At the launch for its latest range of beauty products, Japanese skincare brand SKII revealed it had none other than the queen of England on board.

 Well, sort of - Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who played the title role in the recent

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age", was unveiled as the new face for the brand.

An Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, Blanchett says she was introduced to SKII by her makeup artist. Her royal first impressions?

"The Facial Treatment Essence [with Pitera extract] seemed to restore my skin's natural renewal cycle. And the more I've learned about it, the more I can see why they call it 'the miracle water'." 

Blanchett isn't the only one gushing. Korakoch Taecha-kreangkrai, a training manager at SKII, enthusiastic too.

Toners, she says, help remove accumulated dead skin that makes the complexion look dull. "Using soft cotton pads," she instructs, "gently clean the face thoroughly with toner. This will help brighten your complexion and reduce wrinkles. But the best advice is to find an alcohol-free toner that suits your skin type - the alcohol-based ones stretch and irritate your skin."