VOODOO Face Cream…Magic and Mystery all in one Jar
I was browsing the shelves of a high-end beauty store in Bangkok when I spotted an artfully packaged, black and gold foiled jar called VOODOO cream. I personally, love that name as it conjures up mystery and magic and promises of seductive transformation (a blend of good marketing on their part and an over-active imagination on mine.)
This do-it-all wonder promises to whiten skin (a big thing in Asia, apparently), help with acne, soften wrinkles, detox skin and minimize pores. Its prized ingredient…snake venom. Wait! Snake venom! Hold the door Hodor style because if that’s the kind of freakiness their selling than I’m buying. Upon further inspection and to my disappointment I realized it is not exactly snake venom but SYN-AKE venom, AKA their patented ingredient formulated to mimic venom with its wrinkle smoothing properties.
Damn, I thought I was going to get up close and personal with this taboo ingredient but instead I fell for a clever marketing ploy. No worries, I still got a decent anti-aging cream packed with delicious smelling ingredients and some noticeable brightening effects. The bigger take away from this beauty find is the power of packaging and why we as consumers really do buy with our eyes. In the mind-numbing vastness of pastel pink acrylic jars this was the bad girl of wrinkle creams. Sometimes you need a little dark magic in your life to break through the purity plateau that is mainstream beauty.
