Tag Archives: SKINCARE REVIEWS

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Cleansing Oil Review

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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

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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!

Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum Review

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hey hey people! I hope all is well with you.

Today’s post just highlights the importance of 2nd chances and why we should be giving people and products (lol) one * within reason lol

Today I will be reviewing the vit c serum from Naturium. This came in the Spacenk 2024 beauty advent calender

Let’s begin

This is a vit c complex serum which is formulated with highly stabilized l-ascorbic acid vitamin C complex, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and a bioactive fruit blend that helps defend skin from environmental stressors, promoting healthier-looking skin ( from website)

I started using this on 22nd Dec and run out of it on the 2nd of Feb so it lasted 6 weeks. I mainly used it in my am routine but also a few times in my pm routine. I experienced no irritation with it.

Experience

This is a lightweight serum that feels hydrating on the skin. I really like that it sinks into the skin with ease and doesn’t have any stinging sensations you can get with vit c serums. The brand directs users to use a pea sized amount but I have to tell you I used more than that- 2 to 3 pumps over my face neck and chest then hands with whatever was left

Performance? yes it delivers! I love vit c serums because they work to brighten the skin whilst protecting against environmental aggressors! This serum feels nice on the skin and a pleasure to use. After 2 weeks of use, my skin was glowing and overall my complexion just looks healthier! The serum is a combo of different types of vitamin c: ascorbic acid & SAP and fruit blends also known to have vit c. It also has aloe vera leaf juice which I have come to love for its hydrating properties esp for my hair! Look at my skin!

Verdict

oh how I miss vit c serums! I’ve been using the Paula’s Choice super antioxidant serum for a while and I really enjoyed it but I wanted to use Vit c serums again! This serum just reminded me why Vit c is the gold standard for skin brightening and a glowing complexion. The serum is well packaged to protect against the unstable nature of pure vit c, so it didn’t oxidize in the time I was using it.

I’ve used my fair share of vit c serums in the past and I can say this is up there with my favorite ones! I’m genuinely surprised by this product because I HAD written off Naturium as a brand! I have previously tried 3 of their most popular best selling products and they were so disappointing so I thought to never try the brand again. With this coming in the advent calendar I had no choice but to give it a 2nd chance and I’m really glad I did! I’m thinking of trying their peptide serum now ( even though I HATE their peptide eye cream lol) because of this.

I highly recommend this and will purchase this again!

the serum is available from Boots or Spacenk

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

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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!

Round Lab 1025 Dokdo On The Go Kit Review

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Hihi everyone, I hope all is well

As you know, last year I rediscovered K beauty and ordered from Stylevana for the very first time! Several orders later I’ve been trying so many new (to me ) K beauty brands. One of those new brands was Round Lab. They had a trial set that I thought was the perfect introduction to the brand. In this post I will be reviewing the products in the set

I got the Round Lab 1025 Dokdo On The Go Kit which comes with a cleanser, toner and lotion(emulsion). The set is currently out of stock at Stylevana but the products are available to get individually.

Cleanser

The 1025 Dokdo Cleanser is formulated with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to gently cleanse the skin without disrupting the skin’s barrier. I’m currently using this in both my AM & PM routines. The formula does foam up nicely and I find it to give a thorough cleanse without leaving my skin dry. I really like this cleanser and I’ve had no issues again. A little goes a long way

Toner

a fuss free toner, it was nothing special tbh and I had no issues with it. I didnt experience any brightening as promised but I liked how it felt on my skin. Will I buy this as a stand alone product? probably not as there are other k beauty toners i love

Lotion

This was the star of the show for me. The lotion was lightweight and incredibly hydrating. This has triple hyaluronic acid and promises to provide deep and long lasting moisture and soften rough texture and skin! It delivers on that promise! I didn’t need a moisturiser after the lotion and its something I will definitely look to buy again

Conclusion

I hope this set comes back in stock soon because its the perfect intro to the brand, and the sizes make it perfect for travel. I would buy the full sizes of the cleanser and lotion again as I really enjoyed them. The set is really geared towards all skintypes but I think dry to normal skin will benefit the most. Round lab is available from Boots in the UK if you wanted to get them quicker! Or Amazon