A cleverly edited eyeshadow palette is always a cheering sight and Clarins have pulled it out the bag again with their Essentials Eye Palette for 2016. It’s just launched and the shades firmly fall into the warm and neutral family and the palette includes six statins, three mattes and one iridescent shade.

I think the shades are nicely balanced between the pale and deeper colours. They can be used wet and dry and I’ve found using them wet (not surprisingly) gives greater colour intensity. It also seems to enhance the sheen of the satin shades and I think the subtle light reflection they have is really flattering. Special mention should go to the last colour on the right which has micro-sized red sparkly specks which look fab and are very on trend.

One thing you can trust Clarins for is products that are kind to sensitive skin. The Essentials Eye Palette contains mineral eye shadows that have been ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested. I know women who have reactions to eye shadows that stick solely to ones by Clarins because they don’t cause problems so their claim that the palette is suitable for those with even the most sensitive eyes is genuine. The matte shades contain musk rose oil and the satin shades include meadowfoam and I don’t know if it’s specifically down to these ingredients but the eyeshadows do feel very comfortable and non-drying.

The compact itself is very pretty and the double-ended brush it comes with works really well. Commendably, Clarins are planting a tree in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with each purchase of this palette. This type of direct action by companies to make the world a better place is something to be celebrated and it would be great if more brands acted in a similar way.

The Clarins Essential Eye Palette is £35 and available HERE.

Following are ‘wet’ swatches of the palette.