Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream review: My skin is noticeably softer and firmer

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.Tatcha, a Japanese skin-care company known for its moisturizing mists and rice polish cleansers, has been a celebrity and makeup artist favorite for years.Inspired by Kim Kardashian West's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, Tatcha translated the properties of its cult-favorite face mist into a cream — The Dewy Skin Cream ($68) — for even more powerful moisture and makeup prep.I tried The Dewy Skin Cream ($68) and it made my skin feel noticeably soft, plump, and hydrated for over eight hours. Before Japanese skin-care company Tatcha dropped the faintly purple Dewy Skin Cream ($68), it was already internationally beloved for the Cream's original muse, the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist ($48) and its Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder ($65) (a favorite of Meghan Markle).Enthusiastic fans of the mist include beauty editors, Kim Kardashian West, Kylie Jenner, and Drew Barrymore — and makeup artists like Mario Dedivanovic, best known for popularizing contouring. Fatefully, Dedivanovic also counts Vicky Tsai, Tatcha's founder, as a close friend, and was one of the earliest supporters of the brand. It was with Dedivanovic in mind that Tsai made the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, a mist that doubled as a long-lasting luminous moisturizer. Recently, the company launched a cream inspired by the mist.Like the mist, the emollient Dewy Skin Cream addresses dry skin, uneven texture, and loss of firmness using botanical extracts, Japanese Purple Rice, and an efficient proprietary complex of Okinawa red algae and hyaluronic acid. In less scientific terms, it leaves skin looking dewy, like a pastoral milkmaid. According to Tsai's interview with Allure, the formula took about a year and a half — and dozens of formulations — before it was perfect. The ingredientsJapanese Purple Rice is known for its ability to survive in harsh environments. Its high concentration of anthocyanin, a strong antioxidant, works to help the skin recover from and protect against environmental damage like pollution, UV damage, and stress. The red algae and hyaluronic acid (the skin-care hero that can retain over 1,000 times its weight in water) help replenish ceramides to build up the skin's natural barrier and replenish its natural moisture reserves. The glow comes from the cocktail of ginseng, wild thyme, and sweet marjoram. Read more: This all-natural exfoliating peel left my skin feeling softer than ever after just one use — I could actually see my dead skin sloughing offMy experience using the Dewy Skin CreamI've been using the Dewy Skin Cream for a few weeks, and the most surprising finding is just how long it works to keep my skin hydrated. I'll wash my face, apply the lotion, and touch my skin eight hours later to wonder absently why it feels so much more hydrated (and mysteriously plump？) than it would on any other day. Most moisturizers sink in and adequately maintain my skin's moisture level, but few appear to demonstrably improve it — and fewer do so without leaving a thick residue on the surface throughout the day. Although, to this last point, I would mention that I did experience the product balling up and pilling post-application occasionally — something that's usually due to over-application of the product (because your skin can't absorb it all). Since the Dewy Skin Cream is more efficient than plenty other moisturizers, I had to adapt to applying less of it (a bonus considering it's almost $70). But, even with the pilling, it's not difficult to rub off the excess from your skin before heading out the door or applying makeup. Either way, the benefits are worth it to me. Is it worth the cost？I'll start by saying that if $68 is out of your price range, there are some great budget options to consider as well. My next favorite moisturizer at the moment, Maelove's The One Cream, comes at a much more budget-friendly $27.95 and absorbs easily without residue. It hails from a skin-care startup backed by MIT grads that churns out nothing but solid products. It's a solid option for much less money, but the Dewy Skin Cream does make my skin feel plumper and look dewier for longer, so I recommend it if you can spring the extra cost. It also doesn't hurt that the packaging is beautiful — like a mini ombre sculpture — on your vanity, and it comes with a small applicator so you don't have to dip germy hands into your pot continually. Tatcha is also generally a great brand to know if you're going to regularly shop for clean, cruelty-free products. Most of its line — including this cream — is vegan, and the product will come in recyclable packaging. You can learn more at Tatcha's site here. Bottom lineAll in all, it's not ideal that this cream is $68, but a little goes a long way, and it made my skin look dewy and feel plump and hydrated from morning to night. Even if it takes some adjusting to figure out the right application amount, the pilling was worth it for the glow and bounce it gave to my skin. There are plenty of solid budget options, but, if you can splurge on the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, you should check it out. Buy Tatcha's The Dewy Skin Cream at Sephora and Tatcha, $68