Product Review(s)- Clinique

Forget everything you have ever heard about Clinique. I know the Clinique camp is divided squarely in two. The half that loves the three step (hooray, my skin is beautiful) and the half that hates the Three step (WTF? Soap on my face?). I happen to be a member of the first half. Like everyone else in the world, I had been a casual user of Clinique. They regularly have GWP time, so I would go and dutifully buy my 25USD or whatever worth of Clinique stuff to get the GWP. Back in the day, it was usually some Clinique make-up. This is okay, but not really great stuff. About 7-8 years ago, I had a skin meltdown. Rough bumpy patches, it was angry. I had gotten a sample of environmental cream in one of my many GWPs, and I was asking the SA at the counter if it would calm my skin down. She asked if I was on the three step. Now I wasn’t a soap snob, at the time I was using Neutrogena soap, you know the glycerin bar. Even now I can still smell it. I told her no, but that was when I signed up and I HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. My skin calmed down and turned into a thing of beauty, although I must be honest, it was more of a 2.5 step for me. I used the DDML sporadically if at all. It would break me out except on only the driest of winter days. I was very pleased when Clinique came out with the DDM GEL. I bought a small tube a year ago and I still have a little bit left. What I want to talk about is the Repairwear and Pore Refining product lines. I got on the Repairwear wagon some months ago when I got a Repairwear Intensive Eye Cream sample and a Deep Wrinkle concentrate sample. I was using the Anti Gravity eye cream, and that has worked well for me for a number of years, but I really liked the texture of the Repairwear. The cream was not as greasy as the anti gravity, and it was more creamy and fluffier. It was very light and absorbs very easy into the delicate area of the eye. The texture of the deep wrinkle concentrate was very rich and I was also thinking it may well be time for a good anti aging product to use on my face. I was/am starting to get lines on my forehead, around my mouth, and the corners of my eyes. When I talked to the SA, she didn’t think I need the deep wrinkle concentrate, but she suggested the Intensive Night Lotion. The lotion leaves with a velvety finish from all the ‘cones in it. This has quite the list of ingredients, it took up the entire side of the box it came in. It hasn’t broken me out and I have been using both the Intensive Eye Cream and the Intensive Night Lotion for a few months now. I found the Turnaround line to be a complete waste of money. I used an entire bottle of turnaround and could see no obvious difference in the texture of appearance of my skin. I am very pleased with the Repairwear line. I am not wrinkle free, but I have noticed a decrease in the lines around my mouth and forehead. My eye wrinkles are still there, but diminished. I am very pleased with both the Intensive Eye Cream and the Intensive Night Lotion and I will repurchase both. I have heard good things about the Repairwear foundation, but I have not tried it. I am very happy at the moment with my Prescriptives Traceless. I haven’t had good luck finding a Clinique foundation that matches my skin tone. Now for the Pore Refining line. I purchased the summer kit in the Pore Refining variety. This came in a cute little violet and white soft case. The case is quite large and I’ll be using it on my next set of business trips to carry all my toiletries. Inside it came with a full size take the day off solvent for lashes, lips and eyes, a full size superbalm, full size Pore-Minimizer Thermal-Action Skin Refiner, a sample size of Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector in Invisible Light, sample size Pore Minimizer Refining lotion. I also got a sample of high impact mascara in black, all about eyes, and a Take the day off cleansing balm, but these were not in the kit, I just love free stuff. I also got two headbands and a clear tote bag for buying two items of the three step, the new liquid soap and a toner. What I am going to review are the Pore Minimizer Thermal Action Skin Refiner and the Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector. The PM Thermal Action Skin Refiner is a very interesting product. It is meant to be used after the soap and before the toner, so between steps one and two. I find it is best to cleanse, and then completely dry my face. Then I take the refiner with dry fingers. It is very thick, like toothpaste. I place dabs on my cheeks, nose forehead and chin. Then I wet my fingers and quickly use a scrubbing motion. This product heats up on contact with water, so you must work quickly and efficiently to take advantage of the thermal action. It turns into a gel-like consistency and there are dome very fine particles. I do not find it as scrubby as the seven day scrub cream, but I find that after I rinse and tone, my skin feels very clean. It recommends bi-weekly use, I have been using it every three days or so. I haven’t noticed any improvement of my pores yet, but it has not aggravated my skin in any way. The PM Instant Perfector is the star of the entire PM line if you ask me. This is basically a foundation primer and very similar in feel to the esteemed Smashbox Photo Finish, which I also own. This product comes in two shades, Invisible light and Invisible Deep. Clinique only gave out Invisible Light, and I have already written to them about their folly. For this reason alone, I must use this under my foundation and not on it’s own and it clearly stands out on my medium skin. This is very thick, almost like a paste but spreads very easily. It leaves a velvet finish and basically coats your skin leaving a nice smooth surface. I only use it on my cheeks, under my eyes and my nose and chin. I have to work harder to blend my foundation in that I do with the Smashbox, but it finishes very nice. It wears nicely and gives you that perfect finish that will last the day. I find that I don’t need to use my blotting sheets with this. I have to say that Smashbox finally has some competition in this product.