Clinique iD DDM Tone-up Gel: A brightening moisturizer that works right away
The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is something I grew up with. I remember when I was in high school, my Titas in the US sends us the brand’s 3-step Skin Care routine with all the travel-sized GWPs (they have the cutest pouches!) and that yellow bottle was quite memorable. I liked how simple and effective it was but as with all cult classics, sometimes, they need a bit of an update for new users to take notice.
Enter the Clinique iD system – the easy to customize moisturizer line from Clinique which they launched a while ago. It came to my attention when Emilia Clarke was named their Global Ambassador and her favorite combo was revealed: the Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly with the Orange Fatigue cartridge! The system works in 3 easy steps. You choose your moisturizing base, add the Active Cartridge Concentrate, and pump away.
They recently came out with a new variant for the base – the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Tone-Up Gel which provides “8-hour oil-free hydration + a rosy glow.” Paired with the Active Cartridge Concentrate for Compromised Skin, I looked forward to what it can do for my combination-dry skin with redness and open pores. The Active Cartridge Concentrate is supposed to “aid in the visible recovery of skin with Cica plant.”
When you first use the system, you must make sure that the two products are coming out properly. I had to pump several times just to get the cartridge’s contents to come out and this felt a bit wasteful for the Tone-Up Gel but I suppose they have calculated for this discrepancy already. Because of the several pumps of the Gel alone, I realized that it’s not ideal to use on its own as it tended to pill once applied. I feel like the Tone-Up Gel was specifically designed for use with the Cartridge to obtain a balanced product.
Once both products are coming out of the pump, that’s when you’ll finally see the combination working. One pump is enough for my entire face and my skin looks somewhat even and brightened. The pores are somewhat filled but some of the redness can still be seen. I’ve noted though that trying to add another pump proved futile as it starts to pill again. Moisturization-wise, I feel like the combined product is sufficient as my skin does not feel dry throughout the day. But while it wears well under makeup, it doesn’t provide a well-hydrated base for those who want a more glowy look.
It should be said though that if you have a deeper skin tone than my medium-neutral tone, that this might look too light on you because of the tone-up feature. This would be a perfect base during the day especially if you have light-medium skin tone – just apply that one pump and then go.
Overall, this experience got me curious about the other Clinique Active Cartridges. I certainly want to try the one for Lines & Wrinkles because I’m all about anti-aging these days. I also like using the Clinique iD Dramatically Different Moisturizing Tone-up Gel + Active Cartridge Concentrate for Compromised Skin. It does what it sets out to do and using just one pump means I’ll be able to use it longer.
Have you tried the Clinique iD system? If not, you might want to catch their 11.11 BOGO Deal from the Clinique LazMall Flagship Store. You get two Clinique iD Moisturizers for the price of one 125ml. Just make sure to visit until Nov. 10 as that is when their promo ends!
