Boxfullove skincare :: Limited-edition La Prairie Glossybox review

A mere week ago, Glossybox announced its collaboration with Swiss skincare company La Prairie on a limited-edition box, which promptly and predictably sold out in record time.  Luckily for me, I'd preordered the box a couple of weeks earlier, when a preorder page mysteriously started making the virtual rounds across beauty blogs and message boards.  

And while I may not have received my January Glossybox yet (!), La Prairie arrived in my mailbox this week after a six-day road trip with the USPS.

My address blurred out for privacy reasons, obvs.

The packaging of this box and its products was unbelievably gorgeous.

Clean, pristine white, with an overall clinical/futuristic look, reflecting the La Prairie brand, which is all Swiss Alps and labs and ice (just check out their website and you'll see).

Gorgeous I tell you!  Look at that presentation!  This was my first look inside.

Total unboxing porn, right?  I spent a good minute peeling off the logo sticker to make sure the tissue paper underneath didn't rip.

This is the front of the box's info insert, all elegant, glaciery frozen tundra imagery.

Flip the insert over to reveal pictures of each individual product in the box, along with a short description of its properties and application.

The back of the insert (because we're thorough unboxers around here).

Ok, ready for a look inside?  Here we go:

[Cue Handel's "Messiah."]

I think this is my favorite-ever unboxing.  I mean, just look at that presentation!    Those beautiful silver boxes nestled against moody gray tissue shavings!  Wow. I was so impressed.  Really though, isn't that a sight?

But moving on to the goodies.

Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Cream. 

Price: $300 for 1.7 fl oz. This sample is 0.23 fl oz, so around $43.

This super-luxurious little facial cream is made with plant stem cells, which "help renew the look of firmness and smooth the appearance of wrinkles."  I can report that it has a really light, subtle floral scent, and that the consistency of the cream itself is rich and surprisingly lightweight.  Here's a shot of the cream itself:

I love that each of the boxed products came with its own pharmaceutical-style informational pamphlet (you can see the ice crystal cream's pamphlet in the first product photo, to the right).  These guys have the luxe clinical vibe down!  Eat your heart out, Kiehl's!  (Just kidding, I love Kiehl's and their lovely lab-coat-clad sales reps.)

Essence of Skin Caviar Eye Complex.

Price: $135 for 0.5 fl oz.  This sample is 0.17 fl oz, so about $46.

Ok, admittedly, there's a lot going on in this product name.  What exactly is "skin caviar"?  Or is "Essence of Skin" just a catchy name for the caviar eye complex?  I feel like there's some missing punctuation somewhere.  Regardless, I'm all for caviar anything (yummy), so I'm not complaining too much.  Anyway, this is a clear gel for the under-eye area which purportedly "acts like a mini eye lift ... while energizing the delicate tissue and soothing away signs of stress and fatigue. Also acts as an eye makeup primer."  Now that's multitasking -- sign me up!

    

Foam Cleanser.

Price: $75 for 4.2 fl oz.  This sample is 1.7 oz, so about $30. 

This is a super-rich, thick pinkish white mousse with the same light floral scent as the ice crystal cream.  In fact, it goes on your skin like a cream, but gets "activated" as soon as you splash water on it, and then it works to "deeply cleanse and hydrate your skin as it dissolves and removes makeup, surface impurities and environmental pollutants."  Guys, I used this last night before bed, and it left my skin silky-smooth and really hydrated.  Seriously.  I mean, I can kind of see putting a $75 investment towards this product.

Cellular Refining Lotion.

Price: $95 for 8.4 fl oz.  This sample is 2.0 fl oz, so about $23.

This gorgeous bottle looks like blue kryptonite, something otherworldly and fantastic.  It actually contains an alcohol-free toner which, although it may not contain alien or magical properties, "soothes and softens the skin while flushing out the pores and helping to minimize their appearance."  Visually, this is my favorite component of this outstanding box, which is a total treat for the senses.

Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Dry Oil.

Price: $300 for 1 fl oz.  This sample is 0.17 fl oz, so about $51.  

Ice crystal dry oil -- four words that all seem to contradict themselves, no?  For starters, what exactly is a dry oil?  Well, I can tell you that it's not dry: it's still a liquid, albeit a light, non-greasy one that absorbs right away into the skin.  La Prairie formulated this dry oil from a combination of sweet almond, sunflower, and jojoba seed oils, and I also see algae, treemoss, calendula, and a variety of other plant extracts listed in the ingredients.  This was designed to be applied after cleansing and toning to "[seal] moisture within your skin longer than ever thought possible."

Along with the Cellular Ice Crystal Cream, this is one of two brand-new products just released by La Prairie, both of which I'd hoped would be included in this box, and which I was so excited to receive and be able to try out.  

And I know I can't stop gushing about the product design, but just look at this crazy-futuristic dry oil applicator and bottle!

I am so happy I received this box.  The few products I've tried are outstanding: gentle, light, and honestly, truly effective.  Now, realistically, as much as I'd love for this box to be the gateway for a full-fledged La Prairie beauty routine conversion, that's just not going to happen.  The products are entirely, entiiiirely too expensive for my humble working stiff's budget.  I couldn't even justify springing for the full-size cleanser, which is the most "economical" product of the lot.  But I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to dabble in luxury skincare, to pamper my skin for the week or so these lovelies will last me.  Think of this box like a spa outing: you're not going to get oil-based professional massages, aromatherapy treatments, or facials on a daily basis, but every now and then you'll spring for them and treat your body, right?  That's exactly the purpose this box serves: it's like a budget-friendly, fuss-free, no-travel-required trip to a Swiss spa.  

And let's not forget the value of the box: for a mere $40, I received about $200 worth of products!  That's insanity!  Glossyboxes are generally an excellent value, but I honestly think this one is unprecedented.  

Yep, there won't be any buyer's remorse over this purchase.

So what did you guys think about the limited-edition La Prairie Glossybox?  Did you manage to reserve one too?  Are you glad you did?  And what is your favorite product so far?

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