I am not a regular Clinique customer, simply because it is an expensive brand that is usually out of my price range. So, when Glamour magazine recently celebrated it's 10th Birthday edition by giving out one of ten different Clinique freebies with each issue, I was delighted at the chance to try something new and a bit luxurious for the bargain price of a £2 magazine! I treated myself to several of the different freebies, the first of which being Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion.

The full size version of this lotion is available at www.clinique.co.uk, as well as Boots, Debenhams and House of Fraser, and a 50ml bottle will set you back £15. The freebie I got was 30ml, so worth about £9, which makes it a real bargain!

The moisturiser is designed to be used as Step 3 of Clinique's famous 3-Step skincare routine. However, I have relatively sensitive skin, and have heard many horror stories from friends who have likened Clinique's cleansers and toners to paintstripper! While I have no doubts they work brilliantly for those with more well-suited skin, I decided to use this moisturiser along side my usual cleanser (Clean and Clear for sensitive skin by Johnsons) and toners (Breath of Fresh Air and Tea Tree Water by Lush).

It comes in a simple tube with a screw cap lid, and it is easy to control the amount of product that is dispersed. However, the picture of the full sized product on the website suggests it is packaged as a pump bottle, which may make it harder to prevent too much product coming out per pump. I personally much prefer the squeezy tubes, as there is less wasteage, and also it is easier to use up the dregs of the product- I sometimes cut the top off to get a few more days of use, which cannot be done with a hard plastic bottle.

The first thing I noticed when studying the information on the tube is that this moisturiser doesn't contain any SPF. This is extremely disappointing to me personally. Surely by now, with so much awareness of the damage the sun can do, both in terms of the dangers of skin cancer as well as the more trivial worries of premature ageing and age spots, I strongly feel that all moisturisers should contain SPF as standard. Perhaps this has been designed for people who wear foundation containing SPF instead. In any case, I refuse to leave the house without wearing a moisturiser containing an SPF, and so for that reason, I have been using this moisturiser in the evenings, as well as on occasional weekends/ bank holidays where I have stayed indoors.

There is an extremely mild fragrance to this moisturiser, which is completely inoffensive. To me, it simply smells clean, and the scent fades completely within minutes of having applied it, so there are no concerns about it clashing with your perfume. I think the most impressive feature of this moisturiser to me is how quickly it sinks in to my skin. Most moisturisers leave a sheen on my face that takes ages to properly sink in. Yet this lotion is completely absorbed within a minute of applying it. This makes it a wonderful base for makeup, as there is no waiting around for the moisturiser to absorb.

This moisturiser is suitable for very dry to dry combination skin. I fall into the latter category, as I often get very tight, dry cheeks, with an oilier t-zone. Having used this product once a day for over a month now, I can confidently say it leaves my cheeks feeling soft and smooth. However, I have found that on the odd occasion when I have worn this during they day, by lunchtime I am left with a very shiny looking nose and forehead. I will continue to use this moisturiser until I have finished the tube, but it seems like my t-zone is a tad too oily for this lotion to deal with.

I have had no breakouts since using this moisturiser, which is great, and suggests it is light enough not to block up my bores, unlike heavier moisturisers I have tried in the past. I estimate I have used approximately 10ml of my 30ml tube during that time, so a little goes a long way, making it better value for money than I initially thought.

Clinique regularly have "Bonus Time" offers, whereby if you purchase 2 or 3 full-sized products, then you get around 5 or 6 trial sized freebies, and often a pretty case/bag/tin to put them all in. These Bonus Time promotions seem to be on fairly frequently in my local Boots and Debenhams stores, so I would suggest anyone wanting to give this moisturiser a try to hold off until then. The trial sized products are often decent sizes, and are a great way of trying out a range of products without commiting to buying full sized versions.

I thought this was a decent moisturiser, but I won't be rushing out to buy a full sized pot anytime soon. This is partly because I am in saving mode at the moment, and would rather use a cheaper alternative and put the savings in our wedding fund, but partly because there is no SPF. For that kind of money, there is no excuse for it not containing SPF, and as I don't frequently wear foundation, I can't make up for it by using a foundation containing SPF. Having had a little browse on Clinique's website, I can see they sell a number of moisturisers that do contain SPF, so if I did decide to treat myself once I have a little more money to spend on treats, I think I would personally try one of those instead.

In summary, this is a lovely light moisturiser that sinks into my skin ever so quickly. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a Dramatically Different moisturiser, but my face is left feeling soft and smooth, and my cheeks no longer feel tight or dry. However, after a few hours of applying it, my t-zone does look rather shiny, so perhaps my skin is too combination for this lotion. However for someone with dry skin, who is not fussed about it not containing an SPF or the high price tag, this is definitely worth a try.