The following story was published in Inquirer RED’s August-September 2022 issue and has been edited for length and clarity.
For quite some time now, fermentation has been a hot topic in the culinary scene, influencing many a food trend from kombucha to sourdough. Now, avec un grand merci to Guerlain, fermentation offers up its benefits to the skin. Behind the couture house’s glossy exteriors, scientists and researchers worked for three years to discover the process of bio-polyfermentation. The now-patented technology was then applied to that timeless ambrosia of the gods, honey.
Picture a sourcing trip with stops in Ouessant Island (for the legendary Black Bee honey), Corsica in France, Ikaria in Greece, and Åland in Finland. The luscious honey gathered from these unspoilt islands are treated with the bio-polyfermentation process to amplify their potency. The resulting serum is then paired with gently resurfacing acids, with both components judiciously kept separate to retain optimal efficacy. The result is the divine lovechild of nature and science, all in one terribly chic bottle: the Double R Renew & Repair Advanced Serum.
Tested under dermatological control, the Double R Renew & Repair Advanced Serum delivers. After only one month, skin radiance was reported to increase by 50%; pores were 29% less visible; wrinkles were reduced by 37%. Women also reported that their faces appeared more oval by 48%. No small feats for a beauty serum, more so one made with 96% naturally-derived ingredients.
A Celebrated Perfume Collection, Reinvented
The Aqua Allegoria collection was initially launched in 1999 as a celebration of Nature’s beauty. It featured luminous olfactory codes composed by explorer-perfumers. Today, in line with Guerlain’s commitments to sustainability and the planet, the celebrated collection has been reimagined and innovated.
Considering Guerlain’s two centuries and five generations of trailblazing perfumery, it is to no surprise that the Aqua Allegoria collection’s newest evolution retains its graceful refinement whilst becoming ecologically mindful. Firstly, the gorgeous bottles are made using recycled glass and are refillable. Secondly, the perfumes in the collection have been reformulated to be of up to 95% natural origin, solely using organic alcohol produced in Chartres, France.
The collection offers a wide variety of scents, from bright florals to vibrant citrus to sunny and fruity notes. Not to be missed is the newly-launched Nerolia Vetiver scent, which features “a radiant neroli, highlighted by vetiver and refreshed by basil, combined with a delicious fig accord.” In the words of Guerlain perfumer Delphine Jelk: “Nerolia Vetiver…is the love of Italy, its landscapes and its art of living. It’s la dolce vita!”
Double R Renew & Repair Advanced Serum and the Aqua Allegoria perfume collection are available at Rustan’s and Greenbelt 5.