Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch with Valmont’s creative director and brand ambassador Sophie Guille. She invited me to her beautiful offices in the cute town of Morges, Switzerland for beauty talk and a fashionably late lunch. Sophie is the wife of the CEO and the guardian of quality and efficiency for Valmont skincare. She oversees both the research & development projects, as well as the conception and communication aspects of the brand. Basically, she’s got a hand in everything. And it’s a family affair. Valmont is her life.

What I loved about our lunch is that we just talked beauty for two hours straight. It was the best, and, unsurprisingly, her skin is amazing. I don’t know how old she is, but I do know that she looks incredibly young. Whatever she is doing – I want.

Ok, let’s back up — are you girls familiar with Valmont? You probably know their Prime Renewing Pack, which I discovered years ago, while reading Into the Gloss. I love this mask and it’s something that I always go back to. A mask-cream with a light texture—rich, not greasy— it instantly smoothes and relaxes facial features. The smell is one of the best parts. It literally smells like Switzerland – and it should. Valmont is a Swiss company. Sophie explained that Valmont draws inspiration from the unspoiled natural resources of Switzerland and the crazy cellular cosmetic research findings to create products that are super anti-aging.

They have their own farm, like my girl Tata Harper does, that grows eight different plants (Rosehip (Jessica Richard’s and I love this one), yellow dye, Echinacea, Mallow, Marigold, Nettle, white lupine, Dill).

Now that you’re caught up, let’s get back to what I learned at this lunch. While Sophie and I discussed our mutual love for the famous Prime Renewing Pack, she shared a secret I’ll never forget. Every morning, instead of washing her face, she applies a thin(ish) layer of the Renewing Pack. She then goes about the rest of her routine, vitamins, teeth, you know the drill. After about 20 minutes she takes a dry tissue (not wet) and wipes off the excess cream. Then, without washing or applying water, she finished up her super long and amazing routine that includes, serum, serum emulsion, moisturizer, primer, eye cream and then foundation.

The mask is great to use instead of a cleanser because it takes off everything that might have been left over from the night before. Stubborn eye liner, mascara, you name it – it’s gone. It also tightens and brightens the skin and eliminates any and all redness and immediately reveals the glow of healthy skin and improves the complexion day after day. I have the new limited edition version (pictured above) that now sits by my sink so I can use whenever I want.

Would you swap your face wash for a mask? I’m definitely hooked. Tell me what you think in the comments!