Clarins Spring 2011 Collection - Neo Pastels

Neo Pastel is the newest collection for this season from Clarins. I haven't been on the Clarins bandwagon very long but so far everything that I have seen inthe past few months, I have loved it all. Neo translates to "new" so this collection appears as though it will be a new take on the tradition pastel shades that are offered every spring season. Clarins seems to be a more conservative company so I am interested in how they are going to rework pastel shades, keep them fresh, and still able to be worn professionally. "Inspired by art and watercolours, colour goes pastel this Spring". This collection promises to hold lovely eye makeup shades that I will end up wearing all spring.

Time to see this new take on pastels...

Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour - This soft mineral blush powder glides perfectly over skin and blends naturally and evenly. Each luminous harmony is accompanied by a complementary shade duo to highlight cheekbones with an immediate and natural-looking glow. Matte colors for a natural result and iridescent effects to complement. Catches light and enhances facial features. New gold packaging, engraved leaf, mirror, high quality brush.

- 01 Lovely Rose - midtone rose shades

- 02 Soft Peach - pale peach shades

- 03 Miami Pink - light pink shades

- 04 Sunset Coral - warm coral bronze shades

- 05 Rose Wood - deep warm rose shades

- 06 Spiced Mocha - deep warm bronze shades

Instant Smooth Line Correcting Concentrate - A portable version of Instant Smooth Touch that can be applied directly onto lines for touch-ups throughout the day. The high precision silicone tip targets the heart of the wrinkle to fill it in and smooth it away.

Eye Quartet Mineral Palette - An eye palette inspired by an artist's watercolor palette. Composed of 6 eye shadows, formulated with mineral powders and developed into 3 harmonies (pink, brown, violet), plus an eye liner. Use dry for a transparent makeup result or wet for a more intense result. New gold packaging, large mirror, applicators.

- pale and deep pink/violet/bronze and jet black eye liner

Wonder Perfect Mascara - A multi-dimensional mascara, 3-in-1 mascara, that ensures oversized volume, curl, and length, with an instant and intense effect. From the first brush stroke, lashes are coated from root to tip with smooth, even, deeply pigmented colour and a beautful lash look. 3-in-1 capabilites to ensure impressive volume, length, and curl. Incredibly thick, volumized lashes, perfectly separated, no clumping. Infinitely long lashes, highlighted along their base by a superb eye liner effect. Lashes with a spectaculat curl that always remain supple.

- 01 Black - black

- 02 Brown - medium brown

- 03 Blue - bright navy blue

Rouge Hydra Nude Smoothing Cream Lipstick - A nourishing, moisturizing, and smooth cream lipstick that colours the lips in radiant nude tones.

- 01 Pastel Rose - medium nude rose

- 02 Pastel Coral - warm medium coral

- 03 Pastel Beige - neutral medium beige

- 04 Pastel Brown - warm bronze

Joli Rouge Perfect Sheer Shine Lipstick - High shine enhanced by long-hold, crystal colours, a luxurious texture and genuine lip care benefits that protect and beautify lips all day.

- 01 Melon - creamy sheer coral

My favorite item from this pastel collection is exactly as I thought it would be, I love the eye shadow palette and I can see myself getting a large amount of wear from it this spring. It also answered my question thjat arose from when I initially looked at the promo picture of the collection. The model has on black eye liner, all around the eyes and it looked like nothing else in the collection. I would be more likely to use it to create a cat eye with one of the lighter shades in the palette.

I really like a bunch of the products in this collection aside from the palette. The Cheek Colour looks amazing and I love both the Lovely Rose and Miami Pink shades. I can see both of these shades working well my pale, pink-based skin. Of the lipsticks, I prefer the Rouge Hydra Nude Smoothing Cream Lipstick over the other formula. 01 Pastel Rose I am hoping will turn turn out to be a my-lips-but-better shade that can help me get over MAC's Way to Love. My last pick is the mascara that is included with this collection, the words "impressive volume, length, and curl" have grabbed my attention.

photo courtesy of Clarins