You can pretty much call me a New York City stan. I live here, was born and raised here, and I can’t get enough of the great food and shopping here. But even in my 30 years of strolling down this concrete jungle, I STILL am not used to these brutal winters. Sure I trooped it to school in eight inches of snow for umpteen years and I’ve mastered the art of layering long johns, tights, and stretch pants under my clothes for extra warmth, but I just cannot deal with this city from the second the winter solstice hits until about 3-4 weeks after spring has sprung. Yet I won’t move. lol

But I guess the beauty junkie in me does appreciate the fact that I have to change my beauty routine come winter. I can usually go with wearing my beloved Perricone M.D. Face Finishing Moisturizer through most of the winter, but on exceptionally cold days when the wind chill factor has it feeling like -30 degrees outside (I’m totally being dramatic), I need something more. In the past I’ve also used Perricone M.D. Olive Oil Hydrator, but it was discontinued (and am told has been reincarnated into Hypoallergenic Nourishing Moisturizer which I haven’t tried yet) but I’m always up for trying something new. This is where after I’ve blabbed on for two paragraphs, SUPER by Dr Nicholas Perricone’s Hyper Hydrator comes in.

I received Hyper Hydrator ($40) from the brand’s PR for review consideration. It contains coconut water MCT (the primary source of fat in coconuts) which is said to be good for dry skin. It smells really sweet but not an obnoxious coconut smell (good since I tend to not like coconut scents), but the smell isn’t noticeable once on the skin. I appreciate that Hyper Hydrator sinks right into my skin without an oily residue and keeps my skin hydrated and feeling supple without interfering with my makeup even on the most brutally cold days. I tested it out on some of the coldest days (when the weather started to turn for the worst here in NYC), on cold days in Georgia (I think the coldest it got was maybe in the 30s for two days or so), and even tested it out on mild days (60 degrees-ish in Georgia) just to have a control. On the cold days my skin felt hydrated and supple without any extra oiliness. On warmer days, my skin definitely produced more oil as expected.

Bottom line: I love this as a winter moisturizer for my oily skin that can be a little drier in the winter. Like most of my favorite daytime moisturizers, it doesn’t contain SPF so I definitely have to whip out my Peter Thomas Roth Mineral Sunscreen to make sure I’m protected. There’s also the concern that products packaged in a jar like Hyper Hydrator will lose their efficacy as the active ingredients begin to deteriorate from the second you open them plus your fingers can transfer bacteria into the jar. I also wouldn’t recommend this for skin that tends to be dry year-round—my sis who has dry skin that gets even drier in winter tried it out and said it did nothing to hydrate her skin. But for skin that’s typically oily year-round and gets a little dry come winter, it’s worth trying out. As with most new skincare products you introduce to your regimen, get a sample (Sephora is great about this) before you commit to a full container.

More N.V. Perricone…

Have you tried SUPER by Dr Nicholas Perricone Hyper Hydrator? What were your thoughts?

About Danielle

New York City freelance writer, Image Consultant, Makeup Artist, Fashion and Beauty Producer for Bag Ladies Radio, and President of Urban Glamour, LLC. I'm a Hofstra University and Fashion Institute of Technology grad with a penchant for pretty and enjoy bringing out the FIERCE in everyone through personalized thorough image and makeup consultations. Think of me as your style and beauty entourage all wrapped up into one bubbly brown package :) I have had the honor and privilege of working backstage at NYC Fashion Week shows like Karen Walker, Jayson Brunsdon, Sabyaschi, Altuzarra, and Bridal Market Week for Vera Wang. You can also find me running around photo shoots doing makeup and styling. If you have a style or beauty question, contact me. Your question could be featured on the site!

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