ROADTEST: 'This cult skincare range just got a new formula. Here’s my verdict.'

At the risk of this article peaking too soon, I’m just going to go ahead and say it.

My skin, right now, is the best it’s ever been.

I have been roadtesting L’Occitane’s recently reformulated Immortelle Precious range, exclusively, for the last two weeks. Nothing but these products (and a very basic cleanser) has touched my face for over fourteen days. No masks. No chemical exfoliants. None of my regular ‘ride or die’ concoctions — and at the start, it was terrifying.

I don’t ‘do’ injectables or any regular treatments, so giving up the prescription vitamin A cream I swore was the fountain of youth was pretty tough. But I take skincare trials very seriously — in an over-saturated beauty market, honest reviews are everything. 

So, the retinol had to go. 

The day before the trial began, I assessed my skin’s condition. It looked tired, lacklustre. Congested and so very, very dry. Perioral dermatitis was threatening a flare-up, and I had a light smattering of pimples across my cheeks and my forehead. 

There was certainly room for improvement. 

Before. Image: Supplied.  

The Immortelle Precious range is made up of these key products (and yep, I tried them all):

Precious Essential Water and Precious Enriched Water: both hydrating toners, but with a slight difference. Essential Water is a thin, floral water that veils the skin in incredible, lightweight hydration, while Enriched Water has a thicker, jelly-like texture that softens and hydrates for up to 8 hours. Which one should you use? Whichever consistency works best for your skin!

Precious Enriched Emulsion: a concentrated yet lightweight super-booster that intensely hydrates skin without leaving residue. Interestingly, this milky textured emulsion is formulated to slot in between serums and moisturisers as an extra step to prep and prime skin before applying make-up for a seamless, flawless base. 

Precious Cream and Precious Eye Cream: rich, satin creams that continuously nourish and deeply hydrate the face and eye area for 24 hours. Micro hyaluronic acid particles lock moisture within the skin for juicy plumpness, while antioxidants fight early signs of ageing with blue-light protection.

Image: Supplied. 

Let’s talk about the reformulation, though, because the Immortelle range has been newly supercharged with a potent, Antioxidant Superbomb. A combination of its iconic immortelle essential oil, plus super aqueous extract, pore-tightening lentil extract and micro hyaluronic acid particles; the new range promises smoother, plumper, more poreless skin in just ten days.

My routine, AM and PM, for the next 14 days, was set in stone. 

Immediately post cleansing, I opted for the jelly-textured Enriched Water as my second step. It's thick enough that you can apply it using your fingers and my thirsty skin absorbs it readily, leaving a smooth, radiant finish. If you're keen on the Essential Water, though, you can switch the products easily!

I then patted tiny dots of caffeine-spiked eye contour cream to try and fake a night’s sleep. To avoid any product build-up, when moving on to the Enriched Emulsion, I took care to avoid my eye area since it's already soaking up all the beauty goodness of the Precious Eye Cream. 

The Enriched Emulsion, which is like a milky serum, is a brand new product from L’Occitane — the first of its kind for the brand. It features a high concentration of Lentil Extract, which tightens pores and buffs away rough texture for a perfectly refined base.

To round up my new lush routine, I finished with the Precious Cream to lock in all the hydration. It's packed with extracts of Immortelle, a small, yellow cluster bloom sustainably sourced in the flower fields of Corsica. Famed for its everlasting, anti-ageing properties, it keeps its bright yellow hue indefinitely, even once picked.

(I’d show you a photo of them, except my four-year-old twins plucked every tiny flower off the sprigs that were lovingly packed into the L’Occitane box, and stashed them in their pockets. I then put their clothes through both the washing machine and tumble drier without knowing, and though surprised to find my machine’s filters clogged with tiny flowers, can confirm they were still yellow and perfectly intact — a testament, don’t you think?)

When working through this routine for the first time, I couldn't help but think that were it a very hot day, or if I had particularly oily skin, that the Enriched Emulsion in particular would make a perfect, super-light hydrator. Working in a drying, air-conditioned office, though, I often reapply moisturiser at lunch, so I'd start with the Precious Eye Cream, followed by the Emulsion and the Precious Face Cream.

Overall, the creams are thick and rich, and the blue glass jars feel ‘expensive’ and heavy. This routine feels very indulgent and fancy! 

After. Image: Supplied.

Now, I don’t mean to brag, but halfway through this two-week trial I stopped wearing makeup. My skin was so on-point that foundation wasn’t an improvement, I actually looked worse with, than without. 

So taken was I, with the Immortelle range, I actually went into L’Occitane and purchased the biggest bottle of the Overnight Reset Serum. With 10 times more Immortelle Essential Oil, one bottle sold every minute worldwide, plus such great results from the rest of the range, I knew I couldn’t lose. 

For the final week of the roadtest, I included the Reset Serum in the routine, at night, in between the enriched water and the emulsion. I have never received more compliments on my skin and I really think the ‘after’ images speak for themselves.

See ya retinol and chemical exfoliants, looks like I’ve got my new ride or dies.

L’Occitane's Immortelle Precious range has got a brand new formula. Find it in-store or online now. 

Feature Image: Supplied.