Become a Clinique It-Girl November 19, 2008
You can get to review their products and be invited places. Just enter here with a photo of yourself (I entered, you should too). Closes tomorrow!
Review: Clinique Hi Def Lashes October 27, 2008
I have used the Clinique High Definition Lashes mascara for a wee while now, having received as a gift with purchase. The wand is half brush, half comb - the idea being that you brush through the mascara with the brush and then comb out any clumps or bunching. I found that the comb actually clumpifies though.
In the pictures below, I have benchmarked the Clinique (see left) against a previous winner of a mascara challenge - the Lancome Vitruose (see right). I recommend both for every day wear. The Clinique made my lashes look fuller and curlier, but those benefits are slightly offset by it also being messier and clumpier. It does last well through the day, with minimal smudging.
The dual brush/comb gives more choice on how your lashes can look. Using the brush alone works quite well for a subtle look, and the comb makes lashes much fuller and darker. The end of the wand is tapered nicely too so that you can easily get the tricky little lashes in the inner corner of your eye.
It may not be perfect but I’ll use it again, and maybe purchase it if I see it on sale.
You can also check out many other reviews of this mascara here.
Men’s skincare - are they for real? August 12, 2008
Many many traditionally female-focused skincare lines now promote men’s skincare ranges. Is it just marketing widening their consumer net by rebranding the same old products? Or do men have particular skincare needs that only specialised products satisfy?
I think the answer to both these questions is a paradoxical Yes, which is sad for men. You see, I visited a well-respected site that convinced me that men probably do require different skin products to women, and a quick google-ing seemed to confirm this.
productfiend.com says:
guys really do need to use some products that are formulated for men. You see, man skin tends to be oilier, more acidic and have bigger pores with smaller sebaceous glands, so girly cleansers and moisturizers just don’t cut it. In addition, guys have thicker skin due to more collagen, so they don’t show aging as early as we do but when they start to get lines, there’s some serious wrinkle action.
Plus, on top of that, you’re probably shaving 50 percent of that skin, scraping away protective top layers every single day! Ouch.
However, industry practice doesn’t seem to reflect this difference between men and women. Some time ago a Clinique counter lady let it slip to me that their men’s M Lotion was just the same as the women’s Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion. I found this ingredients list for men’s M lotion:
Purified Water, Mineral Oil, Sesame Oil, Propylene Glycol, Tea-stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lanolin Alcohol, Petrolatum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, fd and c yellow no. 5 (CI19140), fd and c yellow no.6 (CI15985), d and c red no. 33 (CI172000) [iln5386]
and the women’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion has exactly the same ingredients, listed in the same order (implying quantities are similar if not the same).
What the deuce??? Are men being gyped??? Are they being tricked by clever marketing into buying products designed for women’s skin???
Pore minimiser June 8, 2008
I have tried and tried to take some photos of my pores before and after using Clinique’s Pore Minimizer Instant Perfecter. But my camera doesn’t pick up the required detail, so you’ll just have to take my word for the results.
I got the Instant Perfecter as a free-gift-with-purchase from Clinique a while ago, along with their Pore Minimizer Refining Lotion.
They say:
Camouflages the look of enlarged pores to immediately create a smooth, perfected look. Long wearing, oil-free formula is water and sweat resistant.
I have to say I was surprised to see a difference in the look of my pores, especially around the creases of my nose and on my chin. If only my camera would pick up the difference too so I could show you. The feel of the Instant Perfecter is lovely on the skin - soft, kinda powdery, giving a smooth finish. It’s a good replacement for foundation (if you don’t worry about ‘coverage’) as it’s tinted too.
The Refining Lotion I got to try is more of a long term thing so difficult to tell if it makes any difference to pore size at all. It’s the kind of product you’d need faith in, so I’m not gonna recommend it.
I reckon the Instant Perfecter is well worth a try though - the results are instant so you can see for yourself in store before buying it. Maybe you could ask for a sample to take home…
You can read other reviews of this product here at totalbeauty.com