kōtia Hydrating Day Cream SPF15

I got an invite from Beauty Review to trial Kōtia Hydrating Day Cream SPF15 and I accepted. The 50ML round container came in a cute, little box. I thought the look of the product packaging was simple but appealing. The font on the box and the container is easy to read. The Deer logo on the top of the lid of the container is a nice touch and emphasizes the brand and product. The colour of the container is an appealing shade of brown with a matte but shiny tinge.

The application instructions on the back of the container were simple: Apply a small amount to a clean, dry face and massage in with your fingertips, covering your face and neck. I done so and the cream fast-absorbed into my skin. I only needed a small amount and could feel it hydrating my skin straight away. It has a silky smooth consistency with a faint fragrance that's not overpowering. There's a good amount of product in the container which will last ages if used in moderation.

Suitable for all skin types, this cream hydrated my skin all day. I noticed when I cleaned my face in the evening, my skin felt softer than usual. It has an added SPF15 to guard against UV which I like. Since trailing this day cream over this week, my complexion has enhanced with improved elasticity. I'm eager to use it daily and see more results. So far, so good.

I like that it is Dermatologically Tested and Made in New Zealand from New Zealand Deer Milk. I probably wouldn't purchase this or any other products in the range as I looked at the prices on the Kōtia website and it's quite expensive. $69 for this particular day cream in the range. The whole range does look lovely and the benefits of the Deer Milk is intriguing.

The kōtia Hydrating Day Cream SPF15 comes packaged in a card board box that reflects both the company colours and deer logo. The 50ml jar is brown (maybe not my favorite colour) and has all necessary information written on it. I loved the fact that SPF15 is incorporated, even though it should be higher to accommodate for New Zealand conditions in my opinion. It reduces however the amount of products you have to apply in the morning, and I am all for that. I wasn't attracted to the smell, but the texture is beautifully thick. Once applied, the creme is fast absorbing and leaves the skin feeling smooth and hydrated throughout the day. The skin looks healthy and plump after application for a few days and its great to know the company does not use parabens or testing on animals. I would be very interested to trial other items from the range, like the hand creme or night creme.

I love this product. I was abit taken back when i read "deer milk" but than thought, why not. The packaging is smooth and sleek, looks beautiful on my vanity. One i opened the product, the smell was beautiful, a light subtle clean smell. I love it. The moisturizer isn't heavy which i usually find they are when they have SPF in them. It doesn't leave white shadow on your face from the SPF either. I was actually wearing this product when i walked the run way at NZFW19 and was complimented on my skin and the photos didn't have any flash back. i feel it keeps my usually dry skin very well moisturized and i don't have that tight feeling on my face after a shower since using this. Over all totally would recommend it and will definitely look into their full skin range to go with the day cream.

I was super excited to be selected for the trial team for this product as it’s been on my list of “must try” products for a while now. First of all, I love the name! So great to see a kiwi business using Te Reo. The packaging is beautiful, a shimmery metallic looking jar with a lovely deer logo. I have to say the scent surprised me. For some reason I was expecting it to smell weird (perhaps because of the deer milk component) but I was pleasantly surprised to find it has a familiar pleasant scent reminiscent of older original face creams like Olay and Nivea. I feel that it did boost my skin’s radiance and it was definitely super hydrating. I love that it is spf 15 too. I find it hard to comment on any products anti-ageing properties as I can’t compare what my skin would look like in a year if I wasn’t using the product. Also a week isn’t long enough to notice a change in fine lines so I will update this review after a few months of use. The only reason I probably won’t purchase is that I found it a bit too rich and greasy for my already oily skin type. I would be keen to give the night cream and other products a go though.

I wasn't blown away by this product; it wasn't bad but wasn't amazing.

The packaging has been designed well, it's sleek and looks expensive and the colour and matte effect reflects that it's deer milk.

I know it's not a botanical based product so don't know why I was expected a floral smell, I guess because most day creams have an element of botanics in them. The smell wasn't unpleasant, it was subtle and I guess if it was heavily botanically scented it would probably be artificial and wouldn't reflect the natural element of the product. So this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't one of those creams that you smell and say "wow that's delicious".

The cream glided onto the skin like silk, it was smooth and felt buttery but did feel a little greasy on the skin. It felt quite heavy when applied and I waited some time for it to be absorbed before applying makeup but it didn't seem to soak in, it just sat quite greasy on the surface, so I used a powder to dry the moisture before applying makeup. This seems a little counter-intuitive as I hate to dry out a 'moisturising' day cream but it did make my skin quite shiny and greasy. It was more the consistency of a night cream - I expect a night cream to be a little heavier as no makeup is applied over the top and it's left to absorb for quite a few hours.

I did use it as night cream for a few nights and this seemed to be a lot better. On waking in the morning a lot of the cream had absorbed and just left a slight greasy layer. Is it most definitely hydrating!

Looking at the price online I feel that it is a little over-priced for the effect this cream had. If it wasn't so greasy and smelled a little more neutral it would probably be more justified.

However it does get some bonus points for the SPF as I wouldn't use a day cream without an SPF with our strong New Zealand sunshine!

All in all this day cream was not hideous, I just wouldn't go out and buy it.

Oh wow. So Deer Milk. Might just be the answer to all of our skin problems!

The Kotia cream is beautifully packaged, its classy and simple. I'd definitely gravitate to it in store.

It's very thick - very, very thick. You only need a small amount - it spreads easily and absorbs quite quickly. I was worried it was going to be too heavy, but I've suffered no pore congestion or breakouts since using it.

Its very smoothing and softening.

I really love this day cream. At nearly $70 it is a luxury product, but well worth a try.

I had no i-deer I could love a day cream so much. Seriously this is like the best cream I've used. And I've tried a lot!

I wish it wasn't so pricey - 69$ is a big ouch for the wallet, so I won't lie - I'll be holding out for specials.

This is a very rich cream, but for something so thick, it's not greasy or sticky. Once absorbed it makes my skin feel so soft.

I think my skin has improved so much since trying this product, the most obvious impact being how glowy and radiant my skin is. Even without make up on my skin looks healthy and dewy. It makes me feel good about myself!

This is deer friendly and I love that. I also like the packaging.

All up a fantastic product, that will become a regular splurge for me.

I am so glad that I got picked up for this trial and found such an amazing product for my skin. I am totally in love with kōtia Hydrating Day Cream SPF 15. My skin becomes extremely dry and itchy in winters, specially my neck area. This is also because of eczema and that's the reason very few day creams suit my condition. kōtia Hydrating Day Cream comes in a nice jar which I loved the most because some thick creams are so difficult to squeeze out from the tube when they are near to be finished and so much of the product is wasted. It is so luxurious and soft in application. I take little quantity with my fingers and apply through out my face and neck. Good thing is that it is rich but absorbs very quickly, leaving a fresh looking and glowing skin. I don't have to re-apply moisturiser after sometime as my skin does not feel itchy the whole day long and does not dry out. I like the light fragrance of this cream. This cream surely does what it says and I will continue to use it.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this product. I've never tried anything from this brand before but the deer milk ingredient and the fact that it's NZ-made had me curious to try it. Firstly, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm 48 and I have mostly dry, bordering on sensitive, freckly skin. I'm a redhead so sun protection is high on my must-have list, too. I feel like this product ticks all the boxes. It's an SPF-15, which I never leave home without. It doesn't make my skin react to any of the ingredients unkindly, and it leaves a wonderful light sheen on the skin after use. Day cream that gives a natural glow? Holy grail material, as far as I'm concerned. Make up goes on easily and smoothly afterwards and I love the texture of it - it's not quite a lotion but not as heavy as a cream. Reverting to metaphors, it goes on like silk - smooth and lightweight but heavy enough to do a decent job at moisturising as well. The effects seem to last several hours - it doesn't disappear into my skin to the point where it leaves the surface dry. It really gets in there but it also leaves the aforementioned glow. I love the packaging, too. A subtle latte-coloured matte packaging makes it look fairly upmarket, which is a nice bonus. Scent-wise, I don't really notice one. There is very vague scent if I sniff it purposefully, but it's not overwhelming or unpleasant and honestly, barely there. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this day cream to my friends, and I'm really keen to try other products in the range to see if they perform just as well. I'll definitely be repurchasing once this pot is empty.