Clinique have been giving away samples of their most recent foundation to be released. This Beyond Perfecting Foundation is both that and a concealer in one which allows for complete coverage.

I decided to give this makeup a go, but having never used the clinique brand before I didn’t have much to compare it to. So I will be reviewing it as an individual product and will conclude with whether or not I would then purchase the full item.

Having made a specific journey into my local store to get the samples I had inquired about, I was a little disappointed that the shade I needed had all been given away. Luckily the dispenser had a slightly pinker sample than my tone, or a sample that was one shade darker than my natural complexion.

In the end she gave me both, so that I could blend the two together for a shade closer to my skintone. And she also gave me a lovely primer sample for my trouble.

When I used the primer it was actually great, lovely and light on the skin and once dried I wasn’t even aware that I had put any on.

I decided to mix the foundation samples in a small pot and then apply them with a cosmetic sponge. I did find that the application was smooth, however once it began to dry fully in places it caught on areas of my face. My eyebrows and edge of my nose looked especially bad, with small clumps of foundation. I made sure that I put it on sparingly because the product went a long way, and it blended well over all.

As you can see in this image the tone is slightly too dark for my skin tone, but I made it work. And this test was more to see how my usually sensitive skin reacted to a new foundation, rather than to match the shade completely. I have to be careful when I introduce new products to my body.

My skin didn’t react to the foundation at all, which is a relief when the clinique brand prides itself on being allergy tested. What I did find the next two days though, was that my skin felt oily, which is a rarity for me. I normally have dry skin or normal skin that can be prone to red patches and is easily irritated. But the day after this testing, I chose to put nothing on my skin because I woke up with an oily forehead.

I normally moisturise every day, but for a whole forty eight hours I didn’t put anything on my skin, and I needed to use my micellar water several times after this testing to remove excess oil.

The look of the foundation is good if you don’t get too close, and it was durable too because after nearly a whole day it took a decent amount of wipes to get it all off.
I found in certain areas it exaggerated my pores and that is a pet hate of mine when it comes to foundation. Look at my cheek and forehead in the image below, and you’ll see what I mean.
And like I described above I didn’t like the way my skin felt after I had used it either.

So the question remains, would I purchase this foundation brand? The answer is no. I don’t think that this product is suitable for me. Obviously there will be those out there who love the brand, and it’s each to their own in cases like these. I love my Rimmel London products although nothing is perfect, I think when you find something that works for you, it’s hard to try other things. But I’m always open to giving new items a go, and I gave clinique my full attention for the day I tested it. I will continue to sample other foundations in the hope of ever finding my dream coverage, but sadly this foundation just isn’t it.

My final review for this makeup item is:
Effectiveness 3/5
Quality 3/5
Durability 4/5