Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

If it’s possible to fall in love with a cleansing product, then Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is my new boyfriend (sorry Captain Jack)! This silky smooth balm is the absolutely perfect first step in a two step cleansing process. I’ve been using it now for close to a month now and it has become my “go to” product for makeup removal at the end of the day. Keep reading for more info!

Take the Day Off is packaged in a wide mouthed, 3.8 ounce jar and retails for $28.50. It’s designed to remove all traces of makeup and dirt after a long day. The balm itself is a firm yet creamy solid that almost has a “shortening-like” feel yet is firmer to the touch. When it comes in contact with the skin, it literally melts in the hand, making it so easy to smooth onto the face. I am able to spread it without added water and from there, it does quick work in removing my makeup.


A little bit goes a long way with this stuff. As I mentioned above, I’ve been using this for almost a month and I’ve barely made a dent in the jar!

Once I apply it to my face, I massage it all over---my cheeks, forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes and lids…you name the part of my face, it goes there! In the process it’s silky, moisturizing and lovely. Makeup is dissolved almost immediately and I follow that up with a warm washcloth to completely wash away the balm and all remnants of makeup. Once that’s all done, I move to my second cleanse (for an explanation of that click here).

Ingredients

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Polyethylene, PEG-5 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Water, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol

As far as the ingredients are concerned, it consists of various oils (a derivative of palm oil, safflower seed oil, an extract of coconut), a surfactant, a thickener, emulsifiers, Vitamin E and a preservative. All pretty much normal stuff which will do what the marketing for this product says it will do. One of the noticeably missing ingredients (and one which I have found in almost all high end cleansing balms) is FRAGRANCE!!! There is literally no “smell” to this product which will be a godsend for those of you sensitive to fragrances. I happen to like them but definitely don’t miss them in Take Off the Day.

This is an amaaaazing cleansing balm and I absolutely adore it! Definitely check this one out! You can find this wherever Clinique products are sold.

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream

Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream is supposed to provide sheer to moderate coverage and correct redness, dullness, and sallowness. It contains a number of great ingredients including a combination of physical and chemical sunscreens to equal SPF 30 protection. At $35 for a 1.4 ounce tube, this CC cream is on the high end price-wise but performs pretty well for a light coverage foundation (which is how US CC creams come off rather than US BB creams, which are more like tinted moisturizers).

I purchased this product in the shade “light” which matches my NW20 skintone well. This shade does, though, run a little bit pink so those with a yellow undertone may not find it blends well. Be sure to get a sample to try before purchasing a whole tube. The consistency is thick and smooth and glides effortlessly over the skin. If you’re looking for something that provides a lot of coverage, however, this is not it! The most coverage I could get out of it was light/medium but as I prefer light coverage, this worked for me.
On my “dryish” skin, I found Moisture Surge just that---very hydrating. Although I powdered my T zone, I probably didn’t need to but slightly oilier complexions will  benefit from a dusting of powder. By pairing this with a good concealer, Clinique’s CC Cream did the job and left my skin glowing!

So far, this is the only CC Cream I have tried and I like it and do recommend it for normal to very dry skin types.

Wearing Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream in Light

(there’s nothing wrong with your monitor—my skin really is that pale without self tanner!!)

Moisture Surge is available in the following colors at your favorite department store that carries Clinique and at Sephora.

• Very Light
• Light
• Light/Medium
• Medium
• Medium/Deep
• Deep

Ages of Beauty rating: ****