Clinique Dramatically Different... well, actually, not all that dramatic or different. (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion)

Member Name: Palice

Product:	Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion
Date:	11/01/09 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fragrance-free, and that's about it.

Disadvantages: Overpriced, boring formula can be found in so many cheaper products.

I'm almost afraid to burst the bubble surrounding this overhyped, overpriced and overpopular product, but, well, someone has to.

I'm speaking from the point of view of someone who is not only willing, but eager to pay elevated prices for cosmetics and skincare, but I do have a condition: it must be worth the cost.

The problem is that most people consider the skincare 'experts' in the white coats at the Clinique counters to be, well, experts. In a way they are, but in marketing, not skincare. They will promise that, if you have dry skin, this product will not only eliminate this problem, but will fit perfectly into their terrible 3 Step program, and is worth the money.

Let me tell you why they're wrong:

- What this product boils down to is water, a load of cheap, simple oils - mineral, sesame, lanolin, vaseline - plus a couple of other bog standard ingredients, and colourings.

- Yes, putting all these oils on your skin will stop dryness, but the point is, and I don't want to overstate this but:

You would get the same benefits from almost ANY OTHER 99p moisturiser marketed for dry skin - and I really do mean any other. Quite ironic, then, that the product is called 'Dramatically Different'...

- At this price, we should expect at least some antioxidants, ingredients which tell the skin how to behave normally (cell-communicating ingredients such as retinol [vitamin A]), other vitamins, sunscreens, or at the very least silicones which are a far less heavy and pore-blocking way to hydrate the skin, and can even reduce scarring.

I naively bought this product, and after using the horribly alcohol-filled clarifying lotion, slathered this product on I expected my skin to become perfect... for this price it surely would have to be, right?

Sadly no, what we have is a formula which makes E45 seem high-tech. And this is even less acceptable considering Clinique do produce excellent moisturisers with the above ingredients, meaning they could easily improve this product, but they don't. Why not?

Because they don't need to. Thanks to Cosmopolitan et al naming it time after time as a 'must-have', sales are constantly strong, simply because people don't know what they're getting (or rather, not getting) when they spend £20 on this. But you, dear reader, need not make this mistake again.

Summary: Use your money for a years' supply of cheap vitamin E cream instead.