If you’ve never tried La Vie Précieuse products, here’s your ultimate guide to the brand. A luxe skincare line born in Aomori, Japan, La Vie Précieuse is truly in the crème de la crème of high-quality Japanese skincare. But the brand’s pretty packaging doesn’t just make a statement in your bathroom vanity. Its high-quality formulation speaks for itself. With cutting-edge research on Japan’s natural resources, La Vie Précieuse fuses science and natural ingredients to revive the skin’s inherent capabilities to stay hydrated, youthful, and protect itself. Y’see, technically, the skin should be able to perform all these functions on its own. But due to many factors in modern lifestyle like environmental pollution, poor diet and sleep, most of us have skin that isn’t working up to par. The La Vie Précieuse philosophy is to resuscitate these dormant abilities that all of us should have, for revitalized skin that knows how to take care of itself and mature gracefully.

The brand’s A.P.G. line is centered around three powerfully natural ingredients – apple-derived ceramide, proteoglycan (salmon nose cartilage), and glycyrrhizinate (licorice root extract). Don’t worry if you couldn’t pronounce two (or three) of those, because each ingredient has undergone extensive research in collaboration with Hirosaki University to ensure that only the most skin-supporting ingredients would be included. All three ingredients are grown locally in Japan, and specifically help to slow degenerating skin in the eye, mouth, and cheek areas.

True to the adage that less is more, the A.P.G. Line brings nature’s gifts to your skin in just 3 simple steps. Let’s take a look below.

Step 1: The Essence

Since many skin issues can be traced back to improper hydration, the A.P.G. Line places a huge emphasis on hydration, and hydration begins with restoring lost water and nutrients to the skin. It’s no surprise then, that the brand’s first step is an essence lotion. This Japanese essence lotion is a watery product packed with essential ingredients that soften the skin and allow nutrients to permeate further. It’s critical that you apply the essence before the line’s other products since it will allow denser products to absorb more effectively. After cleansing, take a liberal amount on a cotton pad and apply to the skin in bottom-up motions. You can also follow-through by gently pressing your skin with your hands.

Step 2: The Emulsion

Following your essence, you would apply the line’s emulsion. The emulsion is a milky, gel-like substance that helps to achieve a healthy balance of water and oil in the skin. It nourishes the skin with essential oils and creates a veil of moisture. If you’ve got oiler skin or you live in a humid climate, you might feel comfortable wrapping up your routine after this second step! Just dab a few dots on your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead, and lightly warm a small quantity with your hands. Then, gently massage the product throughout your face and neck in upward motions.

Step 3: The Cream

The last step is technically optional, but we highly encourage it for drier and mature skin types. La Vie Précieuse’s fast-absorbing cream builds upon the moisture and nourishment offered in the essence and emulsion steps. This Japanese face cream can also ensure longer-lasting hydration and help reinforce the skin barrier. You can apply it all over your face and neck or to specific dry spots as necessary.

Curious to see what all the fuss is about? For a limited time, we’re offering a free La Vie Précieuse A.P.G. 7-Day Trial Set ($25 value) with any purchase at The JBeauty Collection. But be warned – once your skincare routine gets geniously simplistic, it’s hard to go back!