Clinique has boarded the colour train with this new collection

Let’s be honest, when someone mentions Clinique the first thing that comes to mind isn’t usually 'colour', is it? The brand is much better known for its skin care here in Ireland but this season, the tables are set to turn.

The new Pop Artistry Collection for SS16 includes some beautiful bright shades for lips and eyes as well as more muted neutrals for day to day wear - because we can’t be wearing blue eye shadow to work every day, can we?

Last year Clinique expanded its range of Colour Pop “Colour + Prime” lipsticks which I really like and often use on shoots as they offer up a rich, pigmented colour that leaves lips looking and feeling hydrated and feel comfortable to wear though out the day.

This March 18^th, two new kinds of hydrating lip colours are joining the collection: Pop Glaze Sheer and Pop Lacquer (both €20) available in six and ten shades respectively. I’ve managed to get my hands on Fireball Pop in the sheer lippy and then Lava Pop and Nude Pop in the lacquers, which you can see in action below.

I think that the Nude Pop Lacquer is my favourite nude lip colour of SS16, (although I’m still a bit obsessed with “Ex-Girlfriend” from the Gwen Stefani x Urban Decay collaboration), but I’m torn over which of these Clinique formulas I prefer more at the moment. I love the high shine of the lacquers, which set to a gel-like finish (and more importantly don’t feather) but the sheer, glaze colour is so soft and pretty. It’s a hard life sometimes.

For those who prefer to wear colour on their eyes, the Lid Pops (€19) should be of some serious interest as they have a really unique formula to them. In total eight shades will be launched, including two very beautiful pearly nudes that can double up as the perfect tool for creating a strobe effect on skin (I do love a multi-tasker!).

As I mentioned, the formula is an interesting one as it’s a lot silkier than a regular eye shadow, applying and blending almost like a cream, but then setting to a feather light powder finish. They can be used dry or wet if you wanted to bump up the colour (or use them as an eye liner). Here I’ve swatched Willow Pop, an antique gold, and Aqua Pop, a vibrant petrol blue, so you can see the difference when they are used wet and dry.

So what do you reckon – will you be thinking 'colour' when someone mentions Clinique this year?