Clinique Powder Blush (Iced Lotus)

This Clinique blush was another GWP item (Neiman ran out of whatever it was they were supposed to give so I received a bunch of random products) I never encountered before. I don't think I ever owned a Clinique blush, and, frankly, this one doesn't make me feel like I was missing much.

The texture is extremely crumbly as you can see- the debris is just from swatching, before I actually started testing the blush. It requires a very soft and very wide brush, so it can collect as much of the errant powder as possible and avoid uneven application. The texture does lend itself well to blending and creates a sheer wash of color (see swatch). The staying power is not the greatest if used by itself, so it's not the right product for a quick unfussy job- it requires a good base underneath and setting with some powder on top if you want the blush to last you through a workday.

Iced Lotus is a very cool-toned blue-based pink. I was surprised to see I can wear it (lightly. Building up the color brings out a chalky raspberry color) without looking weird, but it's probably better for winter. The light in summertime requires a bit more warmth. It's a very nice shade in moderation and the level of shimmer is low and wearable. It deserves a better formula.

Bottom Line: Not good enough.

Clinique Powder Blush ($19) is available from every department store and clinique.com

All photos are mine.

Clinique Different Lipstick Raspberry Glace

My testing and posting schedule for the next few weeks is making me wish I had a few more lips and a spare eyelid or two. Yes, that's a visual no one really needed. But  before we move on to all the summer collections and other new items I have lined up, let's squeeze in this Clinique lipstick from a semi-forgotten GWP event.

Clinique's Different Lipstick range offers about 18 shades. Raspberry Glace might be the scariest one from looking at the swatches on Clinique and Sephora's websites, but since this is a mostly sheer lipstick with medium-low coverage and my natural lip color is pretty dark, the result is not all that dramatic. Raspberry Glace is a slightly shimmery cool pink. It perks up the face instantly and cheers me up. The texture is light and adequately moisturizing. It doesn't last long, though. A couple of hours or a sip of water are enough for the lipstick to fade completely, without leaving even a hint of a stain. It also tends to transfer easily if you accidentally touch your mouth, so keep your sleeves away at all times.

Bottom Line: It's all about the color. My favorite GWP item lately.

Clinique Different Lipstick ($14) in Raspberry Glace and other colors is available from every department store under the sun.

All photos are mine.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Skin Relief

It's been years since I stopped using Clinique skin care products. Like many of us, I used to swear by their 1-2-3 system, but then it stopped working, gave me an allergic reaction and I realized my skin was becoming too dry, despite supplementing the classic DDM lotion with the (then) newly released Moisture Surge gel. While I liked this formula well enough, it was left behind when I switched to a more intensive regimen.

I received a travel size jar of Moisture Surge at a recent GWP event and absentmindedly put it in the "miscellaneous skin care " drawer (I have a system. Don't give me this look). I started using it on days when I apply my makeup several hours after my regular morning skin care routine- I like a little extra TLC before applying my primer, but there's no need for anything too active. While Moisture Surge wasn't working for me as a skin treatment and doesn't do much (anything) in the way of restoring or firming, it's an excellent moisturizer that hydrates and plump the skin without any greasiness or shine. I give it a few minutes to sink in, put on my primer and continue as usual. I don't have a scientific proof, but it seems that this extra hydration is helping my makeup look fresh even longer than normal. It works just as well with silicone primers as it does with creams.

Bottom line: I might need to make this a permanent part of my makeup routine.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Skin Relief ($34, 1.7 oz) is available from department stores everywhere, Sephora and clinique.com. I got it as a GWP.

Photo: Water surge at Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Alabama by G. Denardo, 2004

Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15

I admit I rarely go seeking Clinique makeup colors. Lipsticks are supposed to be fun and sexy, and Clinique is more of an Old Faithful brand, for better and for worse. The Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Fireberry was some kind of GWP (I can't remember from where or for what), and a much better one than I expected. First, because unlike most of the Clinique GWP items it was not their Tenderheart lipstick (how many of those have you gotten and given away?), and second- because it's a very nice lip gloss.

While the texture is stickier than I'd prefer and it's not nearly as long lasting as they promise (for a good product in this category see Baci Baci by La Bella Donna), it is moisturizing and comfortable, and the color is a perfect summer day sheer berry pink with just enough golden shimmer to really shine. It lightens up darker lipsticks and is an easy color to wear and match. Not bad for something that landed in my makeup bag almost accidentally.

The good people of Clinique should pay a little more attention to their (otherwise quite good) website. See this:


Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 ($14) is available from every half decent department store, Sephora and the company's website.

Product photos: mine. Screen capture from clinique.com.

Spring Anticipation- A Joint Project From Two Sides Of The World

Helg from Perfume Shrine and I are here to bring you a taste of spring from Europe and the US, in a joint project that will hopefully be first of many.

Early March in the New York Metro area is as far from La Primavera as anything could be. It's cold, the trees are too stark and naked for Cupid to hang out, the grass dull and brown and no self respecting Grace would go dancing on it. While everyone is tired of winter and can't wait for a change in the air, we all know that there's more snow in our future before we even get to see the first crocuses. It doesn't stop us from hoping and anticipating, though.




It starts with a little spring cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new and smelling good while doing it. Caldrea just launched the Watercress Wild Lily collection of home products. It's supposed to be crisp and springy, though I'm not sure how a cool melon accent fits into a green and floral scent. Their French Lavender might be a better choice, and I've always loved the Lavender Pine range.

The "out with the old" process is supposed to leave us with some free space for new. I have a major case of lust for several Anthropologie little romantic tops. Feminine silhouettes, lace trim and fluttery sleeves all say "spring" without overdoing it with pinks and too many flower prints.

The floral accent can come from cute jewelry. Either a single flower pendant ($178, Anthropologie) or an elaborate, romantic victorian choker ($310.00, Michal Negrin, available from Mavrik Jewelry). It's all about the pretty.

The easiest way to make a small change and get into the spring spirit is with nail polish. I've been rocking the cute pinks from Zoya's Blissful collection for weeks now, but there's also a different approach. The India Collection from OPI has everything: light pink, deep pink, rich jewel tones and dark spice. It looks fun, though I'd skip the dark blue. It's a little too gimmicky (not to mention last season).



There's nothing like gorgeous makeup to finish up the look and perk up winter face. Embossed palettes that are so pretty you don't want to mess up are nothing new, but this season there's a lot to choose from:

1. Laura Mercier Violet Eye Color Quad ($38, available from Sephora, Bliss and most department stores). There's a shy violet and a wild violet options.

2. Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Colour ($29.50, Clinique.com and every department store under the sun). It's another delicate bronzer/all-over face powder, combining a highlighter with a deeper color. I'd skip the very pink Peony and go for the more olive-skinned friendly Almond blossom.

3. Smashbox Green Room Eye Shadow Quad in Bamboo ($32 at Sephora, Smashbox.com and every Smashbox counter). This is probably my favorite of the bunch. There's also a softer quad, Blossom, which is soft peach/ deep brown/ taupe/ pearl.

4, 5, 6 are all Chantecaille: Protected Paradise eye and face palettes (both are $90, available from Blissworld.com) and Trio Les Passementeries, which isn't new but still gorgeous is an eye and face combo with a shimmery overlay ($82 Blissworld.com). I can't promise it's worth the price, especially since the cheek colors are too pale for me, but it's a beautiful eye candy.

Don't forget to visit Perfume Shrine for a scent-centered spring post.

Clinique Full Potential

The lip gloss/plumper with the longest name I came across is Cliniquq Full Potential™ Lips Plump and Shine. It looks like a good idea on paper (or on screen, in this case), and I was ready for some mild tingling and a lot of plumping action, only to be quite disappointed.

Don't get me wrong: As a gloss, this product is adequate. It has a nice shine and despite the very mild tingling it wears almost comfortably. But if there is any plumping, it's very marginal and doesn't go beyond what you'd see from a high quality gloss or moisturizing lipstick. The main problem is the stickiness. I thought most good glosses have gotten over this problem, but Plump & Shine obviously didn't, despite it being a new product. Everything stuck to it: My hair, cat hair and the filling of my favorite Vietnamese spring rolls. The last one was embarrassing. Shredded lettuce and ground brown rice are not a lip accessory, and it took quite an effort to discreetly remove them.

The color swatches on the Clinique web site are a bit off. I tried Blackberry Bloom, which isn't as loud or as purple as it appears here (it's a very pretty sheer wine color), and Glamour-full which far less rosy and a lot more nude (actually about half a shade lighter than my natural color, so it would look better on paler complexions). I actually liked it best when I mixed the two shades together, only by that point my lips were covered with a thick layer of goop and I was worried it would get random objects or small animals stuck. And with this mental image I say goodnight.

Work Horse

I'm often asked about finding good office-friendly eye shadows in muted, wearable colors in matte textures: no shimmer, no pearlized, frosty effect and absolutely no glitter. There aren't that many of those left. My fall-back item in this category has always been Clinique Pair of Shades Eye Shadow Duo. It's a no-nonsense, reliable compact, with two shades that go well together without too much fanfare. The pairs are usually in the same color family, without a contrast. They blend well together and create a very put-together look.

The only problem with the concept is the lack of highlighter in most pairs, which often means you need to add a third color, because the shades are too dark to go under your eyebrow. For this reason, I always thought it would have been better to have it as trios.

The eye shadows are moderately pigmented, which makes them almost fool-proof, just don't expect dramatic results, especially if your skin tone leans towards the dark side. Both the No-Show Taupes and the Spring Wedding duos work well for me, but I was really sorry to see they discontinued my favorite: High Drama. It was an unusual pairing of matte black and chocolate brown. Despite the name, it was elegant and very wearable. I use the black for lining, with or without Paula Dorf Transformer, and the brown on the lid and in the crease. Carefully blended and with a beige highlighter, they make for a great casual look. Too bad it's no longer available outside of eBay.

I hope the rest of this line isn't going the same route (it might be, since Clinique has greatly paired down the number of colors they're offering). I know the big trend for the season is dramatic eyes (see the Sephora catalog for some scary looks), but reality is that sometimes we need to look sane, pretty and like we aren't trying too hard.

(makeup photo is of Sephora Purple Reign look. Please don't try this at home)

Invigorate My Foot

In the nearly two years since I've discovered Mario Badescu's products, I've given very little thought to skin care products. I use several of the moisturizers, according to my skin's needs and alternate between cleansing products with the change of weather and activity. The one thing that MB's line hasn't been able to provide me is the perfect scrub. I tried, but wasn't smitten with any of their offerings.

Before my love affair with Mario Badescu I was a Clinique devotee for years, but even then I never liked their scrubs and found them too harsh and not effective. So I've been using Lancôme's Exfolliance Confort on and off for many years now. It's a good scrub, not too drying, unless my skin is having an über-sensitive day, and it usually gets the work done and leaves a soft skin behind.

A few weeks ago I felt like changing something and getting a deeper scrubbing. I was at my local Target and picked two Neutogena products: Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub and Deep Clean Gentle Scrub. I tried both over the following days, and the results were such that I needed to apply my trusted MB seaweed cream a few times a day to rectify the situation.
Both scrubs were very abrasive and drying. There was no gentle exfoliating. More like full-force flaying, that left me with a dry and flaky skin. I didn't see much difference between the two, except that the Invigorating scrub also feels tingly, has a stronger grapefruit smell and it's blue. After a few days of the horror, both tubes were exiled to the land of forgotten beauty products, the Siberia in my utility closet. I returned to my tried-and-true Lancôme, at least for now.

The other day, while giving myself a pedicure I decided that I could use a scrubbing cream or gel. I love Bliss foot froducts, but they don't have a specific foot exfoliator. So I looked around and found the almost forgotten Neutrogena tubes. I used the blue one and it was good. The tingling was nice and the results were great- soft and smooth feet. I did feel the need for good misturizing right after using it, which makes sense. I already new that this product was drying.

Bottom line: I'd never use Neutrogena scrubs on my face again, but I now have two tubes of a pretty decent foot scrub.

The Great Eyeliner Hunt I- An Ode to the Discontinued

Following the steps of The Great Mascara Hunt, Blogger Jilbean has started a similar quest for eyeliner and has invited me to participate. This should be fun and produce many reviwes. I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one around here who finds the liner to be the most essential item in her arsenal (and has about 20 different ones at any given point).

Eyeliner was the first makeup product that I ever wore. Even before lip color. Probably because my mother never liked lipstick and had none, while a black pencil liner was always present. For some reason. the girls in my class belonged to the school of thought that promoted using said black liner on the inside of the lower lashes. The eighties for us were, apparently, all about scary raccoon eyes.

Liquid liner, the kind you apply with a thin brush was very "out" and remained so until around 1988 where the first precise eyeliners that came in the form of a felt-tip pen took the market by storm (and are still here with us. Who doesn't own at least one Lancome Artliner?). My first one was a black Helena Rubenstein (I hear that you can stil buy them in Europe and Asia, sadly the brand is no longer available here in the US). While I've never (to this day) managed to gain the skill of applying a regular liquid liner, those pen-like applicators were easy to use, and even I learned to draw a nice, even line. I was no longer defining my lower lashes, but black was still the only color I used.

Then came 1990 and I discovered colors and subtlety. My first ever trip to the Clinique counter has resulted in discovering brown. I got the Charcoal Brown eyeshading pencil, that despite its name was much more of an eyeliner than a shadowing pencil, being thin, not very smudgy, it stayed put for hours, never bled and was suitable for drawing thin lines. This was my staple and no-effort liner for years. Still is, actually, but to my dismay, the whole line (not just the color) has been discontinued. You can still find it on ebay here and there, and for a hefty price. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks that this was a perfect color.

It was brown, but a cool one, not warm, because of the charcoal element. It was perfect with my skin tone. Dark or deep and rich browns are good on me, as are greys- charcoal, silver, smoke and slate. But this color that combined the best of both groups looked perfect and blended well with almost any other eye makeup I used.

Part of my Great Hunt will be about finding a suitable replacement.

For those who missed it

As a part of The Great Mascara Hunt (declared by Blogdorf Goodman), here is my review of Clinique's High Impact Mascara.

Eye Opener

It started last season and became an obsession everywhere you look: big lashes. It looks interesting on magazine pages and evokes memories of old black and white photos of our mothers in the sixties.

It also contributes to the endless amounts of lash products one can get, not to mention the falsies. And if you looked at the latest Vogue, you also read the article about lash extensions. Yup, they actually do that. I’m not going to judge anyone for trying this. Or for buying the Talika cream that’s supposed to be like Rogain for lashes (according to my Bliss catalog there’s also a similar product to help grow out your eyebrows). I have my own crazy plethora of beauty habits that cost a pretty dime, so fertilizing one’s lashes are not that far out there.


My own lashes are dark, thick and of good length, though the upper ones stick out straight instead of curling upward. I’m also too neurotic to have any metallic objects anywhere near my eyes, which means eyelash curlers freak me out (especially heated ones). So, it’s all up to good mascara.

Now, some of us are on a constant quest for the perfect lengthening and curling mascara. Others have been loyal to theirs for years. Some will always go high end. Others swear by a $7 drugstore product, mostly because they feel the end result will always be a little clumpy, so why pay more?

I don’t have one definite answer, but I can tell you what works for me. In 20 years of wearing makeup I’ve tried everything. I’ve used Lancôme products for years and was mostly happy. They always have some new mascara out. In recent years I've ventured out- I had mascaras by Dior and Chanel, tried samples of Stila and a few others. They are all okay- you know the drill- you paint the lashes, they look longer, bolder and thicker to some extent, and if the product is decent there won’t be much clumping.


Then I got a sample of Clinique High Impact mascara, which sent me the next day to the counter and I’ve been buying it ever since. I use both the black and the black/brown. The latter is for a look that’s just a bit softer. This mascara actually does make a difference in curling my lashes just enough to make my eyes look really nice. And the product’s consistency is smoother (hence better on the clumping front) than those by Chanel and Dior. For now, I think it’s the perfect mascara.

The sample was a GWP from a local department store.