I wanted to try the Clinique 3 step skin care line for a while. Nothing is wrong with what I was using (Nivea 3 Step), but I just felt I was in need of a change. I already purchased Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion a few months ago and Sears was having a "free gift" event where if you spent $26.50 or more on Clinique products you would receive a free Clinique gift valued at $70. It sounded like an amazing deal to me, so I figured why wait to buy the other two products when I can buy them now and get a bunch of free samples along with it. I don't know if this is all worth $70, but it definitely was a great set of samples. The free gift included: Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer, Blushwear Cream Stick in "Glow", Lash Doubling Mascara, Different Lipstick in "Shy", and Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine. Anyways, I bought the 2 steps I didn't have (the face soap and the toner) and that brought me well above my $26.50!
INTIAL THOUGHTS:
Liquid Facial Soap in Mild: I use to use St. Ives Apricot Scrub every single day on my face and I think that's why my face is slightly on the dry side. I've been using this every other day to cut back on my exfoliating and it has helped balance out my skin and retain my skins natural moisture. It leaves my skin feeling so clean and soft. I don't think I would buy this again because I feel you can get the same effect with something much cheaper from a drugstore.
Clarifying Lotion #2: This smells like I'm rubbing Vodka on my face! Seriously. The cosmetic grade alcohol in this stuff is so strong it's sickening. The only thing I like about this stuff is that it leaves your skin with a tingle and you can feel it working. I would not buy this again.
Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent: It's another eye makeup remover. Nothing special. Don't really have much to say about this. I keep it in my kit for quick eyeshadow changes so this should last me a while.
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion: This is probably one of the only items I would buy again. My skin just drinks this up and it leaves me glowy with a perfect base to start my foundation in the morning.
Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer: This is super greasy but it sets in after a few minutes. It does leave my skin incredibly smooth, but I haven't used it long enough to notice any other effects other than how soft my skin feels.
Blushwear Cream Stick in "Glow": This is such a pretty colour. One of my favourite samples out of the whole lot. It goes on smoothly applied from the stick and blends it well setting to a powdery finish.
Lash Doubling Mascara: Nothing I would go out and actually purchase. Doesn't really do anything fantastic to my lashes. It does give them a natural look, but I prefer big, long lashes as opposed to natural looking ones.
Different Lipstick in "Shy": The tube busted as soon as I applied it (and I didn't even use a lot of pressure). A pretty ordinary pink colour that is good for day wear. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this. I already have a lot of HG pink lipsticks. This one doesn't make the cut.
Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine: This is really pretty if you like sparkle/glittery lips, but I'm not a huge fan. Didn't do anything to plump my lips. I wouldn't buy a full size.
As you can tell, I'm kinda disappointed with Clinique. It's honestly not all that it's cracked up to be. I love skin care products and this was just "Meh" in my opinion. I will be going back to my Nivea 3 Step after I'm done with this stuff. All these samples I wouldn't buy again. Nothing stands out as "HG" or "Buy worthy" in my opinion. Do you have any of these products and love them? Let me know!