.com