Review: Clinelle Oil Free Smoothing Compact SPF18

I’m a huge fan of my bed and duvet especially on workday mornings, which leaves me about 30 minutes to shower and get ready for work. It’s really not much time if I wanted to put on proper makeup (meaning eyes, lips, cheeks, gah!) because I have to prep and prime thanks to oily skin.

However, the one thing I will never leave home without is face powder. My face at least needs to be in the same skin tone. I find that pressed powders are really good as I don’t need any priming whatsoever. A quick swipe of my kabuki brush and I get an better-toned complexion almost immediately. Thing is, which pressed powders should I use? I’ve used Estee, Revlon and ZA before – Estee was my go-to thanks to my Mom, and Revlon and ZA didn’t have any matching tones…therefore, let me introduce to you one of my absolute favorites: Clinelle’s Oil Free Smoothing Compact SPF18.

Clinelle Oil Free Smoothing Compact SPF18 - Photo: Author's Own

Clinelle’s compacts come in 4 shades (Fair, Ivory, Natural, Honey), and I use Natural. It provides lightweight, buildable sheer coverage and I use my concealer brush to get a bit more coverage on my blemishes. Natural is pretty good for most light to medium skin tones, and I’m on the light-tan side with yellowish undertones. Thanks to its oil-free formula, my face stays matte for a little longer as well.

Swatch - Fair, Ivory, Natural, Honey (left to right) - Photo: Author's Own

OK, so in summary, what did I like so much about it?:

• Good light to medium coverage
• Has SPF
• Great for touch-ups and keeps skin looking matte for longer
• Suitable for all skin types
• Cheap!

It comes with a puff applicator which I don’t use – I find that my Bobbi Brown face baby kabuki brush does a better job of breaking down and dispersing the pressed powder quite well. The only gripe I have is that it does oxidize a little bit – whether it’s due to the air, A/C or my general skin condition, I’ve yet to find out. I also brought it with me to Australia and Vietnam recently and it cracked! Could be because it was tossed around in my baggage and it was half-used, but I guess it’s a lesson for me not to pack my cosmetics in checked-in baggage. It’s a good buy for me and the color matched me quite well. It’s available in all major pharmacies and Robinsons The Gardens.

It weighs in at 12 grams and retails for RM33.90 at Guardian.