Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

July 17, 2013

Make-up review: Clinique likes and dislikes

     I've been seeing a lot of make-up and beauty posts popping up in my blogger dashboard lately, and I realized that it's been awhile since I've done anything on these topics! I just want to give a quick disclaimer that this is not a sponsored post: the idea for this was my own and I wasn't compensated by any company for writing it.

     I have really sensitive skin, and even more sensitive eyes, so I have to be careful about the make-up brands that I use. Besides for Almay, I can't wear any other drugstore make-up products (unless they're lip products-Revlon rules for that!). I have always had a number of different Clinique items, because the brand is known for being hypoallergenic and good for sensitive skin. There are some Clinique products I love and definitely will buy again, and there's also some that I've tried and been either unimpressed with, or just plain hated! So here is my analysis of many Clinique products:


*Loves:


     Up-lighting liquid illuminator (I use "Natural")



     I have never been a huge foundation person, but I do like to have a little bit of sparkle and shine on my face, so I'm a fan of highlighters/illuminators. My most favorite of all is a powder version by Mally called the Effortless Airbrush Highligther and Blush Duo, but with a $45 price tag this wasn't in my budget when I ran out of it this last winter while at school (hoping for some more for my birthday!). This illuminator from Clinique costs $25, and when I bought it they were having a promotion so I got a cute make-up bag and a ton of samples with it- score! It took me a little while to get used to a liquid illuminator instead of a powder one, sometimes I'd put on too little and sometimes too much. I think that Mally's powdered product will always be my fav, but this is definitely a good cheaper option! The color and shine do come out nicely when it's applied correctly.

 
     Superbalm Moisterizing Gloss (I use "Grapefruit")

   
   


     This is one Clinique product that I was introduced to because I got a sample of it when I bought the illuminator. I was a big lipgloss girl in my middle school days, but lately I've barely worn it and favored lipstick or clear lip balm since I feel that gloss has two main issues for me: one, my hair always gets stuck in it and two, it dries my lips out and they get chapped easily. Well, I can't say that this product isn't sticky... my hair has gotten caught in it so I avoid wearing it on days when I'm outside and typically just wear it to work. But the good news is it really is a "superbalm!" I was amazed at how it seems to moisterize my lips more than my lip balms do. It also stays glossy for several hours, during a typical work shift I usually only have to re-apply it once! The color that I use is very sheer and gives my lips a nude look, but since I typically wear smoky colored eyeshadows I think this balances things out.


     Almost Lipstick (I use "Flirty Honey")


     This might just be my favorite Clinique product of all! Like the lip gloss, I was introduced to it through a sample as part of a free gift, but I adore it and will definitely be purchasing it when I run out. This product scores just as well as the lip gloss for not drying my lips out! It keeps them nice and moist. The reason that I like it better than the gloss is that since it's more of a "stick" it doesn't get stuck in your hair, and it has a little bit more sparkle and color, but without as much as a full blown lipstick. It's a great product for everyday use! In my opinion it would worth every penny of the $15 that it costs.


*Dislikes:


     Every Clinique mascara
     During last year's Black Friday I bought a shirt at Macy's, and then realized that the sales clerk hadn't taken the ink tag off. Since I had to make a whole seperate trip back to the store (which wasn't close to my friend K's house that I was at for Thanksgiving), I requested store credit since it had been the store's mistake. They gave me a generous $25 credit, and I spent it on a gift set of several different Clinique mascaras. Definitely one of my worst purchases, as I have been very unimpressed by all of of them. My least favorite is the Last Power Long Wearing mascara. It literally is "long wearing," and so much so that it's impossible to take off! My normal make-up remover didn't work at all, and either did soap and water, or other types of make-up removal products. I practically had to pull out my eyelashes to get this stuff off at the end of the day. And the worst part is that it wasn't even that voluminous! I found the same thing happened with Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara, which comes with a special smaller brush for bottom lashes. It is hard to take off and also very clumpy. I didn't find that the Lash Doubling mascara doubled my lashes at all... it took several coats just to notice that I was wearing anything! There were others that came with my gift set as well, but I have been unhappy with all of them and have thrown some of them out. My go-to mascara for my sensitive eyes is Mally's volumizing mascara, but I have recently started using Benefit's They're Real! and am quite a fan! If this post gets some good feedback then I may do a review of that in the future. :-)


     Do you use Clinique products? What are your thoughts or favorite products?


     xoxo Miss ALK


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4 comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I have the same love/hate relationship with clinique! Some of their products are spot on and others just don't cut the mustard! (The Almost Lipstick is my favourite!!)

    I do love the Clinque High Length mascara though - check out my review here (it might change your mind on Clinque mascara!!) - http://beautybyjessy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/clinique-high-length-mascara.html

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  3. Love this post! I can totally relate to sensitive skin!

    Guess what happened to me on Saturday?????
    Get this: ever since Highschool I have had this major sensitivity to glitter! I don't know what it is but if I wear ANYTHING with glitter I will break out in a rash, specifically on my lips. So no glitter lip gloss for me.

    In college I had an allergic reaction to a lipgloss with shimmer in it. I was like "shimmer?? Damn"

    So I avoided shimmer and glitter products like the plague.

    Well, I had this subtle shimmer bobbi brown lipgloss in my makeup bag and decided to wear it out ot lunch with a girlfriend on Friday afternoone.

    Annaliese I have broken out in the worse rash on my face and have been battling it over the last 3 days. I can't even kiss my fiance. I don't know what teh hell it is but I am so allergic to glitter. My skin does NOT LIKE IT! So I will be all together 100% avoiding anything with even a HINT of shimmer.

    I'm so glad that I'm not the only one with sensitive skin.

    This is embarrassing!:) HAHA

    Ginny
    www.buttergirldiaries.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. The super balm is a great product! :)
    xo,
    ~Pauline @Clinique Philippines

    ReplyDelete

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