Gliss Oil Nutritive Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi! Not too long ago I spotted Gliss Oil Nutritive shampoo and conditioner for “longer hair, prone to split ends” at the local 99p Store. I’ve had a couple of different Gliss hair products before so I thought I’d give these a try too.

But… I don’t like the Oil Nutritive products at all. I believe that the shampoo and the conditioner might work for people with short, straight and thin hair, but my hair is long, thick and curly, and I almost despaired. I’ll just sum it up in a few key sentences.

Pros: The shampoo is very gentle, and both the shampoo and the conditioner smell of juicy mango. Delicious!

Cons: The oils from these products are very present in my hair and this makes my hair feel greasy. A couple of hours after washing my hair I want to wash it again. Not good. I also feel that these products rob my hair of its flexibility and elasticity. I don’t even want to touch my hair because I’m scared of damaging it. Again, not good.

The conditioner is not very effective – I’ve used up the 200 ml bottle in seven days. But it’s no surprise considering I had to condition my hair twice after each wash. Why? Well, the first round of conditioner did not do much in terms of softening my hair or getting rid of knots. This is certainly not consistent with the improved combability which the bottle promises. So I always had to use another handful of product to detangle my hair.

While I don’t believe this shampoo and conditioner combo would cause any long-term damage to my hair, I am not happy that I lost about twice as much hair as normal with each wash. Anyway, the conditioner is now used up. The shampoo (the bottle is still 75% full) will find a new role somewhere around the house – since it smells so nice, maybe I can use it to wash my scarves for the next couple of months…

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid

Hi there! Today I want to tell you why this moisturiser has been my favourite for almost ten years. Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid is definitely one of the best (Maybe even THE best?) facial moisturisers you can buy for less than a fiver. It’s for normal and oily skin, but it works for my dry and sensitive skin too.

I love the formula – it’s a light fluid that is easily absorbed and therefore it’s a perfect base for make-up. It’s also not greasy, so it doesn’t clog pores. And if you’ve got a really-dry-skin-day, you can use it every couple of hours because it doesn’t build up on the skin – it sinks right in! I also love that it’s got SPF 15 which means that I don’t have to bother with ‘real’ sunscreen every time I leave the house on a sunny summer day.

And then there’s this gorgeous (yet subtle) scent that I have fallen in love with the first time I have used this fluid. I would describe this scent as youthful, clean, pure, fresh, yellow and sunny. Even now, years later, this wonderful scent still puts a smile on my face – every day. But wait, there’s more!

Olay Complete Care has taken care of lines and wrinkles which I’ve had since I was a teenager. I can’t tell you if it took six months, a year or longer for the lines to disappear, but it’s a fact that now, at the age of 33, I no longer have certain lines and wrinkles which I’ve had around 15 years ago.

To sum it up: I could rave about this product for hours and I cannot recommend it enough. I think Olay Complete Care day fluid is the perfect no-fuss facial moisturiser for all women between 13 and 113. If you haven’t already tried it, then you should give it a try now! 😉

Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid is available as 100 ml and 200 ml. (I always buy the 200 ml bottle which lasts me for six months.) The 100 ml bottle retails for £6, the 200 ml bottle is yours for £10. However, there’s always a half price or buy one get one free offer at some drugstore or supermarket. This means the 100 ml bottle can be yours for £3, or you can buy the 200 ml bottle for £5.

If you think you would love to try it, but would prefer a moisturiser with more active anti-wrinkle properties, I recommend you try this Olay day lotion.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Paperchase Blackcurrant, Strawberry and Cherry Lip Balms

Hi there! Just a another quick lip balm review today. I bought these cute lip balms at Paperchase. I simply couldn’t resist these cute owls!

And hey, it’s a set of three lip balms for half price – so why fight the urge to buy?

I was pleased with these balms’ moisturising properties, but I did not like their flavours at all. I found the flavour of the Blackcurrant lip balm to be tolerable, but the Cherry and Strawberry lip balms tasted rather plasticky and not very fruity.

What’s the vedict? I wouldn’t buy them again. Saying this, the lip balms were a limited edition so they’re unavailable for purchase now. But to end this post on a positive note: Paperchase has done much better lip balms since!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Palmolive Naturals Shower Milk Irresistible Softness, Delicate Care and Feel Passionate

Hi there! I know many people are obsessed with expensive shower and bathing products that promise a spa experience at home – and I can’t blame them. 😉 But I think that some of the drugstore products are just as good! Just like everyone else, I too love to try different products all the time, but one brand I always return to is Palmolive. I just love their products because they’re gentle, they smell nice (Did I mention that I am also obsessed with scents?) and they’re good value!

My skin is quite sensitive, so I like shower milks and shower creams that don’t leave my skin feeling tight and dry the moment I step out of the shower. And Palmolive shower creams are just great in this regard. My current favourites from left to right: Palmolive Irresistible Softness with Black Orchid and Moisturising Milk, Palmolive Delicate Care with Almond and Moisturising Milk, and Palmolive Feel Passionate with Passion Flower and, you guessed it, Moisturising Milk.

I’m not going to rave about how gently these shower milks cleanse my skin, but I’m going to rave about their scents! 🙂 So, here we go. Palmolive Black Orchid joined the brand’s standard assortment a couple of years ago – and I’m glad it did. I would describe its scent as a feminine, warm and velvety veil of black orchid and cashmere. Heavenly!

Palmolive Almond is a classic that has been around for decades. It’s got the most wonderful sweet almond blossom scent I have ever encountered. It’s divine! Now, Palmolive, can we please have the matching almond body lotion back?

My third favourite is a limited edition, Palmolive Passion Flower. It’s no longer available at the big supermarkets or drugstores, but some of the discount stores still have it. The scent is really gorgeous – it’s youthful, floral and fruity and it bursts with sweet juiciness. Yummy!

If these shower milk are not already part of your shower routine, then you need to give them a try! They’re usually £1 (or less) as they’re always on special offer somewhere. Happy lathering! 😀

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Maybelline Colour Sensational Popsticks 040 Crystal Pink, 060 Citrus Slice, 080 Cherry Pop

Hi! As a passionate sale shopper and bargain hunter I hit the Poundstores every couple of weeks to check for beauty bargains. Needless to say I was very happy when I found these little beauties: Maybelline Colour Sensational Popsticks. I hadn’t tried these before as they were around £7 each at the big drugstores, but for £1 each I couldn’t resist. I picked up 3 shades. From left to right: Crystal Pink, Citrus Slice, Cherry Pop.

What’s the verdict? I do not like these popsticks at all. They’re glorified lip balms that hardly leave a smidgen of colour or sheen. (That’s why I didn’t even take photos of the swatches.) And they’re not even good lip balms because they’re quite waxy and they don’t moisturise much. I also don’t like their scent which is a bit plasticky-sweet. They’re fun to look at because they’re translucent, but that’s the best bit about them really. I’m currently using them up as a ‘base’ for lipliner, but I won’t buy them again, not even for £1.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Alberto Balsam Mulberry and Acai Berry Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi there! When I hit the local Poundstore a few weeks ago, I spotted a couple of interesting looking new products by Alberto Balsam. Their standard assortment doesn’t impress me much, but their current limited edition Superfruits looked promising. There are three different scents available and I opted for Mulberry and Acai Berry.

On the bottles it says ‘extra nourishing for coloured or damaged hair’. I’ve been using the shampoo and the conditioner daily for about 3 weeks now and I would have guessed they’re for people with rather oily hair. The shampoo is really powerful – it sucks the grease right out of my pores. Wow!

My husband (oily skin + hair) is using this shampoo too. He said it is one of his favourites to use after the gym because it cleanses his hair and scalp so well. The conditioner is alright. It’s nothing special, but it’s not bad either. It detangles my hair without making it feel heavy or greasy, so it does the job.

Alberto Balsam Superfruits Mulberry and Acai Berry Shampoo and Conditioner are available as 400ml each. They’re £1.29 each at the big supermarkets, but you can find these products for £1 in Poundstores.1 in Poundstores.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose

Quite some time ago I was gifted this Moroccan Rose mini set. While I’ve enjoyed the occasional Body Shop product, I’ve never been a hardcore fan of the brand. I wouldn’t have bought this set for myself, but I actually enjoyed both the shower gel and the body butter.

I found The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Shower Gel to be gentle and pleasant. It wasn’t moisturising, but it didn’t dry out my skin either. I liked the scent – rosey, feminine and pleasant – so there’s no reason to complain.

While The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Butter is also nicely scented, I found the formula to be rather sticky. However, this body butter did an excellent job moisturising my skin.

The Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose product line has been discontinued, but a new collection called ‘Mountain Rose’ has been introduced instead. The scent is said to have remained the same. I don’t believe I will purchase any of the new Mountain Rose products for myself, but I wouldn’t mind receiving those as a gift. 😉

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Essentials Facial Cleansing Products

My first post is about my favourite face cleansing products – Olay Essentials. From left to right: Olay Essentials Smoothing Face Scrub, Olay Essentials Refreshing Toner, Olay Essentials Refreshing Face Wash and Olay Essentials Cleansing Milk.

What I like about these products is that…
*they’re excellent value for money,
*they’re perfect for daily use,
*they’re suitable for dry and sensitive skin and
*they smell nice and clean.
So let’s get started, shall we?

Olay Essentials Smoothing Face Scrub is one of my favourites. This face scrub is a gentle exfoliator, so it can be used daily. I have dry and sensitive skin and I’m really pleased with this product because it does not sting or burn and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry. I use it 2 to 3 times a week in the shower and I really enjoy how soft and clean my skin feels after each use.

When I don’t use the face scrub, I cleanse my face with Olay Essentials Refreshing Face Wash in the shower. A pea-sized amount is enough to get rid of grease and grime – even around the nose. The face wash is really powerful, yet it feels gentle, refreshing and doesn’t cause redness or dry skin. This is my favourite face wash. Thumbs up!

Olay Essentials Cleansing Milk is my go-to make-up remover when my skin needs a little extra care and attention. I massage the milky cleanser into my skin to dissolve make-up before washing it off. This cleansing milk moisturises the skin whilst it’s being applied, thus preventing redness or irritation. A real super star product that doesn’t aggrevate dry or sensitive skin.

Whatever cleanser I use, I usually give my face a quick wipe with Olay Essentials Refreshing Toner before I apply my moisturiser. This toner is powerful in removing excess oils and all kinds of residue from make-up or cleansing products. However, this toner is also alcohol-free. This means that it’s rather gentle and, again, most suitable for dry or sensitive skin.

If you have normal, dry or sensitive skin, Olay Essentials is the product range for you. In the past my skin has reacted pretty severely to a few other products, but I haven’t had any problems with these affordable cleansers at all.

The face scrub and the face wash are available as 150ml, while the cleansing milk and the toner come in 200ml bottles. All these products are usually around £3, but there’s always some kind of special offer somewhere.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Mrs Strawberryblonde says HELLO!

Mrs Strawberryblonde says HELLO!

I’m a drugstore beauty addict who loves colours and scents. So it’s no surprise I am obsessed with skin care, shampoos, make-up, shower gels… you name it! I’m always happy to test and review new products and I thought it’s about time I started my own blog.

I’m a bit of a fashion, shoe and handbag fan as well – but seriously, who isn’t? And – of course – I’m a compulsive bargain hunter!

So, if you like what you read, let me know. And feel free to draw my attention to your blog too.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde