Review: Clinique 3 Step Skincare for Combination Skin...

So I know that Clinique's 3 Step Skincare routine isn't particularly 'new' on the beauty scene. In fact, the 3 Step System is possibly one of the most world-renowned cleansing routines on the market at the moment, and hundreds of thousands of women world-wide label it as their go-to for gorgeous skin. However, at £20 for just the introduction kit I wanted to try out the range before committing to an expensive cleansing routine which I might not like. Luckily, Clinique are very generous and offer two weeks worth of samples for free to every new customer. Knowing how much I love free stuff, I rocked up to my local Clinique counter in Boots and had a twenty minute-long consultation where the lady who helped me was absolutely fantastic. I left with three miniatures of Clinque's most popular products for combination skin and it was as easy as that! Huge apologies in advance for the terrible quality of my Crapberry photos :)

So first up is the Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap. This gel based formula lathers to create what feels like a very moisturizing cleanser which I don't usually expect from a gel for combination skin. Whilst I was using it, I thought it was so lush and because of the suds it felt like a proper luxury experience. After rubbing the foam in circular motions over my face and splashing my face with water a couple of times to get nice and clean I was happy. For about five minutes. After five minutes, my skin felt a little tight (although not unbearably so) and looked a bit shiny, almost like I'd polished my face with wax, which I know sounds really weird.

Next up was step two, Clinique's Clarifying Lotion. This is a toner type product which you're supposed to dampen a cotton wool pad with and sweep it across your face. The idea is that this product removes any final dregs of makeup or oils which have been left on your skin so that you're not locking them in when you smooth over the moisturizer. I've always been a bit scared of toners because I've often found them to be quite harsh and drying. Unfortunately, I found this to be exactly the case with this product. It smelt a bit like I was wiping nail polish remover across my face, to the extent where I couldn't even come within an inch of my eyes because they stung when I did. Sure, it felt refreshing enough, but about two minutes after the toner had dried my skin felt even more tight than after the cleanser. Also, my face was ever-so-slightly red and clearly irritated by the assault which Clinique had unleashed on it. This clarifying lotion did undoubtedly remove the last bits of makeup which is visible from the UsedCottonPad photo I took. However, I was shocked that the cleanser had left this much makeup on my face in the first place! Not good.

Finally, is step three, Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. Only once before have I used a gel-based moisturizer (that time it was from Clarins and I loved it although never repurchased because I found it too expensive...) and this time I found the same fantastic results. This moisturizer is perfect for combination skin as it isn't so heavy that it suffocates your pores but is creamy enough to take care of any dry patches. I also found that this product can be used really sparingly, making it more cost effective. With this moisturizer, the drying effects of the cleanser and toner were reversed and my skin felt better than it had before I'd started the three step system.

As you can see, my Clinique 3 Step System journey has been a rollercoaster ride which I've taking morning and night for two weeks. I always try to use a new skincare routine for at least two weeks in order to give it chance to properly get to work on me. In this case, after just three days I found I started to get breakouts around my nose and between my eyebrows and those which I already had on my chin were further aggravated. However, I understand that when using a new brand or new products, skin can go through a 'purging' experience where it gets worse before it gets better as all of the impurities are being lifted to the surface before being flushed out. But still, I don't believe I will be purchasing the three step system sadly. Part of the blame must lie with myself, as I told the Clinique consultant that I have combination skin when really in hindsight I think I probably have dry skin. This confusion arose from the occasional spot that I get on my chin which I assumed meant I am oily in some areas, but upon further research I've since realized that they are menstrual breakouts and are in fact nothing really to do with the skin itself. Having said that, I won't purchase the whole line, although I would definitely consider investing in the moisturizer as I must admit its quite possibly the best I've ever used! 

There's a no-makeup picture for you. Its funny really because with the Clinique 3 Step System my skin looks and feels so clean and fresh after I've completed the whole thing, but the discomfort after the cleanser through the toner and until the moisturizer just isn't worth it for me. That said, I need to make clear that Clinique are a fab company and I'm sure they'll be happy to help me adjust my samples in order to try out a line more suited to my skin as the lady in Boots was so helpful. Furthermore, please everyone keep in mind that this is JUST MY EXPERIENCE with the system. Everyone's skin is different and whilst some people may call this line their 'Holy Grail of Cleansing Systems' I would have to disagree on a personal level. Please don't let this deter you from trying out the range though. Finally, although I did not purchase the products for this review they are provided in sample sizes which are available to anyone interested in the Clinique 3 Step Program. Also, I was not paid in any way for this review.

Have you tried Clinique's 3 Step System before? Do you have any toner recommendations for me? Have you experienced gel moisturizers before?

The Clinique 3 Step System introduction kit can be bought from Boots online for £20, however, I would advise anyone and everyone to make the most of the consultation service which the brand offer in store, in order to give you an expert opinion of what should work best.

Love and snuggles

gabriellasofia

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Selfridges Christmas Beauty Event...

I've been crazy busy so far with so many things to do in time for Christmas, not to mention my looming deadlines for January... don't remind me about them!

I was wandering through the Bullring the other day, and a handsome man in a rather sharp suit accosted me outside Selfridges, telling me all about this Christmas Beauty event which had been organised for two days later (the 1st December). I was told that tickets cost just £10, which was redeemable against purchase on the day of the event. In exchange for my £10, I would get a beauty goodie bag, a glass or two of champagne, a yummy mince pie and a handful of make-up application master classes from some of the major brands in Selfridges. I took a leaflet and walked on, dreaming about all of the beauty goodies I'm craving for Christmas and thought I wouldn't think of it again!

However, that day my dad expressed an interest in a Bullring shopping trip (this means he was desperately lacking in Christmas shopping) so before I knew it, I was stood outside Selfridges with my little sister in tow and a belly full of Jamie's Kitchen!

A couple of hours earlier I'd headed into Selfridges and purchased two tickets and signed myself up for an Estee Lauder foundation lesson, an eyeshadow masterclass at Bobbi Brown and a blush-match with Clinique. However, by the time I'd finished my dinner with my parents, I'd missed the final two so headed straight to Estee Lauder where the lovely Jay removed my 'face' and reapplied a more flawless version of it! Of course, he used the esteemed Double Wear Foundation and the Double Wear Stay-in-Place concealer amongst other great products and my

skin looked and felt so smooth whilst also feeling so lightweight!

There was a 'performance' by some creepy clown-looking version of Santa Claus (and we all know how I feel about clowns...) and some gospel-choir style band of about three women and two men who seemed to be shouting the lyrics at us. This is no exaggeration. I remember the rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You to be particularly cutting complete with screeching and the 'I've-got-attitude-so-I'm-going-to-wiggle-my-head-from-side-to-side-and-do-twinkle-fingers-up-and-down-by-the-side-of-my-face-as-I-can't-hold-a-note-and-it-makes-it-look-like-I've-done-it-deliberately' dance moves. Fantastic. The music was actually so loud, that Jay and I were having to shout into each others' ears which although he seemed very nice, I have to admit it is a bit too close for comfort with a strange man with a foundation brush for my liking... Nonetheless, he is a wizard with that brush and I felt so much more beautiful than I usually do, haha.

As I previously mentioned, my dad needed to get some Christmas shopping done, namely for me, so I figured that would be how I could get my £10 redeemed as there were numerous beauty goodies I was dying for for Christmas, from benefit, Urban Decay and Nails INC. Of course, I'm a complete idiot and didn't realize that Selfridges no longer have a benefit counter and seems never to have had Urban Decay or Nails INC. I was temporarily gutted, until I remembered that Selfridges DOES HAVE a MAC counter and also NARS. Plus, Debenhams have the three that I was looking for with a fantastic 10% off offer on the same day, so the disaster was generally averted! Thank goodness for that...

I had the best beauty day ever really! I'm not going to reveal the bits and bobs I chose from the various make-up counters as honestly I'm trying to forget so I'm surprised on Christmas morning... According to my dad, they've all been sent off to Santa Claus now and are ready in the sleigh. Eeeep!

And now for the bit which you all want to know about; the goodie bag. I was going to record a goodie bag haul for the event but the items are all so small that I figured a picture would be best. I got a Balenciaga Paris 10. Avenue George V mini fragrance, and also an Acqua di Parma one too. I got this really cute hot pink cosmetics bag from Juicy Couture with a delux sample size of Viva la Body Lotion by them too. I got a little tube of Dior's Creme Reparation Rides (also known as Wrinkle Correction Eye Cream), Alien by Thierry Mugler Body Lotion and also a sample of Fekkai's Shea Butter which is lush! The best bits in the goodie bag though were, by far, the little sample tube of NARS's Firming Foundation, Super Orgasm skin Illuminator highlighter and Clinique's exfoliating Clarifying Lotion 2. Honestly, the goodie bag wasn't amazing, but considering the whole event was essentially free once I'd redeemed each of my two £10 tickets on a couple of Christmas purchases courtesy of the Bank of Daddy I really can't complain. Furthermore, I got two of everything as my sister is nowhere near as much of a beauty fanatic as I am so she gave me her bag and the entire contents! Great success :)

So in all Selfridges Christmas Beauty Event was an evening well spent. I know that a few different department stores run this kind of event around Christmas time, and it seeks that House of Fraser were giving an even better goodie bag. However, I much prefer Selfridges at the moment as I find it to be a much friendlier environment, so I'm quite content with what I got. I would definitely recommend this kind of event to anyone who loves beauty. Get some girls together and head on a night out afterwards when your make-up has been done by some of the best brands in the industry... not many people will be looking as good as you one the likes of Estee Lauder's Jay has had anything to do with it.

Have you been to this kind of event before? What was in your goodie bag? Was anyone in Selfridges that night?

Let me know

Love

gabriellasofia

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