My skin is stupid and fickle. It breaks out totally irregularly, it’s often dry enough to feel uncomfortable, it’s allergic to everything. It’s rosy and yellow and pale and freckled. It’s a pain in my ass. Add to that my lax skincare routine (What? I’m forgetful. Back off!) and everything above my neck is kind of a mess.

I recently said, “I am so sick of this shit” and threw away every face product I owned. EVERYTHING. Hundreds of dollars of stuff I’d used once or twice, stuff that worked, stuff that kind of seemed like it might have, stuff I ended up being allergic to. I trashed it all and said, “What is the one thing I’ve used that ever worked?”

And I remembered six months of 2006 where I used Clinique’s 3 Step and got tons of compliments on my skin. Every older woman in my college classes offered me unsolicited praise, telling me to keep up whatever I was doing.

So why didn’t I? Because the stuff is expensive! But so totally worth it. Now that I’m using it again, my skin is clearer and less erratic. I have less days where it feels miserably tight every time I frown or scowl in disbelief.

I use the mild liquid soap in the shower, whether it’s morning or night and extra mild bar at the sink the other time. I use Clarifying Lotion 1 and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. The salicylic acid spot treatment is working out for the times when I still get zits, though next time I might switch to their benzoyl peroxide spot treatment instead. I’ve yet to figure out which one works better on my temperamental face.

I like that the entire system is simple. I love the clean lines of the packaging. I love that none of it smells weird or chemical. I’m only a third of the way into my first order, but I think it’s a keeper. Way to go, Clinique!