So….I’ve been shopping. This is a new world that we are living in. Being on lock down in one of the hardest hit cities globally is challenging. Unable to go into stores, I have been indulging in online retail therapy! There have been a lot of sales on beauty products, clothes etc as businesses are trying to get rid of excess inventory and to make up for lost foot traffic. So here’s my quarantine beauty haul (maybe the first of more).
I picked up some items from some of my favourite places like Sephora and Make Up For Ever. Video and pictures below. Let me know you want to see a tutorial or review on any of these products.
Let me know if you have bought any beauty goodies!
Laters!
If you liked this post, make sure you sign up for my email newsletter by clicking HERE! Get the latest curated makeup, haircare & skincare news and see what beauty products that I loving at the moment!
FTC Disclosure: Products were purchased by me, Noire Tropical Beauty. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I have not been compensated for this review. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
I am continuing my quest for finding the best chemical sunscreens for dark skin. Today I am reviewing the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++. I have heard a lot about this brand and they have carved out a specific space in skincare/beauty, where they consider themselves as sunscreen experts and they focus on making high quality, luxe sunscreen products. They have a myriad of offerings – mineral and chemical sunscreens, powders, creams/gels, stick, spray, face, body and baby. As you all know, wearing sunscreen is very important even if you have darker skin. I found this product at Sephora after browsing all of the different formulas. It is broad spectrum so it protects against UVA and UVB radiation. Unseen has a cult following and has even won an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2018. Honestly, what attracted me to this product, was the name – Unseen. Yes, even in 2019, there are lots of sunscreens that I cannot wear (mostly mineral sunscreens) that still leave an ashy/white cast on my skin. I picked up a sample from Sephora and tried it out for a week before I bought it, to make sure that I was not allergic to it.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is described as a broad spectrum, invisible, gripping primer for face that you can wear under makeup or alone. It’s a chemical sunscreen in an SPF 40, PA+++ with four commonly used sun filters. It is interesting that the PA rating is listed as it is not usually seen on sunscreens in the US but very common on sunscreens in Asia. SPF gives you an indication of how well it protects against UVB radiation and PA rating (which goes from 2+ to 4+) gives an indication of protection against UVA radiation.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Other Details
Suitable for all skin types – dry, oily, normal and combination
Oil Free
Scentless and weightless
Vegan, gluten and cruelty free
Paraben-free, oxybenzone free
Part of the ‘Clean At Sephora’ programme
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Benefits
Meadowfoam Seed Complex – helps with hydration of the skin resulting in a more balanced skin texture
Red Algae – helps absorbs the blue light from our electronic devices, which may help contribute to aging of the skin
Frankincense – helps to soothe the skin
Antioxidant rich – helps protects against free radicals that can form in the presence of UV light. This helps amplify the effect of the sunscreen.
Water resistant for 40 minutes
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – Thoughts and Conclusions
This is really invisible as you can see.
I barely need to rub it into my skin and it melts and completely disappears. It is very lightweight and it has a very smooth texture (it does contain silicones). It leaves a soft matte or velvet finish and I did not feel sticky, heavy or occlusive in very hot, humid weather. I would not say that it mattifies the skin but it does not add sheen to the skin. I have dry skin and I always use a moisturizer underneath and this is my last skincare step. If you have very oily skin or want a lot of blurring of the skin, I would be very careful in adding too many additional layers, especially in warmer, humid weather. Using something like a mattifying lotion before applying Unseen. If you must use another primer, use it very sparingly only in the areas most needed and after you have applied Unseen. Remember the goal is to protect the skin first.
This is literally the fastest year that I could remember. I cannot believe that it is already Thanksgiving. 2018 is pretty much done and here’s a round up of the all the beauty Black Friday deals. I am also including Cyber Monday deals as well. Check back often as I will be updating as I get more information. Let me know what you are excited to buy!
Oh by the way, black owned or woman of colour owned brands will be marked with an asterisk (*).
And while you are shopping, check out Ebates and Honey (These are affiliate links, not sponsored)
*Lauren Napier Beauty – Friday 23rd Nov; Time: Black Friday only; Discount: 2 for $25; Code: No code needed
Glossier – Now – Monday 26th Nov; Time: 11:59pm PST; Discount: 20% off; Code: No code needed; Online and in-store; Check out my video for one of my favourite sunscreens for dark skin here.
NYX Cosmetics – now – Sunday 25th Nov; Time: 11:59pm PST; Discount: 30%; Code: No code needed
Zoya Nail Polish – Now – Monday 26th Nov; Time: 11:59pm EST; Discount: 50% + Free Shipping over $30; Code: YAY;
Eve Pearl – Saturday 24th Nov; Time: n/a; Discount: 65% off; Code: BPTIME;
Black Friday Deals – Haircare & Accessories
*Oyin Handmade (Black Five Day Sale) – now – Friday 23rd Nov; Time: Five days until Black Friday; Discount: 30% + Free Shipping – US only; Code: B5SHIP
*Soultanicals – Friday 23rd Nov – Monday 26th Nov; Time: Black Friday weekend; Discount: 25%; Code: No code needed
*The Wrap Life – Starts Wed 21st Nov; Time: n/a; Discount: see website for different deals; Code: No code needed
*Moisture Love – Friday 23rd Nov – Saturday 24th Nov; Time: until 11:59pm; Discount: Buy 2 Get 1 Free; Code: BUY2
*Naturally Smitten – now – Sunday 25th Nov; Time: until 11:59pm EST; Discount: 30% off; Code: THANKFUL
*Qhemet Biologics – Sunday 25th Nov – Tuesday 27th Nov; Time: ends 11:59pm EST; Discount: 25% off; Code: BF18;
*Clo-vee Products – Now – Sunday 25th Nov; Time: ends 11:59pm; Discount: See website for details; Code: No code needed;
Carol’s Daughter – Now – Sunday 25th Nov; Time: n/a; Discount: Up to 50% off; Code: No code needed;
*Fanm Djanm – Now – Saturday 24th Nov; Time: n/a; Discount: 15% off select headwraps, additional discounts available, see site for details; Code: see site for codes;
*Anita Grant – Now – Wednesday 28th Nov; Time: n/a; Discount: 30% off; Code: BUYBLACK;
Black Friday Deals – Skincare
Sol de Janeiro – now to Nov 26; Time: online; Discount: 25% off of orders of $75; Code: No code needed
Belif usa – Friday 23rd Nov; Time: Black Friday only; Discount: 25%; Code: No code needed
If you liked this post, make sure you sign up for my email newsletter by clicking HERE! Get the latest curated makeup, haircare & skincare news and see what beauty products that I loving at the moment!
The some of the above links are affiliate links (which are marked as affiliate). If you sign up using these links, I will get a small percentage of a purchase and/or referral credit. These links provide discounts or cashback, when available. There is no requirement or obligation to use these links. If you need more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.
First skincare post of the year. I am starting off with a bang this year. Skincare continues to be a vital part of my self-care routine. Of course prepping the skin to receive all the wonderful ingredients and nutrients and removing the grime, pollution and makeup of the day is very important. I am slowly discovering Korean beauty brands as that is an entire, exciting, expansive world. One of the first K Beauty products that I have tried is a product that came highly recommended by the YouTuber Gothamista (you should check her out) and it was one of her favourite products under $20. It is the Heimish All Clean Balm. Heimish is a relatively new company known for its simplicity and the All Clean Balm is one of their most popular. It is meant to be the first part of the ‘double-cleanse’ method. I bought this product from an American based website that sells Korean brands, called OhLolly.
If you prefer just to see the video, check it out below….
If not, keep scrolling 🙂
Heimish All Clean Balm Review: Video
Heimish All Clean Balm: General Description
This is described as a natural, hypoallergenic balm that is paraben-free, free of added fragrance or colorants. This is a white balm-to-oil product that contains butters and oils such as Shea Butter and Coconut extract that quickly melts to an oil on contact with the warmth of the skin. It also contains a bunch of botanicals including jasmine, iris, rose, freesia and lavender extracts that soothe and nourish the skin. The formula consists of natural ingredients but I cannot confirm that it is 100% natural. There are a few of the ingredients that may not be naturally derived, but it is a generally a good formula and definitely mostly vegetable-based. There are also a couple of citrus extracts that may cause some irritation for people who have sensitivities to that. There is a very subtle, fresh scent that does not linger and is not offensive. When water is applied to the balm, it emulsies (i.e. a mixture of two liquids that don’t dissolve into each other) and has a milky appearance and texture. The idea of the balm is that it converts to an oil so that it can be spread on the skin easily and it can dissolve the tough to remove products off the skin, like sunscreen, longwear/waterproof makeup and excess sebum. It also will not irritate the skin.
It’s 2018. I am so glad for 2017 to be finally done! It has been a long year. Even though it was a challenging year, there were some bright spots. Including some products that I fell in love with. This is my year-end review of the best beauty products 2017 that I tried. Most of these products are brand new to me and many were new products to the market. I fell in love with these products and will continue to reach for them in 2018. Some of these I have reviewed and some I have not. I will definitely be getting more detailed reviews soon!
