3 Reasons to Love Clarins Renew-Plus Body Serum

Body lotions are generally not something I give that much thought to (I'm more of a facial skincare person you know) but there is one particular body-beautifier that I firmly consider as a desert island staple. Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum does it for me every time and is one of those products I have and will continue to purchase myself/ request from Santa for three very good reasons:

It makes my skin feel great

The gel-creme texture of the concentrated serum sinks into my skin almost instantly and has a welcome cooling effect that's perfect after a hot shower or bath. I hate the feeling of heavy lotions on my body during summer so Renew Plus is an ideal option for warm weather - it really does absorb so quickly that there's no waiting around in the nude, willing it to dry so I can put clothes on! That's not to say I don't use it equally as much when it's cold though. Once applied, the result is smooth, silky feeling skin that almost rivals my 4 month old in terms of softness. Almost. 

It smells gorgeous

Ok, I know that scent is a very subjective thing and I'm sure that there are some people who don't love the delicious fragrance of Renew Plus. Personally, I adore the powdery, timeless scent of the Serum and feel like it adds a glamorous touch to the act of moisturizing my limbs. If you don't like fragrance in your body products, this probably won't be your cup of tea, but personally I really like the scent and feel like it is just as wearable for an eighteen year old as it is for someone in their seventies.  The lotion also makes my pajamas (read: one of Rich's old shirts) smell lovely too as the scent tends to transfer slightly.

It improves the texture of my skin

Many people rave about Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum as a solution to rid themselves of Keratosis Pilaris and I've got to say the rumours are true. After a couple of weeks of using Renew Plus, my upper arms are significantly smoother with just a few chicken-skin-esque spots remaining- and that's not even using it every day. The serum effectively combats Keratosis Pilaris because it contains a pre-retinol and Wintergreen extract which both work to gently remove dead skin cells. In other words, it sort of 'unplugs' the keratin build-up from the hair follicles that cause the little raised bumps.

Because the Body Serum is quite concentrated, I don't use a lot at a time and only really reserve it for my arms. It's not exactly cheap but it is certainly cheerful so I'll continue to use it both for its beautiful scent and skin smoothing effect- it really is a little luxury for the body.

5 Winter Lip Products Perfect for Cold Weather

It's almost a fact - winter wreaks havoc on our lips. Cold winds, indoor heating and lack of moisture in the air all contribute to drying out lips, often leaving them cracked, flaky or just a bit on the rough side. Like a lot of people I have lip products on my desk, next to the bed and at the bottom of my handbag so I can get a bit of moisture into my lips whenever I feel the need. Here, I've picked five lip products I have on rotation lately that are perfect for winter and all year round.


By Terry Baume de Rose
Baume de Rose must be one of the most ridiculously indulgent lip balms on the market today. And at £39 a pot, it's one of the most ridiculously priced ones too. The thing about Baume de Rose is that it's Just. So. Good. From the gorgeous rose scent to the thick, creamy formula and nourishing feel on the lips, Baume de Rose has got it going on. It doubles as a cuticle treatment too, which might help you justify the price, should you need to. It's £40 at Space NK.

Fresh Sugar Lip Serum
I've written about this little beauty before (which is here if you're interested) and I still love it a little bit. Designed to be applied both day and night, the serum contains sugar to moisturise and soothe, Acmella flowe extract which has apparently been proven to reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles and Kigelia Africana fruit extract to improve elasticity. You only need to use a tiny amount of this at a time because it spreads so easily, so it's lasted me ages. It feels lovely on and does have a sort of 'instant volumising' effect, which is something I'll take any day. Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy is £29.50 at Space NK.

C.O Bigelow Rose Salve
This amazingly scented balm was in one of the drawers of the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar and currently lives next to my bed. Strictly speaking, you can use the salve on any dry bits but I only really use it on my lips. It has a really delicious turkish delight/ true rose scent that I can't really get enough of. ETA - I don't think this is available in the UK anymore but Smith's Rosebud Salve is a good alternative.

Yves Rocher Shea Lip Balm
The Yves Rocher Lip Balm is pretty basic but equally as brilliant at protecting lips in dry, windy weather. It has an inoffensive 'lip balmy' scent and no colour, making it perfectly unisex. I bought this last time I went to Paris and I can't remember how much it cost me - unfortunately you can no longer purchase Yves Rocher in the UK.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil
Available in two shades-Honey and Raspberry- the lip oil was one of the most popular beauty releases of 2015. I have the raspberry variation of the lip oil and though I've not had it for long, I'm already a bit obsessed with the feeling of the formula on my lips and the sweet scent. The raspberry shade gives the slightest wash of colour to the lips so it's a good one to keep in your handbag and apply sans-mirror. The formula is silky and oily (go figure) but doesn't feel particularly sticky and is infused with Mirabelle oil for comfort and nourishment. The Lip Comfort Oil is often on special at Escentual.

5 Reasons to Love Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream

I must admit, I don't tend to give hand creams an awful lot of thought. They just aren't a product I consider very often and I rarely spend money on/ get excited about stuff to slather on my hands. There is one exception to the rule though that comes in the form of the iconic product that is Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.

I first discovered this stuff in a Clarins gift with purchase years and years ago and it's remained a firm favourite ever since. I bought a new tube just the other week and once again rediscovered its wonders so if you're not already a devotee here are 5 good reasons to love this hand cream.

The Texture
The texture of the cream is really, well, creamy yet it absorbs beautifully and doesn't get you all greasy and gross. A little bit really does go a long way too.

The Scent
The scent of Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream is just so typically Clarins. It has a really pleasant, almost organic, earthy fragrance that I imagine might not be everyone's cup of tea. The plant based ingredients really shine through in the scent and make it one of my favourite things about the product.

The Ingredients
Sesame Oil, Shea Butter, Japansese Mulberry extract, Condurango Bark and Myrrh extract combine to protect and nurture and reduce discolouration such as age spots. Apparently it's the Japanese Mulberry extract that's responsible for reducing age spots, Myrrh extract works at strengthening the nails and Condurango Bark (a type of tropical plant) stops the palms feeling damp while the Sesame Oil and Shea Butter protect, moisturise and revitalise.

The Effect
I'm not sure if I've lost my mind or not but this is the only hand cream I've tried that instantly makes my nails feel stronger. It's a little bit bizarre really but it really does seem to sink into the nail instantaneously and strengthen them immediately. This alone is a great reason to add it to your stash but it also absorbs into the hands really quickly and leaves them beautifully soft without any greasiness.

The Packaging
Classic Clarins packaging is just beautiful in my opinion. Clean, simple and chic, the 100ml white bottle with red text is a timeless winner. The tube is light and durable enough to throw in your handbag too which is always a bonus (also available in 30ml) and I always manage to squeeze out the last drop with ease.

All in all, I really, really like Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream. What's your go-to hand cream?
Clarins Hand and Nail Cream is available in Boots, at department stores and pretty much everywhere online for around £21.