BEAUTY REVIEW | CLINIQUE BASICS

As I've said before, this is my year of focus and drilling down on what I want and what I don't. It means whittling down my wardrobe to quality basics and doing the same with my skincare. I am tired of bouncing between products and trying every single new "miracle" product that launches. I am always happy to play with makeup, but now that I am in my thirties, my skincare regime is precious.

This is why Clinique is the perfect fit for me for 2016. I signed on as an ambassador without needing to think twice. I'd used their products for years and they'd always worked in my twenties. Then we parted ways for a while. Even their cult classic, the City Block tinted moisturiser gave way to BB creams in my life and looking back, I should have stuck to what I knew worked.

So here I am, back together with Clinique and I've changed up my 3-step system to suit my old-lady skin - riddled with adult breakouts and pigmentation - and I am delighted to report that my skin is in love. My pesky and painful breakouts on my chin have cleared and I've noticed a massive improvement in hydration. I also have dry skin that gets nice and oily by 2pm and since using their Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion for dry/combination skin, I haven't reached for my blotting powder in weeks. Between this moisturiser and their Even Better foundation (more on this later), I have found my routine. My balance. My focus. And clear skin - at last!

For those who've never given Clinique's 3-step system a bash, I'd recommend popping in to one of their skincare counters in Edgars, Foschini, Truworths and Stuttafords stores. Get a skin analysis done and get some trial products to suit your skin type. Their face wash is the perfect mild foaming wash (they also have a non-foaming options if you hate foam washes. I personally love it. I don't really have a reason why). It is gentle and non-drying which is ideal if you're struggling with dryer skin like I am.

The next step is toning. I know many beauty bloggers advise that you can skip this step, and maybe you can. But I've always been a fan of some extra cleaning. The big kicker with Clinique is that their toner is actually a mild exfoliator. The one I am using, Clarifying Lotion 1 was developed for dry and flaky skin, so the ingredients working away at your skin are good 'ol Salicylic Acid and Butylene Glycol. However, the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1 also includes Witch Hazel, to tone the skin; and Acetyl Glucosamine, for skin healing.

Now for some makeup. My friends in the beauty blogging industry have been raving about Clinique's makeup for ages and yet I'd never tried any other than my staple tinted moisturiser. The consultant in-store had one look at my pigmentation and recommended their Even Better foundation which evens out and corrects. It works like a bomb I am pleased to report. It provides a medium coverage, which is easily buildable if you need to. I found that with my stippling brush, it blended seamlessly into my skin and I didn't need more than one good layer. The finish is more on the matt side, which I prefer. 

The lovely team at Clinique also treated me to one of their brand new Clinique Pop™ Lacquer Lip Colour + Primer. I was given Cocoa Pop to try out and it has turned out to be the perfect pinky/nude combo. A little darker than the "your own lips but better" kind of nude, which I think is ideal going into winter where I go darker and richer with just about everything. The formula is lightweight, and because of the built in primer, it really does stay put for at least 6 hours. So it perfect for everyday workwear.

I hope you found this review helpful. If you have any questions on Clinique products you'd like me to research for you, or do a review on, please let me know in the comments section. I've linked to the Clinique online store for each product so you can shop from the comfort of your desk. But I would always preach that you try some out in-store first.