Is This $420 Anti-Aging Oil What You Need for Perfect-Looking Skin?

We all have a shtick. Mine—for better or for worse betterer—just so happens to be trying and reviewing really expensive beauty products. Alright maybe it’s not so much of a shtick as it is an obsession but tomato, tomahto. ICYMI, I’ve already slathered my skin in $365 day cream a la Lancôme—spoiler alert: yes, it’s worth it—and a $425 saffron-infused serum concocted by the genius that is Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. So it’s only fitting that Giorgio Armani Crema Nera Extrema Supreme Recovery Oil—priced at $420 a pop—be my next victim, right? Right. Our friends at Giorgio Armani sent a sample over for the Skincare.com team to review, and I gladly volunteered my skin as the guinea pig of the experiment (for obvious reasons). So is this luxe oil the secret to perfect skin? Keep reading.   

GIORGIO ARMANI CREMA NERA EXTREMA SUPREME RECOVERY OIL

Before we dive into my thoughts on this anti-aging oil, let’s discuss the formulation. It’s infused with a potent concentration of one of the most powerful revival plants, Reviscentalis, as well as camellia and black cumin oils known for their therapeutic properties. Right off the bat—aka as soon as I opened the bottle, which for the record is gold from head-to-toe save for a black dropper top—my nostrils were enveloped with a rich but pleasant scent that’s luxurious (duh) and earthy in a morning dew sort of way. That smell lingers on the skin for quite some time after it’s applied, so good thing I’m a big fan of it. Speaking of applications, the oil—formulated to soothe and hydrate skin, help protect it against environmental aggressors, and make it appear suppler over time—melted into my skin like butter on warm toast. I applied three heaping drops onto my face (that’s all you really need, I’d say) and it absorbed almost instantly without a greasy or oily feeling, meaning my makeup was able to go on just as smoothly on top of it.

I’ve used it consistently for about a week and already notice that my skin is more smooth and radiant as a result. Is my skin perfect now? Hard to say, but I do plan on making it a staple in my routine—and even splurging on more down the line—because it smells really good and I see a noticeable improvement in my skin and why the hell not?