Clarins Calm-Essentiel Soothing Emulsion

I love that this is hermetically packaged - the tube/pump means that air isn't going to get in. It also means you're not coming into contact with the unused product.

I like this light emulsion a lot, my skin is combo, this worked well and didn't add any oilyness to my t zone.

It feels so lovely upon application, slightly cooling and definitely calming. It has a lovely fragrance that adds to the experience. I actually love that its fragranced, i know for some people that's a no-no for sensitive skin products, but for me I love it that they've found a gentle way to add scent using calming ingredients.

This leaves skin glowing and refreshed and really soft to touch. I'm going to enjoy using this through the winter months and beyond.

This moisturiser came into my life at a good time - just when winter cold started, bringing with it indoor heating and temperature extremes. Due to this weather my skin immediately started showing redness and signs of sensitivity. I was very pleased to have this moisturiser available to apply.

Did it conquer all the redness in my cheeks? No. Did it do a good job at preventing and reducing it? Yes, I believe it did.

Other pluses for this product are that it has a lovely fragrance, can be used morning and night, and did not irritate my sensitive skin, even when applied near the eye area (was I supposed to do that...?).

The down sides were the packaging - I'm unfamiliar with this style of tube with pump top, so I'm dubious about getting the last bit of product out of the bottom - and the lack of instructions. Clarins often go light on instructions, meaning I'm trying to guess how to use their products properly. Partway through the trial Beauty Review contacted me to let me know exactly what order I should be applying the products in. Turns out I'd been doing my day routine in reverse! If Clarins gave better instructions on their packaging people would see better results with their products, so I feel it is in everyone's interest for them to provide a bit more info!

All told this was a lovely moisturiser, but I'll wait and see how successfully I can get the last bit out of the tube before I comment on value for money. ;)

This is the first Clarins product I have tried and what a stunner! My skin was looking a bit dreary with winter and to be honest not drinking enough water but this moisturiser really helped liven my skin up. The packaging is inviting. I love the scent, it is quite strong but it's lovely so doesn't bother me. The only down fall is the price, it is quite hefty. Still though if you want to treat yourself it is worth it.

My first impression of the product was confusion. The product dispensed the emulsion through a pump which I was unsure whether to use inverted or as presented in pictures. However, I enjoyed the fact that the pump limited how much product I was getting - so no issues of applying too much or too little.

The instructions for how to apply the product were also a bit unclear as I have not used an emulsion before (or frankly heard of it as a term in skincare). But, as part of the trial group I did recieve some additional information about using the product as a moisturiser substitute and this made more sense with the feel of the product (I had also used in combination with the soothing oil as suggested).

As far as effectiveness, I think my skin enjoyed the emulsion - particularly as part of my skincare routine. I would not suggest using it as part of the morning skincare if you already use a moisturiser and wear makeup too. I did notice that my skin had no issues adjusting to the calming and soothing emulsion - there were no major breakouts or reactions which was really good to see. I think the product was nice and gentle on the skin and helped to restore hydration at night after cleansing.

This emulsion is a lovely, light but hydrating lotion that immediately soaks into my skin.

Its scented but not overly fragrant,I think its the clary sage I can smell. Its more herbaceous than floral which I appreciated.

I like the pump-tube hybrid, I just wish there were more instructions - at first I wasn't too sure what an emulsion was in terms of skin care. I've been using it in lieu of moisturiser and have been so impressed with just how moisturising it is!

I would definitely use this again, I experienced nothing but good hydration, no reactions or sensitivity!

I have sensitive skin and often new products have adverse reaction on my face. This product is truly what the company clams. Therapeutic and calming. The smell is so soft and light and relaxing. You can smell it for quiet long. The product has perfect consistency and glides smoothly and absorbs quickly leaving the skin soft and silky. I really liked the packaging. No extra packaging waste. The product is plumping tube. 2 pumps are enough for the face. Overall this product is worth every cent if you have a sensitive dry skin.

First off, this comes in a handy tube format (simple but pretty in white and pink) with a pump dispenser and a firm-click lid, so it's portable, hygienic and very easy to dispense the amount you want. Love it. The emulsion itself has a nice mid-weight cream texture, so 'rich emulsion' is probably a good description, great for melting softly into your skin and beautiful for around the eyes (yes, really - and no stinging or puffiness).

The floral scent is pleasant enough but very strong. I was actually nervous to put it on the first time, because as a sensitive-skin girl, my face products are almost all fragrance-free. It turned out to be fine in terms of my sensitivity, but it was stronger, more floral, and longer-lasting (lingering for hours) than I would personally like. Not a deal-breaker for me though.

As for performance... A+. My skin was VERY tight, dry, reactive and uncomfortable before the trial (it gets like that most winters), and my usual gentle moisturisers were stinging on application. The first time I applied the emulsion, there was a very slight stinging feeling, which disappeared quickly (so that was actually already an improvement), but after that, every time I used it my skin just felt better and better, even around my eyes. Calm. Soothed. Hydrated. As you'd expect, it takes a while to re-set upset skin and break the over-sensitised, reactive cycle, but mine was feeling great within a week! In terms of pure hydration, at first the emulsion didn't seem enough on its own. So I added a couple of drops of the Calm Essentiel Oil on top, which helped. But now I do that just once every few days IF I feel the need to. I think my skin's normalised now, so it's just not as desperately thirsty.

For coverage, a pea-sort-of-sized blob of emulsion does my face and neck, so the 50 ml tube would last many, many months. It's definitely a lot pricier than my usual, but as a winter rescue treatment purchased once every couple of years, I reckon it's probably worth it.

For anyone with hyper-sensitive, dry skin, I can't recommend this highly enough. Mine's certainly breathing a looong sigh of relief.

Just love this product. I had been using all sorts of serums, moisturisers and eye creams before starting this trial and the results were so disappointing. No matter what I did, and did every single day religiously, my skin was dry and itchy, flakey, sensitive, red, and unevenly toned. Just before finding out about this trial I was doing research into what I could do to help my skin, and I came across the benefits of emulsifying ointments and creams. Boom. Clarin’s soothing emulsion dropped into my lap. From day one the results were instantaneous and miraculous (to me). After using for 10 days my skin is no longer dry, itchy, flakey, or tight. The tone is improved and I’ve even noticed an improvement in fine lines and wrinkles!

The product smells amazing, the packaging it ethically sourced, easy to remove, and informative, though I do find you need to pump a bit to get enough product out. I use about 3-4 pumps to cover my face and neck.

Very happy with this product and will 100% be purchasing this once I’ve used it all up!!