Comfort but at a price... (Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter)

Member Name: cyberem78

Product:	Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter
Date:	06/06/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Makes dry skin soft and springy.

Disadvantages: Is expensive. Can be too stiff to use on delicate skin areas.

Clinique are a brand I usually avoid simply because they are so expensive. I recently wanted a mascara for a special occasion though and whilst at the counter was sale-talked into buying two products in order to recieve a whole lot of Clinique goodies. This 75ml or 2.5 Fl oz. tube of body butter was one of the promotional items. My offer - purchase two make-up items at around £15 each and which included a free tote bag, lip gloss, eye cream and make-up removal set was quite reasonable considering a 200ml tub of this moisturising butter costs around £20 at Boots.

The brand describe the butter as being 'rich' and 'intensively replenishing. They claim the butter wraps up the skin and dry zones in a layer of 'penetrating moisture'. It also supposedly helps against free-radical damage - things like pollution and sun rays - which causes premature ageing.

The body butter can be used all over the body from the shoulders down but it is advised to apply it after showering when pores are more relaxed and the moisture of the warm water can be effectively sealed into the skin with this cream. Alternatively the cream can be applied any time of the day and I have been using it regularly on my hands and lower arms in particular.

The cream is ultra thick in consistency - almost to the point of being so stiff that it won't squeeze out of my tube easily. This shouldn't be a problem if you buy the full sized tub where you would dip fingers into the cream. Applied to the skin it stays in creamy primrose yellow peaks and looks a lot like a dairy spread! It is easy to rub into the skin, however. When smoothing into the skin it feels quite greasy and waxy but in a luxurious way. It is like putting wax onto your car - it seems to instantly improve look and feel of the exterior! After initially rubbing into the skin there is a slight shine which dies away after the cream is fully absorbed. There is no excess oiliness. After the skin has aired a little more it has a springy, moist healthy appearance and feel.

Although the body butter is described as 100% fragrance free there is a faint aroma to it. This is not the same as products like Simple, which can smell a little earthy or plantlike or even a bit like paper mache!. The smell of this Clinique product is a little masculine, I think, but very clean and sharp. The fragrance is so faint that you have to smell your skin close up to notice it though.

I have been using the body butter all over my body except on my face and neck area (Clinique do specialist face creams too). I would say the butter is most effective when used on the drier areas of the body, such as the back of the hands, knees and elbows. On skin that feels thinner and more sensitive, such as over the breast tissue or belly, I feel that this body butter can be a little stiffer and more difficult to rub in than I am happy with. I do compare it in this case to other similar body butters like the Body Shop range which I find are much easier to rub in to these delicate skin areas without tugging or pulling the skin than this Clinique product.

I find that I need to re-apply the body butter throughout the day on more exposed areas like the hands, to retain the just-applied softness and elasticity.

Overall I am quite pleased with the look and feel of my skin after a couple of weeks use. I cannot deny that the butter lives up to its 'deep comfort' moniker. I am not impressed enough, however, to go out and purchase the full sized version of this cream. It certainly does not perform any miracles and basically does the same job as many other less expensive body butters on the market. For a touch of luxury at a slightly lower price I think I'll stick with the Body Shop's Shea Body Butter.

Summary: An effective but expensive body butter from Clinique.