I have a weird relationship with Dua Lipa.
It all started late January of 2018. I was getting my hair done in a New York City salon when the hairdresser asked me if I was Dua Lipa and in-town for the Grammy’s that weekend. I coyly said no. I knew who she was because I love indie music and had heard her first and only album at the time, but it was the first time someone suggested we shared a resemblance. I distinctly remember signing the tip envelope “Love, Dua”, thinking it was a funny joke for the stylist to believe he had worked on an indie pop star that day.
What I didn’t expect was her meteoric rise to fame, and soon, regularly hearing, “Has anyone ever told you you look like Dua Lipa?” At a dental appointment, the receptionist greeted me: “Hi, Dua!” before apologizing, revealing she mistook me for another patient that also had an appointment that day (guess who?). As her star continued to rise and she blossomed into a fashion icon, she began wearing my longtime favorite brands–even the same pieces. The similarities only grew. Texts started flowing from friends that read, “Are you in Ibiza?! Think I just saw you at Jondal!” Later I’d find out that it was actually Dua. “How is this not you?” another text read, accompanied by an Instagram photo of the star. When we were in the same city at the same time during a buzzy summer weekend, disappointed paparazzi photographed me leaving a restaurant before one of them yelled out, “IT’S NOT HER” in Spanish. Personally confounded, I don’t see it–beyond our dark hair–but others seem to have strong opinions to the contrary.
So, when I learned Dua Lipa launched a skincare line with Augustinus Bader, I had to try it. I’m not a pop star; I know nothing about singing. I’m so tone-deaf that gulls fly inland if I try to hum a tune, but I do know about skin–and especially about caring for it. I’ve been using Augustinus Bader’s core line on-and-off since it launched, and even visited Dr. Bader’s original clinic in Dusseldorf before the line officially existed on U.S. shelves. Dua Lipa has long-touted the line as a life-saver for her frequent flying skin–just another thing we both have in common.
DUA The line launched with only three products: the Balancing Cream Cleanser, a serum called Supercharged Glow Complex, and a daily moisturizer called the Renewal Cream. Each contains the benefits of AB’s famous science and patented Trigger Factor Complex (TFC5™) that promises to restore and renew the skin, originally created for Dr. Bader’s burn patients. In relation to Augustinus Bader’s core creams, DUA is certainly more price accessible, but still pricey: The Renewal Cream is $75 per 50mL, whereas AB’s “The Cream” is $305 per 50mL.
My Skin
Tanya Akim
My skin is oily, but dehydrated–because if there were a Guinness Book of World Records category for drinking the least amount of water per day, I would be the winner. And I like martinis a little too much–especially as these New York nights get chillier.
First Impressions
DUA
The packaging is chic: Rose gold components with Augustinus Bader’s signature brand’s cerulean blue typeface, like the inverse of the luxury line’s bottles. The first time I tried it was at nighttime after a date on a windy New York City night. The cleanser’s “cream” descriptive couldn’t be more accurate. It’s a fragrance-free cream, and instead of lathering, it almost entirely absorbed into my dry, thirsty skin. I used a warm, damp muslin cloth to wipe it off and was surprised to see it had removed all of my eyeliner, mascara, and makeup without needing a double-cleanse or second pass.
The Supercharged Glow Complex, is one of the more milkier serums I’ve ever used. My skin drank it like it was the last drops of water from a canteen in the desert. I waited a few minutes for it to absorb before applying the Renewal Cream. Unlike its white-colored siblings, the Renewal Cream has a slight nude, pinkish hue to it–but still free of fragrance. The trio felt great on my skin and they even created the, “What are you using?” glow.
Verdict
The Supercharged Glow Complex promises to brighten complexions, improve skin clarity, and enhance elasticity. Obviously I’ll need a few more weeks of consistent use to see if my complexion is brighter or my elasticity is enhanced, but I love many of the ingredients, like niacinamide and marine bio-retinol, and the immediate effect it has on my skin. My favorite of the limited line so far is the Renewal Cream. I’ve used it morning, afternoon, and night. It keeps its hydrating promises, doesn’t pill under my makeup, it leaves no greasy residue, and my skin looks and feels like a freshly buttered brioche.
If any of these become one of my new desert-island products, I won’t be surprised.
