Category Archives: sarahfynn

Estee Lauder Advanced Cleansing Balm Review

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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

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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

Josh Hair & Beauty Salon Croydon

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hi hi everyone, I hope all is well with you.

Im back with a new post in my salon series. My goal this year was to visit at least 2 new hair salons, I went to Elevate Brixton back in January, you can catch my full review here then I went to Josh Hair and Beauty the very next day lmao. So yes another very late post HOWEVER, I’ve been to Josh 2 more times since then with the latest visit in April so this will be a full review of all the services I’ve done so far with them. Might be a long post, grab a snack!

My first visit to Josh was for a weave with closure and my stylist was Bimpie. I absolutely loved the service and my weave but gosh I forgot how long weave is lool. I really loved my stylist, we spoke about what I wanted and I wanted to try a new technique I had seen on TT for sewing on the closure, instead of using the elastic band, use weaving net instead and she was very happy to oblige! (btw this technique is 10/10 especially for less tension on the hairline). I was seen right away, I had a mini consultation with the owner Sharon before my service started. I went already wash, blow-dried and trimmed thanks to my visit the day before at Elevate Brixton lol. The salon does offer these services but I had already booked Elevate way before I decided( on a whim btw) to get a weave done lol. I used 1 and half bundles of coarse kinky straight from Curlsqueen and a matching closure. We used a weaving net for the base, my cornrows weren’t extremely tight and my edges were left out as requested. I didn’t have to pay extra for the loose curls. The hair was already layered from a previous style. The weave was £170 I believe

I went back to Josh 3 weeks later, on vals for a weave wash, condition and style with the same stylist. Again I was seen quickly and my service was great. My weave was washed, conditioned and I went again with loose weaves. My closure was also retightened. I was done in about 2-3 hours with no issues. This service was about £80 or £85 I think.

My recent visit to Josh was last month for my routine wash, blow-dry, treatment and trim service. This is my usual service I have at all new salons to really get a feel of the place. I had booked the owner Sharon but on the day she wasn’t in so I had 2 stylists: one that washed and blow-dried my hair and the other for the trim. My hair was lightly detangled before washing with the creme of nature argan leave in. I cant remember if she clarified my hair but she did recommend a restructuring treatment instead of a moisture one as my hair had some damage. I sat under the dryer for a while maybe a little bit longer than necessary. The salon was busier that day at least compared to my previous visits. She also did my blow dry using the Keracare silken glaze and the leave in. I did ask for a dedicated heat protectant even though the former products did offer heat protection simply because my hair is very fine so she used the Keracare Thermal wonder. I cant also remember if my hair was detangled prior to blow-drying but I wasn’t too happy with the way my hair was handled during the blow dry. It wasn’t rough or anything but I just felt the technique could be better compared to other blow dries I’ve had. I also feel like she used too product. When I look at the pictures comparing the Josh blow dry and Elevate (Jan 26) I can see my blowdry at Elevate left my hair smoother and sleeker and the Josh blow dry was fluffier. My trim was done by the 2nd stylist and was fine. She recommended some treatments i could use for repair. This service was £100 or £90 i think

Verdict

Will I go back to Josh hair and beauty? YES. Overall my service has been good. its so convenient for me as well and cheap parking lmao. I definitely go back for weave with Bimpie.

I’m testing out trimming my hair on a 4 monthly schedule instead of 3 or I will be heading to a new salon in the 1st week of August. I already know where I want to go, I will be back with a (timely) review for that lol. Honestly I cant really tell if I’m retaining length because the length looks the same even though I cant really think of something I’m doing wrong. I think I will book a proper consultation at my next salon visit to discuss this in depth.

Summer is almost here!

Take care

KeraCare Curlessence Moisturizing Co-Wash Review

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hi hi everyone, I hope all is well with you.

Do you still co-wash your hair? I remember when co-washing was the latest trend in the natural hair community and all the brands were coming out with their co-washes. I was hesitant to try it, until I tried the As I am Coconut co-wash then I was on board with the co-wash crew lol. I don’t really co wash my hair anymore but I still, from time to time will co wash my curly hair wigs which is why I bought the Keracare Curlessence moisturising co wash. I’ve used the co wash on both wigs and my natural hair for some time and now I’m ready to share my full thoughts on it

I absolutely love KeraCare, they have some amazing products and the moisturising co wash is one of them. This is part of their curlessence range targeting type 3-4 natural hair. This product is ph balanced, sulfate free and promises gentle cleansing and hydration

Expereince

I’ve used this as a co-wash for both wigs and my hair but more recently(I’ve had this product for a while, I’m talking at least 1 year) I’ve been using it as a pre shampoo detangler. It has amazing slip and it really works well to soften my hair allowing me to detangle that much easier. My tangle teazer glides through my hair with minimal breakage. In terms of cleansing power, I haven’t used it as a co wash for a while however I only ever use cowashes when my hair is dry with minimal buildup, only a shampoo can give a thorough clean

It smells great has a thick spreadable texture that is very easy to smooth onto the hair and finger comb through, exactly what you would expect from a co-wash. it does lather up but not as much as a shampoo.

Verdict

This is a really nice product. I’ve come to see co washes as a multi-use product so if you still love to co wash your hair this works well as that for dry to minimal build up.. It also works very well as a detangler because of the amazing slip it has. You could also use it as a pre shampoo softening treatment if you have extra dry hair as its very softening. I definitely recommend this.

oh yeah I dyed my hair lmao and I’ve been testing out using gloves when washing my hair and omg it is a GAME changer!

Keracare Curlessence cowash is available from Lookfantasic for £8.95 (currently on sale)

see you laterr

K18 Leave-in molecular repair hair mask Review

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hey hey! I hope all is well. today I’m sharing my thoughts on the very popular K18 leave in mask

Since its launch in 2021, the K18 leave in mask has been EVERYWHERE. Everybody and their mama and best friend in the hair community has tried K18 by now so when it finally appeared in one of the advent calendars I was so excited.

K18 is a peptide leave in mask that promises to work in just 4 mins on all hair types and textures reversing damage from heat, chemical services and bleaching/coloring. You are directed to use it 4-6 times consecutively for progressive results then switch to maintenance use

Experience

I used K18 as directed for the 1st time back in 2024 and I HATED it! I hated it so much that I didn’t use it again until March 2026- LMAO. It left my hair so dry and CRUSTY and it felt weird not rinsing it out or not using a conditioner. I think I have PTSD lol because how can still remember this almost 2 years later LOL

Anyways this year I was really determined to finish and give it another chance so I did a bit more research on 4c hair use and a lot of people use as directed but follow up with a mask for hydration so I thought to try that. So in March I used it 4 times consecutively, leave it in for 4 mins before following with a mask, I used the Amika hydrorush mask left on for additional 20 mins before washing it out. I took a break in April as it was then time for my usual Olapex treatments- I didn’t want to use them together in the same wash day. I also then had a wig on for holiday. I used the last bit last week.

Usage is pretty easy: after washing and towel drying my hair, I split my hair into 4 sections, use a pump and a bit per section and cover with a shower cap. The texture is lightweight and feels like a lotion so it spreads well. it is not slippery so I didnt even try to detangle with it

Results

In total K18 lasted about 5 wash days. 1st time in 2024, in March 26- 4 weekly washes then final use last week but there was only a little left and it did half my head

Honestly I don’t know if it did anything to my hair. I was sure to pair it with masks I was already familiar with so I could tell if there was any additional benefits. My hair didn’t feel any different in March after using it weekly. I had my routine trim in April and I was told I have a few travelling split ends and some damage and I immediately thought but I’ve been using k18? I don’t think they explicitly say it repairs split ends but I feel my damage might be from heat? back in feb I got the wavy talk thermal brush and I may have abused it on my fine hair lol so if k18 repairs heat damage then shouldn’t my hair app have gone differently?

Verdict

I don’t know. I don’t feel like my hair is any different after k18 use. I have now finished the bottle, I had the 50ml size. I might have been heavy handed as it lasted 5 washes. I wont buy this again, I think for now I will stick to Olapex as my standard bonding treatment.

K18 is available from SpaceNK from£30