Like many brands, Clinique has been busy adding new products to its lineup and reformulating old ones. I’ve recently been testing 2 shades of their newly released True Highlight Weightless Illuminator and the reformulation of their Morning Java All About Eye Shadow Quad, and it was all kind of a bust. I still think this brand excels in making products that are easy to use, but with prices increasing, I’m not sure it’s the same value buy that it once was. I still think the quality is good. I’d just rather spend my money on other brands. Regardless, let’s get into my thoughts on these formulas.

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**Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator (03 Starlit Bronze and 02 Daylit Glow), $44

I found the Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator before it had testers in any store, so I made an educated guess on which shade would work for me. Since there are four shades, I figured the 3rd (Daylit Bronze) would work, but it turned out to be too dark. So, not only did it not look like a highlight, but I could barely see that I applied it. I liked the actual formula and thought it was promising. So after a couple of weeks, I decided to try the next shade lighter (02 Starlit Glow), which I initially thought looked too icy to work for me.

When swatched heavily, 02 Starlit Glow does come off too icy against my skin tone. But interestingly, when I use it on my face, it disappears like 03 Daylit Bronze did. The formula of the Clinique Illuminator is subtle, but it definitely has more shine than a finishing powder would have. Even so, I can’t really see any highlighted effect without tilting my head uncomfortably and shining a lighted mirror on my face. While I like a subtle highlighter that is kind to texture, this is too subtle.

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	$ Sale Price $ 44.00 Regular Price
Clinique True Highlight™ Weightless Illuminator, Daylit Bronze – 8g

On the upside, these powders are not glittery, so I hope my issue is a mismatch with the shade selection for my NARS Tahoe skin tone. The formula does feel like a baked gelée texture to me. It is missing squalane and chondrus crispus (carrageenan) extract on the ingredient list, which I typically see in baked gelée formulas. However, it is made in Italy, so it very well could still be baked gelée. I hope these work better for other skin tones, because as I said, the formula is promising.

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	$ Sale Price $ 44.00 Regular Price
Clinique True Highlight™ Weightless Illuminator, Starlit Glow – 8g

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**Clinique All About Shadow Quad (Morning Java), $39

It might have happened longer ago than I noticed, but sometime this year (2025), I realized that Clinique removed talc from their eyeshadows. This is happening throughout the industry, so I wasn’t surprised, but it was interesting that it was so quietly done. Or maybe it is not interesting since there are many complaints that talc-free formulas aren’t performing as well. Unfortunately, I do think that this new All About Shadow formula from Clinique is a downgrade.

The Clinique Morning Java Eyeshadow Quad performs fine but has less impact than the old formula and doesn’t perform as well as my other eyeshadows. This formula doesn’t have the amount of shine I like; it is more satin. On the upside, satins are generally forgiving on texture and line issues, and these are smooth and don’t accentuate any problems. The pigmentation is decent for my Estee Lauder 4W4/NARS Tahoe skin tone, but nothing impressive.

Something this formula has in common with the old formula is that it is easy to use. It works easily with both natural and synthetic brushes, and the shimmers do show up well when used with a brush. It is not uncommon for shimmer to blend easily, so the fact that there are no mattes in this quad likely makes it easier to use. The deepest shade does look more matte than the rest, so it can provide nice depth on the outer-v or as a liner. The lightest shade isn’t helpful for my skin tone, which is the same as the old formula, but it can be mixed with other shades to lighten them when needed. Considering the $39 price, I would recommend looking into the Smashbox Always On Mood Board Eyeshadow Palettes over the Clinique All About Shadow Quads. You can get more colors, pigmentation, finishes, and a better formula with Smashbox for the same price.

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	$ Sale Price $ 39.00 Regular Price
Clinique All About Shadow™ Quad, Morning Java – Shimmer – 0.16 oz

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Thanks for reading!

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