Have you been seeing the serum-infused, skincare-laden beauty products and wondered if they can really deliver skincare benefits while still stacking up to the task? We put the Clarins Double Serum Foundation to the test to find out how it performs.
And to get the most out of the innovative formula, we spoke to Head Makeup Artist, Clarins Australia & New Zealand, Nathan Kake, to get his top tips on the formula and to hear what he has to say about the rise of multi-beneficial beauty products.
Clarins Double Serum Foundation
In the past few years, we’ve been seeing a rise in multi-beneficial beauty products.
Speaking to Kake, he shared the sentiment, “consumers are increasingly looking for beauty products that offer additional benefits.” With Clarins’ longstanding belief that makeup should enhance the skin, the Double Serum Foundation was born. Kake explains that the formula “combines high-performance colour with skincare benefits that work alongside your skincare ritual to help reveal a more radiant, healthy-looking complexion.”
So, aside from having makeup artist backing and a multibeneficial formula, what makes this new launch stand out?
For us, it’s the double chamber design. Unlike other multibeneficial foundations, this formula doesn’t just have active ingredients as part of the formula; it has a whole separate chamber to dispense a serum at the time of application.
Why we’re talking about it
Not all beauty launches get the same amount of hype, but this one has us talking. Collectively, we’ve agreed that the multi-sellout formula, with its first-ever dual chamber (read: also, dual-texture) and impressive shade range, is worth talking about.
The iconic Clarins Double Serum has been making waves for more than 40 years, and with a formula built on supporting your skin, we can see why Kourtney Kardashian bathes her body in the lush liquid.
In the innovative design, the Double Serum – with its hydrating, nourishing and protecting line-up of potent plant extracts – stays in a separate chamber to the luminous satin foundation.
Why keep them apart rather than merge the formulas together? Through countless tests, Clarins realised that to keep the formulas’ optimal potency, it was best that the active ingredients first met while being buffed and blended onto your skin. The percentage dosed with each pump is two thirds brilliant colour foundation and one third skincare that act together to give your skin an instant radiant glow.
First Impressions Of The Double Serum Foundation
As a beauty writer, I’ve unboxed my fair share of foundations; what stood out to me most about Clarins Double Serum Foundation was the luxe packaging. With its innovative dial that allows you to customise the dosage (more on that in a moment) and the fresh, botanical scent, I knew I was in for a treat.
However, upon unboxing the shade and swatching it on the back of my hand – a step I always take, even though I know Kake’s top tips to shade matching involve “testing foundation on the outer cheek and blending it towards the centre of the face”– left me concerned I had lost my foundation matching abilities.
Fortunately, once I got home and tested the shade on my face (and in different lighting as Kake suggests), I was happy to see I’d matched the undertone and shade correctly.
If you aren’t confident about selecting your perfect shade online, Kake recommends “visiting a Clarins counter to be colour matched by one of the Beauty Coaches” as they’re “expertly trained to assess your complexion and help you find your perfect finish.”
How The Formula Wore
After playing around with the dial for a moment, (and settling on a slightly higher than midpoint dose) without any true realisation of what I was doing (it controls the amount pumped out, not the mix), I set to applying it.
Because the foundation is already skincare-rich, I decided to forgo my usual morning skincare routine (although I have also tested with skincare and it works just as well, no pilling involved).
I’m a sucker for applying my foundation with my fingers. I find the warmth from my fingertips really helps to blur and blend the formulas into my skin perfectly. With this foundation, I first pumped it onto the back of my hand before dotting it across my face before blending.
When speaking to Kake, he suggests the same: start by “dispensing the formula onto the back of your hand and working from the centre of your face outwards” he does suggest either using a foundation brush or your fingertips as the best tools for application.
Because the foundation is surprisingly thick, focusing on the centre of your face and blending outwards allows you to build up your desired finish, without needing several pumps of the formula.
Personally, I loved how luminous the foundation looked on my skin; I did set it in place with a combo of setting sprays (a daily routine), but I found the formula to be easy to blend and build where needed.
Upon a quick lunchtime walk and an elevator selfie, I could see the formula looked pretty much exactly as it did when I left home in the morning; no office air will be ruining my foundation.
I pretty much sat at my desk all day long, so I wasn’t exactly putting the foundation through its paces, but by the time I left in the evening I could happily say that the formula really did stay put all day long.
Final Verdict
This two-in-one foundation gave a gloriously longwearing, incredibly lightweight-yet-buildable luminous satin finish with real skincare benefits to beat. It’s the added serum technology element that really takes the Clarins Double Serum Foundation to the next level. And although it sits at the higher end ($95 for 30ml), the luxury formula does go a long way.
Where To Buy The Clarins Double Serum Foundation
Fortunately for us, the Clarins Double Serum Foundation is readily available in-store and online at Clarins, Adore Beauty, Myer and David Jones, all for the same price point.
It all began in Paris in 1954, when Jacques Courtin-Clarins opened his first Clarins Institute with the pioneering belief that well-being and happiness were inextricably linked to beauty. 70 years later, Clarins is a leading French beauty brand committed to sustainable beauty and constant innovation with a daring entrepreneurial spirit.
Discover Double Serum Foundation: the 2-in-1 hybrid serum foundation for a luminous, flawless complexion.
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