HaruHaru Evening Routine

How’s everyone doing? Good I hope!

Next up in my HaruHaru wonder challenge is my evening routine. Does anyone else feel like the evening routine is more exciting and serious than the morning one? lol

I’ve been speaking about my collab with HaruHaru for the last few weeks. You can find more on the challenge here and my AM routine here.

For my evening routines, I like to focus on repair and treating my skin concerns so I reach for the ‘heavy duty’ actives. Of course we have to keep that skin barrier in tip top condition so I also make sure to properly cleanse & hydrate the skin. My current PM routine with HaruHaru is

Double cleansing with the deep cleansing oil & the moisture 5.5 cleansing gel. I double cleanse when needed e.g. makeup days or running errands. If Ive been home all day a single cleanse is usually enough

Tone with the black rice toner

eye cream is the black rice and bakuchiol cream- this is a new product to me so looking forward to how it works on my skin. my under eye is problematic – im hoping for good results

Treatment serums- Im using the dark spot away serum & the new retinol night serum. I’m an experienced retinol user so I can get away with using this on most nights but I’m planning to use this 3-4x a week and stop on days where i use an acid. This is a great one for new retinol users as the conc is low so it feels very gentle on the skin with no irritation.

I’m looking forward to what the dark spot serum would do. I was using the niod multi brightening serum just before this and was getting really good results. hopefully this dark spot away serum can make a different.

for my pm moisturiser I am using the centella phyto & 5 peptide cream. Again i really liked the moisturiser i was using before so I’m hoping this works just as well.

2-3x a week i like to exfoliate so i will be using the triple aha cleanser OR an acid based serum.

its been a week since i started this new routine and so far its going well. With any new treatment serums, I always start slow, so that’s 1-2x in the 1st week spaced out then gradually increase usage. I’m not really expecting any massive differences from these serums now. The products layer well and its been easy to add them to my routine. This is my initial routine and if i feel like changing anything or something is working right i will do another update!

Catch you laterrr

stay safe

Dose by VH Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum Review

hey hey, you good? I hope all is well.

I have an exciting review today for you. Having hyperpigmentation means I’m always on the hunt for a treatment serum to help deal with it. There are many serums with even bigger claims and I really enjoy looking for new serums to try.

Today I will be talking about the Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum from Victoria Health. Dose is Victoria’s Health own brand and their aim is to provide solutions for various skin concerns that deliver results. The Alpha Arbutin 2% and Kojic Acid 1% Serum is designed to fight to help target uneven skin tone, dark spots, age spots and post blemish marks, together with 1% Kojic Acid, a powerful antioxidant and skin brightener.

Experience

I’ve known about Victoria health for a long time, do you guys remember when the ordinary skincare first came to the UK? VH were one of the retailers to first stock the brand! I didn’t know they now had their own skincare range( I think the garden of wisdom brand was theirs too but I’m not too sure). Anyway whilst looking for a new treatment serum I found Dose and was really intrigued by the ingredients at that price point.

I used the serum for about 7 weeks in my evening routine last year with no irritation issues. I also appreciated how easy it was to add to my routine, I used it with retinol & acids with no issues. It layers well with creams and I had no issues with pilling.

The serum is a bright yellow gel textured serum with no noticeable scent and doesn’t stain the skin.

Does it deliver on claims?

My baseline picture was taken on the 28th of Sept however between that date to when I started using the serum on 2nd November I wasn’t using any other treatment serum for hyperpigmentation. I used the serum from 2nd Nov to 22nd Dec 2024

I wanted the serum to target a stubborn patch of pigmentation near my jawline and I can say it did work to lighten the intensity of the spots but not completely get rid of it which is understandable. I also felt like my skin in general looked brighter which I liked. I have ‘lighter’ dark spots on my cheeks which it didn’t get rid of however I just feel I would probably have to laser/ have a chemical peel to get rid of those as nothing has been able to completely get rid of them so far.

Verdict

I do like this serum and I was pleasantly surprised with my results. That stubborn patch of pigmentation did lighten a bit and overall my skin was left brighter. I also liked the range of skin brighteners in the serum: vit c, alpha arbutin, niacinamide & kojic acid as well as glycerin & Lactobacillus Ferment. I always try to get treatment serums with a mix of brighteners because hyperpigmentation is so difficult to treat. Alpha arbutin has never worked for my skin alone but in combo with other ingredients it seems to work.

The customer service from VH is outstanding. I emailed to ask if my serum was oxidized as I was taken aback by the bright yellow color and I got a reply straight away confirming it was ok to use! I also had no issues with ordering and shipment

Will I recommend this serum?- Yes. This is an effective hyperpigmentation serum with a range of well known ingredients that work to brighten the skin over time as well as some skin conditioning ingredients. if your pigmentation isn’t as deep/stubborn as mine then I have no doubts you will get much better results. It goes without saying, SPF is KEY when dealing with pigmentation issues and should be worn everyday. Try to avoid direct sunlight where possible. Dealing with the root cause of the issues causing pigmentation rather than pigmentation itself is the best cause of action. However, I do understand that sometimes there isn’t much that can be done in some cases. This year I focusing on treating my underlying causes and I will be sharing some of the clinic treatments I will be doing

The serum is available from Victoria Health for £18

catch you later!

HaruHaru Morning Routine

hey everyone, I’m back with another post! I hope everyone is doing well.

In my previous post, I spoke about my new 30 day skincare challenge with HaruHaru Wonder! They sent over a bunch of stuff for me to test out so for the next 30 days, my routines will consist mostly of their products.

Before we get into my new morning routine, a bit about my skin. I have normal to combo skin that feels a bit drier in the winter months. My main concern is hyperpigmentation and I am always on the hunt for something to treat this and to brighten my overall complexion. I also like to maintain good skin health by keeping my skin barrier intact and my skin well hydrated.

My new challenge started on the 1st of Feb and here’s my current AM routine with HaruHaru Wonder!

Cleanse with the black rice moisture 5.5 soft cleansing gel. This promises to balance the skin & leave it clean and moisturized

Tone with my fav black rice hyaluronic toner. I use the alcohol & fragrance free version.

My eye cream, vit c serum and & peptide serums are the same. I’ve been using the the DE C tango eye cream, the Sunday Riley Riley ceo glow oil and the ordinary multi peptide & HA serum

AM moisturiser is the 5% niacinamide radiance gel cream

SPF is the Moisture Airyfit Daily sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++. I’m really excited for this because you know I love a good sunscreen and I’ve tried some really nice ones from k beauty. I’m looking to see how this will compare. Of course I will be doing a sunscreen try on & demo- will it be cast free on dark skin?

So far, the products feel nice on my skin and layers very well with 0 pilling. I’m looking forward to using them more! I’m following my standard method of trying new products, start using them slowly and build to everyday use as my skin gets used to it. This helps to mitigate any purging or irritation. Ive had no issues so far!

The condition of my skin now is really good. I’m enjoying smoother skin and it has an overall healthy glow due to my previous routine. HaruHaru has some big shoes to fill!

I will talk about my new evening routine in my next post- stay tuned for that!

Happy new month!

Collab with HaruHaru Wonder!

hihi everyone, I hope all is well, today’s post is very exciting!

I’m really happy to announce I’m working with HaruHaru Wonder on a 30 day skincare challenge!

Last year, I got back into k beauty big time and one of the products I loved was the HaruHaru Wonder black rice toner! Yep the hype is well deserved and real! I’ve been wanting to try more of their products so when they got in touch, naturally I said yes

Find out what I will be doing below

The challenge

For the next 30 days my routine will consist mostly of HaruHaru products for both AM&PM routines. My skintype is normal to combo with hyperpigmentation as my main concern. At the end of 30 days I will bring you guys my review & honest opinions and my top 3 products from their collection. I will also be doing full reviews of the products as I finish them later on. I will be starting my challenge on 1st Feb!

In my next post, I will detail what my new skincare routines will look like and show some baseline pictures. This is what I am hoping to achieve at the end of the 30 days:

  • increased radiance
  • fading of dark spots
  • maintaining barrier function
  • hydrated skin
  • smoother skin
  • overall health improvement

I will also be doing a separate post on the sunscreen I got, you know we love a good SPF over here!

The ethos of the brand is 100% plant-powered natural, active ingredients that provide clinically proven benefits that is gentle for everyone. Whilst reading more about the brand, I saw that they have braille on the outer packaging for the partially sighted/blind. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a brand that does this and I think this is amazing!

Follow me along this journey on my insta and I’m so grateful to HaruHaru Wonder for partnering with me for my first ever collab with a kbeauty brand!

Next up skincare routines!

catch you later

Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF 50+ Skinscreen Review

Hey hey, how are you doing? I hope all is well. Today I have a sunscreen demo & review from a brand that is new to me. Last year I discovered more of Ultra Violette, a sunscreen brand based in Australia. I say more of because I had heard of this brand and tried one of their mineral sunscreens ages ago but I didn’t like it because it wasn’t invisible on me. I forgot about this brand until I saw this sunscreen set below.

I thought this was the perfect way to try out the brand again, with travel sizes of thier sunscreens to find one I loved before getting the full size.  This post will be a full review on the very popular fav fluid (green)

What is it
A chemical sunscreen with advanced filters that protect against both UVA & UVB rays. It also has vit E and amino acids for free radical protection & hydration and plumping the skin.

Experience
The product is extremely lightweight and has a light fluid texture. It’s very runny and goes onto the skin with ease. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin and I don’t feel it clogging pores.
Is it invisible on dark skin? YES. This blends into the skin with zero white cast

What I really love about this sunscreen is how easy it is to layer on without no piling. I found it very easy to use and it leaves a nice dewy finish and hydrates the skin. It works well under makeup.

Conclusion
We love a good sunscreen over here! A broad spectrum SPF with additional beneficial ingredients, the fav fluid ticks all the boxes. With zero cast on dark skin & and an extremely lightweight texture, this one is so great in the summer and for all skin types & tones.

Ps the other suitable SPFs in this set that are invisible on dark skin

  • Hand & body spf 50 (blue)- a body spf that feels slightly heavy on the skin and has a slight shimmer to it. I liked this and will get the mini size again as handcream in the summer
  • Preen Screen (Spf spray,pink)- now I love a dewy finish but this spray is TOO DEWY. It’s so shiny that it looks like sweat and I didn’t like it . The scent of alcohol in this is strong too. It’s invisible and won’t leave marks on makeup but the shine is too much. I ended up using it indoors at home as an spf. I wont repurchase

Did not enjoy

  • Supreme Screen (yellow one)- I’m not sure if this is supposed to be tinted but it’s heavy on the skin and left a slight cast. I didn’t enjoy using this.
  • Sheen Screen in Bejewelled- lovely subtle tint on the lips. Love the sun protection but the taste of this is so horrible. I didn’t like this so I stopped using it. I need to take my lip spf more seriously this year
  • Clean Screen (green)- do not attempt to use this is dark skinned lol- its not suitable and leaves a cast
  • Lean Screen (purple)- This is the one I had used previously. Its a mineral SPF which leaves a slight cast on the skin. It’s not the worst I’ve ever had but not 100% cast free

Based on the trial of all the SPFs, the 2 I would buy again are the hand & body and fav fluid as I enjoyed these the most. The rest of them I wont bother with. I actually got the Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Serum in the SpaceNK advent calendar and I’m looking forward to this one! I watched a few videos on this and it is cast free on dark skin.

if you want to try the mini SPF gift set and the many others from the brand, they are available on Spacenk. They have lots of different sets so I’m sure you will find something suitable!

hope this was helpful

laterrr