Clinique Face Gelee Warms My Skin As If I Bathed in Vitamin D

I feel like brands have been taking advantage of the hype behind liquid bronzers. Every one of them has been coming up with their own bronzing drop, complexion booster, or some other gimmicky formula. That’s why it’s been a very long time since I picked up a liquid bronzer in Sephora.

Most of those buzzy products have been a huge -and expensive disappointment. It’s the lack of pigment that basically disappears into the skin and the fact that most of them don’t play well with other makeup products. So I’m not easily impressed when it comes to these products.

A very nice exception to this rule is the Clinique Sun-Kissed Face Gelee Complexion Multitasker. It’s been a staple in my makeup bag since I first tried it.

I love it so much that another bottle is in my cart at the moment. It’s high time I did a full review of it. Keep reading for my full review and why you’re going to love it too.

Clinique Sun-Kissed Face Gelee Complexion Multitasker Review

What It Is

Clinique Face Gelee is a liquid bronzer, which is basically bronzer in liquid form as opposed to powder. It instantly brings a healthy warmth to the complexion, creating a golden tan all over the face.

Texture

Though it’s a liquid bronzer, it’s not as runny. Face Gelee has a gel-based texture. It’s not sticky or gripping and it feels lightweight. It dries down to a very thin layer and absorbs quickly without leaving any gritty or sticky residue behind.

Color and Pigmentation

The liquid bronzer comes in a single warm shade. I’d say it’s more suitable for people with warm or neutral undertones. I think it can look a bit orange on pale skin or people with cool undertones.

It comes out as a dark brown color when you squeeze it out from the tube. But as you blend it in, it settles down to a more natural-looking color. It’s pretty pigmented so a little goes a very, very long way.

Finish

It has a very subtle dewy finish that gives the skin that sun-kissed glow without the shimmer. When I apply it on matte makeup, it makes my cheeks look like I have a bit of gloss on the high points of my cheeks.

Longevity

In terms of longevity, the liquid bronzer is like a cheek stain. It literally stays on my skin all day without budging. Sometimes, I apply a matte bronzer on top of it to get a more layered look. And at the end of the day, I can see that even if the powder fades, the Face Gelee is still on my cheeks.

Formula

I have combination skin. It’s really unpredictable at this point. I also have rosacea, which causes skin sensitivity. So when it comes to makeup products that act like skincare by blending in with my skin, I proceed with caution. In case you’re like me, here’s what you need to know.

The formula is very minimal. It’s pigments and hyaluronic acid. It’s also oil-free. I’ve never experienced any breakouts, irritation, or sensitivity from it.

If you have oily skin and you’re worried that the Face Gelee would look oily on you, don’t. It’s not that radiant or glowy. It looks very natural on the skin.

And if you have dry skin, I know the struggle of applying makeup on dry skin with concerns about patchy-looking makeup. The liquid formula blends in seamlessly with your skin. If powder bronzers don’t look even and smooth, you’re going to love this formula!

Application

I’ve been using Face Gelee for quite a long time now. I’ve tried different tools and different ways of blending it. Here’s the best way to apply it.

1. Apply with Brush

Finish your base makeup first. When it’s time to do bronzer, grab the Face Gelee. For best results, I suggest using an angled brush. It’s better if it’s a bit dense as opposed to fluffy so that the bronzer doesn’t spread out too much. Otherwise, you might end up with a dirty, muddy-looking face.

2. Start Slowly

Squeeze out a pea-sized amount of the bronzer either directly onto your cheeks or onto the brush and place it on your right cheek. Don’t go and place the bronzer all over the face and then move on to blending; apply as you’re done with one side. The formula dries down fast and it can be difficult to blend it then. As I said, it’s like a cheek tint, it will look like a stain.

3. Blend It In

Use your brush to pat the bronzer onto the cheek and slowly go toward the temples as you blend it in. If you see an uneven application, swirl the brush to disperse the color and tone things down. If you want a more pigmented look, don’t spread the color too much and blend it in place.

4. Repeat

Do the same for the other side of the cheek. Get a drop of the bronzer and blend it below the cheekbone or a little above that area to get a more natural-looking sun-kissed look.

5. Contour

I prefer applying it on my forehead and chin to define the outer shape of my face. It gives a great definition. This is to subtly sculpt the face and achieve a more uniform look. Get another drop of the bronzer on the brush and dot the brush on your forehead. Then blend the color close to the hairline. Repeat the same for the jawline so you get an overall warm complexion. I also like applying a teeny tiny bit on the bridge of my nose.

6. Add Blush

If you like, finish your makeup by adding a little bit of blush too. I like combining the Face Gelee with the Benefit Benetint Cheek Stain. It creates a deep, layered look on my cheeks that stays on all day!

Results

I’m wearing concealer all over my face here. I didn’t feel like wearing foundation. And I applied a single layer of the Sun-Kissed Face Gelee on my cheeks and across my forehead. As you can see, it has an amazing color payoff. And that glow on my cheeks is due to the bronzer too as I’m not wearing anything glowy or radiant underneath.

Different Uses

Complexion Booster

When I don’t feel like wearing makeup, I can comfortably apply the bronzer on my face like an all-over complexion multi-tasker. It warms up my face without adding coverage. I put one dot on my right cheek and one dot on my left and I spread it out and blend like a moisturizer all over my face using my fingers. Just like that, I look like I’ve bathed in vitamin D.

Everyday Makeup

I sometimes pair it with Erborian CC Water Gel. It’s a radiant-finish color corrector that evens out minor discolorations. It makes me look really glowy all over. Then I apply a very little bit of concealer under my eyes. Then I apply the Face Gelee on my cheeks as a bronzer. Even if I’m not wearing foundation, it still looks gorgeous.

Foundation Mixer

Clinique also suggests pairing the bronzer with foundation. And I can swear by that! You can do this to darken your foundation shade or just to make your foundation a bit more glowy and warm. My wintertime foundation, Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF, which is a low-coverage foundation, is too light for my current skin tone. So I get a drop of it on the back of my hand and a drop of the Face Gelee. I mix the two using my fingers to get a consistent shade. Then I apply it like I apply regular foundation. I love how I can adjust the color.

But here’s what you need to know if you’re going to try this. Don’t get too much of the bronzer. The texture of it shouldn’t outrun your foundation. Otherwise, it’s going to mess up your foundation’s consistency and it will be really difficult to apply it. Also, as the Face Gelee is a quick-drying formula, you shouldn’t take your time with the application. Don’t let it dry down. Be quick with the application.

What Others Are Saying

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