Clinique Moisturizing Gel Review

It's a love-hate relationship with one of Clinique's famous products --- the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I've been using it for more than a year now and this is what I have to say:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, 2400php ($24 @ Clinique website)

What I love about it:

- easily absorbed by the skin, no sticky feeling!

- made my face more radiant and supple the next day

- allows makeup to glide smoothly on the skin

- the scent is not too strong

- i can mix it with my mineral powders to create a mineral creamy base

- good value for money since 1x pump can cover the entire face

- works like a primer (like Skinhour mattifying moisturizer) on cooler days

Uh-ohs:

- no SPF

- after 9 months, I started breaking out because of this; and so

the Antidote:

- use it every other night

- avoid using it under makeup if it's gonna be real humid 

I'm still using the dramatically different moisturizing gel right now.  When I broke out after the 9-month love affair, I totally stopped slathering it on for 2 weeks.  My skin got better but I noticed the significant dullness.  My skin also started to get a bit coarse.  That's when I resumed using it every other night (and I no longer moisturize in the morning) which brought back the radiance that I missed.

This would last me another 6 months with this kind of frequency of use.  I really don't know if it was a good thing I broke out (I get to prolong my supply and save some moolah!).  Nevertheless, I'm still sticking by Clinique because my combination-to-oily skin just can't get enough of the brightening effects of this moisturizing gel!

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My skincare regimen includes: pond's cold cream, kojic soap from Doc Six Foronda (my derma), clinique toner 3, retinoic acid 0.1% from derma and spot treatment using acne solution from my derma

Moisturizers are given 2-3 years before they expire.