FACE SERUMS OILS MOISTURISERS – Page 4

Etude House Sunprise Airy Finish SPF 50 Review

You guys know I have been obsessed with Asian skincare since I discovered YesStyle! I’ve been getting through my kbeauty stash (slowly) and reviews are getting on the blog now. One of the most exciting things I am discovering is affordable high factor sunscreens that are invisible on the skin! I got a few to test out for dark skintones.

Today’s post will be a full review and demo of Etude House SPF50. This promises to protect the skin from premature ageing and has plant extracts to help the skin from sun exposure. It contains 100% mineral filters, so they say it makes it suitable for sensitive skin. They also promise a non-greasy non-sticky finish which dries matte and doesn’t leave a white cast.

Experience

This has a very watery and light fluid consistency with a mild scent which I do not find pleasant. This was a total miss for me and a hit & miss for a friend. Let me explain.

I found this sunscreen extremely matte and drying on my skin. it has a powdery feel when its dried down. The first time I tested this product, it left a white cast on my skin. I did watch and read some reviews who said it was invisible on their skin and my friend also heard a lot of good reviews about it which is why I bought it in the first place. So I take this to my friend for her to test out and she tells me its 100% invisible on her skin, mind you, she’s probably half a shade darker than me so I told her to keep it.

A few weeks later I asked her how she’s getting on with it and she tells me after using it for the first 3 days on holiday it suddenly started leaving a white cast on her skin so she’s returning to me LOOL. The picture below is how it looks on my skin you have to shake the product before application ( see the bags under my eyes-I could take it on holiday!)

Verdict

This is a miss for me but there are a lot of reviews out state its invisible on skin including dark skin. In terms of the promises, it does feel very light on the skin and it’s not greasy or sticky. It dries matte, very matte but it definitely leaves a white cast on dark skin! I don’t like it because I think its matte and drying so even if it was invisible I don’t think I would be using it.

A little bit disappointed as I heard great reviews on this product. Let me know if you have this product and how it’s working for you.

Etude House Sunprise Airy Finish SPF 50 is £8.69 on YesStyle*

Use my code SARAHF1for ££ of your order

Shiseido Hada-Senka Mineral Water UV Protector SPF 50 Review

Summer is here and for many people, it means the start of SPF use (you should be using it all year around!). Earlier this year, I turned my attention to Asian sunscreens and I have 2 reviews on the blog: Missha, OMI and a further two coming soon! Today’s post will be a full review and demo of the Shiseido – Hada-Senka Mineral Water UV Protector SPF 50 PA+++ I purchased from YesStyle.

This sunscreen is very popular, it has over 200 reviews on YesStyle and 96% customer satisfaction rating. This little blue bottle is 40ml and promises superior protection against skin ageing and darkening whilst effectively blocking UVA and UVB rays. It has a watery texture and spreads easily without leaving the skin white.

Experience

I was really excited to try this because of the reviews and the videos I watched, plus it was a really low price. Shiseido is also a well-known J beauty brand. Out of all the Asian sunscreens I have tried, this one has the best texture, and it feels very soft and smooth and reminds me of a primer. This makes sense as looking at the ingredient list, the 1^st ingredient is a silicone, and in fact, there are a few silicones in this.

Shiseido – Hada-Senka Mineral Water UV Protector SPF 50 has a lightweight texture and does spread very easily, even with the silicones, it absorbed well into the skin although it takes a bit of patting. Initial application leaves the skin looking hydrated and dewy but not oily but this dries down throughout the day. The SPF leaves a soft powdery matte feel to the skin and whilst it doesn’t pill, I find around my eyebrows I can see a tiny bit of piling. The powdery finish makes my skin look dry so I tend to use another SPF at midday

This sunscreen is invisible on dark skin although there have been times where I felt like my skin looked a bit dull. I also found when I used this on my arms, there was a very very slight cast, something I can definitely get away with but they did look dry

Verdict

I find the texture of this SPF very pleasant and out of the others, I have tried this is my favourite. I haven’t used this as a primer but I imagine it would be an excellent one because if the silicones in it. If you are someone who doesn’t like silicones in their products I would stay away from this. It hasn’t clogged my pores or irritated my skin and there have been a few times in the past month I went to bed without double cleansing or washing my face( I know! In my defence I was sick!)

I think this will be great for oily skin because of the finish. In the summer, my skin usually becomes oilier however it hasn’t done that so far so I do not appreciate the finish as much at the moment. I will repurchase this.

It’s a small bottle which will make it perfect for reapplication on the go, 40ml lasted about a month, I use a lot of sunscreen!

Shiseido – Hada-Senka Mineral Water UV Protector SPF 50 PA+++ is £6.61 in YesStyle*.

Use my code SARAHF1 for ££ off your order

affiliate link

Nip Fab Glycolic Fix Radiance Shot Review

Nip Fab’s Glycolic Fix range is one of the best acid collections in the drugstore. I personally love the Glycolic Fix collection and I have tried many items from it. I have a quick review of the Nip Fab Glycolic Fix Radiance Shot I have had for a while now.

This promises luminosity, smoother skin and reduced pigmentation.

Experience

So I have had this serum for a very long time but I have been using it on and off. I wasn’t frequently using it because I could not see any benefits plus I did not like the fact that it was iridescent. I do not like gimmicky skincare and this serum has a blue tint which turns golden when massaged into the skin (if you don’t mind this then of course go for it). This is a smooth lightweight texture with a strong chemical scent. It sinks into the skin very quickly but I feel like it leaves a very faint shimmer on the skin.

It wasn’t the gimmicks that made me dislike this, I just felt like I didn’t see any benefits using this. They do not state the glycolic content of this serum however after checking the ingredient list, glycolic acid is the 2^nd ingredient. I haven’t seen any difference in my pigmentation and my skin is smooth because I use a 7% AHA toner. The serum adds no hydration to my skin but doesn’t pil with other products.

Verdict

I couldn’t finish the bottle because I disliked the serum so I have thrown it away. In all fairness, I used more than half of the bottle but I couldn’t bring myself to finish it! I have had this for a while, I actually got it when they were doing a £5 sale ages ago. I love glycolic acids but this serum did not benefit my skin. I also don’t appreciate gimmicky skincare but I will use a product if I felt like it was working, this serum didn’t do anything for me so I stopped using it to move unto something else!

check out my Nip Fab brand review which summaries everything I have used from the brand.

Nip Fab Glycolic Fix Radiance Shot is £19.95 on LookFantastic*

*affiliate link used. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission which goes towards the upkeep of the blog (and allows me to keep bringing you excellent content) but the price remains the same

OMI – Menturm The Sun UV Protect Gel Water-Proof SPF 50+ Review

I have been busy testing out Asian sunscreens and this post is an update on the SPF haul I did back in March from Yes Style. I told you guys I am working on an Asian sunscreen edit for dark skin so I have slowly been making my way through my batch. Today’s post will be a full review and demo on OMI – Menturm The Sun UV Protect Gel Water-Proof SPF 50+ PA++++ and how it looks on dark skin.

OMI is a popular J beauty brand and this SPF promises to ‘blend’ moisture into the skin and formulated with 7 plant extracts. They say it’s waterproof and suitable for the skin & body

Experience

I have been using this sunscreen for the last month and I am halfway through the bottle. It is a very lightweight consistency, they describe it as a gel but it’s more of a very light essence/lotion consistency. It has a ‘noticeable’ alcohol scent. It’s not too strong but you can definitely notice it, in fact, ethanol is the 2^nd ingredient in this SPF.

The SPF sinks into the skin well and the way I apply it makes a difference in terms of the finish and feel of my skin. The 1^st time I used it, I rubbed it into the skin and it made my skin feel very tight & dry later in the day. So dry that I purchased another cream (thank God I work in a hospital) to moisture my face. In this application, I didn’t use a hydrating serum underneath so it may have contributed to the dryness too. For the 2^nd time, I used a hydrating serum and slathered the SPF on, but I let it absorb into the skin naturally and gently pressed the excess into my skin. My skin was left hydrated and later in the day my skin it didn’t feel as dry & tight. I have also used this method with a non-hydrating serum and my skin felt better than my 1^st time so this is the way I have been using it. There is still some dryness later in the day but nothing compared to my first time.

Is it invisible on black skin? YES. This SPF sinks into the skin quickly and it’s completely & 100% invisible! There is no flashback with this under makeup and it doesn’t sting my eyes. I have also used this on my body and again completely invisible.

Verdict

I love the super lightweight texture of the SPF and the fact that it’s invisible on the skin. I do not like the alcohol in it which is responsible for making my skin feel dry throughout the day. You will also notice the alcohol scent. As for being waterproof, the 3^rd ingredient and others are insolvable in water but I do not have a way of testing the waterproof claims out.

Compared to the Missha, this one came completely full. Easy and functional packaging. It’s bigger than the others, this is 100ml whilst the others are 50 ml.

Will I recommend? Hmm, I want to say yes but with caution because of the alcohol in it. Definitely not for dry skin and I would recommend a few others before this.

Will I repurchase? Yes but as a very last option and not right away. I will be purchasing a few more SPF’s soon from Yes Style.

I’m conflicted: LOVE the texture and invisibility on dark skin but ethanol as a 2^nd ingredient? The evidence is clear this is not one of the good guys and it causes dryness. I haven’t experienced any irritation or breakouts from this.

I have a hater living on my forehead rent free SMH

If you want to check it out for yourself it’s £9.16 on Yesstyle*.

Check out my SPF for Dark skin edit which links all the SPF’s I recommend for dark skin in one post!

Catch you later

*affiliate link used.

Missha Essence Sun SPF 45 Review

Sunscreen. SPF. Sun protection! Dark skin needs it too! I have tested a lot of sunscreens, see my first sunscreen edit for dark skin here. I have turned my attention to Asian sunscreens since I discovered Yes style and I also heard they are invisible on the skin. I purchased 6 Asians SPF’s so far and this is the first full review I have up! (I have a mini review of the Etude House SPF 50 on my Instagram).

Missha Essence Sun SPF 45 PA +++ is water & sweat resistant and protects against UVA &UVB. It has 6 essences: Aloe, Cucumber, Mulberry Root, Liquorice, Portulaca Oleracea, and Witch Hazel extracts to nourish and hydrate the skin

Experience

This sunscreen is a lightweight white lotion with a light fresh scent. The lotion blends into the skin easily and leaves it feeling smooth and hydrated. I have not experienced any irritation from using it. I have been using it for the month of April and I have now finished the tube so I can do a full review on it. I used it every morning on my face and sometimes on my body. For some reason, I thought essence meant the texture of the product would be very watery but I didn’t realise it was because it was formulated with 6 difference essences. This sunscreen applies better when I pat it onto the skin instead of rubbing it in (its more matte when it’s rubbed into the skin). I realise the demo picture is not great but on the left is where the SPF is pat on, on the right is when it’s been rubbed into the skin. You can see a slight difference in the finish

Is it invisible on black skin? YES! It does look a bit scary on but I let it sit for a few seconds and it becomes invisible. No ash, no grey, no cast! This works very well under makeup too- no flashback! It has a semi dewy finish- not too shiny or matte. It is a high factor sunscreen and the PA rating is the protection grade of UVA (this is what causes the skin to brown)

Verdict

I LOVE this sunscreen. It didn’t start well tbh, I was rubbing it into the skin which made my skin feel very dry and matte. I fell in love with it after I started patting it onto the skin instead. This product is completely invisible on the black skin and it’s very affordable too! Its works well under makeup or alone. My only con is that the tube wasn’t full when it arrived, I took the picture before I started using the product and it looks like it’s only half filled( the box was sealed when it arrived) I think the packaging works very well with the product. I would repurchase (I have 4 more SPFs to go through)

For more details on the PA rating system, check out this article by Paula’s Choice

YesStyle no longer stock MISSHA products but it’s available on Amazon for £3.39 for 50ml

I will be doing an Asian sunscreen edit for dark skin once I finish testing about 4 more products. I am going to get more soon.

Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence serum review

The Beauty Pie challenge may be over but the reviews will keep coming! Today’s post will be a full review of the Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence serum I picked up in the second month of my challenge.

Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence serum is an antioxidant serum with Vitamin C, raspberry stem cells, Thymeluen 4 BG 100 and Echinacea extract to help fight free radicals, soothe and tone skin to maintain optimal health. It also has shea butter for moisture and softening.

Experience

I am an antioxidant fanatic! Ever since I discovered Resveratrol and Ferulic acid from The Ordinary and researching more on antioxidants and their role in skincare, I have never left the house without them. I have been using the Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence serum since I picked it up in February, in the mornings underneath my moisturiser.

The serum itself has a very watery lightweight texture and I have no issues with it sinking into my skin. It adds a bit of hydration and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. I have had no issues with this piling or combining it with other products. I still mix my moisturiser with a few drops of TO Resveratrol and Ferulic acid (the more antioxidants the merrier) and still had no issues with piling. I have not experienced any irritation with the products.

The thing with this serum and some products is that they do not necessarily have a ‘visible effect’ on the skin i.e. whilst I absolutely love this serum I cannot say I have noticed a huge improvement in my skin in terms of radiance or brightness due to the serum. I know it’s protecting my skin because the ingredients are formulated to do so and obviously Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant. Looking at the ingredient list, the ingredients are in a good position meaning there’s enough of the key ingredients for me to experience benefits ( the first 10- 15 ingredients of any product are responsible for the claims of the product) I can say that it’s worked with the other ingredients in my routine to help my skin be more radiant following a bout of hormonal breakouts in March

Verdict

This is an antioxidant serum I absolutely love! I love how easy it is to use and combines with other products in my routine. I wanted a serum I could use in the morning underneath moisturiser but also still use my antioxidant from the ordinary without experiencing piling and this allows me to do that. It is slightly hydrating and leaves the skin glowing but no oily residue. I am almost done with this bottle, oh let’s talk about how lux that bottle is. It’s heavy and feels expensive plus the pump has never let me down! I am already gearing up to get a 2^nd bottle, I think this will be a staple in my routine for a while ( I know they are releasing a Vitamin C serum/lotion soon!).

I would recommend if you want to start using antioxidants in your routine.

Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence serum is £ 9.50 for members on Beauty Pie*

Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Moisture Cream review

This post will be a full review on the AHA BHA PHA Miracle cream by the K beauty brand Some By Mi. The miracle line promises skin repair, moisturising and soothing properties whilst strengthens the skin’s barrier. The line also has added Centella Asiactica and tea tree extract.

Experience

I have been using the cream for a month now, almost every evening and I am just about to finish it (probably have 2 more days’ worth in it) I have the trial size so I have very surprised it has lasted this long.

I wish the concentration of each acid was stated on the product or online however this info is not available. Looking at the ingredient list, Centella Asiactica is 1^st, Niacinamide is 4^th. I can’t see an AHA in the list and the BHA is actually from Willow Bark extract (quite far down the list) but this contains salicylates which has to be convert to salicylic acid. For BHA to be active, it needs to be present at 0.5% to 2% in order to get any real benefits from it however with its position down the list I doubt the conc in the product is enough for any real benefits.

The texture of the cream is very light and it reminds me of a water gel consistency. I love this texture and this is something I do not think I have come across. The cream feels very hydrating on the skin and sinks in easily. I feel my skin is hydrated and left soft and glowy. I have not experienced any irritation from the product and no pilling when layered over serums. In terms of efficacy, whilst I really like the cream, I cannot say I have noticed a massive difference in my skin. In the beginning of March, I suffered hormonal breakouts and texture, the cream didn’t help with that but it did continue to hydrate my skin without exacerbating the issue. There’s also a lot of reviews of it reducing acne etc however for my breakout, it didn’t help to speed up the healing process.

Verdict

Whilst I am disappointed with the efficacy of the cream, I do really like the texture and hydration it provides to my skin. The cream also leaves my skin glowing after use. I am disappointed because I got this mainly for the acid blend and their benefits however I do not think I got any real benefits from those. If you are after an acid based cream for its exfoliating properties I do not think the conc of acids in this cream are enough to cause any ‘real benefits’ if you want a lightweight hydrating cream then I would definitely recommend this cream.

I still rate this as my 2^nd favourite product out of the 4 in the Miracle starter kit. I would buy this again but perhaps not straight away.

I have 3 more products left to review.

Check out my Yes Style Haul to find out the other K beauty brands I picked up! I have been busy using these products and I will currently bring the 1^st round of reviews!

Some by My AHA BHA PHA Miracle Cream is £15.12 on Yes Style*

Catch you later

Nivea UV Face Moisture Mousse SPF 50 Review

As you know, I am very serious about sun care and I am always looking for an affordable SPF that is clear on dark skin. I didn’t like the Inkey List Zinc Moisturiser and I was still waiting for my Yes Style sunscreens so I needed to pick up something in the meantime. I was browsing through Superdrug and came across this Nivea UV Face Moisture Mousse SPF 50. After a quick test patch in store I decided to pick it up (also because it was on offer)

Nivea UV Face Moisture Mousse SPF 50 promises to leave 0% white residue on skin and provide effective UVA/UVB protection. The formula is supposed to be lightweight whilst providing moisture to the skin.

Experience

I use this as the last step in my skincare routine in the AM. I use a fair amount over my face and neck. I have experienced no irritation with this. This is a chemical based sunscreen with active ingredients Homosalate.

The texture is a mousse which feels lightweight on the skin. You have to shake well before each use and it dispenses a good amount fairly easily. I 100% agree that it leaves 0 white residue on my skin. I have layered this on and I get no white cast. I use just a little bit more than the amount in the picture below

The mousse can look and feel a little oily on the skin so I do not think oily skin to extremely oily skin will like this. Infact on the Nivea website, they recommend it for normal skin. I have normal to combination oily skin and I really like this because I personally do not mind my skin looking dewy/shiny. I do not wear makeup to work and I would rather my skin looked dewy/shiny than matte/dry. When I layer this on, I would sometimes blot my tzone to reduce shine. With its oily feeling, I still haven’t experienced it clogging my pores (I double cleanse in the evening)

I usually layer this on top of serum and moisturiser but I also tested it without a moisturiser and it provided enough moisture to last the whole day. That also gave a less shiny look. I think if you have oily skin and wanted to try this you could skip your moisturiser and use this by itself. In the picture, I have used it over a serum only.

Verdict

This is a very good drugstore sunscreen that is 100% clear on dark skin and with high UVA UVB protection. This is my first time using a mousse texture and I must say I really like it. The Nivea UV Face Moisture Mousse SPF 50 is lightweight and suitable for normal skin and I would say even dry skin. Oily skin can experiment with this too but I would say skip your moisturiser. The mousse tends to leave skin a little shiny so if that is something you don’t like then I would say skip this. The only con is the pump can get a bit messy after you use it but that can easily be wiped.

I really like this and I would recommend it. It is affordable and easily accessible.

Nivea UV Face Moisture Mousse SPF 50 is £9 at Boots*

I am working on a sunscreen edit that will summarise all the SPFs that are 100% invisible on dark skin! I am also working on testing Asian sunscreens suitable for dark skin.

The Inkey list Zinc Moisturiser review

The Inkey List is a budget-friendly brand following the same low budget, effective skincare mantra TO started. I haven’t been drawn to the brand as much as I thought I would be but the Zinc Moisturiser caught my eye. The Zinc Moisturiser is actually an SPF 50 sunscreen that promises to be invisible and with no piling. It caught my eye because it’s only £8.99 for SPF 50

Experience

The Zinc moisturiser is a thick creamy formula but doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. I use this as the last step in my AM routine, layered on top of 1 serum and a moisturiser. I experienced no irritation with this product. Unfortunately, I did not get on well with this SPF

The SPF goes on with a slight white cast but after massaging, it disappears. But this takes some ‘work’ to make it disappear whilst it is invisible I feel it leaves my skin looking a bit dull ( just a teeny tiny bit). It doesn’t add any more moisture and I find it leaves my skin slightly matte and feeling dry. This is a cream texture which I am not used to when it comes to sunscreens: I prefer a fluid lightweight lotion because I tend to use a lot of sunscreen and something that hydrates the skin. (I look super tired in the pictures, I was actually recovering from a cold and it was early in the morning lol)

I am also not 100% confident of the amount of protection I was getting because of the amount of SPF they recommend to use. They recommend a pea-sized amount however we know the amount of SPF you use affects the amount of protection you actually get so I was not confident I was getting the full SPF 50 protection. I did use a bit more than recommended but I honestly didn’t like doing that because of the texture. Another con for me was, although this doesn’t pill when initially applied, it pills after it’s dried down and I would get those white tiny balls whenever I touched my face

I took a break from using this product because of the piling I experienced but I decided to try it again as I have now changed my moisturiser. I am now using the Philosophy Purity Ultra-light Moisturiser which is a much lighter texture than my previous DHC collagen all in one gel. What I have found with this texture change is that the Zinc moisturiser doesn’t pill anymore but it still feels very drying on the skin.

Verdict: a very bittersweet experience. On one hand: it is very affordable and it’s a mineral based sunscreen that doesn’t look ashy on my dark skin. On the other hand, depending on what you pair this with it may pill when it has dried down. Some skintypes they may find this drying as I did and I have normal to combination oily skintype. Depending on what texture of sunscreen you prefer, this one is a thick white cream. I would have excused the texture if it wasn’t drying on my skin but I also don’t know if the texture has something to do with this.

Another thing I didn’t like was the recommended amount: pea size amount vs the amount of protection that would provide. The amount of SPF we use has an impact on the amount of protection we get hence a pea-sized amount is not sufficient. This is why reapplication is recommended because it is highly unlikely we are using the right amount for the full protection as labelled. When I tried to use a bit more, it sort of just sat on my face and of course, my face felt drier. Since I don’t wear makeup to work this wasn’t sufficient enough protection and hydration for me so I was actually using my YourGood skin SPF 30 at midday.

At its low price, it won’t hurt to pick it up to test if it would work for you but I have also come across a lot of Asian SPF’s (chemical based) around the same price I prefer. See my insta for all of it but also my YesStyle Haul

If you have used this let me know how it went for you. I am very interested to find out how other people got on with it. I am giving this to a friend who has super oily skin to see if she likes it, I may update this post after she’s tested it for a while

My post on Asian sunscreens is on my Instagram page but a more detailed post will be coming to the blog soon

Catch you later

Beauty Pie Super Retinol Serum and Moisturiser Review

It’s almost the end of my BP 2 month challenge and I have A LOT of things to say! Before I get into the overall brand review (coming next week), I have my full review on the BP Super Retinols I have been using every night since January. I decided to review both of them together as it’s been designed to work together. I am also almost out of them so it’s a good time for reviewing. This will be a long post

BP Super Retinol uses encapsulated retinol which according to them protects it from degradation, increases stability and improves delivery into the skin. They also say it’s been designed to be used for prolonged periods of time and it avoids irritation. The super retinols also have other amazing ingredients like ceramides, vitamin C and shea butter which all work together to improve your skin.

Retinol strengths.

The Super Retinol Ceramide Boost Anti Ageing Face serum has 3% encapsulated retinol which they say is equivalent to 0.09% pure retinol.

The Super Retinol plus Vitamin C Night Renewal Moisturiser has 1% encapsulated retinol which they say is equivalent to 0.03% pure retinol

Experience

I have been using the retinols every night for the last 7 ½ weeks and I think I have just about enough to get me to 8 weeks. I use about 2 to 3 pumps over my face and neck (sometimes chest) and layer the same amount of the moisturiser on top of the serum.

I should start by saying I have experienced no irritation with these retinols

The texture of the serum is a light lotion consistency and it sinks in well and easily. The Moisturiser is a thicker consistency but it isn’t heavy on the skin. It pairs well over the retinol serum and I experience no piling. The moisturiser feels nice on the skin and also feels slightly hydrating although it doesn’t last throughout the night because I realised when I do my PM routine right after I get home from work, around 6pm, by 10pm I would need to use oil so my skin doesn’t look dry. I don’t mind this though and it doesn’t pill under the oil.

I have never used encapsulated retinol or layered two retinols in a routine so although I was nervous, I was expecting great results but I think I got average performance and I will explain why. With layering the two strengths and the added vitamin C and ceramides I was expecting a complete ‘overhaul’ of my skin. The main reason I chose to use the retinols was hyperpigmentation and I feel as though there has not been a difference or improvement in the hyperpigmented areas. In terms of brightening, my skin overall looks brighter but I feel as though I have achieved better brightening with a vitamin C derivative alone (MAP). The biggest improvement I can see is that my skin does look a lot smoother, not that I had a lot of texture before but I can tell the appearance of my skin looks smoother. I did still experience some texture during the time I was using it (texture not caused by the retinols) but the retinol couldn’t ‘shift’ that either.

The super retinols are designed to produce results over time and that is definitely true because I started seeing any improvements after the 4-5 week mark.

Verdict

It’s really a bittersweet experience. I love the textures of these retinols and the fact that I experienced no irritation from them. In terms of performance, I am slightly disappointed that it didn’t have an impact on my hyperpigmentation but my skin does appear smoother.

The biggest question now is: are these worth the price?

The serum and the moisturiser together remind me of Paula’s Choice 1% clinical strength retinol because they have similar ingredients. I have the PC retinol and I must say I really love it, it produces quicker results and I also experience no irritation from that. The texture of the BP serum is also very similar. I would suggest if you are not a BP member and want to try these retinols, I would recommend going for the PC 1% because it will work out much cheaper than buying the BP together or even just 1 of the BP retinol. PC is also a higher conc and you get quicker results.

If you are a BP member these retinols work out to be about £8. The Ordinary, The Inkey List and other budget skincare brands also have retinols around this price. Personally, I have used the Ordinary 2% Granactive Emulsion which I really liked which is also £8. The BP will work out just a little bit more because you are paying a monthly membership fee so that’s something to factor in.

My final verdict is: whilst I love the textures of these I would not repurchase them because I was expecting a lot more from these retinols. They have improved the smoothness of my skin but didn’t have an impact on hyperpigmentation. They are moderate strength and these may be great if you are really nervous about starting with retinols. I do have another super retinol moisturiser I bought by mistake because they look so similar! There were a few times I would go to use the moisturiser but reached for the serum instead because they literally look the same. But I won’t be using that any time soon.

So, guys, this is the final review from the original BP routine I started with in January! The new products I picked up at the start of feb will be briefly reviewed in the brand overview post but I will also bring full reviews of them later in the year. I have reviews on Japanfusion Cleanser & Hydra Prep Lotion. Super Healthy Skin Daily Lotion and Invisible SPF 25. I also have a review on the Triple HA serum.

If you are interested, you can get the serum here* and the moisturiser here*

Catch you later