In 1968, in American department stores, a new kind of beauty counter appeared. The staff behind it wore white lab coats and were called consultants. The boxes were a clinical light green, the lighting was bright, and a chart sorted each customer into a skin type before anyone sold her anything. The first consultants had been trained before launch. It looked less like a makeup counter and more like a small clinic. That was the point.

That counter was Clinique, launched as Estée Lauder's hypoallergenic, allergy-tested line, and the attitude has barely changed. Fragrance free, allergy tested, a little clinical, a little dry. I think that is why Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer makes sense for a certain kind of person. The brand says it is full coverage with a natural, matte-to-natural finish, sweat- and humidity-resistant, made to wear for 24 hours, in 31 shades, and dermatologist, ophthalmologist and allergy tested. It is one step that does two jobs.

The trick is in the wand. Clinique's own tip is to use the large flat back to sweep across forehead, cheeks and chin, the angled tip for the nose and jawline, and the pointed tip to spot-conceal under the eyes and on blemishes. The brand also notes that shades may look deeper when first applied, so wait a minute before you judge.

The rest of the first grid is the wider Clinique base. Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation has SPF 25, the Even Better Makeup has SPF 15, and Superbalanced Makeup is the third Clinique foundation in the set. Redness Solutions comes as a foundation with SPF 15 and probiotic, and a pressed mineral powder to match. Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator and the Moisture Surge CC Cream are the lighter routes, for days when full coverage feels like too much.

Look at your face in a window before you add anything past the base. Most of us reach for colour to fix a flat face when a little light and a smudge of balm would do.

Clinique's colour is small and easy, which suits the brand. Almost Lipstick comes here in Black and Pink Honey, the tinted-balm end of the lip spectrum. Pop Cheek + Lip Oil is a two-in-one for cheeks and lips, and the Pop Plush Creamy Lip Gloss is a softer gloss.

On the eyes, High Impact Volumizing Mascara does what the name says, and the Quickliner For Eyes is an intense pencil for people who prefer a line. Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser is the dedicated concealer, for anyone who wants a separate step beyond Beyond Perfecting.

Then two that belong in a summer bag. Superdefense City Block SPF 50 is a sunscreen and primer in one, and Sun-Kissed Face Gelee is a complexion multitasker that works as a bronzer. A pairing I like: the sunscreen and primer first, the gelee only on the high points of the face, and the tinted lip last.

What I would skip: the eyeliner and the lip tint on the same morning as a full-coverage base. Choose the feature, and let the rest stay quiet.

Wear a foundation for a full day before you believe its claim. Test it on a day with a commute, a lunch and an errand, and check your jaw and nose at the end.

If you like the idea of a long-wear base, the market has plenty of rivals. Estée Lauder's Double Wear Lightweight Matte is the famous one from Clinique's parent company, and it is a good benchmark. Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear is the soft-matte one. NARS Natural Radiant Longwear is for those who want full coverage without looking flat.

Make Up For Ever's Balancing & Perfecting Natural Finish is the natural-finish longwear, and Armani Beauty's Luminous Silk Natural Glow Blurring foundation is the glow option. Too Faced's Born This Way Undetectable is medium-to-full coverage. Rare Beauty's True to Myself is a natural matte, and Yves Saint Laurent's All Hours carries SPF 30 and a 24-hour claim.

Next to Beyond Perfecting, the difference is that Clinique is fragrance free and allergy tested, and some of these are chosen for finish first. If your skin reacts easily, read the ingredient lists before you commit.

What I would skip: a matte longwear on skin that feels dry. The finish will grip, and no powder will fix that.

Always set concealer with a light hand. A whisper of powder where the face creases is worth more than a dusting everywhere.

A dedicated concealer is the smart companion to a 2-in-1 base. Estée Lauder's Double Wear 24-Hour Longwear Concealer and Bobbi Brown's Skin Hydrating Full Coverage Longwear Concealer are the two I would try first, one for wear, one for a hydrating finish. Urban Decay's Quickie 24HR is full coverage and waterproof. Tarte's Shape Tape is the creamy, hydrating full-coverage one.

For powder, Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless Finish is a blurring and setting powder, and Laura Mercier's Ultra-Blur is a talc-free translucent loose powder. A big fluffy brush and a little product is the way in.

A sponge is the last of the kit. The Original Beautyblender is the classic, and Real Techniques' Miracle Complexion Sponge is a simple way to try the damp-sponge method. Dampen it, squeeze it out, and press the base in rather than dragging it.

What I would skip: a dry sponge on a full-coverage formula. It soaks up the product, and your streaks will show.

For most people, my pick for a first step is Beyond Perfecting, in a shade you have tested by a window, removed at night with a proper balm. Clinique itself suggests Take The Day Off for that, and I like a foundation that comes with a plan for getting it off.

If you want less coverage, go to one of the Even Better or Moisture Surge options. If you want more lasting power, compare the longwear rivals. And then add one concealer, one powder and a sponge. In 1968 the counter offered a chart and a lab coat. You have a mirror and a window, which is plenty.