Bad day? Here’s how you can show up fresh for work tomorrow

Emotional turbulences take a toll on the face. When you feel happy, your face blooms. And when you feel crappy, it shows.

If you find it humanly impossible to find inner peace, why not start from the outside and pull the glow in?

Kiehl’s has a wonderful elixir for that: the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, a formula of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals. It is among the Kiehl’s x Kate Moross Holiday Collection that includes specially designed versions of the Ultra Facial Cream (₱1,575) and the Calendula Herbal‑Extract Toner (₱2,425) which is perhaps the gentlest alcohol toner around.

Its promise: only three drops of this powerful concentrate at midnight “fixes” your skin by morning.

Because midnight is the most curious hour of the night.

How many times have you spent that glorious hour pulling an all‑nighter, running a chat marathon, or rewinding all your ex’s BS? Midnight is a magical hour, and if you really love your face, it will do you better to put yourself to sleep with this oil formula.

I tried it out for a week.

At midnight, I pinched the sleek dropper and carefully put one, two, three drops on my face, spreading the oil ever so lightly that it felt like I was giving myself a mini facial massage. The scent of the oil concentrate puts you in the mood to relax. It feels strange to put oil on your face—because we’ve been taught that oil is the enemy. But this potion of botanicals and oils is something you never have to question.

The first morning, I woke up to smooth, matte, taut, fresh baby skin—a total contrast to the muddle of hormonal bullcrap that sat in my mind. Pardon the French, but it makes you radiate an after‑sex glow (minus the sex).

When you wake up radiant, you feel less worse about spending the night by yourself.

Apparently, the secret of this serum is Lavender Essential Oil and Evening Primrose Oil and Squalene.

According to Kiehl’s website, Evening Primrose Oil is said to contain essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own, thus repairing the skin barrier from “daily aggressors,” while improving firmness and elasticity.

Lavender Oil, on the other hand, soothes inflamed and irritated skin while helping reduce blotchy skin for a more even tone. The calming oil is said to create brighter, healthier‑looking skin.

Finally, Squalene, “a signature Kiehl’s ingredient,” restore’s skin’s moisture balance to keep it soft and supple. Don’t ask me how—it’s a string of words that includes “botanical lipids” and “molecular structure” and I got a C‑ in Chemistry.

The most important thing, though, is that it doesn’t lie. The more I use it, the silkier and more hydrated my face feels. And despite the burden of everyday life that I carry on my shoulders, my face feels light. My foundation glides on more smoothly, and by the seventh day, I understood why despite the ₱3,895 price tag for a 50ml jumbo bottle, this concentrate has become one of Kiehl’s bestsellers.

I wouldn’t advise using it in the morning though—although you technically can, under a moisturizer—because it would be too greasy. The deeper reason is that this facial serum is magic, and you need to free yourself from the oil in order to experience its benefits.