There’s a luxury beauty brand that believes our skin has the ability to learn, adapt and thrive – and it has just landed here with some serious A-list backing.
We investigate whether it lives up to the hype
Skin Intelligence
Beauty devotees who once generated thousands of flyer points to get their hands on Clé de Peau Beauté can now add to cart here. Previously, they’ve had to stock up in Tokyo, Paris or New York, but this month the luxury skincare and makeup line launches exclusively at David Jones (starting with Chatswood in Sydney and Bourke Street in Melbourne), bringing with it its signature philosophy of skin intelligence.
Confused about how skin can have inbuilt smarts? The brand invites us to think of it like this: our skin has the ability to learn, adapt and repair itself when given the right tools in the way of ingredients.
Owned by Japanese powerhouse Shiseido, Clé de Peau Beauté (French for “the key to skin’s beauty”) is built on innovation surrounding research into skin intelligence. Rather than seeing skin as a passive surface, scientists at Clé de Peau regard our outer organ as capable of not only recognising stressors but also distinguishing between good and bad stimuli.
“We believe the skin is very clever,” says Kiyoshi Sato, chief technology officer of the company’s lab. “It has the innate ability to distinguish negative conditions to maintain optimum conditions for itself and thrive. We take luxury and we combine it with disruptive science to help the skin cells self-optimise.”
How To Train Your Skin
It’s this duality of a highly scientific approach paired with sensorial luxury that sets Clé de Peau Beauté apart. “Think of it as your complexion’s personal trainer,” says Nancy Thong, regional brand director at Shiseido for Clé de Peau. “It awakens your skin and conditions it to its best performance so it can protect itself and boost that defence mechanism.”
The Serum, the brand’s hero product that acts as a prelude to all other products in the collections, is a good example of this. The clear, featherweight formulation is rich in ingredients such as lily concentrate, lemon myrtle and a kelp complex to help awaken the skin’s innate potential, improving moisture levels and supporting barrier function in as little as seven days, all while feeling like a deeply luxurious moment of self-care.
Feel The Luxury
“Every detail of our products, from the texture to the packaging, reflects the highest standards of craftsmanship, beauty and luxury,” says Mizuki Hashimoto, Clé de Peau Beauté’s chief brand officer, who sat down with marie claire in Los Angeles. “It’s a harmonious celebration of science and luxury.”
Its unique DNA stands the brand in a category of its own. “It blends the French elegance, with its global language of luxury, together with a strong heritage of Japanese culture, which encompasses science, meticulosity and attention to detail,” says Nicolas Baudonnet, chief marketing and business officer. “Those two things together create a brand that is special.”
Enlist An Expert
Experiencing a brand is key to truly leaning in, and Clé de Peau Beautés arrival promises not only decadent product but also luxury service. David Jones will host extensively trained Clé de Peau Beauté specialists inside high-spec treatment cabins to deliver indulgent facials. These treatments, one for radiance and renewal, the other for lifting and sculpting, combine lymphatic massage, micro-circulation stimulation and cutting-edge skincare (of course).
Fronting the global campaign is Nicole Kidman, a longtime fan of the brand who says the alignment was simple: “I use it,” Kidman tells marie claire at the Maybourne Hotel in LA. “I use the La Crème and I use The Foundation. My makeup artist put me onto it. My skin has completely changed.”
A-List Backing
Says Baudonnet, “Radiance is not just what you see on the surface, it’s what comes from within. Nicole embodies the philosophy that we have on radiance, not only how she looks but how she is as a person. She is confident, she is elegant, but she has also championed meaningful causes that help women.”
Kidman is a goodwill ambassador for UN Women, a role that aligns perfectly with Clé de Peau Beauté’s long-standing partnership with UNICEF, which supports girls’ education in STEM and encourages young women to find confidence through learning.
Of course, no luxury line would be complete without striking packaging. The crystal-cut jars, luminizing palettes and gem-lidded serums are the stars of the collection, all refillable and designed to be as sustainable as they are beautiful. From the newly reformulated La Crème night treatment – a jewel in Clé de Peau’s crown, formulated with more than 60 ingredients and what Sato describes as his career’s work – to the cult-followed The Foundation, this is tactile product to covet.
Skin intelligence makes sense when you drill down to the meaning behind it: giving skin the best environment for it to feel strong, make good decisions and flourish. Just like the girls supported by UNICEF can do when given the right support. As for Australian beauty lovers? We too are about to gain a new way to glow from within.
Clé de Peau Beauté is available now at David Jones
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