Summer Skin Saver: Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream

The weekend snuck past me, but it did give me a little extra time to test the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream, giving me 3 1/2 weeks of testing time, including one while traveling abroad. This little CC Cream has been put to major tests during that time, so how did it fare?

I have to admit, I was very hesitant about shelling out $35 on a CC Cream, but I was under some duress. I was about to leave on a whirlwind trip to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, and I did not want to bother with foundation. However, I had to be presentable and polished at some fancy gatherings...
What was a girl to do?
My momma talked me into buying this, and heck, did I not want to at all. I tend to loathe tinted moisturizers and BB and CC Creams because of the lack of coverage and the too much moisture on my already combo/oily skin. Not to mention I knew I was going to be in 80% + humidity in Hong Kong. I just had visions of this melting off my face into a puddle of disaster.
In the end, I paid my $35 and immediately went home to put this on to know if I needed to take it back before the trip. I squirted out a dime-sized amount (more than enough for a whole face) and gently rubbed it in. I was impressed. My face looked nice, even, and dewy, but would it last all day?

Above is a drop of the CC Cream, then it swatched, and then lightly blended. The color that I picked up is Very Light, which is part of Clinique's 'Very Fair' coloring group. Be aware that this is something you should swatch or test in store because usually I am the lightest shade that Clinique makes in everything, but Very Light is marked as the fourth darkest shade (and in my opinion, the 'lighter' shades are much more orange).

What does it do:

100% fragrance free

Does not clog pores

SPF 30

Oil Free

The Wear Test:

I wore this CC cream in all types of environments. I wore it for a 12 hour work day in California heat, through monsoon rains in Hong Kong and during sticky, humid days there as well. I have also worn this under both liquid and powder foundations. It has become my staple every day for the last month and I am so incredibly glad that I have it. I will be taking it with me to Hawaii as well, because this really does stand up to humid weather, even on combo skin. A little setting powder and blotting a few times will keep this fresh and the light coverage does not make you feel constricted in the heat.

Tip:

I find this applies best when you rub it into your skin like a lotion or sunblock. In this way, you can easily layer and it does not look like it is sitting on top of your skin. It is a bit of a learning curve, but that means no dirty brushes. I still have at least 3/4 of a tube left, so I anticipate this lasting me another 2-3 months. I also feel this works best without a primer. I tested it specifically with the Clinique primer and found it faded faster. Odd!

Here is my face wearing nothing but the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream and a hint of mascara. This picture was taken after an 8 hour workday. I blotted once during lunch. No, my skin is not perfect, but I am coming to terms with my minor blemishes and I feel naturally beautiful while wearing this CC Cream.

What is your favorite CC Cream?

Studio Gear Hydrating CC Cream SPF 20 in Linen: Swatches, Thoughts, and Review

This is my first CC Cream ever! So, naturally, I was so excited to try it when I received the Studio Gear Hydrating CC Cream in Linen for testing purposes through Brandbacker.  I am already familiar with and like Studio Gear, and because the weather is starting to warm up in California, a CC Cream would be a nice break from foundation on the weekends.

Studio Gear Hydrating CC Cream SPF 20 in Linen retails for $34 (again, my sample was powered by Brandbacker). There are three shades: Linen, Natural, and Wheat. Linen is the lightest and this also has an SPF of 20. Here is a little bit about the product: "Hydrating CC Cream transforms and enhances your complexion in an incredibly light, smooth formula. This foundation simultaneously fights aging, retains moisture, and covers and treats blemishes with a non-oily, perfectly radiant finish".

Key Benefits:

"Prevents fine lines and wrinkles with collagen-building ingredients
Restores skin elasticity by promoting moisture retention
Brightens and illuminates skin with a non-oily, complete coverage application".
Do I agree with these claims made by Studio Gear? Yes...I do...from what I have tested so far.
This CC Cream is very hydrating and my skin feels good, but not oily, when wearing it, which is great because my t-zone is prone to being oily. It is also radiant and has that light, smooth formula . I do feel my skin is illuminated, but the coverage is very very light for me. It does not cover my acne well.
If you have a flawless face, this is all you need, but I needed to set this with a bit of powder to have more coverage, which is fine, because it is still lighter than foundation!
I cannot comment on the treating of acne or the preventing of fine lines and wrinkles because I have not tested it long enough to see long term results. However, I can say it has not aggravated any blemishes of mine further.

This is the first stage of the CC Cream--- (and this is about enough for a full face): Goes on white with little granules in it that produce the color.

Above it is smoothed out and rubbed in half way.

Sorry the picture is a bit blurry, but the tone is accurate. This is the CC Cream on my skin. Matches my skin well (maybe a bit too yellow right now, but will be perfect in summer---keep in mind I am VERY fair) and as you can see it minimizes redness but does not fully cover acne. You can layer on problem areas, but the overall effect is just dewy, healthy skin.

I can be into that...I need to let go of my fear of people seeing my skin anyway. Maybe Studio Gear CC Cream will help me with that!

Overall: Great product...and for my first CC Cream, I am surprised at how much I like it. It does smell like sunscreen, which does not bother me. Also, if you are very fair, like me...this is a good summer product but may be too dark for winter skin. Everyone else...go for it!

Want one for yourself...check it out at Studio Gear's website!

To help you try it out...or anything else from Studio Gear, the brand and Brandbacker has given me a discount code for you guys!

Reader Discount: 10% Off
Reader Discount Code: bloggercc

Happy CC-ing!

The Fair Foundation Files: Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Dim the Lights

Hey Pandas!
"The Fair Foundation Files" will be a mini-series going on in the next few weeks because I have recently picked up a handful of foundations specifically for my fair skin and skin needs. I know this won't be the most helpful for all my readers because not everyone has this skin tone and I am aware of that, but I also know for many it can be a problem to find a very light foundation shade. At the very least, I hope my comments on the formula of the foundations are helpful, and you can choose your own shade.
See my first post to learn more about my skin and needs/wants!

There has been some buzz about this new foundation that just launched from the bareMinerals line Buxom. I recently got a sample of this and was eager to try it out.
This is Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation in the shade Dim the Lights.

• This boasts light to medium coverage and broad spectrum SPF 30.
• Dim the Lights is described as a "warm yellow shade for light skin tones"
• Honestly, the fairest shade Fair Game would probably suit me better, but samples only came in a few shades. I have neutral undertones but this was still a decent match.
• The price is $34 and this is formulated with tamarind, Vitamin C, and marine algae extracts to give skin 8 hours of moisturized wear.

As you can see, it pulls a bit yellow on my skin. bareMinerals suggests using only a pearl size amount, like what you see above, but I used about 7 times that to see any coverage.

The dewy, slightly yellow patch in the picture above is the foundation blended into my skin. This is a dewy finish formula.

This is about a third of my tiny sample tube on my face, and I was still a bit red on my nose and it did not cover my acne on my chin. 

But I can't complain much, as it is specifically stated this gives light to medium coverage. Emphasis on LIGHT. It was easy breezy to wear, didn't oxidize, lasted about 7 hours, so overall, pretty close to the claim, and moisturized my skin. My chin and nose got a bit oily throughout the day, but blotting or powder takes care of that.

Likes: 

• The SPF!
• I love the Buxom/bareMinerals brand and trust it won't break me out (and it didn't)
• The added moisture
• The dewy glow

Dislikes: 

• I still felt uncomfortable with the coverage
• Felt it was a bit too yellow on my skin

Overall: I like this to an awesome tinted moisturizer with SPF, not really a foundation. Maybe almost like a U.S. CC Cream for me. Not much coverage but great skincare benefits, moisture, and a dewy glow. This will be a nice foundation for the weekends, but it is a bit too much moisture and not enough coverage for school and work. But if you have dehydrated skin and not many blemishes, give this a go!