3 steps to great skin (Clinique in general)

Member Name: Weeping_Willow

Product:	Clinique in general
Date:	13/07/02 (364 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: For all skin types, animal friendly, effective results

Disadvantages: Pricey

Please be aware that this op is about the clinique 3 step skin care routine and not the whole Clinique range :o)

It is a well known fact (or, rather, perhaps, a well-informed assumption) that beautiful people have beautiful skin. Would a spot ever dare to invade Jennifer Lopez's face? No, of course not! And would Jennifer Anniston ever be seen with bags or dark circles under her eyes? Good grief, no! Well for us mere mortals who are not blessed with perfect features and a flawless complexion...is there any hope? Well, yes, actually there is! And it comes in the shape of Clinique's 3-step skin care routine (Mild Facial Soap; Clarifying Lotion and Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion). The quest for radiant-looking skin has been that bit more taxing for me since I have very sensitive skin which cries out if I dare to use the wrong product. However, thanks to the lovely people at Allders, I managed to blag myself some Clinique skin care samples. Having had the skin analysis to determine my "type", I was fortunate enough to receive the appropriate products to try out. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. The first time I used the products, I noticed a visible difference. My skin felt smoother, cleaner and fresher. Unlike some products than can leave the skin feeling taut, this left behind a more toned effect. After using up the samples, I wasted no time in accosting more of the products.

To reap the full benefits from this 3 step skin care routine, it is recommended that you use all 3 consecutively: firstly you use the facial soap to cleanse and soften your skin. It is fragrance free and suitable for even the most sensitive of skins - there are 3 different bars available: Extra Mild; Mild and Oily (which one you require is entirely dependent upon your skin type). I have very sensitive skin and use the mild one. I find it most effective to use a facial buffer sponge (from The Body Shop) to get a really good lather from the s
oap and then gently massage the face and neck area. Like with all soaps, you have to be careful not to get this in your eye as despite it being mild, it will most likely sting! It is also important to rinse it all off properly.

Once done, you can apply the Clarifying Lotion which I found to be the most effective product of the trio. Whilst it looks like a glorified toner, this does its job - and does it well. You only need a small amount applied to a cotton wool pad/ball to polish and de-flake the skin and unclog those pores, thus ensuring a smooth base for your moisturiser and your makeup. The only downside to the product is its smell. It is actually fragrance free but there is definitely a noticeable scent to it, although of what I can't be sure. Admittedly, it isn't the nicest smelling lotion but unless you drown yourself in it, it really isn't that obvious! I think if you use it fairly sparingly it should be fine, and your skin will still get that nice smooth fresh feeling. I personally don't use it all the time, (which is recommended) but instead just use it when my skin needs a bit of a "lift". As with the facial soap, the Clarifying Lotion has 4 different varieties so that the consumer can obtain the most appropriate product for their skin type. Lotion #1 is suitable for sensitive skin; #2 for normal to oily; #3 for oily; and #4 for very oily skins.

The Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion is housed in a small 50ml sized bottle and is yellow in colour. It has a nice, creamy consistency to it and is easy to apply. As with the above two items, it is fragrance free and I can't really detect any scent emanating from it. You only need use this sparingly, in particular on dry areas of the face and neck in which it is most effective, and it does last a considerable amount of time.

Price-wise, products cost between £8.50-£11 for the Facial Soap; £12+ for the Clarifying Lotion and £14+ for the Dramatica
lly Different Moisturising Lotion. Although a little pricey, these products do go a long way and if you were to splash out then I would say the best buy would be the Clarifying Lotion. One more point that I would make is, before you do purchase any, find out your skin type first. You can either pop in to a large Boots store, or department store, and get a quick analysis or go to .clinique.co.uk and find out there! (Click on "Which products are right for you?") Lastly, as mentioned above, Clinique products are available from large Boots stores, Boots online (wellbeing.com) and large department stores.

©Weeping_Willow, 2002

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