This Glossier Face Cream Is Exactly What Your Dry Skin Has Been Craving

Ever since packing up my life and moving across the country from New York City to Los Angeles last summer, my skin has been freaking out. By 35, I thought I knew everything about my complexion: it’s oily in the T-zone, breaks out along the jawline you know when, and generally looks pretty glowy most of the time. Well, all that changed when I moved to the land of perpetual sun (really not complaining about this) and what feels like zero humidity (nor this!). Seemingly overnight I started waking up with dry skin patches on my forehead and cheeks, and I stopped having to blot my face around 2 p.m. I never thought I’d miss my shiny forehead!

Over the past few months I’ve been really stepping up my moisture game—layering skincare for maximal hydration, and swapping lighter weight lotions for richer daytime face creams and night creams. So when I found out that IPSY would be offering GLOSSIER Priming Moisturizer Rich in our April Glam Bag assortment, I got super excited and immediately snagged one from our product closet to give it a try. Keep reading for my GLOSSIER Priming Moisturizer Rich review!

I’d like to say I never judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to GLOSSIER stuff, I can’t help but love their packaging. Their Priming Moisturizer Rich is no exception—its pretty pink cap with a signature ‘G’ on top, and cool mod see-through base make a fun addition to any shelfie.

So what about when you actually open it up? I immediately take a sniff of whatever I’m about to put on my face (this is normal, right??), and with this, I was not disappointed. I really do not like putting anything too flowery or perfumey smelling on my face, and in general am not a fan of synthetic fragrances and prefer fragrance-free formulas. Thankfully, GLOSSIER chose to use lavender oil instead of a fragrance. Not only does lavender oil have a long history of being used in aromatherapy to help calm you down mentally, it also has antioxidant and skin-calming properties too. Plus, I just personally love anything with a lavender scent.

Upon first scoop, it feels exactly how you want a rich cream to feel–not watery or thin, but creamy and thick. It feels deeply moisturizing and protective when you apply it, but somehow melts right into skin too.

What I love about GLOSSIER Priming Moisturizer Rich is it’s not all show and no go–it’s packed with some serious skincare all-stars (and free of things like parabens–a major win in my book). First up, murumuru butter and shea butter. They’re what give the formula its rich texture and what helps it melt into your skin. Plus, both contain the fatty acid oleic acid which not only helps with moisturization, but has skin-calming benefits as well.

The formula is also packed with one of my favorite skincare ingredients ever: ceramides. Ceramides are so important to our skin health because they help strengthen our skin’s moisture barrier to keep hydration in. Without a strong skin barrier, your complexion can start to get dry, itchy, and irritated.

As if this cream wasn’t luxurious enough already, it’s also got kukui oil in it–a longtime Hawaiian beauty secret. It’s rich in fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic to be exact), and helps lock moisture into the skin.

I always recommend making sure you’ve washed your hands before diving into a jar formula just to be safe. After that, I like to dot the formula on my cheeks, forehead, and chin and then use the warmth of my hands to melt it into my skin. If you use any serums in your skincare routine, apply those first. And if it’s the daytime, apply your SPF after using GLOSSIER Priming Moisturizer Rich.

Since I’m dealing with some dry skin these days, I’m using this formula both day and night. It’s appropriate for all skin types, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores or cause breakouts) so I encourage oilier types to try it, but maybe stick to using it just as a night cream if you’re nervous.

Back in the good old days when my skin was naturally moisturized, I was a huge fan of GLOSSIER’s original Priming Moisturizer. I was a little uncertain if I’d like a face cream that felt so rich, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think my skin finally found the hydrating, luxurious face cream it was craving. After using this day and night for a few weeks, my skin no longer feels tight. I wake up looking hydrated, and my skin feels plump and looks glowly throughout the day. I will 100% be keeping this in my skincare routine rotation.

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