Hey, babes!
Today, I’ve got a gorgeous product from up & coming New Zealand brand, HZP+Co. I was generously sent the All Day Hydra-Defense Serum, along with the Calm Me Down Splashwater and Lanolin Hand+Nail Cream (those two will get their review a bit later!).
The All Day Hydra Defense Serum contains patented hydrating ingredients, along with pure NZ spring water and natural extracts. The full ingredients list is actually really short, which I appreciate – read it here:
New Zealand Spring Water, Aquaxyl™, Lecigel™, CityStem™, Horopito Leaf Extract, Kiwifruit Extract, Mamaku Leaf Extract, Kowhai Extract, Natural Parfum (Grasse, France).
I had a wee google of the three patented ingredients, and they’re all basically supercharged hydrators that work to strengthen the skin barrier to keep skin gorgeous and glowy – yes, please!
One of the things that I absolutely adore about this serum is the packaging! The smooth, matte black glass bottle comes inside a fitted sleeve, just adding to the luxury of the experience. The serum comes with a super slick pump (which I love, much less fiddly than droppers!) I did find sometimes the pump would squirt out the serum with a high velocity and kind of splash it everywhere, which I hated because I felt like I was wasting gold!
The serum itself wasn’t runny at all, it had a gel texture which absorbed very easily when patted into the skin. The plant smell wasn’t too strong, but definitely there. It was really familiar as if I had smelled it in another product before?
I find my skin is generally drier at night, so I actually tried to use this in my evening routine. Sadly, I found that it stung my skin after using Tretinoin (not sure why though!) so I stuck to using it in the morning. If I was short on time, I found that mixing in a pump with my morning moisturiser still gave my skin that hydrated glow.
I know I said like three paragraphs before this that I love the luxe, black packaging, but it also comes with a downside: not being able to see how much serum you have left! This is kind of a pet peeve for me, as it’s also hard to tell by the weight due to the glass bottle. I’m the kind of person that has to be able to know how much I’ve got left so I don’t go a day without an essential step in my routine. (Now that I’ve written that out, I feel like I sound crazy but I NEED to know!)
Another thing worth bringing up is the price – $65 is fairly pricey compared to some other hydrating serums on the market. For me, price doesn’t always equal better when it comes to skincare – the mark of a great product for me is actually being able to meet claims and be wallet friendly. This does meet claims, but is it the most wallet-friendly? Not exactly. However, if you have the budget for this you won’t be disappointed. I rate this 4/5.
Have you tried any natural skincare lately?
Lexie xx
rating scale
1 – Terrible: Negative effects on skin.
2 – Mediocre: No change in skin/claims not met.
3 – Average: Performs as expected.
4 – Good: Would repurchase unless I try something better.
5 – Amazing: Meets trifecta of perfect packaging, formula, & cost.
