Snm Salon experience

hey hey hey everyone, I hope all is well.

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.

I have a few posts coming up! catch you laterrr

ULTRA VIOLETTE Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Serum SKINSCREEN Review

hello hello all,

Today we have a sunscreen review and try on and its non other than Ultra Violette! I received the Queen Screen in my SpaceNK beauty advent calendar last year and I’ve finally finished using it

This is a chemical based SPF from the Australian brand that promises a cast free experience and high broad spectrum protection. Its also hydrating and can be used as a primer- with no piling or balling

Experience

I’ve just finished using the product last week, but it lasted quite a bit, I think I started using it in the 2nd or 3rd week of March, after the haru haru airy fit SPF. This SPF is extremely lightweight and fluid and I love sunscreens with this texture.

The sunscreen feels weightless on the skin and leaves the most amazing dewy finish- its almost too dewy but it doesn’t clog pores and comes off easily when washing away at the end of the day. It feels super hydrating as promised, I can get away without a moisturiser with this and it layers very well with other products. It can settle in the lines on my neck when I use too much of it but other than that, it doesn’t pill under makeup.

Is it invisible on dark skin? YES- it blends into the skin well and doesn’t stick to the hairline either. There is no white cast on the skin! LOOK AT MY SKIN. I took these pictures right away application.

Verdict

This is such a beautiful sunscreen! It does have some gold shimmer in it- very subtle, now I didnt like this at first but over time I came round to it because it leaves a beautiful lit from within glow. It’s weightless on the skin and its beautiful under makeup, even powder foundation too. As I said above, whilst I love a dewy finish, this one is almost too dewy lol so I will probably just use this in the winter. In the summer it may come across as sweat lol.

Whilst I love the dropper bottle and the pipette actually works, it can get messy around the bottle neck and its hard to gauge the right amount to use. I use 2 fingers full method to measure out how much is needed but with the pipette and fluid texture it is slightly more difficult to measure. I tend to use a bit more just in case, again there is no heavy feeling on the skin but it can settle on my neck- this doesn’t happen every time. It doesn’t sting my eyes but I don’t tend to take SPF up there too much.

I think the Queen Screen has replaced Fav Fluid as my fav SPF from the brand? or maybe its neck and neck? hm

you can check out this SPF at Sephora

HaruHaru Wonder Soft Cleansing Gel Review

hihi everyone! I hope all is well! I hope you had a lovely easter and a well deserved long bank holiday weekend!

Its been a while right?! Life has been lifing! but all is well. Since my last post, Ive celebrated my close friend’s weddiing, family birthdays including mine and my wedding anniversary! God has been so good!

Ive also been using up alot of products and I now have a bunch of reviews coming up! First up is the haru haru cleanser I recieved as part of my 30 day challenge with the brand

The soft cleansing gel promises to be an unscented, mild and light-acidic formulla cleanser for a daily morning routine. A healthy pH helps the skin maintain a good barrier and control its oil balance. Made with natural surfactants from coconuts that reduce irritation while leaving the skin moisturized after cleansing.

Experience

This has been my cleanser for the last few months, I run out of it back in March. I used it in both AM & PM routines. Its unscented like the rest of the products in the range so I didn’t experience any irritation with it.

this is a great everyday cleanser for all skin types. It has low lather from what I remember but leaves the skin clean without drying it out. It removes oil residue well when used as a 2nd cleanser but its also gentle on the skin as a 1st cleanse. My skin doesnt feel tight afterwards

Verdict

A good standard cleanser which will work well for all skintypes. If you love k beauty you have probably heard of Haru haru and tried a few of their products, I would recommend you try this one too if youre on the hunt for a cleanser.

My only gripe with the product is that the packaging looks very similar to their triple aha acid cleanser, so it will be very easy to mistake it for the acid cleanser if you don’t do a double take and store them close together. using the acid cleanser twice a day on a daily basis will obviously lead to a damaged skin barrier among other issues. I kept them separate to prevent that from happening.

HaruHaru is now available at Boots

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.

take care of yourself

catch you laterrr

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!