The Lightweight, Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer That Takes Skin From Shiny To Dewy

When it comes to my skin-care routine, I've found a lot of success (read: clearer skin) with keeping it simple: Gel cleanser, serum, lightweight moisturizer, sunscreen. (Add a cleansing balm as a first step and nix the SPF for my night-time regimen.) Despite my job as a beauty writer, I'm relatively low-key when it comes to the products I put on my face. That is, until I tried Omorovicza's $235 Cushioning Day Cream, which is probably the most luxurious moisturizer to ever grace my skin.

ICYMI, Omorovicza was founded in 2006 after Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza (whose own family founded a thermal bath, the Racz Furdo, dating back to the 1800s) and his wife Margaret sought to bring the healing properties of Hungarian thermal water to a luxury skincare range. A patented complex harnessing the skin-rejuvenating ingredients ensued, and can still be found in the brand's products today. While it's not an exact correlation, triple-digit creams tend to be on the richer, thicker side, which doesn't always agree with my skin. Hungarian beauty brand Omorovicza's new drop, however, is made for folks like me who love pampering their skin but don't want something heavy. Ahead, read up as I take the high-end jar for a spin.

Right off the bat, I noticed that Omorovicza's new cream definitely had the cushiony-soft texture that inspired the name. It's not whipped, nor a gel texture, but rather a medium-weight moisturizer that still absorbs readily. (See swatch above.) Another thing that hit me right away was the scent, which I know is a polarizing topic; I personally don't mind a little fragrance in products — and it generally doesn't irritate my skin — but I'll admit that this one was just a tad stronger than I'd generally like. (The product description says it's "suitable for all skin types," but sensitive types might want to be wary.) However, it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. I swapped it in for my moisturizer (and actually used it in my PM routine, too) and got right to work.

Even though I tend to be on the oilier side, I still want my skin to feel hydrated and plump. After massaging a dime-sized dollop onto my skin, I immediately was into the result: My skin felt baby-soft and smooth, with a hint of dewy gleam. (It also created an excellent base for makeup — no dry patches here.) However, it has yet to break me out after nearly two weeks of testing, so it's got my stamp of approval.

According to the brand, the highlight reel of potent ingredients in Omorovicza's Cushioning Day Cream include marine plankton extract, microalgae, and a patented complex to help firm and support the skin barrier. While its benefits address early signs of aging, my main concerns aren't so much warding off wrinkles as they are offering adequate hydration – and in that sense, this moisturizer passed with flying colors.

I’m not the only one who was floored by the results of the elixir, and found. “I was blown away with this cream,” wrote a reviewer named Jenny. “[It] made my skin feel subtle, bouncy, hydrated and so soft.” Joanna also found the moisturizer to be fast-acting: “Really noticeable results in such a short time of using,” she commented. Alyson, a reviewer with “oily and shiny skin” who “[finds] it difficult to find moisturizing products that are designed for my skin type” loved that the product “[offers] sheer luxury” and is “lightweight, so my skin does not feel heavy when using.”

As I mentioned earlier, I used this both morning and night even though it's labeled as a day cream. (If you personally love something more thicc for PM, then by all means go for it!) Now for the not-so-fun part: At $235, this is a very (very, very) expensive product by my standards. Is it indulgent? Extremely. On the plus side, a little went a long way with this stuff; conversely, as someone who doesn't necessarily demand much from a moisturizer, I probably would repurchase this only as an extra-special treat as opposed to this becoming my new skin-care hero step. (But who knows, maybe I'll feel differently five or ten years from now!) For now, I will lovingly use up every last drop of this jar — and fully enjoy being a little extra with my reborn skin.