Student Style: Orlando Tests Clarins Daily Energizer Young Range

There appears to be an awkward stop-gap in the beauty world. Where teenage skin is catered for by the likes of Neutrogena and Clearasil, and what I like to call “real adult” skin is looked after by Eve Lom and all the rest, a range for the college student demographic was sorely lacking. Now, we all know Clarins as a reliable rage for skincare; they’ve even spruced up their makeup in the last few years to furnish us with some quite delightful eyeshadow palettes. It was quite natural, then, for them to fill the gap in the market of skincare for 20-somethings.

It may seem like a departure from my usual, cheap as chips refrain to talk about Clarins – but the prices in their Daily Energizer line are surprisingly good for such a high-end brand. There are five products, ranging from €12.75 to €25: a Cleansing Gel, Wake up Booster, Cream, Cream Gel and SPF 15 Lotion. I tried out the first three.

The cleanser contains moringa extract to help neutralise the effects of pollution and it aims to double as a makeup remover and spot-minimiser. Although my dry skin usually hates foaming cleansers, I have to say that, combined with the moisturising Cream, I didn’t notice any dry patches.

The Cream was just rich enough to moisturise, without clogging my pores, which is usually a huge bugbear for me. I was lucky to be sent this to trial, as cream gel moisturisers tend to be aimed at those with oilier skin and would have done nothing for me. I did wish it had been in a tube and not a jar though, as I hate the opportunities for bacteria to thrive in pots.

I wasn’t quite sure what the purpose of the Booster, €19, was, until I tried it: applied after cleansing, the green coffee and white tea in this really perked up my skin. The light, fruity scent of all the products is delish.

One glitch: the cleanser gets used up far more quickly than the other products, meaning the seemingly generous €12.75 price-tag is offset by the fact that it will have to be replaced more often than the rest.