Battle of the Morning Moisturisers!

Hey guys!!! :)

So for quite awhile now I've been looking for a Holy Grail moisturiser for the morning. I find that I like a lightweight gel cream in the AM and a thicker moisturiser in the PM. I had previously been using the Hydro Boost Water Gel in the AM for a year but I soon became bored of it. So I decided to try and find something better or equal to it. Well let me tell you... it's been a journey! I feel like I've tried most of the affordable lightweight creams on the market. Half of them were Western brands (Elf, No7, Nivea and The Inkey List) and the others were Korean. There's been a few hits and misses but I thought I'd write this post to help me decide which one to keep in my morning routine. Hopefully, through abit of analysis, I can break down which ones were successful and why. I'll list the products in the order that I used them.

So without further ado, let's dive right in!

 Elf Superhydrate Moisturiser

First started using: 10/07/21

Review: This moisturiser has a unique jelly texture which is abit messy to apply as you have to really dig it out of the jar. It was very hydrating but with only a whisper of moisture. I found that it took awhile to absorb and even after it had, it left a tacky finish on the skin.

Rating: 7/10

Bonajour Green Tea Water Bomb

First started using: 23/10/21

Review: I found this to have a very creamy gel texture which filled my pores with moisture and hydration. However it took way too long to absorb and left a greasy film on my face. My skin felt suffocated, therefore I didn't use it for very long and ended up throwing it away the product when it was only half emptied. Not a fan of this one!

Rating: 3/10

Nivea Hydra Skin Effect Waking Gel

First started using: 27/06/22

Review: I bought this on holiday as it was reduced to £4.99 and I thought it could be a dupe for the Hydro Boost Water Gel. How wrong I was! It was more of a cream than a gel and had a very strong floral scent which took some getting used to. I used it for 4 days before giving up with it, as I found that it sensitised my skin and caused me to breakout. I was very disappointed as I had high expectations. However it's still Nivea at the end of the day, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I think their formulations are very dated and have lots of unnecessary chemicals with names I can't even pronounce!

Rating: 1/10

Rovectin Clean Lotus Water Cream

First started using: 1/07/22

Review: Straight after the Nivea Hydra Skin Effect I tried the Korean cult favourite that is Rovectin! I'd seen that it was very popular with skinfluencers on YouTube so thought I'd give it a go. It comes out of the tube as a lightweight cream consistency, however once it's applied to the skin it turns into water! This cream is just pure hydration and not alot of moisture. It also leaves a tacky feeling on the skin. However it does help to maintain a healthy oil-water balance which I like.

Review: 3/10

No7 Hydra Luminous Water Surge Gel

First started using: 3/10/22

Review: This was the first moisturiser I tried that I felt was a genuine dupe for the Hydro Boost Water Gel. It has the same water gel consistency and absorbs really well into the skin. It's also super hydrating and has a nice subtle scent. I really enjoyed applying this and felt that it left my skin feeling really plump and juicy! Was pleasantly surprised with this one :)

Rating: 9/10

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream

First started using: 29/12/22

Review: I bought this based on a recommendation from Hyram, as he was raving about it on his channel, so I thought I'd try it for myself. It was alot like the Rovectin in the consistency and overall feel on the skin. It did take awhile to absorb and I'd be waiting up to 10 minutes sometimes. It also provided hardly any hydration or moisture to speak of. Hard pass for me I'm afraid!

Rating: 3/10

Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream

First started using: 13/02/23

Review: I was expecting this to be more of a gel consistency, however it is lovely and lightweight and absorbs within a few minutes. It is the perfect balance between hydration and moisture which I really love. I find that alot of moisturisers fail to get the balance right between the two. My skin always feels super soft and smooth after applying, especially after sunscreen. I loved this so much that I asked my best friend to get it for me for my birthday :)

Rating: 8.5/10

Elf Holy Hydration Hydro Gel Moisturiser

First started using: 6/03/23

Review: I've been using this for less than 2 weeks but I can already tell that it's not a favourite. It describes itself as a "gel cream" however the consistency is more like a thick lotion. I find that I need a few pumps to spread this over the skin as it is quite dense. It also pills under sunscreen which I hate! Hopefully I'll be able to use it up within a couple of months, especially if I keep doing 3 pumps per application. Fingers crossed anyways!

Rating: 2/10

I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey with morning moisturisers and maybe got some inspiration to find your own Holy Grail product. However, these are just my opinions and you may have a different experience with these products, so please don't be put off if you wanted to try any of these yourself. This is just what works for my personal skin and what I'm looking for in a moisturiser may differ to your needs. Although there have been alot of fails I did find a couple of gems which I think I'll continue with long term and see how my skin responds. My favourites are definitely the Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream and the No7 Hydra Luminous Water Surge Gel. I'll continue to test them and try and find a winning product which can take the spot of Holy Grail morning moisturiser [but for how long is the question ;)].

Who Cares, We Care, Skincare :)