Clarins

A Few Current Clarins Loves (Oh, and My Face Is So Dry Right Now That It Hurts to Smile)

September 29th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

It’s been like this for a couple weeks now, I think because the weather’s changing, and we had to turn on the heater at night, bluh. So my skin is very, very, very upset about it, and it hurts, especially around my nostrils, where the skin is this close to cracking. It even hurts to smile, so whatever you do, don’t say anything funny… Haha! Ouch! I made myself laugh.

Not fun.

Whenever my skin gets like this, I always turn to Clarins. I’ve been using their moisturizers and serums for years. I also used their Tonic Oil on my tummy when I was pregnant with Connor, and I didn’t get any stretch marks at all. I don’t know if it helped, but who knows? Maybe.

Anywho, I love their moisturizing products, and I know they won’t make my skin freak out while it adjusts to the new fall normal.

Here’s my current Clarins arsenal:
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Does Anybody Out There Actually Wait All 24 Days to Open Those Makeup Advent Calendars?

December 1st, 2016 by Karen 11 Comments

clarins beauty delights advent calendar goodies — The Clarins Beauty Delights Advent Calendar ($125, available now)

I never had an actual advent calendar when I was growing up, but I’ve had a few of the makeup-oriented ones as an adult, and I have to say…I’ve never followed the instructions and used them in the advent calendar way.

Like with this cute one from Clarins, starting today, on the 1st of December, you’re “supposed” to open one (just one) of the little windows every day through the 24th, so that you get a different beauty treat each day until Christmas.

Clarins Beauty Delights Advent Calendar — Please note how I’m carrying it like a baby…

So, that’s the way it’s “supposed” (airquotes) to work with an advent calendar, but I’ve never used them that way because I always open them in one fell swoop! I want all the goodies, and I want ’em now! With cute things like this, I don’t have any self-control.

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Swatches of the Clarins Fall 2016 4-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes, Green Eyes and Blue Eyes

November 17th, 2016 by Karen 15 Comments

clarins palette 4 colors fall 2016 — Clarins 4-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes for brown eyes, green eyes and blue eyes

It used to surprise me when someone would say that I look like their sister or their aunt or their cousin… I guess I have a doppelganger, or several doppelgangers, wandering the earth, and whether they like brown eyeshadow as much as I do, who knows?

If they don’t, though, and you show up on the blog one day, and I’m like, “Bluh! I hate brown eyeshadow!” then you’ll know that one of those doppelgangers has carried out her nefarious plan, and I’m tied up somewhere in a closet.

clarins palette 4 colors fall 2016 cards — They also come with how-to cards.

clarins palette 4 couleurs 03 brown brown eyes — The 03 Brown Palette for brown eyes

Each of these new Clarins 4-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes ($43 each), which are new for fall/winter 2016 and available now, is made to complement a different eye color. There’s one for brown eyes, one for green eyes and one for blue eyes.

clarins palette 4 couleurs 02 rosewood green eyes — The 02 Rosewood Palette for green eyes

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For Sensationally Soft, Squeaky Clean Skin, Scrub-a-Dub-Dub and Exfoliate Before You Turn on the Shower

February 17th, 2016 by Karen 22 Comments

Next time you exfoliate your bod in the shower, instead of wetting your skin first before you get down to it, try applying your scrub to your skin while it’s still dry, with the shower turned off. Then, after rubbing your little heart out, turn on the water and rinse.

Sooo, why would anyone do it this way?

LOL! Good question… No, but seriously, I think I get a better, more intense scrub when I scrub while my skin is dry. My skin feels softer and squeakier clean than when I scrub while it’s wet.

The first time I heard about doing it this way was at a spa years ago, but, wouldn’t you know it? After getting home, I promptly forgot.

But I remembered after seeing it mentioned recently in a magazine. I think it was this month’s Allure… There’s an article in there about multitasking and getting the most out of your shower time.

Anywho, I did it last night with three different exfoliating scrubs. I hopped in the shower (with the water off) and used one of the scrubs on my arms, one on my torso and the other one on my legs. Then I stood there for few minutes scrubbing everything south of my neck.

Doop-da-doo…

After I turned on the water and rinsed, my skin felt smooth as a baby’s bottom — smoother, I feel, than it would have had I used the scrubs on wet skin.

And I’m sure I also ended up using less product.

By the way, the three scrubs I tried last night were…

Tree Hut Vanilla & Honey Gentle Oatmeal Scrub ($7.99) — This gentle, non-abrasive creamy scrub smells faintly of yummy oatmeal cookies. Mmm… Oatmeal cookies…
Soap & Glory Flake Away ($15) — This highly moisturizing, fragrant scrub (the strong scent reminds me of the old Dior Miss Cherie, which I loved) contains shea butter, sugar and pretty big scrubby bits, so it’s a little more intense than the Tree Hut Gentle Oatmeal Scrub. It also leaves behind a slightly oily residue.
I really like this one. It did the business, and my skin felt soft and great.
Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub for Smooth Skin ($38) — This creamy concoction has medium-sized scrubby bits made from natural bamboo fibers and a very faint, almost imperceptible peach scent.
It also did a great job. Plus, I didn’t have to use much, and it didn’t leave behind an oily residue.

Have you been using any good scrubs lately? And do you usually use them on wet skin or dry? Inquiring minds want to know…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

#Pregnantladythangs: Tum, Bum and Bust Maintenance With Clarins

January 12th, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

In the eight (!) months that Baby Girl has been officially “in da house,” I wager that I’ve spent an average of 30 minutes per day moisturizing my bod.

I know, even I’m rolling my eyes at the moment, ’cause that’s A LOT of time to be spending rubbing lotions and potions on yourself.

It’s true though. And it took a lot less time earlier in the process when I could move around more easily than I can now, because, ya know…I could touch my toes and whatnot, but now I have to do all kinds of creative things and maneuvers to get to the places I can’t reach.

It’s been a moisturizing adventure; that’s for sure!

Anywho, I just finished a bunch of products from the Mustela Maternity Skincare line. I used every last drop of the body oil, the stretch mark cream and the balm, and I liked all three, but, because I have a notoriously short attention span for beauty products…I’ve already started a new routine with Clarins!

You know, just to see. 🙂

I’ve been using Clarins products on my face for years (and their body care products off and on throughout that time), and I’ve always loved them. Sometimes their products are pricy, but they generally always work well with my skin.

Actually, very early on in my pregnancy, during the scary time in the first trimester before El Hub and I broke the news to our families, I bought and ended up finishing an entire tube of their Stretch Mark Minimizer because I knew I’d probably like it, and I did. Finished it down to the last drop.

So now I’m doing a whole five-piece pregnancy beauty system Clarins calls “Beautiful Beginnings,” which has a body scrub, stretch mark cream, body oil, a gel for firming zeh bust, and they also recommend using their cult classic Beauty Flash Balm on your face, which is supposed to help you look better rested, although, I dunno…I feel like that’s going to require three solid weeks of sleep (I’m so not kidding).

The Beautiful Beginnings process is designed to take care of pregnant skin and keep it looking beautiful. It includes…

Beauty Flash Balm ($46), a smoothing, tightening face treatment. Clarins recommends layering it under makeup to help your products last longer.
Smoothing Body Scrub ($37), an everyday body scrub with bamboo powder for all over zeh body. Clarins says that you should concentrate it wherever you expect possible stretch marks, like the tummy and bust.
Stretch Mark Minimizer ($52), an unscented body lotion with olive extracts. It’s designed to reduce that tight skin feeling and prevent stretch marks.
Tonic Body Treatment ($56), a body oil made from 100% plant extracts (oils of rosemary, geranium, mint and hazelnut) to prevent dryness and keep skin hydrated.
Bust Beauty Firming Lotion ($59), a lotion specifically for the breasts; Clarins says it helps to tone and restore firmness.

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