Review: Estée Lauder Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex

ANR is a cult serum that claims to fight all signs of ageing. It is probably the most talked about prestige brand skincare product. It is supposed to have some 25 and more patents and patents pending. It is supposed to be effective for every skin type, every ethnicity.... the be all and end all of all serums! It is available in various sizes, especially the small sizes frequent gift packs and GWPs. They do really try hard to market this one. I am sure anyone who is interested in skincare would have tried this at least once in their life time.

Ingredients: Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-75, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Cola Acuminata (Kola) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Pantethine, Caffeine, Lectithin, Tripeptide-32, Ethylhexylglycerin,Sodium RNA, Bisabolol, Glycereth-26, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Oleth-3, Oleth-5, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile), Yeast Extract, Choleth-24, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceteth-24, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hexylene Glycol, Carbonmer, Triethanolamine, Trisodium EDTA, BHT, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Red 4, Yellow 5.

ANR was replaced with a newer formulation, ANR II with added Retinyl Palmate, Lecithin and a few other ingredients (source: Beautypedia). Su has tried the original ANR, whereas Shree has tried the newer ANR II.

Su's thoughts:

It is a really good water based serum. It is gel like liquid in consistency that doesn't feel sticky or heavy on the skin. It feels nice and soothing the skin. I absolutely love the smell. It smells like a mild and pleasant medley of spices that is very soothing. The smell quickly disappears once I apply it. The serum instantly absorbs too. It leaves no sticky residue and makes my skin feel fresh. It feels very hydrating and my skin does look and feel plump. I usually apply it at night and wake up with good skin in the morning. I liked it enough to get two whole bottles and finished both. The reason I didn't repurchase was that effect of hydration was temporary. If I stopped using it for a day or two, my skin was back to how it was: dry, dehydrated with fine lines and no glow. Due to this lack of the sustained effect, I don't think I should fork out that amount of money.  

Sree's thoughts:

   Well, I bought this serum with so much of excitement as it was my first time introducing a serum into my skincare routine. The lady at the counter was full of praises, claimed that it is the best anti ageing serum: it will erase fine lines, reduce pore size, skin will feel smooth, plump and hydrated....  I bought the product immediately and couldn't wait to use it!

Yes this serum does hydrate the skin and skin feels smooth after application this is attributed to the presence of silicones in it ... but sadly apart from that it does nothing else. I used a whole bottle and found not much difference in my skin. Did nothing for my acne scars and I didn't notice any reduction in pore size either. Is this product worth the Hype? Don't think so, but it has made me more cautious and I started reading reviews online before buying any new products.