For damn good moisturized skin.

Here I am again with another skincare sample! 

Today's sample is my first from this brand that I've always heard raves from: Sunday Riley. Sunday Riley's skincare products have been raved about by beauty bloggers, vloggers, and influencers so I'm pretty excited to try out a product from them in sample form. 

I'll be reviewing Sunday Riley's C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream, a product that's "infused with 5% Vitamin C; it is deeply hydrating, visibly brightens dull skin, fights the signs of dehydration and damage, and provides advanced antioxidant support. Formulated with THD Ascorbate, a powerful, jar-stable, and highly targeted Vitamin C derivative that prevents and repairs the visible signs of premature skin aging."

This cream is cruelty-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, soy-free, phthalate-free, fragrance-free, and vegetarian.

Its key ingredients include:

VITAMIN C 5% THD ASCORBATE (the gold standard of Vitamin C that is significantly less irritating than other forms of Vitamin C. Use for the prevention and repair the visible signs of premature skin aging)  

EXOPOLYSACCHARIDES: *from French Polynesian Kopara, these specialized exopolysaccharides help protect the skin from the visible effects of pollution exposure)

LIME PEARL: (a natural source of AHA used for gentle skin exfoliation) 

BISABOLOL: (derived from chamomile, bisabolol helps to calm the look of reactive and sensitive skin)

Texture-wise, this cream is quite thin and spreadable, although it is also slightly thicker/creamier compared to water-based moisturizers I'm used to. I know this cream is fragrance-free but it does have a faint orange-y/citrus-y scent that goes away fairly quickly after application.

(Note before my review: since this is a small sample, I can only tell you my first impressions about this product. I can't attest to its anti-aging claims and its skin repairs because I have to use this product for a long time for me to properly address my thoughts on that. I can only tell you its hydration/moisturizing properties and maybe a touch of its brightening ones as well.)

Upon application, I can already tell right off the bat that the C.E.O. Hydration Cream is more of a serious/heavier type of moisturizer. It's got some heft to it on the skin compared to my water-based moisturizers that feel very lightweight on the skin. I can instantly feel the extreme hydration this cream gives as my skin feels very plump and hydrated and even my dry spots were instantly tamed and smoothened out. Like, seriously- 10/10 for the extreme, bordering on offensive, hydration.

I guess it's no surprise that this cream leaves a thin film on the skin, like a hydration barrier to keep the skin moisturized for a long time. Personally, I'm not a big fan of having a thin, slightly sticky film on my face but I do know that those with extremely dry skintypes would benefit a lot from it. That said, this cream feels very pampering on the skin, like a product you'll encounter at a spa. It'll leave your skin happy and moisturized and when your skin is happy and moisturized, it'll glow- hence, the brightening effect.

I probably won't get the full-size of this cream, mainly because I prefer water-based moisturizers but I do recommend this for those with dry/parched skin types because this cream is just such a great hydrator. If you're looking for a luxurious-feeling face cream that's moisturizing and brightening, this is definitely worth checking out.