Author: Sarah Fynn

Hello there and welcome to my blog! My name is Sarah Fynn and I am the creator of this blog. So a bit about me, I LOVE travelling, all things hair and beaut. I love LOVE science! This blog came about as I began to transition to natural hair way back in 2011(Well it isn’t that long ago really lol). This blog will focus on 4 main areas Natural Hair. This area will have a diverse range of topics e.g. product reviews and recommendations, tips, advice and virgin hair review (my go to protective style) Lifestyle. This area is mainly poetry, inspiration and anything that doesn’t quite fit the other 3 areas Events. This is self-explanatory really. I will be covering events for my blog about natural hair, beauty and fashion or the odd event I find interesting Travel. Of course I will be bringing you posts on my adventures around the world! One of my goals is go to every single country! My travel posts may not be as regular as I would like (money problems lol) so in the meantime I will be talking about how to budget/plan and organise a trip! With any area, my aim is to INSPIRE you to either travel or go to an event even if it’s you alone, or to let you know your natural hair journey CAN BE SIMPLE! (Eek! I will try my bestest with that part)! Here you will find simple and straight forward information without the technical jargon or wooh-tah (seriously don’t you just hate that?) So don’t be a stranger and SUBSCRIBE its free. I make sure I post regularly unless I have had a very stressful week/month. Leave any comments or drop me an email to say hi, I would love to hear from you. If you’re a company/blogger and you’re interested in working with me, believe I want to too! Drop me an email if I don’t get to you first lol (I hope that doesn’t sound creepy) Email- sarah_fynn@hotmail.com Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day. Love Sarah.

Best Sunscreens for Dark Skin

Face SPF

La Roche Posay Shaka Fluid

A superb SPF. Invisible on the skin with semi matte finish. Works well under makeup

La Roche Posay Anthelios Age Correct SPF 50

A thicker SPF cream but 100% invisible on the skin. This one is a dewier finishand I can use it with or without moisturiser underneath. This one pills sometimes depending on how much I use and what I use underneath so I’m still trying to find the perfect combo

Body SPF

Nivea Protect & Refresh SPF50

A lightweight spray that leaves 0 cast and no piling. I love this particular one because it has a cooling effect on the skin and a subtle sunscreen scent

SPF Top Up

For SPF top ups or on the go, there’s only 2 I’ve come across.

Kate Sommervile Uncomplicated SPF50 mist is amazing!

Amazing lemongrass scent and virtually invisible on the skin

For a cheaper alternative try the Fresh Mist from La Roche Posay

Finally for those that want an SPF and moisturiser combo I have 2 amazing options

Fenty Hydravizor SPF30 is super light and moisturising with a dewy finish that isnt too shiny. Your Good Skin SPF30 is a great drugstore alternative I have been using for years and highly recommended 👌🏾

Rooftop vibes

In my last post (check it out here), I mentioned a few activities you worth visiting but if drinks and food are your fav past time then this post is for you.

London doesn’t have a lot of rooftops but there are some great ones to visit, these are the few I’ve been too, and advance booking is essential

Alto, Selfridges

This place is tucked in Selfridges Oxford Street and gets quite busy. I love everything about this place: food, drinks( the moscato is my favourite) and of course location. It’s one of the good ones for walk in a although there will be a wait. For walk ins, just get your name on the list and go about your shopping!

Rooftop St James

Probably the place I wanted to visit for the longest and when I finally went it was so worth it. The food, the views are excellent! The service was a bit slow when I went but in all honestly it was a really hot day and they were super busy. Its a small place so booking is essential.

LSQ rooftop

This is a new entry on my bar list but worth checking out. You get amazing views of London with the location been right in Leicester square. A bit grim to find (tbh I was just hungry that day lool) but the service was good. The drinks were amazing, the food? average

Jin Bo Law

Heading to city now, Jin Bo Law rooftop is for dressier occasions and celebrations. Its been a while since I went there but the views are stunning. Booking essential

View from The Shard

Amazing London views plus drinks are always a good combo! The View from the Shard open deck bar is a good place to have a drink if you’re already there! To be totally honest, I thought the drinks would be much pricer (seeing that its the Shard) but drinks start from £12 ( still pricer than your average cocktail in a bar but good for THE SHARD)

Other places worth visit

Madisons

601 Queens Road

Bar Elba

Summer Activities in London

Hello guys, I hope all is well! It’s been a while my last post, I took a break from blogging with everything that has been going on lately, I wasn’t in the right space to talk about anything really.

I’m in a much better place now so I’m back to blogging and I’m quite excited! With a lot still going on, if you feel up for it, here are some activities you can safely enjoy in and around London!

Swinger’s Crazy Golf

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with crazy golf, using the lockdown period to research almost every mini gold venue in London and updating ‘my to visit list’. I went to Swinger’s (City) and its one of the good ones! There’s food and drink in the same spot and 3 courses to choose from.

Summer by the river

Head to South Bank for open food, drinks and activities all summer! Summer by the river started from 10^th June and will be there for 3 months for us to enjoy. If you’re not super comfortable with indoor activities yet, this one would be great to check out.

Roofeast

This is my next place to visit! Rooftop vibes with food, drinks and games? Roofeast is very popular and very busy so booking a game in advance is essential (unlike me who tried to get crazy gold tickets 1 day before a warm Saturday!)

Ballie Ballerson

Another must do activity for me this summer, a huge ball pit, lots of pizza and drinks I can see why Ballie Ballerson is super popular. Again advance booking is essential

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for more inspiration on beauty, restaurants and things to do in London

Instagram –Sarahfynn

I will be doing a tour of crazy golf venues and bottomless brunch this summer- stay tuned

The Solution Vitamin C Brightening Body Lotion

I was randomly browsing Superdrug one day when I came across the Solution brand. It is a bodycare range with active ingredients that target a range of skincare concerns. The major issue I have is hyperpigmentation so naturally I was very interested in the Vitamin C Brightening Body Lotion & the Retinol Smoothing lotion

The Vitamin C body lotion is made with Vitamin C, A, E and Licorice for instant radiance and glow. They say its 1.76% active ingredients

Experience

I have been using this lotion at night intermittently for a month now and I simply do not LIKE it which is why it’s taking me so long to finish. The main reason why I don’t like this lotion is because it’s full of mica. Mica is that ingredient in products that gives it shimmer so this lotion leaves a shimmery mess on my skin. What makes this worst is that I have to layer the lotion on because it’s not hydrating enough so with every layer, I’m adding more shimmer to my skin. This then leaves a shimmery silver mess that makes my skin look ashy! I’ve tried to take pics but its difficult to capture

Now I love body illuminators and body makeup and I will always use something shimmery on my body when its out BUT I don’t LIKE shimmer in my skincare especially if its promising to brighten because brands think adding mica will make the consumer think it’s working ( after all your skin is shiny!). Mica aside I also haven’t seen any improvements in my skin tone and its just not hydrating enough. These aside, it has a fresh citrusy scent and its very lightweight

Verdict

I really liked the retinol body lotion and saw improvements in my skin tone but the Vitamin C lotion is a huge miss for me. I don’t have dry skin but I do like to feel my skin is hydrated and moisturised and this doesn’t do that for me. I also don’t like the shimmery silver mess it leaves on my skin

I won’t repurchase.

BeautyPie Superdose Vitamin C Body Lotion Review

This year, I have been focused on using more active ingredients in my bodycare routine and I have been on the hunt for some. I have found a few Vitamin C body lotions, including the new BeautyPie Superdose Vitamin C Body Lotion.

What the brand says

Want firmer, fresher, tighter, brighter-looking skin all over your body? You’ll love this. It’s a high-tech, radiance-boosting, moisturizing body lotion, loaded with Tranexamic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, firming Brown Algae and stable vitamin C. It gives sun-damaged skin a super-boost! Use daily for the fastest brightening, firming and rejuvenating effects, or use 2-3 times weekly to help prevent signs of aging. Clean. Vegan. And cruelty-free (of course).

Experience

I used this body lotion twice a day and the 250ml bottle last just over 2 weeks. I experienced no irritation

What I liked: so what attracted me to this product is the formula: this utilizes a well-known vitamin C derivative Ascorbic Acid Glucoside and Tranexamic acid to promise firmer and brighter skin. it also other great ingredients like hyaluronic acid, brown algae extract, centella asiatica and argan oil.

I really enjoyed the scent, it’s kinda citrusy, kinda medicated but pleasant and it lingers on the skin. It is a lightweight lotion that doesn’t leave any oily residue on the skin. It goes on and sinks into the skin easily.

What I didn’t like: the bottle only lasted 2 weeks which isn’t a long time to notice any huge differences. I didn’t notice massive improvements if any. I don’t think the formula hydrating/moisturizing as much as I would like. It was ok to use whilst the weather was still warm(ish) but as the weather has changed and it’s raining more and colder, I find my skin feels drier at the end of the day

Verdict

I was super excited to try this once they posted a teaser on their Instagram but I’m afraid to say it is a bit of an anti-climax. I love the formula but I don’t find it hydrating. I also wish for the price it came in a bigger bottle. This 250ml bottle lasted 2 weeks using it twice a day, the members price for this is £11.34 which is just £2 more than the Nivea Q10 plus Vitamin C 400ml lotion (I love this!)

Will I repurchase this? No I had high hopes for this lotion but unfortunately it didn’t live up to them. I LOVE the Nivea Q10 plus C lotion so I will be sticking to that

BeautyPie Superdose Vitamin C Body Lotion is £11.34 for members and available on BeautyPie

Glow Recipe Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream review

I tried Glow recipe for the first time this year. I picked up the Glow Vanity set with came with a deluxe size of the Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream. This brand has been on my radar for a while now so I was really excited to try them

What the brand says:

Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream is a soothing, lightweight moisturizer that resets, replenishes, and seals in a boost of lasting hydration without clogging pores, for all skin types, even acne-prone skin. It is non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic, making it especially good for sensitive skin. Blended with banana, chia seed, magnesium, turmeric, and cica, this sweet soufflé is your recipe for calmer, hydrated healthy-looking skin.

Experience

I’ve been using this in both my morning and evening routines over serums. its lasted about 3 weeks and I haven’t experienced any irritation from it.

What I liked: this lightweight moisturiser has beauty gel-souffle texture and sinks into the skin easily. It smells amazing. I really like how soothing and hydrating it feels on the skin. I use it over serums and I have not found it pilling on me. I use a fair amount. It provides a good amount of hydration which I find long lasting. It leaves no oily residue and leaves a glowing finish to the skin. I have normal to combo oily skin and it works really well with it. It doesn’t clog pores. It’s full of antioxidants and soothing ingredients.

What I didn’t like: nothing

Verdict

This moisturiser is amazing and joins my list of favourite moisturisers. It is suitable for all skin types because of its lightweight texture. No oily residue and heavy feeling it left on the skin. It layers really well over serums and suitable for day and night.

I will definitely recommend and look to repurchase

Glow Recipe Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream is £36 for the full size

The BodyShop Skin Defence SPF50 review

I’ve been waiting to do this review forever! The new and improved formula for the BodyShop’s Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF50+ with a PA rating of 4. I fell in love with the original version when it was called the Multi-Protection Essence. It was a beautiful lightweight watery texture that sank into the skin with ease and leaves it hydrated and glowing! TBS suddenly stopped producing this last year to reformulate it.

What the brand says

Ready for a new addition to your fave Skin Defence range? Meet our best protection ever. We’ve created a new lotion to combine high SPF 50+ PA++++ with 24hr moisturisation. Lightweight and non-greasy, this new multitasker has an improved matrix of UV filters – that’s a fancy way of saying it helps protect skin against UVA rays, which penetrate deeper and cause discoloration, as well as daily aggressors like pollution. Like all good SPFs, it helps future-proof your skin and prevent pigmentation and premature ageing, and ours also contains red algae extract and vitamin C. It’s going to help your skin look brighter and healthier, but you must wear it every day. Promise?

Brand new formula with our best ever protection

Facial moisturiser with SPF 50+ PA++++ and UVA/UVB protection

Helps protect against the appearance of pigmentation and premature ageing

Helps protect skin against indoor and outdoor pollution

Made with red algae extract and vitamin C to help brighten the appearance of skin for a healthy glow

Suitable for sensitive skin, Dermatologically tested, Non-comedogenic, Vegan

Experience

Type of sunscreen: chemical

I use this as the last step in my AM routine before makeup. On most days I layer this over a serum but I have also used it over my day cream.

What I liked: the new formula is still invisible on the skin without any flashback. It doesn’t feel oily or too heavy on and it has a beautiful glowing finish. It can be used over serums alone or layer over moisturiser if you have dry skin. On most days it layers quite well and doesn’t pill. You are getting maximum UVB and UVA protection and the formula also have antioxidants to help defend against pollution.#

What I didn’t like: The texture of the new formula is a lotion which is thicker and feels heavier than the previous essence texture. This also means it takes a tad bit longer to absorb into the skin.

Verdict : To be totally honest, the only reason why I don’t like the new version is because of the texture change! This is a good sunscreen, maximum protection with some antioxidants and invisible on dark skin. For me the previous essence texture was excellent and perfect: it was extremely hydrating and lightweight and sank into the skin so quickly.

I’m not sure why they would change the formula! For this reason, alone I won’t repurchase this sunscreen.

I will 100% recommend this because this more of a moisturising sunscreen than a moisturiser with added SPF( if that makes sense). You can use this as your AM moisturiser for most skintypes without the need of an additional moisturiser.

The BodyShop Multi Protection Lotion SPF50+ PA++++ is £18 for 30ml on BodyShop

Kao – Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ 2019 Edition

It’s been a while since I did a k beauty sunscreen review. I have picked up a few over the last months and started to put them to test.

Today will be a full review of Kao – Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ 2019 Edition. This is a very popular k beauty SPF which my fellow skincare enthusiasts love.

What the brand says

This updated version of Biore’s most loved UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF 50+ PA++++ is powered by the innovative Micro Defense formula to prevent uneven application. The colorless essence forms an invisible waterproof shield on skin without feeling sticky. Hyaluronic acid, royal jelly and other moisturizing ingredients keep skin comfortable and hydrated. Excellent as a primer!

Experience

Type of sunscreen– chemical

I have been using this sunscreen in the mornings as the last step of skincare before makeup. It’s lasted about 3 weeks. When I’m working from home I would also use it for reapplication.

I have not experienced any irritation

What I liked: this gel cream goes on so easily and spreads evenly on the skin. I feels so hydrating on the skin and absorbs to leave a dewy finish. It’s got new generation chemical filters which offer better protection. This has a high PA rating 4 so you are also getting excellent UVA protection. It’s got hydrating and antioxidant ingredients for hydrating and added protection against pollution. It layers so well over serums and creams and doesn’t pill when reapplied!

Is it invisible on dark skin? This sunscreen is 100% invisible on dark skin. No flashbacks

What I didn’t like: has a strong scent of alcohol but this doesn’t linger too long

Verdict

I can see why this SPF is so popular! I used the 2019 version and this formula is great. A very nice gel cram texture that feels hydrating on the skin. This sunscreen offers excellent protection against the sun plus the added hydration and antioxidant ingredient make it a well-rounded formula.

I will repurchase.

Kao – Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ 2019 Edition is £7.26 on Yesstyle

Fresh Vitamin C Nectar Glow Face Mask Review

I have been eyeing Fresh face masks for a long time, in particular, the Vitamin C Nectar Glow Face Mask so when my birthday came around and they had just realised the mini masking set, my brother got me the set for my birthday! So far I have used 3 of the 6 mini masks and finished one- Vitamin C Nectar Glow Face Mask.

What the brand says

A brightening and exfoliating face mask powered by natural AHAs in crushed citrus fruits; vitamins C, E, and B5; and revitalising minerals. This skin nutrition mask is jam-packed with fruit—50% orange, lemon, and clementine paste—to refine skin for a healthy, glow-from-within look. Fueled by fresh’s vitamin fruit complex, it does double exfoliating duty: a soft scrub from the citrus paste and a gentle chemical peel from the natural AHAs.

Experience

My mini 15ml mask lasted about 4 applications over my face and neck. I mostly used the mask in my evening routine about once a week.

What I liked: the formula is quite impressive with a combo of Vitamin C E B5 and AHAs to help exfoliate and brighten the skin. it smells of oranges. It rinses away easily and clean

What I didn’t like: so the texture of this face mask is like orange marmalade. I am not the biggest fan of the application method: you have to massage this on and leave on for about 10 mins. This was the mask I really wanted but I am not that impressed with it. it didn’t leave my skin any much smoother or brighter after use. It wasn’t a big difference.

Verdict

I’m a bit disappointed with the mask. This feels like putting orange marmalade on my skin and the results are underwhelming. Its an impressive formula but for me it didn’t do much for my skin.

Fresh Vitamin C Nectar Glow Face Mask is £21 for 30ml on Fresh

The mini set is still available on Cultbeauty or Space NK

Review Round up: Skincare

Votary Super Seed Oil

I’m not a big fan of facial oils, there’s been very few I have tried and loved but the Votary Super Seed Oil is one of the ones I loved. I was gifted this by a friend and I was actually going to give it away until I decided to check the price. At £70 for 50ml I decide to test out why it was so popular and expensive.

The oil is a blend of 22 seed oils and formulated for sensitive, hormonal and stressed skin. It’s surprisingly lightweight and has a beautiful ‘botanical’ scent to it. I really like this oil. I use it when my skin feels irritated and this really helps to soothe it. I also use it when my skin barrier is damaged and I am on a break from using actives. Is it expensive? Yes. But does it work? Absolutely!

Dermalogica Active Moist

So I first used this moisturiser after I had a Dermalogica luxury facial and my facialist used this on me. I loved the texture of it and how lightweight it was without being oily. Much later on, I purchased the Dermalogica Normal skin kit and it came with a travel size of the active moist moisturiser. This is an oil-free lightweight moisturiser for combination skin. I find the texture very similar to a water cream and it does well at hydrating and softening the skin. Its oil-free but it leaves my skin dewy and glowing. I use this twice a day and it layers well very other serums. I would definitely recommend this and will happily purchase the full size. This mini size has actually lasted me a while because I don’t need a lot of it.

Nivea Q10 plus C Eye Cream

I’m really loving the Q10 plus C range from Nivea, I have used a lot of items from the collection. This eye cream was gifted to me at an event and I started using it earlier this year. This is one of the few eye creams I have tried that has actually made a difference. I have dark circles and when I used this consistently it helps to brighten my under eye. The cream itself its quite lightweight so doesn’t feel heavy in the area.

It would be the first time I have introduced an active ingredient in my eye area and so far I am loving the results. It says it also targets fine lines but the lines I have around my eye area have remained the same. I still really like this and 100% recommend.

That’s all for now.

These are the products I have in rotation and have been using very often. I will be back with more reviews later.

Catch you later!