Clarins Sunkissed Summer 2016 Collection

Every single year, the Clarins Summer collection pleases me to no end and I eagerly await the release of their yearly Limited Edition Bronzing and Blush Compact. It's one of my favourite bronzers which has never let me down.

This year, the collection has a very appropriate Summer name; Sunkissed and it's full of glowing and rich tones which compliment both long Summer days and evenings.

Complete with of course, the Bronzing & Blush Compact (£30.00) which once again has a beautiful embossed design on the product itself, four Limited Edition Waterproof Eyeshadow Shimmering Cream which I adore, a new Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in the shade Red Berry, another new launch in the form of Clarins Fix' Make-Up Mist and the Double Fix' Mascara which doubles up as a waterproof top coat for lashes and a brow tamer, this collection is just as impressive as previous years and has some products within it that I am so impressed with.

The launch of the new Waterproof Eyeshadow Shimmering Cream Colours in the shades 01 Golden Peach, 02 Golden Sand, 03 Silver Taupe and 04 Copper Brown (£18.00 each) are set to be winners this Summer and I personally cannot get enough of them. I've been using Golden Peach and Golden Sand on rotation for a while now, and used as both a base and as a singular shade, they work beautifully. Gliding onto the eyelids and blending in nicely, these sit on the lids and provide the beautiful shimmer that they promise, illuminating to perfection whilst holding to the lid for a fairly long time. I haven't found that they break up or crease, like some cream shadows do on me and having tested them out in high climates, I can assure you that they are waterproof and dazzle beautifully in the sun.

I'm a huge fan of skin mists and I must admit that I was shocked by Clarins decision to add a mist into their range. I'm not sure why, as they do everything so well, but I just didn't really see it coming. Thankfully, it hasn't disappointed and although it's not a product that I've found myself gravitating towards daily, it does do the job and a great one at that.

Including refreshing skin beneficial ingredients such at Aloe Vera to maintain hydration, Allantoin to soothe and an anti-pollution complex to protect the skin, this is beautifully cooling and a lovely product to have to hand throughout warmer days. 

I'm so into brows and so it will come as no surprise that the fact that the Double Fix' Mascara (£20.00) teaming up as both a lash top coat and a brow tamer pleases me endlessly. Unlike most in my collection, this is completely clear. Including Bitter Orange Tree Wax, which helps the product to be waterproof, this product helps to create a waterproof coat to your lashes and brows both over product and on its own, which for the Summer or on your holidays, is amazing.

I've been a fan of the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils (£19.00) for a fairly long time now, more than year in fact, and so new shade releases always impress me. This collection sees the launch of Red Berry, which holds a very light Berry tint which is extremely wearable. Of course, the products still the same as the original, which is is the perfect in between of a gloss and a balm and leaves your lips feeling incredibly supple.

The Clarins Sunkissed Collection is available to buy now, what things will you be picking up?

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Clarins NEW Joli Rouge Lipsticks- 25 shades!

Clarins are a brand that always impress me, I love their collections as a whole and I think in terms of both skincare and make up, they get their products right every time.

Over the past year, their skincare has particularly impressed me and I can't get enough of a handful of their products, which I'll be sure to update you on shortly.

Now, finding the time to finally put on make up "properly" again, and braving more than a quick dash of lipstick, the new Clarins Joli Rouge came in just at the right time.

I've always been a lipstick kinda girl and Clarins Joli Rouge have always impressed me in terms of formula, colour and wear but taking a bit of a risk in my opinion- why mess with a product that's already excellent? Clarins worked on their already super moisturising lipsticks to make them even more moisturising and create a whole load of new shades, and thankfully, I can vouch- they're brilliant and it was well worth the risk.

With a whooping 25 new shades in the Joli Rouge family, there's a shade to express every mood, make up look and personality. 

Ranging from Reds to Nudes, Oranges to Plums and Berries to Pinks, the shades are as followed: 

701 Orange Fizz, 705 Soft Berry, 707 Petal Pink, 711 Papaya, 713 Hot Pink

715 Candy Rose, 723 Raspberry, 731 Rose Berry, 732 Grenadine, 737 Spicy Cinnamon

738 Royal Plum, 740 Bright Coral, 741 Red Orange, 742 Joli Rouge, 743 Cherry Red

744 Soft Plum, 745 Pink Praline, 746 Tender Nude, 747 Rosy Nude, 748 Delicious Pink

749 Bubble Gum Pink, 750 Lilac Pink, 751 Tea Rose, 752 Rosewood, 753 Pink Ginger

and breathe. 

Swatched above I'm wearing a trusty Pink- 735 Pink Praline and I just love it. Soft and easy to apply, it sits on the lips comfortably for a fair few hours and has the ability to be built up or worn as a light sheen of moisturising colour. With ingredients such as Mango Oil, these are certainly a must have for the colder months in particular and I'm so excited to have a real play around with more of the tones.

Priced at £19.50 each, which of the shades stand out to you?

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Clarins 'Mum and Me Time' at Ragdale Hall Spa

Life got a little crazy recently and some me time became very necessary and what better way to spend it than with my mum, in the countryside at a spa.

A three-hour-something road trip up the M1 took my mum and I to Ragdale Hall Spa in Leicestershire, and boy did we have a great weekend.

Two days of pure luxury soaking up the fresh country air in our fluffy White gowns meant we had time to relax away from daily stresses and just be. It's often only when you take a moment to breathe in an environment of silence and calm, that you realise just how much you needed that moment to breathe, chill and unwind.

Ragdale Hall is a traditional Victorian building and homes both traditional and modern luxury with state of the art equipment and facilities, current brands and fabulous treatments. 

The Thermal Spa which is made up of both an indoor and outdoor heated waterfall pool, a candle pool, a thought zone, a colour flow cave, a volcanic salt bath, a scented room, a rose sauna and a cave experience shower was a favourite of ours and so I'm sure it will come as no surprise when I tell you that we spent the majority of our time in there, switching between facilities.

In between pruning our fingers and toes, we were very kindly treated to a Mum and Me Time Clarins Serenity Facial which was an absolute dream. 40 minutes of treatment which included an in depth skincare consultation and a Clarins gift of an Eau Dynamisante Fragrance, Moisturising Body Lotion and a Clarins Beauty Bag, meant that we had the opportunity to relax even further- so much so that I actually fell asleep mid facial. It was such a nice treat and it was so lovely to be pampered alongside my mum, who following the treatment was floating on cloud nine. 

With the added bonus of the clean air and spa facilities, my skin had never looked and felt so clear and I can't wait to continue to use the Clarins products that were recommended for me to use day to day.

Breakfast in bed, an incredible three course buffet lunch and dinner were equally beautiful and going to enjoy them were the only times that we were away from the tranquil settings of the spa. Dressed in our gowns and slippers for mealtime was an extra special treat for us and made the days even more relaxing and I now just wish it was socially acceptable to dine out like that everywhere. I'm a girls girl and love getting dressed up for fancy meals, but in that environment with the calming nature of the trip, dressing gowns were the only way and it was absolutely completely heavenly. 

Set in the middle of nowhere, with bunnies hopping into the distant fields, Ragdale Hall is the perfect spa getaway for all ages, shapes and sizes and I for sure can't wait to return. 

Whether it's gym classes, swimming, treatments, garden games or spa facilities you're into, there's something for everyone, although having experienced the most gorgeous quality time with my mum, I can't recommend taking your mum along for the Clarins Mum and Me Time Package enough.

I'd love to know if you've been to Ragdale Hall or whether you're interested in visiting. What's your favourite spa treatment?

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Clarins Aquatic Treasures

This month Clarins are launching their Summer make up collection which is always a winner for me.

There's something about Clarins that just get it so right when it comes to Summertime and this year, once again, is certainly no exception.

They tend to follow along the same lines as previous years, but why not when they're always huge hits? Yes, we all love new launches, and that will never change, but the saying "if it ain't broken don't fix it" certainly comes to mind when it comes to Clarins Summer- in particular their Bronzing compacts.

Always perfectly embossed in the huge circular pan, Clarins bronzers are one of my favourites and always last so long. This year, inspired by marine life, the embossed Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact (£30.00) is home to four matte Bronzing shades ranging from the lightest Beige tone to a true Terracotta. Simply put, it's absolutely stunning- maybe too stunning to use in fact (although don't worry- I will!).

Part of the collection is made up of Clarins new limited edition Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Bases in two shades; 04 Apricot and 05 Golden Bronze (£26.00). These can be used alone, or how I personally prefer to use them, mixed with foundation to create a more glowy, radiant base. 

Finally, in two shades, 01 Aquatic Rose and 03 Aquatic Grey, are two limited edition Ombre Iriescentes (£19.00), which are incredibly pretty cream to powder eye shadows. These are made up of a long lasting and really easy to apply formula which I really enjoy using. As much as I love applying shadows with a brush, in the Summertime, there's something about keeping your make up natural and applying with fingers, and with these being so quick and easy, they're perfect applied like that, for my quick mummy make up looks.

Launching this month, the collection will as always be limited edition, but if you are after any of these delights, you can pick them up at Clarins counters in the likes of John Lewis and House of Fraser.

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Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors

I would go as far as to say that the Clarins new Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors* are probably one of my favourite products at the moment, and in terms of new launches, are the things I am most excited about.

As a huge fan of the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors already, before these launched I was really interested to see how they would perform, and honestly, I couldn't be happier.

As a new mum, I need products that are quick and easy to use as well as providing amazing results and that's exactly what these are.

Effortlessly easy to apply, they are packed full of Wild Mango and Shea Butter, leaving your lips feeling so moisturised and glossy smooth. They create a subtle lip gloss look, with the tiniest amount of pigmentation, which is perfect for every day. They're basically a stick form of the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors, with nourishing lip care and I adore them.

Available in six shades- Rose, Coral, My Pink, Orange, Red and Rosewood, 02 Coral is my personal favourite, which swatched above, probably comes as no real surprise.

Costing £18.00, these are available to buy now in the likes of John Lewis, House of Fraser, and Selfridges.


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Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil

Clarins Instant Light Lip Oil* is a product that had me extremely intrigued when I heard of it launching last year, but the thought of using an oil on my lips, left me a little unsure as to whether it would be for me or not.

I'm so into lip products and over time, have used all kinds of different balms and sticks to keep my lips as moisturised and supple as possible, but I don't think that in all of my years of buying beauty products, I've ever been presented with an oil formula, until now of course.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Oil is the perfect in-between of a lip balm and a lip gloss- similar to that of maybe an Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, though with a lot less pigment. 

It's incredibly light and feels so far from the oily formula that I imagined it would carry. It's lightweight, comfortable on the lips and adds a beautiful subtle gloss finish to my lips, which continues for hours after application.

I've tried this out both on its own and with a variety of lipsticks, and I really do love how well it seems to work for both. It adds a lovely amount of moisture which works beautifully well, even when paired with the most drying of lipsticks.

Not at all sticky or heavy like some oils can feel, Clarins Instant Light Lip Oil has become a winter staple for me and infused with plant based active ingredients, if you're after a lip treatment with a slight twist, I really recommend trying this.

Available in Honey and Raspberry, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Oil costs £18.00 and is available to buy at Clarins counters in the likes of John Lewis and Selfridges.

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Clarins 2014 Essentials Palette

This time last year, give or take a couple of days, I featured Clarins 2013 Essentials Palette, which I absolutely loved and have been using non stop for the past year and so I'm so pleased to be today, featuring the 2014 Christmas Edition. 

Home to another ten stunning shades, varying from the most delightful Gold tone to sultry Greys, this palette is fantastic and offers the most amazing pigmentation through a range of wet and dry satin, matte and pearl finishes.

My favourite tones are probably 5-8 as they have been the ones I have been reaching for most of the time when wearing a fancy Bronze smoky eye.

Just like the previous Clarins Essentials Palette, Clarins have included a double ended brush as a nice touch to the palette- one end for defining and the other for shading and blending which I find okay. I don't particularly love it, but I certainly don't hate it- it does it's job well but I would probably prefer one end to be slightly more fluffy as I like to use the palette to create something a little more dramatic as opposed to a simple one wash of colour.

Available to buy now at Clarins counters in the likes of Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis, this mirrored ten shadow palette costs £35.00.

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Clarins Gift with Purpose

Clarins gift with purchase is a deal that always catches my eye when perusing through beauty halls and with only a week left to get your hands on this five piece Clarins set, not only is it a gift with purchase, it's also a gift with purpose.

Clarins have teamed up with FEED Projects and have launched a beauty gift programme with a difference. With every single FEED 10 pouch that is given free to a customer after the sale of two Clarins Products, ten nutritious school meals will also being given to children in developing countries, helping beat the worldwide childhood hunger epidemic. 

With five of Clarins cult products in the make up bag such as Moisture-Rich Body Lotion, Relax Bath & Shower Concentrate, Gentle Refiner, HydraQuench Cream Mask and the iconic Hand and Nail Treatment, it's the perfect opportunity to get your hands on some incredible products, whilst treating yourself to a couple of new Clarins bits and helping FEED.

 Running through until October 4th 2014, now is the time to pick up your replacement Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors or if you're like myself, two of my current favourites, the Tonic Body Treatment Oil and the True Radiance Foundation. 

Will you be making a gift with purpose purchase?

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Clarins Lip Balm Crayons- Creamy Pink, Sweet Cherry, Soft Coffee

Crayon balm style lipsticks are my favourite for an on the go product and a day doesn't go by where I don't have one or two in my handbag.

These newest additions from Clarins, the Clarins Lip Balm Crayons* are beautifully formulated lip balms that offer just the right amount of pigmentation for day to day wear. Nothing too crazy, but really easy to wear shades, they come in a super moisturising formula that keeps your lips hydrated and shiny. 

Available to buy in a total of six shades, the ones that I have tried 02 Creamy Pink*, 04 Sweet Cherry* and 06* Soft Coffee are all beautiful and although I didn't think the darkest of the shades Soft Coffee would be very me, I've found myself reaching for it just as often as the other two shades that I would class as my favourite kinds of tones.

Infused with Shea Butter, these really are so lovely and creamy to apply and perfect for a natural looking lip through the summer, I can't recommend them enough.

Available to buy now online and at Clarins counters in stores such as Debenhams, House of Fraser and Boots, these cost £18 each and are a summer delight.

What do you think of Clarins latest lip release? Do you enjoy balm formulated lip products?

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Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 Collection

I'm always extremely excited by Clarins seasonal collections and Spring 2014 has a beautiful offering in the form of the beautifully brightening twelve piece Opalescence collection.

Consisting of a limited edition Face & Blush Powder* (£30) to add light into the base as well as add a Rosy tone to the cheeks, a new Mineral Eyeshadow* in a stunning Smoky Plum shade (£17), three new Joli Rouge lipsticks in the shades Tropical Pink*, Coral Tulip* and Pink Orchid (£18), two stunning non sticky and super shiny lipglosses in the shades Coral Tulip and Crystal* (£17), a new Eye Quartet homing stunning Pink and Grey tones (£31) and two Multi-Blush Cream Blushers (£18) in the most delightful of shades- Peach, Candy*, Grenadine and Rosewood*, this really is such a lovely exciting collection and holds some truly stunning shades.

As always, all homed in the prettiest of packaging, the new Clarins Opalescence Collection is absolutely dreamy and I personally think that both the Cream Blushes and the new Joli Rouge shades are the stars of the show and will be particularly lovely for Spring time.

If any of these products have your attention, I'll be sure to feature the singular products over the next couple of weeks, but if you're already keen to lay your hands on them, the Opalescence Collection will all be available as of February online and at Clarins counters in Boots, Selfridges and Debenhams.

Do any of the Opalescence products stand out to you? What are your collection must haves?

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