Whoa, Is Clinique Sneakily Making the Best Foundations? See My Reviews

If you were a preteen in the 2000s, chances are one of your core memories is going to the Clinique counter at your local department store. I remember watching my mom get shade-matched while I browsed the different types of makeup, pining over rich lipsticks and luxe eye shadows. In fact, Clinique was the first makeup I ever wore—I vividly remember my mom giving me Clinique mascara and teaching me how to apply it. 

For one reason or another, I stopped using Clinique makeup as I got older. But recently, I stumbled on the legacy brand again and thought to myself, Have I been sleeping on Clinique this whole time? 

Unfortunately, the answer is yes, particularly when it comes to its tried-and-true foundations. I didn’t start wearing foundation until I was in my 20s, so I never tried the formulas when I was younger, and now I know that I’ve been seriously missing out. Clinique foundations blend smoothly, blur pores and imperfections, and wrap skin in lightweight coverage that looks effortlessly natural. I gave five of its best-selling foundations a spin by applying a different one to different parts of my face and ranking them, saving the best for last. 

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The lineup:
(Image credit: @ktberohn)

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The results:
(Image credit: @ktberohn)

5. Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer

4. Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup Foundation

3. Clinique Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Foundation

2. Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 25

1. Clinique Superbalanced Makeup Foundation

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Shop out the rest of my look:

Next, These Dreamy Lip-and-Cheek Tints Are Like a Shot of Espresso for Your Face

Associate Beauty Editor

Katie Berohn is the associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. Previously, she worked as the beauty assistant for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her master's degree at NYU's graduate program for magazine journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan; a digital editorial internship at New York magazine's The Cut; a social good fellowship at Mashable; and a freelance role at HelloGiggles. When she's not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her journey to smell every perfume on the planet, Katie can be found taking a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York's newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.