Clarins Ombré Matte Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow

I was rummaging through my makeup 'stash' the other day and I came across a completely unopened (even unswatched!) Clarins eyeshadow. I had completely forgotten about it! I proceeded to add it to my every-day makeup bag in hopes it would prompt me to reach for it, and I made a point to. I have the shade 02 nude pink (purchase here); here are my thoughts.


I actually got this shadow as gratis a little while ago when I attended a seminar for Clarins as it was part of their fall line, and I'm really glad I re-discovered it because I remember really liking the line of shadows this one was a part of. 

About the product

"A new generation cream-to-powder eye shadow with a smoothing matte finish and unique sensoriality." -- Clarins website
Price: $24.00 CAD
Amount of product: 7g / 0.2oz
Shades in this line: 01 nude beige, 02 nude pink, 03 taupe, 04 rosewood, 05 sparkle grey, 07 carbon, 08 heather.

Review

My first impression of the shadow was of course when I swatched it upon finding it unopened. I thought the shade was absolutely beautiful--very similar to my natural skin tone--and I thought the powder was very smooth and creamy. I didn't get any chalkiness in the swatch and it was gorgeous.

My initial thought regarding how it compared to how it describes the product was that it wasn't entirely cream-to-powder as advertised (just powder) but that fact doesn't disparage the quality of the product itself. It might just be me, but when I think 'cream to powder' I think of something like the Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadows (the definition of creamy) and the Clarins product is a lot drier. That said, the shadow itself does have somewhat of a creamy texture, so I do understand the logic behind the name to a degree.

One of the greatest things about Clarins as a brand is that they tend to gear their products (both skincare and cosmetic) toward middle-aged to older generations, meaning their makeup products are excellent for any age group. The reason I say that is because when a product is patented for an older age group (or at least with that age group in mind) they focus on staying power, sensitivity to mature skin, creasing, and other factors that a person in an older age group might look for in a product. An eyeshadow such as this one has excellent staying power and thanks to its thick, matte texture and formulation, it does not crease on the lid. Products like this are great for all ages because we all want long lasting and crease-proof shadows!

While I've only taken home one shadow, I did get to swatch and test out the other shades and they're all beautiful. I've been using this shadow as a base lately, as it is very light and similar to my skin tone. It's got a pinky undertone to it, so it does look nice on my lids, however it's very light so unless I'm going for a completely au-naturel (but not really natural because let's be real) look, then this is great, but for now it's a great base! For a simple, easy to do look using this shadow, I would stick nude pink on the ball of the lid and run the shade rosewood over the crease to bring some dimension to my lids. Two minute last-all-day eyes. 

All in all, great shadow. Excellent staying power, easy to apply, and easy tow wear. The shades are all very neutral and very earthy/pinky, so they're people-pleasing and you can't go wrong at any skin tone or any eye colour. They would look great on anyone. 

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What are your go-to neutral stay-all-day shadows? Let me know!

Until next time, sunshine,

C