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?