How Good is the Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer?

Tried and Tested: The Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer. Just how good is it?

One thing that I think is infinitely important: skincare. And so, it’s with great pleasure today that I bring to you a jolly little skincare review from a classic brand I think we’ve all turned to at one time or another: Clinique.

About oh, a month or so ago, I arrived home to a surprise gift. Inside, the Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer that promises to deliver extended “thirst relief”. Given that my complexion is about as dry as the Sahara desert passed Halloween, I welcomed it with open arms. In 2016, Clinique kind of blew my mind with the launch of their Pep-Start skincare range (I reviewed the whole thing, here) and I was ready to keep eating up what they were serving my skin.

A Soothing Texture

The Clinique Moisture Surge moisturizer is gel-like in texture and is pink in color. How cute! Pretty in pink, right? I gave this a try immediately and was pleased to discover that the gel consistency brought a refreshing cooling effect to my skin that felt quite soothing at the end of a ~~very~~ long day.

The next morning, I washed my face with my classic favorite Purity cleanser by Philosophy and decided to give the Clinique Moisture Surge cream a try underneath my makeup. Sure, it felt great at the end of the day but would it turn my face into a grease slop through the day? I was eager to find out.

Like the night before, the moisturizer felt refreshing on the skin and was a cheerful way to start the day. Similar to most gel moisturizers, my skin also lapped it up at great haste! I put this on first thing when I sat down at my vanity, spritzed my hair with some dry shampoo and combed it out a bit – then went ahead and started layering on the makeup. I’m not one to use a primer, so I went directly to foundation, then concealer, then powder and so forth. If a moisturizer is really going to mess with my makeup, it usually only takes about an hour or two and next thing I know it was mid-afternoon and my face didn’t feel the slightest like the site of a BP oil spill. That was a good sign. Upon looking in the mirror, I was happy to see even my blush and bronzer were still situated nicely. Good things!

But is Clinique Moisture Surge actually Moisturizing?

We’re at the start of January, which means we’re heading into two brutal months for my skin. It’s common at this time of year for me to start upping my moisture-game. As such, heavier facial moisturizers like the Chuda Healing Cream (review, here) and the Philsophy Miracle Worker Night cream (review, here) are brought into play and I’m reaching for my Origins Drink-Up Overnight mask at least one day a week. Oh, there’s also the addition of a facial serum. (It’s classic, but the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair truly is my fav.) Basically, I arm myself with a much heavier nighttime skincare routine to combat the harsh effects of winter on my skin.

The Clinique Moisture Surge felt very light-weight on my skin which initially made me think it wouldn’t be all that promising at delivering a lot of power. Turns out, I underestimated the pink cream because it has managed to keep my skin from developing nagging dry spots or feeling chapped. It’s been about a month of solid use and I am already thinking of repurchasing this. A good sign? I think so.

Try It with a Serum

Clinique does recommend using a serum after applying the moisturizer. I confess, I only do that in the evening and it seems to be working nicely and consistently keeps my skin quenched through the day. Personally though, I would rather reach for a moisturizing primer in the morning than a serum – but that’s just my take since I think serums can make your makeup slippery.

I’m Impressed

I feel a bit like a broken record in saying this, given how much I do really like the Clinique Pep-Start range, but I genuinely am impressed by Clinique’s Moisture Surge moisturizer as well. Since it is lightweight, I think it will work well on all skin tones – from oily to dry. Clinique says that the cream will leave your complexion with a dewy finish. While I haven’t really noticed that, I do think my skin has more of a radiant look to it…even without any additional highlighters.

Here’s an Instagram I took about 7 hours into my work day after applying the Clinique Moisture Surge cream and a matte foundation (with no highlighters).

A photo posted by Kelly (@dreaminlace) on Jan 2, 2017 at 12:11pm PST

Overall Thoughts?

All-in-all, I’m grateful to Clinique for gifting me my new skincare friend. It makes me think that a gel-moisturizer is absolutely the way to go and proves that a moisturizer doesn’t have to be thick and greasy to bring extra power. (As much as I love them, both the above mentioned Chuda and Philosophy Overnight creams are greasy on the skin and wouldn’t be recommended for daytime use.)