Clarins

Crazy About Creams! Clarins Creams

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

Just to clarify, this is a joke:

And this is NOT a joke:

(Side note: Thank you, Internet, for making me ? laugh every single day.)

I’d be remiss to not include my favorite face creams in this series, and… —–> these babies by Clarins ARE NOT PLAYIN’. I always keep at least one jar around because whenever my combo skin starts feeling tight and dry and painful and just plain WEIRD, Clarins is there to rescue me, man. I dab a little on my skin (you don’t need a lot, thank goodness, because these jars, while decently sized, are still expensive), and my tight spots always feel instantly better.

French luxe line Clarins has been around forever, and while the brand may not be as buzzy as Drunk Elephant or Glossier at the moment, I know I can always count on their marvelously moisturizing creams to NOT break me out — and, seriously, EVERYTHING makes me break out.
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What’s One Thing That Drastically Made Your Skin Worse?

April 27th, 2018 by Karen 46 Comments

k goofing off — I say blergh to breakouts!

I’ll tell you one thing I’m never gonna do again… Although, you know what? In beauty, one should never say never, because you just never (haha, say it one more time, Karen!) know how you’ll feel in a few months or years, or what will be in vogue at any given moment, so I’ll tell you one thing I’m probably never gonna do again. I’m probably never gonna do another crazy extensive multi-step skin care regimen.

I tried one last December and January. I was using multiple serums, toners and treatments, both in the morning and at night, and I think it was just too aggressive for my face. I started breaking out in places I never break out, and my face was just HURTING, like all the time. Even applying lotion was painful. Plus, the regimen was too time consuming! I felt like I was always in the bathroom waiting for something to dry so I could layer something else on top.

In February, I quit that nonsense. Eight weeks had passed, which I figured was enough time to assess whether the routine was working (and it was wasn’t working, that’s for sure), so I scaled everything back and returned to using the products and lines I’ve had good luck with in the past.

Here’s what I’ve been using for the past two months…

Morning

Gentle cleanser — Avene Tolérance Extrême Cleansing Lotion, which I wipe off with a basic cotton washcloth

Benzoyl Peroxide cream — Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion (I wait till my skin is completely dry, then apply four pumps all over my face)

Moisturizer/sunscreen all-in-one — Clarins Extra-Firming Day for All Skin Types, and/or Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte (I’m less fond of the Drunk Elephant one; I don’t think it’s as moisturizing as the Clarins)

Evening

Oil-based makeup remover — I’m currently using the one by Tatcha because I had it around and needed to finish it up. I had been using the Tata Harper one before that. Honestly, I don’t think you need to go fancy with this step at all.

Gentle cleanser — Avene Tolérance Extrême Cleansing Lotion and a basic cotton washcloth

Acid Toner — Biologique Recherche p50 1970 (the hype is real! I wait till my skin is completely dry before applying it with a cotton pad)

Moisturizer — Clarins Extra-Firming Night (the last thing I do before bed, after I use the toner)

So, yeah, a much less intense multi-step skin care routine for this girl now.

(You should have seen it before!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF. 🙂

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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5 of My Spring Beauty Essentials

May 10th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 17 Comments

I always say that summer is without a doubt my favorite season.

But then spring comes around, and I’m not so sure anymore… I mean, I love the endless possibilities that come with long summer days, but the feeling of rebirth that spring brings is pretty hard to beat.

It’s so invigorating.

I love it when the freezing wintery air shifts into that warm spring breeze. You know, just taking a walk and soaking in the sun puts me in a better mood. The smell of freshly cut grass and new flowers is mildly intoxicating… In spring, I feel like I’m on a constant high.

I think that what makes me like spring so much is that it’s a big moment of change. As human beings, it’s usually the moments when (good) changes happen that give us that utter sense of joy. Later on, most of us tend to get used to what we have and lose that feeling of ecstatic excitement.

Besides the changes in the scenery and weather, spring also brings along changes in my beauty routine. There are a few products I always rediscover at this time of the year, and today I’m sharing them with you.

The Fake Tan: Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning ($38)

Aside from the occasional dusting of bronzer here and there, most of the time in winter I tend to embrace my corpse-like complexion, but once the sun comes out of the clouds and the leaves grow back on the trees, I’m all about that healthy, sunkissed look. Since my face and neck are usually a shade lighter than the rest of my body, in the spring and summer I like to use a self tanner to make sure everything matches.

The best one I’ve tried so far is the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning lotion, a lightweight lotion that gives me a nice glow in two or three applications. The effect is pretty gradual and not too dramatic, so I think it’s well suited for fair/light complexions.

The Sunscreen: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dry Touch Gel-Cream SPF 30 ($19.99)

Being an oily-skinned gal, I can’t just grab any random SPF and slather it on my face… Some of them tend to feel pretty heavy and greasy, you know? But luckily, these days, there are quite a few options for us shiny girls in the sunscreen department! My current favorite is La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dry Touch Gel-Cream SPF 30, because besides looking perfectly matte upon application, it doesn’t make me oilier over time.

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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

Late Summer Sephora Haul!

August 24th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

My No. 1 rule when I shop at Sephora is to never, EVER walk around the store with a basket, because if I do, I’ll just keep dropping more and more things into it until eventually — whoops! — there goes all my fun money for the next few months.

I tell myself that I can only leave the store with what I can physically carry in my hands, but that doesn’t always work… You’d be amazed at how much stuff a short Filipino girl can carry, haha! 🙂

On my last trip I grabbed a few things — some re-stocks, some new things I’ve been wanting to try and at least one doodad (maybe two).

As always, my friend, thank you for watching.

Products mentioned

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen