This Beauty Brand We All Used As Teens Is Secretly Making Some Of The Best Products For Us 40ish Gals
Hint: yellow.
by The Candidly Team
You used it. We used it. It was almost like a rite of passage. A graduation into “real” skincare and makeup.
Yes. It’s Clinique.
What a thrill to own “grown up” lotion! A silver lipstick tube! Shimmery eyeshadow that we had no idea required blending! Bras. Periods. Acne. Boys. Clinique.
But then we moved on.
We had bigger fish to fry, bigger pores to fill, deeper wrinkles to manage. And so, we started using retinols and vitamin XYZs and serums and night creams and burning peels and whatever else we could get our hands on as middle-age husks.
But.
It turns out that Clinique is excellent for mature skin. So while we’d never buy an eyeshadow or blush from them now (we tried them, there’s just not a lot of pigment or staying power), we did discover 7 products that are absolutely on par with nearly any of their fancy (read: expensive) counterparts, and in some cases, better.
Let’s go.
1. Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+™
This buttery yellow beacon represented so much! But then we had to go graduate high school and try 47 other moisturizers that our skin hated when we could have just been using this all along. It melts into the skin, it’s shockingly effective for almost every skin type including VERY dry, it’s fragrance free and allergy safe, and because Clinique is such a massive brand, there’s millions of dollars and hours that go into testing and R&D. We are lucky that we get sent a lot of extremely fancy moisturizers to try as a brand. And lately, we’ve just been using this. The beacon is back.
Price: $34
2. Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder
For our mature-but-greasy gals, this is the single greatest powder for knocking back shine while never looking “powdery.” Press it directly on the skin for some pore and texture coverage that just looks like you have perfect skin (for some reason the little round sponge that comes with it is miraculous), or use it to finish your makeup routine.
Price: $41
3. Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator
Everything in their “moisture surge” range is superb (especially their SPRAY) but this oil-free moisturizer reigns supreme. Let ingredients like aloe and hyaluronic acid help to create a 10-layer-deep “moisture reservoir” for extremely dry skin. If nothing has worked for you recently and you can’t get your thirsty skin happy, balanced, and dewy, try this.
Price: $30
4. Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
It’s almost embarrassing to include since it’s so iconic, but we’re doing it. Recently made viral on TikTok and was (is?) sold out for months and months, this balmy lip color is, quite simply, perfect. Doesn’t matter your skin tone, your hair color, your preferences, if you try this juicy, bitten-berry color once, you’re hooked for life.
Price: $25
5. Take The Day Off™ Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips
If you have sensitive eyes, this is, without question, the only eye makeup remover to use. Never stings. Always gentle. Gets hardcore eye makeup off in a single swipe.
Price: $28
6. Moisture Surge™ Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25
If you really really don’t like foundation but also love having blurred skin with just a kiss of color, this might be your new favorite thing. Described as a “tint,” this sheer, hydrating spf perfects your complexion, gives it a surge of moisture, and lasts 12 hours. AND, the best part is the shades are extremely flexible, so there’s very few to choose from. You don’t need to know your undertone. You don’t need to know if you’re “neutral” or “warm” or any of these words that 99% of us don’t understand. Choose your best guess from the 7 extremely forgiving shades, and poof, you were right. And now you have plump, dewy, perfect skin.
Price: $44
And here is our Editor-in-Chief wearing: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+™, Moisture Surge™ Sheertint Hydrator in medium, and Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in Stay Beige.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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