By Amy Nolan
Ok, so I have to confess I’m somewhat apathetic to the world of skincare if I’m being totally honest. I know it’s something I should invest more time and effort into but frankly, once my makeup is removed and my skin doesn’t feel like the Sahara desert, I’m happy.
Now in my 24th year however, I’m starting to think I should establish a more consistent routine with slighter higher quality products. While I am willing to spend a little more, I’m still a million miles away from forking out on Crème De La Mer or La Prairie but I wanted something a little more premium that wouldn’t break the bank. Enter the My Clarins range. The French juggernaut brand has recently launched a skincare range for millennials and it’s pretty divine. If you’re looking for the perfect mid-priced skincare products that deliver quality ingredients, the My Clarins range is hard to beat. Aimed at 18-29 year olds, it’s the first vegan, eco-conscious skincare range developed by the brand.
Indeed, this has become a capsule wardrobe for my skin and, dare I say it, I almost look forward to taking off my makeup at night. The fact that the products are cruelty-free is something that greatly appeals to me and moreover I feel this gentle but effective range has made a positive difference to my skin in a relatively short space if time. Over the course of several weeks I tested the RE-MOVE Purifying Gel, the RE-BOOST Refreshing Hydrating Cream and the CLEAR-OUT Blemish Targeting Gel and here’s how I got on.
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RE-MOVE Purifying Gel (€19.50): This lightweight gel to foam cleanser is made from 91% ingredients of natural origin. It really feels like it gives your skin a deep cleanse and gives it a squeaky clean feeling. If you have oily skin, this would be an ideal cleanser for you as it aims to remove excess sebum and therefore reduces the appearance of pores and blemishes. I have combination skin which can become dry at times but I didn’t feel this cleanser was too harsh for my skin. It was super effective at removing all my makeup and provided a good canvas to help absorb my moisturiser. It contains a gorgeous melody of ingredients including moringa extract to detoxify, bitter orange flower for softness and meadowsweet to purify. All in all, a great cleanser and bonus points because it’s blue and shimmery!
RE-BOOST Refreshing Hydrating Cream (€25): First of all, this smells uh-mazing! It’s the perfect consistency that really nourishes the skin without feeling too rich. It contains coconut water for hydration, alpenrose to detoxify and goji berry which are rich in Vitamin C – which is key in supporting skin firming and for protecting skin from environmental stressors.
CLEAR-OUT Blemish Targeting Gel (€17): This lightweight gel can be applied directly onto blemishes and contains natural ingredients to try and combat the size and irritation factor of spots. Meadowsweet and soothing purslane aim to dry out blemishes. Fortunately, I don’t suffer from too many breakouts but I do resort to Origins Super Spot Remove Acne Treatment when hormonal spots strike. While this is an absolute WONDER product, it definitely is very drying and so the Clarins spot treatment gel is a great option for the last few days of treating spots as it isn’t overly drying and contains 88% naturally derived ingredients.
For me the My Clarins range pretty much ticks all the boxes. If you’re time-starved, you can establish a quick and efficient routine that will deliver good results. I’m all for cruelty free products and I think Clarins should really be congratulated on creating this natural and eco-conscious range. Even the packaging (which is divine and looks lovely displayed in your bathroom if you’re sad like me and that pleases you) contains recycled materials including an outer carton sourced from sustainable forests. It’s an all-round winner.