Can I optimistically state that most of this week is over and we are so close to weekend? Right now on my end there are some travel plans going on but they can't be concluded. I am so trying to convince hubby to visit one of my favorite places on earth, beautiful country, lovely people, great food and lots of brushes, you know where I am talking about. We couldn't finalize the plans yet though, *sigh*.
Going on with my mission of reviewing as many base products as possible, today I would like to share my thoughts about Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation and Instant Concealer which I was testing for the last month.
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| Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand, Instant Concealer #02 |
Packaging
Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation comes in a milky glass bottle and a pump which is hygenic and easy to use. Pump dispenses a good amount of product and can be stopped in between if less product is needed. Foundation has a plastic cap over the dispenser which is coated in gold. I like the packaging very much, it is practical and feels luxurious.
Coverage/Application/Finish
I would classify the coverage as medium buildable. I have tried different applications, with fingers, with a wet sponge and with duo-fiber brush. I prefer the application with fingers but if less coverage is needed, a wet sponge does the trick to sheer it out. The finish is velvet and if you have normal to dry skin like me, you don't need to powder on top. On me it does emphasize dry patches very lightly. I have a dry area between my eye brows and until this date I couldn't find a velvet finish foundation which didn't make it look dry. Yet again even without foundation it looks dry, so probably foundation is not to blame after all. That said if you have really dry skin, I would recommend that you try out Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant on your face before buying. Another note to add is that this foundation comes with SPF 15.
My Clarins Counter in Breuninger has very nice foundation samples and they provide it in different formulas and colors! Yes as trivial as it sounds, many companies only give away samples in one certain shade and they would tell you "try it out at home, if you like how it feels you can come and we can check the shade". *shakes head* A big thumbs up to Clarins for getting over this and providing actual samples which one can really also try out without scaring out the postman and even to work to find out how it looks throughout the day.
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| Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand, Instant Concealer #02 |
Shades
I have matched myself with 108 Sand after I was provided different shades testers at the counter. #108 Sand is a light to medium shade with neutral undertones. If you are NC20 but less yellow, this is what you should go for. #107 has more pink undertones but similar lightness. Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation comes in 6 shades in Germany, which I find to be a little restricted but there is a good chance for those with light-to-medium to medium skin tones to find a match. You can see that #108 Sand is almost the same as Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B20 and YSL Fusion Ink B20. Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation #03 Fawn is a tad warmer.
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| Comparison swatch: Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand |
What I like about how it looks on the skin is how it captures the light. This is why it looks more skin like and less foundation like if that makes sense. Currently I am not in desperate need for its firming effect but it doesn't harm either. All in all I really like the product. You can see below how it looks like when applied with fingers and without any powder.
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| FOTD, Before/After: Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand |
Here are the ingredients list for those who would like to check out if there is something inside which doesn't work well with their skin. I personally find Talc to be a little problematic for my dry skin but those with combined complexions may find it useful. The only thing I don't like about Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation is the perfume. It has a coconut kind of scent which flies away after application but I don't see the point in including it on the first place. Oat extract and plantago major seeds are said to be the extra-firming bits in here.
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| Ingredients: Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation |
To start with a spoiler, Clarins Instant Concealer became my holy grail concealer as soon as I tried it on. Seriously if you have dryness under the eyes and you are searching for an under eye concealer which lasts without getting uncomfortable, you have to try this one out.
Packaging
Clarins Instant Concealer comes in a plastic squeeze tube and a twist cap. I like this packaging compared to the sponge applicators which most of the concealers in market come with.
Application:
I apply a tiny dot at the back of my hand and tap that under my eyes with my ring finger. I then set lightly with a transparent powder, it lasts whole day without creasing.
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| Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand, Instant Concealer #02 |
Shades:
Clarins Instant Concealer comes in 4 shades and good news is that #02 is perfect for my light to medium skin tone. Yay for the very fair ladies who are struggling to find a light concealer, you might have a good chance with #01!
You can see from comparison swatches that other concealers which I have in rotation at the moment have more peachy undertones, which are great for my olive tones under eye rings. Clarins Instant Concealer #02 though makes a good job in brightening the area with its rose undertones and I like the result in there too. You can find my other reviews of: Diorskin Star Concealer here together with Dior Hydralife Concealer and Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation/Concealer here.
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| Comparison swatch: Clarins Instant Concealer #02 |
Below I added a touch of Clarins Instant Concealer on top of the foundation. You can see that it indeed brightens up my under eye area and covers the dark circles. The formula blends like a dream and doesn't tug or drag during application. It also doesn't set in the lines. I am really loving it!
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| FOTD with Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand and Instant Concealer #02 |
Finally here are the ingredients if you would like to check it out. I think the awakening claim comes from caffeine.
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| Ingredients: Clarins Instant Concealer #02 |
Final thoughts: All thumbs up for Clarins Instant Concealer, especially if you are a little dry under your eyes, you have to try it out. I am also liking Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation, especially the way it evens out the skin tone while giving a skin like appearance. If you don't mind a little bit of fragrance in there, it is really a very lovely medium coverage foundation for normal to dry (and probably combination) skin
Have you tried any Clarins base products? What is your favorite concealer at the moment?
Disclaimer: The products in this post are provided free of charge for my consideration.
I am not paid for this review, all opinions are honest and my own.