July 27, 2011

Clinique Lid Smooth Antioxidant 8 Hour Eye Colour Review, Swatches, Photos

Sometimes you have to keep us makeup junkies interested. We’ve tried it all so it’s hard to get us juiced up about a new product.

Cream eyeshadow isn’t exactly my idea of breaking new ground however one that promises an eight hour wear and includes a rather nifty cooling applicator….hmmm, now you’re attracting my interest.

The new Clinique Lid Smoothie Eye Colour promises an eight hour formula, comes in a range of 12 shades, and has a cream to powder formula but that’s not the cool part, “cool” get it? Each shade comes with a cooling applicator!

Check it!


A range of cream to powder shadows with an extended wear formula and a antioxidant rich ingredients to refresh tired eyes!


If cream is your thing, listen up.

For a long time I wasn’t a big believer in cream shadows but I’ve found over the years that some can really capture and hold my interest.

Clinique Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8 Hour Eye Colour has some interesting factors for a cream shade. These lightweight cream shadows pack a formula that’s rich in Vitamin E, Broccoli, Carrot, Blueberry, Cucumber, Aloe Vera, and Caffeine to help refresh the appearance of tired eyes plus collagen boosting peptides to help smooth the skin texture. Another words, if your eyes are aging, looking rather tired, or just in need of a pick me these shadows do that and give eyes a flash of color. Cool eh?

Clinique is releasing 12 shades of these for $19.50 in August (some counters already have them) and each sports a silver applicator attached to the tube which allows you to squeeze and apply color. The nifty little trick of the applicator is it has a cooling effect as you apply so it soothes and refreshes your lid during application. Nifty!

I dabbled around with a few shades the past week and a half and so far I like these. The formula is a smooth creamy texture which glides on easily and stays dewy to the touch long enough to build color up and blend it nicely. I’m normally annoyed by too quick to dry formulas or irritated by ones that take too long to dry down but Clinique’s falls just in the middle of these issues which allows me to build color easily and blend it out without having to deal with an already dry finish plus not worry about it remaining “wet” for too long after application. I find they glide on nicely but come across a tad sheer when blended out so building up colors is a necessary evil for the best color pay off. Although rather nifty I find the applicator doesn’t quite fit the contour of my lid as well as I’d like, it’s a bit small, so this results in patchy application. For the best results I apply to my lid with the applicator and blend out with my fingers or better yet apply directly to my finger and apply but in this case you miss out on the refreshing, cooling sensation of the applicator.

Colors stay in place decently well without a primer although I seen even better wear with a primer underneath. I’d say I can get about six hours of wear without a problem of creasing however the intensity of the colors fade a bit during those hours. Worn with a primer I see the full eight hours and beyond of wear but colors still somehow fade for some reason which results in less pop than when they were originally applied, not by much mind you, but enough to be noticeable.

I find Clinique’s color range is very work friendly. These aren’t loud, bold shades but more natural and pretty.

The shade I tried were:

  • Bit O’ Honey-Light Buttery Cream almost beige that applies lightly with subtle color payoff. Fabulous pick for brightening up eyes that look tired or droopy.
  • Current Affair-This is a mauve-y purple which gives eyes a bit of mystery it applies sheer or can be easily built up in intensity.
  • Cute-cumber-This is sage green which can also be worn as a sheer color wash or built up for better more vibrant color pay off.
  • Born Freesia-This is a soft lilac that builds up easily.
  • Pinko Biloba-A pretty sweet shade of baby pink that brighten eyes up. Can be applied as a soft color wash or built up a little bit for better intensity.


I was little disappointed with the applicator as I didn’t make proper use out of it. You can glide color on with it but you really need your fingers to blend the colors in properly. I love the cooling feel but I’m sadly failing to make use of it.

I noticed without primer that the vibrancy of the colors fade a bit. I didn’t have issues with creasing or migrating just the color seem to dim as wear time goes into the 5th hour or so.

  • Those looking for a lightweight cream eyeshadow.
  • Aging, drier eyes that want a bit of color sans a formula that’s too rich or too bold.
  • Those who enjoy who enjoy cream eyeshadows and want a few work friendly shades.
  • Clinique fans (the product is a first for the brand and should be a success with fans of the brand).

  • Those want colors to remain rich and vibrant all day (I noticed some fading).


I didn’t notice my eyes looking anymore awake or refreshed after use but I imagine if your eyes are less than smooth or you’re seeing some crepeyness that a formula like this could prove excellent to work with. Overall, I find the shadows an interesting addition to the Clinique line. They could prove a tad uneventful if you’re used to wearing bold shades of aqua or hot pink (been there, done that) but if you’re settling down now, need some work friendly shades, or just noticing the fine lines creeping in these should prove a nice light, friendly eyeshadow that won’t make eyes look tired or old. Some of the shades are definitely worth checking out.

Clinique Lid Smoothies will be available officially in August but some counters already have them out and of course online soon at www.Clinique.com

I know some of you tired them already, do share your thoughts.

Will you be buying them?

Testing them out?

Share it!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Vijaya

    I prefer bolder shades. =\ Unfortunate that the range is so tame, but then that’s Clinique for you. xD Great review. =]

  • Larie

    Great review! So thorough 😀 I wasn’t interested at first, but reading your review…I’ve been sucked in. *shakes fist* Darn you for enabling, Muse!

  • Cait

    i may need bit ‘o honey lol…my eyes get so tired and droopy it’s ridiculous

  • Freidra

    I got Salt and Pepper – very pretty taupe. I find, surprisingly that I get better wear when I use the metal applicator. I like to pretend that there’s some scientific reason. Probably not.

  • Laci

    I’ve been digging more subtle colors lately. I may have to check these out at my counter.

  • Lauren

    This is definitely one of my new favorite cream eye shadows. It definitely lasts throughout the day and doesn’t crease. So far I have found that the best way to apply it for me is to blend out the color with the metal applicator by buffing in little circles as I slowly squeeze out more color. I notice that it also works great as an eye shadow primer. 🙂