Clinique Flirty Honey Almost Lipstick - Review

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a lipstick girl - I don't want to reapply anything, with the exception of lipgloss. I want to do my face once, and then be good until I'm done for the day. Lipsticks in the past always managed to wear off terribly unevenly, causing me to feel I looked ridiculous. Thus, I'll only wear them on the weekend, when I'm only going to be out and about for a few hours. Sheer lipstick/balm hybrids are nice, because they wear off rather silently. When I heard Clinique was relaunching their Almost Lipstick Line, I was curious - I had tried Black Honey, and was wondering what the other shades would be like.

 Almost Lipsticks are a thin, sheer balm with a hint of color. They are fragrance free, which means they smell sort of waxy - not super waxy or gross, but, I wish they had some fragrance to them. By hint, it is more like a brief mention. Sephora says:

Not quite a gloss, and not quite a lipstick, this transparent formula merges with the unique, natural tone of your lips to create a look that's all your own. Its sheer, emollient-rich formula glides on for easy layering. 

Clinique released 7 new shades to complement Black Honey. I selected Flirty Honey, which appeared to be a coral-pink.

In reality, it looks hot pink in the tube, and gives a soft, sheer gloss of warm pink on my lips, with a little tiny bit of coral. Not a whole lot of coral to be found. There are two swatches on my inner wrist. On the left, a single pass. On the right, several (maybe 6?). Granted, my wrist isn't the same as my lips, but, I think you get the idea of how sheer this is. Almost Lipsticks are one of those products that the manufacturer claims "becomes" your perfect shade. Well, they don't. They are the shade they are, but in the case of Almost Lipsticks, they give a satiny shine with a little color. They are very comfortible, and feel like a very light weight balm with some slip. Not like Revlon Lip Butters or MAC Slimshines which feel like a light lipstick, Almost Lipsticks are more balm than anything else.

These don't last too long on me, about 2 hours, after which I'm not able to feel that slip anymore. I haven't noticed any staining, either, which means they cleanly disappear. My lips don't feel moisturized or dried out after they wear off, just some happy medium.

These retail for $15, and are available anywhere Clinique is sold. I really like Flirty Honey, and if I actually finish it, I would definitely repurchase it.

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner - Review

I think I'm a closet Clinique ho or something. I have a ton of their stuff, although it's the eye products that I use. My first non-pencil liner was Clinique's Brush-On Cream liner, simply because it was affordable, and came with a brush (which I used for about a year, believe it or not). I currently own 5 of them, all limited edition or discontued colors (sorry), and am always excited to see what new shades they bring out at holiday time, since that seems to be the only time they introduce new shades.

The formula these have feels unique, to me. It's truly creamy, not like MAC's Fluidlines or Bobbi Brown's Long Wearing Gel Liners, which both, to me, feel gel-like over all. The pigmentation varies by shade, in my experience. Some shades like Violet Luxe and Chocolate Lustre are pigmented and lovely. Others, like Bronze, isn't very pigmented. The good news is these can easily be built up to the pigmentation you like. I like to use my MAC 219 for a smudgey look, and to line my lower lashline. I like to use the MAC 266 for a more precise look.

Violet Luxe is a deep-ish, blue-tinged violet. Bronze is a cooler milk chocolate shot with bronzey gold shimmer. Egyptian is a olive green-gold shimmery tone (super pretty!). Graphite is a silvery grey. Chocolate Lustre is a gorgeous milk chocolate with gold shimmer, a warmer cousin to Bronze. Obviously, I've used Chocolate Lustre the most, with Egyptian coming in second.

Anyway, I love these liners. They're creamy, smudge-able, and wear very well on me. Clinique doesn't stray too far out of the box with their color choices, though. Their core line consists of True Black (black), Deep Brown (dark brown), Smoke Grey (mushroomy taupe), and Black Honey (reddish brown). I used to have True Black, but I got rid of it, because I rarely, if ever, wear black liner. It just looks too dark on my fair skin. I've never owned the others, though, because I had other liners in similar colors, or the colors weren't something I'd like.

For $15.00, I totally think these liners are worth it. They are as good as the other, more popular liners of this type, like MAC Fluidlines and Bobbi Brown Long Wearing Gel Liners, but from Clinique. I wish their core collection was a little more expansive, or that their limited editions were a little more daring.

Clinique Choco-latte Palette - Review

Do you ever revisit something and realize how nice it is? Especially if you have a swap box, and you've tossed something in there because you hadn't been reaching for it... and then one day, you decide to try it again (after removing it from your swap list, of course), and have an "OMG. This is amazing!" thought?

Clinique's Choco-latte quad has been in my stash for years. Literally. I think I bought it in 2008? It had been on my swap list since 2009. About a month ago, for whatever reason, I decided to remove it, and try it out. I mean, I've changed a bit in the last 2 years, maybe this palette did too, right? (I know, I know... pressed powders don't change.)

This palette completely made me rethink what I have on my swap list. Really. I've worn it 10 times in the last month, which is kind of crazy. I mean, it's just 4 neutral shades thrown together in seemingly random order (not lightest to darkest, like most palettes). 

I like the packaging of Clinique palettes, because they almost always make the back of them clear, so you can see the colors. The lucite doesn't really provide a true rendering of the color, but you get the jist of it. It's also unique, because I can't think of anyone else who does this. 

The lightest shade (furthest right), is a very delicate, light, almost matte eggshell color. Perfect for highlighting, because it doesn't scream highlight when worn. The darkest color is a little chalky when swatched, but that doesn't translate to the lid. It's a matte, chocolate brown. The next shade is a light taupe, but it has a bit of gold in it. This shade is fairly pigmented. The last shade is a decidedly warm, mid-toned brown with decent pigmentation.

I typically wear the taupey shadow on my lid, the warm brown in the crease with a smidge of the darker brown for definition, and the lightest shade to highlight.

Most of the Clinique shadows I've come across are soft but not too soft, pigmented but not too pigmented, if you understand. They're sort of... mediocre, I guess. But that has such a bad connotation to it, and I hate to use that term, because Clinique shadows aren't bad. I really like to work with them, but the line as a whole isn't terrible exciting. For most cosmetic mavens, Clinique is the catalyst to their makeup addiction. It's where they begin, and once they move on, they don't look back. I like that Clinique shadows are of medium softness - there isn't a ton of powdery leftovers after my brush has left the surface of shadow, if you follow me. I guess Clinique is like that trusty, comfortable pair of old shoes. They do the job of protecting my feet, my friends may kind of hate them, but I can't think of leaving them behind. I think if Clinique made a little effort, they would become a little more trendy, and wouldn't be trashed by Makeupalley and others. Interesting point, though, Clinique is one of the best selling brands under the Estee Lauder umbrella. I think the gift with purchases help.

Clinique quads retail for $25.50, which is a fair price. For your money, you get 4.8 grams (0.16 oz) of product. That's almost the equivalent of 4 MAC shadows. Like with any line, there are some wonderful and some serviceable textures. But, I really like this quad. I feel it accentuates the green in my eyes, and it represents a very good value.

Clinique Black Honey Eyeshadow Palette - Review

I'm a sucker for Clinique. I really am. I have no idea why, exactly, but I remember looking at their ads as a kid, thinking they were the epitome of awesome. As an adult, I sort of skipped over Clinique (going to MAC, instead). I guess I'm making up for lost time now.

When I saw promotional images of Clinique's fairly small Fall 2011 collection, Black Honey, I thought the quad looked awesome, and the rest... well, not so exciting. I was somewhat intrigued by the blush (and still am, in some ways), but when making a decision on purchases, and the amount of room in my makeup storage device (aka, the 6-drawer upright Malm from Ikea), I had way more room in my eyeshadow drawer than I do in my blush drawer.

Like all Clinique quads, the packaging is somewhat plan. A lucite bottom, so you can see the product without having to open the quad, and a shiny silver lid. This is the first quad I've had that doesn't have a smooth lid - it has "speedbumps" on the lid, for lack of a better term. I'm not sure if this redesign is for a particular reason, like to reduce the fingerprint potential, or if it's just to update their look. The palette includes the standard fair for Clinique, a sponge-tipped applicator, and tiny useless brush, and mirror running the full length of the palette. This retails for $25.50.

This is an overall warm toned quad, with one color that is slightly more neutral. The highlight shade is a the perfect slightly yellow "glow" color - you can't really see it on my arm. It has a touch of sparkle, but it's not shimmery, or matte. More of a satin, I suppose. On my brow bone, however, it brightens up the skin. The second shade is a shimmery honey brown tone - not bad, not great. The third shade is a satin finish, more red-version of the second shade. The last shade looks very interesting - a dark shimmery red-touched brown Swatched, it's as little less exciting, and on the eye.. well, it's just not that thrilling.

The best way I've found to wear this palette it to applied the second, shimmery shade to my lid, the fourth color to my crease and blend it out with the third, slightly matte shade, and use the highlight under my brow. The contrast between the middle shades is minor on my lid. This palette doesn't really do much as far as bringing out the green of my eyes.

Overall, the pigmentation was as expected. Not "holy-mother-of-god" pigmented, but not terrible. The shadows are not super soft, but a brush can easily pick them up and apply them. Keep in mind, I'm a huge fan of subtle highlight shades, so I'm pleased with the highlight shade in this palette. They blend well enough, although the darkest shade likes to stick to some of the bases I've used (like the 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Sin).It's manageable,  though. I like that the shadows do not kick up a lot of dust when used.

Is this palette unique? No. Is it a must have? No. It's it pretty? Yes. Is it worth swatching? Sure, since your stash may have a need for something warm and neutral. I will say that the girl working the Clinique counter at my Nordstrom said I was purchasing the last one they had, so someone is buying them. If you're interested, I wouldn't wait, since the Nordstrom I go to is not exactly busy.

By the way, I thought I'd mention, I swatched the Gradient Powder Blusher from this collection... and it's very pretty. A darkened, warm, nude color. Fairly soft, pigmented, and seemed to blend okay using my finger. I'm still trying to decide if I like it, or if I want to wait to see if it shows up at my CCO. I'm concerned it'd be too dark for my face, though.

Clinique Quick Eyes Cream Shadow - Review

I have oily eyelids, so Urban Decay Primer Potion is a must. But, UDPP alone does not work for me, so I have to turn to a second primer or something in addition to powder eyeshadows. Alternatives include Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows (which crease on me), MAC Paint Pots, and the topic of the day: Clinique's Quick Eyes Cream Shadows.
These retail for $15.50 for 0.17 oz, and are available anywhere Clinique is sold. Clinique markets them as a "crease proof cream eyeshadow," which is not quite true. Clinique also states they will last up to 10 hours on your lids, which is also not quite true. They do crease alone on me, but since everything does, that's not a huge suprise. After about 9 hours, they fade on me, which again, is nothing I'm suprised. These are packaged in tubes like MAC's lipglasses, complete with a doefoot applicator.
I have the shades "Rock Violet," a "muted silvery violet per Clinique, and "Sunlit Palm," a "soft forest green with gold shimmer." I would agree with both color descriptions. Both of these colors are shimmery, not glittery, and work fabulously as color bases.

These have a mousse-feeling to them, however they don't have that "whipped" look in the tube. What makes these great is you can sheer them out if you wish, or layer them for a more intense color. Keep in mind, though, all of the color descriptions include adjectives like "muted" or "soft." I don't believe these are meant to be piled on for a fully opaque, high colored look.

I seem to prefer the creaminess these have, rather than the feel of Paint Pots (although some have a great texture, others don't). I can blend these really well with my fingers, while I feel with Bare Study, for example, I can't move the shadow around on my lid.

I typically wear Rock Violet under purple eyeshadows, like MAC's Shale or Quietly pigment. Sunlit Palm I wear under Sumptuous Olive, or any khaki/green eyeshadow. Both cream shadows help enhance the tone and depth of the color of the shadow being applied over it. I tend use a sheer layer, in an effort to decrease the creasing potential that is inherent in cream shadows.

Clinique has a solid product here. So far, with the two I've used, I really like these and look forward to gathering the other shades the Quick Eyes Cream Shadow comes in.

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm - Review

I'm not a lipstick gal - I love balms and glosses (sheer colors that I don't need a mirror to apply, essentially). When my mother gave me a giftcard for Macy's, my original plan was to save it until gift-with-purchase for a line and then use it, but... that didn't happen (who was I kidding?). I was intrigued by these, as I usually find lipsticks to be drying, or poor-wearing, or uncomfortible. Clinique is a line that doesn't seem to get much love from the makeup-loving blog world, but I've always been reasonably happy with my Clinique choices, so I jumped on these Chubby Sticks.

These retail for $15, and they are available anywhere Clinique products are sold. From Sephora: "This gorgeous lip color treats lips to mouthwatering moisture and a hint of shine." We'll cover this claim in a bit.

The color I selected is "Mega Melon," which Sephora describes as a "sheer peachy-pink," a totally up-my-alley color. In reality, I found this color to be peachy with a hint of nudeness to it. Not the pink I was expecting.

As you can see, this isn't exactly sheer (I think of sheer being like a dazzleglass, or even many lipglasses from MAC, where my lip color heavily influences the color that the product appears as on my lips). Infact, I'd venture to say this is not a lip balm at all, but a cleverly marketed medium-finish lipstick. As such, it's not a bad lipstick. I didn't find this product to be balm-like at all. While not exactly drying, it was not moisturizing, either. It would benefit from a thin layer of a true lip balm underneath, or a sheer (or clear) gloss over top. The coverage, as indicated, is fairly good. My natural lip color isn't muted, it's pretty much gone when wearing this. Shine is next to nil with this, as well. These are not matte, but, again, not shiney either. The finish reminds me of what you get from an EOS-type balm. Satiny, maybe?

The Chubby Stick had a life span of about 2 hours on me, without anything over it. And really, at 2 hours, I was okay with it being gone. It seemed to slighly emphasize the lip-lines without just bleeding into them. I like moisturzing lip products, especially this time of year (winter), and Chubby Sticks just don't provide it. Do I like this product? I guess so. I'm not planning on returning it, but I sort of wished I'd waiting until my CCO got them or until a gift-with-purchase deal was available. I can't say I'd recommend this at this time, but maybe when I don't need the moisturizing I need now, this product will be better.

philosophy hope in a tube eye & lip cream - Review

I'm always looking for a good eyecream. At this point in my life, I don't have too much in the way of wrinkles or concerns in my under eye area. Really, what I'm looking for is something that will prevent dark circles from forming. If I don't use an eye cream, my under eye area looks dreadful. Dark, burple (blue and purple) shadows form and when you're pale, it seems to stand out a little more. All I ask of an eyecream is that it doesn't migrate into my eyes, blind me, or raise havoc with my skin in general. Anti-aging stuff is nice, too.

I generally like a lot of philosophy's skin care, and I've used two full tubes of hope in a tube now. Each tube retails for $33, and you can purchase this anywhere that philosophy's products are sold. Each easy to use squeeze tube has 0.5 oz of product. Like most of philosophy's skin care line, the packaging is fairly plain - in this case, white with black lettering. 1 tube usually lasts me about a year of near-daily usage. This cream is designed to use around the mouth and eyes to counteract signs of aging.

What I like most about the packaging is the opening where the product comes out is very narrow, making it super easy to squeeze the right amount of product out. Since I only use this under and around my eyes, I don't need too much.
The product itself is a fairly thick, off-white cream, yet it spreads over my skin easily. For both eyes, I need very little (maybe a pin head for each eye?). Any extra product I happen to end up with I use in the outer-v area. The cream absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave my skin greasy. And, best of all, it doesn't migrate like some I've used (Clinique, I'll looking at you!). I generally only use an eyecream at night, so I can't comment on how this works for layering with concealor, however I can say within about 5 minutes of application, my skin feels the same as it did prior to application.

Overall, I like this product. I can't speak to the anti-aging claims, but I can say (since I've used 2 tubes of it), I'm fairly likely to repurchase :)

My Accomplishments!

It's the end of another year, and I have to wonder - what have I done this year? Well, I got a slightly better job (less stress, the same amount of pay, though). Adopted 2 cats (one moved out of our house as soon as he could - he's around the corner. He left his poor brother behind, though). And... um... that's about it.

Well, that's not fair to me. I've gotten close to finishing a couple of things. And, I've done a great job at sticking to my mascara no-buy. Using up all of the freebies I've accumulated feels great! Let's see what else I've finished, or almost finished, or.. at least hit pan on! These are my daily eyeshadows. I couldn't live or breathe without them. From the top left, there's Sumptuous Olive (I had to repress it, so *now* there's no pan, but I swear it's 50% or less). Then there's Shroom (top right), which I've had for a bit over a year and it's almost gone!
Finally, Wedge (bottom) - it's the perfect, soft, neutral crease color for me. Loves it.

So I haven't finished either of these, but seriously. Look at the size of them compaired to the stand MAC eye kohl cap. On the top is Clinique's Chocolate Luster Cream Shaper pencil, on the bottom is MAC's Teddy eye kohl. The Cream Shaper is okay, but Teddy is sooo much better. The perfect bronzey-brown for green eyes!

So this still has a ton of life left in it, but... hey, there's a significant amount of pan showing! It's Stila's Convertible Lip and Cheek color in Gerbera. This has been my go-to blush (obviously).

There are other products, too, like several Dazzleglasses, a bottle of MAC's brush cleaner, and a bottle of Chanel's Mat Lumiere Foundation.

What've you finished?

Clinique's Strawberry Fudge Holiday Palette

I love it when my husband actually bothers to use my Christmas list when shopping for Christmas presents. It's a great feeling to know the time I put in to writing it down actually paid off. This year, I had been admiring Clinique's holiday palette - and I'm glad I asked for it, and even more glad I was able to open it early.

This palette includes a full sized eyedshadow trio in "Strawberry Fudge," and a fully sized Soft-Pressed powder blush in "New Clover." It also includes a brush and double ended applicator, as well as a card to help you create the signature look for this collection. This is available for $36 many places Clinique is sold (currently available at Nordstrom, as it appears to be sold out on Macy's website. I believe Sephora doesn't get Clinique collections).

I'm a bit of a trailblazer (okay, not really), so I ignore the tip card, and just care about the goods. The three shadows are fairly neutral (not warm or cool), and the blush (on me) leans ever-so-slightly to the cool side, but it's wearable for me. Clinique doesn't seem to be touted as an extremely pigmented brand, however I found these shadows (like most of the brand's shadows I've used) to be of decent quality. The largest eyeshadow pan, the recommended highlighter, is a very pretty pink with gold sparkle in the pan. On the skin, however, it imparts a soft, glowly highlight. The middle shade is probably my favorite part of the palette - an almost metallic (no where near over the top, though) pink-brown shade, with a kiss of grey. The final eyeshadow is a slightly-chalky matte dark brown. This color leans a bit cool. All of the shadows blend well.

The blush, "New Clover," is described as a "soft blue violet" by Clinique. I don't believe this description matches the color. It looks more like a mauvey-nude type tone. This blush, while soft, isn't incredibly pigmented. It's nice, and using a MAC 169 blush brush gives a light, easy application.

This is a great all-in-one palette. I think most skin tones could easily wear this. With the exception of the matte eyeshadow, this palette is definately worth the price of admission. If you want a quick-and-easy travel palette, I'd recommend taking a look at this!