Clarins Blue Orchid Facial Treatment Oil review – pure liquid gold

Hong Kong weather has been going a bit haywire recently. One minute, it’ll be so cold that you’re forced to dig out that long-lost mini convection heater whilst wearing seven layers of Uniqlo Heattech… the next it’ll be so muggy that even with dehumidifiers ramped up to the max in every single room of your apartment, water still streams down your walls like the Niagara – and on a couple of occasions, Hong Kong’s freaky ecological bubble has somehow managed to produce both conditions all at once!

The point of this story is – all this meteorological madness can play total havoc with a girl’s skin. But one product that I have fallen in love with recently to help combat the strange ecosystem that is my complexion is Clarins’ Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil.

Now I know what you’re thinking… I have a greasy nose/chin/forehead/face (delete as applicable), why on earth would I add yet more oil to the mix?! Trust me sistah, I hear ya – and as the owner of a troublesome t-zone, it’s exactly why I’ve previously steered clear of facial oils. But be not afeard my child, for Clarins’ Blue Orchid Oil is friend not foe, I promise!

Clarins’ treatment oils are designed to rebalance your skin rather than flood your face with excess grease, and the three facial treatment oils in their range are targeted specifically towards different skin types. Their Santal Oil is designed for dry skin, the Lotus Oil for oily skin and this, the Blue Orchid Oil, for normal skin – making it ideal for tackling those rogue areas of dehydration on an otherwise fairly standard complexion. Hong Kong’s ever-changing weather conditions and the various machines I’ve been blasting have really dried out the more sensitive patches of my face, making them feel a little tight, blotchy and thin as a result. Enter Blue Orchid Oil, with just the perfect amount of moisture to revitalize, rehydrate and rejuvenate my complexion with just a few drops.

Made of 100% pure plant extracts, this stuff is basically liquid gold. Unlike many oils on the market, Clarins’ Face Treatment Oils are made only of natural ingredients… proof that sometimes, Mother Nature really does know best. One of its key ingredients is hazelnut oil, which is particularly great at preventing dehydration, balancing sebum production and deeply penetrating and moisturising your skin.

Simply use the pipette to plop one to two drops of the oil onto your fingertips or palm, then rub your hands together to warm and activate the oil. The Clarins’ method of application is to place your oil-coated palms flat against various parts of your face for three seconds at a time, allowing the oil to soak evenly into every inch of your face. I am prone to the odd breakout when my skin rallies against products it deems too rich (I guess I’m a cheap date at heart!), so after a little trial and error, I found it best to skip certain areas of my t-zone completely – like my forehead and chin – and concentrate on hydrating sensitive spots like the apples of my cheeks.

Unlike some oils that just sit on your face enjoying the view for hours after the event (hello spa facials!), Clarins’ Blue Orchid Oil absorbs into your skin quickly and easily, and doesn’t leave your face feeling clammy, greasy or overly shiny – just plump, hydrated and moisturised. The fact that it soaks in so quickly means you can also add it to your usual skincare routine without much thought; you can blend it in with other moisturisers and even apply make-up relatively soon after patting it on.

I was really impressed with the results of using Clarins’ Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil; within a few days, those previously tight areas on my face felt rejuvenated, perkier and more pepped up in general. It’s not one of the benefits outright mentioned on the packaging, but I also felt that the oil evened out my complexion too – in part due to it restoring moisture, as dryness often tends to manifest itself as blotchiness for me.

However, one of my favourite things about the Blue Orchid Oil is far more shallow… simply that it smells absolutely divine. I’m not usually one for essential oils – I often find them overpowering and nearly always retreat to my lavender-based “happy place” when forced to pick one at massages – but this stuff is beautiful. I can’t even put my finger (or should that be nostril?) on what it is that makes the Blue Orchid Oil smell SO good, but it is just does. It’s a very calming, soothing and therapeutic scent – which, in my very hectic life, is much needed at the end of a long day!

I personally found Clarins’ Blue Orchid Oil potent enough to apply just once a day, before bed – and since you use so little at a time, I can see my bottle lasting forever… which suits me just fine, thank you very much!

A dose of Clarins’ Blue Orchid Oil almost feels like a mini spa treatment at the end of each day – and with spa-potent results to boot. It brings a whole new beauty junkie meaning to singing, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning” that’s for sure!

Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, $420 for 30ml; see all Clarins locations in Hong Kong here

Note: Product provided for my consideration