New Clarins AW13 Collection Review

Clarins AW13 collection

Whether it's the regal red velvet-smooth gold packaging, or the slightly higher price bracket, I just didn't think Clarins was a brand for a metropolitan girl in her early twenties. 

But after trialling out a hefty cross-section of the AW13 collection, I have been swayed. The products are classy, soft, pigment-rich and beautiful... and I definitely didn't look like my powdery-at-the-edges Aunt Maude. So it's a side order of humble pie for me, please. 

NEW: Clarins Instant Concealer, £20

This new concealer is REALLY good. It has a creamy, rich texture that gives long-lasting coverage of those pesky dark circles, and has caffeine extract to reduce puffiness. The packaging is lightweight and handbag handy, perfect if you're a busy bee. One of my top concealers of the year. 

Extra Comfort Foundation SPF15, £35 (107 Beige)

I'm quite fussy when it comes to foundations, but this one feels really lovely on the skin. It's like a hybrid of a moisturiser and a foundation - really thick and creamy - and smells like fresh cucumber wipes! 

It did sit a little bit awkwardly on dry skin patches, but this was easily fixed with a spot of moisturiser.  The science part is quite impressive, with anti-aging plant extracts, omega 9 and 6, and organic argan oil to preserve suppleness and protect from dehydration. It also claims to plump skin, and contains 'soft focus pigments' to reflect light in the most flattering of fashions. Ohhh la la!  

I gave it a good trial and was impressed with the smell, feel, finish and lastability. The only thing that didn't hit the mark was the packaging, which is not travel friendly and is nigh on impossible to use without getting foundation EVERYWHERE. But maybe I'm just a mucky pup! 

Clarins Extra-Comfort SPF15 foundation swatch

Clarins Crayon Khôl in Platinum, Intense Blue, Taupe, £17 each

I haven't stopped wearing these pigment-rich Crayon Khôl pencils since I added them to my make-up bag. So soft and flattering due to the shimmering, beautiful colours. They are double ended with a natural hair brush applicator on the other side, really handy for creating subtle smouldering finish.

Clarins Crayon Khôl in Platinum swatch

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in 736 Pink Camellia, 737 Royal Plum, 738 Spicy Cinnamon, £18 each

736 Pink Camellia, 738 Spicy Cinnamon and 737 Royal Plum

My favourite launch from the AW13 are the three beautiful colours added to the Joli Rouge Lipstick range - 736 Pink Camellia, 737 Royal Plum and 738 Spicy Cinnamon. They are SO hydrating and glossy, simply lovely on the lip. Unlike other lipsticks, I didn't get any of the dreaded dry-out, and the colour stayed put for hours. The Royal Plum shade is a bold deep aubergine that was really popular in early 2013, and I expect it will come back strong as we head into the winter months. Pink Camellia is my personal favourite, it looks fantastic with green eyes. 

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in 736 Pink Camellia, 737 Royal Plum, 738 Spicy Cinnamon swatch 

Clarins Be Long Mascara, £21

This clever little mascara is packed with genius ingredients, like a peptide to promote lash growth and panthenol to strengthen. I was surprised by the tiny brush, but it was great at catching all the little lashes in the corners of the eye. Great precision for super-defined, clump-free lashes. 

Clarins Be Long Mascara swatch

Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Forest, £31

I am in love with this magical-forest inspired Eye Quartet Mineral Palette. It may be on the pricey side, but it is so beautiful. The packaging is classy through and through, and the shadows are shimmering delights. With khaki green, satin taupe, intense bronze and pale gold shadows, this palette is fantastic for complimenting green and brown eyes. I wear with the Crayon Khôl in Taupe to complete the look.

What do you think of the new AW13 collection? Let me know by leaving a comment below or by commenting on the Pout Out Proud Facebook page, or tweeting @PoutOutProud xx

Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment: Review

The ultimate swoony-crooner, Mr Bublé, shared his metrosexual side with the world earlier this month (via twitter, naturally) as he donned a face full of mud. Show me a guy who doesn't love a face mask, and I'll show you a fibber.

The legendary Bublé was in fact lathered in GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment, £44.99 for 30ml, which claims to detoxify, de-clog, smooth, plump and fight breakouts, discolouration, black and white heads, razor bumps and in-grown hairs... A miracle worker, no less? So I ordered a few samples - try before you buy is quite handy when you're shelling out to the tune of 45 pounds - to see if the product matched the hype. 

The mask is really runny in consistency, more of a watery than a traditional clay mask. and contains the odd little bit of sediment. It dries really fast on the skin, approx 5 mins, and as it dries it pulls out 'congestion' (read: hideous blackheads) from pores. As you can see in the below image, the dark little circles which are populated across the bridge of my nose are where the mask worked its magic on my problem zone. 

After removing the mask, my skin did feel amazing and the dreaded blackheads looked less noticeable than before. Overall my skin felt nourished and soft, with a glowing finish as claimed. I've only used two samples, so I can't say how this product works over long term, but the instant results were really good. A hefty price tag, but a great treatment for troubled skin. 

What's your favourite skin care treatment? Let me know by commenting below, tweeting @PoutOutProud or commenting on the Pout Out Proud Facebook page. xx

Like this? Read this:

• Clarins Complete Age Control Double Serum: Review
• Skin Saviours: Australian Bodycare Face Cream and Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Clarins Complete Age Control Double Serum: Review

Clarins Extra-Firming New Double Serum, £55 

Okay, so I'm not exactly propping up my wrinkles with a broom stick just yet, but yes, I've decided to start using age control products. The early bird catches the hot, hunky worm, as they (may or may not) say.

Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate has a fairly hefty price tag at £55 for 30ml, but I've been using it for one full week so far (massaging a pea sized amount onto my face and neck area morning and night) and I feel as though my skin is looking better all round. It looks healthier, no blemishes as yet, and the dreaded blackheads which pepper my nose seem to be smaller than before... I'd pay £55 a month to get rid of them alone!

However, the real beauty of a serum is the long-term effect. A serum penetrates where mere moisturisers cannot, hence why you apply the serum first. You are targeting the deeper layers of skin, which will one day rise to the surface, and hopefully look ruddy marvellous when they do. So with this little nugget of beauty knowledge in mind, I am going to keep using the Clarins Double Serum (which, FYI, smells lovely, absorbs fast and is great for slightly dry skin) and will update this post after a few months... If you see someone who looks suspiciously like me, but a few years younger, then please do say hello!

Read more on well-being and TLC

Hair Care: Find out how to repair your hair

Skin Care: How to nourish your skin properly

Get all the best beauty news! Follow @poutoutproud on Twitter and Like Pout Out Proud on Facebook

Revlon Nearly Naked: Foundation Review

Revlon have brought out a brand new foundation range, 'Nearly Naked', £8.99 for the liquid foundation with SPF20, and despite its absolutely hideous (okay, slightly clunky, pardon my incessant need to exaggerate) packaging, the beautiful finish of this High Street foundation is actually very impressive. 

But first, let me get this moanathon out of the way. Mr Revlon big boss man, why would you put such a great foundation in such a un-user friendly bottle? I do not want to have to pour my foundation onto my palm. No, I do not. Undoubtedly my pristine black blouse will look mauled by the sand monster in approximately five seconds. Nor do I want to cart around a heavy glass bottle with a cheap-looking white lid. Phew.

But me and this foundation have found a way to work through our early relationship troubles (I've armed my dresser with a pack of baby wipes) and as you can see in the picture above, the result is light, even and flawless. You really have to buff the foundation into the skin (circular motions with a foundation brush, as if working in a moisturiser) and my skin was fresh and soft after application, with a slightly dewy finish. It softens uneven skin tones, minimising ruddy cheeks or shadows, but does not look too opaque or plastic. A great foundation for the daytime, definitely one of the best I've tried out this year. Now if only I could have a word with the packaging designers...

Top Tip: For an extra flawless finish, sweep a layer of mineral powder foundation over the liquid foundation once it has settled on the face. It makes all the difference! I used Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder, £7.99 (also a fantastic product but with slightly ghastly packaging...not taking any prisoners on the aesthetics here am I?!)

You might also like:

• My foundation favourites: from Day to Night
• Get a super flawless complexion with a translucent powder
• Spring 2013 Beauty Must Haves

Get all the best beauty news! Follow @poutoutproud on Twitter and Like Pout Out Proud on Facebook

Cute like Candy! Ciate Nail Caviar

So much LOVE this super cute manicure! How gorgeous?! 

Ciate Caviar Pearls in Rainbow, £18, available from Selfridges is my favourite nail accessory of the moment, the tiny little pearls of cuteness are so fun and playful!

The look is really easy to achieve too, simply paint on a healthy layer of varnish then tip over the teensy beads. Press the beads down gently and allow to set for fifteen minutes. Voila, cute like candy nails. Do not apply any top coat though, as the colour from all the little beady treats will run into a murky blue (not desirable!)

It may not be the most long-lasting nail effect, but I totally love it. A really unique and girly finish, that's easy to do. Perfect! 

Get all the hottest beauty tips: subscribe to Pout Out Proud.

As Featured in Grazia!

I was SO pleased to be asked by Grazia to share my beauty blogging tips this week, and you can read them all here!

Big thanks to all the Grazia team - and remember, you can catch my weekly product pick for Grazia every Friday.

If you have any questions about blogging which you'd like to ask, make sure you get in touch :) x

Be Spooktacular this Halloween

Last minute Halloween party with no outfit? DISASTER, non? Fear not and think fast, as you have the essential tool kit right in front of your eyes. Behold the potential of the humble make-up bag:

In five minutes you can create this 'drop dead' gorgeous effect, for free, without using harsh face paints which can dry out the skin.

My Frankenstein tool-bag consisted of:

Red lippy (cheaper the better, don't be using your Chanel Rouge Allure on this look!) I used Rimmel's Lasting Finish, in Alarm 170, £4.99, available from Boots.
Red Gloss (for that oozy blood effect) I used Maybelline's Superstay Tint Gloss in Lasting Pink, £6.99, available from Boots.
Black, blue, green and purple eyeshadows (again, the cheaper the better) I used a mixture of brands, ranging from Rimmel's Colour Rush Mono Eyeshadow in blue and green, £3.99, from Boots, to a highly pigmented pink MAC Eyeshadow in Tease to Ease, £16.50, available from MAC Cosmetics. Of course it all depends on what you have handy in your bag - but rusty browns and greens are great for creating an authentic-looking head wound. Joy!

My top tips for getting ghoulish:

1. Apply your usual base make-up. This will help to prevent the additional effect make-up from absorbing/shifting on your skin.

2. Start with the shadows. Blend black shadow into the sockets of your eyes, hollows of your cheeks and temple area. This will instantly give you a skullish appearance. Spoooky!

3. Blend in blues and pinks to the black shadow around your eyes, making the skin appear bruised and zombiefied.

4. Take a bronze shadow and apply to where you will be creating a head wound. Apply red lipstick in a wound shape, then add more bronze shadow to create a dirty, bloody wound. I use eyeliner to create contours in the wound, i.e. make it look deeper, by outlining one edge and smudging slightly. Add a few dabs of gloss over the top for a really sticky, bloody effect.

5. Add comical stitches as your heart desires using black eyeliner. Great fun.

Muwahahaha! Who said Halloween needn't be glamourous?

Cheekbones: High Definition

I am in absolute awe of girls (and often boys) with razor sharp cheekbones. These lucky specimens have been blessed with the premium of genetics. Handily, however, you can emulate this gift of God with a few crafty make-up tricks. Watch this video tutorial (my filming debut, cringe) to learn how to create high-definition cheekbones in under five minutes...



Get the look with...

Bronzer
I used Bourjois Poudre Bronzante which is available from Boots for £6.99. For a more-expensive alternative I'd recommend Hoola by Benefit, available from FeelUnique.com for £23.50, or MAC's Matte Bronzer, available from MAC Cosmetics UK for £18.50.

Mid-tone pink blush
I used Maybelline's Mineral Powder, which has now been discontinued. However, there are loads of alternatives... such as Mac's Powder Blush in Immaculate Pink, available from MAC Cosmetics UK for £17.50, Maybelline's Expert Wear Blusher in Rose, available from Boots for £5.19, or Benefit's Coralista Box of Powder, available from Boots for £23.50.

Highlighting blush
You'll need a really light pink, preferably with light-reflecting particles in, to create a highlight on your cheekbones. I used Benefit's Dandelion Pink Perk Me Up Face Powder, available from Boots for £23.50. It's pricey but does last for an absolute age.

Illuminator
For serious cheeky enhancement I used Benefit's High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enhancer, available from FeelUnique.com for £18.50. You can read all about it (along with an application guide) by clicking on this link!

Blusher brush
A good blusher brush is worth paying a few extra pennies for. A bad brush will leave you with an uneven complexion and stray brush hairs clogging up your powders...not desirable. I recommend Body Shop's Blusher Brush, available from Body Shop for £12.00.

Have a Cheeky Vote!

Go on... Have a cheeky little vote for Pout Out Proud.

xx