Oops I think I upset the Clinique lady...

[TattyDevine]

So, further to the thread the other day about most "detested" makeup brands, where I had mentioned Clinique, I thought I'd swing by their counter whilst out shopping and see if I was wrong and things had changed and were not as bad as my perception.

There is some good stuff there to be fair. Not that I actually "detest" them as a brand so much but they did spring to mind when I saw the thread because their skincare and marketing kind of just riles me for no particularly good reason.

I've been looking for a decent sunscreen which isn't all shiny for my face on days when I don't wear makeup (when I do, I tend to wear the MAC 50+ primer but often find myself not wanting to "waste" that on a makeup free day and just slapping on some Aveda 15+, if that - sometimes just my Dermologica Skin Smoothing cream so I'm not wearing any sunscreen at all. Okay so I don't spend a lot of time in the sun but I do have a couple of dark spots I'm trying to get rid of at the moment. So I tried their City Block and I do like that (I've always perceived it to be a good product and a bit of an exception to their crap skincare status)

Then I started playing around with foundations and accidentally bought one of those too! But whilst I was farting about dirtying her brushes and generally being a nuisance, she started pitching me about the age spot remover cream, and I found myself blurting out "yeah apparently it doesn't work" due to stuff I'd heard (mainly on here) and the look on her face - it was like I'd told her that her child was ugly or something! Oops I don't think I made her day.

So somebody who used the age spot reducing cream for 3 months or more please come along and tell me I wasn't being terribly horrible?

Of course then I came to pay for the City Block and Foundation and of course they were on bonus time, and she said "is there any skin care you'd like to take today so you qualify for the free gift?" and I said "how is City Block not skincare" in the same kind of tone as the age spot rebuff (don't know what's wrong with me today, I'm usually nice) and she hurridly shoved a free gift bag in with my purchase whilst muttering something about City Block being suncare but I think she was too scared not to let me have it

So, Clinique lady, if you are reading this, I am a tiny bit sorry if I upset you and thank you for letting me play with your pretty things

I wouldn't necessarily defect or not KingThistle - its not unusual to start to notice the first wrinkles at 32. I think it was around then I started to notice between my eyebrows was not springing back to plump smooth skin after I frowned, but was showing the fact that I had just frowned with a slight crease of my skin. And that when I smiled I'd get tiny crepy bits round my eyes unless I'd tanked up on water and put something quite emolient on my skin that morning.

If you are quite dry and want to reject cosmetic regimes in favour of the oil cleansing method (plenty of threds about that at the moment) and save your money for something that really stops wrinkles like Botox or a peel or some fillers or some IPL or microdermabrasion or some derma roller, then you could do that - make sure you are using City Block and if the toner is trying you out, just don't use it. Hell I never use toner. If you like to wash over with something after cleansing, get some rose water or witch hazel or something gentle and natural to just freshen you off before moisturiser...

If the toner is drying you out, even!

Just to add that we (us bitches who slag off Clinique) can't really have it both ways - if we scoff about their claims that it wont do this or that in terms of anti ageing or dark spots etc then its not really fair to say it causes ageing either - it quite likely that Clinique has not caused you to age, nor has it stopped you from ageing (with the exception perhaps of regular use of sunscreen and giving you adequate moisture, which any other brand of nearly any price could also do)...

Just an update too on the foundation. I was worried I'd regret the purchase, because it was a bit impulse-buy as I'd only just recently stocked up on Lift and Luminate which I love. But this one, which is the "Even Better" foundation, which is supposed to be medium to full coverage and skin tone evening up type job, is really, really good. Despite being called medium to full coverage, it is not heavy, but a very runny consistency, and it goes on lovely and not at all powdery or chalky like some fuller coverage ones can. I haven't used any concealer today, which I usually need for around the sides of my nose which is red with tiny veins which I have had lasered but which came back (so persistent little buggers) which gives a very pink shadow around my nose. They are hard to disguise even with green corrector and concealer, and I always end up looking more caked thank I'd like or otherwise need to because of them.

Well, having done a proper application of this foundation today with a brush and sponge, I am really, really pleased with it, in particular the coverage of the veins, which is really good without being cakey, and its give me a very natural even tone without being packed on. I've just started treating my brown patch with some hydroquionine stuff that I bought from the USA (dogey, banned here) so I'm hoping that will be gone soon but in the meantime its done a reasonable job of covering it and I don't look quite so "grubby" on that side.

So good on ya Clinique, your makeup is still good.

Hmmmm. Thanks for the tips - I don't know what to think now! I'm oily rather than dry, and my skin is really uneven from years of spots. Not exactly acne scarring, but sort of blotchy. I do have to use foundation not to look awful!

Will google Dr Hauschka GG!

Tatty i have that clinique foundation too. i find it okay. I have used their Repair Wear foundation for years but then they discontinued the palest shade a while back so I moved to Even Better- but still the palest shade is a bit dark. RW is almost full coverage and you need only the tiniest bit over well moisturised skin- I use moisturiser then City Block, then foundation.
Compared to RW it doesn't last as long and it slightly more glowy- bit of a sheen.

I have now also bought RW in shade 03 which is all i could get- it's too dark but amwaiting for Bare Buff to come into stock- one shade lighter.

Lots of adverse comments on the clinique online site about them phasing out pale shades.

why????

I have the even better and it is fab.

Our Clinique girl refused to sell me my usual foundation until I'd tried the even better one for a week (free samples). She was right.

As for the paint stripper and custard.... I currently own the worlds biggest unused collection as my beloved family know I like Clinique make up and buy it for me twice yearly at Duty Free. It's gone on too long for me to tell them now.......

The pink moisture surge one is OK, tho.

They shouldn't get rid of all the paley shades. Us ghosty types need summat to wear in the winter innit.

StrawberryJelly have you tried No 7 Lift n Luminate "Alabaster" ? Their Alabaster really is effing white as. If nothing else you could use it to pale up some Clinique. Its a good foundation, it really is. I was pretty happy with it that on the way home from town I was thinking "why the fuck did I just buy a foundation?". If you are having trouble finding the right shade for you with Clinique now you could scavange oneself a free sample of their Alabaster (I find if you take your tiny little pot and ask nicely they can't really reasonably say no) and see what you think...