Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate : An Elixir is what it is

There is so much hype about this new serum from Kiehl’s! Ever since its launch way back in February 2010, I’ve seen the wave get bigger and bigger. But I’m going to fuel the hype further by telling you that this is a great product. For me anyway.

The Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate is a night serum designed to help repair your skin as you sleep and deliver hydration and balance your skin with its key ingredients of squalene and evening primrose oil. Let me tell you though what my favourite part of this serum is – lavender oil.

The Midnight Recovery Concentrate is infused with the wonderfully relaxing scent of lavender. I started using this about 2 months ago during a rough time when quality sleep is a priority, and believe me, this helps! I’ll tell you how I use it for maximum benefits below.

But first the packaging. I love the deep blue glass bottle this elixir comes in. I love the dropper but I’m sorry Kiehl’s, your plastic cap does nothing for this product. It actually jars against the beautiful glass bottle for me. Also, I’m not sure if my bottle is faulty, but I find it hard to depress the squeeze top enough to pick up the serum. I dread to think what will happen once the liquid level drops and I can’t get the serum out – what then? Might a rubber squeeze top be better? One wonders.

Fortunately, you only need about 2 drops. But another thing I noticed is that the vacuum isn’t strong enough, so the dropper does not hold the serum properly so it will drip. Not that many people will be holding it out in the open, but I thought I’d mention it because it bugged me

Now, are the directions to be believed? Do you really only need 2 drops of this powerful elixir to wake up to glowing skin?

Yes. Do not be like me and be sceptical and try to use more.

You see, this serum has a very liquid texture so 2 drops is hardly anything. I started out using 3-4 drops but found that it was just too oily on my skin. That’s what I mean about trying to be too clever. If directions say 2 drops, stick to 2 – there’s a reason directions are given

So after about 4 days, I cut back down to 2 drops. Here’s how I use it:-

• Drop 2 drops of Midnight Recovery Concentrate into your palm
• Rub hands together.
• Hold palms in front of nose and take 3 deep breaths of the lavender scent
• Apply palms to skin, starting with the cheeks then forehead, nose and chin, pressing slightly on the skin
• Follow up with regular moisturiser or not as you like

You might wonder where the 2 drops of oil have gone on your hands, but it is enough for your skin. Apply over your skin and lightly press your palms against your face. It absorbs and dries quite quickly.

What I noticed almost immediately is how velvety my skin felt. There are no silicones nor parabens in the Midnight Recovery Concentrate so its not attributable to silicone. It does not feel nor look oily if used correctly and my skin feels plumped up *toing*

Initially, I used the elixir with night cream but found it a little heavy, so I used it on its own, without follow up moisturizer. It felt sufficient even in an air conditioned room. But after 2 weeks, my skin felt a little dry so I started using moisturizer again on top. 2 moisturizers that work very well for me with this elixir is the Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream and Estee Lauder Cyberwhite EX Extra Brightening Rich Moisture Cream. Eeks!! Do you realize what that will do to my wallet?!

Kiehl’s says your skin looks visibly better in the morning. I tested this theory in the 2 weeks that I used only the Midnight Recovery Concentrate without night cream. Yes it does look good in the morning. It looks rested and better and I feel more rested too! I attribute it to the lavender oil that helps me relax so I sleep better and so with my body relaxed, of course the skin will look better. I use it now with night cream and things are looking pretty good. Somehow the combination just works.

As I said, I was going through a rough time when I started using this serum, and I believe it helped me so I did not experience break outs nor clogged pores nor did I look like turd at this time The ingredients (listed below) are supposed to be 99.8% natural and its paraben free and mineral oil free.

I will say this though: I’m not 100% sure what this serum is for. Its not quite an elixir of youth as it does not promise any anti-aging properties. Its not 100% a moisture serum although that appears to be the first thing it addresses. To me, its a serum to boost moisture in the skin plus keeping it looking radiant sorta like an all in one if you aren’t sure what to address but want something extra for your skin.

That said, I really like this one and I think Kiehl’s has scored itself a winner here! Ok I’m going to shut up now.

Pros: Skin feels velvety smooth and plump, Smells wonderful and relaxing, No breakouts, Skin does look better in the morning

Cons: Cap thing does not draw up a lot of serum, Serum is liable to drip from dropper, Some people might consider this expensive

A 30ml bottle retails at RM200. Its not expensive because 2 drops a day means one bottle will last you close to a year, used nightly only. Its been 2 months and the liquid level has barely dropped. Absolutely worth it!

Oh and I realized that since using this serum, I can use a light moisturizer at night and my skin still looks sufficiently moisturized when I wake up in the morning. I sleep in an air-conditioned room and we know how drying that can be. So, I believe that the moisture delivered to the skin by the Midnight Recovery Concentrate is helping so I don’t need to use as thick a moisturizer at night.

Its been out for a month or so now, and you might be able to get samples, if Kiehl’s stores have them. Do give it a shot and let me know if you like it as much as I do. I swear I’m addicted to the smell

Psst! Go get it!

Paris B

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate retails at RM200/30ml at all Kiehl’s stores

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalene, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil/Evening Primrose Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil/Jojoba Seed Oil, Coriandrum Sativum Oil/Coriander Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lavandula Angustifolia oil/Lavender Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Linalool, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil/Rosemary Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Cucumis Sativus Extract/Cucumber Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Extract/Turmeric Root Extract, Limonene, Citral, Sclareolide, Rosa Spp/Rose Flower Oil, Jasminum Officinale Extract/Jasmine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil fmla 685449/18 Code F.I.L: D39273/5

Featured: Kiehl's
Categories: Natural,Product Reviews,Serum,Treatment
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