Two nights ago I made a strawberry mousse. For this, some serious egg white whipping is required. My recipe instructed me to whip the eggs until them formed ‘stiff peaks’, and the only thing I could think to compare it to was, rather strangely, the new Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Serum-In-Crème, £150. You see, it sounds odd to liken face cream to whipped eggs, but YSL’s new formula is quite unlike any other. 

Because, that’s exactly what the brilliant Serum-In-Crème prides itself on; presenting an entirely new texture to the luxury skincare category, and to our morning skin ritual. How? By conjoining the twin joys of a comforting cream that feels wonderful to apply yet has all the potency of those supercharged serums we’ve come to love so fondly. It’s no secret that Forever Youth Liberator Serum has blown all others out the water with its potent glycogen technology (there are pages of medical journals dedicated to it), but what was slightly lacking with this and pretty much all other targeted serums, was that deliciously enriching formula that you can warm up in your hands and smooth over the face as though coddling it like a baby.

Make no mistake; the formula may feel like smoothing a fluffy white cloud across your skin, but it’s up there with the big guns in terms of efficacy, containing a three-times higher concentration of Glycanactif (the anti-ageing molecule) yet suspended in a thick-but-airy cream. And just like your daily serum, all that’s required is a five pence sized amount, smoothed over the contours of the face and downwards over the neck. With that comes, on average; 90% healthier skin and an 85% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles. Dreamy.

"It sounds odd to liken face cream to whipped eggs, but YSL’s new formula is quite unlike any other."

Back in the 20s and 30s, there were only creams on offer, be it a tin of Nivea Day Cream or a pot of Cremine Cleanser. Placed upon stained mirror dressing tables, said pots were used daily in a simple line-up of  talcum powder and apothecary rose water. These were creams that possessed a consistency akin to the butter cream frosting that the women who bought them were slathering atop their homemade sponge cakes on a Sunday afternoon; they were heavy and melted onto the skin.

Then came the lotion boom around the late 60s, during which time creams were ditched in favour of the more easy-going liquids that took precedence. And after that? The serum explosion, of course. In the last decade it’s been serum after serum, each better than the next and all lauded for their potent and positive effects on the skin. From Crème de la Mer’s Regenerating Serum to L’Oreal Revitalift Repair Serum, you’d be hard pressed to find a bathroom shelf or Anya Hindmarch make-up bag without one (or seven).

"Make no mistake; the formula may feel like smoothing a fluffy white cloud across your skin, but it’s up there with the big guns in terms of efficacy."

So really, we’ve arrived at a hallmark point where all the best bits of the greatest skincare innovations across the years have arrived in one smarty pants pot, though this Serum-In-Crème isn’t the only one to hit the market of late. I’m talking proper creamy textures yet with the propriety of a serum, that you want to use time and time again. No one wants to slather on a watery excuse of a thing anymore that feels more like medication than beauty, it has to offer an enriching user experience (where the strawberry mousse element comes in).

All hail the texture innovators, the newbies that go beyond the call of duty while satisfying our desire for an old school, creamy application. The hot newcomers are in the gallery above; take note and fit into your skincare routine fast.