At this point, it’s getting tough to name a celebrity who hasn’t launched their own skincare line; still, most were surprised when Brad Pitt announced that he too was getting into the beauty business.
While the 58-year-old “Fight Club” actor has one of the most famous faces in the world, he’s never voiced an interest in cosmetics.
In fact, in the British Vogue story heralding the launch of Le Domaine, Pitt’s new wine-inspired skincare range, the Oscar winner admitted that ex Gwyneth Paltrow was the person who “got [him] to even wash [his] face twice a day … maybe.”
Paltrow’s own Goop brand, which sells skincare products (among many other things), partly motivated Pitt to offer a beauty line of his own. As did his stake in Château Miraval, the winery he purchased a decade ago with one of his other exes, Angelina Jolie; the pair are currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle over the property.
Pitt developed the genderless Le Domaine brand in partnership with the Perrin family, the same vintners behind his Château Miraval wines, and the products are all based on the antioxidant power of grapes.
Inside each bottle, you’ll find GSM10, a patent-pending blend of several grape varieties — purportedly ones with the “most potent antioxidant effects” — created by oenology professor Pierre-Louis Teissedre. A second exclusive compound, called ProGR3, includes grapevine -derived resveratrol and claims to combat visible signs of aging; it was developed by Dr. Nicholas Lévy, a leading scientist in the rare genetic disorder progeria (which causes premature aging).
But all that science is going to cost you. Le Domaine currently offers three products: The Cleansing Emulsion ($80), The Serum ($385) and The Cream ($320), all housed in refillable bottles topped with wooden caps recycled from old wine casks .
To find out whether Pitt’s trio of products are worth their high prices, we got our hands on the line and tested them out over the course of a week. Check out the video above for our honest review of the experience, and read on to learn more about (and shop) the products we tried.
Elana Fishman, Editor, Page Six Style: “Eighty dollars for a cleanser is absolutely bonkers. That said, it didn’t dry out my face — and I have very dry skin, especially when the weather’s cold. As a gentle cleanser, it did its job, and I felt very fancy using it.”
Brian Faas, Writer/Host, Page Six: “I had to look up what ‘cleansing emulsion’ meant. It’s … soap?”
BF: “For that price, I think Brad Pitt should come to your house and apply it to your face.”
EF: “Either that, or we need to start Benjamin Buttoning the second we put it on.”
BF: “It feels really good on the face, though; it doesn’t sting, it doesn’t smell, it’s not too sticky. I could see other guys liking it, too. If you’re only going to splurge on one of these products, I’d go with the serum.”
EF: “I would agree; it seems to be the hero product here. The texture is really nice, it feels luxurious going on, and I felt like my skin was glowing after I used it. Overall, it’s a perfectly serviceable serum … I just can ‘t get past the price.”
EF: “The packaging really is beautiful. But the face cream refills cost $270, which means you’re paying $50 just for the cap. That’s some very pricey wood!”
BF: “Spending a lot of money on [skincare] is like buying a lottery ticket; you’re buying the fantasy. But every time I used it, I thought about Brad Pitt, which is not a bad way to start the day!”
EF: “This isn’t the richest face cream I’ve tried, but it’s nice — hydrating, not too heavy, didn’t break me out.”
BF: “I definitely felt dewy after using it.”