Review of Sephora's "Best Moisturizer of 2006" : Philosophy's Hope in a Jar

I had been considering trying Philosophy Hope in a Jar for several months before I actually went ahead and bought it. This particular moisturizer has received so many good reviews and was chosen by Sephora as the best moisturizer of 2006. How could a beauty junkie like me not give it a try? So I went ahead and took the plunge.

My new moisturizer arrived in about a week. The first thing I noticed was that like all Philosophy products it came in very simple packaging. It came in a clear jar with a black lid, the lettering on the jar was in lower case black letters.
The moisturizer is pearly white in color and has a whipped texture. There is a a medicinal scent to the product when you first open the jar. I found that it didn't linger once you applied the product.

One of the first things I learned about this product is that you don't need much to cover your entire face. A pea sized amount will do the job. If you get too heavy handed with the cream it will not absorb very well and will sit on your face for some time. The moisturizer just glides on and absorbs very quickly into the skin as long as you don't use too much. It's very light and does a wonderful job of hydrating the skin. My face did not feel greasy or overdone after applying the moisturizer.

Philosophy makes this claim about Hope in a Jar: Makeup-optional skin: it's every woman's goal and, with Hope in a Jar, it's finally attainable. This world-renowned hydrating moisturizer contains beta glucan, a powerful antioxidant, and lactic acid to gently exfoliate skin. You'll see results -- smoother, healthier skin -- within days.

Believe it or not, the claims made by Philosophy are fairly accurate. While I wouldn't say that make-up is optional for me, I would admit that my skin has become smoother and clearer since using this product. I used to have a problem with occasional breakouts and this has not happened since using Hope in a Jar along with Philosophy's cleanser Purity.