Tag Archives: Clinique

Doodle Your Face Off

April 5, 2016

I have an audience when I’m doing my makeup. There are usually two eyes staring intently at my every move. It’s intense, sure, but I like to think of Betty (my Boston Terrier) as my sidekick. After all, I did teach her the “get pretty” command. Oh you don’t know about that one? It’s when your dog crawls into your lap and gets into a cozy position on her back so that she can get nails clipped and buffed. I am not even kidding. I’ll have to Snapchat it sometime. She’s such a special little pup.

I’m sure I’ve given Betty some entertainment lately. I’ve been drawing and doodling on my face like a kid who just discovered crayons with the new Clinique Chubby in the Nude Foundation Stick.

It’s the newest member of the Chubby posse. You know the crew, twist up pencils (that you don’t have to sharpen!) for lips, cheeks, eyes, even contour and highlight. It makes so much sense that there is a Chubby Foundation Stick now. I’m here to officially tell you that it is awesome. It covers what I need it to – lately a blemish on my cheek that I absolutely cannot ditch – and gives skin a healthy brightened look. It all blends in so evenly, no matter how you doodle. My skin adapts to a few shades but right now my best match is Intense Ivory.

I’ve got to say, it’s pretty liberating to color all over your face. And I’ve been getting rather artistic lately.

There’s the Curious Kitty. I have permanent red nose so this technique, which brightens your eyes when blended, works great for me. Even before I started Doodling, I placed makeup here on my nose. Way more fun to draw Whiskers and look at your dog to see if she identifies.

How about Dollface? It can be a way to define cheekbones. After blending in, I’ll grab the Chubby Highlight and draw a line right above and across the cheekbone. Instant pop and my stubborn cheek blemish is safely concealed by my doodle.

Here’s Tick Tock Clock. Doodle four lines at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for sheer coverage. When I’m having a jump for joy good skin day, this is all I need.

One morning when I was feeling really romantic, I also scribbled my boyfriend’s name on my forehead. It’s only three letters so it was actually really effective placement. It’s the makeup equivalent of putting his initials in a heart.

After doodling, I used Amp’d Up Apple on cheeks and Mighty Mimosa on lips. And lots and lots of mascara.

Photos by Rachel Dickens

This post was sponsored by Clinique. Thanks to Clinique for giving me some Doodling ideas – the artwork, results and opinions are all mine!

Puppy Dog Eyes

November 18, 2015

I have a special affection for Clinique. It’s one of the few brands that stirs up all sorts of beauty nostalgia but also keeps me excited in a modern way. I was using Clinique’s cake liner before I even got my driver’s license. I’m aware that isn’t usually how a girl’s journey with eyeliner starts but I like to think I was advanced for my age. Clinique still manages to get me jazzed to put on eyeliner. I’ve been experimenting with the new Skinny Stick and changing things up. Subtly, but noticeably. I’ve taken my go-to modified cat eye (I refer to it as the kitten) and gone puppy. That is, instead of flicking up and out for that wing effect you flick downward. I’m not mad at this baby animal terminology, I’ll tell ya that much.

I read all about puppy eyeliner on The Wink and figured sweet big puppy dog eyes could be a look I’d get behind. Plus, I think I’m already starting to resemble my Boston Terrier. It’s clear to me that we already share similar behavioral traits. Seriously, Betty thinks when I tell her to sit that I’m really trying to play and goes off in search of every toy she owns. She is a selective listener to the extreme. So, no one is more surprised than me when I ask her to “come get pretty” she climbs directly into my lap, onto her back and drapes a paw in my direction to signal that I should start clipping her nails. Guys, my dog responds to a mani/pedi command!

Have you ever seen those photo roundups promising “people who look just like their dog”? They’re total clickbait but always so spot on. I might not be far off. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing – Betty can pretty much get anything she wants with her big beautiful eyes.

I took the Skinny Stick in the deepest black shade and smudged it into the lash line, a little imperfectly. Then, I retraced the line with liquid liner to give it more pop, staying very close to my lash line. Finished it off going against my instinct and did not flick it out and up. Puppy eyes in full effect! I had to do this with my eye open. You’ll find it will look a little odd if you do it with your eyes closed, depending on your eye shape. I finished it with the Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara which – holy cow – gives lashes crazy volume. The oversized brush is much appreciated by me and really saturates your lashes with intense color. Black is classic (a.k.a. ‘jet’ in Clinique land) but I’m most excited by the Black Honey variation, which I hear is limited. Hopefully that changes because we all know how that berry hue can stand the test of time. Both the Skinny Stick and Chubby Lash get an A++ from me.

OK, I’m off to go take another selfie with Betty now…she is so demanding!

Low to Luxe: Eye Makeup Remover

May 15, 2013

My sister tasked me with this latest low to luxe: eye makeup remover! Oh, and I have such strong opinions on the topic. I find it to be a very important step in my nighttime cleansing ritual. It’s my step one, always. But why is it that so many are filled with synthetic fragrance, dyes and other irritants? The last place I want to be rubbing something like that is near my eyeballs. I’m sure you all have experienced the painful eye stinging that usually follows. It’s the worst! But fear not, there are some great formulas out there that are gentle enough for your peepers.

You cannot deny the convenience of a wipe, and the Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads are your best bet. Super convenient for travel and one pad remove even the heaviest of eye makeup, with ease – I’d add, on both eyes.

Brooklyn-based SW Basics uses just a few ingredients in all of their products, and they all serve a very important purpose. The Makeup Remover uses a blend of organic oils – olive, jojoba and sweet almond – and the tiniest bit removes everything. It’s very concentrated, so you don’t want to use it like you would a traditional liquid. I dip a Q-tip in the bottle and then drag it across my lashes. Then flip it to the other end to clean up and then repeat on the other eye. I used to use a cotton pad, but found it was too absorbent. The Q-tip method will ensure your sustainable glass bottle lasts months!

A legacy staple, I’ve been using Clinique Take the Day Off since I was a teenager. It’s one of those early discoveries that has stuck around! I like the oily texture because it removes everything easily. If you have to tug or rub too hard, you’re just asking for stretched out skin and premature wrinkles. A bottle lasts forever, and I find that minis always come in the Clinique gift-with-purchases. Which, of course, was how I first tried this product as a teen!

I recently discovered MAKE Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover after getting a sample in my Birchbox, and am majorly impressed. It’s equal parts oil and cucumber- and chamomile-infused water, without any fragrance or parabens. Shake it up and it quickly removes even this eyeliner, which may be the most stubborn (in a good way) I’ve used!