Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - First Impressions

You know how it goes. You're just about getting to grips with Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair when it suddenly seems that all anyone is talking about is Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. So you eventually get around to buying the Kiehl's, and now it's all "Sunday Riley this" and "Sunday Riley that".

Well, I couldn't exactly justify splurging on Sunday Riley while this was lying around unused and unloved, so I cracked it open just over a week ago and I've been using it every night since then.

I like the packaging. The bottle is glass and the lid/dropper has a nifty little button which allows you to dispense the right amount of product without any waste. I also appreciate the midnight blue colour, because it gets to work while you are asleep at night. I know that's probably very silly, but it appeals to me for some reason!

I've tried a couple of facial oils in the past - Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and Clarins Blue Orchid Oil, which I reviewed here. Both of these products were a pleasure to use and both definitely benefited my skin, but my feeling so far is that the Kiehl's is better. This is a first impressions post, as I have only been using it for a week or so, but with a product like this I actually think it's the first impression that counts. It's supposed to work overnight to deliver results by morning, and if you failed to use it the next night, presumably your skin wouldn't look as good the morning after that. My understanding is that it won't necessarily improve your complexion to any greater degree with continued use. (Skincare experts, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)

I've been using this in place of a serum, and I apply a night cream afterwards. The directions for all facial oils seem to recommend applying two to three drops, but the Kiehl's is the first one I've used where two to three drops actually covers all my face with ease. It's much lighter than the others and just glides effortlessly across the skin. It sinks in very easily and smells of lavender, which I love. One of my favourite things about the Clarins oil was that it felt like an aromatherapy treatment as well as skincare, and you definitely get that with this one as well. In addition to lavender, it also contains evening primrose oil (rich in omega-6 fatty acids) and squalane, which I have never heard of but which is apparently "similar in molecular structure to natural skin lipids". These ingredients are combined to deliver a hefty moisture hit which works its way into your skin while you sleep. This is the optimum time to get the best results from the product as it coincides with your body working to repair your skin from all the damage of the previous day.

Kiehl's promises a "smoother, more radiant complexion by morning" and I have definitely noticed improvements in these areas, from the very first use. I'm never going to have the best skin in the world, but this has certainly made it feel smoother and look plumper. For me, the best part is that it seems to have drastically reduced a couple of fine lines around my mouth that have been bugging me lately. I haven't experienced that kind of result with any other oil. This tells me two things. Firstly, that I need to keep this little bottle of magic as part of my regular skincare routine, and secondly, that I need to hurry up and try that free sample of the eye cream which was included with my purchase!

Have you tried this oil? What did you think?

Kate x