Friday 24 July 2015

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.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

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!)

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

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 Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

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
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28 comments

  1. I have tried this one! Yay! It is amazing!

    Love Priya

    MyFashionFixes

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    Replies
    1. I didn't expect it to be so good to be honest! x

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  2. I absolutely love this too, and have used it in the past <3

    Serene | I Am Serene L

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  3. I tried facial oils in the past and while I enjoyed them at first - definitely noticed a difference in suppleness of my skin - they also caused me to break out. I have been having problems with adult acne, and even the most helpful products have exacerbated it. But if my skin ever cams down, I will definitely give this a try. Sounds like it worked for you!

    xx Yasmin
    http://banglesandbungalows.com

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    Replies
    1. I guess oils are not for every skin type, although this one does feel particularly light. Skin is such a tricky thing! x

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  4. I've not try this but I agree this was all the rage few months back or was it last year and now it's all Sunday Riley and frankly I can't keep up. LOL! I am still trying to finish my Rodial facial oil which is brilliant and planning to pick up this if I ever finish it.

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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    Replies
    1. I am sure by the time I get around to trying Sunday Riley there will be something else! Never tried anything from Rodial but have heard good things about the brand. x

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  5. I have tried this oil & loved it! But you know, there’s a lot of facial oil products in the market that I have been itching to try & hence I stopped using Kiehl’s after my 2nd bottle. I hope you will enjoy using the oil as much as I did :) Also, I love the drop dispenser hehe, reminds me of when I was in high school doing chemistry lab lol

    Hana | Bold Expression

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    Replies
    1. This is what happens to me. There's always something new that looks amazing! x

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  6. I got a sample of this oil when I purchased the Eye Cream and it didn't impressed me but, of course, I only used for a few nights. As for the eye cream, it's lovely, keeps my skin hydrated but even though I have been using it for two months sadly I didn't noticed that it reduce any lines in that area. x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

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    Replies
    1. Ah that's a shame, although at least it does a good job in the hydration department! x

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  7. I've heard a lot about this but I've never tried it, the packaging looks really cute :) xx

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  8. That one is still on y list, but I do love the Estee Lauder ANR and I am holding a small Sunday Riley giveaway on my blog if you care to try something from their brand.

    Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

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    Replies
    1. Will definitely take a look at that! x

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  9. Oh this has made me really want to re-introduce an oil to my skincare regime. I was using one by The Body Shop and adored the applicator, it made the whole process that bit more enjoyable! I love that this one had such an immediate effect on your skin, if I ever decide to invest in another oil, I'll look in this direction for sure :) Thanks for the thorough review!!

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice

    x

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome! The Body Shop seem to be doing more and more interesting stuff at the moment - I must have a good browse in there soon! x

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  10. Thank you for sharing this great review! I would really like to use this product, my face really needs it!

    Natalia | Lindifique

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  11. I like Kiehl's but I haven't tried a lot of their skincare. This product seems really interesting~!

    http://alluringalyssbeauty.blogspot.com/

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  12. I definitely know what you mean with the blue color being appealing! I think it makes it feel more high end, and I love how the gold lettering looks. I haven't really tried any of the "blogger favorites", it seems they're always changing, so I prefer to use trial and error and figure out my own skincare routine.

    Angelina Is

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  13. I don't know if this will be good for my extremely oily skin but it sounds great :)
    bubbasdoll.blogspot.co.uk

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  14. very interesting post I like that!
    f4f?
    All the best
    Isidora
    >>http://highheelpoodl.blogspot.com<<

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  15. Kiehl's product are gorgeous!!


    Federica
    http://www.thecutielicious.com
    The Cutielicious

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  16. Love your post! Awesome, dear!

    My summer make-up - http://starlingdays.blogspot.com/2015/07/upgrade.html

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  17. I've been eyeing this up for quite some time now but haven't had the chance to try it out yet as I'm still getting through some other facial oils. I love that it's lightweight & when I do eventually finish my current ones I must treat myself to it x

    Beauty with charm | Zoeva Giveaway

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  18. I used to use this oil back in the day for about a year or so -- it was great but I find it's too expensive. I switched to organic cold-pressed virgin Argan oil instead and that works wonders for me skin (plus it's 1/4 of the price).

    http://www.mintnotion.com

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  19. I haven't tried this, but I really want to! I love Kiehl's products and this is one that everyone keeps raving about! I will probably wait until I run out of my other oil/serum that I'm using at the moment, but I definitely want to try this!

    Paula
    Thirteen Thoughts

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  20. I used to use this all the time. I am now getting a similar product for free through my job, but when I leave here I will probably go back to Kiehl's.

    http://aroseisinbloom.blogspot.com/

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