Does any moisturiser have business being this famous? Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream has become beauty’s equivalent of an hermes handbag: expensive, instantly recognisable (thanks to its vibrant lilac packaging) and permanently sold out. At £69 a jar, we’d expect not just to buy guaranteed hydration, but a cream that can deliver the ultimate glow quite like no other. Let’s dive in and see what it delivers…
Tatcha promises “dewy, plump-looking skin” through a blend of Japanese purple rice, Okinawa algae, hyaluronic acid and botanical extracts. The brand describes the formula as intensely nourishing, visibly smoothing and capable of delivering healthy-looking radiance.
Realistic Translation? Skin that looks like you’ve had eight hours sleep (even if you haven’t), permanently plumped and suspiciously expensive.
The good news is, the formula seems genuinely well put together.
High on the list of ingredients sit glycerin and squalane, which are two of skincare’s hardest working hydrators. Glycerin acts as a moisture magnet, drawing water into the skin; and squalane locks all that moisture in whilst reinforcing the skin barrier. Hyaluronic acid adds another layer of hydration, although it’s hard to find any skincare which doesn’t include it these days, so it’s hardly reinventing the wheel. Then there’s the promised powerhouse: Japanese purple rice. It’s a lesser known secret ingredient which is rich in antioxidants, evens skin tone and leaves your skin feeling deeply hydrated and protected against premature ageing.
The promised glow might have less to do with rare botanical ingredients however, and more to do with the exceptionally elegant, whipped texture which everyone raves about. The thickness of the cream is one of its defining features, and leaves your skin’s surface feeling oh so smooth, reflecting the light and creating a perfect finish for your foundation. It’s perhaps why everyone can’t get enough of it, but is that skincare magic, or optics?
According to Tatcha, the Dewy skin cream is designed to be “a Rich Line-Plumping Moisturiser”, not a solutions based treatment cream. It’s not going to correct all your pigmentation, rebuild your collagen or replace every other serum in your vanity unit, but it’s never claimed to do that.
What it will do, is quickly become your go-to, most hard working, luxury moisturiser that you find yourself reaching for time and time again. It’s certainly one of the best luxury moisturisers on the market, but perhaps makes a better makeup primer? Its texture will make people comment on your complexion as opposed to your skincare. Thanks to that creamy thick formula, the glow is real and undeniable.
On paper, a 50ml jar at £69 seems a little steep, but when we break it down it seems more achievable. A 50ml jar costs £69 - if that’s one use per day (lets say 0.5ml), then a jar will last you around 100 uses. Girl math states that’s 69p per use, which feels pretty justifiable to us. Sure, there might be other acceptable options in the local pharmacy for £20, but skincare girl math is almost always going to convince us.
Where the math becomes important is whether the cream immediately becomes your new favourite moisturiser and primer like so many of its loyal fans suggest. Suddenly, 69p a day starts to work surprisingly hard. However, if you’re buying it because TikTok has convinced you it will ‘transform’ your skin, then we’d suggest saving your money and opting for something more affordable. There are plenty of other options which hydrate just as beautifully and have been quietly sitting pretty for decades in the makeup kits of professionals and aficionados.
Verdict: Our ruling on the cream? SPLURGE. The Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is absolutely for you if your skincare doubles up as makeup prep and daily routine, and you care about the physical appearance it leaves you with above all else. It might not be for you if you’re expecting it to work harder than any other skincare item you’ve tried so far, going above and beyond the promises on the packaging. We’d argue that it does a job well, but doesn’t overdeliver. Buy it for the finish, not for the fantasy.
"BIEN VU VERDICT | SPLURGE”
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, £69 - Link to shop here. A beautifully formulated moisturiser, delivered in equally beautifully packaging which delivers one of the best dewy finishes on the market for its price range.
Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Cream, £14.99 - Link to shop here. The internet’s most recommended Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream ‘dupe’ which is quickly becoming a rising favourite. Hydration without the premium price tag, equally dependable beneath your makeup.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm - Buy one, we promise you’ll end up with four.
Medicube Zero Pore Pads - Great for smoother skin, may become your entire personality.
Gisou Honey Infused Lip Sleeping Mask - Luxurious? Yes. Lifechanging? Also yes.
See you next Tuesday.
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