trudiannracquel

Tag: skincare

  • Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil

    Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil

    Hello! Welcome back to another two-minute review!

    Today’s post features the Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil. The Sephora website says it works well to help firmness and dryness, and it claims to work on all skin types. I have a free sample that is 0.15 ounces. However, it was pretty expensive. The 0.5-ounce mini is $52. Now I’m convinced that all oils are WAY too expensive, but I guess it’s because you’re not using as much in your routine, and companies need to make money. It’s also clean and vegan so if you’re into that, there you go.

    It has lasted about 2-3 weeks since I only use it nightly. I use it to top off my moisturizer and seal it in. Just a reminder that I have combination skin (half oily and half dry/normal), so it may not reveal its benefits to me completely. Because of its ingredients, it helps to keep my skin tone even. It is lightweight, so I can imagine it being a good base for your foundation should you choose to wear any. It doesn’t have a smell (to me) initially, but since I sometimes confuse the order of my nighttime skincare, my tea tree oil gets into it. I use tea tree oil on my dark marks specifically, usually after I’ve sealed in my moisturizers for the night.

    Overall, I’d give this oil a 3/5. It’s a little expensive for me to purchase a full size right now, but I think it helped to keep my skin moisture balanced throughout the night. It also didn’t burn or break me out and works well with my standard skincare items, so that’s a bonus if you spend $50 on an oil…

    If you have any nighttime oil recommendations, let me know in a comment below!

    Have a beautiful day 🙂

  • Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen

    Good morning everyone!

    Today’s two-minute review centres the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen.

    As a person of colour, my first concern is, say it with me, white cast. Since I started taking skincare seriously and understanding the importance of sunscreen daily, that was my first point of contention. Even though my skin tone is not the darkest, I am by no means light-skinned. This means that, if there’s even a possibility of a white cast, I’m looking ashy. Thankfully, this sunscreen does NOT disappoint in this category.

    As you can see, I use the mini size and this lasts me around 3 months even when I use it daily. It is 0.67 ounces for $30 and compared to yesterday’s post about the TULA moisturizer, I’d say that’s a bargain. Also, remember that you’re not using it day and night and that you don’t need the same amount as a moisturizer.

    It’s won an Allure award, it’s oil-free and is 100% worth it to me. When you apply it, it smooths your skin. I’m assuming that this would help your foundation or concealer go on more smoothly as well. For my combination and acne-prone skin, it doesn’t cause me to break out. I think because I’ve incorporated it daily into my skincare it has significantly helped my dark marks from acne disappear.

    It also says it’s SPF 40 (which is a minimum), water resistant for 40 minutes (I haven’t been near a body of water since 2019, so I would not know) and is certified clean at Sephora. So if you have sensitive skin, this would probably be a winner for you. My niece also says it smells like sunscreen, but she’s 11 and my palm was smushed into her face when she said this. I don’t think it smells like anything.

    Overall, this gets a 5/5. This is my second bottle of the mini size and I will definitely re-purchase. I would like to try the Glowscreen however, so maybe this summer that review will be linked here. If you have tried either the Unseen or the Glowscreen, let me know in a comment!

  • Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream

    This is one of two eye creams I’ve ever used. I have been using it religiously since the beginning of October. As of writing this blog post on the last day of February I have just started to see the bottom of the container.

    The Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream also has vitamin C, which, if you’ve read my previous blog post about the Sephora Vitamin C Serum, you know I credit Vitamin C to helping fade my dark acne marks. It also contains collagen, which according to this article is suitable for maintaining elasticity. At 0.5 ounces, it’s probably the most expensive part of my morning skincare. It costs $56, but I guess it’s worth it if you only purchase it two or three times per year.

    It doesn’t have a smell. And the texture is like Jergens Lotion (which is a weird comparison). It’s not thick and it spreads super easily. Immediately after applying, it leaves my under eyes illuminated and moisturized. And if I tap under my eyes after about 30 minutes, it feels very soft and smooth. I haven’t paid attention to its behaviour under concealer because I haven’t worn concealer in months.

    According to the Sephora website, it’s good for anti-aging (I’m 30, but I’m also Black, so…), dryness, dark circles and dullness/uneven texture.

    As you saw in the video, I applied it with my index finger and rubbed it with my ring finger. I heard that this was the most gentle pressure you can apply, and the skin under your eyes is very sensitive to pressure. I also bring it above my eyelids and to my brow bone. According to this random skincare post, I made a mistake by applying it to my eyelids.

    If you want to check out a post that’s supposed to be dermatologist-approved on how to correctly apply eye cream, check this out.

    Overall, I give this a 2.5/5. It’s expensive, and there are probably other ones that will give me the same results (or even) better for cheaper. I’ve seen countless ones on the Sephora website, at the drugstore and even in Walmart. I will probably try another one when this is done. If you have any recommendations, let me know in a comment!

  • SEPHORA Glow Serum: Glow + Strengthen Vitamin C Serum

    This serum has been a skincare staple since I discovered it last year. It has helped to lighten the dark marks on my cheeks, and I have been struggling with those for several years. I used to have acne all along my jawline and anything with Vitamin C has helped tremendously.

    The SEPHORA Vitamin C Serum costs $ 27 CAD for 1 ounce and as you can see in the demo below, you don’t need much to cover your entire face. A little goes a long way. I use about three drops each morning for my entire face and it’s an excellent base for any moisturizers you layer on top. It’s one of the more affordable options for skincare on the Sephora site.

    According to the website, it’s great for dryness, which I can confirm since the lower half of my face is dry. It also contains Vitamin E and claims to help increase radiance and even skin tone. Suitable for all skin types, it boasts a vegan and clean tag on Sephora, an added bonus if you have sensitive skin. It has no weird smells and leaves your skin slightly sticky (which I believe is what most serums do). I use it after face wash but before any moisturizers.

    Overall, I give it a 5/5. Affordable and efficient. If you have any other vitamin c serums that you use religiously that’s helped darkness, let me know in a comment below.