I hope you are having a lovely Sunday. I am back from holiday so there are a few things I have to sort out. I have to catch up with the blog. I am planning to answer the comments and check out some blog posts I missed during my absence later today. But first I would like to review the last Summer Collection I will be featuring before summer officially begins tomorrow.
Clarins' Aquatic Treasures Collection is released recently in Germany. I was waiting for it impatiently since each year they bring out an extra-large gorgeous bronzer (like in 2013, Splendors collection, reviewed here) which I can't resist. Not that I need another bronzer but Clarins' powder products are supreme and the design of the compact is so pretty. When I saw that there were also three new colors of their long lasting eye shadows, I was even more excited. I like the texture of their Ombre Mattes (reviewed here). The new eye shadows are supposed to have a similar texture but metallic/iridescent finish to them. They are called Ombre Iridescente. I tested the products last week, here are my thoughts to share with you...
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| Clarins Aquatic Treasures Bronzer, Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey and Eclat Minute 01 Rose |
This year's bronzing powder from Clarins comes in a usual round sturdy plastic compact with a unique design to this year's collection with the signature C in the middle of the design. The compact has a click closure. I always prefer magnetic closure because I like my nails (not broken that is) but this one didn't give me a hard time yet. It feels luxurious and heavy. Weight also comes from the fact that there is a generous 20 g of product in the compact.
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| Clarins Aquatic Treasures Poudre Soleil Visage Bronzer |
There is a mirror included inside. Around the powder which is embossed with a similar design to the lid, there is a metal looking plastic part, which gives a more luxurious feel. Also this part doesn't collect dust while applying the product like a deep colored plastic would do (I am looking at you Chanel). Thumbs up on the packaging.
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| Clarins Aquatic Treasures Poudre Soleil Visage Bronzer |
Last year's designs were also a mixture of a lighter and a deeper bronze shade. This year though Clarins made in a more practical way, similar to those of Guerlain's four seasons bronzers (shade 03 reviewed here), one can adjust between a lighter and a deeper application. If you swirl your brush on the upper portion, you can have a lighter bronzer shade. If you use the bottom part, you get a deeper tone which might come in handy after your summer holiday.
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| Swatch: Clarins Aquatic Treasures Poudre Soleil Visage Bronzer |
I have swatched Clarins Aquatic Treasures Bronzer against some other shades in my ever growing bronzer stash. This year was definitely the year of bronzers for me. You can see that Chanel Lumber D'Ete is warmer and lighter, Smashbox Deep Matte is deeper and cooler. Clarins Splendours from 2013 is a tad warmer but close. Tom Ford Gold Dust is more shimmery although close in shade. MAC Golden Rinse is more pink based and lighter. Guerlain Terracotta 02 Natural is warmer and more orange.
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| Comparison swatch: Clarins Aquatic Treasures Poudre Soleil Visage Bronzer |
Let me strike my bronzer pose! *wink wink*
I applied Clarins Aquatic Treasures Bronzer in a three motion by swiping my brush on all the shades at once. Afterwards I added Smashbox Fusion Lights Baked Starblush on the apple of the cheeks as well as high points on my face since it brings some glow but still photographs well. Clarins bronzer is matte, which is a great thing. You can add the luminosity afterwards wherever you need it. If the bronzers have lots of shimmer, I find it hard to control and prefer to mix it with matte one to contour.
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| FOTD: Clarins Aquatic Treasures Poudre Soleil Visage Bronzer |
Now let's move onto eyes and talk about what I am wearing in the photo above. There are three super pretty eye shadows in this year's collection. There is a lovely peachy pink shade which I will probably be picking up in the next days when I am in store because so far I am loving the other two.
Ombre Iridescente Cream-to-Powder Eye Long-lasting Eye Shadows have a hybrid formula between a cream and a powder. It feels close to Armani's Eyes To Kill pressed pigments, but these feel less gritty, smoother. The particles are finer in those which make them feel like a cream. If you take too much on your brush, I observed there may be a little bit of fall out in the deeper shade, which made me believe it is closer to a powder product after all.
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| Clarins Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey |
Two of the shades I chose, Aquatic Grey and Aquatic Green, have gorgeous iridescence. They are not too metallic, somewhere between satin and metallic once applied on the eyes. They can be sheered without getting patchy and applied as a wash of color or can be build up to a full on effect. What I am also loving and have to mention is their matching lid! In the morning I can reach for the right color without reading the names or turning the pot around. I am also enjoying Clinique Pop Lipsticks which have a similar idea with the packaging. I think this might be the next trend.
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| Swatch: Clarins Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey |
I was rushing for the plane last week on Monday and I already packed my primer so I swiped a little bit of #03 Aquatic Grey on the lids for a super quick smoky eye on its own. I combined it with an anthracite eyeliner (Urban Decay Crave) and mascara which clumped a little due to me rushing bit, try to ignore it. You can see that the finish doesn't look metallic on the eyes. Instead it has a nice soft shimmer. Right below is the full FOTD, though I don't remember what else I was wearing. You can see clearly though I just had a few hours of sleep from the way my eyes look lol.
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| In-action: Clarins Ombre Iridescente 03 Aquatic Grey |
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| FOTD: Clarins Ombre Iridescente 03 Aquatic Grey |
Now onto more of a full on effect, I applied Aquatic Grey all over the lid and added Aquatic Green from inner corner to the half of the lid. I applied these densely and blended over the crease by using Aquatic Treasures Bronzer, the lightest tone. I lined my eyes with Chanel Stylo Jeux Waterproof #30 in Marine (along the upper lash line) and #57 True Blue on the water line for a more "aquatic" effect overall. I then applied mascara to finish the eye look.
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| In-action: Clarins Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey |
Before moving onto the complete look, there is one more product I would like to share with you. It is Clarins Eclat Minute Instant Light Lip Balm. Instant Light Lip Balms are included in the permanent line and they are repromoted with Summer Look as a casual, light and hydrating lip product for summer. The color pay-off is very soft and sheer, the finish is more glossy and not shimmery nor frosty. 01 Rose is a lovely sheer rose which would go well with strong eye looks or for a no-makeup day to protect the lips and hydrate them.
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| Swatch: Clarins Eclat Minute Instant Light Lip Balm 01 Rose |
Here are the product list I used for my Clarins Summer look:
Foundation/ Concealer/Powder:
Clarins Teint Multi-Régénérant Extra-Firming Foundation 108 Sand,
Clarins Instant Concealer #02 (both reviewed here)
Guerlain Meteorites 02 (overall)
Eyes:
Nars Pro-Prime,
Clarins Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey
Chanel Stylo Jeux Waterproof #30 in Marine (upper lash line) and #57 True Blue (waterline)
Estee Lauder Little Black Primer (reviewed here)
Chanel Le Volume Mascara
Cheeks:
Clarins Aquatic Treasures Bronzer
Smashbox Fusion Lights Baked Starblush
Lips:
Clarins Eclat Minute Instant Light Lip Balm 01 Rose
Notes on longevity:
The eye shadows lasted all day on me without creasing nor fading. Lip Balm is very hydrating but of course short lived as one would expect from a sheer lipstick. Bronzer has to be applied with caution if you are very fair. I have over applied in the beginning because I underestimated the deepness of the shade. It was very easy to blend it though. Bronzer also lasted very long on me, until the evening without retouching.
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| FOTD: Clarins Aquatic Treasures Bronzer, Ombre Iridescente 02 Aquatic Green, 03 Aquatic Grey and Eclat Minute 01 Rose |
Final thoughts: Clarins Summer Collection brings very pretty limited edition items. Bronzer is very handy to use all year around since it can be adjusted between a lighter and a deeper shade. It also has 20 g of product and is a great value for money. The eye shadows have an interesting hybrid cream/powder formula with a very pretty finish which is iridescent but not too metallic. They can be sheered out or build up. Lastly Eclat Minute Lip Balsm are great if you are in the market for an hydrating and sheer lip balm with a touch of color. All in all a very pretty collection, you should definitely check out.
Are you eyeing anything from Clarins Summer Collection? Are you also loving aqua shades on the eyes this year?
Disclaimer: The products in this post were provided free of charge for
consideration purposes. I am not paid for this review. All opinions are
honest and my own.
