Clarins NEW Double Serum Light | Anti Aging Serum | Visibly Firms, Smoothes, Boosts Radiance and Refines Pores | 24H Hydration | Light Texture | Great for Combination to Oily Skin and Humid Climates

Nice, but not my preference
For me, I’d probably rate this product 3 stars, just basing off of my own personal preferences. The serum feels nice on my skin, and I mostly don’t take any issues with how it feels applied. However, there are some form/function issues for me.The serum is SUPER thin, I’d even say watery, which is actually kind of nice in the sense that it absorbs quickly into the skin. However, in combination with this particular pump-style dispenser that they’ve gone with… it’s not working. Instead of pumping out the product onto your fingers, it ends up squirting all over the place. It seems like no matter how slow I try and press, this issue is unavoidable. Not sure if I got a faulty bottle but… if this is the standard packaging and consistency, that’s an issue – nobody wants to spend $100 on a serum and have 30% end up in the sink. It’s like the pump is just way too high pressure for the consistency of the serum. Thus, I am reducing a star, though personally this is enough for me to not buy the product again. It really interferes with the experience of using the product, which is an expensive luxury product, that should be offering an enjoyable experience alongside the skin benefits.My OTHER issue, which truly is a personal preference, is that the bottle is plastic. When I am spending $100+ on a skincare product ($95/oz), I expect the packaging to match the price tag. In this case, the packaging does not. As far as plastic bottles go, this one is definitely on the nicer side… and the pump actually would be a nice pump, if it matched the consistency of the product better.. But for me, it is a pass. I’ve had skincare products that cost half as much coming in luxury glass bottles. The plastic, for ME… is a dealbreaker.I test a TON of skincare products, hundreds upon hundreds… and that’s on top of having terrible acne since a young age and thus having to start paying way closer attention to my skin and my products than the average 13-year-old (being 31 now). My point being – at the end of the day, in my view, there is not actually A TON of difference in functionality and benefits between a $25 product and a $200 product. That is just the reality. Your skin can only absorb so much of one ingredient, and for the most part (with some variation obviously), hyaluronic acid is hyaluronic acid, for example – there isn’t a ton of difference, if any, between the HA in The Ordinary and the HA in Clarins. Thus, my point being – the packing DOES matter. The luxury product has to offer something different than the more budget-friendly product in order for the price tag to make any sense. Noting that my example was bad, because The Ordinary packages in glass bottles.. whoops. If I’m going to pay luxury prices, the product better deliver a luxury experience. To be totally transparent, there is not a ton of difference between how this serum works on my skin versus how a less expensive Korean beauty product works on my skin. The product inside ALONE is not worth the higher price tag… and this is coming from a La Mer user. The overall product needs to deliver a luxury experience and the packaging is part of that. Not to mention that skincare is self-care – having the product squirt all over the place totally disrupts the zen.TLDR: the serum is nice and I like it. The packaging is decent for being plastic but when we start looking at a $95/oz price tag it just is not going to cut it. A luxury product needs to work well, feel good, provide a pleasurable and relaxing user experience, AND look good on my counter. This product meets the first 2, and falls flat on the last 2.If you are hell-bent on a luxury anti-aging serum that is made in France and/or from a French company, I’d recommend the ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Rose Micro Serum instead. I’ve been incredibly happy with this product, and it meets all of my requirements (personally) for a luxury skincare product.A pass for me.