Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Review: Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

Sorry I have been AWOL for a while! I've been pretty busy trying to find a full-time job, so I've been writing more cover letters than blog posts.  I am back and this time I'll be talking about my quest for smaller pores! As I said when I reviewed the Biore Pore Strips, I truly believe that pore size is genetic, but keeping your pores clear will help them appear smaller! So in the world of photo-shop where celebrities don't even have pores (it's crazy, are they aliens?) we must all try our best to have skin that is fit for the cover of Cosmo.




Description of the Product

Cost: $47 for 1 oz.


Estee Lauder's Idealist is meant as a quick fix as well a long-term solution to reducing pore size and controlling oily skin. They describe it as "this exclusive complex of multi-hydroxy acids retextures skin to dramatically improve smoothness, clarity and radiance--in just one day". Multi-hydroxy acids usually increase skin turnover rate so that your pores don't have the time to become clogged-which eventually makes them appear larger. The product should immediatly make your skin feel smoother and with regular usage should help control oil and increase the rate at which your skin sheds (yummy!).


Using the Product

You should first cleanse your face with your normal cleanser. I've recently switched from an acne-fighting cleanser to a more gentle normal cleanser. Then put Idealist on before your moisturizer. The product is smooth and easy to apply so you shouldn't need to use an excessive amount. I would wait a minute and then apply your normal moisturizer. After this I always apply primer before putting on my makeup. As a reminder, this product is not a makeup primer. It may make your skin feel smooth like a makeup primer, but it is not meant to do the same job of holding your make up in place. Using both Idealist and a makeup primer will make your skin feel extra smooth!


Review of the Product

I've only been using this product for two weeks now but I think it does a great job of smoothing out my skin. In combination with regularly using the Biore Pore Strips I think the pores on my nose definitely look smaller. I've seen other claims that long-term usage really does help with oil control in the T-Zone, but I didn't want to wait 8 weeks to review this product. The only downside of Idealist is the cost. I wouldn't spend the money if you can't normally afford to buy department-store makeup or if  you already have great skin. If you are looking for a solution to large pores and oil-control this is a good product for you! Even better if you can find it in a sample (as I did...Thanks Mom!).

Recommend: Yes if you need pore and oil control, No if you have great skin already.




11 comments:

  1. Just came across this. i really enjoy using these products, but if you want smaller pores at a cheaper cost, drink lots of raw juices, especially green and carrot juices.
    cheers

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  2. I bought this product a couple of weeks ago.. and i was using for about two weeks. I did notice my skin peeling on my cheeks, and i ignored it. I kept using it and my pores began to look HUGE. All over my cheeks i had the "orange peel" effect. It was horrible.. had to return it. If it's suppose to make my pores bigger then i rather not use it because it defeats the purpose of me buying it, i wanted smaller pores.

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  3. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! Not every product works on everyone's skin. Maybe your skin was too sensitive for this particular one. You could try a lighter version of a Retin A product such as ROC and Oil of Olay makes some. Thanks for your input!

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  4. I think I had an allergic reaction to it.. but i been doing some reasearch and i been seeing that others are having the same problem. It only made my skin more oily and i just stoped using it now for about two days.. but im wondering if my pores will go back to normal size because it's very visible. Do you think it will go back to normal on its own? i keep putting toners and things in hopes that it'll go back to how it was..

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  5. Oh and forgot to say.. i also see that this blog says that the Idealist eventually makes your pores bigger.. at what point does that change and actually makes them smaller?

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  6. When your pores are clogged they appear larger, so the idealist increases skin turnover so that they cannot become clogged as easily. This product just seems to work well for some peoples skin and not well for others. Furthermore, it is normal for skin to get worse before getting better when using a new product. A lot of products can take 8-12 weeks to see a difference in their skin but many people want to see a difference right away so they give up on the product before it's had a chance to work. That being said, I would not continue to use this product if you think you had an allergic reaction or your skin is too sensitive for it. I do not think your pores will stay large for the long-term. Pore size is genetic, just using some products to keep them clean and tight make them appear a little smaller than they normally would. And try not to dry out your skin too much using a myriad of products.

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  7. thanks.. will do. I started using the Dickinsons Pore perfecting toner. It is helping my skin, and it's not too over drying on sensative skin. Also, i ordered online the One Minute Wonder by the skin care line Visible Solutions. I hope it works on unclogging my pores and cleaning out any inpurities. I tried a sample of it and watched a few videos, transformation is amazing on these people after just one minute. trully polishes your skin and reduces fine lines, but it's meant to mainly unclog pores and remove dead skin. Wish me luck! hopefully this works.

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  9. I have just pinned your post to Pinterest of course with the source of it, I hope it will not be a problem for you, And yes, I love İdealist too, ,it's the best!

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