Since starting our bathroom renovations last week, I’ve been really trying to embrace my natural features and pare back my makeup routine even more so than usual. Given my only real vice is winged eyeliner, this is a pretty big deal for me. For the last month or so, I’ve been trialling some new (to me!) products from Clarins – which I’ve predominantly looked to as a skincare brand – and it seemed only fitting that I talk about these products in combination with a very natural attitude to makeup.
And this look is essentially all about the complexion; for me, the star is the serum-based foundation, which I’ve really come to love the look and feel of on my skin. Because I only have a limited beauty stash to draw from, I’ve combined four recent releases from Clarins with a few items from my everyday makeup stash. For those wondering, this includes: the Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil, the YSL Vinyl Couture Mascara and the Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour from Clinique.
Clarins SOS Primer
Because the base really is the hero of this very natural, and minimal make up look, I want to start with primer.
I’ve used the Clarins SOS Primer in the shade 02 peach (also here) quite liberally over the problem areas of my face. For me, this means under my eyes where I suffer from some dark circles, redness around my nose and chin, and any acne scarring. The formula is quite thick and pigmented, and blends in best when warmed up on the skin – personally I find that (clean) fingers are best for this.
There are six shades of the SOS Primer available which address problems such as lack of radiance, a fatigued completion, and imperfections such as dark circles, dark spots, redness, and sallow skin. It’s one of those multi-tasking products, whereby you can combine shades to correspond to specific skincare concerns.
The shade 02 peach is your go-to if you’re after an instant touch up. It’s a bright beige pigment that minimises violet hues associated with dark circles and veins. Depending on your skin tone, this could be worn almost as a tinted moisturising primer. The texture is creamy, and when blended out well it forms a light layer of pigment across the skin.
If you’ve ever watched my everyday makeup routine, then you may be familiar with the fact that I don’t typically tend to apply primer. I’m fortunate enough that I don’t have any serious imperfections that I feel I want to cover up, and the slight redness I suffer from can generally be resolved with a light foundation or concealer. And while I’m not likely to change my routine anytime soon, this is the kind of product that I’ll probably look to use interchangeably in place of concealer or foundation.
Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation
Next stop: foundation. As far as I’m concerned, natural skin is in. There’s a time and a place for a high coverage base, but my personal preference is to let your natural features shine. I like to be able to see a bit of freckle underneath my base, and I don’t want to cover up any of my beauty spots.
The Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation (also here) is definitely the hero product of this quartet; it’s lightweight and when applied it has a barely there effect, which I love for disguising redness while maintaining a complexion that still looks like skin. I have this in the Shade 105 Nude, which as I tend to bronze up quite a bit when I’m in the sun during the warmer months, I’d probably class as my winter shade.
Given that Clarins is a brand with more than 60 years’ expertise in skincare, you can bet that they’ve done their homework when it comes to base.
The formula has a serum-like texture, which glides on to the skin smoothly, though with any foundation like this I think it’s important to focus on getting your skincare regime right first – your complexion should be prepped and well hydrated (personally, I’m alternating betweent the Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrator and the Philosophy Purity Moisturiser). If your skin isn’t prepped, this can highlight dry patches, though I haven’t really found this to be a problem.
I’m wearing one layer of the foundation above layered over the SOS Primer, and honestly, it probably looks like I’m not wearing anything on my skin at all.
Other points of note? There are 22 shades available which cover both ends of the spectrum, it’s loaded with SPF 15, and the foundation comes in an eco-friendly glass bottle.
Clarins 4 Colour All-in-One Pen
The first thing I thought when I saw the Clarins 4 Colour All-in-One Pen (which I have in Shade 01), was how much it took me back to my school days. There’s a enormously nostalgic vibe in the design, which I think is going to be a hit or miss, depending on your preference.
The pen has four clickable colours; three shades for the eyes, and one for lips. Shade 01 is loaded with black, forest green, and navy eyeliner, and a dark nude lip liner. The formula of the eye liners is really creamy; while I haven’t nailed the smokey eye look using just liner, I think with a bit of practice and the right tools, it’s totally achievable with this product. Instead, what I like to do is run either the black or dark green along the lashline, focusing on the outer corners, and filling in the water line. With a fine pointed tip brush (like this one), you can slightly wing out the liner if you wish.
The lip liner formula is slightly different. I applied this all over my lips and found that the application was smooth as a lip liner, but dragged slightly when it came to filling in my lips. Part of this I suspect comes down to the fact that it’s a very matte formula. A small amount of lip balm would fix that, and give a creamier finish. It’s rich in pigment, and pretty long lasting too.
Clarins Water Lip Stain
The final product I wanted to touch on is the Clarins Water Lip Stain (also here), which I have in the shades 03 Red Water and 02 Orange Water. This is a really interesting lip product; it has the texture and feel of water, but the pigment of a medium intensity gloss. This is applied using a brush applicator, and the formula is actually composed of over 77% water (hence the water-like feel) and is rich in plant extracts, including: organic aloe vera extract to help protect lips from dehydration, organic raspberry water to help soften lips, plus it is infused with the Clarins anti-pollution complex.
Of the two shades I have, I found 03 Red Water most suited my complexion, plus it seemed to be more pigmented. This is a really buildable product; I’m wearing about two layers on my lips above, as I wanted to increase the intensity up a notch. What threw me off with this product is how it feels to wear on the lips once its set. It adds a matte wash of colour which essentially stains the lips, and feels like you’re not wearing anything at all. While I found that 02 Orange Water did fade after a couple hours, without any attempt to remove it, my lips were still stained a faded but ‘bitten’ red a day after applying 03 Red Water. I wouldn’t say it’s the kind of lip product you would wear without having to worry about reapplication later, but it’s a fun option particularly for those who aren’t interested in wearing lipstick, but want to play with the colour of their lips in a non-drying way.
