Clarins one step gentle exfoliating cleanser

Clarins gentle, spa-fresh facial exfoliator rids skin of make-up, embedded impurities and spent surface cells in one time-saving step — revealing clean, polished skin beneath. Orange extract softens, refreshes and renews radiance. Moringa Seed extract purifies and refines while preserving skin’s natural moisture balance. Gentle Silica Microbeads give clogged pores a breather. Now that’s refreshing!

I have been using on and off Clarins one step gentle exfoliating cleanser for a couple of years. First I got a mini sample that actually lasted me a while. Then I purchased mini size from Sephora for only 10$ (it was more than a half of the full size). When I ran out of that one finally got the full sized product. What can I say but that I really love it? I rarely ever buy same product over and over again. 

I keep it in shower and love using it twice a week not more than that. Even though it's labeled as "cleanser" that can be used every morning and evening I believe that's way too much exfoliation - even if you have super thick oily skin. 

I use this as any other exfoliator on a damp skin. As I mentioned I love using it in shower and after gently massaging it over damp face I like to keep it on for couple of minutes. When rinsed off skin is unbelievably soft and silky. It does not dry me out which is a great plus. It has orange extract that gives nice scent to this product, very invigorating and refreshing.  I would love to have shower gel or scrub with the same texture and scent. 

It comes in a nice sleek tube and has 125ml. You will see in the photos below what amount you need for the whole face. Very little goes a long way. Recently they changed a packaging and now it's thinner and slightly longer tube. It has flip top cap that's not really user friendly. Whenever you squeeze the product out and you close it , next time you open it you will notice a lot of product leaked into the cap. Sigh...

Texture is very light, almost gel like and has tiny silica micro beads. They are very gentle on skin but pretty effective when it comes to smoothing the skin, getting those dead skin cells of and leaving skin fresh and radiant. This is not your super rough creamy/paste kind of a scrub.

I love using it at the end of the long day when I wear makeup 8 + hours. It just refreshes skin so nicely, you can tell all the dirt and makeup came off.

I am not really big on Clarins but some products they have I just adore. With them it's a hit or miss. This one is one of the best products in their range. I highly recommend it for any skin type - I truly believe anyone can benefit from this product. 

It retails for 35$ at Sephora (that's where I bought mine) and all major department stores.

L'occitane and Sephora VIB Sale 2013 hauls

Time for another haul post.  I had my eye on a couple of product for a while but most of items were bought on a whim... which is unusual for me. I like to plan my purchases. Especially since Sephora has their annual VIB sale in November.

I got : 

Clarins one step exfoliating cleanser - had it long time ago and been wanting to buy it since then. Love to use it in shower, love how gentle yet effective it is. 

NARS Orgasm illuminator - had a mini one, wasn't really impressed but Adrijana convinced me that I "need" it :)

NARS Dolce vita lipstick - been wanting it forever! Such a beatiful MLBB shade. Nars makes great lipsticks

NARS Mississippi mermaid eyeshadow - new "cinematic" formula is mind blowing! It's not a cream but not a powder either. It's hybrid and feels smooth like a butter and shade is not so unique, but very wearable champagne with multi colored shimmer. I can see myself hitting pan on this one.

Bobbi Brown blush in Washed rose - fell in love with it over a year and finally bough it! For me it's a unique shade I do not have anything similar to it, plus I wanted to try more Bobbi Brown products. 

Hourglass Ambiend powder in Luminous light - this is probably the product that I "need" the least but all the crazy hype around Ambient powders made me try at least one and Luminous is right up my alley. (I also tried Dim in store and it's beautiful especially for cool skin tones).

Guerlain Maxi shine lip gloss - this is my first Guerlain lipgloss. I actually wanted to buy Dior but when I saw this shade in store and swatched it I fell in love - such a wearable mauve color with amazing shimmer. Kind of remind me of Rouge coco shine in Boy but in a gloss version.

I am on a L'occitane roll. I keep getting more and more stuff. The only thing I avoid from them is face care. I always brake out terribly. Thankfully they have enough amazing body and hair products. This is my fourth bottle of Citrus verbena shower gel - my husband loves it too, it's such a fresh scent. Great for summer or morning showers to boost energy.  Hand cream is their cult Shea hand cream but in special holiday limited edition (not sure that I really like this year's design). Recently I bought their Repair shampoo but after that I tried the sample of Volumizing one and actually liked it much better so I decided to buy it. Almond shower oil was gift with purchase - woohoo! I love how generous L'occitane is. I always get a great deal plus I was able to use my gift card. 

Before these two hauls I also bought NARS Daydream blush - this was love at first sight! I will be reviewing it soon!

Holiday season is the worst when it comes to cosmetics. So many great deals, palettes, sales, gwps... my wallet is crying in a corner.