THE ABSOLUTE 'IT' CREAM

AUGUSTINUS BADER THE CREAM, £135

In my pre-baby life, I worked as a beauty journalist for almost twenty (!!) years. I say this with full self-deprecation, but If you are one of the very kind people who look at me on Instagram and think ‘Twenty years? Surely not!’, that would most likely be down to this very ‘it’ cream, Augstinus Bader The Cream. It’s iconic. It is the Madonna of skincare, similar in fact, because it needs no other preface than, ‘The’. And, super lucky me, it is stocked in my post-baby place of work, the glorious Liberty Beauty Hall. I thank the lord for that because yes, it does cost a fortune, but also YES, I do believe it is worth it (YES, even pre-Liberty without my staff discount).

So, a £135 tube of cream? you ask. When I have a child and all that entails to pay for? And I hear you. But I also see my bouncyish skin looking back at me in the morning when I glance - pleasantly surprised - in the mirror just before my hurried nursery run. I may not have changed my knickers or run a brush neither through my hair or over my teeth, but I am quietly confident that, despite my age and my tiredness, my skin is…why yes South East London, it is glowy !

Listen, it’s still a lot, and I am someone who can benefit, and share the benefit of my personal back catalogue of beauty product experience. And now the great benefit of the Great Hall (the greatest in fact) that tempts me with a whole apothecary of discovery brands every time I walk through it to my office, but damn it, I keep coming back for THE Cream. It’s The consistently OK morning reflection for me. It’s The surprising smoothness of my skin tone. it’s The way I justify the spend to myself because I’d - let’s be honest - probably spend much more on injectable interventions sooner rather than later otherwise. It’s THE great cream for a great many reasons, but is it worth the equivalent of 22 packets of Pampers? Two words for you; POTTY TRAIN.

p.s. I know I am blowing the own-trumpet-toot in our Liberty beauty orchestra, BUT, if it helps, check out The Beauty Drop - it’s the only beauty subscription that pays for itself with a fully redeemable monthly fee, because then you can do what I plan to do, and save your credits for a big spend on something blue and shiny at the end. Your morning reflection will be so pleased with you.

*This one was gifted - thank you SO so much Lovely Liberty. The next I’m already saving my credits for…