Clarins | Holiday 2018 Collection: Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.

For Holiday 2018, Clarins is staying true to the holiday spirits with a fun and sparkly mini collection designed to add a touch of shine to your makeup look. With something for the lips, cheeks, and eyes, the Holiday 2018 Collection is available now. I've got reviews and swatches to share with you today. To read on, click......

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Illuminating Sculpting Powder

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Illuminating Sculpting Powder ($40 CAD for 4 g):
Housed in a reflective compact embossed with a scatter of twinkling stars on the lid, the Illuminating Sculpting Powder is a pale white gold highlighter designed for the face and decolletage. The formulation is creamy non-gritty but it's also super sparkly at the same time. In the swatches below, I used my fingers and swiped on several layers which created a fairly concentrated and opaque sheen. In reality, however, the powder gives a sparse and glittery effect when applied with a brush. I suppose you can dab the highlighter on the cheekbones with your fingertips for a smoother shine but you would have to apply quite a lot to achieve that effect. Overall, this is a well-formulated highlighter but it's just not my cup of tea as I prefer a smoother, sparkle-free shimmer.

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Illuminating Sculpting Powder

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in "09 Red Berry Glam"

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in "09 Red Berry Glam" ($25 CAD for 7 ml):
A limited edition shade just for this holiday season, the Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in "09 Red Berry Glam" is a sparkly red lip gloss formulated with nourishing jojoba oil. Although the product looks quite intense in the tube, the application is actually sheer and subtle. The over-sized doe-foot applicator provides an even coating and the lips are left with a subtle, barely-there tint scattered with sparse gold shimmers. I was honestly expecting a bit more glitter and pigmentation but the product is definitely intended for those that want a little sparkle for their holiday makeup but don't want to go full-glam. In terms of wear, the gloss is prone to transferring and fading but it leaves the lips soft and supple. I find the finish just a tad sticky but it's much lighter and more comfortable in comparison to most glosses on the market.

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in "09 Red Berry Glam"

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in "09 Red Berry Glam"

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Gold Mascara Top Coat

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Gold Mascara Top Coat ($29 CAD for 7 ml):
For an extra touch of festivity, the Gold Mascara Top Coat is a fun glitter-topper designed to be worn over your regular black mascara. Packed with flecks of warm gold shimmers, the mascara is paired with a unique bristle wand topped with a tapered silicone tip that delivers a more concentrated dose of glitter. Unfortunately, even with the specially designed applicator, the mascara barely shows up on the lashes. Something about the formulation just doesn't allow the shimmers to properly adhere. You either end up with a gloopy mess or just the tiniest flecks of shimmers that are barely visible to the naked eye. I experienced the same issues with the Guerlain Gold Light Topcoat Mascara so it seems that shimmery mascaras are quite tricky to get right. With that said, the formulation actually works well as a shadow topper. You can easily dab the gold flecks over a shimmery gold or brown eyeshadow to add a gorgeous pop of shine.

Clarins | Holiday 2018 Gold Mascara Top Coat

Have you spotted the Clarins Holiday 2018 Collection? Are you a fan of sparkles for the holidays? Share with me in the comments below!

Availability:
Clarins is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Clarins.

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