CLARINS and the beauty of samples...

OK, so I walked into Boots the other day, decided to try out some Clarins' products. My skin has been really dry and under nourished for some time now. Having tried other products samples with a hefty price tag I found they just were not going to benefit me.

So I walked into Boots by Bond Street station and a lovely assistant helped me pick some products to try judging by what products I already use, have used, and what routine or non routine I have. I have rated the products as an altogether thing as I really do think they should be used as a team.

Here is what I got to try:

Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs for Dry/Normal Skin 10ml tester: Smells incredibly fresh, slightly woody and old fashioned- much like all of the Clarins tested products ( good so far!) Looks pale blue in colour. Having first wet my face and neck thoroughly with warm- hot water and then put a small ish blob onto my fingers and massaged gently on my cheeks, t zone area (forehead nose and top lip) and my temples while my skin was still wet. I then wet some cotton wool pads, squashed them between my palms to drain and swept upwards and outwards and gentle motions until my face was clear of face make up, grime and general dirt. NOTE: I didn't use this product or the next mentioned toner on or close to my eyes. I have a separate cleanser.

Clarins Toning Lotion with Chamomile for Dry/ Normal Skin 10ml tester: Smells like an English/ French garden in summer! Glorious! Has a yellow colour and like most toners I have come across is in water like liquid form. I put four blobs of the toner on a wet ( as before) cotton wool pad and swept as before across the same areas as before. Unlike other toners this felt like it was cleansing my skin and tightening my pores but not in a drying or irritating way.

Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi- Phase for Dehydrated Skin 3ml tester: Smells incredibly fresh and garden-y and has a delicate oil texture. Two drops per CTM routine is more than enough. Like most serums I have seen in the past this is meant to be used sparingly. I used straight after I had Cleaned and Toned and noticed a difference in my skin almost straightaway. I used one drop on each check area and also massaged into my top and bottom lip area. Unlike alot of other oil based products it blended into my skin very nicely and LIGHTLY.

FINALLY: Clarins Hydra Quench Cream Normal/ Dry Skin 5ml tester: Again smells very fresh and clean, white in colour. I used a small blob, about the same as the cleanser. Rubbing light along my fingers and massaging finger by finger around my face- again like the cleanser and toner deliberately leaving out my eye area. It was soft and smooth to blend into my face.

VERDICT: An absolute must if you can afford it!!! I am not usually incredibly enthusiastic about skin care products, I find them very hard to test and generally end up with bad results. As skincare is of upmost importance to a Make Up/ Beauty Artist, it sets the foundation for the rest of the work on the face that you do, it is hard to get it right, especially if you have to pay alot of money for it. But Clarins have come up trumps. It got rid of my drier patches of skin straight away and my face felt smooth, silky and nourished after 12 hours! It will definitely be going into my kit as soon as my next paycheck comes through!!! For full prices go to Boots.