Why I love Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF30 Hydrating Color Corrector

I recently voted in the Glosscars awards on Beautyheaven - an annual vote by members of the community for their favourite items released in the most recent year. There are dozens of categories and products to vote for, with a special extra points voting system for your special favourites.  

I didn't hesitate choosing my favourite product from 2013 - Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF30 Hydrating Color Corrector. 

 

If I had to take just one product to a desert island, this would be the one I'd be packing.  It's my first CC Cream, and while I'm sure I'll try others, they'll have a lot to live up to. 

Clinique have 4 shades in the range, and I have shade Light which suits my complexion perfectly.

There are 40mls in the tube, and mine has lasted ages & is showing no signs or running out..   It retails for $45.00. 

I've swatched the cream so you can see both how well the shade matches, and also how well it blends.  How it imparts a lovely soft glow. 

According to Clinique, this wonder product  has:-

• Sheer, light-scattering optics help neutralise imperfections by reflecting light away from flaws—creating the look of more even-toned skin.
• Sallowness and dullness brighten. Redness diminishes. Grey becomes a natural glow.

My thoughts

It combines all the skincare benefits of the Clinique Moisture Surge skincare range with SPF30 UVA & UVB protection.  I love that it's fragrance-free, has an oil-free formula & is allergy tested.

What I really love about this is the colour correction.  I have had cheeks that are naturally red for as long as I can remember - this product eliminates the redness completely.

It makes my skin look and feel beautifully hydrated, fresh and calm.  It's a delightfully lightweight formula, I can barely notice I'm wearing it.  It also has great staying power and doesn't sweat off my skin on a hot summer day. 

While this can be a base and a foundation applied over it, I've never felt the need to do so.  This gives me all the coverage I need. 

I'd highly recommend trying this - personally I find CC Creams are a better product than BB Creams - they just offer so many extra benefits.  I hope Clinique make this forever!

Have you tried this CC Cream or others, please share your favourites.

Project Pan 50 - Part 2 (items 6 - 10)

Pleased to say that I'm progressing well on my Project 50 Pan and have another group of completed items to talk about. I'm also well into my next group of 5.  I'm actually surprised at how quickly I'm using products and also at how relatively easy it's been to date. 

I think when I get around the half way mark, I'm going to find the going tough - but so far, so good.

What I've used this time - it includes 4 x full size items & 1 x set of 5 (deluxe size) samples, which I'm counting as 1 x full size. 

1. Redwin Vitamin E Hand Cream - I grabbed this for around $3 at the supermarket & have enjoyed using it.  Lightweight, easily absorbed, good hand cream for daytime use.  Would repurchase

2. Avene Thermal Spray - my summer saviour.  This little 50ml treasure retails for around $10 & is currently my favourite skincare item - I carried it in my handbag, and a couple of spritz's on a hot day would quickly & easily calm my overheated skin.  Will definitely repurchase this many times, it's brilliant for anyone who hates getting overheated or uncomfortable in summer.

3. Manicare Tea Tree Nail Polish Remover - a decent nail polish remover with Acetone that retails for a few $$.  I don't mind the scent either, not too strong & it does the job.  Would repurchase

4. Nature's Organics Pure Sensitive Cleansing Wipes.  These retail for around $6 and are terrific for removing makeup at night when I'm too lazy or tired to do my usual cleansing.  Also so handy for traveling.  These are Australian made & owned & I'd rate them almost as good as my favourite Neutrogena wipes.  I like the natural ingredients & they never irritated my skin.  Would repurchase.

5. Samples or single use items x 5.

 a) Bioelixa Body Shaper Body Lotion - first time using the brand, this is a really top notch product.  Would buy the bigger size.

b) Joico KPak Restorative Styling Oil - just a few drops of this on dry hair, and instant moisture, and taming of the frizzies.  Would buy the bigger size.

c) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - legendary for a reason - I have a bigger bottle ready to go already, this is EL at their best.

d) L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream - another product I have a bigger size of, ready to go.  L'occitane's Shea range is amazing, I've loved everything I've tried in it.

e) Princess Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Mask (full size, single use).  I'm not counting my cloth masks in the full size count, as they're single use & I've plenty on hand. I received this in a beauty box recently & with Hyaluronic  Acid in the title, was keen to use when I needed some extra moisturising.  I've never heard of the brand before, but really liked this & will look to buy it when I need more cloth masks.  Unlike others I've tried, it didn't leave a sticky residue of serum, it was easy to apply & seemed to have the right amount of product.  The mask was also protected with a plastic sleeve inside the packet, I think that helps hold the shape & not give you a mask that's dripping with too much product.

I'll be finishing up my next 5 in just days & will post them up pronto.  If you're doing are Project Pan, how are you going?  Have you tried any of the items I've finished up this week?

Project 50 Pan

What is a Project 50 Pan?

It's a commitment by me to both save money & rescue my dresser & bathroom from having enough beauty, hair, skin, makeup products to almost kickstart my own beauty franchise.  

During the Project 50 Pan I will not be buying (for my own use) any of the following:-

• hair care products ie shampoo, conditioner, styling
• makeup products
• skincare products
• fragrance products
• body care products ie soaps, shower gels, scrubs, self-tanning, sunblock
• nail care products ie polish, tools, treatments
• hand care products ie handcreams, scrubs, soaps

I'm committing to finish 50 items from my current product stash (either I'm using already or have bought already) before I purchase any more beauty related items.

What are the rules?

During the duration of the P50P, I will not purchase any new hair, skincare, fragrance, body products, makeup, hand or nail products - unless I'm specifically replacing an item I do not have more of already i.e. if I run out of sunblock or nail polish remover etc

 

Items must be full size items, items I use personally i.e. not family members, and emptied or finished to be counted in the total.

What are the exceptions?

1. I have 3 x monthly Beauty Box subscriptions that are paid annually - these will continue to arrive during the P50P.
2. I am invited regularly to trial beauty products & review them.  As I'm not purchasing these personally, I will happily accept suitable trial offers & products.
3. I'm pretty lucky &  love entering competitions so may win some beauty prizes during the P50P.  Again, I'm not buying these items.
4. I have a fair amount of samples to use up - I will include (5) deluxe samples I finish using as (1) full size item

Other info

I'll review each item as I finish & post my progress every time I use up 5 items.  It'll give you a secret peek into my favourite items & why I love them, or in some cases, why I wouldn't repurchase.  

I hope you enjoy following me on this challenge & I hope to see my bank a/c growing & my stash reducing.  No idea how long it will take, I expect a few months easily.

Have any of you done this challenge before, and if so, how was it?  Or are you inspired to join me and do one of these too?

It's that time of year

Happy 2014 everyone!  

A new year brings so much promise & the inevitable new year resolutions.

I know half of Australia will wake up today vowing to never drink alcohol again, but outside of those 'morning after NYE' resolutions, I like to use this time of year to take stock of my life, health, family, friendships, finances, travel plans, hopes & dreams for the coming year ahead.  

Personally, I'll have an intense focus on improving my health in 2014.  2013 has shown me how invaluable it is to every part of your life, when injury and/or illness (or both in my case) affect you & your life circumstances.

Outside of being physically in a better place in 12 months, there's one other resolution I simply must make & I blame my beauty addiction for needing this!

I stood in my bedroom this morning wondering if my beauty & skincare products are mating overnight, or if they're in some secret CIA cloning program - honestly, how did I get SO much stuff?  

I must admit, I've been incredibly lucky in 2013, including winning early in the year 1 of the  "Glosscars" prizes from Beautyheaven.com.au - one big box delivery from Oz post & I suddenly had 60 or so new makeup, hair, skincare, body, sun, beauty tools & fragrance products to add to my already groaning dresser & bathroom. An amazing prize, and a highlight of 2013, I'll be happily working my way through it for years to come.

But I need to do something to bring my stash under control - so my new year beauty resolution will be to kick off the year with a Project 50 Pan - it probably should be a Project 200 Pan, haha, but like all New Year resolutions, it works better if it's realistic! 

I'll post next time of the rules I'll be following.  What's your New Year resolutions?  Are you doing any beauty related ones?

Beautiful beginnings

I've always been a fan of all things beauty.  I blame my Mum - from an early age she drummed into me the necessity to 'look after your skin now, you'll be glad you did when you're older'.  Plus she had an appreciation for fine fragrances & makeup that often found me playing with & trialing her favourites.

Now I'm older, I am very glad I looked after my skin from a young age.  The calendar may say I'm in my mid-life prime but I look & feel a good decade younger.   Part due to being an early beginner on skin care & part because I'm a bonafide beauty addict.

Yep, where's a 12 Step Program when you need one?   I guess if I do have an addiction, at least it's to something that benefits me rather than does harm!

So what is this blog going to be about?  Well I'm always buying, or trialing, or reviewing, or adding to a pretty decent size collection of beauty products.  I love mixing up brands, trying new products, or getting onto the latest thing nice & early.  Hope you like it & return.