Spa Sample Series (9) : Anubis Anti-Age Intensive Serum

One of the last samples from the spa exhibition that my friend passed to me that is of good quality. The rest are Le Masque Hazelia stuff, FML. This one is the Anubis Anti-Age Intensive Serum with Caviar and Pearl Powder. Sounds luxurious? Damn right you are. Not that I know how much it costs since I can't find any such information online. My friend did tell me something like a jar going for more than RM600 thereabouts. So keep that in mind.

Personally, as it's an anti-aging serum, obviously a 3ml sample is not going to help me decide whether it works. However, as a cream, I feel that it pales in comparison to the Lilyth Anti-Aging Absorption Cream that I reviewed earlier. This one doesn't seem to absorb as fast, and tends to leave a heavier feeling on my skin, though nothing toooooo bad / oily.

I also don't like the texture of this cream, as it's kinda LIQUIDY. When I opened the sample packet, the thing just started dripping out! I was so surprised as I was expecting something more cream-like! I don't like my face creams being so ... watery. I think that's why I don't like my Hada Labo Whitening Milk either. Creams should act like creams! *nonsensical indignance* (Ok, I just re-read carefully that it says SERUM and not CREAM, so I suppose it's just me being careless and having wrong expectations. So in short, I just prefer using creams and not serums!)

Meanwhile, is caviar and pearl powder really beneficial to your skin? Or are they just dumping in luxurious sounding stuff to mark-up the price? According to some websites, caviar is rich in :
a) Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids - fatty acids help prevent cellular inflammation, the leading cause of saggy skin
b) Vitamin A - corrects damaged skin tissue
c) Vitamin E - moisturising. Both Vitamin A&E also contain anti-oxidative properties!
d) potassium and selenium - improves skin elasticity
All of these are vital for completing your anti-aging skincare regiment! However, how good they are at being absorped via the dermis remains to be seen!

As for pearl powder, I think it's pretty popular in China. In China, they ground the lower-grade pearls into pearl powders for consumers to mix with water and use as a mask! That sounds crazy luxurious! Basically, pearls contain nutrients that are believed to be the basic building blocks of collagen and protein. They are also believed to be able to detoxify your skin. This part is a bit iffy on HOW it does it, but apparently it's not just widely believed by the Chinese, but by the Egyptians and Mayans as well! Hmm!

Anyway, I honestly didn't feel the "luxury" when putting this on, heh. Maybe when I'm really desperate for anti-aging products, I would turn to Anubis? I'll probably try La Mer first though! :P

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Anubis Barcelona Bio Anti-Age Cream

This is part of my HK Sample Series (aka what I used while travelling in Hong Kong) and also part of my Sample Spa Series (samples from my friend whose mom owns a spa). Apparently "Anubis" is a well-reknowned brand for anti-aging products, and can be quite pricey. Again, I only had one small 2ml sample sachet of the Anubis Bio Anti-Age Cream, so it's really hard to gauge how good it is at anti-aging. I would be shocked if after using just 2ml, I looked 1 year younger. (Then again, I look quite young, so even 1 year difference can't be gauged... *arrogant*)

The white cream had a rather nondescript smell that was neither pleasant or unpleasant. Though it initially felt quite heavy on my skin, it gradually got absorbed in and didn't leave unpleasant stickiness, like the Biotherm Skin.Ergetic. My skin didn't feel more moisturised or whatsoever. To be honest, really no positive feelings from using this. I also find the initial texture quite oily / greasy, though as mentioned, it gradually gets absorbed in and doesn't leave any unpleasant traces.

As you can see from the picture, this product is an antioxidant and for regenerating purposes, and contains tomato, argan oil and shea butter. Tomatoes are said to be one of the richest sources of lycopene which has long been regarded as one of the most powerful natural antioxidants around. However, I thought it has to be ingested, not put on the skin, so I'm not sure how that works. As for argan oil, apparently it's gaining popularity in the cosmetics industry and has been nicknamed "liquid gold" for it's nutritional properties. It even claims that argan oil is edible! Aside from being rich in Vitamin E, you can read this page to see what are the other benefits of argan oil. :)

Tried to check out what the original price of this item is, but couldnt' find the quotation! But my friend says that Anubis is a pretty upscale brand, so prepare for the worst, I guess?

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