Story | Leslie Yip Photography | Guerlain
For readers who speak Chinese, Guerlain is eponymous with the orchid—its Chinese name literally means “tender orchid”.
While the brand is named after its founder, perfumer Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, the Chinese nomenclature comes from phonetic translation (giu-lan in Cantonese, jiāo lán in Mandarin). It turns out to be quite prophetic as well, for Guerlain did not launch its Orchidée Impériale luxury skincare collection until 2006—178 years after the house was
created.
Orchidée Impériale Micro-Lift Concentrate, 30 ml | $625 Orchidée Impériale The Eye & Lip Contour Cream, 15 ml | $255
The orchid flower may seem delicate, but the plant is actually very resilient and can live up to 100 years. Convinced of its outstanding potential, Guerlain established its first-ever research centre dedicated to a single ingredient: the Orchidarium.
Co-ordinated by Frédéric Bonte, the Orchidarium comprises three centres, with experts who explore, study and protect orchids: the experimental garden in Switzerland, the research laboratory in France and the exploratory Tianzi Nature Reserve in southern Yunnan, China.
After more than 15 years of dedicated research, the house is launching its fifth generation of the Orchidée Impériale Cream, and the scientific proof of its anti-aging power is remarkable. Using an ultrasound that can assess “the equivalent age of the dermis” by measuring its density, the skin looks as much as three years younger after using this new cream for just seven days.
Orchidée Impériale The Cream, 50 ml | $590 Orchidée Impériale The Cream Refill, 50 ml | $500
Not one but two orchids have been chosen from more than 30,000 species to lend their life power to this extraordinary formula. Those who know a bit about traditional herbal medicine will have heard of the legendary Gastrodia elata. It is said to have exceptional regenerating properties, capable of curing many ills.
This orchid can be found, among other places, in the mountainous regions of Yunnan. Research shows that extracts from its root immediately fight a lack of cell oxygen and have a protective effect on skin cells.
The second orchid chosen is the Dendrobium fimbriatum. Like other epiphytes, it lives on the surface of tree trunks or branches. This orchid has developed an extraordinary ability to grow and survive in this challenging environment. It draws all its strength from its aerial roots, in which it synthesizes a wide variety of molecules. This same vitality radiates through each part of the plant, giving it an endlessly renewed beauty.
The new Orchidée Impériale Cream is made with 96 per cent, naturally-derived ingredients. Team it with the Micro-Lift Concentrate, which visibly lifts and smooths the skin, and The Eye & Lip Contour Cream, which smooths the eye and lip area during the day and revitalizes it at night.
