Tag: skincare

Vitamin C Serums

I love Vitamin C! The star ingredient is everywhere and does almost everything. It brightens, protects, tackles uneven skintone etc etc

Ideally you want your vitamin c product to be between 8 to 20% for effectiveness. Anything higher will risk irritation although effective but anything lower will produce unimpressive results if any

Pure Vitamin C, Ascorbic acid is what you want however it is very unstable and there are many derivatives of vitamin c available that are more stable and equally as effective

Note- it is important to reduce exposure to light and air with Vitamin C as it can make it oxidise quicker. When your vitamin C goes darker or turns brown- it is a sign of oxidation- it is no longer effective and should be thrown out! For this reason, I do not like to store Vitamin C serums for too long and I never buy backups for this reason.

This is a really basic overview of Vitamin C, for more information visit Paula’s Choice, The Ordinary

Now for the fun part, PRODUCTS

I’ve tried many vitamin c serums, these are my all-time favourites. I tend to use mine in the AM for extra protection in addition to sunscreen. I will frequently update this list as I try new Vitamin C serums:

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright

Timeless Vitamin C

The Inkey List Vitamin C (this is high content 30% Vitamin C so I do not recommend for sensitive skin or beginners. I always mixed mine with Q10 serum also from the brand)

Indeed Labs Vitamin C24

Beauty Pie Double Vitamin C & E capsules

Beauty Pie Superdose C

Peter Thomas Roth Potent C

Medik8 Super C30

The Ordinary MAP- currently out of stock L

Roc Revive & Glow Capsules

Hyperpigmentation Products

Hyperpigmentation is the bane of my existence! My skin is SO prone to it too, the tiniest spot will leave a dark spot that will take weeks or months to fade. It is the reason why I am always shouting about sunscreen lol because it’s one of the ways to protect and prevent it from getting worst.

I’ve tried a TON of products for hyperpigmentation and I have learnt whilst it’s important to fade the dark spots, it’s more important to prevent them from happening (triggers that are in my control) and skin barrier health is also important.

I do want to start getting clinic treatments soon but for now, I’m happy with treating it at home

A word- hyperpigmentation is difficult to treat so please do not get frustrated if it seems nothing is working. Almost everything is a trigger: heat, sun, acne, inflammation etc, so be patient!

Key to hyperpigmentation is sunscreen! Finding your triggers and prevention (this is above my pay grade lol please go to a professional) but I can share products/ingredients I have used that have helped mine

I have a separate list for sunscreens- view this here

This will be a growing list so keep checking for more

Paula’s Choice Treatment serum

The Body Shop Brightening Drops

Roc Revive & Glow Capsules

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective

Medki8 Crystal Retinal 10 (I found 20 to be more effective but this is on professional advice only & in clinic. You also have to build tolerance to it! Please don’t start on retinal 10 if you have never used retinol before)

Good Molecules Discoloration serum

Good Molecules Daily brightening serum

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin

Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Serum

All about Moisturisers: Lock in Moisture!

Do you use a moisturiser in your routine? I love a good moisturiser to lock in all the hydration I have layered on but I have also gone many times without it.

The key to getting a good moisturiser to getting one that works for your skin type: too heavy and it will feel oily and too light and your skin feels parched.

I have normal to combo skin so this allows me to try a lot of different textures, here are a few of my favourites, I will frequently update this list so keep coming back for more

Note: I haven’t included SPF moisturisers! Check out my Dark Skin sunscreens here

Nivea Q10 Night Cream

Clinique Dramatically different lotion

First aid beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Superdrug Vitamin E night cream

L’Oreal Hydra Genius Aloe Water Moisturiser

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Moisturiser

Evening routine with Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Collection

Hi everyone, I hope all is well and making use of the bout of sunshine we are having in the UK at the moment.

Today’s post will be my full evening routine featuring the new Anti-Dark Spot collection from Nivea (gifted).  For full details on the collection & claims, read my previous post here

My evening routine is easy and straight forward:

I start with cleansing with – Roc Skincare Vitamin c cleanser (gifted) (I do a double cleanse if I’m wearing a lot of sunscreen/makeup) then its layering my serums. I’ve started using the Boots Polyglutamic serum which I am really loving so far and pleasantly surprised with. Then it’s my trusted Lancôme Advanced Genifique serum then the Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Serum, I have listed these in order of application. I finish off with Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Even Tone Night cream.  My skin has been feeling a little dry lately so I have been using the Clinique 72hr Moisture surge OR Sleep mask right before I sleep for extra hydration. I also intermittently use the Estee Lauder ANR Ampoules which I absolutely adore.

Then voila, that’s it

This has been my routine for the last 2 weeks and the Nivea products were very easy to add to my routine. I will bring a full review on the products after 4-6 weeks!

See you later!

Some affiliate links used

Check out my morning routine here

Morning routine with Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Collection

Hi everyone,

Today’s post will be my current morning routine with the new Nivea Luminous 630 products. Check out my previous post for introduction to the new collection.

This has been my routine for the last week and half, and the products were super easy to add to my existing routine.

My AM routine is super quick and easy to do. After cleansing with – Roc Skincare Vitamin c cleanser (gifted ), I go in with the Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark circle Eye cream,  I then pat gently pat on my serums in: Inkey List Q10, Ole Henriksen Banana Bright and the Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Serum, I have listed these in order of application. The Nivea serum has a powdery smell and feels great on the skin. It doesn’t pill (my full review will come after 4 weeks of use)

Next is the most important part- sunscreen! I work from home however I sit close to a window so I make sure to apply (and reapply) sunscreen daily. I switch between the Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot SPF50 OR Supergoop SPF50. The Nivea SPF has a matte finish, at the moment my skin needs more moisture hence why I reach for the Supergoop sunscreen which I absolutely adore.

That’s it! After this I just go about my day until it’s time to take it all off (current evening routine coming soon)

My quick and easy routine feature the brand new Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Spot collection. My full review on the collection will be after 4 weeks when I have had enough time to test it

See you soon.

Some Affiliate links used

New Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Collection

Hello everyone

I hope all is well. Today’s post will be on the new Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Collection that promises a lot! Read all about it and details on my new challenge

The new Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Dark Spot Collection features Nivea’s patented luminous 630 complex that promises visible results in 4 weeks. The complex works by lightening old dark spots and prevents new dark spots from forming. It also promises

-Visible results in dark spots in 4 weeks

-50% reduction in dark spots in 8 weeks

The collection features 5 main products:

-an SPF50 day moisturiser

-treatment serum

-Eye treatment cream

-Evening moisturiser

-Handcream

About my skin

I am very excited to test these products out. I will be testing everything except the hand cream for now.

I have normal to combination oily skin which is prone to hyperpigmentation. I get breakouts occasionally and no matter what I do, it leaves a dark spot which sometimes take months to treat. I mainly get spots on my cheeks, so this is where my pigmentation issues are concentrated.

In my next post, I will share my full routine using the products, it’s been a week so far and I have had no issues

For more information on the whole routine, check out Nivea’s website

La Roche Posay Anthelios Shaka SPF50 Review

If you’ve been using sunscreens for a while, I’m pretty confident you would have heard of the La Roche Posay Shaka fluid and probably even tried it. La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF50+ Shaka fluid is one of the best mid-range SPFs in the market. Its broad-spectrum, high PA rating and has antioxidant protection.

Experience

This would be my 2nd tube of the Shaka Fluid SPF. The texture is very fluid and it feels light on the skin. It has a sunscreen scent but no more than the others I have tried. Shaka fluid has a semi matte finish and it’s non-perfumed.

For me, I’m not the biggest fan of this SPF. Its 100% invisible on dark skin but I find it takes a while to fully dry on my skin. Because of the finish, I prefer to use this in the spring/summer when my skin is oiler. Also because of the ball inside it, it makes it slightly harder to get the last bits of the sunscreen out. Sometimes it pills

Watch my demo of this product in my insta reels below:

Verdict

I would still recommend the sunscreen. If you prefer a semi matte finish this is a good one. It also has high PA rating and a high SPF.  It doesn’t feel greasy on the skin. It’s mid-range priced at £18 but it does go on sale often on LookFantastic. Shaka fluid also has a tinted version so you may prefer that (the tinted version may not invisible on dark skin). The Anthelios range in general have some good sunscreen products

La Roche Posay Anthelios Shaka SPF50 is £18 on LookFantastic

*affiliate link

Catch you later!

Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50 Review

Hello everyone, it’s been a while but I have a new sunscreen review for you!

Today we are talking about the Supergoop Play SPF50 Everyday Lotion. This is a chemical based suncream.



Experience

The first thing I look for in an SPF is invisibility on dark skin and this one is completely invisible on dark skin! The lotion is lightweight, feels good and comfortable on the skin and doesn’t sting my eyes. The finish is non greasy and doesn’t pill on the skin

It feels moisturising on and has a dewy finish. I can’t recommend this enough.

See the demo of this suncream on my Instagram below



Verdict- I’ve been wanting to try Supergoop’s range of SPFs for a while so I am very happy to finally try it and love it! They have a few different ones so I will be happy to try them all later!

Supergoop SPF is available on CultBeauty

RoC MULTI CORREXION® Revive + Glow Night Serum Capsules Review

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. 

Today’s post will be a full review on the RoC serum capsules I received in January. The MULTI CORREXION® Revive + Glow Night Serum Capsules has 20% pure vitamin C and promises to reduce dark spots in 4 weeks! It also promises to reduce discoloration & lines and resurface the skin overnight.

Experience

I used this at the serum step in my PM routine. It took a little over 4 weeks because I took some breaks. I started to use this with a BHA serum however by day 5 this combo left me with some texture so I took a 2 day break. I then switched to a mandelic acid serum and I didn’t experience and issues with that. My PM routine was as follows:

B Creamy Foam cleanser> Tears of my enemies HA mist (gifted > The Ordinary mandelic acid serum > Revive+Glow capsules> Lancome Genifique serum > Cervave moisturing cream or Clinique Moisture Surge Auto Hydrator

This routine worked really well and the products paired well together. The serum has a silicone base so has that texture and feel to it (similar to a primer), surprisingly this didn’t cause any pilling with other products. It did sting the 1st few days of using it however for a high vitamin c that is not surprising. The stinging stopped after day 3 or 4. (If you are new to Vitamin C, I would recommend starting slow, 1x a week, then 3x a week till your skin can build tolerance)

2 weeks into my test, I got a new spot on new cheek which you can see in my picture, the 2nd dark spot next to the original one. This wasn’t caused by the serum, that spot that been festering under the skin for a while and decided to show up then! I tend to get spots in the same area and no matter what I do, I always get hyperpigmentation afterwards 😦

Verdict

Here are side by side pics. I think the serum did really help with reducing some of the dark spots I have on my cheeks. I am also really impressed with it reducing the new dark spot in a little over 2 weeks. Overall, my skin looks radiant and feels smooth.

I did enjoy using the MULTI CORREXION® Revive + Glow Night Serum Capsules. It did reduce my discoloration and improve overall skin radiance. I will recommend this. These will also be great for travelling!

I was gifted this product but my opinions and reviews are my own. Always remember to use SPF in the AM.

RoC MULTI CORREXION® Revive + Glow Night Serum Capsules are £35.99 on Lookfantastic (currently on sale!)

Garnier Super UV Anti Dark Spots and Anti-Pollution SPF 50 Review

Hi everyone

I hope all is well.  Last year, I wanted to look for more affordable sunscreens, sunscreens under £10 so that everyone could have protection without spending a lot of money! One I found is the Garnier Super UV Anti Dark Spots and Anti-Pollution SPF 50+.

Garnier Super UV Anti Dark Spots and Anti-Pollution SPF 50+ is a chemical based sunscreen that has broad-spectrum protection and a PA rating of 3. The SPF also has hyaluronic acid.

Experience

The SPF has a very light fluid texture just like I like it. Its feels very lightweight on the skin and the added HA means its hydrating. The finish is a semi glowing finish, no greasy feel and sinks into the skin very easily. Shake well before use

It does have a sunscreen/chemical scent but no more than other SPFs I have tried.

See how it looks on my skin on my Insta reel below:

Verdict

The SPF is 100% invisible on dark skin! I love this so much. It’s lightweight, hydrating and invisible. It doesn’t pill on me. It reminds me a lot of the La Roche Posay Shaka Fluid which I also love but this is more hydrating in my opinion.

For only £8 this is an excellent sunscreen. I think it will be great for most skintypes (not sure about sensitive skin)

Garnier Super UV Anti Dark Spots and Anti-Pollution SPF 50+ is £8 in Boots*

See you later

*affiliate link