I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Beyond-Hydration Perfecting Serum
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Beyond-Hydration Perfecting Serum
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Editor's Choice 2026
Commended 2024
A lightweight, fast-absorbing serum built around one of the most humectant-rich formulas on the market.
Hydrates at every skin layer and holds that hydration for up to 72 hours, so skin stays plump and comfortable. It gently resurfaces and brightens, evening tone and refining the look of pores over time. Sits perfectly under makeup with no tackiness or residue.
A saviour for dry and maturing skin, light enough for oily skin, and gentle enough for sensitive and acne-prone skin. One serum, every skin type, morning and night.
Size: 30ml
Packaging: glass bottle with a lockable twist pump, encased in a cloth bag with a paper card insert.
The benefits you will notice
Plumping
Instant hydration with comfort that lasts up to 72 hours
Refining
Minimises the look of pores and smooths texture
Brightening
Reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation
Collagen
Strengthens the skin barrier and supports production
Calming
Soothes inflammation and regulates sebum production
In their own words
Loved by skin experts and customers alike
“Liquid magic in a bottle.
As a skin therapist with over 13 years of experience and a lifetime of passion for skincare, don't walk, don't strut - get this product in your life.
This works on even the most sensitive skin. Oily, dry, eczema, reactive - all of the skin needs it.”
“Sensational product. Keeps my skin moist. Works well with all this range actually. Nothing I do not like.”
“So light and yet so hydrating. You only need two or three drops to cover your face, neck and decolletage so it goes a long way.
As it's replaced a hyaluronic product and a niacinamide product I was using individually, it's actually saving me money too. I'm really happy it has MSM in it - it's so hard to find products that include this wonder ingredient.”
Inside the Formula
The Beauty's in the Detail
Each ingredient has been chosen for proven performance, not for marketing claims or to fill space.
Active botanical base
Rose, Neroli, Lavender + Kanuka HydrosolsNZ
Most serums use plain water as their base. This one starts with four active botanical hydrosols, each chosen for skin benefits in their own right: soothing, toning and antimicrobial before a single active is added. The light, fresh floral scent comes entirely from these hydrosols - not from added fragrance.
Hydration
Hyaluronic Acid · Three molecular weights
Deep, layered hydration that reaches every level of the skin. Three sizes means three points of entry - large molecules work at the surface, medium penetrate the upper layers, small reach the deepest layers where long-term plumping happens.
Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Glycerin, Betaine, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Lactate
Five humectants working alongside hyaluronic acid to draw moisture in and hold it there for up to 72 hours. This density of humectants is what makes the formula perform beyond standard hydrating serums.
Barrier + Repair
Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica)
Firms, calms and supports collagen production. A cornerstone ingredient for sensitised and compromised skin, and one of the most researched botanicals in modern skincare.
MSM (Organic Sulfur)
Supports skin structure, reduces inflammation and improves the skin's ability to absorb other actives, making everything else in the formula work harder.
Allantoin
Accelerates cell renewal, soothes irritation and smooths texture. Particularly useful for acne-prone and reactive skin.
Brightening + Pigmentation
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) + NAG
Scientifically proven to reduce dark spots, refine pores and even skin tone without irritation. NAG works in tandem with niacinamide to inhibit pigmentation transfer for a faster, more visible result.
Liquorice Root Extract
Natural brightening that targets pigmentation gently and effectively, with a long history of use in both traditional and clinical skincare.
Adapts to your skin's needs
For every skin type, including yours
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS Beyond-Hydration Perfecting Serum is formulated to work with your skin, whatever it needs most.
Dry Skin
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Deep, lasting hydration that helps reduce fine lines and reinforce the skin barrier
Oily Skin
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Oil-free hydration that helps regulate sebum production without adding weight or shine
Acne-Prone Skin
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Supports healing, fades post-acne pigmentation and soothes inflammation without clogging pores
Sensitive Skin
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Strengthens the barrier and supports repair, with a fragrance-free formula built on gentle, skin-safe botanicals
Ageing & Peri/
menopausal Skin
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Multi-level hydration, brightening and barrier support to target the dullness, dehydration and pigmentation that come with changing skin
Texture & Scent
This is what 72-hour hydration feels like
Every detail of I WOKE UP LIKE THIS has been considered - the way it feels going on, the way it absorbs, the way it leaves skin looking and feeling for the rest of the day.
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS
Beyond-Hydration Perfecting Serum
Texture & Feel
A silky, runny gel that glides over skin effortlessly and absorbs in seconds. The moment it touches your skin it feels like a long drink of water - instant plumping and comfort. No stickiness or residue, providing a perfect base for makeup.
Texture & Feel
A silky, runny gel that glides over skin effortlessly and absorbs in seconds. The moment it touches your skin it feels like a long drink of water - instant plumping and comfort. No stickiness or residue, providing a perfect base for makeup.
Scent Profile
A light, fresh floral scent that comes naturally from the botanical hydrosols - not added fragrance, just the inherent aroma of plants that also provide skin benefits.
How to Use
Morning and night, after cleansing
Apply all over a damp or dry face, including around the eyes (and neck and décolletage if desired). Follow with YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE Supercharged Glow Drops to complete the routine.
Free From
What you won't find in this bottle
- Added Oil
- Parabens
- Sulphates
- Silicones
- Alcohol
- Artificial Fragrance
- Artificial Colour
A note from the founder and formulator
This is what "do less, expect more" looks like.
I used to have a full shelf: Sunday Riley, Drunk Elephant, Elemis, Dr. Dennis Gross - the lot! I knew what everything on the INCI list was and I had an opinion on all of them. Then I had a baby at 40 and my world tipped upside down. I didn't have time or headspace for any of it, let alone for “me”.
But as an oily skin person, I never appreciated how much of a part hydration plays in skin health. I chased actives and treatments for years while skipping the "boring" hydration step. I WOKE UP LIKE THIS was my eye-opener. Using it every single day for the last four-plus years has given my skin better texture and evenness than I had in my 30s. Barrier health, brightness, smoothness, plumpness - all taken up a level.
This hydration serum delivers on a lot more than "just" hydration - it's the hardest-working first step you can give the rest of your routine. It prepares the skin for YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE and creates a perfect canvas for makeup, with nothing sitting on the surface to interfere.
This is what I use every single day. Thank you for trusting me, and MATER, with your skin.
Petra Škorić
Founder / Formulator / Skincare Fanatic
The next step
Pair it with YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE for the complete routine
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS is Step 1. Follow it with YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE Supercharged Glow Drops - water + oil, the perfect synergy and everything your skin needs. The hydration serum and the oil serum together form the / FACE Ritual: a complete post-cleansing routine, morning and night, in two steps.
Shop / FACE Ritual (save $15)Collapsible content
INCI
Hydrosol (Rosa Damascena (Rose), Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli), Lavender Angustifolia (Lavender), Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka), Citrus Grandis Seed Extract), Aqua, Propanediol, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), N-Acetyl Glucosamine (NAG), Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Lactate, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Betaine, Sodium PCA, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Liquorice) Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Hydrolysed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Allantoin, Benzyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol.
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