Clarins – The Beauty Swatcher

Why are there always sales when I’m on a Low-Buy?

Damn you, Ulta!

Anyways, I happen to be perusing the ad for the Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty and couldn’t stop myself from adding some stuff to my cart. Unlike the Sephora sale where everything is 15% off, some of the stuff advertised is not on sale at all, so I tend to stay away from those, as that’s just filler, and try to really snag the deals.

On the top of my list are some Urban Decay Eyeshadow Singles, which go on Sale March 23 for $10/each. I know lot’s of people don’t like singles, but I really love them. Urban Decay makes really pigmented shadows and sometimes getting a few singles fills in the gaps in your palettes. At $10 a piece, I might pick up Blunt and Sellout.

Also, I really want to get the Buxom Full On Cream in White Russion for $10 on March 22, but don’t want to place two orders and I don’t have an Ulta close by, so this is a maybe. I do love me White Russian though and $10 is such a STEAL!

I’m a huge fan of Clarins and whenever I see a good deal, I always try to snag it because, let’s face it, they ain’t cheap! That’s why the All Stars Exclusive Discovery Kit for $27 is going in the cart. It comes with travel sized versions of the Instant Eye Makeup Remover, One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with Orange Extract, Hydra- Essential Silky Cream and UV Plus Anti-Pollution Suncreen in SPF 50, which is great because this is a good opportunity to find out if you really like these products before you splurge.

While I’m here might as well stock up on some faves. Sofia loves the OGX Haircare Line so seeing as they are Buy 1, Get 1 50%, will definitely pick up some Shampoo and Conditioners for her. Since she has thin hair, we get the Thick & Full Biotin and Collagen Shampoo & Conditioner.

Also, the Hubs and I both like to use Olay Regenerist and seeing as it’s also Buy 1, Get 1 50%, will pick up 2 so that we can each have our own. I swear he uses too much and I am way more light handed. Now we will each have our own and no one is reaching for the divorce papers.

That’s it friends! I know it’s not a very exciting list, but I feel like I want to stay true to my Low Buy and only get the essentials….and some little extras 😉.

Did I miss anything special? Let me know in the comments below.

Till next time my friends!

Maritza

About a month ago, I was lamenting over the fact that I needed to get a new moisturizer. My skin was just not feeling the ones I was using, which, admittedly, where a bunch of subscription box samples that weren’t working for me. My skin is moistly oily, but I had been getting these dry patches on my forehead and around the mouth area and nothing that I was using was making that better. I must have thrown some sort wish out there, because a few days later, I was sent a nice little box from Influenster with two deluxe size samples of the Clarins Day and Night Extra Firming Moisturizer.

Thanks, Universe!

If you want to read product details, head on over to their website here and read up on all the good stuff. I don’t think you come here for an ingredient list, but rather to get a real user opinion and review.

The samples lasted for exactly two weeks, which is just the time frame Clarins states you will begin to see your skin become firmer, tighter and rejuvenated and I’m going to start off by saying that it’s true! My favorite out of the two is the Night Cream. I could tell that my skin was in desperate need of a change and some intense moisture, because after using it one time, it felt like my skin blossomed overnight. The first thing I noticed was how soft my it felt to the touch. It didn’t exactly feel silky, but soft. Like as if you were running your finger back and forth on stick of butter. That’s a really weird comparison, but just go with it.

Both creams are thick and smell like you walked into a expensive department store. However, the scent does not linger, but even if it did, I wouldn’t mind. It’s pleasant, like a soft, floral perfume. While, I appreciated the thickness of the Night Cream, I feel like that is the one thing about the Day Cream that I fault. It takes FOREVER to sink into the skin and wasn’t very compatible with some of my foundations, especially the dewy ones. It made my skin a little shinier than I liked, no matter which primer I used, and had me reaching for the setting powder a little more than usual. However, on make up free days, I just lather some of this and go about my day, mindlessly touching my face to feel how soft it felt.

After about 2 weeks, I can honestly admit that I see a visible difference about my skin. This includes my neck and decolletage area. Are my wrinkles gone? Absolutely not. However, there is a definitive blurriness about them, particularly the really fine ones around my eyes, and even some of the smaller forehead wrinkles. Along with blurred wrinkles, my face just looks plain nicer, brighter and plump. Kind of like you came back from a nice jog and all your blood is pumping and making everything look healthy and pink.

So the big question is, would I buy this duo again? SURE! If I had $180 ($93 for Night & $87 for Day) laying around, I would jump on that like no tomorrow. However, I don’t and even though I LOVE what this does for my skin, that is a A LOT of dough to drop. You do get a decent amount of product, 1.7 oz per jar, so that does offset the cost a bit and trust me that a little goes a long way. You don’t need a lot a day to make this product work. However, broke mortals like me might need to head on over to the drugstore for a cheaper dupe if that’s not a manageable monetary commitment for skincare.

Any recommendations for a good cheap dupe? If so, leave them in the comments below.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

****The product above was provided to me complimentary for testing.****