Clinique All About Eyes, $29

The best way to get the skin around your eyes looking lovely is to moisturize and get a good night's sleep. Well, we can't always sleep how we want (or, you know, how we feel we should--I, for one, love staying up late), so sometimes we need a little help. I have undereyes prone to blue circles, and a job (and hobby!) that involves staring at a glowing rectangle for hours. I felt like the perfect candidate for a cream that promises to "reduce circles and puffs."

I got a small size (0.21 oz.) of Clinique's All About Eyes in their High Impact Lashes Set ($20) that comes with mascara and makeup remover (reviews to come!). The regular size (0.5 oz.) is $29.

The first thing I noticed was its texture--it's very thin but super soft and lightweight. It immediately soaked into my skin and left it velvety, not oily at all (I hate that oily feeling some creams leave, especially eye creams). I used a tiny bit before bed and woke up with considerably less puff under my eyes. I put it on again in the morning and my eyes felt and looked even smoother throughout the day. I've been using it twice a day and I'm loving the results.

That being said, I still have darkness under my eyes, for which my genetics and skin tone might be to blame. I still feel the need to wear concealer, but All About Eyes does help that concealer work better by leaving a smooth, moisturized base.

Final verdict
Cost: $29 for 0.5 oz., $47.50 for 1 oz., or for $20 you can get a set with a small-sized cream, mascara, and makeup remover.
Texture: Lightweight, incredibly soft, not oily at all.
Effectiveness: I found that it moisturized my skin and reduced puffiness, but didn't really lighten my darkness as much as I hoped.
Repeat offender: This is my favorite eye cream I've tried. I love the feeling it leaves behind, its lightweight texture, and how it diminishes my puffiness, even if I need a little concealer, too.

Psst, like my nails? Konad Nail Art--will show more later!

-T

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup, $24.50

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup is a lot like the Maybelline Pure Concealer Blemish Treatment Stick I reviewed earlier this year--it's infused with salicylic acid to help get rid of acne. They stopped making the stick (I don't know why, I liked it!) but I'm hoping this might fill the void.

As Mirna mentioned in her entry yesterday, it's worth it to pay a little extra for quality makeup you're going to use all over your face. I trust Clinique's reputation as a high-end makeup brand. They're great for people with sensitive skin (like me) because they don't use fragrance and they guarantee that everything is allergy tested.

The foundation has a lot of coverage. It will definitely even-out your skin tone and doesn't add any shine (so it's great for oily skin). It goes on easily and feels smooth as it dries. It doesn't feel too heavy, but it still is a little heavy for a non-foundation wearer like myself. I couldn't wear it everyday, but I'd probably use it for a special occasion (especially if I want my skin to look nice in a photograph).

It's good to know that while you're wearing it it's not clogging your pores and making your zits worse--it's actually drying them up and medicating your skin while providing coverage. That being said, you might want to wear a light moisturizer underneath, especially if your skin is on the dry side, because the salicylic acid works to dry-up excess oil.

Final verdict
Cost: $24.50--about a mid-range price.
Coverage: The color blends really easily and covers very nicely.
Texture: It feels smooth and lighter than other foundations I've tried, but still not as light as a tinted moisturizer. (Too heavy for my daily routine, but I would use it for a special occasion.)
Added benefits: If your skin is sensitive and acne-prone, this might be the one for you. Clinique is known for its allergy-tested, fragrance-free products.
Repeat offender?: Just by trying this once, I can tell it's a high-quality product, made especially for people with finicky skin like mine. I personally wouldn't buy this because I'm not into foundation in general. But, if you have acne and you want to cover everything up completely, I recommend trying this. Maybe I'd thin it out with a moisturizer and create my own tinted moisturizer, or I might try their medicated concealer.

-T

Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer, $42.50

I've had this moisturizer for a few months now and wasn't quite sure how to review it. What drew me to Clinique's Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer was the promise to even out skin tone. I often get freckles from the sun and figured maybe this would help smooth some of those away.

Initially, I really didn't like it. I started using it and it felt like it was too much for my skin. Funny thing is that this is a pretty thick moisturizer and I was using it in the winter when my skin is at its driest. It felt oily and I even felt like my skin started to break out. I was pretty pissed off that I paid $40 for a moisturizer and it didn't seem to be working well so I took a break from it.

I'm a big fan of a lot of Clinique skin products and have had experience with a bunch of their moisturizers so I thought that this would be a good buy. After not using it for a few months I picked up the jar once again and tried it on my skin once more. It seems to be taking much better now and doesn't have that oily thick effect that I was feeling in the winter. I'm not quite sure what changed but I guess it's true that our skin really does change with the different elements.

Final verdict:
Cost: $42.50 for a large jar. If you want to buy Clinique skin care products wait until they have a nice gift pack to give you along with your purchase, it makes it way more worth it.
Does it actually correct skin tone?: I honestly cannot say that I saw much of a difference in my skin tone in terms of "evening."
What are the benefits?: It moisturizes really well because the cream is a nice thick (but not super thick) consistency. It has SPF 20 which is what drew me to it because I like my daily moisturizer to be higher than 15.
Repeat offender?: I don't think this cream was right for me. I'd rather use Clinique's Youth Surge or Moisture Surge moisturizers.

-M

What I'm Wearing - 4/23/10

Hey lovelies! I tried a new eye makeup technique over the weekend and wanted to show you. (Click on any picture here to make it larger.)

I'm wearing:
-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original (top and bottom)
-Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Freakshow (we've mentioned Urban eyeshadows a few times here--these are their super vibrant ones)
-Almay Liquid Liner in Black (not yet reviewed)--top lid
-Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (mentioned here)--inner rim
-Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula in Black Onyx
-Nars Orgasm blush

Love the eyeshadow--dark and sultry, but super vibrant and purple. Tip: For some reason, you MUST use the primer potion with this shade. I wore it once without it and it just didn't work. In the container it looks almost black, but actually has a lot of color. The website describes it as having a "red sheen"--I don't really see what they mean, but I guess it is a more red shade of purple than a blue shade.

Using the angled brush from the EcoTools Bamboo set, I smudged some eyeshadow on the outer edge of my lower lash line and connected it with the eyeshadow on top. I kept my eyeliner super thin.

I really liked the effect--super dark on top but not too dramatic on bottom, which stopped it from being too over top. My eyes still looked awake, so it worked for daytime.

Have a great weekend!

-T

Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula, $14

(Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula in Black Onyx)
It's really hard for me to find a mascara that won't irritate my super-sensitive eyes, let alone one that's supposed to be long-lasting. This one is almost perfect (read: almost). It lengthens, curls, and defines my lashes immensely. I've never really thought that a change in mascara could make a big difference in how I look, but this one makes me look really wide-eyed and awake, and I like the effect.

If you notice, Clinique calls it "long-wearing," not "waterproof," because it actually only comes off with warm water. It's lasted through sweat and tears, literally. It leaves absolutely no smudge or raccoon-eye whatsoever--yay! It's really easy to pull off gently when you're in the shower or washing your face.

There's only one problem: It still irritates my eyes a little. I should mention here that in addition to having sensitive eyes, I'm also kinda a compulsive picker. Any mascaras that make my eyelashes feel really tight will provoke the picking compulsion. These are generally the same ones that will flake on their own; I just help them get going. And this one, unfortunately, is one of those. The tiny, tiny little bits get in my eyes and irritate them. True, not as bad as other mascaras, but irritating all the same. I've also forgotten to take it off at night, and woken up with a bunch of little flakes on my face and in my eyes. Ouch.

Final verdict:
Cost: $14 may seem high when compared to drug-store brands, but for high-end mascara it's a pretty normal price.
Long-wearing?: Actually, yes. It does stay on through heat and crying, and comes off very easily in warm water with no smudging.
For sensitive eyes?: This may be good for some sensitive eyes (Clinique says it's ophthalmologist-tested and allergy-free!), but I had a problem with flaking. When the flakes fall in my eyes, they bother me.
Repeat offender: I wouldn't buy it again--I'm still on the search for the perfect mascara for sensitive eyes (hopefully one that won't smudge everywhere, too). But, it looks so good that I didn't return it--I've been just kinda dealing with it. If you don't have sensitive eyes or a problem with some flakes, it might work well for you.
-T

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner, $14.50

(Clinique's Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black)

I’m a big fan of dramatic eyeliner, so I’m always eager to try new and exciting ways to play up my eyes. Pencils, liquid, gel--I want to know which ones are the best. I’ve always had trouble with my oily eyelids. Eyeliners always seem to want to smear under my eye or create little half-moon shadows on my eyelids. So, I was wary of cream liner. I mean, cream? Like lotion? How would this not make a huge mess on my face? After reading some favorable reviews on Sephora.com, I held my breath and bought Clinique’s Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black, and immediately fell in love.

The liner comes in a clean little glass pot with a shiny silver lid. The cream itself is highly pigmented and nearly solid, almost like a very thick cream eyeshadow. The one downside: It comes with a super tiny, almost completely useless brush that is an incredible pain to use (and I have pretty small hands). You absolutely need to buy an angled brush for this.


(angled brush from Sephora)

I’ve found this liner to be so versatile; it can be used to make a skinny line, a fat line, a smooth line, or a smudged line. It’s also so easy to get the color right between the lashes. (Ever seen someone with a huge gap between the liner and their lashes? It’s pretty awkward.) And once on, it doesn’t move for hours and hours, even in humid and sweaty situations.

I’d recommend this product for the serious eye makeup junkie only. It takes a little more control, practice, and time than a simple pencil or liquid eyeliner. But, I must say to those who fear the brush: Don’t worry! It does get easier, and the end result is totally worth it.

Tip: For added staying power, use over our best friend, Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

To use:
1. Lightly press the tip of your angled brush into the cream. Brush it gently to the left and right, like a painter getting paint onto a brush. Wipe the sides of the brush on the rim of the pot to remove any excess or clumps, but keep a good amount on the edge.
2.With a light hand, draw a smooth line as close to the eyelashes as possible. Imagine you’re an artist painting a line on a canvas: pressing the brush too hard with push the color out to the edges and make the color uneven. It’s easiest if the long side of the brush is positioned toward the inside corner of your eye. I generally start in the middle and go outward, coming back later to connect a line from the inner corner to the middle.
*To fill in any gaps in your eyelashes, re-dip the brush and push and smudge it right onto the eyelash line.
*If your line appears uneven or if you’d like to smudge the liner for a smoky look, run your finger along the edge of the line with your finger before it dries.
*For a thicker or darker line, go over your line before it sets. Once it’s dried, it’s hard to blend or paint over.
*For the lower lid, I generally use a pencil for the inner rim, blending it into my eyelashes and the line I made under the lashes with the brush. You can use the cream liner for the inner rim if you’re careful, but it can be hard to do without getting makeup in your eye.
3.After use, clean the brush (I use a makeup remover pad) and let it dry before your next use. It tends to get crusty if left on the brush to dry.



Final verdict:
Worth the price?: If you’re serious about your eyeliner, then yes. It’s a great product that lasts a long time. But, you also need to buy an angled brush because the brush it comes with is completely useless.
Level of expertise?: Advanced to expert. Not for the casual user. But, practice makes it much easier!
Versatility: Awesome--can be used to make all kinds of looks.
Repeat offender?: Absolutely. <3 It’s pretty much become my staple eyeliner.

-T