Clinique - Moisture Surge™ Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator Review

I bought Clinique's Moisture Surge Intense, 50 mL in March 2020. I was in search for a moisturizer because I needed one and my skin got pretty dry overnight. I stopped by Olive Young and found a sale for this moisturizer: 1+1 for 37,000원. Such a great deal!

Let's start with official details from the Clinique website!

Overview

Who It's For: Very Dry to Dry, Dry Combination Skin

What It Is: Rich, oil-free cream-gel plumps skin with 24-hour hydration.

What It Does: Lush formula instantly rehydrates thirsty skin. Keeps skin comfortably plumped, even 24 hours after you put it on. Daily use helps fortify skin's moisture barrier to keep moisture in and environmental irritants out. A better barrier means happier skin.

How To Use: Use twice a day, morning and night.

Price: $39.50

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Whey Protein/Lactis Protein/Proteine Du Petit-Lait, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Petrolatum, Peg-150, Sucrose, Pyridoxine Dipalmitate, Linoleic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Polysilicone-11, Propylene Carbonate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Peg-8, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Bran Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol

Formulated WITHOUT: Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates

Other: This product is allergy tested, dermatologist tested, non-acnegenic, and free of fragrance, SLS, alcohol, talc, mineral oil, and oil.

Sumorie

After moving to South Korea, I learned that my skin type varies depending on my environment. For most of my life, I've usually been normal to oily. However, when I moved to Korea, my skin became dry. I think it was mostly because of the house I was living in. Once I bought a humidifier, my skin wasn't dry anymore. But anyways, I bought this moisturizer because I ran out of moisturizer and my skin (at that time) was dry, especially when I woke up in the morning. 

The texture of this cream is a bit thick. For me, it worked well at moisturizing my skin overnight. The cream wasn't too sticky, as long as you can properly measure the amount to use depending on your skin condition. However, it did take a while for the cream to settle into my skin, even after patting my face for a while. Even when I started using the humidifier and my skin wasn't as dry, this cream still moisturized enough -- it didn't over-moisturize my skin. Although it also works okay during the day if you use only a little bit, I would prefer to use a lighter moisturizer.

Some creams that come in jars include an applicator, but this product did not come with one. I just used one finger to pick up some cream. Then, I put 5 dots on my face, spread them, and patted it in.

I'm not too well-versed on ingredients, but Sephora mentions that this product does not contain parabens, sulfates, and phthlates, which seems good for the skin.

As for the scent, well... that was a big turn-off for me. The description mentions that it is "free of fragrance," but boy....yeah, the scent is very potent. It smelled strongly of chemicals. I wouldn't mind if it was a light floral or sweet fragrance, but the chemical scent really put me off. To be fair, the smell didn't linger after applying it, but I still didn't like it.

I don't feel like this product really improved my skin's complexion. It moisturized well, but it didn't make my face look like it was glowing or smooth or anything, unlike other moisturizers I've used. 

I bought this product at a really great price: 2 for about $31, including taxes OR about $15.50 for one-50 mL bottle. This was the main reason why I chose this product, as well as because there are a lot of good reviews online. (I did a quick search at the store before purchasing this.)

VERDICT

While Clinique's Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator moisturized well, I would not repurchase this item, mostly because it smelled terrible and it didn't help with my complexion.

Sumolyn Rating 

3/5