Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015

Clarins breathes new life into this bitterly cold weather we’re having, with the release of the Garden Escape Palette (CAN $44.00, limited edition), part of the Spring 2015 collection of the same name. These mineral eyeshadows are as lovely to behold as they are to apply, and with their ability to be worn either dry or damp, your options are limitless. In fact, you don’t even need to wait for Spring to finally arrive; fake it with this little beauty.

The Garden Escape Palette comes encased in a scarlet velour sleeve, while the slim profile case bears a lovely chevron-like pattern on its surface. With 6 healthy-sized eyeshadows instead of the 4 or 5 we usually find with other luxury brands, there’s an infinite number of colour combinations available here (there’s even an included dual-ended applicator).

The lightest shades of the Garden Escape Palette yield the least amount of colour payoff, but what they lack in intensity they make up for in texture; smoothly applying and definitely buildable to a certain degree (wearing them damp naturally results in deeper colour). The darker of the two pink shades is warmer toned while the other pink hue is cool leaning – both can also double as facial highlighters (cheekbones, temples), giving them each some extra versatility. The three darker shades are simply spectacular, in terms of texture, application, and colour payoff. I experience absolutely no fallout of powdery kickback when swirling my brushes through any of these and lasting power obviously depends on whether the shades are worn dry or damp (in addition to primer layered on underneath), but regardless of the method you choose for application, expect your makeup to look intact until removal – no fading, creasing, or flaking. With its mix of both cool and warm hues, this palette will definitely suit most complexions across the board.

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015 & protective velour sleeve

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015, logo detail

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015

shade 1 – pearly white, lightly iridescent, medium colour payoff
shade 2 – pine green, satin finish, intense colour payoff
shade 3 – moss/jade green, satin finish, good colour payoff, buildable
shade 4 – peachy pink, lightly iridescent, medium colour payoff
shade 5 – icy pink, iridescent finish, light colour payoff, can double as a highlighter
shade 6 – soft taupe, satin finish, excellent colour payoff

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015, swatched dry

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015, swatched damp

Clarins | Garden Escape Palette Spring 2015, swatched damp – alternate lighting

When a beauty item such as the Garden Escape Palette lands in my hands and upon finding out firsthand how absolutely lovely it is – in every sense of the word – it makes me wonder why I don’t have more Clarins eyeshadows in my arsenal. From a brand that continues to be on the leading edge of skincare innovations, I’m not surprised to find that they’ve infused their colour cosmetics with the same attention to detail and quality. Another huge plus is the price point, which happens to be significantly less than most luxury brands, without sacrificing any luxe features. Final verdict: so worth investing in.

Available now at all Clarins counters across Canada. Find more information on the brand by visiting clarins.ca