Estee Lauder: Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

I wrote a series of posts back in May 2012 that I never got around to publishing because I never photographed the items.... Here they are now, almost a year later! I've updated the Project Pan #s to continue off of my current number.

I have been accumulating a little pile of finished products, and I'm finally feeling productive enough to go through and blog about them!

First up are sample sizes of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair serum (Project Pan Item #22-23). May I just say, I absolutely love Estee Lauder's gift sets. I definitely recommend that you consider purchasing Estee Lauder when these sets are available because not only is it a great way to test out their products, but they're also generally filled with amazing items. I have not yet been disappointed with anything I've tried from these sets. It was through them that I discovered my favorite eye cream (the Advanced Night Repair eye, reviewed here) and moisturizer (the DayWear Creme, reviewed here)!

Back to the subject of the post- the Advanced Night Repair is a serum that is designed to "[repair] the appearance of past damage and [address] the visible damaging effects of environmental assaults— UV light, smoke and pollution— before they become permanent," "[help] prevent future damage," and "[deliver] high levels of hydration." The serum is runny but not too liquid. It smooths over the skin easily and leaves it feeling softer and more supple. I like that it does not leave behind oily residue. I also think the smell of it is quite nice.

When I first tried this product, I wasn't entirely sure how to use it so I tested it in various ways: as a nighttime moisturizer; as a daytime moisturizer; and as a base before my daytime moisturizer. I agree that it is hydrating but I don't feel that it is sufficient to warrant its use as a standalone moisturizer. Bear in mind that I have dry skin outside of the T-zone.

Then one day, I was watching a Tanya Burr video (pixi2woo on Youtube) in which she mentioned that she loves the Advanced Night Repair as a treatment for damaged skin. This was at a time when I was dealing with spots and scrapes on my upper lip area and trying desperately to minimize scarring/discoloration. I started applying the Advanced Night Repair to this area in hopes that it would promote healing and prevent scarring. I can't say how things would have turned out if I hadn't done this but I like to think that the Advanced Night Repair had a positive effect on the healing process. Still, I was also using Neosporin, cocoa butter, and my normal moisturizer(s) on the area so I can't single out the effect this serum had.

To wrap up my thoughts, I feel that the Advanced Night Repair is a nice product in that it feels lovely to use and there is nothing wrong with it per se. However, I can't be certain that it delivers on its claims to protect and/or repair the skin. Its effects aren't revolutionary or dramatic enough for me to believe in its hype. I'm sure it did not hurt anything, and it may even have helped my skin, but only in conjunction with the other products in my regime. At $52 for 1oz, it is pricey. My sample size was 0.5oz so it was a great deal to receive it as part of a gift with purchase! I definitely recommend that you try to snag a set that includes this if you are looking to try it out.