Considered the most exclusive brand within the Shiseido portfolio, Clé de Peau Beauté combines state-of-the-art Japanese technology with parfait Parisian luxury. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kim Kardashian West and Chrissy Teigen all cite it among their favourite beauty brands and Felicity Jones is a proud ambassador.

Translating from French to ‘the key to skin’s beauty’, Clé de Peau Beauté launched in 1982 and is Japan’s bestselling luxury skincare brand, which is quite a feat given the high price tag. The reason? A considered edit of innovative, carefully produced products that smartly strike the balance of make-up and skincare, as well as a roster of potent, luxuriously smooth creams, cleansing oils and protective serums.

The brand expanded to America in the late-nineties but didn’t debut in the UK until 2019, launching at Harrods to a fanfare reception.

Clé de Peau Beauté’s gloriously creamy concealer has reached cult status for its ability to dramatically reduce dark circles without being cakey, loaded with skin-boosting botanicals. The Lip Glorifier is a game-changing, hydrating lip balm with a subtle tint, available in a spectrum of rosy hues.

For Spring 2020, Clé de Peau has relaunched its bestselling La Crème, lauded for its ability to help rejuvenate your skin, soften creases and defend against damage caused by environmental stresses. Priced at £520 and considered by many as a fountain of youth in a jar, everything about this velvety-smooth cream exudes luxury.

The faceted, jewel-like jar is a tactile, objet d’art, guaranteed to bring style kudos to your beauty shelf. The richly potent, anti-aging formula is packed full of soothing botanical extracts, brightening properties and firming retinol. Rare ingredients include platinum silk essence, infused with healing amino acids, and reparative Japanese pearl extract. CeraFerment has been newly added, a yeast sourced in Japan that is known to immediately firm and hydrate, while restoring damaged skin. The result? An overnight, near-magic formula, which is also beautifully scented.

While undoubtedly pricy, a small, pearl-sized dot of this all-in-one potion goes a very long way, meaning that one lustrous little jar will last you for the long haul. Crème de la crème indeed.