What It Is: CliniqueFIT™ Workout 24-Hour Mascara is specifically made to wear while you exercise. Other items in this fitness-friendly line include face powder, SPF lotion, dry shampoo and something they call Lip + Cheek Flush; I only tried the mascara for this CliniqueFIT review.
What You Might Not Know: I first wrote about CliniqueFIT for an article in Best Health magazine on top health trends, including athleisure beauty, which reflects consumer interest in products that merge well with active living.
After that article, I posted an (obviously) unscientific poll in Instagram Stories just for fun to gauge how much people thought workout-proof makeup was truly a gym-bag essential. Turns out…
Still, I wanted to write this CliniqueFIT review because more than a few women did DM me saying they’re in the market for makeup that stands up to sweat.
Feelin’ the Love: Some people aren’t into exercising with makeup on, and that makes sense. But I’m not embarrassed to say I do it. Nothing heavy though, which I’ve heard can clog pores (just ask Google).
Why Work Out with Makeup On?
As a fitness instructor, I like to show up to class feeling like I’m there to do a job—I’m not just getting paid to exercise (if only!). For whatever reason, a little light makeup (mascara, blush) helps create that “I’m going to work” mindset. Maybe it’s because when I’m not working out, I’m writing in my home office, where looking presentable is utterly unnecessary. 😂
Over many years of teaching fitness classes, I’ve tried multiple mascaras. Results have varied; I know smudgy mascara when I see it (and wear it). CliniqueFIT mascara stays put. There’s minimal to no smudging or flaking. After test-driving this mascara for several months, I’d call it sweat-proof.
Post workout or at the end of the day, CliniqueFIT mascara wipes off relatively easily with eye-makeup remover or Micellar Water.
If I Could Change One Thing: Weeellll, it looks like Clinique might not be a 100% cruelty-free brand. According to PETA, Clinique is on the sh*t-list for continuing to test on animals. From what I understand, even though Clinique and its parent company Estée Lauder have stopped this practice in some regions, they can’t be classified as cruelty-free across the board because they still test on animals when importing to countries that require it.
Is CliniqueFIT Cruelty-Free?
JSYK, here’s how Clinique responds in a section on its website called Animal Testing (note the “except when required by law” clause):
“Clinique Laboratories, LLC. is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health and safety, and bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold.
We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.
Clinique Laboratories, LLC. fully supports the development and global acceptance of non-animal testing alternatives. To this end, the Company works extensively with the industry at large and the global scientific community to research and fund these alternatives.” 🤔🤔
Should You Buy It? That’s your call. Not every Clinique counter stocks CliniqueFIT, so I ordered online for this CliniqueFIT review. However, next time, I’ll be looking for a good smear-free mascara from a brand with a clean slate on animal testing. Know any? Please share!
