Clarins Splendours Limited Edition Summer 2013 Collection Review


I am always excited about new makeup collections from Clarins and I keep ooh-ing and aah-ig when I get a chance to admire their limited edition palettes! One look at the packaging makes me fall in love with the products and once I can bring myself  to swatching and using them on my face, I am never disappointed :)

The newest Summer 2013 collection is called Splendours and it consists of a Summer Bronzing Compact, a Colour Quartet and Liner Eye Palette, Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms and Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Gels. The palettes are designed beautifully, with breathtaking embossing, inspired by South America, it's ancient ruins, Mayan culture and Aztec prints. I studied cultural anthropology/ ethnology at university , so this collection stole my heart :)



As a little bonus, Clarins are also launching three new shades of the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector and a BB cream- perfect for a light summer base and a natural finish. 


Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact* £30.00

This product must be my favourite from the new collection. I adore the packaging, with a beautiful South American motif on the lid and gorgeous embossing on the powder itself.
The compact is a good size, with a big mirror inside. Perfect to use on the go, to add a summer glow to your face. It can be used as a bronzer, for contouring, or as a blush. It looks very natural on my skin and the three colours mixed together create a perfect golden bronze shade. The golden highlight in the middle adds very delicate shimmer, but if you prefer matte bronzers, you can swirl the brush around the edges, avoiding the centre. The powder has a soft consistency and it is a dream to apply, with minimal fallout and great pigmentation. It feels as luxurious as it looks and it became my go to bronzer. I am also very impressed with it's lasting power. The wear time on my normal/combination skin is between 10-12 hours. It seems to last longer, if I don't powder my skin. 

Overall- I am totally in love with this compact. Considering the quality of the bronzer and the beautifully designed packaging, I would recommend getting this beaut, as soon as it launches in April.  I have a feeling that it will sell out pretty quickly :)

L-R: Golden highlight, medium beige, brown, all colours mixed together.


Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet & Liner Eye Palette* £31.00

I declared my love to Clarins palettes many times, but the newest one looks totally different and very summery. Just like the Splendours Bronzing Compact, the eye palette is beautifully packaged in a brown case, with a sundial embossing on the front. The eye shadows and the liner are also embossed with aztec print and swatching them was a heart breaking moment. Splendours palette is based around earthy shades and it is perfect for creating a neutral look or a subtle smokey eye. 

It consists of  four eyeshadows: a shimmery golden bronze, a shimmery light beige, a medium chocolate brown with purple undertones and a shimmery champagne shade + a black/aubergine cream liner. I was pleasantly surprised with the colour of the liner. I expected it to be an ordinary black, but it is very unusual and it has beautiful purple undertones. It looks gorgeous used for a slightly smudged, winged line or to define upper and lower lash lines. The liner is easy to apply and lasts on my eyelids all day, without  smudging. Perfect!

The texture of the eyeshadows is soft and creamy and they are nicely pigmented. Used wet or with a primer, they last on my eyelids for 12h+. Used dry, they last for around 10 hours.
I like to use the little applicators to apply the shadows and a blending brush for... blending :)

I adore this palette and I can't stop using it. 

swatches in daylight: left- swatched dry, right- swatched wet
swatches with flash: left- swatched dry, right- swatched wet
liner swatched (dry) in daylight 
I used the light beige shade under the brow bone and in the inner corners, the champagne shade in the crease and on the lid + the liner on the top and bottom lash line.

  
Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms* in shades Mandarin and Berry £18.00 each

First of all, how amazing do these look? The lip colour is surrounded by a transparent outer layer of a super hydrating lip balm and it looks really, really cool :) The crystal balms are very pigmented and come in four colours: Mandarin, Berry, Rose and Gold Plum. They are easy to apply and very moisturising. You can use a thin layer of the balm for a boost of hydration and a hint of colour or build it up for a bold lip. Crystal Mandarin is a beautiful coral shade and Crystal Berry is a deep plum. I adore both of them and I will be getting a lot of use out of them in Spring/Summer.  I also love the classic Clarins packing. It looks sleek and elegant. Crystal Lip Balms last on my lips for a maximum of 3 hours but they leave a nice wash of colour for an extra 2 hours and fade evenly.

L-R:  Crystal Mandarin, Crystal Berry, Crystal Mandarin blended, Crystal Berry blended
Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in shade Crystal Plum
Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in shade Crystal Mandarin

Clarins Instant Smooth Lip Gels* in shades 01- Crystal Pink  and 02- Crystal Plum £16.50 each

Another unusual product in the Splendours collection. Instant Smooth Lip Gels offer a gorgeous dash of colour and a super hydrating formula. The gels look and smell like a fruit syrup and are an absolute treat for the lips. There is no stickiness, just a smooth layer of gloss.  I have never seen such a lustrous finish before. The gels adapt to the shade of your lips, creating a unique effect.

Crystal Pink looks like a bright red in the tube, but on my lips it looks like a pinky coral with red undertones- a little like strawberry jelly. 
Crystal Plum is a subtle berry shade and reminds me of forest fruit jelly :) 

The wear time of the Crystal Lip Gels is a maximum of 2 hours. In my opinion, they are the nicest lip glosses on the market.

Wearing Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact, Splendours Eye Quartet and Liner Palette and Instant Smooth Lip Balm in shade Mandarin


The Splendours Collection will be available to buy from Clarins counters and online in April.


 *PR samples

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My exclusive March advertiser is Angelica from One Little Vice

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