Estee Lauder Advanced Cleansing Balm Review

hey hey everyone, if double cleansing is on your list this summer then this post is for you! I finally finished the Estee lauder cleansing balm and Ive been wanting to share my thoughts on it.

I love Estee Lauder so i was very excited to try something new (to me) from the brand. The cleansing balm came free as a gift with purchase sometime last year (or the year before) but I started using it in Jan this year and just finished it last month.

Experience

This is a balm cleanser that transforms into a oil once warmed up then into a milk when emulsified. The balm is buttery soft and is very easy to massage onto the skin. The oil it transforms to is slippery and it works well to breakdown makeup, SPF and dirt. it also becomes milky very easily with water and finally rinses off easily, leaving very little residue on the skin.

I was using this as a first cleanse in my routine for removing makeup and layers of sunscreen. it works well for that. i think it struggles a bit against waterproof mascara and lash glue, I find i have to use a little bit extra around the eye area or massage for slightly longer compared to other cleansing balms but it isn’t a big enough difference that i think the Estee lauder balm isn’t good. A little goes a long way with this product and i find when I’m heavy handed with it it leaves a bit of a residue when rinsing away

Verdict

This is a nice balm cleanser. Its the first balm cleanser I’ve used for a while after switching to oil cleansers. Is it the BEST balm cleanser I’ve used? No and Ive also used better cleansers from Estee Lauder.

As much as i love Estee Lauder for the ANR serum, I would not spend £46 on this cleanser especially when you can get much more affordable k beauty ones that are slightly better in my opinion.

I enjoyed using it, very happy i got it for free but I wont purchase this.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Cleansing Balm with Lipid-Rich Oil Infusion is £46 at Boots

Loreal Revitalift Face Toner

hey hey everyone, I hope all is well with you. Today I have a review on the Loreal Revitalift face toner that I have been using for a while.

The toner is part of the revitalift range that promises younger looking skin. One of the main ingredients in the range and the toner is hyaluronic acid known for its hydrating and plumping benefits. This toner promises to leave the skin hydrated, younger looking and feeling refreshed.

Experience

I purchased this on a whim because i was looking for a hydrating toner under £5 from Boots that was very easy to fit into my routine. This one was on offer for £3.99 so I decided to try it. I’m very happy I did! It feels great on the skin leaving it nice and hydrated after cleansing. It has a pleasant scent, it has got fragrance so if that’s something that irritates your skin, the toner may not be for you.

Verdict

This is a very nice easy going toner that fits well into any routine, especially one with a lot of actives. I’ve had no issues with it. I’ve repurchased it a few times, this review comes after my 3 or 4th bottle probably and i will continue to get it. Its always on offer too, I’ve never paid the full £7.99 price for it. Has it left my skin looking younger or plumped? I don’t know lol, my skin looks the same but I didn’t really buy it for that.

if you’re looking for a cheap easily accessible toner, that is hydrating and nice on the skin, you can try this one out.

It’s currently £3.99 at Boots

HaruHaru BlackRice Moisture Airyfit SPF50

hey hey wonderful people! I hope all is well.

Carrying on with my slew of HaruHaru reviews, today I will be speaking about the Moisture Airyfit SPF50! PA++++ that I recieved.

Experience

I’ve been using this SPF for the last month every morning and I’m almost out of it. It doesn’t have a strong chemical SPF scent and I have experienced no irritation with it. I really like the pump tubing and had no issues with the packaging! It became a little bit harder to pump out as I was nearing the end but I don’t think that’s unique to this product

This SPF is a lightweight lotion and delievers the non greasy velvet finish it promises. This is a semi matte finish, its not extremely matte that my face feels dry and uncomfortable throughout the day, but its not the dewy finish I tend to go for. Still I very much like the finish of it. It wears very well under makeup and does not pill when layered underneath primers ( I like to double prime).

Is invisible on dark skin? YES! this SPF goes on very easily, blends around the hairline like a dream and leaves 0 cast on my skin! I’m in love with it! It doesn’t sting my eyes either so I can use this right under them!

The SPF offers high broad spectrum protection with a high PA rating. This indicates high protection from UVA which is responsible for causing the skin to turn brown. if you have hyperpigmentation like myself, you always want to make sure your SPF has a high PA rating like this one. Its the UVA rays that causes the hyperpigmentation to darken in the sun.

Verdict

I’m very happy with this SPF and I’m glad I found another k beauty one I like! I tend to love dewy SPFs so I wasn’t sure how I would get on with the velvet finish of this product but I love it! I think its because its not too drying on the skin. This would be amazing in the summer and I will be repurchasing then. Absolutely love how easy it blends around the hairline and how well it layers with under products! No eye stinging is a huge bonus too! Definitely in my top 5 products from the brand!

Do you have a fav K beauty SPF? drop your suggestions and i will be on the hunt for them!

catch you later!

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Cleansing Oil Review

Another haru haru review! find out my thoughts on the deep cleansing oil and if you should try it!

Haru Haru Wonder 30 days Skincare Challenge

hey hey everyone, happy new month! I hope this new month brings you joy! I’m so happy longer brighter days are coming!

This new month signals the end of my 30 day skincare challenge with Haru Haru Wonder! As you know, I started my challenge on 1st Feb, using mostly HaruHaru wonders in my skincare routine! I have so many thoughts on the products so lets get started!

a bit about my skin – i have normal to combo skin which is slightly drier in the winter. My main concern is hyperpigmentation. My goals for this challenge were increased radiance, fading of dark spots and maintaining barrier function. I was also looking for hydrated and smoother skin and overall health improvement.

What are my top 3 products

Coming to the end of my challenge, my favorite 3 products from the range are

  • Black rice deep cleansing oil- this product is 10/10 for its gentle but effective cleansing power! Its affordable and works really well against waterproof mascara and makeup! I have a full in-depth review next week!
  • Black Rice Moisture Airyfit SPF50- you know I love a good sunscreen! This chemical based one feels velvety on the skin and its lightweight! best of all 0 cast on dark skin- my demo & full review is be posted later this week
  • Finally I have to give it to the soft gel cleanser! I loved this since first use. it feels soft on the skin, and I really appreciated the unscented product. Im currently doing laser on my face and my therapist was happy when i mentioned this as my current cleanser as it would be very gentle on my sensitized skin! It doesn’t dry out my skin!
  • I have to give a shout out to the black rice toner too! its not listed in my top 3 only because I wanted to pick items from the new products I was using and the toner isn’t new to me. my full review will be posted next week.

Did I achieve my goal?

I think I achieved some of my goals. My skin has remained hydrated and healthy throughout the month. In terms of radiance, I switched to a new vit c serum at the beginning of feb and i hated it the texture so much but i don’t see a huge difference. In terms of fading hyperpigmentation the dark spot serum was ok i don’t think it made a huge difference but I want to reserve my full thoughts in my review when I finish the product. here’s the before and after pictures( after taken 3 weeks into the challenge)

Overall thoughts

I think the products are very gentle and suitable for all skintypes. I think that their products are good for skin care beginners because they do not contain high concentrations of active ingredients, they focus on barrier repair and hydration. Everything I used was very easy to incorporate in my routine. One thing I have to comment on was how well the products layered on top of each other! I had ZERO pilling during the last month and I really enjoyed that.

As a more experienced skincare user, I found some of the products didn’t quite hit the mark for me and its because my skin is used to higher concentrations of active ingredients. This isn’t a negative thing and Haru Haru’s more gentle approach is great for skincare beginners or sensitive skin. For instance the new retinol serum is mainly for retinol beginners as the conc is very low- great for beginners. As someone who has used tret & is on Medik8’s CR 20, the retinol serum is a step back for me. I did really like the texture & hydration the serum offered but I wont purchase it because Im on a higher retinal product but i will happily recommend for retinol beginners.

Overall I’m very happy with the brand and I want to thank HaruHaru for partnering with me for this challenge. I’m still using the products and will bring full detailed reviews as I finish them! I have a few reviews coming up next week-be sure to check those out! The only product I’m going to stop using ASAP is the eye cream because my eye area is a huge concern of mine and their eye cream isn’t doing much for me, everything else Im using up ????

Speak later!

Happy new month!