As most of you will know I'm an absolute skincare junkie. However Clinique isn't unfamiliar to me and we've encountered before. Back in my early teen days when my acne first started flaring up, I was recommended Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions and had a really bad experience. Now my skin has matured and settled down a lot, I decided to give their ordinary range a go. I've been using the range for a few months now and wanted to share my thoughts.
I took the online consultation which matched me to mainly Anti-Blemish Solution products, obviously I wanted to steer clear of these. On the list also popped up the Type 3 Clarifying Lotion so I decided to give the equivalent products a go and hope they suited my skin type. I'd recommend getting a start kit for £20 first before you commit to buying the full size products. Mine lasted around a month but I can be quite wasteful, this should be enough time for you to test if they suit you.
What Clinique say: 'Just 3 products, 3 minutes, twice a day—it’s that easy. Cleanse. Exfoliate. Moisturise. Three simple actions, morning and night. Yet when custom-fit to your specific needs, this dermatologist-developed system reveals your skin’s best version of itself: clear, radiant, glowing. At Clinique, we believe any skin can be great skin.'
Overall opinion: I liked the range, some things more than others. I've found my skin to break out slightly initially but they do inform you of this. It leaves my skin slightly redder than my La-Roche Posay which was expected as it isn't targeted to sensitive skin. I have found my skin to produce excess oil after a few hours which is a pain but I can cope with. After a 2 months of using these products I made a decision to cut the Clarifying Lotion out of my routine and saw an improvement in redness and breakouts improvement. I recently went back to Clinique and have altered my 3 step type, but I still use the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel and love it.
Step 1: Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula)
The first step can comes in 2 forms - a liquid soap and a bar soap. I opted for the liquid soap version. I use one pump of these and massage it in wet hands to a lather and then gently rub onto a wet face in circular motions. When applied it instantly cools the face and causes it to tingle slightly, I think this may be just the oily version as it contains harsher ingredients to combat sebum. The wash leaves my skin well cleansed but doesn't strip it completely and leave it feeling uncomfortable and tight. I really love this product and a bottle of this has lasted me 2 months used twice a day. However I wouldn't recommended to those of you with spot prone skin as it doesn't have any spot fighting ingredients. (RRP £15.50 200ml)
Step 2: Clarifying Lotion #3
The second step is the clarifying lotion, see this as your exfoliating toner. They come in a 200ml bottle and a large 400ml bottle, I opted for the 200ml as the 400ml looks huge and I already lack space in my en-suite. You use this by applying it to a cotton pad and then gently wiping it over your face avoiding delicate areas like the eyes and mouth. This chemically exfoliates the skin and gets rid of any dead skin cells and excess dirt that the cleanser may not have caught. The product contains a lot of alcohol and if you have sensitive skin like mine, it irritates so much that is burns my skin and leaves it feeling raw and itchy. I personally wouldn't recommend this step and I'd say just go for 1 and 3 but if you think you have pretty tough skin then go for it, I like the idea behind it though, it just doesn't agree with my skin. (RRP £15.50 200ml)
Step 3: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
The last and best step, moisturising. For types 3 & 4 you are recommended this product, the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This is a lighter version of the + which is quite heavy and targeted at those whom have drier skin types. This is the biggest size they do and I'd highly recommend you get this one, with the pump, 2 pumps is enough for the entire face and neck, I've had mine for 3 months and I'm only about 2/3 through. The gel is really refreshing and although it says gel, it has the same consistency a moisturiser and isn't sticky and sinks into the skin nicely. It doesn't leave you looking too matte either but controls oil well. The formula doesn't irritate my skin at all and is super gentle and refreshing. (RRP £29.50 125ml)
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