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'Just like a $500 cream': Bethenny Frankel hit the 'bottom of the jar' on this $30 L'Oreal moisturizing cream

The L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Cream uses antioxidants and Vitamin E to help protect skin from visible signs of aging.

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Stars: They're just like us! Well, sometimes, anyway. One decidedly different thing is the fact that, generally, they can easily afford the highest-end beauty products and procedures to keep them looking red-carpet-ready 24/7. So when they share their love for a moisturizer that costs much less than those fancy lotions and potions, we listen — and that's how we discovered the celeb-beloved L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Cream. It's been raved about multiple times by the likes of 53-year-old reality star and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel, and it's a trusted part of the routines of seemingly ageless big names like Andie MacDowell and Helen Mirren. All that, and it can be yours for just $30 at Amazon.

Bethenny says this $30 formula "looks, feels, smells and is just like a $500 cream." High praise!

$30 at Amazon

So, what makes this cream so special? Bethenny has discussed her adoration of L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Cream across multiple videos, but her first review really drives home what she loves most: the fact that it feels and functions like an expensive, high-end cream, but only costs a fraction of the price. "It's not overly fragranced, it is so rich, and it looks, feels, smells and is just like a $500 cream." The Real Housewives of New York City star added, "I'm not kidding — you will know the second you try it. I have not been paid [by L'Oreal]; I just love this. I love this packaging, I just ... this is at the level. This is fully at and above the level. Love!"

To Bethenny, this is the moisturizer to use if you're looking for superstar hydration at a drugstore price, and it all goes back to the formula. L'Oreal's cream is made with a brand-patented antioxidant as well as Vitamin E, which helps protect from UV rays and other environmental factors that can contribute to visible signs of aging. The antioxidant blend, along with ingredients like shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil and lipohydroxy, assist in soothing the skin; they combine to help repair the skin barrier up to 1.5 times faster than your skin can do on its own. And hey, don't we all need a little bit of help from time to time?

As its name suggests, the Midnight Cream is best used as part of your nighttime skin routine. While you get your (literal) beauty rest, the cream will go to work to help restore skin overnight, when your dermis is most receptive to recovery. The texture of the cream, which Bethenny calls out in her video, wraps skin in moisture, creating the optimal environment for skin barrier repair. It melts into the skin for a lightweight, non-greasy feel, infusing antioxidants and Vitamin E from the inside out for a more glowy look.

Bonus: Along with your jar of Midnight Cream, you'll receive a free sample of L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Serum, which pairs with the Midnight Cream for a more robust nightly routine.

Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny calls L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Cream "fully at and above the level" of pricier skincare picks. (Getty Images)

Bethenny is far from the only devotee of L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Midnight Cream — the moisturizer has over a thousand five-star fans on Amazon. "Smells nice initially (natural, not perfumey) then fades as it's absorbed," wrote a happy shopper. "Very rich feeling. A little goes a long way. Non greasy and fully melts into your skin rather quickly. No sticky feel and it helps my foundation to go on smoothly and look better."

"I am 64 years old and so I'm facing what all of us at this age do. I also have eczema and very thin skin," confessed another fan. "I have filled my drawer with creams and serums, trying to find something that would work with my combination skin issues. They were either too greasy, or two watery. I would have to reapply some over and over. ... The first night I tried this cream I knew I had finally found the perfect moisturizer for me. It is just the perfect consistency and smells great. My skin stays moisturized, and I haven't had any breakouts. ... Perfect facial moisturizer for mature skin."

One reviewer noted, "Guys, we can't put this on in the morning — it makes your face shiny and greasy," but added in their five-star write-up, "But at night for the win… yes! It melts like butter onto your skin. Your face will look healthier, less sun damage, not blotchy, firmer (neck too) and not dry during the winter days. Will also help keep your neck healthy and not red from shaving. Put a lot on and let it soak in. You won't break out and your skin doesn't have to 'get used to' this lotion. This jar has so much research and development in it and you absolutely can tell."

For $30, you can bring home the cream that one reviewer compares to a near-$200 skincare favorite from La Mer.

$30 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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