Wow, can you hear the echo in here? Where have you been Simone?? Well, life happens…offices get petrol bombed. Okay, not really, but my office building did. I do most of my blogging and even my pictures from my office during my lunchtime (of course 😉 ), so without access to my office for 2 weeks now, I’ve just been on a bit of a go slow.

I have loads of post ideas and plans for the blog, but right now, I just don’t have the time to take my photographs that I need and also I’m waiting on a few deliveries for product reviews. Do people not realise if you order now or get notified you’re being sent something, it should appear by tomorrow? Go figure….

Today I wanted to chat to you about the Clinique Pep- Start range. I was quite excited when I spotted the Hydroblur moisturiser in some glossy magazine. It’s probably the only product I saw, because I’m sure 3 seconds after I opened the cover of said magazine, one of my gazillion kids came to destroy my peace…..but anyways, my kids are a post for another day. So walking through Edgars in December, I spotted the moisturiser and I did let out a bit of a whoop. As luck would have it, the moisturiser came in a set that contained 3 products in total and I had to have it. Januworry what?

Pep-Start™ HydroBlur Moisturizer (50ml)

During December the struggle is real when you have an oily t-zone, so I’ve been on the lookout for an oil-free moisturiser for a while now. Not only is this one oil-free, but it promises to instantly blur imperfections (pores and fine lines) while providing all-day hydration. The HydroBlur also promises to give your skin a matte finish. Another benefit   is that you can also use this as a primer under your makeup or just as is, on makeup free days.

Does it do what it claims to do? I love the texture of this moisturiser. It’s lightweight and glides onto my skin easily. It’s not a cream and it’s not silicone, it looks like gel but isn’t sticky? (Sorry I’m still learning to describe things) Does it blur my pores? Very slightly it does, but I have huge pores, so it could be that there is no product in the world able to deal with all of this *outlines face*. I find on very hot days I do have shine peeping out around midday on my forehead, so it does not mattify my skin all day. It does however go on really smoothly and I find it does create this smooth canvas for my makeup, though I do still use a primer on top of it. Another thing is that I’ve worn this as is on no makeup days and I’ve had people out of nowhere tell me my skin looks good and refreshed. Lastly there is no scent, which is great as scented products always have my hayfever going crazy.

I am very happy with this moisuriser, even if it doesn’t do absolutely everything it claims to do. In Summer this is a winner for an oily gal like myself.

Pep-Start™ Eye Cream (7ml)

Being a mom of 3, I don’t have to tell you, but I always have puffy and tired looking under eyes, so I was quite excited to try this out.

What is it supposed to do? Just 3 seconds to look wide awake, refreshed. Hydrates, brightens, perks you up. Its cool touch and de-puffing tip help keep eyes looking fresh. Smooths the way for makeup, too. Have it on hand. Ophthalmologist Tested.

Does it do what it claims to do? Firstly it has the same non-existent scent that the moisturiser has. It’s very lightweight and glides on. A little goes a long way, so even though this is only 7ml, I’ve used it quite a few times and there’s still some left. I do feel that it smooths out my undereye area and hydrates it without being a heavy thick creamy sort of eye cream. I also find that under my makeup, it looks good and minimises the creasing. Wide awake? Once I get more sleep, I’ll get back to you on this one. This was a lovely find, though I don’t remember to use it all that often. #MomLife

Pep-Start™ 2-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser (30ml)

Exfoliating, but not exfoliating is a thing now. Huh? Apparently those rough huge beads we’d try to dig into our skin to exfoliate was not the best thing. We can exfoliate, but it needs to be gentler and finer on our skins. So I was anxious to see what the texture of this was, because I’m all about no big exfoliating beads.

What is is supposed to do? By combining gentle cleansing with exfoliating power, this 2-in-1 formula takes away dirt, dulling dead skin cells, excess oil and impurities to give skin a smooth finish and a radiant glow. Preps skin for makeup. It is gentle enough to use twice a day.

Does it do what it claims to do? I really like this exfoliator. The beads are so super fine, you barely know it’s there. It doesn’t tug at the skin or irritate it. My skin doesn’t feel tight after using it, it feels clean and refreshed. I do believe the claim that you can use it twice a day, as it’s not harsh at all. There’s also no scent to this product, so yay, no sneezing.

This pack retailed for R395, but on the day I bought it there was a 25% off deal so I paid around R295, which I think is a steal for all these products.

Have you tried this range yet? Or anything else from Clinique that you either loved or hated?