Tag: sunday riley

Sunday Riley Blue Moon Review

Ever since the GlossyBox X Sunday Riley box, I have fallen in love with Sunday Riley as a brand. I have tried a few of the products, mostly the best sellers and I have loved most of them. Today’s post will be a full review on Blue Moon which is a cleansing balm and one of their best sellers

Blue moon balm promises a skin soothing nourishing balm to milk texture that is gentle on the skin and effective against makeup and grime. It promises a rinse clean formula, leaving the skin feeling clean and calm

Experience

I got this from the GlossyBox last year and have only come round to using it. The texture of Blue moon is definitely soft but it also have ‘grit’ which is surprising because there is no mention of this in the description of the product.

The unexpected grit made my experience with this negative. I found the grit doesn’t easily dissolve on the skin, even when massaging: it takes a while to fully melt into oil. I didn’t like using around my eye area and especially if I had mascara on because that meant rubbing my eyes with it. To be clear, the ‘grit’ isn’t harsh, it doesn’t scratch the skin but it’s something you will feel whilst massaging the balm over the face. I also felt like it wasn’t as effective against mascara but it does an ok job with makeup and grime. It also doesn’t pair too well with my Primark makeup remover cloth. The instruction from SR is to ‘wipe away with a damp cloth’ but because of the ‘grit’, I just get tiny white balls on my face which is slightly annoying to remove. It doesn’t rinse clean for me and I can definitely feel some residue on my skin afterwards.

 

Verdict

I used Blue moon for a week as a first cleanse before deciding to switch to something else because I was not enjoying the experience. I do not like the grit and they should really say this in the description of the product. Performance-wise its ok but I have definitely used better cleansing balms (Farmacy Green Clean comes to mind). I am disappointed with this because I waited so long to use it plus I am really into cleansing balms now. I stopped using it for a while then dipped into it once or twice to ensure I wasn’t overreacting (lol) and I wasn’t. I have tried to repurpose this as a body scrub but it’s not gritty enough for that. I’m not sure what to do with it now: I really don’t want to throw it out but I simply do not like it on my face. I will try it out as a face scrub and if that doesn’t work out lol I’m afraid I will have to chuck it lol.

Sunday Riley Blue Moon is £46 on Cult Beauty

Let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

Popular Products that did not work for me

 

Hey, guys, I hope all is well. I wanted to do this post because I am sure that, along with other beauty enthusiasts, I have tried a few popular products I just found to be mediocre. I love trying and discovering new products and brands but there are some popular products I have tried that just didn’t do it for me. In this post, I will be dishing on the hyped products that were just meeh for me

Sunday Riley Blue Moon Cleansing Balm

SR is so raved about in the beauty community and it’s been a brand on my radar for a while. Last year the GlossyBox limited edition made it possible to finally try the brand and tbh I was hooked on a few items. One of the best-selling products is the blue moon cleansing balm which also came in the box and it made me very happy.

I started using this last month and honestly after a week I was ready to throw it out! It has ‘grit’ which for a cleansing balm I found weird plus it doesn’t even dissolve easily. I also found the cleansing power of it mediocre. I was very disappointed so I stopped using it after a week! I have tried to use it again a few times but every time the balm touches my face I remember why I do not like it lol.

Charlotte Tilbury Dry Sheet Mask

So this mask was interesting in so many ways. A sheet mask that was dry and could be used up to 3 times? Yes. The first time I used it I was so impressed however most of the luminosity it promised was because of shimmer/glitter. The 2nd and 3rd time nada! Nothing happened and I felt like it may as well have been a one-time use mask.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Concealer

CT is one of those people who can really sell their stuff. I bought this concealer because of the claims and I was so excited to try it. After going back and forth between shades I decided on shade 9. The concealer is simply ok, it’s unimpressive. The undertone is crap: it’s very pink, infact I have noticed most of her undertones are pinkish. The coverage is medium but buildable.

Bobbi Brown Instant Full coverage Concealer

I bought this after our BBT x Bobbi Brown masterclass. It may just be that I got a bad product because when I first swatched it at the event, it was creamy with full coverage. I then purchased it a few days later and what I got was a dry concealer which was difficult to spread and not creamy at all. I tried to contact BB afterwards but got nowhere. The concealer is so dried up it’s not useable: so that’s £23 pounds down the drain.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip – new formula

I finally tried the cult favourite, ceramic slip from SR this year. I fell in love with the old formula from 1st use, it cleansed and brightened the skin. Whilst I was still waiting to use it, SR came out with a new formula so when I finished the old one, I purchased the new one to try. I do not like the new formula at all! The texture has changed and I feel as though it doesn’t have the same deep cleansing power as the former. They have also taken out the vitamin C in the new formula so I find that it’s not as brightening. It’s a shame because the old formula was perfect, I’m not sure why the formula changed but I won’t be getting it anymore!

That’s all folks! Skincare is really subjective, a lot of products may be perfect for one person but as soon as it touches your face, it becomes your worst nightmare. For luxury products, I always try to get a deluxe travel or sample to test out first, before splurging on the full price, where that is not possible, I always wait for a good sale/offer before purchasing that way I have saved some money so if I don’t like it then at least I didn’t buy it full price.

My advice for you if you have a product you don’t like: never throw it away( unless you are allergic to it etc), repurpose for your body, I can’t tell you how many face creams I have used as hand/body creams instead because I didn’t like the texture/scent OR how many face washes are brush cleansers!

See you soon!

Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C Rapid Flash Brightening Serum Review

Sunday Riley is here in the UK!  I have been very interested in Sunday Riley but since it’s a luxury brand, it comes with luxury prices so I have been hesitant to try it. I was finally able to purchase some of their stuff because I discovered the Flash Kit on Beautylish and through the GlossyBox X Sunday Riley Limited Edition. Anyway let’s get into this review

The CEO Vitamin C Rapid Flash Brightening Serum is a vitamin C serum that tackles uneven skin tone, dull skin and the 5 visible signs of ageing: dullness, sensitivity, wrinkles, brightens, luminosity and radiance.

Experience

I have been loving Vitamin C this year! So far MAP from the Ordinary has been my go to and that is the standard to which I have been measuring Vitamin C’s too. I was happy to receive this in the Sunday Riley box because it contains 15% THD Ascorbate. A stable form of vitamin C that is fat soluble. I was looking forward to trying a different form of Vitamin C at a higher concentration.

The CEO serum is a lightweight lotion serum with a pleasant orange scent. It is easily absorbed into the skin and adds a touch of instant radiance. I experienced no irritation with the serum. Unfortunately, I did not experience any benefits from the CEO serum which was disappointing.

The deluxe mini size 8ml lasted a little close to 1 week. I used 2-3 pumps a day twice a day. It pairs well with other creams and serums and I experienced no piling. I found the serum unremarkable, unlike MAP, I experienced no hydration from this and my skin didn’t show any brightening effects. I was impressed by MAP from the first use however with the CEO serum even after using it twice a day for that long, I wasn’t impressed.

Verdict

Unfortunately, this is a miss for me. I didn’t experience any benefits other than instant brightness after first application but that’s about it. It was disappointing as I love Vitamin C but this isn’t for me. I don’t know if longer use would change my mind but I am not interested in purchasing the full size. I will stick to MAP.

The CEO deluxe size is not available in the UK as a standalone but it can be purchased in a gift set like the Face to Face kit for £35 on Space NK. In it, you get 3 other mini sizes.

Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C Rapid Flash Brightening Serum is £70 for the full-size 30ml bottle on Space NK

Sunday Riley has been in hot water after admitting they have a lot of fake reviews on their website. Personally, I didn’t like this serum but I love their Good Genes Lactic Acid serum. My full review of that is here

Catch you later

Sunday Riley Good Genes Review

Sunday Riley is here in the UK! This cult US brand has a lot of classics and their Good Genes serum undeniably one of them! I have been very interested in Sunday Riley but since it’s a luxury brand, it comes with luxury prices so I have been hesitant to try it. I was finally able to purchase some of their stuff because I discovered the Flash Kit on Beautylish and through the GlossyBox X Sunday Riley Limited Edition. Anyway let’s get into this review

Good Genes is essentially a lactic acid treatment (7%) enriched with liquorice root and lemongrass. They promise healthier, smoother skin, exfoliation and tackling hyperpigmentation fine lines and wrinkles.

Experience

So I have to say, my first ever experience with lactic acid was a fail. I tried the Lactic acid 5% serum from the Ordinary and I hated the scent! Since then I have been put off but when I saw the Flash Kit I decided to give it another try. I am happy to report Good Genes has a pleasant scent! I also experienced no irritation or stinging with the serum.

This is a lotion textured serum and easily sinks into the skin. I used it after my Pixi glow tonic and used MAP afterwards. This serum is amazing! It gives instant radiance and leaves my skin so plump and smooth. It also hydrates. It left my skin looking healthier and more radiant over the days I was using it. I have the deluxe mini size (8ml) and used 2-3 pumps over my face and neck. It lasted just a little over a week. I didn’t see any difference in hyperpigmentation but also wasn’t expecting to see that in a week of using the serum

It’s worth noticing you cannot purchase Good Genes Lactic Acid serum here in the UK, they have reformulated this to a Glycolic acid treatment 10% for the UK market. Caroline Hirons has an in-depth video on this. It’s something to do with EU laws on acids.

Verdict

I can understand the hype regarding this product and why it is loved. It’s almost making me reconsider lactic acids and I want to give the 10% serum from the Ordinary a chance. It plumped, brightened and hydrated in the week I was using it and I have no doubts if I used it longer it would tackle my hyperpigmentation.

In terms of the full-size price, whilst this is a good serum I still think it’s very overpriced. $105 for 30ml? I have no interest in the Good Genes Glycolic acid treatment (I love Glycolic acid but I prefer it as a toner but if it comes in a set I may try it) so I may just repurchase the Flash kit to get the lactic acid treatment. If you want the lactic acid version you would have to order it online.

Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid treatment is available in the US and via Beautylish to the UK

Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment is available in the UK

Sunday Riley has been in hot water after admitting they have a lot of fake reviews on their website. Personally, I love this serum but there is another serum I have from them which I absolutely did not like! A full review on that will be up soon!

Glossy Box X Sunday Riley Limited Edition Review

Storytime!

I took the plunge and finally decided to try Sunday Riley, the cult US brand famed for their Good Genes serum! It is a luxury brand (aka high prices) so I have been hesitant until I saw the Flash kit on Beautylish which I wasted no time to purchase. For $28 (£21) you get 8ml of Good Genes and the Ceramic Slip Cleanser 30ml ( another popular product). I fell in love with Good Genes and around the same time Glossy Box announced their Sunday Riley limited box so guess what Sarah did?! I purchased a subscription box to get a £5 discount and priority access! Read my thoughts on their September box here

Anyway

Long story short, I got my hands on the box and it’s here! The box was £30 for non-subscribers and £25 for subscribers.

Contents

 

Blue Moon Cleansing Balm full size, worth £46

CEO Protect + Repair Moisturiser deluxe mini size 8ml, £12

CEO Brightening Serum deluxe mini size 15ml, £12

Luna Sleeping Oil deluxe mini size 4ml, worth £15

Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water cream deluxe mini size 8ml, £20

Total- £105

Thoughts

I think the box gives you a good introduction to Sunday Riley, it has everything for a full day & night routine. Blue Moon, Tidal and Luna are some of her most popular items so again you are getting some of her cult products.

I must admit I am slightly disappointed with the number of minis in the box. With only 1 full-size product and 4 minis, it was a bit of an anti-climax. I know both Tidal and the CEO moisturiser come in 14 ml sizes, it would have been nicer to receive one of these plus 3 minis instead of 1 full size and 4 minis.

On the other hand, you can’t get these mini sizes here in the UK (you can get the 14ml TIDAL here but the 14ml CEO moisturiser is available only on Beautylish (I haven’t seen it here yet)

Verdict

In addition to my Flash Kit, I now have a good range of Sunday Riley products, enough for a brand review? I love the full-size cleansing balm, I haven’t used it yet but I am loving cleansing balms this year so I am really looking forward to using it. I have a few trips this month so the mini sizes will definitely come in handy and they will be a very good addition to my travel skincare collection.

The box is absolutely worth it! I was slightly disappointed with only 1 full-size product but it’s still a very good box in my opinion and good value for money.

Did you get the box?!

Get ready: Beauty Advent Calendars are COMING!