Flawless in a Flash with Clarins

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My morning routine looks a bit like this:

Each morning, I wake up at about 6 AM or a little later if the snooze button gets the best of me. I stumble downstairs to our soaking tub, since our upstairs shower is under major renovation. Sounds dreamy, but honestly, it's not totally practical! While the water runs, I drink a warm cup of water with Brags apple cider vinegar and lemon. This is typically the only slower-paced part of my day.

After my bath (that usually lasts entirely too long), I rush upstairs to get dressed. Then I hurry back downstairs to grab a quick breakfast - usually oatmeal or granola with yogurt and fresh berries - before running out the door to catch my 7:30 AM bus.

Notice something in there - there's no time for makeup. There’s no extra minutes for swiping on mascara or dabbing on some concealer (which has actually been to my advantage on the bus because who wants to sit next to a scary-looking woman with unbrushed hair and no makeup?) 

However - this doesn’t mean I go without all day. This is where it’s key to find makeup that’s great on the go - that I can easily apply without making a mess on my walk into the office or on the bus.

I’ve partnered with Clarins to test drive a few of their key on-the-go products and I’d like to share a few of my favorites below:

Instant Light Brush-On Perfector: Being the kind of girl who does a million things at once doesn’t always bode well for the under-eye-bag situation. Thankfully this easy applicator makes it simple to swipe on when those circles start to get darker.

Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector: Since receiving this, I’ve worn it almost every day. It’s a really natural color, with a bit of shine to brighten up your face. I loving using when I’m on the go because even if I rush and go ‘outside the lines,’ it’s not quite as obvious as a bold red shade! 

Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch: If you only buy one thing from this collection, it should be this. I know it’s bad to touch your skin constantly, but I can’t help it. It leaves my skin feeling super silky and is definitely my favorite that I've tried so far. I love the compact size too - fits easily in any of my bags.

4-Colour All-in-One Pen: This is one of the most fun products in the bunch. I love multi-purpose pieces, and this one has three eye-liners and a lip liner all in one!

Face Conturing Palette: Contouring is semi-new to me within the last year. When it first came out, I was scared away due to how strong it was first applied to my face. But now that I’ve got the hang of it, it’s become an essential part of my morning routine. It adds dimension to my face while also being easy to apply in a rush.

So if you’re like me, rushing from place to place, be sure to check out these great essentials that make on-the-go look great.

This post was sponsored by Clarins - thanks for supporting the brands that keep It’s Julien up and running! Photos by Erin Krespan

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Dry Skin Solutions: Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Review

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You’re walking to your office. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows straight through you. Welcome to winter in DC. As you continue walking, you’re immediately grateful for the fleece-lined leggings you found deep within your drawer and even more so for the hand knit scarf of alpaca wool (God bless that alpaca) wrapped around your neck. What you’re not grateful for? The burning sensation on your face that comes with winter’s worst winds. 

This is basically a daily chronicle of my everyday commute into DC. An hour-long bus ride followed by a brutal, 10-minute walk uphill. While I’ve learned how to find the best trips and tricks for layering in the cold, there’s one part of my body that always seems to be the hardest to keep comfortable - my face.

I don’t know about you, but winter is treacherous on my skin. Between the sudden temperature changes (again, welcome to DC), outdoor pollutants and the stresses of everyday life, our skin gets SO dehydrated. I was shocked to learn that our bodies go through 17 thermal shocks EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s no wonder we have such a hard time keeping our skin is moisturized. No matter how much moisturizer I use, it never seems to last through the morning commute. But after trying our Clarins’ new Hydra-Essentiel line, I may have found a solution for quenching my skin’s thirst.

This new line is a dry-skin-girl’s dream. With organic leaf of life extract (a highly-resilient succulent plant that boosts skin’s ability to retain precious moisture for all-day hydration) along with tons of other pure plant extracts, it moisturizes in a way that other products haven’t. And something I’ve been missing this time? Adding a serum to the mix (a mistake I surely won’t make again.) This combo together is like the Batman and Robin of skincare. Alone, they're still great. But together, they're best.

After my shower in the morning, I throw on an organic skin oil. Next comes the Hydra-Essentiel Bi-phase serum. This sets a great base for the Hydra-Essentiel moisturizer, making its effects longer lasting and more effective. If you’re still not sold on the product, I encourage you to try it for yourselves. You can order a free sample from the Clarins website or try it out at your local Nordstrom, Bluemercury, Sephora or Marcy’s. And if that doesn’t convince you, Clarins was created by a French family. And we all know the French take the best care of their skin. ;)

This post was done in partnership with Clarins. All opinions are my own.

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