I’m just gonna be honest: I was never really into Clarins. Their makeup and skincare is something that feels catered more to an older demographic. I never found myself checking up on their latest launches or wanting to buy their products.

However, when I was offered to test some new goodies from the brand, it definitely piqued my interest. I received several makeup samples (courtesy of Influenster) and I was pleasantly surprised by most of what I tried. For one, both primers blew me away. They kept my makeup in tact longer than some of my holy grails and they blurred my pores. While some products were meh, it was nice to finally give the brand a chance after judging it for the past few years.

Below is a review of all the new items I tried! Keep on reading to see what worked, what didn’t and what I plan to stock up on.

INSTANT SMOOTH PERFECTING TOUCH

I was the most skeptical about this product, and it’s actually my favorite of the samples! Upon first application, I immediately noticed a blurring effect. I have larger pores around my nose and inner cheeks, and the primer blurred them. It almost acted as a veil and layer to keep them from ruining my makeup. It also worked well with my go-to products, especially my foundation and concealer. It felt like my makeup held up longer than usual and I barely did any touch-ups throughout the day. I believe I just did one (and that was to conceal the mark my computer glasses left). Either way, I plan on purchasing this once I run out of this primer.

LIP COMFORT OIL

My lips immediately felt hydrated, deeply nourished and super glossy. As someone who will forever be a fan of gloss, I love the high-shine this product leaves (I can wear it alone or use it as a topper). I also loved that it made my lips look juicy. Best of all, though? It doesn’t feel sticky or clumpy, which is major for me when wearing a gloss-like product or lip oil. If anything, I was pleasantly surprised by the formula, consistency and pretty pink color (it’s like your lips but better). However, because this is a lip oil, expect for it to come off easily when you eat or drink.

SOS PRIMER BOOSTS RADIANCE UNIVERSAL LIGHT

Honestly, I was shocked by this primer. I had tried the other color-correcting ones before (the Lavender and Rose) and didn’t like the way they performed. They made my skin look and feel greasy. However, the Universal Light shade blended perfectly with my makeup, including my foundation and concealer. It added a hint of radiance to my skin, and gave me a lit-from-within glow. And let me be clear: I’m not a fan of the dewy makeup look, but this primer added a subtle healthy glow to my skin. It wasn’t anything drastic but my skin was certainly luminous. I also feel like my makeup held up longer, especially in the areas I normally get oily in (nose, chin and inner cheeks).

SUPERA VOLUME MASCARA

My first impression of the mascara was that the wand didn’t coat the lashes evenly. I noticed there were a few areas that didn’t curl or lift like the rest. It was especially difficult to coat the inner corner, and for a volumizing product, it more so lengthened my lashes instead of making them full and thick. I especially didn’t like how uneven my lashes looked with the second coat. Some of them looked elongated and full while other parts looked like it was leaning on a tree. I think for most, it’s going to be good for everyday wear, but for me personally, I like my mascara to give me look-at-me lashes. This just felt mediocre. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t wow me.

NATURAL LIP PERFECTOR

This feels like a blend between a tinted gloss and a lip balm. My lips felt moisturized, plump and deeply nourished. I love the soft, velvety texture this lip perfector gives my lips. While this doesn’t last as long as my other lippies (not that I really expected it to), it does offer more skincare benefits than my usual lip products—its infused with Acacia micro-pearls and vegetable waxes. Overall, it will come in clutch when my lips are parched, flaky and super chapped.