Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact: Many Cs in the Name And It’s A Cracker of A Compact!

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25

Of all the foundations I’ve used, I’d say the ones I use the least are powder foundations and cream compacts. Powdered ones are mainly due to their inconvenience of having the powder go everywhere and cream compacts because they’re usually quite thick and can look cakey on the skin.

When Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact landed on my desk for review, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it to be honest. Yes I’d love to try it given that I’ve not tried their CC cream that comes in a tube but I had to wonder how this would make my skin look. Would it look unnatural on my skin? Would the cream foundation settle into my fine lines, especially around my nose and making the area look cakey?

Thankfully, it was quite the contrary. I like it, I really do!

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve not tried their original CC cream so I can’t compare the two. The cream compact comes in a white and silver plastic case typical of compact powders and creams. It also comes with a small rectangular sponge. I don’t normally like to use sponges that come with compacts but for the purpose of this review, I did. Even though the sponge is standard issue, I surprisingly found myself liking using the sponge with the cream foundation even though it does look manky after a few uses.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25

Right, let’s talk about the actual foundation, shall we? Even though it’s described as a CC cream, let’s face it, it’s just base makeup like foundation.

The foundation is not heavy on the skin. It leaves a matte finish which a lot of combination to oily skin users like myself will like. When used with the sponge, even though it’s just a light swipe on the foundation, it gives a me at least medium coverage of the skin. However, if I were to use my fingers to apply the foundation, it’s at most a medium; heck, light even. It contains a pretty high SPF of 25 which is suitable for daily use.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25 Swatch

My shade is Light Medium which has cool undertones

I did get an oily nose two hours after application which is a pity. Other than that, it makes my skin look pretty darn flawless without even a hint of cakey-ness. As it settles on the skin, the foundation makes my skin look even better after an hour or two. As for the oil-control, it’s nothing a facial blotting sheet cannot fix after a couple of hours. The foundation doesn’t rub off much when the skin is blotted with a piece of tissue compared to many foundations I’ve used. It does begin to fade, especially around the nose, around the 6th hour mark.

Does it colour-correct per its namesake? Well, it did cover up the redness around my nose but I wouldn’t say it’s specifically colour-correcting because all foundations do that anyway. Is it a good cream foundation compact? Yes. Should you get it specifically for colour-correcting? Only if you want to use it like a regular foundation because I wouldn’t say there’s any special correction of colour.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25 Before and After

The only thing I don’t like about the cream compact is the silver lid of the packaging. It’s a huge fingerprint magnet which makes the compact look dirty every time it’s handled. I’m quite fussy when it comes to makeup cleanliness especially when the packaging is dirty so I do find myself wiping the surface with a tissue or a cloth often, which can be a bit of a bore.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact SPF 25

Clinique’s CC Colour Correct Cream Compact retails at AU$50.00 for 3.5g and is available at Clinique counters at major departmental stores and selected pharmacies nationwide.

What I like about it: Beautiful finish and high coverage of skin without it feeling heavy or making my skin appear cakey and unnatural. Has a decent amount of SPF if it’s something you’re looking for in a foundation compact.

What I do not like about it: The silver lid of the compact is a massive fingerprint magnet which can make the compact appear dirty.

Have you tried this cream compact by Clinique? What about the original Moisture Surge CC cream? Did you like it/them?

Disclaimer: This product was provided for editorial consideration.

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16 comments… add one
  1. LeGeeque

    You know what? I’ve never tried a cream compact foundation before. This looks fantastic but my skin has never agreed with Clinique so I’ll skip this one. BTW, this colour looks shockingly-dark for your skin!

    1. Tine

      Haha nah it’s the lighting. Colour-wise, it’s actually pretty spot on. But I don’t think you’ll like this one also because it gives a matte finish. Might make fine lines look more obvious and all that.

  2. Allison

    I don’t think I’ve ever used a cream compact. But I love the way that looks on you. Worth a try next time at the Clinique counter (tho’ I just bought a new liquid/cream from MUFE)
    Allison recently posted..Fairy Princess ManiMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Thanks Allison. It’s definitely work a nosey about. Even though you bought a new foundation. Ahem. 😛

  3. Norlin

    Wah now there’s a CC Cream compact? Yeah…looks to me like a light coverage foundation really? Think I’ll skip this as I’m not a huge fan of compact foundations to begin with. Would’ve loved to try this if it was say…3 years ago when I was still into compacts. 😉
    Norlin recently posted..Random Monday: New Teeth, New Smile (I hope?)My Profile

    1. Tine

      I reckon this is great for travelling (like all compacts are) but after NOT using compact foundies for so long, I must say that having to use the sponge gives me the heebie jeebies. I washed the sponge with the Daiso sponge cleaner only after one application and I can’t get most of the foundation off! Now I’m stuck with a brown sponge (even though it’s been washed hard) which is just YUCK. >.<

  4. Efraín

    I’ve tried the liquid version and I like it, but the finish in more demi matte and is quite hydrating. The way I’ve tried it it’s after my moisturizer if I don’t going out for long time instead of sunscreen (the same as clinique’s BB cream which also has interested me).

    Now I want to try my shade because the one the SA gave me it’s light-medium, but it’s quite expensive.
    Efraín recently posted..Los imprescindibles en belleza cuando falta tiempoMy Profile

    1. Tine

      I’ve only swatched the CC cream in store and I agree with you; it’s definitely more demi matte (almost dewy even) and more hydrating. I’m impressed that this has SPF25 because foundations are usually just SPF15.

  5. Jess

    Hmmm…interesting. I wanna try this out too. It seems like a great one to try out. I like the way it looks on you.

    1. Tine

      Thanks Jess. It’s a good one! 🙂

  6. Jenny

    This product is extremely good for real~~~
    My skin is different than when not used, the skin’s surface is smooth and bright white. Moreover, cc does not make your skin uncomfortable. After spend 2 types, i totally satisfy with this product. I introduced them to my friends.I decided to spend this long :):)

    1. Jenny

      ohh i forgot… cc is better than bb 😀

      1. Jenny

        Ladies should try 😀

  7. Rainny

    I have given a sample CC cream from my company. Every go party, I always used it and felt so good. I decided buy a new type. So fantasic!!

  8. Rainny

    I think CC cream better than BB cream. This is step of domestic industrial.

  9. Rainny

    Do the Cc cream anti-sun?

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