So the haze has somewhat become part of our daily lives – well mine at least. These days, I don’t bat an eyelid unless it exceeds 200. I’d be trodding home for 3-4km after work as long as the PSI is below 200. Yes yes I know it may not be the best thing to do, but walking really helps me. Anyhoos, as much as I’d like to pretend to be nonchalant and all cool, the detrimental effects of the haze always make themselves known in the form of dry cracked lips (despite me chugging litres of water), pesky spots as well as dry skin. This is something I’ve been using to try to salvage the skin.
Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate – S$80
Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate – S$80
The official spiel:
Ramping up skin’s own daytime defense system to revitalize and help reduce signs of skin fatigue, Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate is chock-full of a highly concentrated blend of 100% natural origin ingredients including Ginger Root Essential Oils (protects skin cells from UVA-induced lipid peroxidation), Tamanu (brings emollient properties to lock in moisture) and Sunflower Seed Botanical Oils (increases skin hydration, reduces redness and improves skin smoothness).
Designed to reduce daily environmentally-induced oxidation (protects against harmful effects of haze!), this non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, mineral oil free and paraben-free formula is lightweight, quickly absorbing and helps strengthen and protect the skin barrier for a smooth, fresh and healthy look all day long. Not to mention it smells AMAZING!
Usage: Apply 2 – 3 drops of the formula to clean skin after a serum and before a cream
my instagram photo taken during the launch :D
A dropper tool system
A lightweight clear liquid that isn’t greasy at all – look at how it flows down so quickly as I tried to snap this shot
From the side – you can see a very slight, almost negligible sheen over the skin, but nothing too shiny nor greasy.
I Say…
The Packaging: It comes in a bottle with a glass dropper tool for hygienic dispensing and usage – I use just a couple of drops for the entire face (My daily morning routine: Cleanse my skin –> Kiehl’s Iris Activating Treatment Essence, this one, Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum, Sulwhasoo Luminature Finisher, Sunblock)
The Scent: It surprisingly has a rather subtle scent of citrus as well as a slight tinge of spicy (from the ginger methinks) – nothing too overwhelming but just enough to give you that slight perk-me-up in the morning.
The Texture: Now I’ve always been wary of facial oils – yes yes, I know as well as everyone does that even though I may have oily skin, it doesn’t mean I should avoid oils. But I guess it’s just a common misconception. Again, this surprises me because it’s not particularly greasy nor oily (just a slight tinge to remind you that this is after all, an oil product). It’s pretty lightweight, and gets absorbed into the skin rather quickly, leaving a very, very, almost unnoticeable sheen.
The Application: It’s touted to awaken your skin, but personally for me, it does more in terms of keeping the skin hydrated (by forming that slight barrier against the elements/haze/dirt etc). The skin felt softer, more hydrated, especially during the 4-6 hour mark, which is when the airconditioning of the office really starts getting to the skin. If I were to reallllyyy scrutinise my skin – yes I guess it does look (to certain extent) more awakened and less fatigued (as compared to other days at the same timing) – don’t expect a miracle but you can expect a slight improvement.
The Verdict: To me, this is the daytime work companion of the brand’s extremely popular Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I had to take note, however, to ensure that the products I applied on after were the non-greasy types (which meant I avoided BB cushions with a glowy finish). Note that the Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate does not leave a shine on your face – I just wanted to ensure that any extra shine that came on during the day later would be in check. As the owner of a combi-oily skintype, I’m pretty okay with this product as well – so far, I daresay it’s staved off a couple of spots caused by the haze, helped retain a certain level of hydration for the skin, and also lessened the irritation brought about by the extra dust specks in the air. I’d highly recommend this for those with drier skin types or a combi-dry skin type (or if you’re going onto the plane or places with drier climates).
