Clinique Nutcracker Suite makeup review and swatches

Clinique’s Christmas makeup collection is seriously pretty. Like, pretty enough to stop me wearing neutral eye shadows all of the time (which my friends will tell you is a LOT).

Inspired by the iconic Nutcracker ballet, The Nutcracker Suite* is a limited edition collection full of pinks, whites and purples that form an integral role of the ballet’s costumes, sets and scenery.

Act 1 palette swatches

Act II palette swatches

The collection has been split into two parts – each of which has been inspired by a different part of the performance. There are two palettes to choose from (Act I and Act II), a Blended Face Powder in Snowflake Dreams, plus two complementary shades of Chubby Stick Baby Tints in Budding Blossom and Flowering Freesia.

It’s been a while since I tried makeup from Clinique that wasn’t a chubby stick, and I’ve been really impressed with the new collection. It takes a lot to get me out of my nude shadow comfort zone, but these have really done the trick!

While the Blended Face Powder might look like an unwearable pink shade for a face powder, it actually blends out to a very sheer, shimmery finish. You can easily wear this all over without looking like you’ve had a fight with your blusher (phew!). It comes with its own little brush which is very cute, but for practicalities sake, I’d recommend using it with a larger brush and applying to the tops of cheeks, shoulders and collarbone for a bit of shimmer for a festive night out.

The palettes offer up a mixture of pink, purple and silver toned eye shadows and a blusher inside each one. The Act I palette is definitely more of a day time palette – the shades are lighter, fresher and inspired by ‘The Waltz of the Snowflakes’. Act II is great for more evening looks as it features slightly deeper shades, with a powder blusher in the shade Tutu Pink (loving all of the shade names!).  Act II is a Clinique.co.uk exclusive, so you won’t find it on counters, but it’s definitely worth making an online order for.

While the shades of Chubby Stick Baby Tints aren’t new, they really do work perfectly with the rest of the collection. I’ve not tried the Baby Tint versions before so freaked out slightly when I saw Flowering Freesia, but these are actually very sheer, lightly tinted lip balms. They add just a hint of colour to the lips, so if you’re not a fan of a bold lip look, then these will be perfect for you.

The Nutcracker Suite is available on counters now and is limited edition, so if you like what you see, make sure you pick it up before Christmas! The palettes retail for £35 each, Blended Face Powder £23 and the Chubby Stick Baby Tints are £17.

Do you like the look of the Christmas collection from Clinique?

*PR sample