Swept Away or Lost at Sea - Sunday Riley Tidal

Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

0.5 oz./ 15 g C$28.00 or $22.00 USD
1.7 oz./ 50 g C$85.00 or $65.00 USD
Item 1794148

It can be found on the Sephora Website HERE.

What Is It?

An advanced brightening and refining treatment, infused into a next-generation water cream.
Sunday Riley touts the Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream to deliver “an intense water drench with two forms of hyaluronic acid and tamarind extract so your skin looks youthfully hydrated and plumped. Papaya enzymes smooth and exfoliate while alpha-arbutin visibly brightens the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots.” It promises to “increase hydration by up to 68% percent in as little as 15 minutes for up to 24 hours of continuous moisture.”

Good For:                      Normal, Combination, Dry & Sensitive Skin Types
Solutions For:                Dryness, Fine Lines & Wrinkles and Dark Spots
Formulated Without:     Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates

What’s Nice About It?

- 1% Highly Purified, Alpha-arbutin:
A gentle but powerful relative of hydroquinone, alpha-arbutin; aggressively brightens the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
- Papain (Papaya Enzymes):
Exfoliates and smooths the upper layer of skin; for dry skin, softness is restored; for combination to congested skin, the look of clarity is restored.
- Two forms of hyaluronic acid:
Pulls water into the skin for intense hydration within minutes that lasts up to 24 hours
- Tamarind Extract:
Helps improve skin moisturization.

Other Niceties

This product is cruelty-free.

What’s In It?

Water, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Tamarindus Indica (Tamarind) Seed Gum, Ethyl Macadamiate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer (and) Lecithin, Isododecane, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Lauryl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Strelitzia Nicolai (Bird of Paradise flower) Seed Aril Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) seed extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Papain and Carbome 1, 2-Hexanediol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Algin, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Leaf Extract (and) Melia Azadirachta Flower (Neem) Extract (and) Amino Esters-1 (and) Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract (and) Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract (and) Lawsonia Inermis Extract (and) Ocimum Sanctum Leaf (Holy Basil) Extract, Pearl Powder, Fragrance, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

First Impression

After hearing so many great things about this product I decided to get a sample in store at Sephora. It seemed nice from the two applications I got out of my sample size so I decided to purchase the smaller size as I was on the hunt to expand my moisturizing horizons. The gel-like cream is very lightweight and as the name would suggest has a “water-like” consistency. It has an almost marine / cucumber type scent which I found fresh and uplifting.

Application Reflection

My skin has gone through many incarnations over the years but now due to many great practices I would consider it to be somewhat normal in texture. The cream felt lightweight and left behind a very minimal tacky texture – which I don’t mind as sometimes I find that helps my makeup to adhere better and last longer. This product would definitely remain in my daytime skincare routine as it just does not possess the richness I prefer for nighttime cream. Another pleasant surprise was that I did not have to use a lot of product because the tiniest amount really did seem to go a long way (always a plus when purchasing pricey skincare). After a few minutes the product had mostly absorbed and gave a dewy sheen to my skin and a little added brightness. However, after a few hours wear and checking in the mirror it unfortunately appeared oily and not plumped and hydrated. Upon more frequent use I did also notice a couple breakouts in certain areas so it is possible that the formula just isn’t quite right for me. Overall, there were elements I enjoyed about this product and some I did not.

Where I Stand

I do not mind spending money when it comes to skincare as I believe if you have a good base the less money you will have to spend on other products to camouflage.  The price of this product is comparable to similar luxury skincare brands but I feel like for the results you get the cost is a little steep.  

I am also not thrilled by the jar itself, I found it to be thin and not really protective of the ingredients. I prefer a more airtight container where my ingredients stay fresh and retain maximum potency – Oh, If only brands would spend the extra production dollars to adopt this type of packaging for moisturizers (Hey, a girl can dream right?).  I will likely use this product up day to day before going to work but will stick with other moisturizers I love just a little bit more for future purchases.

Rating: Try It
I would recommend trying a sample size or the 0.5 oz. if possible first since this product seems to have mixed reviews including my own. 

With Nice Things & Hydrated Skin, 
Andrea

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