Clinique

November 2018 Favorites

December 10th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Because it’s cold, I’m already getting nostalgic for November! Here are some things I loved the heck out of last month…

1. Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek Sticks ($30 each)

These are super sheer compared to some other creams products out there, like the MAC Cream Colour Bases, but don’t walk away just yet. I don’t really use them when I’m gonna be taking pics for MBB, because they’re too subtle for photography, but for regular life, like when I’m wearing the most minimal of minimal makeup (a recurring theme when you live with a demanding tabby and a toddler), they’re B-O-M-B. They add just enough color to cheeks and lips to liven things up so I don’t look totally dead, ha ha.

I blend concealer under my eyes and skip the tinted moisturizer/foundation completely, then plop on a coat of mascara, and dab and blend one of these tints on my cheeks and lips.

It’s a very Megan Markle makeup look, and I’m into it.

Comes in six shades. I wear the Berry the most.

2. Juno & Co Microfiber Velvet Sponge ($6 each, or four for $20)

You can use this soft and squishy makeup blending sponge wet or dry to apply or set foundation, powder and/or concealer. The surface of the sponge feels velvety, similar to velvet fabric, which makes a big difference in the finished look. It’s a more airbrushed and polished look than you get with the beautyblender-y makeup sponges out there.

3. R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo and Conditioner ($30 each)

You know when your hair feels coated, weighed down and heavy? UGH, I hate that feeling. It’s like living with a family of filthy forest animals on your head 24/7. Anyway, with this shampoo and conditioner, you can completely avoid that issue. They’re for smoothing, moisturizing *and* volume, and they’re made for all hair types, from fine to thick and wavy like mine, and everything in between. When I use this set, my hair is what I call, “light and fluffy.” My only wish is that they came in bigger bottles!

The scent is lovely, too. I detect lavender, pineapple, tangerines and warm, white musk.

4. R+Co Waterfall Moisture + Shine Lotion ($29)

Again for the girls and guys who like hair that isn’t coated with a thick layer of goo. (R+Co is good at that.) This intense leave-in conditioner and frizz-fighter is just as moisturizing as their High Dive Moisture + Shine Cream (don’t even ask me how many bottles of that I’ve gone through), but it retains more volume in your strands, so it flattens the hair less than High Dive.

Both are brilliant, but if you have long or medium-length hair, and you’re all about floofy marshmallow volume, this is the one you’ll want, especially if you like violets, oranges and caramel, which is how it smells.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyeliner Pen

December 7th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

clinique pretty easy liquid eyeliner pen 2 — I love this so much that I rubbed off the writing on the package!

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

OK…I don’t know how you feel about liquid eyeliner in general, but this is THE best black liquid eyeliner in the known universe, IMO, and yes, I think it’s just as good as the Tom Ford pen.

(Yup, *that* $58 Tom Ford Liner.)

It’s the Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyeliner Pen, and it’s a comparatively bargain $22. It does so many of the things that the Tom Ford liner does, and does them just as well. It’s a deep, dark black; it draws super skinny lines; dries quickly; it’s really, REALLY easy to use.

It’s got one of those long, flexible felt tips, so if you want to draw an ultra-fine line on your upper lash line or a precise cat flick in the outer corner, you can easily do it, even if you’re all thumbs, half-asleep or in a hurry.

Normally, I’d never dream of applying liquid liner when I’m in a rush, but it’s totally doable with this one. There’s something kinda magical about it and very user-friendly…which is probably why they call it the Pretty Easy Liquid Eyeliner Pen, ha!

clinique pretty easy liquid eyeliner pen 1 — When you try to make kissy faces and look awkward but decide to just go with it anyway. (That’s the liner on my upper lash lines, by the way.)

One of my favorite things about it is the ~20-second drying time, which doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but it’s just enough to either 1) let the line dry on its own, or, 2) and this is what I like to do, I grab a smudge brush and feather out the edge of the line to make it look blended and smooth.

And after that 20 seconds, you can blink, roll your eyes or whatever, and your liner won’t transfer up onto your lids! Once this stuff is dry, it’s smudge-proof and budge-proof.

But that’s not all! You can also find it pretty much anywhere. I love that I can just pop into the Novato Sephora and grab one if I “need to,” or that I can stop by a Clinique counter at Macy’s or Nordstrom.

I should probably get a new one soon because mine is looking very…well-loved, ha ha ha!

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Have You Tried Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear?

June 15th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer review — uh…24-hour wear time = wishful thinking

Once upon a time, after seeing a picture of myself in cropped, flared capris with a camo print, I made a pact with myself to stay far, far away from camouflage.

“Karen,” I said to myself, “no. Stop. Don’t do it, unless you wanna look like a sassy Filipino Oompa Loompa.”

I did not.

So I stopped. (Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear doesn’t count because it’s a concealer, so it’s exempt from this pact.)

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear ($19.50, 0.26-oz. tube)

It’s a highly pigmented liquid concealer available in 18 shades (including a color-correcting Apricot one), and I really like a few things about it, like the fact that it hides everything, it doesn’t settle into the lines under my eyes (although the matte finish might emphasize severely dry spots), it’s easy to blend, and it doesn’t look cake-y or obvious. Even when I get all up in my scary magnifying mirror, I can’t tell it’s there.

At least in those ways, it’s like Make Up For Ever’s amazing Ultra HD Concealer, which I love beyond reason.

“Cover up without touching up for 24 life-proof hours. Instantly and easily blends into skin to flawlessly conceal imperfections. Transfer-resistant formula stays put—even through sweat and humidity. Provides immediate hydration to keep eye-area skin feeling comfortable, looking fresh and natural. 18 shades in total—including a must-have apricot-colored corrector shade to help tackle dark circles and discolorations.”

— clinique.com

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer — I’m wearing a mix of Medium 18 (which is yellowish) and Medium 22 (which is peachy) under my eyes. Because it’s very matte, I skipped setting powder… I’m still in awe of how you can’t see it at all in this pic.

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer review swatches medium — Medium 18, Medium 20 and Medium 22

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What a Fab Formula! Clinique Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion for Body Sensitive Skin

June 7th, 2018 by Karen 13 Comments

clinique mineral sunscreen for body — Feeling this!

Mineral sunscreen realness right hurr! I wore this a lot last weekend, when it was hotter than baby-faced Ethan Hawke in the ’90s, and I have absolutely zero complaints.

Clinique SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen for Body ($32 for a 4.2 fl. oz. bottle)

No sticky inner elbows or greasy limbs. No sticky neck. No weird white sheen on my skin — which makes it virtually unheralded for a mineral sunscreen! No beads of sunscreen dripping down my face and into my eyes as I sweat through my day.

“A gentle, 100 percent mineral sunscreen that glides on easily and absorbs quickly for virtually invisible defense. Incredibly comfortable, even for sensitive skins, this lightweight formula glides on easily and absorbs quickly for non-irritating broad spectrum defense. Invisible shield technology forms a protective veil that’s virtually invisible on all skin tones.”

— Sephora website

Best of all, the formula is kinda melty and runny, and it sinks right in, so instead of having to work a thick paste into my legs and arms for 10 minutes, I just put it on like a regular lotion in the morning and move on with my life. It’s also unscented, so it won’t clash with your Designer Imposters Body Spray (I kid, I kid!). 🙂

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips

January 3rd, 2018 by Karen 32 Comments

clinique take the day off makeup remover lids lashes lips — This $19 classic always delivers.

Dear Universe/Siri,

How many of these have I purchased over the last 10 years?

20 bottles? 25 bottles…? Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips ($19) is by far the best eye makeup remover I’ve ever used, and I’ve repurchased it MANY times.

Everything melts under its liquid gaze, and I mean everything, from industrial-strength waterproof mascaras, to long-wearing liquid and gel liners, and even waterproof cream shadows. Anything you can throw on your lids, no matter what makeup apocalypse it’s made to withstand, this takes it out.

When I soak a square of Shiseido Facial Cotton with a small amount of Take the Day Off, that square dissolves every shred of makeup with a couple gentle swipes. It works shockingly well, but that’s not even my favorite thing about it.

Well, I mean…it is, but it wouldn’t matter if this stuff hurt my eyes. Thankfully it doesn’t. Many other eye makeup removers make me tear up, but this doesn’t bother my peepers one bit.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

It’s a multitasking powerhouse, too, because you can also use it on your lips to erase any traces of long-wearing lipsticks. Plus — bonus! — it doesn’t taste funny or weird.

(I don’t know why, but this is a THING for me. I don’t like it when makeup removers that you can also use on your lips taste funny. Go figure.)

I also like that I can pretty much find it everywhere. I usually get mine at Sephora, but you can also find it at any ol’ Clinique counter.

This bottle I just picked up should last me about six months, based on past experience, and I’m an “eye makeup every day” person.