Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is giving my skin new life!

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It has gotten really cold and windy here in the Big Apple and my usually dry skin, is super tight and there is some flakiness.  Truth be told, I don’t have a complete, regular skincare regime.  I cleanse and exfoliate but with respect to moisturizers, I kinda just try whatever moves me, or use coconut oil or nothing at all.  Crazy, right?

So, one day I took part in a Twitter chat hosted by one of my favourite bloggers and fellow Trini, Afrobella and Kiehl’s and they were answering questions on one of Kiehl’s newer products, the Midnight Recovery Concentrate (MRC).  Now, before I launch into the virtues of this product, here’s a little information about Kiehl’s.  This is a real, old school apothecary located in the East Village in NYC.  Apothecaries have been around for centuries and are the precursors to the modern-day pharmacy.  The medical professionals created medicinal concoctions and dispensed medical advice.  I am in love with Kiehl’s original location!  The wood  lab-like benches, apothecary jars and beakers, the porcelain mortar and pestles.  It reminds me of my early days in Chemistry lab!

But, I digress…

Anyway, the chat included a giveaway and I won one the MRC sets!!! I was super excited! I had been investigating these products for a few weeks and it was a great way to dip my toe in.

The Midnight Recovery Concentrate comes in a prussian blue glass bottle with a glass dropper.

According to Kiehl’s, MRC is a 99.8% blend of essential oils, which includes a few key ingredients:

• Squalene –  a naturally occuring, organic lipid (fat) which acts to restore moisture to the skin and acts as an antioxidant.
• Evening Primrose Oil – naturally occuring oil that contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that repairs and restores the skin and provides a radiance.
• Lavender oil – naturally occuring oil that soothes the skin.

It is also water free, and therefore the product is not being diluted and you minimize the introduction of bacteria and maximize the benefits of the ingredients.  MRC is supposed to restore the moisture and sebum balance to the skin so that it would plump the skin and help minimize the appearance of fine lines and flakiness due to dry skin.  In turn, this will make the skin look fresher and more radiant.

The oil is colourless, thin and has a prominent lavender smell.  The scent dissipates a few minutes after applying to the face.  The oil is thin enough where it can be used by those with oily skin and they don’t have to worry about it making their skin even more slick and as a matter of fact it will balance the moisture level.  I really liked the texture of it.  I also really like the dropper as it made dispensing very easy.  After cleansing my face, I let my skin dry for a few minutes and then I applied 3-5 drops of oil in my palms, rub them together and gently press the oil into my skin.  The scent of lavender made it feel like a mini facial, very relaxing!  The product felt amazing on my skin!  It is absorbed quickly, and did not make my skin look oily.  Best of all, my skin felt super duper soft and smooth.   Like newborn smooth!  Kiehl’s designed this product to be used at nighttime.  Why?  Because our beauty sleep is actually a very active period.  Our body, including our skin, takes this time to repair itself from the damage done by oxidants in pollution and other irritants.  This is one of the reasons why sleep is essential.  So by using this product at night during sleep, we help maximize the healing process.  After my 8 hours, my skin felt soft, hydrated and there was no tightness across my cheeks.  MRC, yuh win!

I also received the Midnight Recovery Eye (MREye), which is the corresponding eye treatment.

It contains the same ingredients as the MRC but it also contains Butcher’s Broom, which is a natural botanical which helps relieve puffiness.  MREye comes in a tube with a needle-nose tip and it is a white cream.  Again, there is a prominent smell of lavender and the texture is smooth, not too thick nor oily.  I applied this with with ring fingers all over the lower eye lid and the sides of my eye as well.  In the morning, I did not have any excessive puffiness or under eye circles and again my skin felt super smooth.  I really needed a eye cream for night and this one works very well.

The MRC comes in 2 sizes, 1.0 fl. oz and 1.7 fl. oz and sells for US$43 -$68 while the eye treatment comes in one size, (0.5 oz) for US$36.

My final verdict? I really love these products.  They are mostly natural, paraben free, silicone free, kept my skin very soft and hydrated for hours, my puffy eyes diminished, and I have not experienced any adverse skin reactions.  Those with oily or acne-prone skin would benefit greatly from this and it helps balance and calm the skin.  The only drawback is that it is not drug store cheap, but at 3-5 drops per night this will easily last at least 6 months, so it is absolutely worth it.  I love the radiance it imparts.  I fully recommend this.  Now I just have to find an antioxidant/anti-aging serum to layer under the MRC for the ultimate nighttime treatment.

For more information, visit Kiehl’s.

Overall Grade: A

FTC Disclosure: The products mentioned were sent to me by the company.  I have not been compensated for this review.  These are  my honest opinions.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Page.