We tested out the brand's new line of Vitamin C skincare products

The beauty world is forever searching for the fountain of youth and brightness, and each year brings with it a new miracle element. I confess to more than a little scepticism on receiving Clinique&rsquo;s new 7-Day Fresh Pressed System, comprising a Vitamin C-rich booster and powder cleanser which promise visible brightening and more even-toned skin in just a week; as undeniably beneficial as good ol&rsquo; C is, it hardly seems ground-breaking or exciting in the ever-swelling sea of exotic, hard-to-pronounce super ingredients.

To its credit, Vitamin C&rsquo;s powerful and well-documented antioxidant qualities provide an effective shield for the skin against pollution and sunlight, preventing discolouration and dullness. It also increases the body&rsquo;s production of amino acids essential for making collagen, which helps skin maintain its elasticity and recover faster from damage. For all that, though, in my mind the mention of Vitamin C conjures oranges and juice, the stuff of a wholesome but mundane breakfast.

Where the Clinique&rsquo;s Fresh Pressed System distinguishes itself is the purportedly higher-than-average effectiveness of the Vitamin C within the Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser with Pure Vitamin C ($39 for 28 packettes) and the Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C ($99 for a set of four 8.5ml bottles). The compact duo comes in light-proof and airtight packaging, ensuring that the Vitamin C remains as fresh and potent as possible until used.

The water-activated Renewing Powder Cleanser takes the form of seven single-use sachets: one for every morning, when skin tends to be most in need of a wake-up call. The scentless, non-drying cleanser was extremely cool and soothing on the skin, and lathering up quickly became the most pleasurable part of my morning routine. After about three days my face appeared, and more importantly felt less tired and dull on waking up than usual.

SP17_INTL__Fresh_TT_BiMLR_v1_sm.tif

The Daily Booster, meanwhile, is a powder-and-emulsion pairing that is to be applied twice a day: once in the morning to prep and protect your skin from the ravages of the outdoors, and once in the evening to help your skin repair itself while you sleep. The Vitamin C powder is kept in a separate chamber of the bottle from the gel-like emulsion, and the pair is only combined after a cool push-button mechanism releases the powder. As foretold by a representative from Clinique, the booster visibly darkened as the week went on, a tell-tale sign of oxidation i.e. degradation of the Vitamin C. I also noticed that the initially faint citrus scent of the Daily Booster intensified over time) On its own or added to one&rsquo;s usual moisturiser- I chose the latter- just two pumps of the booster twice a day produced a noticeable effect on the quality of my skin: after a couple of days my skin felt smoother and more even-toned.

After a full week on Clinique Fresh Pressed System, my skin feels the most hydrated and refreshed it has in months. If your skin is ever in need of a revitalising jolt, it&rsquo;s definitely one to try.

Review: Clinique's 7-Day Fresh Pressed System

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