Clarins has unveiled its hybrid Double Serum Foundation in global travel retail, a milestone launch supported by a dynamic pop-up campaign described as the French beauty house’s largest and most widespread makeup activation programme in the channel.
Launched on Monday (18 May), the hybrid serum foundation combines colour cosmetics with advanced skincare functionality. It builds on the success of Clarins’ flagship Double Serum franchise.
The hybrid innovation drives Clarins’ wider strategy to strengthen its makeup pillar while leveraging the strength of its skincare portfolio.
A dynamic global activation programme
Clarins Global Travel Retail has rolled out a widespread activation campaign across 20 cities worldwide, in partnership with major travel retailers, including Unifree Duty Free, China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and DFS Group.
The campaign incorporates extensive online-to-offline elements, including celebrity appearances, in-store takeovers, immersive pop-ups and social media initiatives.
In collaboration with DFS Group and CDFG, Clarins brought the campaign to life through high-impact activations across key travel retail locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Macau. As reported, China Tourism Group Duty Free (CTG Duty-Free) acquired DFS’s travel retail businesses in Hong Kong and Macau and intangible assets in Greater China.
Clarins said the activations have already delivered strong early results, including sales growth and higher basket values in Hong Kong and Macau through cross-selling between makeup and skincare categories.
In Los Angeles and San Francisco, Clarins is already on track for its highest monthly sales in five years.
At DFS Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons, Clarins has launched an immersive podium built around the campaign theme Reveal Your Aura. It features three engagement zones designed to guide travellers through discovery, consultation and conversion.
The experience begins at the Discover Your Aura area, where the focus is on product efficacy and technology education. It continues at The Aura Atelier, which offers personalised consultations and shade-matching services.
The experience concludes with Boost Your Aura, where travellers can personalise Clarins makeup pouches with iron-on patches.
A similar pop-up concept is running at Istanbul Airport in partnership with the Gebr. Heinemann-led Unifree Duty Free joint venture. The animation features a striking red visual identity to reinforce visibility and encourage cross-category purchasing.
Celebrity power and omnichannel partnerships in Hainan
In Hainan, Clarins is running a boutique takeover at cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex (cdf Mall) in partnership with CDFG.
The event featured a high-profile appearance by K-pop artist and NCT member Winwin. Winwin’s presence generated more than 2 million livestream views and drove strong social media engagement across platforms including Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Instagram and X, according to the company.
Clarins said the celebrity campaign also boosted in-store traffic and user-generated content, particularly among younger consumers.
The Hainan programme extended beyond cdf Mall through hotel and lifestyle partnerships at The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort and JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay Resort & Spa.
Activities included poolside installations, masterclasses, yacht activations and high tea experiences. The experiences were designed to drive engagement and strategically direct consumers back to the Clarins boutique at cdf Mall through calls-to-action, samples and gifts.
The global Double Serum Foundation campaign is also running in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Montreal.
Clarins said the initiative creates a seamless link between digital discovery and physical retail engagement, reinforcing travel retail’s role as both a brand-building and transactional environment.
Clarins President Global Travel Retail Alexandre Callens said: “With Double Serum Foundation, we are bringing together product innovation and retail execution at a new scale for Clarins in global travel retail. It also marks our most significant new makeup investment in the channel and a key step in accelerating the role of makeup as our second growth engine alongside skincare.
“By creating a fully integrated platform that connects product performance with immersive, personalised experiences across multiple touchpoints, we are strengthening how consumers discover, experience and engage with our makeup category in travel retail.”
Clarins Brand General Manager Katalin Berenyi added: “Double Serum Foundation is a revolution in complexion sitting at the intersection of Clarins’ skincare and makeup expertise.
“Building on the legacy of Double Serum, this innovation translates decades of research into a formula that delivers immediate radiance and visible improvements in skin quality over time. It also reflects how we are shaping the future of our makeup portfolio, with a stronger focus on hybrid products that respond to evolving consumer expectations.”
Skincare benefits meet makeup efficacy: The Double Serum Foundation
The Double Serum Foundation features a dual-phase formula. The Colour phase combines Clarins’ proprietary A.U.R.A. technology (Advanced Ultra Radiance Amplifier) with turmeric extract, the signature active ingredient of Double Serum.
This sits alongside biomimetic peptides recognised for their anti-ageing and radiance-enhancing properties, as well as perfecting pigments designed to boost luminosity and complexion performance.
The Hydric phase incorporates stabilised papain; a gentle enzymatic exfoliant that enhances radiance and accelerates cell renewal. This is complemented by a curated blend of plant extracts and active molecules that reinforce the formula’s skincare credentials.
According to Clarins, the innovation is the result of more than four decades of research into dual-phase technology and involved 25 experts, 212 trials and 135 raw materials. The formula contains 14 active ingredients, including nine plant extracts. It is claimed to revive three years of youthful radiance in 28 days, according to clinical tests.
The launch also reinforces Clarins’ ‘Better Together’ cross-selling strategy, positioning the foundation alongside Double Serum, Double Serum Light and Double Serum Eye as part of a wider skincare and complexion regimen.
Consumer testing revealed that 87% of women reported boosted effectiveness when the products were used together. Some 36% reported increase in firmness and 28% noticed fewer visible wrinkles.
Clarins said the product and packaging were developed with sustainability considerations in mind, reflecting the company’s broader environmental commitments. ✈
