Skincare Review | Five Serums for any Skin Concern

I thought I’d do a little serum round up today and while some of these are no stranger to the blog, after revisiting recently, I thought they were worth another mention! 

 

The Brightening One - Murad Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum RRP £88 | $119 CAD*

This is definitely one of, if not the best Vitamin C serum I have used! It is a powerhouse antioxidant serum that also contains glycolic acid to exfoliate, meaning the L-ascorbic acid can penetrate more effectively. This makes my skin feel so smooth and helps it look clearer and more brighter and even! L-ascorbic acid is known for being the most effective form of Vitamin C and the serum itself has a light citrus scent, absorbs quickly and stubborn pigmentation fades impressively with consistent use! The serum comes with a dual chamber delivery system giving extra defence to oxidation of the Vitamin C and I haven’t experienced any irritation with the inclusion of the glycolic acid either. This is 100% worth the money and definitely worth a try if you struggle with Vitamin C formulas that feel oily or pill as this does neither! Read my full review here!

 

The Anti-Aging One - Clarins Double Serum RRP £65 | $110 CAD

Such a cult anti-aging serum and I can see why! This recently got reformulated as well so I won’t delve too much into the ingredients etc but this was a beautiful hydrating serum that I tended to use overnight on non-retinol nights. It felt so repairing and firming and it smells incredible too! I’m not exactly sure what the changes are to the formulation but I’m sure it's just as incredible and the new packaging looks so luxe!

 

The Sensitive One - Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective Gel RRP £80 | $102 CAD*

A beautiful, calming formula for sensitive skin, I reached for this all through winter and am sure I will through summer too! It contains hyaluronic acid, botanical extracts such as cucumber, olive and thyme and mulberry to soothe the skin. It feels super hydrating and really helps reduce redness in the skin!

 

The Pro-Repair One - NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3) RRP £70 | $108 CAD

This is probably one of the skincare products I have had In my routine the longest (since 2016) and I always go back to! CAIS3 is a copper peptide, pro-collagen, pro-repair, watery, blue liquid with a slight scent of vinegar that dissipates very quickly! It sinks in quickly and can be used in the morning and evening, but it is recommended to not use with acids, Vitamin C, EUK, or strong antioxidants. Its purpose is to maintain healthy looking skin by targeting signs of skin ageing including textural damage, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance. My skin looks and feels much healthier when I use this consistently. It’s more even, clear and firm, and this is a must have in my routine! Read my full review here!

 

The Exfoliating One - The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA RRP £8.80 | $12.20 CAD

Finally, a gem from The Ordinary! This makes my skin feel much smoother and also doubles up as a body serum for me as it’s so effective on KP on the backs of my arms! It comes in a  5% formulation too but I prefer the 10% and I don’t experience any sensitivity personally (it contains Tasmanian Pepperberry extract to help reduce irritation and sensitivity associated with acids). The Ordinary say this is perfect for dry skin and can be used every day! It’s also the most affordable of the offerings I have today and one of my favourite exfoliating serums!

 

That’s it for my round up of serums for any skin concern – did you see any of your favourites or any you would like to try?

 

If you want to read more about my favourite serums see Three Serums that Make a Difference here and Six Serums Worth Trying here!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Skincare | Six Serums Worth Trying for Bright, Clear, Smooth Skin

I did a similar post to this about three serums I was loving back in 2022 so I thought since all of these are now finished or almost finished, it was time for another! Keep reading if you want to know my top picks for bright, clear and smooth skin! 

 

Starting with a nice all-rounder and the Biotherm Life Plankton Elixir RRP $109 CAD* is a beautiful hydrating and soothing serum that contains glycerin, life plankton and Vitamin C. It is scented (which is something I don’t mind in skincare), and I am obsessed with the smell – it’s so fresh and “blue” and it really adds to the experience for me. This makes my skin feel hydrated and supported and it looks brighter and feels smoother! I notice my fine lines less and I love the packaging too, the dropper has a chrome look, it just feels so luxe! I think this has recently had a slight update to the formula but I’m sure it’s just as good!

 

Sticking with Biotherm and the Blue Retinol Night Serum RRP $103 CAD* contains 0.25% retinol as well as life plankton, glycerin, HA and niacinamide. This worked well to smooth and even my skin tone while targeting fine lines and I used it 2-3 times a week. The formula is creamy and didn’t cause any sensitivity or peeling for me! Both of these were also included in my Best Beauty Discoveries of 2023 post! Read more about Biotherm here!

 

The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair RRP $115 CAD | £65 is a serum that’s easy to see why it gets cult status now I’ve gone through a full bottle! It’s a restorative serum containing peptides and hyaluronic and antioxidants and helps protect against UV damage and repair skin. It’s called night repair but can be used AM or PM though I tend to use it in the evening and I wake up with hydrated, plump and firm skin. Read more here! Already repurchased!

 

My Vitamin C pick is the priciest product here but one that has worked so well for me I had to include it! The Skinceuticals C E Ferulic RRP $208 CAD | £165 GBP* contains 15% pure Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), 1% Vitamin E, and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. It claims to improve signs of aging and photodamage, the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, and the loss of firmness, while brightening skin’s complexion. This worked really well to target my fine lines and leftover marks from spots faded much quicker. It is a beautiful formula that absorbed quickly, helped brighten my skin and kept it looking more even. Marks from any spots that popped up while I was using this faded much quicker and I didn’t notice my nasolabial folds forming a fine line at all which is the first thing I normally do notice when it comes to signs of aging! The bottle lasted me just over three months with daily use which I thought was good but this is definitely pricey! Read more about Skinceuticals Vitamin C range here!

 

While they are best known for their Vitamin C line, Skinceuticals also have a vast range of hyaluronic acid based serums. The Skinceuticals Retexturising Activator RRP $112 CAD* contains 25% Hydroxyethyl Urea, Kombucha as well as glycerin and hyaluronic acid and was gentle to use despite having the resurfacing power of a daily 20% glycolic acid treatment. As well as being hydrating it made my skin feel and look so smooth. I used this daily and my skin looked brighter and my skin barrier felt strong.

 

Lastly, the Pixi Clarity Concentrate RRP $34 CAD | £26* which has been my go-to when I have been experiencing breakouts and it’s been working a treat! It contains glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid as well as probiotics and aloe and really helps to gently exfoliate my skin while still keeping it hydrated and my breakouts have been healing much faster with use! I don’t think this would work miracles if you are experiencing severe acne but for the usual time of the month breakouts, it’s great!

 

Read about some other serums I highly recommend here! Let me know if you have tried any of these and what you thought or your favourite serum!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Skincare Review | K Beauty Favourites #2

 

It’s been ages since my last K Beauty favourites post and I have another bunch of products I’ve been loving so here’s round two! 

 

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner is a light, hydrating and refreshing toner that helps prepare the skin for optimal absorption of products. It contains fermented 100% Korean-produced black rice extracts which have anti-inflammatory and brightening effects as well as beta-glucan which provides hydration and it comes in a huge 300ml bottle which has been taking me ages to get through but I’m not bored of it yet! A simple but effective daily toner! Read more in my toner post here!

 

Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk Toner* is another, you guessed it, lightweight, hydrating and refreshing toner! That is what K beauty is known for so no surprise those will be the words of the day in this blog post! This one contains yam root extract to replenish skin moisture to keep skin supple along with vegan milk complex (derived from oat, rice, coconut and other plant-based ingredients) and lipid water to strengthen the skin barrier. It feels really gentle, has a milky consistency and helps hydrate my skin!

 

Moving onto some essences/serums now and in all honestly, I don’t notice a huge difference in the effects of these three but they all work well and I enjoy using them! They are all unscented, absorb quickly, provide my skin with hydration and support it, and keep it soft and supple! 

 

 

 

The Jumiso Snail Mucin 95 + Peptide Facial Essence* is infused with 95% snail mucin and five kinds of peptides to boost skin elasticity and repair cell damage as well as panthenol and allantoin to sooth and hydrate. It’s got that classic sticky, “snail” texture and again, it’s suitable for sensitive skin. This comes in a huge 140ml bottle so I tend to use this on my chest and decolletage area too! 

 

The Vegreen Nature Mucin Serum* is a non-snail mucin serum containing mucin from wild yam, panthenol, peptides and ceramides. It helps with skin elasticity and moisture as well as protecting and repairing damaged skin. The Vegreen Skin Barrier Reishi Serum* is formulated with 3 types of mushrooms - Reishi to strengthens the skin barrier; Chaga - an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging extract which protects the skin from sun damage; and Tremella Fuciformis Extract which helps enhance skin elasticity, and plump and smooth fine lines. It also contains probiotics which maintain the skin's microbiome to reduce skin sensitivity. 

 

Both Vegreen serums have more watery textures and I will usually take one of them with me when I am packing light and going on a trip as they work so well in both my AM and PM routine (and are in smaller bottles than the Jumiso - the big bottle is all I have left!).

 

K beauty sunscreens are in a league of their own and I can’t recommend the next three products enough if you need a new SPF! They all feel lightweight and absorb quickly into the skin leaving no white cast (I have fair skin for reference!) and sit beautifully under makeup with no pilling! They protect my skin so well and I haven’t got burnt on my face while using them! 

 

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++ is a chemical sunscreen containing niacinamide, rice extract and grain-derived probiotics to help keep skin supple and hydrated.

 

My most recent SPF favourite find and the one I took to Mexico in March with me – the Tocobo Bio Watery Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++. Again, this is a chemical sunscreen containing mung bean extract to soothe irritation, along with bio-hyaluronic acid to boost skin moisture.  

 

Aside from having a cool purple tint that helps to neutralise yellow undertones, the Isntree Purple Protector Onion Newpair Sunscreen SPF40 PA+++* is another chemical sunscreen that contains 5% red onion extract, allantoin and heartleaf extract to hydrate and soothe irritated skin. Read more in my best beauty discoveries of 2023!

 

I generally find K Beauty products very affordable and there are always offers on the likes of Stylevana, StyleKorean and YesStyle (use my code DANIELLESBB5 for up to 5% off)! Don’t forget, you can read my last K Beauty post here!

 

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and what you thought or let me know what K Beauty products I need to try next!

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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Skincare Review | Blue Beauty with Biotherm

 

I’m back today with a one brand review of Biotherm and some products I was sent that I’m either finished or very nearly finished! To give a little history of the brand, it was founded in 1952 and is a division of L’Oréal. Their hero product is life plankton, a microorganism found in the French Pyrenees that contains 35 nutrients to deliver intense regenerating hydration for visibly soothed and soft skin. It is 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable and works to balance, firm, provide antioxidants, smooth and refine the skin. Biotherm’s focus is on hydration and they are committed to using more renewable ingredients, creating more formulas that respect the oceans, developing more sustainable designs and empowering a global community of water lovers.

 

Starting off with the Biotherm Cera Cream to Foam Cleanser RRP $38 CAD* and I’ve always been a bit wary of foaming cleansers so honestly expected this to dry my skin out as it really does lather up more than any other cleanser I have tried before! It’s a vegan formula that is soap free and contains bioceramides, niacinamide and life plankton. It left my skin feeling squeaky clean, hydrated and soft and never felt dry or tight. I also love the scent though I know some people don’t like added scent but this is fresh like the ocean! The packaging is also made from 24% recycled plastic packaging and the formula is 99% biodegradable.

 

The Biotherm Life Plankton Elixir RRP $107 CAD / £69* is a beautiful hydrating and soothing serum that contains glycerin, life plankton and Vitamin C. It’s also scented and I am obsessed with the smell – it’s so fresh and “blue” and it really adds to the experience for me. This makes my skin feel hydrated and supported and it looks brighter and feels smoother! I notice my fine lines less and I love the packaging too, the dropper has a chrome look, it just feels so luxe!  

 

The Biotherm Cera Repair Barrier Cream RRP $65 CAD / £58* was a dream to use! I loved this as my daytime moisturiser as it sat so well under my makeup and kept my skin hydrated all day. That will be thanks to the ceramides as well as the life plankton! The formula felt thick yet sank in straight away and worked overtime on drier patches around my nose, repairing my barrier. My skin felt soft, soothed and well supported and I abandoned all my other day creams for this as I loved it so much! 

 

Moving onto a couple of retinol products now and the Blue Retinol Night Serum RRP $99 CAD / £75* contains 0.25% retinol as well as life plankton, glycerin, HA and niacinamide. This has worked well to smooth and even my skin tone while targeting fine lines and I use it 2-3 times a week. The formula is creamy and doesn’t cause any sensitivity or peeling for me! 

 

Also at night, I loved the Biotherm Blue Pro-Retinol Multi Correct Cream RRP $103 CAD / £72*. It’s a rich overnight cream containing pre-retinol, life plankton and niacinamide that smoothed my skin leaving it plump the next morning and making fine lines less visible. It felt so luxurious and hydrating and I used this on nights I also used the serum as well as nights I didn’t! I’m not sure what percentage retinol this equates to and I can’t find it online but my skin drank it up and I am missing it from my routine now it's finished!

 

Read more about the Life Plankton Elixir, Retinol Night Serum and Pro-Retinol Multi Correct Cream which made it into my Best Skincare Discoveries of 2023! The products are pricey but I have really enjoyed using them and they are regularly on sale (there is a sale on their website right now for Lunar New Year!). 

 

Biotherm products are available to buy from their website and Shoppers Drug Mart in Candada and Look Fantastic in the UK! Have you tried the brand?

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.

See my full disclosure here.

 

Danielle xx

 

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