| Product: |
Estée Lauder Hydra Complete Multi-Level Moisture Creme |
| Date: |
07/10/09 (75 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Long lasting, suitable for day and night, nice packaging
Disadvantages: Greasy, doesn't moisturise enough
I have recently reviewed a cleanser from the same Estee Lauder range and having just been away for the weekend and having used the moisturiser again, I decided to review it as well. Similarly to the cleanser, I got this item in a mini set, along with other skin care products, but the moisturiser was the main reason why I bought the set.
I have quite a peculiar skin type, which is combination, but my skin is both shiny and dry in the T zone and normal everywhere else on my face. My nose and chin are peeling all the time. I needed a product that would give my skin a lot of moisture but would also be very light and not greasy.
Product
Wanting to try if the brand names were more effective than mainstream, I came across Estee Lauder Hydra Complete Multi-level Moisture Crème. My particular cream is designed for normal and combination skin (there is also a version for dry skin which looks exactly the same) and the packaging advises you should use it AM and PM. It's a great solution for customers who, like me, want to have just one face moisturiser to use instead of a separate day and night products.
I bought my moisturiser in a mini set but the price of a regular 50ml jar is approx. £32. For this price, it'd better be working well!
Packaging
I think the product looks very attractive. It is a jar made of blue transparent plastic (I could swear it was glass though) inside of which there is a white plastic container that holds the cream. The golden lid really complements the blue jar. The packaging looks glamorous and expensive, and to be honest, was one of the main reasons why I wanted to try this product in the first place.
Texture and smell
Inside the jar you will find white-coloured cream of quite a tick, hair-gel-like consistency. The cream is not runny at all and if you turn the jar sideways or upside down, you will probably get a huge blob of cream falling out rather than it dripping down slowly.
I cannot define the smell really, it is different to what other face moisturisers I have used before smelled like. The fragrance is quite fresh and clinical but not flowery/citrusy as perfume. In fact this doesn't smell like perfume at all, the smell is very suitable to skin care products.
What the company says about this product
Hydra Complete Multi-Level Moisture Crème contains bio-water similar to the one naturally found in the skin. Bio-water is rich in minerals and it is supposed to help the skin fight against internal and external dehydration by enabling it to attract, retain and rebalance water. The skin will therefore stay soft, smooth and revitalized. The moisturiser is also supposed to plump the skin and smooth fine lines in seconds.
The active ingredients in this cream are: a derivative of Vitamin B5 (which should adapt to temperature and humidity shifts), Biosine (an ingredient created by Estee Lauder to boost production of lipids and proteins) and extracts of Cactus Flower and Mohave Yucca, which help to rebuild skin's natural barrier that holds moisture inside. Other ingredients are Aloe butter, Indian Kokum butter and Brazilian Muru Muru butter.
What I think about the product
I bought Hydra Complete with the intention of using it as an everyday moisturiser. At first use, it felt pretty greasy, but I just thought of the final results. If this cream gave my skin the hydration it needed without making it shiny, I would put up with the greasy feeling.
It took a while to be absorbed. Straight after the first application my skin was soft, but also had that feeling of artificial smoothness to it. As if I put a very thin wax mask on my face. That wasn't pleasant, but still thinking about the long-term results (hydration), I kept using the cream for the next two or three weeks until... I bought a moisturiser from Olay (will need to review it at some point!).
I couldn't take it anymore. I tried applying a thinner layer of cream on my face but it still felt too oily. There was also no major hydration to the skin (my nose kept peeling the way it did before), wax-mask feeling on my face and also greasy fingers.
I hated the fact that to apply the product I had to dip my finger into the jar and half of the moisturiser (that's a bit exaggerated) ended up underneath my fingernails (!). Then trying to squeeze the cream from underneath the nails was quite a disgusting feeling.
Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the company's claim about smoothing fine wrinkles as I don't have any yet (lucky me, haha)
I changed the moisturiser, but still having had almost the whole jar of Hydra Complete, I needed to use it up as it wasn't cheap to buy. I decided I wouldn't use it on a regular basis but just take it with me on short, weekend trips, since the format is small and easy to carry (my jar is only 15ml).
I don't remember when exactly I bought this product but still have about a leveled tea spoon of it left, and it has been several months since I had made the purchase (definitely a year). You can see from this, on the positive side, that the moisturiser is long lasting and this is not only because I don't use it daily. Bear in mind that I travel about 1-3 times per month and there was only 15ml of the cream in my jar.
Final thoughts
I still don't find any pleasure in using the product. Every time I do, I feel like washing it off straight away, but I grit my teeth and think "only a few more weeks/months to go". Will I make a repeat purchase? That is a rhetorical question.
For more information, go to:
http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/
This review has been posted on Ciao under the same username.
Summary: Unfortunately disappointing, not worth the cost
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