Clarins Eau Dynamisante Invigorating Body Fragrance Continuous Spray

...on my dressing table - Clarins Eau Dynamisante Invigorating Fragrance - took off the top, sprayed liberally all over and wooooosh, was transported instantly back to a sunny, warm Chicago in June, not a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze coming off the Lake, sitting outside watching my best friend conduct his orchestra... Such a happy, positive image that it sent me out the house to face the blood-letting with a smile on my face and a warm glow inside!
...I am something of a Clarins fan, and this was one of the first of their products which I tried out. Due to my sensitive skin, wearing perfumes is a totally hit and miss affair as frequently either their alcohol content, or other ingredients will react with my skin and bring me up in a nasty rash or worse. So when I heard from a friend that this fragrance did NOT contain alcohol, it made a lot of sense to try it out.

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Background:

We often seem to underestimate the psychological effect that smell can have. Just one whiff of Jeyes Fluid - and I'm transported back 35 or so years to primary school when it was the preferred means of cleaning up all the inevitable accidents that one has at that age, and if you haven't experienced that smell, don't worry, you are definitely not missing out! But even the scents of perfumes which are supposed to be positive in their effect can take on a different dimension occasionally: I was in Boots recently and a chill went down my spine as I passed by a group of teenagers spraying Yardley's Lace around... that was the first perfume I wore and it has forever become associated with a conducting teacher who took great pleasure in throwing heavy musical scores at my head during lessons...! But fortunately, this memory trigger works the other way much more frequently.

Anyway, this morning was one of these dull, grey days when I wished I could stay snug as a bug with an electric rug (see previous review) but unfortunately I DID have to get up and go to the doc for a blood test. So I got ready and before throwing on some clothes grabbed for the first scent bottle that came within reach on my dressing table - Clarins Eau Dynamisante Invigorating Fragrance - took off the top, sprayed liberally all over and wooooosh, was transported instantly back to a sunny, warm Chicago in June, not a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze coming off the Lake, sitting outside watching my best friend conduct his orchestra... Such a happy, positive image that it sent me out the house to face the blood-letting with a smile on my face and a warm glow inside!

So it seemed a good idea to write a review this evening, even if my arm is still a bit numb.

The Product:

As readers may have gathered from previous reviews, I am something of a Clarins fan, and this was one of the first of their products which I tried out. Due to my sensitive skin, wearing perfumes is a totally hit and miss affair as frequently either their alcohol content, or other ingredients will react with my skin and bring me up in a nasty rash or worse. So when I heard from a friend that this fragrance did NOT contain alcohol, it made a lot of sense to try it out.

Clarins describe this product as a "feel good fragrance" and one of the major selling points in their marketing for Eau Dynamisante Invigorating Fragrance is that it is the first body fragrance which also delivers skin care benefits.

Their claim is that as well as the fragrance effects, at the same time you are also getting a body treatment to hydrate, soften and energise. It is additionally described as a unisex product and one which is suitable for all year round. However, for me - what was very enticing about the product "blurb" was that it has a non-photosensitising formula which means it can safely be worn in the sun. That definitely made the buying decision very easy for me and more about that later in this review.

Packaging:

As usual with Clarins products, it come in a nice neat white cardboard box with red writing on it, containing the bottle, a leaflet about the product, its ingredients, method of use and so on, as well as the usual helpful Clarins questionnaire which you can fill in and return with your personal views.

The bottle itself is an oval shape in a gorgeous deep claret red colour, with a white cap decorated by the standard Clarins gold band. The 100ml and 200ml size both fit perfectly in my hand for easy spraying with the conventional aerosol action no problem to use, unlike some much fussier perfume bottles which try to be just a bit too clever in this respect - Bvlgari come to mind here. I love the colour of the bottle, it stands out amongst the other products on my dressing table and I think looks very inviting, though that may be because red is one of my favourite colours.

Ingredients:

Now this is one point where I have a small but important criticism of Clarins. When I compare the ingredients listed on the leaflet sent with the product to the list on the Clarins website - http://uk.clarins.com they don't match up, as some ingredients are not listed on the website, but ARE on the leaflet. It isn't a big issue but seems strange that a company which prides itself on the high content of natural ingredients in their products can't get something as small as this right. (Incidentally, the same issue pops up with some of the other products I've reviewed for Clarins...)

So we have:
- Extracts of Ginseng, Eleutherocoque and Harpagophytum - which have toning properties
- Extracts of Aloe and Ispaghul - these moisturise and soften
- Aloe - proven to alleviate skin irritations and can also protect against harmful environmental effects such as pollution
- Caraway - this spice is used against skin infections
- Eleurhero Ginseng - supposed to have anti-fatigue properties and even more interestingly to stimulate intellectual ability(!)
- Ginseng - has a general stimulating effect on the body
- Harpagophytum - alleviates skin eruptions and regenerates by relaxing the skin, this plant was first used by South African witch doctors!
- Horsetail - used for stimulating and firming properties
- Zinzimber - better known as ginger, it has aromatic and stimulating effects

The other ingredients which are listed on the leaflet but NOT on the website are:
- Lemon - invigorates, stimulates concentration, can help reduce stress
- Orange - invigorates
- Patchouly - relaxing, sensual warm fragrance

I think that the wide range of ingredients definitely lives up to the Clarins philosophy of utilising the power of plants.

Method of use:

Clarins simply say to apply all over the body in the morning, after exercise or at any time of the day. However, they also suggest that the "super natural" fragrance means that it can be blended perfectly with other perfumes. I have to say that I strongly disagree with this. I've tried it a few times with various perfumes and quite frankly, the end result is just too much and too confusing, not doing justice either to the Eau Dynamisante or the other perfume, it doesn't work for me at all.

Results and opinions:

The first thing which hits me when I spray the Eau Dynamisante is that it invigorates me - and really livens me up with a "go, go, go" feeling! It is the top note citrus elements of lemon and orange which have his effect and I find it very refreshing, especially early in the morning (have I mentioned I don't "do" mornings?) or before/after I work out on my exercise bike or when I am about to do some violin practice. Just smelling my wrist for the 1 or 2 hours after application seems to give me a mental boost. However, the clever part of the fragrance for me is when the top notes die down and its character changes dramatically to something much more sensual and relaxing - more of a calming fragrance. That's when the spicy elements of ginger, caraway and most obviously - patchouly kick in. I find this a really attractive combination which feeds into my moods very well.

I know several chaps who use this and I think it is a nice fragrance for men. However, I personally wouldn't use it for an evening out, I've got better choices for that, though for an outdoor concert it works well. But it is absolutely perfect for pepping you up before and at work or for any exercise activity. It has good lasting power, but I do tend to top it up more often in warm weather. I suppose it is more of a summer scent than a winter one, but I do turn to it occasionally in colder weather just for a nice boost - and of course that reminder of Chicago . <sigh>

As for the much hyped claims that it is the first "skin care" fragrance that "hydrates, softens and energises?" Well, it certainly energises my skin and it does feel very soft after application and it doesn't dry out my skin, but I honestly can't say that I can see any VISIBLE long term effects. Maybe if one used this product all the time it might happen, but I like a bit of variety in my perfumes and body treatments... I definitely wouldn't use it instead of a body lotion.

Apart from the fact I like the fragrance, the number one plus point is that I have been using this product for several years now and I have not had a single skin reaction to it. Although I don't normally go out in the sun to sun-bathe, I have worn Eau Dynamisante on my arms in short sleeves and that kind of exposure has been just fine, no reactions at all. Even better - I often get a horrid prickly heat rash when the air is very tropically humid (something which often happens when I visit America, and I find that Eau Dynamisante has been able to soothe and reduce this quite considerably, especially when combined with the Body Lotion which I will be reviewing later.

I normally buy my Clarins stuff at Duty Free or in America where it can work out quite a lot cheaper if you know where to look. However, I've also picked up some good bargains at Boots (ca £20) and John Lewis where they've had "buy 2 face products" get Eau Dynamisante bottle free etc type promotions and I've used my Advantage Card points to pay. So worth keeping an eye out for offers like that. I think my best price for a big 200ml bottle was about £10 in the TJ Maxx Chicago - my absolute favourite US store!

Highly recommended product. 

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