La Mer's Crème de la Mer: A Review

La Mer’s Crème de la Mer, besides being fun to say out loud, has been heralded as a miracle worker for the face for years. After scouring the internet for reviews, I seldom found one that said anything to the contrary. My mother, who is a loyalist to the product, simply stated that it is "worth every single dollar" this pricey cream costs. So, after running some errands, which included picking up a new jar of Crème de la Mer for her, my curiosity cup had runneth over.

After being convinced/conned into buying their larger special edition jar, which actually made sense financially, the lovely sales associate went into the back room and came out with a tiny .24oz jar just for me. It was my time to try La Mer’s Crème de la Mer! For free! Also given to me was a sample of their Eye Balm Intense. Experiment time!

So, is Crème de la Mer, $265 plus tax for a 2oz jar, worth it? Or, is it just merde? And how Carrie Bradshaw of me is it to pun like that? After 2 weeks of application every night with the same cleansing routine beforehand, I can honestly say…I don’t know.

Every night my routine goes a little something like this: I wash my face with

Bliss’ Fabulous Foaming Wash, (or on the days I am Just. Too. Tired. to get up I use these wonderful facial cleansing wipes from Shisiedo). After cleansing I disinfect my face with Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent and then I would apply the Crème de la Mer . A little bit of this stuff goes a long way. But, using too little of it makes you pull on your face which seems to not be a thing you want to do. Also, I have to mention that the .24oz sample I got is only about halfway depleted after two weeks. And the 2oz jar my mother gets lasts her about 3 months.

Crème de la Mer is thick; super thick in fact. And you can really feel it on your face after application. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing though. The smell is very neutral and not overwhelming at all. After a layer goes on, I would apply the Eye Balm Intense. Every morning I would eagerly get up to check out my face. Was it smoother? Did my tiny, early 30’s fine lines disappear? Not really. 

In all honesty, I’m a little underwhelmed by my Crème de la Mer experience. But, I can’t ignore the reviews. If I were post-menopausal and in desperate need of moisture would I feel different? My mother makes it seem this way. She forgoes makeup often after a simple application and, at least to me, looks radiant. Is my already oil prone skin just too sensitive for the thick cream? Possibly. I do have two blemishes right now that are unlike my usual zits. Is La Mer the cause? 

At an equal price point, La Mer has a lotion that is not as heavy and therefore might be more complimentary to my already moist, (read oily), skin.  And, at about $70 dollars they have a tinted moisturizer that is right up my alley. I’m already talking myself into it as it’s only $30 more than my current tinted moisturizer. This is the type of crazy thinking that keeps La Mer enthusiasts coming back for more. 

I’m not ready to close the door on La Mer’s Crème de la Mer though. Maybe I will try it again in a few years. It’s not like I need another $300 habit and thought of spending $1,200 a year on facial cream just made me a bit nauseous. But, I’m being sucked in, I can feel it…just like Crème de la Mer itself!