Review: Clinique Super City Block daily face protector

A few posts ago, I had mentioned the Clinique Super City Block daily face protector as something that I use practically every day. It's an SPF 40 sunscreen, and I've been using it for about 4 months now. Enough time, I think, to give a good review. :)

It comes in a 40ml tube (see picture below). And since you only need a small amount, this tube has lasted me nicely.

 

Now I've always been a bit wary about putting heavy sunscreen lotions on my face for fear of break-outs. So I read about this product online, and given that Clinique products have not given my skin any problems in the past, I decided to give it a shot. Even so, I only purchased this after using a sample for a week.

As you can see from the picture below, when you first squeeze it out of the tube, it has a slight tint to it.

However, the tint starts to disappear once you start to blend it out, and once you've finished doing that, it's barely noticeable.

As I mentioned earlier, you only need a small amount with this. The consistency is neither too thick nor too runny, but if you put too much on, it can tend to look a little greasy. It's a bit of a weird one though, because if you have some dry patches on your skin, it can stick to them as well. So I recommend moisturising your skin thoroughly before putting this on.

And although I said that the tint isn't noticeable once it's blended in, if you have a medium to dark complexion, it might be harder for you to do so. My skin is somewhere between an NC 25 and 30, so if you're darker, I would recommend trying out a sample before you buy it.

With regard to the actual protection - Clinique says that this protects against UVA/UVB rays as well as environmental aggressors such as pollution. I don't live in a polluted city, so I can't vouch for the second bit, but I do feel like it protects my face very well against the sun. I wore it on holiday in Bournemouth and it was fantastic.

So all-in-all, I definitely recommend this as a face sunscreen for dry to normal/combination skin. The only thing that goes against it is if you have darker skin, in which case it might leave a bit of a whitish/pearly cast. And if you do buy it, be sure to use a small amount to avoid looking disco ball. :)

You can buy this product on the Clinique website or at Boots. It retails for £16.00, and also comes in a SPF 25 version if you're interested. 

I hope this review was helpful, and I'd love to know what sunscreen you use!

Review: Laura Geller Blush n Brighten

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. Today's blog post is a review of one of my favorite blushes - Laura Geller's Blush N Brighten. The shade that I have is called Roseberry.

Now, I had never tried any Laura Geller product before this one. If you haven't heard about this brand before, it's available on the QVC UK website. It's a premium brand, and the Blush n Brighten retails for £28.00 online. You also get a retractable brush with it. Now, being a student last year, funds were very limited, and I couldn't afford to spend that much. So when I saw this on eBay for a much lower price, I jumped on it*. The brush didn't come with it, though, so I won't be reviewing that.

This is a baked blush, and according to Laura Geller, all of her baked products start out as a liquid and are then baked on terracota pans in Italy. This is what gives them this swirled appearance. It is also what determines that no two products are exactly alike, because you never know what concentration of colour you'll be getting since they are all swirled in different patterns.

The shade that I have, Roseberry, is a lovely soft pink. It has a shimmer to it with a subtle, gold undertone, so even though the colour itself is more complementary to cool skintones, the gold shimmer offsets that, resulting in a blush that can be worn by warm undertones, as well. The blush itself also looks beautiful, with shimmery threads of gold-pink running through it.

While the swatch itself doesn't appear to be too pigmented on my hand, it can really show up dark on your face. So use it with a VERY light touch, because you only need a little bit. This is especially important if you're fair skinned. Another important thing to note is, try to apply it in natural light. I applied it in my room, which has a yellowish-golden light and it seemed quite subtle. Then I went outside, and BIG SURPRISE! It was way too much, bordering on clownish (needless to say, much panicked rubbing with a handkerchief ensued). Also, as with most baked products, there tends to quite a lot of fallout, so watch out for that.

The bottom line is, this is a beautiful blush. A lot of people compare it to MAC's Mineralize range, and I think that it certainly can give that line a run for its money. And although that is cheaper, with Laura Geller's Blush n Brighten, you're getting 9g (compared to MAC's 3.5g). So if you don't mind the high price-tag (or are having a lucky eBay day), you can't go wrong with this one. :)



 *SIDEBAR: If you have never bought cosmetics or make-up on eBay, you might want to read this. Personally, I find it's a fantastic place to get good deals, find products that have been discontinued etc. But, unfortunately, it's also a place where a lot of counterfeit or fake goods are sold. So before you go ahead and buy something, check the seller ratings and reviews. Try and avoid makeup that is classified as 'Used' (even if it is used a little, because it is makeup, and it wouldn't be hygenic. Especially for something like lipstick, for instance). It's also advisable to buy products that have actual, clear pictures of them posted, rather than a brand photo. And also watch out for ridiculously cheap "high-end" make-up, especially when it says it's an overseas seller. Of course, you could do all this, and still end up with something that doesn't meet your expectations, but eBay does have a protection policy, so chances are, you can get a refund. So go ahead, be safe and happy shopping! :)