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A generation of young women are often left bewildered when looking for skincare. While in your teens you know exactly what you need to shop for, desires being driven by a requirement to overcome spots and teenage oil production; when you reach your thirties and forties those inevitable fine lines start to set in, so we rush out to stock up on all the anti-ageing promises we can find to keep wrinkles at bay. However, between these two milestones there's a huge number of women not really knowing what to shop for, but knowing what they want to achieve - radiant, healthy looking skin that's hydrated and smooth. There's a definite trend emerging for skincare that's targeted to these 'lost years', offering busy women a solution and cutting through the noise of anti-ageing creams they know they're not quite ready for - and L'Occitane are leading the way with their Pivoine Sublime collection, which is uniquely enriched with the power of peony.
This affordable skincare range is aimed at the needs of 20-something women looking for great products that provide the results they want; formulated using an exclusive extract of the Peony flower to help correct complexion and texture irregularities, the focus is on reducing the appearance of pores and evening out any discolouration - the main concerns for the majority of women, no matter their age. With three fabulous new products, and five existing ones, the range provides a comprehensive (and most importantly enjoyable) way to look after your skin in your twenties and beyond; these products are just as suitable for your mum as they are your teenage sister, it's just all about how you integrate them into your regime. Whether you opt for a singular product, pick a few heroes, or embrace the entire range, there's something for everyone.
NEW 2-IN-1 PERFECTING SCRUB£19.00
With delicately exfoliating micro-granules, this innovative gel formula transforms into a luxuriously light oil when mixed with water to cleanse and exfoliate simultaneously. Impurities and dead skin cells are sloughed away to leave skin gently refined and refreshed (this definitely isn't a harsh exfoliator,) resulting in a smoother complexion without any tightness. If you're cautious about exfoliation but want to reveal brighter skin, this is a great way to integrate it into your daily routine without overdoing it. It's also gentle enough to use on a daily basis too - because you'll want to!
NEW PERFECTING MAKE-UP REMOVER£19.00
This refreshing gel cleanser gently removes even waterproof make-up from the face, eyes and lips. Enhanced with peony derivatives to help to transform the quality of the skins surface, it gently cleanses while leaving the complexion more luminous. I love the unusual 'gellee' texture and the delicately uplifting scent. Anything that will actively encourage women to ditch the face wipes and embark on a more effective ritual is a winner in my book - and this just makes the whole process feel a little more luxurious than the norm.
NEW PERFECTING TONER£15.00
Toners have been pushed to the back of the skincare cupboard for a long time, but this gentle finishing product helps remove the final traces of make-up while balancing the skin. It's a great way to complete your regime, especially when you've been wearing SPF, while leaving skin hydrated with a smoother, more radiant appearance. Not necessarily a step you'd embrace daily, what this does offer is the peace of mind that you're free from annoying bits of grime that could be the root cause of pimples and imperfections.
SKIN PERFECTOR£38.00
My favourite of the entire range, this fresh and ultra-light perfecting serum leaves skin feeling ultra smooth and velvety soft. It glides over skin to blur imperfections and minimise the appearance of pores, while doubling up as a primer. The skin reflects light better, looks more even and radiance is boosted, meaning this universal product can be used by men and women no matter their age or skin concern. I would use this over serum and moisturiser on days when I want my skin to look flawless, but don't necessarily want to overload with product; it's one of those items that you don't know you need until you start using it, but I guarantee you'll love it.
PERFECTING CREAM£32.00
This patented formulation is more than just another moisturiser - it contains an 'intelligent texture agent' with proven hydration-adjusting properties, enabling it to adapt to the climate and humidity levels. Clever! The richness of the cream provides an intense hydration hit, but it absorbs quickly to leave a radiant finish without any residue. Not only does the beautiful pot scream extravagance, but the delicate scent makes this mildly addictive and a step you'll look forward to every morning.
CC SKIN TONE PERFECTING CREAM£25.00
Colour Correcting Creams may not have received so much of the positive press as their BB counterparts, but they provide a genuine solution to a problem suffered by many. This CC Cream features pigments and pearly particles that burst when massaged into skin, intelligently matching to caucasian skin tones to provide an incredibly natural finish. On days when you don't want to pull out all the foundation stops, a few drops of this blended into skin will leave your complexion looking luminous and clear. It's a great one for holidays too, especially as it features SPF20.
PERFECTING MIST£14.00
This multi-purpose beauty mist refreshes and helps beautify the skin, any time of the day. Delicately scented and ultra-fine, it tones, hydrates, helps to refine skin texture and fixes make-up in place; it's a big trend in Korea and France, so definitely get in on the action and see the benefits a little spritz can bring you! Use in the morning before your usual skincare, during the day for a pick-me-up, or in the evening for a refreshing touch. It's also alcohol free and is proven to leave skin hydrated for up to eight hours... But there's no reason why you can't keep spritzing.
TINTED LIP BALM£12.00
Enriched with perfecting peony extract, this creamy balm glides onto the lips with ease to nourish, smooth, protect and provide a subtle colour-enhancing tint. It contains SPF25 so you don't have to worry about looking after your pout in the sun, while the beautiful metal pack keeps it looking and feeling like something that deserves being treasured. If you're one for chucking lipbalms in your bag, the screw cap will also alleviate any concerns about rogue balms floating around causing a mess!
Whether you're a confused woman in her 20's looking for a little additional skincare support, or someone in their 30's, 40's or beyond who just doesn't fancy the often intense ingredients associated with 'anti ageing', then this could be just what you're looking for. The range is affordable, effective, a pleasure to use and beautifully packaged - what more could you ask for? If you want to put the Pivone Sublime range to the test yourself, then you're in luck. I've teamed up with L'Occitane to offer every LBQ reader an exclusive offer: when you buy three products from the range online via the L'Occitane website (use this special link as it's only open to LBQ readers!) you'll be able to grab a £10.00 discount! PLUS because we want to be even more generous, we're giving away the entire collection, worth £174.00, to one lucky reader. If you want to be in with a chance of winning all of the products you see in my photos, then all you have to do is enter via the widget below and pray to the competition gods that you scoop the prize! Good luck.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Find out more about L'Occitane Pivone Sublime on their website: www.loccitane.co.uk
This is a sponsored post on behalf of L'Occitane; all opinions are my own.
Features PR samples unless otherwise stated. To read my full disclaimer, click here.