ProductWhores

The Good Kind of Chubby

I'm kind of lazy at the moment and keep putting off washing my eye makeup brushes, mainly because I forget they need it until the moment I'm about to use them and after my stupid eye infection back in September, I'm nervous about ever getting another one from... anything really, so the new Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tints for Eyes came along at a perfect time.  I already love the lip versions, but having these around to use without having to worry about cleaning my brushes means I've really gotten a chance to play around with them.  There are twelve different shades ranging from Bountiful Beige, which is light enough to be used as a highlighter, to Massive Midnight, a dark blue.  They're so easy to use and the shadows blend easily and really stay put.  I also love that you don't need to sharpen them - if you want more shadow, it's just a simple twist.  (Also great because in addition to forgetting to wash my brushes, I can never find any of the ten sharpeners I know I have somewhere).  They're also a good, budget-friendly option at only $16 apiece (something I'm appreciating more and more lately).  Plus, they're perfect for throwing in your bag to use after work when you're heading out and want a more dramatic look for evening (I usually try to avoid stopping at home when I go out after work because I'm always kind of afraid if I see my pajamas and couch, I might just stay there).  I'm really loving these.  I daresay I might have to own them all!

Note:  Samples were sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique

From Top To Bottom

The best part about the holidays (besides the Salted Caramel Mochas at Starbucks and the Peppermint Mochas at The Coffee Bean)?  All the holiday gift sets.  So.  Many.  Gift.  Sets.  It really is impossible not to leave the mall with at least one every time I pop in (and I pop in a lot because, well, I love to shop).  My newest discovery is Clinique's Lashes Top to Bottom. For only $29.50, you get four different deluxe-sized mascaras (High Impact Mascara, High Lengths Mascara, Lash Power Mascara, Lash Doubling Mascara) all in Black, plus a full-sized Bottom Lash Mascara (also in Black).  I'm totally, totally obsessed with Bottom Lash Mascara because it's one of the only mascaras that makes my bottom lashes look thicker and darker without smudging or making them look fake.  It's kind of amazing, really.  Even if you don't get the gift set, you should definitely run out and buy Bottom Lash Mascara, if you don't own it already.  But the gift set is fantastic because you can try out four other great mascaras and they're all the perfect size to travel with or throw in your purse to touch up your makeup for after work drinks.  I've been experimenting with layering some of the mascaras over each other and really like a few of the combos I've come up with.  (Which, uh, I'd tell you about if I'd remembered to actually, y'know, write them down...) Definitely a set worth buying for yourself or someone else!     

Note:  Samples of the above were sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique

Get Even Better

You guys, I've become a hand cream aficionado lately.  My hands have just been really dry for some reason so I've been using it by the tube full.  My new recent favorite is Clinique's Even Better hand cream.  (Its full name is actually Even Better Dark Spot Correcting Hand Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 15, but since that's a ridiculously long name to say, I'm declaring the two words enough).  I haven't been using it nearly long enough to attest to its possible dark spot correcting properties, but as a regular ol' hand cream, I'm really loving it.  It's thick, but not greasy, and it keeps my hands soft for hours after I use it.  I'm especially enjoying the fact that it has an SPF 15 in it.  For someone who wouldn't even think about leaving the house without sunscreen on my face, I'm woefully neglectful of protecting my body if I'm not wearing a bathing suit.  I kind of feel like I spend so much time indoors, even the California sun can't affect my body in so few minutes a day, but the truth is, those minutes add up and I don't want to get old lady hands before my time.  My only issue with Even Better (see - isn't two words easier?) is that it's pretty expensive at $35 a tube.  That's not easy to justify if you're on a budget... or even if you're not, really.  But if you're in the market for a good hand cream and have some extra money burning a hole in your pocket, this is a great choice.  Just wait for a gift with purchase offer so you can snag some free stuff at the same time!

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique

Run Away With Me

Orange is everywhere this season and I have to admit, while at first I was a little skeptical, I've really loved a lot of the products I've tried in this color scheme.  Now I can add Clinique's Runway Coral Long Last Lipstick to that list. Created by Jenna Menard, Clinique's Global Colour Artist (seriously, how can I get that job?) it was used in Karen Walker's Spring/Summer 2012 runway show and is now available exclusively online.  It's SUCH a pretty shade.  It gives a nice pop of color, but it's not so bright that you have to look in a mirror to put it on.  (Am I the only one who uses this as a criteria when I buy lipstick?)  It's just a gorgeous, feminine shade that's right on point with the trends this season.  It's a limited edition, so make sure you grab it before it's gone!

...And just now, after I wrote that, I looked closer at the page for it on Cliniqe's site and apparently, it's already sold out.  Well, that was fast!  Maybe it'll come back in stock soon, so keep checking, or you can always scope out eBay. What would we do without eBay?

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique    

One Stop Shopping

When I was packing for my trip two weeks ago, I was trying super, super hard to pack lightly.  It did not go well.  I somehow managed to wedge 4 pairs of boots and sneakers into my suitcase for a 10 day vacation (and that's not even counting the sandals for the warm weather later in the trip).  It all started out so promisingly and ended with me paying $75 to get my bag onto the plane.  So when it came time for me to pack makeup, I was determined to at least not add to the weight and brought only products that could do double-duty.  Instead of packing numerous bottles of face products, I only packed one - Clinique's Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30.  I haven't tried a lot of BB Creams and hadn't even opened this one before, but I love that it's one product that does everything you need.  It has an SPF in it for sun protection, antioxidants to keep your skin healthy, and slightly more coverage than a tinted moisturizer.  Plus, it acts as a primer too.  It's actually the perfect product to take on vacation with you because you need all of 30 seconds in the morning to be done with that whole part of your routine.  I also really like the coverage - it feels really light on my face, but it covers enough so I feel like it hides the few freckles I have and such.  I like it so much that I've reached for it both mornings (okay, fine, I'm jet lagged and sleeping at weird times, so afternoons) since I've been back. It's vacation-worthy AND regular life-worthy.  I love it when that happens.     

Note:  A sample of the above was sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique

Clinique Teams Up With Tracy Reese

All of you Tracy Reese fans should be extra happy about this.  For a limited time and available exclusively at Nordstrom, Tracy has joined forces with Clinique to bring us this one-of-a-kind gift with purchase.  It'll be available with any Clinique purchase of $25 or more and will include must-have beauty essentials that were hand-picked by Tracy herself.  They'll come nestled in a colorful, flowery cosmetics bag that was also designed by Tracy.  The gift has a $75 value, so now is definitely the time you'll want to head over there if you're ready to stock up on any of your Clinique essentials. 

The gift is available from now until November 20th, so all you new iPhone owners tell Siri to remind you this weekend or mark it on your calendars yourself now.  You don't want to miss this one!

Grab Yourself A Smoothie

Clinique's new Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colors are the perfect makeup antidote for this ridiculously hot 100 degree plus summer weather.  (Although the word smoothie is currently making me crave a visit to Jamba Juice and I really don't need another one of those this week.  They may be fruity and delicious, but they're also like, 500 calories).  The Lid Smoothies are cream shadows that go on with a cooling touch, due to the metal tip applicator.  It's kind of a delightful way to start your morning, although I have to give a word of warning - a little goes a LONG way with these shadows (especially with the darker shades) so be careful how much you squeeze out or you'll just end up wasting it.  (And who wants to waste a smoothie?)  You can blend the shadows with a brush or with your fingertips, but even though it's messier, I like using my fingers better because I feel like these are the kind of shades that look best on me applied that way.  They were made to be worn alone or layered underneath powder shadows, and I think they look good either way - obviously you get more pigment and deeper color when they're layered, but for a casual Saturday running errands around town, the Smoothies alone were enough for me.  There are twelve shades available - everything from a light nude beige to a dark blue - so you can create all sorts of shade combos.  I wore them over a lid primer and they seemed to last into the late afternoon for me, but I was in the air conditioning all day, so you might get a little less wear out of them if you're running around in the heat and sweating a lot.  (Air conditioning is saving my life right now.  Seriously).  Now if they could only create a makeup that could somehow fan you as you walked, my life would be complete. 

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique

Go Straight To The Bottom

Clinique's new Bottom Lash Mascara is such a genius idea that I can't believe no one's done it before.  (Unless they have and I just haven't stumbled upon it, which is totally possible).  It's a mascara designed solely for bottom lashes.  Genius, right?!  I'd basically given up on wearing mascara on my bottom lashes since I get them tinted and most mascaras I use on them end up smudging anyway, but with this new discovery, I'm all over it again.  The tube is small - it almost looks like a mini-size of a regular mascara - and the brush is really tiny, but that's what's makes it work so well.  The small size makes it perfect for applying on your bottom lashes - it's easy to get in there and put it on without accidentally smearing black gunk all over your face (a common problem for me, especially since I seem to sneeze almost every time I put mascara on, which leaves me looking like a deranged circus clown).  The brush is also great at depositing color and thickness onto the lashes without leaving them all stuck together, and best of all, it's only $10 (cheaper than some drugstore mascaras).  Definitely worth picking up on your next trip to the mall!  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Clinique. 

Nude Perfection

 I have been looking for the perfect nude lipstick and gloss and have spent waaaaay too much time scouring the shelves at department stores and at my home-away-from-home Sephora.  Side note:  I DO have all my Christmas shopping done so I am allowed to selfishly search for my own stuff, right?  After testing way too many to count I have found two that I absolutely adore and would look great on most skintones.

Clinique's Butter Shine Lipstick in Baby Baby is so gorgeous, I can barely contain my excitement.  It's a delicate beige-y, pink with a slight shimmer.  The formula is so wonderfully creamy you'll forget you're wearing lipstick and you can wear alone for a delicate nude color or wear on top of lip liner for a darker nude.  This is my favorite lipstick formula because it actually hydrates rather than dries out lips and Baby Baby is simply perfection in a nude lipstick.

 My other favorite nude is Origins Liquid Lip Color in Lotsa Luxe.  The Origins site makes it look like a pale pink but it goes on delightfully beige with a sparkly shimmer to it.   If you haven't used Origins Liquid Lip Color you've been missing out because this stuff is creamy, moisturizing and has a minty scent which I adore.  Lotsa Luxe looks great by itself or over a pale pink lipcolor (if you want to keep the nude effect).  Now, I really need to get my act together and wrap all the stuff I've bought for family and friends...

Best Cream Blush

 

On one of my last online Sephora binges, I decided to purchase one of the Blushwear Cream Sticks by Clinique in Rosy Blush.  Despite my horrifying attempts at making a cream blush work without looking like a freakish old woman, I saw that others were giving it good reviews, so I had to give it a go.  And all those reviewers were right on - this stuff is seriously the best cream blush I've used!  The color is amazing (the perfect rose which makes me look like I just had a few glasses of wine, but not enough to go home with the bartender) and the formula is so creamy there's no way you'll be left with any streaks.  I love this so much, I carry it in my purse so I can touch-up throughout the day (no, it doesn't last all day, but who cares when it's so small and easy to carry).  Retails for $18.50 and would be the perfect holiday gift.