A Dedication Blog Post to Clinique

I wear makeup almost every day due to late nights and procrastinating on assignments (I’m totally not doing this right now). Because of this negligence, my face tends to look flushed and dull when I’m not wearing makeup. On the other hand, as much as I love makeup, I don’t like to spend more than fifteen to twenty minutes doing a full face of makeup. Mainly because I’d rather sleep in and I’m not confident enough in my makeup skills to contour my face or try other trendy makeup styles. In addition, I’ve always had highly sensitive skin since I was a child. Skin so sensitive that if I make contact with certain soaps or detergents my contact dermatitis (a form of eczema) flares up and leaves my skin with a seared or bumpy red appearance. With this skin condition, it can be very difficult to try new products, whether that’s makeup, facial products, and sometimes even food. As a result, I typically must invest in organic or clinical skin care products that are designed for sensitive skin.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, most people are brand loyal. In terms of makeup, I have been brand loyal to Clinique for the past five years. When I say this most people look at me funny or reply with “but it’s so… mundane.” To my defense it gets the job done and they don’t constantly change their formula which results in me confidently being able to apply my makeup without fear of looking like a clown or having a major skin reaction. No, they don’t have the most interesting or trendy makeup, but I like the fact that they are so basic. And I genuinely believe that their products have improved my skin. I suffer from acne discoloration (after years popping zits in middle school), however there has been a tremendous improvement in how dark or noticeable my dark spots look. I have tried drug store makeup brands such as Revlon, Iman, and Covergirl, but none of the products have benefited or improved the look of my skin the way Clinique has. For that reason I tend not to stray away from the brand.

After reading an article titled, “Clinique is the Brand People Love but Never Talk About,” by Caitlin Cruz from Racked magazine, I was inspired to write this blog post in dedication to Clinique and their makeup legacy. In this blog post, I would like to focus on a brand that markets themselves well to a wide audience while maintaining a consistent theme whether that’s online or in store.

They Know Their Audience

There’s no denying that Clinique attempts to appeal to ever skin type. However, they also have an undeniable fan base of people with sensitive, aged, acne, or dry skin. As a result, people tend to consistently buy from the company because of how it appeals to their skin texture.

Though social media or celebrity influencers can have a profound impact on how people view a product, there’s also a flip side. With this method, some people may feel left out, overshadowed, or in some cases, misrepresented. As Jane Lauder, the granddaughter of the founder of Estee Lauder (Clinique’s parent company), stated in the article, “we’ve always been about product first, and it’s always about custom fit. There’s not one ideal of beauty. (Cruz, 2017)”

When you visit the Clinique website, Instagram or Twitter, there are rarely big named celebrities, designers, or makeup artists gracing the photos presented in their gallery. In fact, they tend to simply display the product in a photo or video accompanied by vibrant colors or a solid muted background. When they do use models, they are typically used for makeup tutorials such as how to draw a kitten eye or apply lip gloss.

They Don’t Ignore Portions of their Audience

It isn’t uncommon for women of color to struggle in attempts to find a foundation shade that matches their complexion and undertones. For example, I am a darker skinned female with red undertones. In some unflattering or dim lighting my skin may even have an orange appearance. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it can be finding a shade that isn’t too dark or too light, especially in regards to drug store makeup lines who often offer few or broad color ranges in foundation and concealer. It’s even more difficult to find foundation and concealer that caters to sensitive skin for darker skin tones. Clinique is a brand that I can rely on to match my complexion and also cater to my skin type.

About five years ago, when I went to a Clinique counter in Dillard’s to have my skin screened by one of their makeup artists I was shocked by how many complexions they catered to. When I first approached the counter, my mom and I were greeted by a makeup artist who offered to do a full face of makeup for me. While she was browsing through foundations that matched my complexion I asked “wouldn’t the darkest one work.” To my surprise she took that as a slight insult and assured me that Clinique never assumed that all dark skinned women would magically fit into one foundation color. In fact, she told me that the foundation I pointed out was far too dark for my complexion and undertones and selected the correct color for me.

Offering complementary foundation, concealer, and even blush for women of color allows for customers to feel included. Although, Clinique also sells skin care for women that can be used by any skin type they don’t let those products compensate for their diversity in their beauty products. Many young people tend to participate in ethical or morally sound buying. Representation is valued as something that matters when browsing through makeup isles or any other brand, makeup or not, for that matter. Catering to a diverse audience doesn’t mean you can’t remain authentic to your qualities and values, it simply shows a consumer that you have considered them and are open to improvement.

Sometimes a Facelift Isn’t Necessary

In an era of makeup fads and social media, it’s easy to become engulfed in the latest trends that makeup vloggers use to sculpt their face to perfection. Often this dramatic makeup requires multiple layers of primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, and other products. Unfortunately, multiple products, especially depending on how applied, tend to affect pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. A substantial portion of Clinique’s values is to treat all skin types; however, they are often labeled as a brand for women who suffer from acne, sensitive, and aged skin. Therefore, they typically don’t offer makeup that will clog pores or weigh down the skin. Most of their products are light to medium coverage and give off a “your skin but better” appearance.

Even when you visit their Instagram page, their models typically have on minimalistic and undeniably plain makeup. Often in the brief tutorial videos featured on their Instagram page, models use their fingers to apply products. These tutorials usually aren’t very intricate and appeal to lazier or plain women such as myself who prefer to do the bare minimum when it comes to makeup. It also appeals to women who can’t afford to put that amount of stress on their skin from a day to day basis. As a result, Clinique’s consistent makeup branding has resulted in them accumulating a steady consumer base.

Though it can be a great idea to try something new when it comes to branding, sometimes maintaining a familiar baseline helps retain more customers. As Lauder states, “quality never goes out of style, and that’s what we focus on. It’s hard in this new day and age where fast fashion can sometimes overcome quality. We need to make sure we’re really speaking to her, or him, in ways that we can communicate the quality and the efficacy. (Cruz, 2017)”

Works Cited

Cruz, Caitlin. "The Beauty Brand Everyone Loves, But No One Instagrams." Racked. Racked, 14 Aug. 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2018.