Clarins Christmas | Advent Calendar

We are winding down 2017 and December always seems so stressful. Even though its my birthday people are consumed with end of year wrap ups and Christmas/ other holidays. Have you heard of an advent calendar? They are a fun way to count down to the new year, typically done with chocolates... BUT CLARINS DID A VERSION WITH BEAUTY.

Advent calendars are traditional, but I grew up with advent candles. I like the aspect of remembering now only how close we are to Christmas (whatever Christmas means to you) and reflecting on each day. The Clarins advent calendar is valued at $218 but you can purchase it for $124. If you shopped during black Friday it was 20% off!

On black Friday I purchased a new bottle of double serum. I ran out but wanted to wait for black Friday to buy a new one. The 1.6 oz bottle retails for $122, so I really wanted to take advantage of the sale. The serum has since changed since I started using it!

I swear by this stuff and without it for about 1.5 weeks my face has broken out and gone insane. Its also very cold now and Double Serum saved me from looking dull. Moisturizer alone is just not enough for me. This is really funny because when I first started wearing serum I was concerned because my face was traditionally oily however my face has evened out a bit since then.

Pictured above is the new Serum (on the left) next to the old one (on the right). Both are 1.6 oz, but the pumping mechanism is so new! The top lets you decide if you need a big pump or a little pump of the serum and its a little easier to push down. It contains 21 plant extracts that target signs of aging within 7 days of use. It smooths, makes your skin radiant, firms, and evens skin tone. I have gone through my skincare routine before here. I might do an updated one next year.
There are so many new advent calendars out there I think its so cute Clarins puts one together every year.

LOVE, MARA

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Clarins Love | Hydra Essentials and Colour Collection

Going in between Climates and cities is very difficult on your skin for many reasons. Sleep and food definitely make a difference on how your body will act, but on top of all that skincare is so important! We all know Clarins is my go to and today is the media preview that I attend every year! This year, I'm obviously not in Houston for it so they sent me a few items to enjoy from the Spring line.

I swear by the night and day cream but in Portland the climate is collllld. Lately it has been windy too so this new Hydra-Essential Cream is something I reach for.

According to Clarins:
Luxurious silky cream delivers all-day hydration to thirsty skin, while shielding it from the dehydrating effects of daily thermic shocks that leave it looking dry and weathered: sun, sudden temperature changes, indoor and outdoor pollutants and environmental stress. Quenches skin with Organic leaf of life extract—a succulent plant that enhances the skin’s ability to retain precious moisture—leaving it comfortable, radiant and perfectly hydrated. LINK TO SHOP

It feels silky smooth on my face and has a light scent but isn't bothersome. I have been applying moisturizer daily for the past 2 years an have seen a good improvement in my skin and it is always obvious if I skip a day from my routine.

A good skin care routine begins with serum. I swear by the double serum so this Hydra-essentiel is one I am still testing for the next month! At the end of the month I will let you know how I feel about this one. Serum is the deepest penetrating product so be sure to apply this first with the palms of your hands after cleansing your face. Anything residual I apply to my neck since the neck is also one of the easiest ways to tell age. There are many people that I see have botox and filler but one the eye pans to the neck, it's a give away for their age.

My collection would not be complete without two new essentials: Face Contouring Palate and Jolie Rouge Brilliant lipstick.

The Clarins Rundown:

Face Contouring Palette: Sculpt and define facial contours with this limited edition easy-to-use palette offering the perfect range of long-lasting shades. Formulated with Organic Sweet Almond Oil and the Clarins exclusive Anti-Pollution Complex, the powder leaves skin soft and protected all day. The beveled brush makes application easy. Available for $42 at all Clarinscounters nationwide and on www.clarins.com.

Joli Rouge Brillant: Clarins' exclusive Shine Booster + Complex and fine pearlescent pigments deliver a subtle, irresistible shine. Mango Oil nourishes, softens and protects lips from dehydration. The three new sheer shades are now available for $28 at all Clarins counters nationwide and on www.clarins.com.

The Joli Rouge Colors are ones I actually use the whole thing and finish. I have been out recently and I have been using matte lippies from Colour pop. The matte creme is ok but the actual lippies dry my lips out to the point they crack! Clarins does not do that at all , they stay hydrated and the pigment really is subtle. I need to purchase the soft Plum shade, I was given Tender Nude (surprise if you know me, I basically only own shades of nude lipsticks. 

PHEW. I am so sad I couldn't be in Houston for the launch but am thankful to receive many items to add to my Clarins routine. Even my mom enjoys this collection, it really is one that I am obsessed with. 

LOVE, MARA

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MY SKINCARE ROUTINE: NEW CLARINS BOOSTER REVIEW

My favorite skincare line hands down is Clarins. I am impressed with their science and purpose when it comes to products and have blogged about them many times. My skincare routine has been pretty simple:

1) Wash my face with L'Oreal GO 360 scrub. I love how it comes with a little scrublet! I really only break out if I am super stressed or eat really badly.
2) After washing my face I apply Clarins Double Serum. I apply this by patting the product onto my face with the palms of my hands. I generally don't apply this to my tzone unless I am going to sleep. I concentrate on the rest of my face and my chin and mouth, I get pretty dry there and I'm not sure why. Serum is the strongest product you apply to your face so I apply it first.
3) I apply my favorite Clarins Eye Cream with my middle finger concentrating on the bags under my eyes and my upper lid on the brow bone. I don't have crows feet or anything but I apply it to prevent any.

4) I finish with Day or Night cream depending on if it is day or night. I have talked about both creams in this blog post. These particularly have great features like SPF, anti pollutant, stress flighting, anti aging, etc.


SO WHAT IS MY NEW STEP? YOU GUYS, CLARINS HAS BOOSTERS THAT YOU CAN ADD TO ANYTHING! They suggest, serum, day cream, foundation and mask. I personally either mix with serum or my cream. You just add 2-5 drops into whatever you are mixing and you are good to go.

Repair is great if you have sunburn. I will keep this in the arsenal for future reference. It also helps in extreme climates so intense cold might work well too. Only time will tell. 

Detox is great if you have over indulged in anything bad, if you have been around pollutants or have just eaten bad this is a great way to detox your skin. 

This is the one I use often, Energy boost is great for me. This helps combat late nights, hectic lifestyles, jet lag, and exhaustion. I see this being used a ton my first week in PDX.

So many steps. But so worth it in the end.  I started moisturizing when I turned 21, when I turned about 24 or 25 I started doing this Clarins routine. I have great genes but stress can really age you fast, it doesn't matter what your genes are.

How do you take care of your skin?

LOVE, MARA

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CLARINS SPRING 2016

As a girl on the go its kind of hard to not look worn out over time. For example, this past week I was on a work trip for a conference and was rushing here and there and all week every night was a rush to events all over town. At the age of 26 its important for me to start thinking of ways to prevent looking like I'm aging. I try to maintain a zen lifestyle but there are a few factors that get in the way.
For the past year I have sworn by Clarins double serum and the blush is my go to. Now I have a couple new steps that I think will be amazing to add to my routine.

all photos by Steve and Houston Event Photos

Stress and lack of sleep leave a mark. The new Multi-Active cream for day and night are the perfect things to absorb all of my visible stress. Besides being antioxidant, uv protectant, it is also anti-pollutant. During the day, the day cream will make you look more smooth and toned while the night cream will appear more smooth and toned while waking up. I have the old Day and Night creams and if these are anything like that, I'm excited. I have only had these products for a week so tune in to the end of the month to see what my skincare routine evolves to. At $53 and $56, this is a steal for the size and quality of product. 

all photos by Steve and Houston Event Photos

Clarins Beauty | Joli Rouge Swatches, Mission Perfection Serum

My fall beauty routine starts with my washing my face, but what do I do after that to get me through a long work day? You all know by now, I swear by my Clarins double serum and eye cream in the mornings.  I also use a lot of lipsticks and their new fall updates are quickly becoming an easy addition to my routine:

Clarins  just launched a new Mission Perfection Serum that works as a dark spot corrector. It also evens skin tone and restores healthy radiance. In the fall/winter my face can look dull. Thats mainly because of how dry the air is, but this has been good for my combination skin. It has helped control the shine! It has no smell which is perfect, I hate nothing more than facial products with a scent.
My go to lipstick is always a nude, but this season I keep reaching for Rose Berry from the new Joli Rouge collection. Clarins new lipstick line has 16 new shades. Candy Rose and Rose Berry are the two I tried and they are both very moisturizing, it boasts 6+ hours of moisturizing! Perfect for this fall season. My lips normally stay dry.

Joli Rouge Swatches

I need to try more shades! 

 CHEERS

LOVE, MARA

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These items were given me by Clarins for review. All opinions are my own so back up off me. Please join me in supporting my sponsors, without them my blog is not possible.

Escaping Summer Heat with Clarins SPF

My love for Clarins is year round. With this summer heat it has been very important for me to keep my skin protected. Everytime I step into my car it says something over 100 degrees. The rule generally is, if you need sunglasses-- you need sunscreen.

BEAUTY BLOG | CLARINS LOVE

After turning 25 and working a  job that leaves me constantly stressed I was wondering which direction to go when it came to skincare and taking care of myself. I take vitamins and buy affordable skincare but its hard to tell what products are actually made of and if they are actually good for you. I have naturally acne prone skin so I always am realllly scared to try new things.
Thankfully Clarins invited me to a lovely beauty event with celebrity stylist Dayan Herrera and he did a LOVELY job describing the entire line, application, and then gifted us everything!

Dayan Herrera displaying how to use the eye concentrate on fellow blogger Shasie.

Safe to say, I have a new routine. What I really like is not only do these products have natural ingredients and extracts, they also have anti-pollution properties. Did you know that pollution leaves your skin looking dull!You don't have to tell this city girl twice! The Restorative Day Cream and UV protection are my go to products right now.

MORE FUN, Clarins has a beauty line. I switched to the Clarins blush Prodige and never looked back.

The Garden escape makeup line features my already mentioned new favorite blush, but also an interesting Green eyeliner! I walked away with almost 10 new lip colors and my go to is currently coral. There was so much product I can't cram it into one post, I am going to share some makeup looks with it!

I also want to thank Clarins for gifting me with this line as well as sending a car service to come pick me up and take me to this event! I am loving all of the products and can't wait to see the effects the anti-pollutant and anti-aging has on me. I also can't wait to create more fun looks with all my new colors!