Clarins Beauty Flash Blog

 

The impossibly chic, long legged grandaughters of Jacques Courtin- Clarins have become  the brand ambassadors. It's  very handy to have a quartet of beautiful family members like this. Clarins may never need a model again.

The Courtin-Clarins sisters are currently in New York for fashion week and  to help get the new Clarins blog off to a good start. Called The Beauty Flash Blog ( after their wonderful Beauty Flash Balm) there are already many videos up as well as the girl's fashion week diaries.

Hit it up at : http://beautyflashblog.com/ for a dose of that French Je Ne Sais Quoi .

Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation

 
Many people fear the powder , there is no fearing the powder here. I love powder, my oily skin loves powder and I am a big powder foundation fan .

Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation is now available as a powder . It's a mineral based powder and comes in seriously cool packaging.

The foundation here is very finely milled and leaves skin looking airbrushed and flawless. Coverage is medium. It's not full but not sheer .  The finish is not fully matte but almost.  It's soft though and not heavy or ashy and looks good. If you like powders and can use them, i/e oilier skins, you need to check this.

The foundation comes in a jar that looks like fragrance. The brush for it is snapped into the top of the container. Unscrew the top, pop out the brush and swirl in the powder .

The shade shown is 104 Cream which is lighter than it looks in the jar. It's the lightest shade of eight.

Skin Illusion Powder Foundation is $ 40 .

The Oily Skin Beat The Summer Heat Round Up

 It's hot out there . At least it is here and from the maps, it looks pretty warm everywhere. For us oily skinned ladies , summer brings a special set of issues .  I not only have oily skin but perspire, a lot and easily. All this makes it hard to keep makeup and SPF on the face. How do you keep  continually protected from the sun when your oily nose is sweaty ? But I have learned through many products tests what works  , at least for me .

  I also , as I've mentioned a few hundred times , can melt most makeup, mainly eye makeup. I've frustrated more than one makeup artist who rattle off the list of long wear products and throw up their hands  when I say, nope, doesn't work. Take  Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes  Cream Shadow, which they use on underwater performers in France. On me it lasts  maybe an hour. I do  have better luck with other products  you'll see those  below.

So I decided to compile  here a list of all my top get through summer heat products. SPF that won't break you out  and how to touch up through the day over makeup. Foundations that will stand up to the oil , mascaras that will go for a swim.  Many are products I've reviewed in the past so there's link to the main post for reference.


Mattyfying/Oil free SPF-  There are more choice than you might think and have high SPF . Shiseido's new Urban Environment Oil Free UV Protector  mattes, feels invisible on skin and holds up well. Skinceutical's Physical Fusion also is light on skin but with a  tiny bit more slip than Shiseido. It uses physical blockers and is water/sweat resistant. Clarins UV Plus HP has a little moisture but does fine on me even in the T Zone so it's very minimal moisture. If your skin is the oiliest, then this may or may not work. Chanel UV Essentiel - this has oil in it  but  it mattes, is  light and has not broken me out or made me get extra shine.  And La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral 50, which is  super sheer, mattes and is water resistant.

SPF for touch ups- This is where you need powder sunscreen. You can dust it on over your makeup to make up for what's been sweated/oiled off without messing things up more . Most are light  and  don't add cakiness. Peter Thomas Roth's Instant Mineral SPF 30  is totally invisible on and   Physicians Formula has a new Mineral Wear Airbrushed Pressed Powder SPF 30 that gives light coverage and a flawless finish. It fills in pores and has antioxidants  along with that high SPF and comes in translucent ( shown) and 2 shades.  Different powders but excellent sun protection depending on your needs.

Matte Foundations- This year has seen a boon in new matte foundations. We needed that. Coupled with a few great long wear ones from a year or two ago and there are many choices that will keep your skin looking shine free but not overdone, caked  nor will  they settle into lines. These leave skin fresh but fully covered and feel light as air in most cases.  Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder , Lancome Teint Idole Ultra  24 Hr, YSL Teint Resist Long Wear  , Dior Diorskin Forever ( especially the powder version) are my top favorites.

Eye Shadow- MAC pigments , MAC Fluidlines, Sephora Flashy Eyeliner Waterproof  Make Up For Ever Aqua liquid liner, MAC Paints and Sephora Jumbo Liner 12 Hr Waterproof   are the products that  do not budge on me, and get past my makeup melt most of the time.  Maybelline  Color Tattoo and new Smashbox 15hr Limitless Eye Shadow and Urban Decay 24/7 pencils  do well too. 

Mascara-  Cover Girl ( any, they are all truly smudgeproof), MAC's new Extended Play and Opulash,  L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes  are ones I use  year round not just in summer.   Mostly waterproof is what you need but these are what I've tested on me that are  budge proof.

Anti-aging Night Serums/Gels-  If you're oily you want light moisture and you want anti- aging but without heavy creams that will only make you greasier. Two favorites are Erno Laszlo Blue Firmarine Night Gel which tightens skin, feels cool and uses Spirulina Maxima for collagen building and Yes To Blueberries Intensive Skin Repair Serum. Lightweight but packed with antioxidants.

That's my rather exhaustive list. Feel free to weigh in with your tips.


Beach image: Palm Beach, Barbuda via Travel &Leisure

Clarins Vital Light Serum

I loved the Vital Light line from Clarins last year which consisted of Day and Night Cream. While the Night Cream was more emollient than I needed , the Day Cream was perfect for me both day and night during the winter months.

However, I love serums even more than creams, so the new Vital Light Serum goes one better in my book.

Not only is this said to  help to brighten ( which it does) but it also feels very firming on the face as well. This is more moisturizing than most serums I've used . That makes it great for those who need more moisture.  The Mom has been using it as well and  it's working for her. She too, used Vital Light Day all winter  and was very sad to see the bottom of  the jar. 

Vital Light  Serum uses the active molecule hexylresorcinol to battle dark spots . It's less irritating than hydroquinone, but just as effective.( As for me, I felt no irritation at all, but my skin rarely  does, thankfully). Clarins patented plant extracts are in there as well . Perfect for by itself use for us oily skinned gals and  great under a day or night cream for everyone else.

$ 85.00 for 1 oz at http://www.clarins.com/

Clarins Rouge Prodige in Natural Rose

New for fall  from Clarins is Natural Rose , an almost your lips but better type of shade in their long wearing Rouge Prodige line.

Natural Rose is a light  coppery rose on me and a great fall to winter color. It's deeper than my lip color but  still  pretty subtle .  Great for pairing with the camels , tweeds and heavier fabrics that fall brings.

Retail is $ 24.00

Clarins and FEED for Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

One of my favorite items from Nordstrom's Anniversary sale in the beauty department is this FEED bag set from Clarins. I read about it months ago and now it's on sale , exclusively to Nordstrom.  FEED has done many bags and most are very cute, but this has makeup and skincare which is even better I think. Not to mention it's Clarins one of the best out there .

This 3 piece set has products you'll be glad to use and the Instant Light Lip Perfectors are great for summer.

Set contains:


- Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (1.7 oz.).
- Moisture-Rich Body Lotion (3.5 oz.).
- Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Shade 01 Rose Shimmer (0.15 oz.).

*With the purchase of a Clarins FEED 15 bag, 15 meals will be provided through the World Food Programme (WFP). The signature stenciled number indicates the nutritious meals provided.


On sale now for $ 30.00

Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen

 Summer is approaching and stockpiling on sunscreen is happening.  Last week I did  a whole post on sunscreen ingredients and how  I would be looking for the best in physical sunblocks.

New is Clarins  UV Plus HP SPF 40 ( Note * this  is a revamp of a previous product of almost the same name). Last summer Clarins brought out the  Bright Plus HP line  and I used Bright Plus HP Intensive Serum and Bright Plus HP SPF 20 Day Lotion most days. They did a great job and were perfect for my oily skin. Serum at night, SPF for day.

UV Plus is  even  better for oily skin.  This goes on light, sinks in pretty fast and leaves skin matte  with no white cast .  This is one of the  very few things I dare to use on my T- Zone. Obviously I need sunscreen there but I am loathe to use much beyond my matte foundation because it's so oily.  I want SPF but  not acne. The Clarins hasn't been an issue so far  and has made a good makeup base.  There is little moisture here and for me it's all I need. You may need to apply moisturizer over it .

UV Plus is a physical block with 8.1 % titanuim dioxide, no oils and 100% mineral filters as well as Cantaloupe Melon Extract for antioxidant benefits.

The bottle is a nice  enough size ( 1.7 oz at $ 38.00) to last awhile. One might not make the whole summer but should go for a couple months. You don't need a lot of it as it blends out well.

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning for Face

 I' ve said many times ( including last year's post ) that Clarins is the gold standard of self tanners.  Many work well but none seem to give the even , streak free , naturally golden look of Clarins.  Last year was Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15, the year before -Delicious Self tanning Cream. Both amazing self tanners and among the best I've used.

This year 's addition is one for the face- Instant Smooth Self Tanning. It's very moisturizing yet not overly greasy, imparts a little bit of color on application, then gradually adds the self tan . It's not dark in any way ,just a little extra color and you can use as needed to get more and maintain. You don't need a lot and it has a rather nice scent . Eventually there's  a little "self tan" scent, but very little. This can easily be a multi tasker and used as your moisturizer .

A  key ingredient according to Clarins  is Acacia Micro Pearls, said to plump skin and  trap moisture.

 One thing to know- ingredients  include vegetable and sun flower  oil. So keep this in mind if you can't use oils on your face .

Available now  for $ 32.50 at all Clarins counters .

The Lip Balm Guide to Super Hydration

With temps in the cellar here and in many places across the country , even so called warmer climes, lip balm is a must.  Good lip balm is even more of a must because not all are created equal.  I apply all day and night and begin to have chapped lips the minute it gets below 60 degrees.  After a fellow blogger was looking for product recs for her continuously parched lips, I decided it was time to do my lip hydration  post, one I've had in pipeline for awhile.

Things to know-

1.If it has shea butter, it's got mega moisture, many of those listed below fall into this category.

2. The more thick, and viscous a  balm, the more barrier protection from wind it will give you.  Ones like the Clinique  listed below as well as old standy Aquaphor which now comes in  a handy  lip treatment tube  fit this type.

   That said,  here is my list of personal favorites that  work in  freezing cold.  There are plenty other balms I love and use in milder, say 40-50 degree weather. But for the coldest times, these get highest marks. Links will go to my  original review if there was one.

Philosophy Kiss me Tonight- Also should be called The Lifesaver or maybe LipSaver.  This is meant as an overnight treatment, but can be used daytime as well, it just doesn't lend itself to being used under lipcolor.  It's a thick, jelly balm which  makes a  coating on lips. Its stays there long and is super healing and softening with shea and mango butters One of the few products I keep a backup of.

Shu Uemuea Depsea Hydrability- Almost oily in texture at times this one covers the lips with a heavy gel/balm and keeps out the wind and softens the lips. Ultra hydrating, no tint, no scent. Contains  depsea water as well as hyaluronic acid and macadamia oil.  Available  only online in US  at http://www.http//www.shuuemura-usa.com 

Clarins Colour Quench Balm - The balm you want if you want major moisture , gloss and color in one. These pack  more pigment than most balms and come in a huge color selection from light to bright. They also have shea butter, vitamin E and a nice fruity scent. You'll see my original post dates to 2007, these have been a staple for a longtime.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolor-  Lipstick with shea butter. When you want lipstick but you need help with chapped lips, look here. These have nice pigment, are a lipstick tube but pack  much more moisture than most lipsticks. I use my nude shade, Bronzed Pink,  all winter every year. It's what I usually reach for when I want lipstick  not balm.

L'Occitane Pure Shea Butter- The small tin of pure shea butter is just what lips need . Apply right on for healing and moisture . The real deal , simple and basic but  nothing works like  pure shea.

Clinique Super Balm Moisturizing Gloss- As the name says it's a glossy balm. It's also thick enough to stand up  to wind and cold. The colors are sheer and the formula has aloe vera and vitamin E.

Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil

Highlighted in  Clarins fall/winter launch  is Body Treatment Oil in "Tonic". Tonic is meant to be, as well as super moisturizing,  refreshing and to help boost skin elasticity.

With essential Oils of Rosemary, Geranium, Peppermint  and Rosewood along with Hazelnut oil  this is a moisture powerhouse.  It's straight up oils which sink in super fast but leave behind softer skin with a pleasant herbal scent.  After a few minutes at most you have no residue, no oily feeling. It's not a "dry oil" but dries quickly.

It's fab for this cold weather most of us have been having. The bottle is glass- so be careful with oily hands, and is a large size at 3.4 oz. Enough to last all winter.

Clarins also recommends this as very good for treating stretch marks.

Available now at all Clarins counters and online at $ 52.00.

Clarins Extra-Firming Foundation SPF 15

    Clarins newest foundation ( after the fabulous Everlasting from earlier this year) is Extra- Firming Foundation with SPF15. Both for,ulas get the thimbs way up . Extra Firming is more dewy/sation where Everlasting was matte.

Extra-Firming is medium to full coverage and really covers well. Skin looks smooth, more even and even a  little bit tighter. It created a beautiful canvas and feels good on .  It's  hydrating but not heavy with the company's plant based , time released micro patch formula .

Other skin helping ingredients:

-Oat Sugar extract contains natural skin tightening benefits by forming an invisible and flexible veil on skin.

-Greater Plantain offers anti-aging benefits and helps minimize appearance of dark spots.

- Light Optimizing Complex with refelcting microspheres.

Available now  for $ 42.00 for the  pump bottle at all Clarins locations.

Clarins Instant Sun Light Click &Gloss

If you want a sparkly gloss with an easy click applicator and SPF , then the new Clarins Instant Sun Light Click & Gloss might be for you.

Easy to use , it has lots of shimmer and the shade I have ( vanilla) is light enough to wear anytime and also makes a nice top coat over a deeper lip. The SPF in gloss is a summer must have , as the shine of gloss attracts the sun's rays to your lips more. It's good to have a couple SPF glosses handy all through the season.

There are 3 shades: Vanilla, Coral and Cinnamon.

Retail is $ 18.00 and they are available at http://www.clarins.com/ and at Clarins counters .

Clarins Summer line also includes waterproof eye pencils, the pretty Instant Sun Light eye quad, Instant Sun Light Smooth Compact Highlighter and a Fix Makeup setting spray.

Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15

In my opinion, Clarins is the gold standard of self tanners. I like many self tanners to be sure, and love to try new ones, but I always have the best success with Clarins.

Why? They streak the least , bordering on not at all and generally my skin just has a medium golden glow , never too dark, or fake looking.

The newest in Clarin's line is Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15.

This new formula is a soft mousse that applies so easily. I kind of like when formulas have some bronze tint to them but with this mousse, it's really hard to miss areas. There is very little scent, it's a fast blending and drying formula and adds some moisture to to your skin along with SPF15.

First application on my uber pale winter skin was a light color. No major bronze right off. In about 6 hours a light golden color began to appear. This first application gave me a slight, but still noticeable tan. I'll need a few coats to get bronzed but with self tanning, starting slow is not a bad thing.

The SPF is great. If you do your self tanning in the AM then head out, you don’t have to wonder how to SPF without thinning out the tanner. It’s a win- win.

Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse is $ 42.00 for 4.1 oz
http://www.clarinsusa.com/

Clarins Everlasting Foundation SPF 15

My makeup melt has been well documented on this blog. So you know when anything comes along that is called " Everlasting" I am all over it like leaves on trees.

The everlasing here is the new Clarin's Everlasting Foundation SPF 15.

This new foundation is a matte finish but not a heavy, masky like matte. It is full , good coverage but natural at the same time. The formula is very lightweight and relies on new silicones for lasting power and white clay for oil absorbtion.

Besides being matte, the foundation also has a " Light Optimizing Complex" for soft focus effects on skin and a plant based " Micro Patch" that delivers time released hydration.

I have been wearing mine for the past 3 days and it's been performing really well. I love matte finishes, so we're good there . But my skin looks good as well. No cakiness. I did find that using a primer underneath is a no. It blends far better without one. Wear time has been good. Not 15 hours ,but on me that would be impossible. It's been a solid 8 hours without needing a touch up. I'll take that. I am interested to see how it does in the hottest months. The white clay in there gives me hope that it will hold up in real heat.

Clarins Everlasting Foundation is on counters and online now . Retail is $ 35.00 .

http://www.clarinsusa.com/

Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream

Summer is a time to pamper feet, keeping them sandal & flip flop ready.

Clarins new foot cream is a nice way to treat you and your feet. It's very moisturizing but not greasy. It sinks in pretty fast. It has no scent really, and is recommended to be massaged into the feet hitting some of the reflexology points.

So far I've used it mostly in the heel area, and I like the softness after it's sunk in. Like most people my feet take a beating in summer so giving them a boost is a must. It's great that it has myrrh for the nails as well.

Ingredients include:

-Virgin Cashew Nut Oil restores suppleness to skin.
- Shea Butter smoothes away roughness, while nourishing skin.
- Arnica helps feelings of fatigue and swelling.
- Myrrh strengthens and beautifies nails.
-Laponite® powder absorbs dampness.

Retail is $ 25.00 for 4.4 oz

Clarins Extra Firming Tightening Lift Serum

Ok the whole name is Extra Firming Tightening Lift Botanical Serum, but that was a bit too long for the title. This is new from Clarins, maker of one of my favorites - Younger Longer Balm .

This one caught the attention of the Mom, as she is always on the firming lookout.

The serum comes in a neat pump tube, and goes on very smoothly. (I tried it as well).

You immediately feel a bit of tightening and your face looks smoother really fast. The Mom has been using it for a little over a week. She loves how smooth it makes her face look. She does feel there has been an improvement and her makeup looks better as well. I noticed myself, how nice your makeup is after using it. It makes a perfect canvas and is not oily at all.

The serum is made to be used before moisturizer. It isn't very moisturizing on it's own. You do need to let the product dry for a few minutes we found. After it dries, add your moisturizer and then foundation. You will be very happy with how good you look. Whats nice here is you can get anti-aging and primer in one, even though this isn't technically a primer.

Clarins Lift Serum uses plant based tightening agents and some ingredients include:

Oat Sugars( the tightening), Hibiscus Seed protiens( moisture), Amino Acids , Vitamin E and Silicium ( derived from Brown Algae) to boost collagen and elastin.

Retail is $ 75.00 at all Clarins counters .

http://www.clarinsusa.com/

Clarins Younger Longer Balm

Clarins newest skincare addition is Younger Longer Balm. I have been using this for about 2 weeks . It's a really thick cream gel that comes in a pump bottle. You don't need a lot, and it isn't greasy at all. It sinks in fairly fast. I have been using the patting "Youth Stimulating" method, prescribed by Clarins, where you tap the product into skin to get the nerve endings up and capillaries stimulated . I figured, it can't hurt. After all, to really try something, you need to use it properly I imagine.

The patented formulation:
An extract of Maritime Pine, titrated at 80% of its active molecules, and Butcher’s Broom stimulate the skin’s microcirculation.
-Centella Asiatica, titrated at 95%, rebuilds the extracellular matrix and in this way prevents the collapse of blood capillaries and the dermal-epidermal junction.
-Glistin helps protect skin from the effects of stress and aging and helps control skin’s microcirculation flow.
-Vitamins A, E and C, as well as Pro-Vitamin B5, protect and stimulate while Hawaiian Candlenut Oil and an extract of Green Algae help prevent dehydration.
-Expertise 3P protects the skin from the harmful effects of today’s pollution.

The balm is scentless for the most part and very gentle. One of the best part is that I have been able to use it around my eye area as well, even though it's not for that. It hasn't irritated them one bit and the product has never migrated into the eyes or anywhere. I have very few lines thankfully, but what few tiny ones there are do seem better. Plus my skin has really went oily since the weather got warmer, but no breakouts from this . I do keep it away from the oiliest parts.

This is my first experience with Clarins skincare. I have used the tanning and lip products and loved them, and this is quite nice too. Silly as it is, for some reason, I love the way this container looks on my vanity. Something about the bright red cap I guess.

On counters now at $ 98.00 for 1.7 oz

Clarins Color Quench Balm-Wintry Blast Secret Helper

Winter weather is still here in most places, so we are still needing many of the winter items to keep us going through the chill. One I found for Christmas and haven't posted about it Clarins Color Quench Lip balm.

This is not only a pretty lip product but a really good one as well. Super moisturizing with shea butter and vitamin E. It also is a gloss with great shine, and a great fruity taste. Since I have been using this , I have been able to cut back on almost all other lip balm applications and that's with only 1 application a day even.

With the medium sheer color and gloss it can go on anytime.

I have it in bronzey shade. This will go into warmer weather as well. Color Quench comes in 15 shades ranging from very light to very bright.

It really keeps the lips from getting chapped , and since the wind is blowing here in the northeast, this is good.

Retails for 19.00