Comments Off on Solo Diaries: Peter Harrison Planetarium & Lunch
Hey hey everyone, I hope all is well.
Today’s post will be the start of my new series: solo diaries! This year, I set myself a goal to do 2 solo outings and so far I have crossed one of these off! Actually, I did 2 things in 1 outing but it still counts as 1 haha.
Dear diary
For my first solo outing, I went to the Peter Harrison Planetarium which has been on my list for so long! This place reminds me of Raj from Bang Bang Theory lmao. I went for the meet the neighbours show, a show about our solar system. It was much too short but very interesting, and I think I will go back for the sky tonight show.
So how did I feel doing this? I felt a bit awkward at first but not lonely but this feeling quickly disappeared as I reminded myself why I was doing this. After the show I went for a solo lunch at Miller and Carter, the lunch set menu is amazing btw! 3 courses including a steak for £23! I thought lunch would be a bit more of a challenge but girl I never thought I would enjoy it so much. I enjoyed my steak, watched a show, then some random man walked by and said hello? LOL. I enjoyed it so much Ive booked another solo lunch at a place that’s been on my list for at least 4 years!
Tbh even though I set these goals for myself at the start of the year I never really took steps to doing them. I am used to going out alone mostly for makeup windowing shopping etc but not to do an actual activity( my last solo activity was 2023? I think!) anyway what prompted me to book this was Tracee Ellis Ross talking about her solo travel experiences. It just reminded me of my first solo trip years ago which lead to so many wonderful experiences and meeting lovely people, I don’t know what happened along the road for me to loose that and become dependent on going out with friends. Anyways I glad Tracee’s video came on my fyp because it’s reignited my passion for solo experiences again.
The planetarium was great, and it seemed really popular for families and kids. You then after Greenwich Park right outside so you can easily have a walk or picnic afterwards. Parking is abundant close and very cheap. Well, cheaper than what I thought it would be!
Im really glad I did this and looking forward to my next solo outings! As much as I love planning things with friends, it was so freeing to juts decided what I want to do and went and simply GO. I can finally start to cross items of my list and not feel guilty adding new places lool.
Sorry its been a while since my last post, work got incredibly busy and I inadvertently had to take a break from blogging! But now that its now back to the normal busy pace I can get back to doing things I love again and I have a few exciting posts coming your way!
To kick things off I have a healthy hair check in and I went to a new salon! Whilst I love my usual salon, its far from me, the parking is too expensive and I spend too much time waiting around! I decided to go to Snm hair salon which is only a few minutes from me. I have heard of this salon and been following them for a while, so it wasn’t completely new to me. I decided to book a wash, treatment & blow dry with a clip in install as my new clip ins arrived!
I had a late appointment simply because I could as the salon is very close to me – a huge plus and because it was after 5, parking was free- another huge win for me! After waiting for a few minutes, I was asked about what style I wanted for the clip ins and it was then we came to the conclusion that I needed to book a silk press package not the blow-dry and because it was close to closing time, I couldn’t unfortunately change the booking. I was a bit disappointed as I really wanted to get my clips in done but it was understandable. We couldn’t agree on a suitable day and time so I just decided to go ahead with my service without the clip ins.
At the shampoo bowl, the lady mentioned my hair was dry to touch which I found somewhat surprising. My salon appointment was on a Thursday and I had washed my hair on Monday albeit I did use more of a strengthening conditioner plus K18 ( I have lots of thoughts but I will use it a few more times before sharing). Anyway she proceeded to wash my hair 3 times which I absolutely loved and quiet frankly I had never had any salon do that. After washing she mentioned my hair was quiet dry and whilst I booked a moisture treatment I would benefit from a more intense steam treatment which would be £5 extra and I agreed to. After applying the treatment, I went under the steamer for about 20 minutes. I haven’t had a steam hair treatment before and my hair felt incredible after but it was also a really warm day so I was so hot under there hahaha
My hair was detangled again before it was rinsed out then we proceeded to blow dry in sections. I was familar with the 2 keracare products she used prior to blowdrying then finished off the service with my 2 plaits.
Thoughts on the service
I arrived very early for my appointment but it didn’t take too long before we started discussing my service and the lady really did try to find me another time but we just couldn’t find a suitable time. The clip in service was promptly cancelled and taken off my final bill which I liked. I loved how my hair was handled during the shampoo process: she really focused my massaging my scalp making sure it was clean and shampooing 3 times to ensure build up is effectively removed. I wish my hair was detangled more after she applied the treatment but my hair wasn’t that tangled anyway as I had only washed and blowdried my hair 3 days prior so maybe I didnt need it. She did detangle in small sections.
After the steam treatment I did have to wait about 10-15 mins before I was seen, infact I had to go around and mention it was finished before I was seen again. This isn’t that unusual as I have had to had in between services at my usual salon however I did feel slightly more forgotten here because I was in a different room and because there was only one other customer there with all the staff in the next room I did feel forgotten. The other staff that rinsed out the conditioner and blow dried my hair did seem younger but I think she did a good job. She used the Keracare leave in conditioner & the silken seal liquid before the blow dry. These 2 products do contain heat protection but I would have preferred a dedicated heat protectant too. She blowdried in larger sections using the tension method but went in smaller sections with the paddle brush. Again I would have preferred she fully stretched out the hair in smaller sections using tension before going in with the paddle brush as I have 4c fine hair prone to breakage. The blow dry did turn out great so I’m not too bothered by this. She said my ends were a bit tangly and mentioned it could be because my last trim(last month) didn’t quite catch all my split ends however I don’t think its down to that but the way she stretched my hair prior to going in with the paddle brush. My last trim was pretty much a hair cut because I neglected my trim routine( more on this later in another post!) and also because she was drying my hair in larger sections which for my 4c fine hair mean tangles.
I didn’t appreciate taking a personal call with the other staff member whilst she was doing my hair but I will put this down to her been younger as I thought that was unprofessional.
Verdict
Will i go to Snm salon again. Yes simply because it much much closer to me and the service wasn’t particularly bad. I loved the shampoo and blow dry and my hair felt incredible after the steam treatment, I just didn’t like a few bits. I am debating if I go back there for the silk press or somewhere else. But I will definitely go back there for a wash, treatment and blowdry when I don’t feel like doing my hair
This year I do want to try out other salons especially if they are closer to me. Maison style will always be my go to but I think its time to start experimenting again.
My service: wash, blowdry and intensive steam moisture treatment came up to £65 which is what I usually pay. It would have been £60 without the extra £5 for the intensive moisture treatment. It was pretty easy to book online via their website which is a huge plus. The salon is in Croydon.
Comments Off on Polynucleotide Eyes with Faded Skin Part 1
hey hey everyone! How you doing? We are officially more than half way through March already and I cant believe it! Still next month is my birthday month so the countdown is real!
Today’s post will an update on my under eye treatment journey! If you havent checked out my previous post detailing my plans and concerns, you can check it out here
So I decided to start my journey with polynucleotide eyes. I had 3 consultations in feb with different clinics and all 3 recommended this treatment. I decided to get them had at Faded Skin as this place is based in south London and I had seen all good reviews. Tashana the owner is qualified too.
I also decided to start with 2 sessions, take a break to see any benefits at all before I did any more. I know they recommend 3 or 4 to start with but there are also suggestions that you can see results after 1 treatment. I didn’t want to go through 3-4 sessions without proof of benefits from at least 2 sessions! The issue with polynucleotides though is that it takes a few weeks before you see any results so I had already prepared myself mentally for this.
At the time of writing this post, Im actually 2 weeks post 1st session but by the time this is published I would have done my 2nd session.
TW- bloody pictures!
Prep for 1st session
The prep for the 1st session is very simple, no eye cream/ makeup 48 hours prior, but I gave myself an extra day just incase. My 1st session was on 22nd Feb. After arrival, numbing cream was applied and waited about 10 mins for it to work. I’m sorry but that numbing cream did absolutely NOTHING! NADA LOL. I would say my pain tolerance level is medium maybe a 5.5/10 but I found this painful! I would rate this a 7.9/10 personally but the treatment is done in about 10-15 mins so at least it was quick!
Post treatment
The tiny bumps and swelling started to reduce and after 2 hours by at least 85% . I didn’t feel any stinging and I didn’t have any reaction afterwards. Aftercare is pretty simple, I didn’t touch/let water around my eye area for 24 hours because of the open wounds. Didn’t sleep on my face or wear any makeup/ eye cream. By day 3 though I was able to go back to my usual routine. I did have some bruising on one eye, this was still present by day 10 but since then it fully healed.
Ive been taking progress pictures and looking at my eye area now I really dont see much of a difference! Im writing this post after 2 weeks of my 1st treatment but I’m aware that polynucleotides do take a while before you see results, some people see results right away but others have to wait weeks. By the time this post goes up, I would have had my 2nd treatment. I’m looking forward to that and I will come up with an update after that too.
I have worn makeup since my treatment and whilst my under eye area looked much better, I don’t know if its all down to the treatment because I also used the Bobbi Brown under eye primer for the 1st time (I LOVE the face base). I’m looking forward to my next treatment and hopefully I start to see some results
You can read up on polynucleotides for more info on the exact treatment if you’re interest. This treatment isn’t new on the scene, its been around for some time.
Comments Off on 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!
Comments Off on Haruharu Dark Spot Go Away Serum Review
Hey hey everyone!
I hope all is good! Spring is in the air in the UK and Im so glad brighter days are coming back
I’ve used up the dark spot serum from Haru Haru so it’s time for a full review and some progress pictures!
The Centella 4% TXA Dark Spot Go Away Serum has 5 main ingredients that promise to work together to fade dark spots & hyperpigmentation, soothe the skin and leave it hydrated. These are Vit C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid(4%), squalene and centella complex
Experience
I started using this product on the 1st of feb alongside other Haru Haru products for my 30 day skincare challenge. See my full post here.
I was using this once a day for the 1st 3 weeks then went to 2x a day in the last week and a half. I finished this product on the 6th of March, it lasted 4 weeks and 5 days. It probably would have last a bit longer if I used 2ish pumps lol but Im a bit heavy handed with my products, so with most serums I use 3ish pumps.
The texture is like gel – its very lightweight and soothing on the skin. It feels great and layers very well with other serums. I’ve experienced no irritation or pilling with this. It doesn’t have a strong scent either- I think its also unscented like the rest of the products from Haru Haru Wonder.
How do I feel about this serum? Is it effective? Well, I’m 50-50 on this
I was using the Niod repigment serum which was working very well in Jan but I stopped using it on 28Jan to allow my skin to ‘normalise’ before starting the Haru Haru serum. I started the dark spot serum on the 1st of feb. As with all new active/treatment serums, I use it 2-3 times in the 1st week to minimise any irritation. I was using this serum to treat the 2 dark spots on my chin that resulted from plucking but now that I’m doing laser the hair hasn’t been coming back and I’m able to fade them! I was using the serum all over my face btw lol, but those 2 were my target spots to gauge effectiveness.
Anyway, I noticed by the 4th of feb- the pigmentation was coming back after I stopped using the Niod serum. Something I wasn’t expecting to be honest. It took at least 2 weeks for me to see a noticeable difference with the Haru Haru serum. You can see by 18feb, the intensity of the dark spot was reduced! I was really happy with it, but I don’t think I got any more reduction after this. Looking at the pics from the 21st of feb and 6th of march- I don’t see any more reduction especially in the large dark spot on the right but this may be down to my laser session on the 21st. (the pic was taken before the laser session). As laser can cause pigmentation it makes sense that from the 21st to the 6th I didn’t really see any reductions, infact I even think its slightly(just a tad bit) darker.
I also had a reaction to the laser on the 21st! I totally forgot and was playing with my face later that evening and doing this causes me to have a breakout! This time was bad and it left some dark spots- on my cheeks. It’s like I took several steps back. Sigh!
So why am I 50/50 on the serum?
Well I think I did hit a plateau after the 18th because I still don’t see any huge reductions in the dark spots. Even with the mini breakout I had the serum hasn’t been able to fade those marks and I feel like those are mainly superficial.
Verdict
Hyperpigmentation is extremely hard to treat and for me who is prone to getting it, it makes my serums work even harder! I really like this serum on paper- it has a blend of 3 ingredients known to combat dark spots and other ingredients to soothe and hydrate the skin. I really like the texture of the serum, the gel like texture is very soothing on the skin and I love that it layers so well other products. I used it with retinols & acids with no issues
It works, after 2 weeks I started to see results, but I feel like once I got there, there wasn’t any further progression. I know the dark spots in that area are deep and therefore harder to treat so perhaps I was expecting too much from the serum?
Will I recommend the dark spot serum? Yes and no- I think for deep, hard to treat hyperpigmentation it may be best to go for more potent treatments and a chemical peel( having my 1st one this year after I finish my laser!) if you are doing any sort of treatments that leave you prone to pigmentation e.g. lasers I think this might not be able to keep it at bay and you need something else
For superficial pigmentation or if you are someone who doesn’t really suffer from pigmentation then this serum is more suitable for you. It has the blend of actives to fight the pigmentation and added ingredients to soothe and hydrate the skin.
I wish it also mentioned the concentration of vit c and niacinamide alongside the TXA
I’m really glad I got to try this product and was gifted it- it was on my Stylevana wish list! of course SPF is non negotiable when treating hyperpigmentation!
This serum is available from Superdrug or Stylevana if you’re interested!
