Must Have: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

More than makeup, I am a big sucker for skin care products. I think good skin is better than layers and layers of makeup. That's why I fell in love with this product instantly. 

I really haven't heard about the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm until a relative from abroad sent it as a gift, along with a few other Clarins products. The packaging was very simple and I wasn't very excited to try it at initially. However, when I looked at Makeup Alley reviews, I was surprised to find so many users raving about it.

Here's the product description

What it is: 

A balm that instantly moisturizes, brightens, and tightens facial contours so skin looks rested and relaxed.  

What it is formulated to do: 

The ultimate pick-me-up for tired, stressed skin, this radiance-making product helps eliminate signs of fatigue in a flash. A great 10-minute "energy" mask, its non-oily formula prepares skin for perfect makeup application and hours of luminous wear.  

What else you need to know:  

Formulated with olive extract, this ingredient helps to smooth the skin's surface, diffusing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Bisabolol soothes, softens, and helps restore skin's youthful glow. Clarins' most popular radiance booster, this product is sold once every 20 minutes worldwide. It is allergy-tested and non-comedogenic. 

And here are the Ingredients: 

Aqua/Water/Eau, Propylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Oryza Sativa Starch, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Triethanolamin, Carbomer, Bisabolol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Hamamelis Virginiana, Algae, Sodium Citrate, Methylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Coumarin, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Eugenol, Limonene, Isoeugenol, CI 15985.

This is how the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm looks like. It's a bit heavily scented (parfum on the ingredients list), which I don't really mind. It is light yellowish to flesh colored, light in consistency but not watery or runny, and glides onto the skin very smoothly. It sets almost instantly after application, after which it is becomes matte and non greasy. It feels a bit heavy on the face, so I tend to skip the moisturizer before application, especially on hot days. You also need to use sunblock, I prefer to use it under the Beauty Flash Balm, since it has no SPF.

As you can see on the picture above, the product is transparent when it sets, but it leaves a lovely sheen (although I didn't capture it so well) on the skin. The promise of this product is to moisturize, brighten and tighten facial contours, but it really does so much more than that!  My face does look brighter and fresher, with lesser pores and a healthy glow. I absolutely love how it makes my skin look dewy but not oily. I felt like it even minimized the oiliness in my T-zone. It also did not irritate my skin or cause any break outs.

The proper way to apply the Beauty Flash Balm is to get a pea sized amount and just smooth it on the face without rubbing it in excessively. I just use my fingers for this. It's not meant to be absorbed into the skin like moisturizer. Instead, it sits on top of the skin, so if you're a bit on the dry side, a moisturizer should come before this. As soon as it sets in, it is recommended to apply makeup immediately. For me, it works really well as a primer (I use liquid foundation and powder), and prolongs makeup wear. My makeup looks so much better since I started using this product.

On good days, when I feel like I have good skin, I just put on this product without foundation, with just a bit of blush, and have received compliments on my skin. People can't seem to place what the difference is, but it really is the Beauty Flash Balm. You can also mix a bit of the balm with some foundation and it works like a tinted moisturizer, but with a lovely glow.

The balm can also be used as a mask, by applying a thicker layer on and leaving it for 10-20 minutes. Personally, I think that's a total waste of the product and haven't tried doing it. For $38 a bottle, I want to get more mileage out of this baby. Once I run out, I will definitely buy a new bottle.

What do you think of this product? Do you know of a less expensive alternative to the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm? I would love to find out!

Thanks for reading this! :-)