Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm

10 Reviews

1. 

   grumpyGarlic0

   Reply

   I use this in conjunction with the Elemis Superfood skin care range. It gives my skin a lovely glow and provides the perfect base coat for makeup. It doesn’t leave my skin looking oily which I was concern about and my makeup stays in place longer when I have used this. It provides the perfect amount of moisture for me and even though it is a bit pricey, I do think it’s well worth the money.

2. 

   jealousToucan2

   Reply

   I got a 15ml sample as part of a goody bag and after 9 months its still going. That means its not an exceptional product- I always use up exceptional products.

   I like this more than the very well known Clarins Beauty Balm Eclair for 2 reasons.
   Why? 1) it does make your skin look a bit more illuminated 2) the fragrance is more on the minty side which I prefer.

   On the whole I do not like this product. It leaves a noticeable ‘film’ after it is applied which is annoying and the illuminting part is rather average. This product is obsolete as either your moisturiser can illuminate you, or your foundation or illuminating powder will do it.

   A time wasting product

3. 

   mellowToucan1

   Reply

   Yes. This gives the perfect natural glow under makeup. Only a few years ago I was baffled by all this ‘glow’ and ‘radience’ hype. What’s the big deal? Even now at 30 however I am noticing the need to exfoliate much more often and noticing that my skin ‘glow’ is beginning to change. This is a great cosmetic helper. It is quite perfumed which is lovely but probably unnecessary and may bother some people. Also, found his half off … but I will buy more when it runs out, no doubt!

4. 

   sheepishFlamingo9

   Reply

   I really love this product. I use it everyday as a moisturiser but love the way it also acts as a primer. For many years I suffered with acne and KP and my skin was so sensitive to new products and make up. I’ve tried so many moisturisers ranging from cheap to really expensive. This moisturiser has never caused me to breakout in spots. I find it works really well with, you foundation. Really recommend this product.

5. 

   jumpyPup9

   Reply

   Contrary to many reviewers here I am not a huge fan of this product… I first bought it when it was described here and there as an alternative to Clarins legendary Flash balm. But I must say it does nowhere near as much for the complexion as the Flash balm and it comes with so many potential skin problematic ingredients that I caution anyone with even slight skin sensitivity to be careful using this…

   This is supposed to give the skin radiance and a bit of firmness together with hydration and it is also marketed as a primer for your foundation. Now when it comes to living up to its claims it does deliver rather poorly on all those counts. If there is any firmness coming from this, it is temporary and due to the rice starch it contains, (a common ingredient in simpler face powders) and then thanks to its alcohol content, which is not huge, but still there. It does give a very slight radiance, I give it that, which comes from mica that is an ingredient pretty high up on the content list.

   The hydration this gives is quickly counteracted by the absorbing rice starch and the mica particles, so this does not in any way give my dry/dehydrated mature skin enough moisture, so if you are on the drier side of the spectrum you will need to par this with a heavier moisturizer which of course will interact with any eventual priming effect this has.
   If you are on the oilier side of the spectrum, then maybe from a function point of view this will create some protection against oiling up during the day, but in the same way using a light powder underneath your foundation would.
   The radiance it gives is slight to say the least. it is nowhere near as radiant as say Laura Merciers radiance primer, Charlotte Tilburys wonder glow, Beccas new radiance primer or any of the likes. The radiance here is so slight I sometimes can’t even see it… But if subtle is your game, then by all means this may be enough for you. Combination skin types bordering on oily and more oilier skin types may see more of the radiance than I do with my dry skin. But that is an assessment based on what other reviewers here have stated.

   Now for the ingredients. You gotta looove perfume scents in your skincare to be a fan of this! And with perfume I do not mean good ingredients that naturally come with a scent, but perfume that in the ingredient list is listed as perfume or fragrance, which means they fill no other function but adding a scent or a smell?…;) ) to the product. Fragrance is listed in the upper third of this rather extensive ingredient list, which is way higher than average. I find the perfume rather offensive personally, bordering on headache infusing. It does not smell bad, rather like a semi sophisticated kind of scent reminiscent of perfumes popular in the 80:s… So if that is your thing, then this is a winner… The scent is not the kind that evaporates quickly, but is rather lingering, and I can still smell it on my skin hours after application if I wear it without make up on top, that may mask it some. I can’t say how much I dislike this particular feature, since it makes this prone to irritate the skin. And I would never dare to use this on clients for that very reason, since it may make them break out.

   It also pills if used together with products containing any silicones, since this is silicone-free, water based and also contains rice starch. Such a combo will never play well together! Just saying… (Good to know in general when choosing moisturizer, primer and foundation) 🙂

   Now to get into more problems with the ingredients. I want to state that I am not against products or ingredients that contain substances that are good for the skin that happen also to smell nice! I therefore do not always agree with say the Beutypedia-team that seem to think everything that smells nice is bad for the skin. Imo everything has a scent, even water however hard to detect. 😉 Having said that, as a consumer we all have to be aware of adverse effects that may come with the usage of some essential (smelly) oils or ingredients. If scientific research over and over has come to the conclusion that for instance many of the essential citrus oils may cause irritation, photosensitivity, inflammation and damage to the collagen production, then I say we ought to listen to that and avoid using to many products containing too much of that type of ingredients.

   Now there are limits, that means if a manufacturer stays under them, said ingredients may not show the negative effects. But the easy way out of that problem for a manufacturer is to put many different kinds of the same-ish substances making them stay under the limit for each one, but getting higher if they were all counted together… This is often the case when a product contains ingredient lists resembling a 8-year olds wishlist to Santa, being a mile long. This is definitely the case for this compound. It is essentially a rather simple product geared towards making the skin look good temporarily. Why then a mile long ingredient list? The most problematic ingredients here are the citrus oils, which are known for the adverse effects listed above. And they are many!: Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil, Limonene. (The last one being a preservative). It also contains lavender oil, (which is a bit of a controversial ingredient, not as problematic imo) and (lavender derived?) linalool and some other essential oils with doubtful benefit for the skin.

   Bottom line: If you are prone to sensitivity my advice is because of these ingredients to tread very carefully if you want to try this out. And also use a good sunscreen to prevent more damage than necessary to your skins collagen. If a flash balm is what you are looking for, then the original from Clarins is way better imo.
   The package is good tho

6. 

   worldlyMandrill1

   Reply

   I have to say that most reviews on this product have been almost spot on, even when they disagree. I like how it lightly moisturises and tightens my skin, while leaving a subtle radiant finish. I also love the smell and the consistency.

   My one gripe is that, for daytime use, it doesn’t layer well with some skin care products. If this happens, try combining it with another product. It is worth experimenting and giving it a shot, cause when you discover how best to make it work, it is brilliant. Personally, I layer this under a couple of drops of the Elemis facial oil, to which I spray over La Roche Posay Serozinc spray. Once dry, I apply Elemis Flash Balm. It works wonders for my combination/oily (more on the oily side) skin.

   The packaging is also great. Very portable.

7. 

   abjectOrange5

   Reply

   I have searched high and low for a moisturiser that doesn’t dry, break out out or make my combination skin too oily.
   So imagine my surprise when I received the flash balm as a tester and not thinking much of it,started noticing the difference after the first day of use!
   It dries completely matt and yet skin still feels supple. It is a great primer for foundation too.
   I liked using it so much that after finishing the sample I bought the full size bottle together with the cleanser.
   At the moment I wouldn’t want to use anything else, I hope this effect will last as I can’t face another endless search for The One.

8. 

   excitedBoars4

   Reply

   I love this product (and Elemis in general really). I had initially got a sample with a magazine a couple of years ago (ended up buying 3 copies for the freebies). I have since gone on to buy the full size of this. If you are buying as a primer then you need to use a very small amount or your makeup will pill. If you are using it as a moisturiser then you can be a little more generous (but just a little bit) a small amount does go a long way. I sometimes use this on its own as a moisturiser for days I’m not wearing make up but more often as a primer. My skin is combination and sensitive. I have oily nose and chin, really dry forehead (particularly round hairline) and prone to breakouts on my chin/ nose and neck. This product does not irritate my skin and gives a nice light moisturise. I do find I need something a bit heavier for my forehead if just using as a moisturiser. If you are hesitant to give this a go its definitely worth a try if you can get your hands in a sample size. Full size is pricy but it lasts a very long time as a little goes a long way. It smells great too.

9. 

   excitedMagpie2

   Reply

   This product is great! This has dramatically improved the fine lines I had on my forehead and, though it doesn’t claim to, controlls my oil throughout the day. I use this every morning as a moisturiser (the product can also be used as a primer on top of a moisturiser, but I find that the product doesn’t need a moisturiser under it, though I have oily skin, so I don’t know if this would apply to anyone who has drier skin).

   By the way, I was using this for about a month before I noticed a difference in my lines. My foundation sticks to this product really well and so my makeup lasts much longer. And, as I already mentioned, the product controlls my oil, which is another reason why my foundation sticks.

   I thoroughly recommend this as a primer and as an anti-ageing moisturiser, but please do give this some time before you expect to see a difference in shallow wrinkles.

10. 

    adoringWidgeon7

    Reply

    Managed to get a free sample in a lucky dip at debenhams – had it for ages before using it. Should have used it sooner it’s fantastic. Makes my face glow and look flawless. I will be treating myself to the full size soon