Clinique

Do You Like to Layer Sunscreens?

August 2nd, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

layering sunscreen — Lemme tell you a story about sunscreen…

When I was pregnant with Connor (and for almost the entire year after she was born) I wasn’t good about wearing sunscreen. I wore very little.

(OK…I didn’t wear any at all.)

It started out from a cautionary standpoint. I was freaked out about chemicals and everything I was consuming (except for the massive amounts of frozen waffles, of course) and putting on myself potentially affecting the baby, but then, well…it morphed into a long-term bad habit. I was also so exhausted from merely just living at the time that I couldn’t handle having to do another thing in the morning, so I just stopped using sunscreen.

I was thinking about this as I got ready this morning. I don’t have anywhere special to go — just a regular Thursday — but I grabbed, not one, but two (!) sunscreens for my face from my bathroom shelf.

Some peeps (like me now) like layering a chemical sunscreen with a physical sunscreen (here’s the difference between them). That’s what I’ve been doing this summer.

After I wash my face, I do a layer of Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion WetForce SPF 50+ on my face and neck, wait a few minutes for it to sink in, then do another layer of Clinique SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face on top. This particular combination works well for me, especially under makeup.

And sometimes, if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll also do a few sprays of Supergoop! x Milly Defense Refresh Setting Mist Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50 on top of my makeup.

Is it overkill? Perhaps.

Probably. 🙂

But my skin’s doing pretty well this summer (knocks on wood), and I’ve been breakout-free for months.

I am more sensitive to sun than ever, though, which I think has to do with the Biologique Recherche P50 1970 I’ve been using every night. It’s a fairly aggressive acid toner.

How about you? Do you layer different sunscreens together to make your own super sunscreen cocktail, or are you a single sunscreen guy or gal?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hello, Hydration! Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration

June 28th, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

“You can never have too many tubes of gloss in your purse. Or too many kittens.”

— Ancient proverb (author unknown)

Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration ($18.50, 0.14-oz. tube with a doe-foot applicator, 20 shades)

The key words here are “HELLA HYDRATION.”

You probably don’t *need* to collect ’em all, since the peaches, roses and pinks all look very similar on lips (the hot pink and red are pretty distinctive, though), but you might want to keep one or two in your purse for when your lips are dramatically dry (like mine are).

clinique rosewater pop — My fave: Rosewater Pop

Be prepared for a touch-up every couple hours if you wear one because they aren’t long-lasting (unlike the recently discontinued Glosswears), buy it’s a decent trade-off considering how cute and compact the tubes are. I do like seeing them in my T. Rex claws…

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

June 15th, 2018 by Karen 4 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.