Clinique 7 day scrub cream REVIEW

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream

I had been looking for a decent exfoliator for a while, the dry weather has been wreaking havoc with my skin. Make up goes on blotchy and my nose area has visible dryness! A couple of people suggested using the 7 day scrub cream, and I was willing to try it, and pay the £16.50 price for something which was going to work. THIS STUFF WORKS! :D


What is it like?


This product is quite thick, and you don't need much at all! So even if you think £16.50 is a lot, it will last you a while so it's well worth it! I often end up with excess on my palm (I really need to take my own advice and use less!!)


It's a thick cream with fine grains which doesn't lather. The directions don't suggest that you wet the face before you use the product, but personally I do as it feels like the product can go further and really buff the skin! It can take a little while to rinse the product off as it's so thick, but it's worth the wait! As I dry my skin, it feels so soft!


I thought that with persistent use of this product I would feel the effects decrease with use, but this isn't the case! It's like I'm using it for the first time every time I use it (I use this product up to twice a week to freshen up my skin!) I use it in conjunction with my 3 Step skincare and have found no problems, just great glowing skin! My make up goes on really smoothly and stays put without drying that you can get with other scrubs such as Clean & Clear blackhead daily scrub. I find that this is too harsh for my skin, and being combination/dry, it strips my skin of the moisture I need for the day, making my make up dry up on my nose/chin areas!


Alternatives?

I really like St Ive's apricot scrub, but I would use this less, as it can be quite harsh on the skin! It does the job, but it's not as gentle and nourishing as the Clinique 7 Day scrub




I'm still on the lookout for more scrubs so please if you know of any that might be suitable for my combination/dry acne prone skin then just leave a comment below!


I hope this review was helpful :) thank you for reading!

Clinique 3-Step Anti-Blemish Solutions Product Review

Product Review for Clinique's 3-Step Anti-Blemish Solutions

I'll start of first of all by telling you that I have dry-combination skin. My skin is acne-prone (I have suffered with acne since the age of 12, and I still get the occasional flare ups almost ten years later! Sucks eh?) My flare ups are pretty much confined to the chin area and forehead. My face tends to get greasy around the chin/nose and dry on the cheeks/forehead, nightmare if like me you like wearing everything when it comes to make up (foundation, powder, bronzer, blusher!)

Trying Clinique for the first time:

I have been through all the standard 'drug store' skin care ranges, and found myself getting frustrated at my skin, make up just never applied smoothly, and I'd end up greasy and spotty by the end of the day. Luckily, I was in my local Department Store, and browsing the Clinique counter, when a helpful assistant offered me trial sizes of the Anti-Blemish Range, this included: Cleansing Bar for Face and Body, Clarifying Lotion (15ml) and Clearing Moisturiser (15ml). I had never considered Clinique before, as it was quite out of my price range, being a student with no part-time job!

The Clinique Anti-Blemish 3-Step skincare system actually works! (well, for me it does!) It dries up those greasy areas, and horrible spots! I have to say though, with having dry areas, I find that the Clearing Moisturiser does not nourish my skin as I would like (because of its spot fighting ingredients which inevitably dry up the spots/skin) I use in its place Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (not gel). This moisturiser works really well for me, as part of my Anti-Blemish system, as now I have the best of both worlds, spot fighting treatment & moisture in those dry areas, perfect! I also prefer the Cleansing Foam rather than the bar (for convenience really!)

How do I use my 3-Step Skincare System?

I find that I get the best results when I use my 3-Step Anti-Blemish solutions twice a day, every day! It prepares my skin in the morning for make-up, which then glides on and stays on longer! At night I can see and feel my skin looking more refreshed and moisturised, with no traces of make up left (essential to keep that skin free of clogged pores which can lead to a flare up of acne!) This is my routine morning and night:

1. wet the face and neck

2. one pump of cleansing foam, lather in the hands

3. smooth over face gently (avoiding eyes) and rinse with warm water

4. pat face dry

5. apply Clarifying Lotion to cotton pad and wipe over face and neck

6. follow with Dramatically Different Moisturising lotion, face and neck 

Alternatives?

I've found that a cheaper alternative to the Anti-Blemish system is the Superdrug Tea Tree range, but again, if you have dry skin, I would suggest using a richer moisturiser, as the blemish ones can be quite drying. Another alternative, from Clinique, is the 3-Step skin type 2. They currently do starter kits (smaller products in a set) for £20. I bought this set, because they unfortunately do not do an Anti-Blemish starter kit! Skin type 2 caters for dry-combination skin, so I thought I'd give this a try! If you don't mind the slight tingling sensation that the Clarifying Lotion gives, then this is certainly worth a try! I have found that it works just as well as the Anti-Blemish, but the lower price gives it the edge! 

I hope you found this review helpful and please ask any questions you might have and I'll try to answer them! Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment about your own experiences with Clinique!