CLARINS SPRING 2014

January is truly a dull month. Nobody ever has any money, it’s grey, the magic of Christmas has disappeared and if you live in the North West of England like me, it’s likely to be rainy. Very very rainy. Thankfully I spent most of this month in sunnier climes visiting my parents, and upon my return a little bit of Spring was waiting for me in the shape of the new Clarins collection.

I think I said this when I talked about the Odyssey collection, but Clarins have really upped their makeup game in the last 3 or 4 years. I’ve used their makeup for about 7 years since I used to work on a counter, but I always felt like the colour selection and packaging didn’t match up to the amazing formulations. Not any more! The Opalescence collection for this Spring elicited a huge “ooooh” upon opening the items. It’s pretty, really pretty. I’ve been playing around with some of the products and am very impressed.

First up, cream blush. I love a good cream blush, and this really is a great one. I have two shades of the Multi-Blush Creams, Candy and Rosewood (£18), the former of which has been well and truly on my cheeks all week. Great formula that isn’t too wet or waxy, but isn’t too powdery looking either and these apply nicely with a brush or fingers.

The beauty of the collection is the Limited Edition Face & Blush Powder (£30) – why do we do this? We get beautiful little works of art, stare at them, ooh and ahhh and very rarely use them. Or is it just me? I have an RMK anniversary powder that I haven’t had the heart to use because it looks so beautiful. Am I alone in this? Actually, I have had good use from the Odyssey powder, which had a gold spray on top and is now used as a touch-up in my bag – it’s a good colour for me and has a weighty metal case which looks fancy when I pull it out. This one however, is different in that it has some blush tones in it. It has a gold spray that will disappear, leaving three light toned colours. You could use this to perk up afternoon makeup on the cheeks or around your temples for a bit of a glow, perfect for Spring, and it comes in beautiful duochrome packaging.

For lips we have the Joli Rouge Brillant Sheer Shine Lipstick (£18) – I have Pink Orchid and Coral Tulip. Don’t let the name put you off, these impart a lovely amount of colour but have that trademark Clarins nourishing buttery feel. Clarins lipsticks are some of the best in the game. These last a surprisingly long time for a nourishing formula, and have some fine shimmer (not frost) that sticks around afterwards but is in no way chunky or gritty. There are also glossy offerings in the collection, I’ve been trying the Coral Tulip Gloss Prodige (£17) which looks beautiful over the matching lipstick and adds some sparkle. This is a lovely formula too, not too sticky but it’ll stick around.

The Mineral Shadow in Smoky Plum (£17) is something I haven’t tried from the brand before, a wet and dry formula. I have to say I much prefer this wet, when it really gives a rich depth to a smoky eye. This is a fun way to mix up your usual nude makeup for Spring and inject some colour in a chic way.

Last but certainly not least is the Instant Light Boosting Complexion Radiance Base (£26) which sits nicely in the lineup of wildly successful Instant Light products, my favourite of which are the nourishing balm/gloss hybrids. These skin perfectors come in Rose (to brighten all skin tones), Champagne (to correct redness) and Peach (to restore lustre) and boast skincare benefits as well as a boost to your complexion. You can wear them under makeup and alone, and they leave a subtle shimmer behind to highlight and add radiance.

So those are the latest releases from Clarins. In my opinion, the blushes and the Complexion Radiance Base are the standout products for Spring, but there isn’t a bad thing in here. The Opalescence Collection is on counters now and online at Clarins.