Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 Foundation

Clinique has launched a new foundation; the Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15. The formula is supposed to give the skin a natural, matte finish while also protecting against harmful sun rays. I have received the foundation in the shade Silk Honeymilk, which I’m going to review in this post.

The Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 comes in the regular, Clinique packaging. The product is contained in a small, class tube that holds 30 mL in total.

This oil-free foundation is recommended for Dry Combination to Oily Skin. The formula is supposed to give oily parts of the skin a matte finish, while hydrating dry areas. I myself have a Dry Combination Skin, which is usually very dry on the cheek area and normal on the T-Zone.

The glass container has a twistable top and reveals a hole when opened. There isn’t a pump or anything to get the foundation out, so what I do is dab a small amount of the foundation on the back on my hand. The foundation is quite creamy so it doesn’t run out of the container immediately. I find this method very inconvenient and definitely not consumer-friendly. I would rather prefer a pump, this just seems like the product is incomplete or more focused towards make-up artists instead of regular consumers.

I also received the Clinique Foundation Brush (€34,50 Suggested Retail Price) for applying the foundation. It is a flat and dense brush, which feels really soft with flexable bristels. With this brush, the foundation can be applied to the entire face, while easily reaching the smaller areas like the nose, mouth, eyes and hairline for an even finish. My personal preference for applying foundation is using a sponge applicator, but I have to say that this brush was very easy to use but it takes a bit longer for me to even the foundation out without seeing brush strokes on the finished result.

The Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 in Silk Honeymilk is a medium shade foundation with a pink undertone. It seems like the foundation blends perfectly into my skin however, it is too dark and too pink toned for me. I have a yellow undertone, and it was impossible to figure out what my perfect color was looking at swatches from official Clinique retailers online.  Not only doesn’t the Clinique website let you know what kind of color it is or which undertone, the colors are ordered completely at random! What usually is seen is that colors are arranged from light to dark, but this is just complete nonsense. Looking back, I think Silk Canvas or Silk Sahara would’ve been a better match, but I would definitely suggest to go to the store and color match the foundation first before purchasing if you’re interested.

Here is a before/after shot using the Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 in Silk Honeymilk. I applied the foundation with the Clinique Foundation brush to my entire face and half of my neck and as you look up close to my neck, you can definitely see a difference in shade between my neck and chest. It looks like when it is applied normally, it has a a medium finish, which can be applied more lightly to give a sheer finish. Even with a lighter hand, I still don’t think this foundation would look natural. It has a quite creamy finish, and I can see the layer on my skin and I can also feel it sitting on my skin. I do think it has a nice finish, but I don’t think it looks natural at all.

Here is the Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 foundation when all my other make-up is applied. I have to say that I’m really not liking the finished make-up however, I was in a hurry and couldn’t do anything special so my apologies for that. My concealer that I use on a regular basis is way too light in combination with this foundation, which also shows that the shade Silk Honeymilk is just too dark for me at this moment.

I went to do some errands outside my house the day when I was reviewing this foundation, it wasn’t to warm outside but it was raining from time-to-time (which you can obviously see by my hair). I also didn’t use any fixing spray, only powders on top of the foundation. This is how the Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 foundation looks like after about eight hours without any touch-ups. My T-zone shows signs of being oily but it isn’t too bad. You can see a bit more discoloration and the foundation fading a bit but mostly, it’s still there.

I think the Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 is an overall okay foundation, it gives a semi-matte medium finish that will last for a good time. It also applies really easy without streaky-ness or uneven spots. Even though I can feel the foundation on my skin, it doesn’t feel drying or uncomfortable. It doesn’t look very natural on my skin but it gives nice smooth finish. I probably would’ve liked it better if it looked more natural and if it matches my skintone but again, it is really difficult to determine due to the names and order on the website. I also really don’t like that it doesn’t have a good application method like a pump.

The Clinique Superbalanced Silk Makeup SPF 15 is available in 20 different shades for €31.50 Euro (suggested retail price) at Clinique.nl and several beauty stores like De Bijenkorf, Douglas and Ici Paris XL.

Which finish do you prefer in your foundation?

*These products were sent to me for review. Please check out my disclosure page for more information.