Clarins Eau des Jardins

When I opened these babies from my postie last week my heart instantly sank. Not because I'm not a hoooge Clarins fan (I am) or because I don't hooogely appreciate receiving goodies to review (I do) but they brought me right back to Summer holidays 2010. I had bought a 100ml bottle of the accompanying perfume in the airport as a treat, you see, and as I went to board the plane I dropped my hand luggage. Smash! It was one of those Cher moments 'if I could turn back ti-ohme'. I had to endure the entire flight with mutters of 'What is that gorgeous smell?' Rage!

I put all that behind me last week though, popped the cap on this Uplifting Shower Gel and was instantly transported to sunnier climes. It's a fresh and zesty, citrus scent with underlying Bergamot and it smells like the holiday I wish I was on. I chanced a rub of the Smoothing Body Cream on the back of my hand and was consigned to sniffing my lámh like someone demented for the rest of the day. 

Our time together was so fleeting *sniff*

Clarins promises that the scent of Eau des Jardins ‘Uplifts, Refreshes, Captivates’ and boy does it. The Uplifting Shower Gel can be used in the bath or the shower so I chanced a bath and used the Smoothing Body Cream afterward, I'm not exaggerating when I say I spent the entire night smelling my forearms, it was almost a compulsion. 

The gel, works to a rich lather to get you squeaky clean but doesn't dry the skin, as can happen with scented gels. The cream was absorbed quickly and didn't leave a greasy sheen as a lot of perfumed or accompanying body creams can. All too often the body cream of a scent can be an afterthought to fill the gift set market but not so with Clarins.  My skin the following day was still soft and supple, though the scent had gone. Only one remedy for that.

Smoothing Body Cream €33.55, Scent €40.67 & Uplifting Shower Gel €21.35 

With Mammy's Day hurtling toward us, this would make an ideal gift and of course for those of us that want a little bit of sunshine right under our sniffer on a daily basis - say it with me 'Self - Gift'. 

I know one Mammy that'll be getting the fragrance this March 18th - even if it does have to be treble bagged to bring home! (That's me by the way. I'm getting it.)

Do citrussy scents do it for you? Have you tried Eau des Jardins?