Everyone's Talking About Sunday Riley's Newest Launch—Here's Our Verdict

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(Image credit: @court_higgs)

Sunday Riley is like the Katy Perry of skincare—creative, playful, colorful, high-performance, and consistently releasing hit after hit after hit. We already know masses of skincare-loving consumers fawn over the brand's collection of majestic jars and bottles, and we're big fans here at WWW Beauty HQ as well (which is telling since we're unashamedly skeptical when it comes to pretty much every skincare brand, product, and lofty claim). However, exciting launch after exciting launch, Sunday Riley continues to impress. So much so we decided to review a slew of its most iconic products a few months ago (a worthwhile read you can check out here).

With the changing of the seasons comes the need for a skincare routine overhaul, and product launches reach an overwhelming peak right around, well, now. Aside from Sunday Riley's collection of beloved face oils such as Luna, C.E.O. Glow, Juno, and U.F.O., up until a few weeks ago, the brand only had two other moisturizers: the cult-loved water cream, Tidal ($65), and the special brightening elixir, C.E.O. ($65). But now, the brand has blessed us with a new ice cream inspired face healer called Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream ($65). It's Sunday Riley's thickest, richest formula yet, thus a shoo-in for solving all our soon-to-be dry-winter-skin woes. Or is it? 

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Skin type: Combination

Current nighttime moisturizer: Dr. Roebuck's No Worries Hydrating Face Moisturizer ($45)

The review: Whoa, this cream is thick. The smell and consistency remind me of the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter my mom would slather all over my dry skin as a kid, so from a nostalgic standpoint, I love it. My skin was definitely plump and glowy after applying, but I have a feeling I’d get some clogged pores if I used it morning and night, as the directions suggest. Overall, I think it will come in handy to help combat dry skin this winter, but it's probably best to use on an as-needed basis—not every day.

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Skin type: Sensitive, acne-prone

Current nighttime moisturizer: Ayurmedic Clearifying Cream ($54) or Renée Rouleau Sheer Moisture Lotion ($42)

The review: I'll be honest; I love Sunday Riley, but I had some serious doubts about this thick, buttery face cream. Even though I have super-tiny pores, they're deep and ridiculously quick to clog. I steer clear of heavy creams and oils like the plague, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried that one application of Ice would leave me with a brand-new mountain range of zits. The brand says this face cream is intended for normal to dry skin types, and based on the body butter esque consistency, I believe it.

First things first, this cream smells amazing. I totally agree with Courtney that it smells deliciously similar to Palmer's but a little less intense and definitely more natural. Fear not: It doesn't have that overly cloying or fake coconut or vanilla scent. So that's a win! Second, the claims are true—this cream pacifies dry, chapped skin in one velvety swoop. As someone with more acne-prone skin, I would only be able to use something this heavy once in a while or when traveling to supremely cold or dry destinations, but I can't argue with the fact that it's lovely, unbelievably hydrating, and likely a dream come true for anyone who's perpetually dry. In fact, it's so luxurious that I might use it exclusively on my neck, chest, arms, and any other super-parched areas since I fear it's a little too heavy for everyday use on my complexion. As a testament to its moisturizing abilities, I slathered it on my always-dry elbows (seriously, they're gross and nothing works on them long-term), and the next day they were as soft and smooth as cashmere. So yes, this face cream is fantastic, you'll just need to tread carefully and use your best judgment depending on your skin type. 

Shop Our Other Favorites From Sunday Riley

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.