Clarins

You Can Always Count on Cat Butts…and Something Casual and Summery From Clarins, Like Their New Lip Balm Crayons

May 30th, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

The new Clarins Lip Balm Crayons, $20 each

There are some things we can always count on, like…

That cats will stick their kitty butts in our face, often at inopportune moments
That Clarins will knock out a new line of lovely lip products for summer

Clarins is just so good about the whole glossy, effortless lip look thing — the kind of makeup where it looks like you were summoned by the gods and washed up on a tropical shore solely for the purpose of looking seductively pouty, with your luxuriously wavy hair (seaweed artfully woven into it); bronzed, glistening skin and your lips that shine bright like a diamond (Shine bright like a diamond).

Clarins Lip Balm Crayons from the left: 01 My Pink, 02 Tender Pink, 03 Tender Coral, 04 Sweet Cherry, 05 Delicious Plum and 06 Soft Coffee — From the left: 01 My Pink, 02 Tender Pink, 03 Tender Coral, 04 Sweet Cherry, 05 Delicious Plum and 06 Soft Coffee

Their new line of limited edition moisturizing Lip Balm Crayons (which taste and smell like vanilla milkshake, OMG, YUM!) totally nails that summery lip look. Each retractable pencil lavishes lips with sheer color and glossy shine, while a moisturizing, lightweight mix of mango, apricot and shea butter hydrates your parched pout.

Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in My Pink — 01 My Pink

You might find yourself craving all six shades, but you may only need one (or two), because at some point, I think they all start to look the same, especially if your lips are quite pigmented like mine.

I suppose you could blank out the natural color of your lips first using something like OCC’s Tarred + Feathered Lip Balm Duo, and then layer a Clarins Crayon on top to coax out more of its color (you makeup overachiever, you!), but, you know, it’s a lip balm… I don’t think it’s supposed to be that complicated.

Clarins Lip Balm Crayon in Creamy Pink — 02 Creamy Pink

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One Pan of Eyeshadow, A Trio of Looks! A Smokey Plum Eye Makeup Tutorial Trifecta

March 3rd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Are you ready for three ways to work a smokey (or smoky, depending on your preference) plum eye?

Here are THREE different ways to rock the new Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow ($21)…or any other eyeshadow you like.

(Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)

The first look is the most casual one, good for daytime. The second is slightly turned up, like for grabbing drinks after work, and the third is a full-on smokey look with lashes, drama and the whole nine yards.

Definitely one for a big night out…or perhaps just to run errands around town, if you’re a diva like that. 😀

I’m using a shimmery purplish taupe shadow in the video, but you could definitely swap that out for another purple or taupe from your collection.

OOH! I think something like MAC Satin Taupe or Shale would look really pretty.

Or, you could skip the purple entirely and go with something like a shimmery bronze, brown, green, gold or blue. Seriously — whatever your heart desires at this moment! The most important thing is that you like it. Whatever it is, you’ll do great. 🙂

Clarins Smoky Plum Eye Shadow — Lashes, BAM! (Yup, this is the third look…)

A smokey plum eye makeup tutorial — A better look at my lids from the final look…

Products mentioned in the video…

Clarins Ombre Mineral Mono Eye Shadow in Smoky Plum ($21)
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder ($16)
MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25)
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($24)
Katy Perry Lashes in Punk Princess ($6.99)

Thank you for watching! If you give it a try, snap a quick pic and tweet it to me @karenmbb, or tag me at hashtag #makeupandbeautyblog on Instagram. Please!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow Ignites Hotter Smokey Eyes

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Critics are calling Smoky Plum “The sleeper hit of spring shadows!”

Well, not really… I have no idea what they’re calling it, but I’m calling it ohmygoshLURVE! 🙂

Watch out! — or this shadow will steal your heart (like it stole mine).

I mean, I love Clarins and all, but when I think of sultry, pulse-quickening smokey shadows, Clarins doesn’t usually spring to mind. Most of the time I head over to NARS, MAC, Chanel or Tom Ford for that.

But Smoky Plum, one of 14 pieces in the new Opalescence spring collection, could confidently hold its own with the smokiest of the smokey. Surprisingly complex, I think it’s definitely worth considering if you’re on the prowl for your next great smokey shadow.

A shimmery bronzed purple with taupe tendencies, it’s designed to be worn wet or dry, which just means that applying it with a wet brush head coaxes out more of the pigment and enhances the metallic finish.

Clarins Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right) — Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Either way, applied wet or dry, I think Smoky Plum is pretty damned hot, and I used a combination of wet and dry applications for my makeup in these pics to get those light-to-dark gradients I love when I wear smokey eyes (incidentally, I like to spell smokey with an ‘e’ before the ‘y,’ while Clarins spells it without one).

A swatch of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin — Swatches of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Wait ’til you get this purple puppy on your lids. Smoky Plum swatches beautifully on the back of a hand, but I think it’s infinitely prettier on eyes.

The first time I applied it, I remember looking in the mirror with the finished look and blinking incredulously a few times. Suddenly, tiny little flecks of silvery glitter appeared out of nowhere!

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Is the New Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Out of This World?

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Took me a while to say goodbye to this gorgeous design. I didn’t want to mess up the pretty pan.

Is it just me (probably), but doesn’t it look a little astronomical/sci-fi?

Whoa! Did you see that? I thought I saw a satellite fly by… 🙂

I actually don’t think it’s supposed to be interstellar. I think Clarins was going for graphic design.

I like it — the contrasting lines and circles. Very artsy-fartsy, isn’t it?

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder — Face & Blush Powder is one of 14 products in the new Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection

I must say…kudos to Clarins for being so consistent with their limited edition blushes. I can pretty much always count on them to 1) never leave me looking like a deranged clown, 2) smell great (this one smells like jasmine) and 3) be really easy to use.

Opalescence Face & Blush Powder ($40) is no exception.

Technically, it’s designed to be used as an all-over face powder, a contour powder and a blush. Just dust the matte pinkish beige on your shiny spots, sculpt your cheekbones with the matte tan, and add a little color to the apples of your cheeks with the matte coral. (The shimmery gold, by the way, is an overspray and disappears after the first few swipes.)

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Swatch — All three of Opalescence’s shades blended together

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The Cool New Hues in the Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette Love Warm Skin Tones, Too

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Well, well. Quelle surprise!

I really did not expect the cool-toned plum, pink, gray and white shadows in the new Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette to get along at all with warm-toned skin like mine, but then what do I know? I also didn’t think that watching Bravo every day for a month would turn my brain to curdled cheese, which it has, haha!

I guess if there’s a lesson here, it’s that you just never know when it comes to eye quads or reality television.

That is, unless we’re talking about The Millionaire Matchmaker, in which case you pretty much do know what’s going to go down, but you (I) keep watching anyway because you (I) can’t look away. 🙂

(Incidentally, does anyone else miss Dustin and Rachel? I think the show is pretty lame without them…)

Vibrant Light. One of 14 pieces in the new Opalescent spring 2014 collection. Cool-toned, fo’ sho’, but surprisingly wearable, even on warm-toned skin.

Par for the Clarins course, these shadows perform exceptionally well, blending without a hitch and lasting a full 8-hour day without exhibiting any fallout, and only the slightest fading. They can be worn wet or dry, too (I’m wearing them dry).

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Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss and Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick Swatches and Pics

February 18th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Wearing the new Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Tropical Pink from the new Opalescence Spring 2014 collection

Some pics of the lip products from the new 14-piece Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection in action to warm you up on this chilly Tuesday night (assuming it’s not summer or the tropics where you are). 🙂

The two Gloss Prodige Lip Glosses ($23 each) and three Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks ($27 each) are available on Clarins counters now and clarinsusa.com.

Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection lip products from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Glosses in Coral Tulip and Crystal ($23 each); Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid ($27 each)

Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection swatches from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip and Crystal; Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid — Swatches from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip and Crystal; Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Coral Tulip — Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Coral Tulip

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Pink Orchid — Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Pink Orchid

Clarins Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip — Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip

Clarins Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Crystal — Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Crystal

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. House of Cards! Last night I watched up through episode 9, which Jodie Foster directed. What a great episode! I know I’ve already asked, but are you watching House of Cards? Isn’t it great?

A Gift That Really Does Keep Giving: The Essentials Eye Palette by Clarins

November 5th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Clarins Essentials Eye Palette — Wearing the new $45 limited edition The Essentials Eye Palette by Clarins

True, there are many lovely holiday gifts out there now for the beauty junkies in your life (and that includes yourself!), but not all of them offer the added bonus of simultaneously helping others.

Chances are your resident makeup loving do-gooder pal will love the assortment of 10 wearable beige, brown and taupe mineral eyeshadows in the new $45 Clarins The Essentials Palette, and when she hears about how Clarins partnered with the PurProject organization to help preserve the Kuntanawa culture and ecosystem in Brazil, she’ll appreciate the gift even more.

According to PurPuroject and Clarins, the Kuntanawa people of the Amazon basin in Brazil heavily depend on the forest for their livelihood, and today they struggle to maintain their culture as deforestation threatens their environment.

Clarins The Essentials Eye Palette — Neutrals, neutrals, everywhere!

Clarins has vowed to plant 10,000 trees to preserve the Kuntanawa culture and ecosystem, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this limited edition palette going to support the initiative.

Clarins The Essentials Eye Palette swatches — Swatches of the darker shades…

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Look in This Forest and What do You See? Gold, Khaki and Taupe! The New Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest

September 19th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

Keep looking up! (BTW, that’s the Clarins Forest Eye Quartet on my eyes.)

I was conducting “research” at a Nordie’s MAC counter a few weeks ago, playing with lipsticks and chatting with the gals who work there (They’re all so nice at the Corte Madera counter!), when I overheard a woman discussing her philosophy on makeup.

Ohhhh-kay. So maybe I was eavesdropping. 😉

The woman was looking for false lashes, and one of the makeup artists asked if she wanted a bold look or something more natural. Her response was something along the lines of, “If I’m gonna wear fall lashes, I want people to notice!” She wanted to go bold all the way! Otherwise, why bother?

“Hell, yeah,” I thought to myself, nodding in silent approval as I secretly swatched berry-colored lippies on the back of my hand. “I hear that!”

Having been in a smokey eye phase for a while, her take on makeup really resonated with me.

Of course, there’s a time and place to tone it down, too. Not every hallway is a catwalk, after all, and runway makeup isn’t always appropriate. Plus, some makeup lovers just don’t do bold.

When you don’t have a runway to strut, or you’re just looking to wear something noticeable, but not overwhelming, on your eyes, there’s the new Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest ($42).

Recently released for fall, the four-pan palette of powdered eyeshadows has a shimmmery golden khaki, a satiny taupe, a blackened khaki with the faintest flecks of golden glitter (SO CUTE) and a sheer, pale gold, any of which can be applied wet or dry, and still look great. Whatever suits yo’ fancy!

All four shadows, which range from sheer to medium coverage, have a lovely, soft reflective shimmer that catches the light juuust enough, so that you’re compelled to take a closer look.

It’s perfect for that watercolor effect — subtle, but you can definitely tell you’re wearing makeup.

Clarins Forest swatches — Swatches from the left: Khaki, gold, blackened khaki and taupe

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