Beauty – Clarins Haul

As far as I was concerned, Clarins had been around for years and was a bit old fashioned.I’ll be honest, I always thought it was something for my mum and her age group.  I stand corrected.

Clarins was launched back in 1954 by a French masseur. His intent was to make women feel attractive. It launched back then as a skin care brand. By 1980 it was the number one selling luxury skincare brand in France. It didn’t take many more years to reach number one status in Europe and is now a household name across the world.

Since I have always been into makeup and skincare, it is a surprise to me that I have not tried any of these products before now. But I think that genuinely is because it had become such an entrenched name in the world of beauty, that the younger generations were drawn to the new, upcoming and fashionable brands, such as Clinique, Benefit, Mac.

So on the recommendation of a few friends and also some enabling from beauty bloggers I have made a couple of purchases.

Clarins have a hugely successful make-up range too. And from what I can see the make-up also has skincare benefits. So to start my journey with Clarins, I opted for two skincare items and two make-up items. I did my shopping at Boots.

First is the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner. Now this product is raved about by industry skincare guru, Caroline Hirons. The toner is an acid toner. This means that you get the exfoliating benefits to your skin, without the harsh rubbing of topical beads or grains. Many beauty bloggers use this toner and the product has high acclaim, so I’m very excited to include it in my daily skincare. I will report back on how it goes. I am hoping for good things!

Next is a product that beauty blogger Amelia Liana swears by. Its the Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil.

Specifically aimed at dehydrated skin, this oil is said to quench the thirst of skin that is dry and problematic. I recently turned forty. My skin is generally pretty good, but at times it gets tired and run down. Normally It is a reflection of my mental and physical state. So taking care of it is something I take seriously. I have combination skin so I get oily patches and dry patches. I have found huge benefits using facial oils, over the past year of so. So I have high expectations from this little bottle. It costs around £30 depending where you purchase, so its not cheap. But a few drops is all you need. So far the smell is amazing and it feels very luxurious. How it will pan out long term, I am yet to see. I will keep you posted.

Then on to make-up. This is my weakness. I admit it! I have now heard and seen so many reviews about this product that I HAD to purchase it! Its the Instant Concealer. Now this comes in a foundation-like tube. And at around £22 a tube, you actually get a lot of bang for your buck. I have been an avid user of under-eye concealers since before they were even a ‘thing’. Back in the day I would slap on the Rimmel concealer stick in ivory and feel like my eyes had taken on a whole new look! Friends would laugh as it was always in my handbag!

Over time there has been a huge increase in the use of concealers, and specifically under-eye brighteners, such as the cult classic, Touche Eclait from Yves Saint Laurent. And believe me I went through plenty of them! It is a cult product for a reason, in my humble opinion, but there have been many high street and high end dupes over recent years.

On first use I would say that this concealer is a bit of a hybrid. It covers well, it is light enough for under the eye but works equally well as a one-stop-shop if you are short of time and can only conceal. It definitely brightens too. So far I am loving it! I’m using the shade 02. The 01 was too light for me. From first trials it has remained moisturising and certainly didn’t crease under my forty year old eyes. Again there are high hopes, but I have a feeling that this little tube is going to deliver.

Last but by no means least is another blogger favourite and that is the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector.

Again a product that has had so many mentions in the blogger world. This is a lip balm, lip gloss, lip protector, lip gel. So it pretty much covers all bases. It is aimed to plump and perfect the lip. It has a beautiful scent and glides on like a dream. I went for apricot shimmer as I always edge towards peaches rather than pinks. It is quite opaque I thought, but it really does something to enhance the lip. Key for me, it is NOT sticky and your hair does NOT stick to it! It looked fab on top of my favourite Mac lipstick too. (Brave, by the way).  At time of writing, this gloss is in the make-up bag. This generally means it’s a keeper!

All in all, from the bits I have tried I have been impressed with my purchases. How the skincare will go, I don’t know yet, but will keep you posted. Let me know if any of these are your favourites and what your experience of Clarins is. I’ve listed all products below should you wish to try yourselves, Huge hugs K xxx