Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

Being in New England during the Fall can really wreak havoc on your skin.

I have extremely problematic skin. It's combination, so that my t-zone and upper lip area is always breaking out. My nose and the cheek skin winging my nose have HUGE pores. Biore pore strips don't get out all the sebum and blackheads--I have to use one of those metal extractors.

Luckily, my cheeks practically never break out. But they can get extremely dry if I don't moisturize. So having combo skin really sucks because I have to look for two types of products--effective acne/sebum treatments that won't dry me out (painful, flaking skin that also has acne is the worst), and moisturizers that keep me supple without the oiliness.

And well...I think I have found a product that does BOTH!

Enter Estee Lauder's Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher.

The product guarantees: pores will appear 1/3 smaller instantly, there is a 69% reduction in the look of pores in 4 weeks, it repairs the look of uneven skin texture, flakiness, and roughness.

Apparently, the Idealist Skin Refinisher is a revamped version of the former Idealist. The current version includes: 3 times more Glucosamine than original Idealist, has Pore Diminishing Technology significantly shrinks the look of enlarged pores, and contains gentle-acting Chestnut Extract to help free your skin from dry, dulling, flaky skin cells.

(above info taken from website, you can read more there)

When I first pumped out some Idealist, I noticed the product had a very refreshing, light citrus scent...almost like grapefruit. Also, it was extremely silky to the touch and made my face feel instantly softer. I would liken the texture and finish to a waterier, makeup primer. I'm not sure if the product contains silicone, but Idealist could definitely double as a makeup primer. My pores did look instantly smaller and my t-zone was less oily, and my mineral powder went seamlessly over it without any oxidation.

The directions indicate Idealist should be applied every morning to a clean face and throat before your moisturizer. However, I also used Idealist at night before bed. My skin had been very dry, my t-zone was flaking AND breaking out. At night, after cleansing and toning, I would apply this alone, without any moisturizer on top. When I woke up in the morning, my skin looked so radiant and supple I would reapply it before doing my makeup. A week later, all my flakies cleared up, my pores were truly shrinking, and my skin continued to feel more radiant and softer.

I would highly recommend this product to girls with any skin type. It is very versatile and worth every penny. It is somewhat pricey ($46.50 for 1 oz, $73.00 for 1.7 oz, and up) but I suggest you purchase it when Estee Lauder has the bonus gift time. Keep watching Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, the Estee Lauder website itself, and other stores for the free gifts with purchase. I just purchased from Macy's when they had the bonus gift and I received tons of cool freebies. I know it's a lot to spend on skin care, but since our skin is the most important feature of our face, you should think of it as a well-spent investment :)

I will post another Estee Lauder review soon. Keep watching!