Not strictly a foundation, but I’m going to treat the Clarins BB Skin Detox Fluid as one, with a full review and before-and-after photos, because a) the coverage is as good as many of the foundations I’ve reviewed and b) I think it’s amazing and I want to have a little product rave.
I really can’t think of many bad things to say about this BB Cream at all, other than my usual gripe about shade ranges – we’ll get that out of the way shall we? I suppose it’s slightly unfair to criticise the shade selection (there are four shades, ranging from fair to dark) because Clarins aren’t touting this out as a foundation, and BB creams/tinted moisturisers often have a limited range. But there’s also an oddity with this BB. I think (and tell me if you’ve tried and have had a different experience) that the shades come up incredibly dark, which means that I wear the 00 – fair – and that anyone who’s fairer than me (I’m a shade 20 in Chanel and Dior, for reference) will struggle to get a natural finish.
I looked quite orange in the 01 Light shade – the 00 Fair is perfect. But worth noting that I am not really that fair! However, with this issue out of the way, I can honestly say that I have nothing to gripe about when it comes to the BB skin Detox Fluid. I usually approach anything marked “BB” with caution – oh, the number of chalky-finished duds I’ve tried – but I was surprised from the first application with this one. Light and fresh to apply, creamy and comfortable in consistency and a finish that looks rather natural and lovely but that actually has good, medium coverage.
Great for those with oily and combination skin, but also hydrating enough for those who are on the dry side, this is a brilliant “one size fits all” sort of base and it has been on my face more than off it for about the last two months or so. I’m nearly through with this tube and I rarely finish off foundations – apart from the Perfection Lumiere Velvet by Chanel, which I race through a few times a year.
Here are my before and after pics for the Clarins BB:
You can see that it’s really very decent coverage indeed – though admittedly I was having a very good skin day, so there wasn’t a whole lot to cover. Dark circles reduced and a general evenness to the skintone. And the glow! Oh, the glow! This was taken in my office on a very gloomy day, but outside the radiance from this BB is just marvellous. It’s a true “healthy skin” cheat.
Close-ups, so that you can see how un-chalky and fresh-looking this is, starting without makeup:
…and after applying the BB:
I think it’s rather impressive. Doesn’t sit badly in the pores, equally doesn’t highlight the pores with a load of shimmer. The radiance comes from clever 3D pigment powders rather than anything sparkly, making this a great choice, also, for those with fine lines. Longevity is excellent – I’ve done a full day in town and it looked pretty much the same when I got home as when I set off. Ditto after long walks in bitter weather – the added SPF in the formula is handy when you’re spending a while outside…
In terms of texture, it’s fresh and easy to apply but at the same time has a creamy and comfortable feel – I can get away with just using serum underneath, which is good news for those with oilier skin who just want to pop a treatment beneath it, but it’s equally nice layered over a rich moisturiser if you have very, very dry skin. Works well in all ways. The only thing I don’t get is the “detox” part, but we’ll totally ignore that because the product is so spot-on.
You can find Clarins BB Skin Detox Fluid BB at Escentual HERE – it’s £30 but you can get 20% off (at time of writing) with the code ESCENTUAL20.
Have yet to test product but, as with other favourite Clarins products, expect good result.
Regards,
Helen Vaughan