PRODUCT REVIEW - Estee Lauder's Idealist

I was given a couple of Estee Lauder products to try out (Idealist, Night Repair, Day Wear), and I've been using them for the past week or so. I thought I would share my two cents about Idealist, since it's the only product so far that I feel a have a real grasp on. You'll see why, though!

A little background:
According to the website, Idealist claims to have pore diminishing technology that is supposed to make large pores disappear by treating their appearance from the inside out. It also claims to immediately begin dissolving away pore-clogging debris, as well as clear away dead skin cells. It's packed full of antioxidants, has 3x more glucosamin (a sugar-derived, non-acid re-finisher) than the previous formula and has chestnut extract (these apparently help to get rid of flakiness), and it's supposed to brighten your skin and fade the appearance of discoloration and dark spots.

Pricing:
1.0 OZ - $46.50
1.7 OZ - $73.00
3.4 OZ - $120.00

What I thought:
My initial thoughts of the serum was that it smells great, it's not overpowering or overly floral. It has a really nice citrus-y scent.
After putting it on, it instantly smoothed out my skin and made it feel silky and soft. It also reduced shine in my t-zone, which I liked.
However, the one downfall to this product is that it virtually has no long term effects, using it doesn't really benefit your skin, it just makes it look nice for the amount of time that you have it on. I didn't experience a change in my skin texture really, except that it actually got drier and flaky. I also got some blackheads, but I'm not sure if it's directly related to this product. My skin wasn't softer or more radiant. It does make your makeup go on nicely, though.
Long story short, it's basically just a primer.
For the price, I might be better off buying smashbox's primer! It's cheaper and does the same thing, in my opinion.
I'm glad I didn't buy, and I don't think I will end up doing so. I would rather splurge on a serum that actually has more promising long term effects.

UPDATE:
So, turns out this serum totally broke me out. My skin isn't sensitive at ALL, but I stopped using it and my skin cleared up instantly. So, I definitely am not considering buying this product lol