Disappearing act

So this summer I managed to screw up the sunscreen somehow and developed some darker spots on my upper lip, kinda like a merged freckle, and a spot on my temple. It's one of those things where I don't think anyone noticed but me, but I obsessed over it. So I decided to try a few products claiming to lighten sun spots and correct skin tone. I started with a drug store brand.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti Sun Damage ($13.50 for 2.5 oz at drugstore.com)
3.5 stars (34 reviewers) on drugstore.com
This one came in the Allure beauty box I ordered and discussed HERE. I tried it for few weeks this summer, but unfortunately there were no noticeable changes at all. It was a decent moisturizer, but I have slightly oily skin so I didn't use it during the day. I wish this had worked, it's so much cheaper than my final test below.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector ($49.50 1 oz)
4 star rating on Clinique.com (400 reviewers) and 4 star rating on Sephora.com (750 reviewers)

Photo taken from Clinique.com

I bought this last month at Sephora in a gift set that came with some "Even Better Skin Tone Correcting moisturizer with SPF 20" (a bit thick for my everyday use, but not bad), and a travel size "All About Eyes" serum, which I lurve. The lady at Sephora said customers RAVED about this stuff, so I felt ok about purchasing.

I use a very small dollop at night, concentrating on the spots I need help on. No use wasting it on the rest of my face when it's so pricey. The box says it can take up to 12 weeks for this stuff to really give you results, but I am seeing some improvements after about a month. Now, part of this can also be attributed to me spending less time out in the sun, but there seems to be more improvement than my normal summer-to-winter lightening of skin. The spot on my temple is a bit stubborn, but the darkness on my upper lip (which was by far the most embarrassing) is definitely lighter.

VERY IMPORTANT CAVEAT: You MUST wear sunscreen when you are using this. If your makeup has at least SPF 15 or 20 (which most nowadays do) then in general you should be ok, but if you are going out for any extended period of time (for a long walk, a jog, etc) then you really, really need to wear stronger SPF. If you don't, then the dark spots will return. The packaging even says "Sunscreen necessary". So don't spend $49.50 on this and then forget the sunscreen, undoing all the improvements.

Winner, even though it's the most expensive is Clinique. I just didn't see results from Garnier. Are there any brands or lotions you have tried that worked? Share in the comments.