19 posts tagged "Clinique"
Finger-Painting With Black Honey
With everyone jumping on board the nail bandwagon, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Clinique has finally gotten in on the fun. The brand that popularized the white lab coat as uniform did have a few mild-mannered manicure staples when it first launched in the late sixties, but its concentration has been primarily on skincare and skincare-minded makeup of late—a focus that has also informed its new lineup of lacquers as well. The 100 percent allergy-tested and fragrance-free range has gone to great lengths to ensure that its offering minimizes the allergen potential of nail enamel on the skin—and eyes—as nail varnishes are a relatively unknown, albeit prime cause of periorbital dermatitis, a facial rash that develops around the lower and upper eyelids when polished tips rub, itch, and even apply liners and shadows to lids. Dubbed a Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skin, the high-gloss-finish, chip-resistant formula comes in nine seasonal colors—like the punchy melon Juiced Up and the bright yellow 70 and Sunny—as well a twelve permanent colors, including the burnt-cherry Black Honey. That’s right: Everyone’s favorite nineties lipstick mainstay is now available in finger-painting form. Go ahead; take a moment for the news to sink in. We’ll wait.
Beauty Throwdown: Battle BB Versus CC Creams
There’s been no shortage of hype around the arrival of CC creams, the so-called “complexion correctors” from Asia that promise to go one step beyond their BB cream (or “beauty balm”) predecessors and offer more skincare benefits and coverage level. To be honest, I couldn’t summon much enthusiasm about either because the idea of adding skincare ingredients to makeup never struck me as that revolutionary (my Chantecaille tinted moisturizer accomplished that feat years ago). Nevertheless, I was curious to see if there is truly any difference between the BBs and CCs, and the perfect case study presented itself when Clinique launched both creams recently. Here, we swiped and scrutinized our complexion super closely to determine which contender—if either—is worth putting into rotation.
The First to Market: Clinique’s Age Defense BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 glided on and blended into my fair complexion remarkably well, which is impressive considering that it’s only available in three shades. While it didn’t completely hide the dark spots on my cheek area, it did subtly even out my complexion quite nicely. Overall, I looked a little more well-rested, if not entirely luminous. Also notable was the absence of any chalkiness typical of SPF ingredients (like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide) and the fact that the makeup coverage held up all day without any touch-ups.
The Latest Import: When I squeezed a dab of its Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 onto a makeup sponge and swiped it across my face, I noticed the texture was quite matte, even a bit thick. I really had to work it into my skin to avoid any streaks, which was surprising considering this cream contains moisturizing hyaluronic acid and water-binding agents, like trehalose and sorbitol. Still, this one did enhance my tone pretty readily, casting a peachy glow over areas that had once been dull and (sadly) sallow. Also a plus is that it comes in six shades, providing more options for those with tricky-to-match complexions. As for the sun protection, it too didn’t leave any white residue, and there was zero need to reapply to maintain makeup coverage.
The Bottom Line: Don’t agonize over the differences in these creams: Both work in a similar fashion with nearly identical results. But if you have dry skin, the BB cream might be your best option, while those with oily skin in need of more coverage should go for the CC cream. If, like me, you already use a tinted moisturizer with SPF and skin-nourishing benefits that you like, there’s also no harm in sticking with it.
The Eyes Have It
Sometimes a product comes along that’s so well conceived, it inspires countless imitations. Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm is one such product. But the thick, easy-to-wield tube hasn’t just encouraged similar offerings from other brands; it has also caused a few covetable updates from Clinique itself. There’s the Chubby Stick Intense pencils for a more saturated finish, and now, in a bold direction-changing move, the Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes. The brand’s decision to focus due north of their expertise in lip lacquering was only a matter of time, really, as the chubby-stick-as-tool is ripe for easily achieving, say, Val Garland’s inky blue eyes from Mary Katrantzou’s Spring show with a few concentrated swipes of the dark, shimmering navy Massive Midnight (and without years of backstage experience). Other standouts in the twelve-shade range that boasts a vitamin-E-infused formula for easier blendability includes 03 Fuller Fudge, a metallic brown that makes contouring a breeze. What will they think of next?
$16 each, available February 2013 at www.clinique.com.
Clinique Keeps ‘Em Saturated
You’d be hard-pressed to find a true beauty fiend who doesn’t love Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm. The shea butter, mango seed butter, and jojoba oil-packed glossy pencils that come in easy-to-wield chunky applicators impart a subtle stain on pouts that ranges from the tawny peach Whole Lotta Honey to the berry-hued Richer Raisin. This past spring, the brand added eight new shades to their original eight-piece lineup to offer a bigger selection of sheer coverage, but its latest upgrade deals with the issue of saturation, for those days when what you’re really looking for is the opacity of a full-on lipstick with the comfort of a balm. Introducing Chubby Stick Intense, eight new editions that pack a pigment punch. Standouts include Grandest Grape, a wine-tinged dark fuchsia; Heftiest Hibiscus, a pink coral; and Plushest Punch, a deep rose. Each one is buildable and, perhaps more importantly, extremely wearable.
$16 each, available at www.clinique.com beginning December 2012.
Julianne Moore Speaks Out On Aging Gracefully; Butter London X Goop; And More…
Julianne Moore was only just named the new face of L’Oreal’s antiaging Cellular Renaissance line, and she’s already doling out the beauty wisdom. “I think it’s a privilege to age,” says the 51-year-old flame-haired actress. “Often as adult women, you hear people say that they wish they were younger—to which I say, enjoy where you are. Because by wishing that you are younger, you really only end up missing the year in which you’re living. So enjoy that year and every year that you have as long as you’re able.” [WWD]
Butter London has teamed up with Goop to offer a limited-edition three-pack of custom-blended polishes to loyal readers of Gwyneth Paltrow’s ever-growing lifestyle website. Get while the getting’s good. [Goop]
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday fragrance has finally arrived—as has its elaborate commercial, which features a black-clad Minaj laying on a bed of black roses, which turn a shade of bright fuchsia after she pricks her finger on a thorn and bleeds bubblegum pink all over the set. Oh, she also puts in a pair of hot pink contact lenses at the end, you know, to hammer home the point. [MTV]
Clinique has partnered with model Petra Nemcova’s Happy Hearts Fund and will start raising funds for the foundation dedicated to rebuilding schools in disaster-stricken areas through profits earned from its Happy Heart women’s fragrance and a series of limited-edition “Make Someone Happy” T-shirts. [WWD]