Many know of Arbonne as that cosmetic line that all the ladies rave about. Indeed, you can hardly swing a moisturizer without hitting an Arbonne salesperson who’s preparing to host her next product party. Hearing about the living-room mixers, bursting with info about skincare, consultations and product demos, it’s hard for skin-conscious guys not to feel a little left out. According to Dr Peter Matravers, the man who helped bring this line to international attention, Arbonne knows no gender.
“I think we make unisex products. Our focus is not ‘This is for women and this is for men.’ Our product addresses certain needs and provides solution to those needs,” Matravers explains during a product launch at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. The products in focus are the Arbonne Intelligence Genius resurfacing pads and the CC Cream.
The resurfacing pads are an addition to a nightly regimen of skincare. The promotional materials boast that they will markedly decrease wrinkle depth and width while increasing skin moisture and elasticity. The pads are to be used post-face washing, followed by your regular moisturizing routine. The packaging is special, too, improving on other brands’ pre-soaked pads, which often dry out, leaving you with useless pads at the bottom of the package. Arbonne packages the solution and pads separately, maximizing the longevity of the product. Genius.
The CC Cream (which stands for complexion control, by the way) is a tinted product that comes in four shades, to suit an array of complexions. At the launch party, this was the product that really piqued the crowd’s interest. A makeup artist is on hand to help match shades and describe the cream’s benefits, which range from “protector” and “hydrator” to “pore-refiner” and “mattifier,” which is apparently a word now.
While definitely more accessible to women, the CC Cream stands out as a crossover product that could definitely appeal to men, with its ability to subtly smooth and even the skin tone without screaming, “I’m a guy with makeup on!” It’s easy to apply, blends and matches effortlessly, and quickly camouflages blemishes while brightening the skin. With men more in tune with shaving or exfoliating products, they may need some convincing to take the plunge. But Matravers thinks it’s only fair that guys get a little help in the beauty department.
“We all want to be flawless. All the women out there, they have extra tools compared to the men. So in fact, we should look at this as a catching-up scenario so that it is an even playing field, so that they won’t out-do us,” he says. And in this age of male-only spas and man-scaping, he might just be right.
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