June Beauty Awards

Hi there! Since I ‘m having so much fun doing monthly empties posts, I thought I’d try monthly favourites as well. I’ll call these posts beauty awards and I’ll pick three favourites and throw in a few honourable mentions. 🙂 This month I’ve used quite a few new products. And a few of them have won me over completely.

3rd place – My New Favourite Blush- Essence Silky Touch Blush 20 Babydoll

This is an amazing blush. It goes with almost every make-up look and it’s highly pigmented. Absolutely brilliant!

Runner-Up – My New Favourite Face Serum – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum

This serum is absolutely amazing. It even tames my moody semi-permanent eczema patch. 11 stars!

WINNER – 100% Awesome AND 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask

This face mask is exactly what I wanted – a product that makes my complexion look brighter and more even. The difference after a single use was incredible. And it’s easy to use and dirt cheap.

Like I said earlier, I loved more than three products this month, so I’d like to throw in a few honourable mentions.

At first there’s Boots’ Sweet Mango body care range. The mango fragrance is absolutely gorgeous. Other (more expensive) high street brands’ comparable offerings can’t compete with Boots’ mango-scented products.

I also loved the Montagne Jeunesse face masks I tried this month. The Mud Pac and the Lemon Zest Peel Off Mask were brilliant!

So this was my first ‘monthly favourites’ post. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. I certainly enjoyed writing it. 🙂 Have you tried any of these products? Or have you discovered any new beauty favourites recently? Please feel free to let me know what you think. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Cruelty-Free – Montagne Jeunesse Ultra Deep Pore Cleansing Mud Pac

Hi there! Just a few weeks ago I told you that I found several Montagne Jeunesse face mask duos at my local Poundland. I’ve already tried the fantastic Lemon Zest Peel Off Mask. And now I’ve tried another one – Montagne Jeunesse Ultra Deep Pore Cleansing Mud Pac.

This face mask is a typical mud mask. I applied it to my face and let it dry for 20 minutes. And then I just washed it off with water. I was really happy with the result. And if you read on, you’ll find out why. 🙂

First of all, this mask made my face feel refreshed and clean. The ‘ultra deep pore cleansing’ claim isn’t just a marketing strategy – this mask really works! Now, two days later, my skin still feels clean and clear.

I think Montagne Jeunesse’s Mud Pac is a fantastic face mask. It’s available as part of a mask duo (the other one’s ‘Amore Rose Ultra Deep Cleansing Mask‘) for £1 (Poundland) – so this mud pac face mask is actually 50p only! And another big plus is that this face mask is approved by BUAV (it carries the Leaping Bunny logo) and by the Vegetarian Society – so it’s cruelty-free and suitable for vegetarians.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Suitable For Vegans – Original Source Shower Plum & Blackcurrant, Raspberry & Cocoa and Wild Cherry & Nettle

Hi there! I haven’t reviewed any Original Source products in a while. But now’s the time to look at a few fruity shower gels. Meet Original Source Plum & Blackcurrant, Raspberry And Cocoa, and Wild Cherry And Nettle. These shower gels are suitable for vegans – they’re approved by The Vegan Society.

Original Source Plum & Blackcurrant is surprisingly refreshing. I thought the plum fragrance would make this shower gel a bit too sweet for summer – but I was wrong. The fragrance actually reminds me of blackcurrant cough lozenges – in a good way. It smells like blackcurrant juice and green currant buds. So yes, this one is definitely suitable for warm summer days.

Original Source Raspberry And Cocoa isn’t my favourite. This fragrant combination smells a bit weird. It’s not bad, but it’s not what I expected – and I can’t smell any raspberries or cocoa. I don’t really care for this shower gel (and neither does my husband), so this one might end up in the hand wash dispenser.

Original Source Wild Cherry And Nettle is another nice surprise. And it’s another shower gel that reminds me of cough lozenges – cherry-flavoured ones, of course. The fragrance isn’t as strong as the plum & blackcurrant fragrance, but it’s definitely yummy!

The RRP for 250ml Original Source shower gels is usually around £2 – but you can find these shower gels for £1 (Poundland and the likes) or less (special offer).

Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate it. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Orly Basket Case & Stamping

Hi there! When I did the stamping tutorial last week, I didn’t just do one nail. I did a full mani. And since I’ve finally found the picture I took of my nails, I thought I’d do a post. 🙂

I painted my nails with Orly Basket Case – which is one of the most beautiful pink polishes I have. It’s bright, it has a cool undertone and it’s a fantastic summer colour.

I stamped several random images from several different stamping plates onto my nails. All those plates were unbranded ones.

The black polish I used to stamp with is NYC In A Minute 001 Evil which I’ve been stamping with a lot lately.

This post concludes ‘nail week’ – so next week I’ll go back to posting product reviews (with the weekly nail post thrown in). However, I hope you enjoyed ‘nail week’ – I certainly did.

As always, feel free to let me know what you think of this mani. Or comment if you’d just like to chat. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – NYC In A Minute 019 A Perfect Day, MakeUp Revolution True Blue, Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch 888 Glitter & Stamping With QA89

Hi there! A couple of weeks ago I did a blue and grey themed mani. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted. But I thought I should still share it.

I painted my nails with MakeUp Revolution True Blue (pinky, index finger, thumb) and NYC In A Minute 019 A Perfect Day (ring finger, middle finger).

I added some glitter – namely Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch Top Coat 888 Glitter – to my ring finger. And then I started stamping. 🙂

I chose my QA89 stamping plate – which is one of the many plates I haven’t used before (that’s because the images are too small for my nails when my nails are longer).

And I stamped on different images using Essence’s amazing White Stampy Polish.

Looking closely, the mani wasn’t perfect because the crown and flower images didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. But I have to admit that, from a distance, the mani actually looked quite nice.

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel I ♥ Lasting Finish 080 Black Cab, Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique Kate, Barry M Masquerade & Stamping With JQ-L04

Hi there! After a few recent nail fails I seem to have found my mani mojo again. 🙂 So today’s post is about a recent mani I really, really liked.

As usual, I didn’t know what to do with my nails. So I started with two base colours – Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique Kate (pinky, index finger) and Rimmel I ♥ Lasting Finish 080 Black Cab (ring finger, middle finger, thumb).

I wanted to stamp. So I selected a few pretty images from my JQ-L04 stamping plate. And I stamped on the images with Essence’s Nail Art Stampy Polish in white.

But I also wanted some sparkle. And I opted for Barry M‘s Masquerade (gold, fuchsia and light blue glitter in a clear base).

I’m very pleased with how the mani turned out. It’s got a butterfly and floral images, glitter, purple and black & white. What’s not to love? 🙂 Please feel free to let me know what you think about this mani. And thank you for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Key Lime & Stamping With Pueen 65 (Partial Nail Fail)

Hi there! Since this week is nail week, this is another NOTD post. As you can see from the title, it’s a partial fail. Ah well, there’s always something… 😉

Let’s start! I painted my nails with Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Key Lime. This polish was almost opaque in one coat – brilliant!

I wanted the mani to look summery and tropical, so I chose Pueen’s 65 stamping plate which is part of Pueen’s Stamping Buffet collection.

The black polish I used to stamp on the images is NYC In A Minute 001 Evil. Everything went well – and then I noticed the blob on the ring finger…

Lately I seem to be prone to polish blob accidents. I certainly wished I could have avoided this one! However, all in all I was quite happy with this mani. I liked the green base and the tropical floral images. So whilst this mani is a partial fail, it’s also a partial success. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel Lycra Pro 297 Show Off & Stamping With Bundle Monster BM S161 & BM S162 (Partial Nail Fail)

Hi there! Today’s nail of the day post is about the mani I did the other day. And let me say it right away – it’s a partial nail fail.

But let’s start from the beginning! I painted my nails with Rimmel Lycra Pro 297 Show Off (two coats).

I wanted cat nails, so I chose two cat-themed stamping plates – Bundle Monster BM S161 and BM S162.

The images on the ring finger and middle finger are from the BM S161 plate – and I think these worked out fine.

The all-over black cats image on the pinky and index finger is from the BM S162 plate. The image is cute but it came out creepy. 😦

I really should have coloured in the cat’s eyes on the stamper… and this is what I’m going to do when I do the next cat mani. So whilst this mani didn’t look as I wanted it to, I know what to do next time.

Thank you for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

NSPA Rich Body Butter Honey

Hi there! Today’s post is about NSPA’s Honey Body Butter. NSPA is a UK-based brand that is exclusive to Asda. I’ve reviewed a few different NSPA products before, so have a look if you’re interested.

OK, let’s focus on the actual product review now. 🙂 NSPA’s honey body butter smells sweet and quite honey-like. Sure, it’s obvious it’s not a food. But unlike many other honey-themed products, this body butter doesn’t smell of cheap coconut suntan lotion.

The body butter is very rich, so it’s great for dry skin. However, the butter is also quite sticky which means it’s not the perfect body butter for warm summer days. And if you’re generally not OK with sticky body creams, you won’t like this one.

I prefer my moisturisers to be non-sticky, but this body butter is so incredibly moisturising (it’s wonderful!) that I don’t mind the stickiness every once in a while. I think I’ll be using it once a week as a skin treat.

NSPA Rich Body Butter with Honey is available at Asda. At £3 the 200ml tub is reasonably priced. However, keep your eyes peeled for special offers . 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Awesome AND 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask. Superdrug says this mask ‘awakens skin’s natural glow’ and it ‘clarifies and smoothes’.

The mask contains kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts and fruit acids. On the back of the tube it says kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts can brighten and even out skin tone, whilst fruit acids refine skin texture and smooth the appearance of fine lines.

Now, how’s the product? I (almost) followed the instructions. I applied the mask to my face and I left it on for 30 minutes. As per the instructions you’re meant to leave it on for 10 minutes.

But the mask felt really nice and it didn’t even tingle the tiniest bit, so I decided to leave it on for longer. 🙂 Then I wiped it off with a damp flannel, and then I washed off the residue with warm water.

So far I’ve used the mask once. That means my review is based on a single use of this product. Now what’s my verdict? I think this mask is absolutely amazing! My skin looks brighter and my skin tone looks a lot (!) more even. Sure, I believe that leaving the mask on for 30 minutes had a lot to do with it. But still – it’s the mask that did the work!

I’m extremely pleased that this mask worked so well and that it didn’t cause my sensitive skin any harm. No redness, no breakout, no burning or stinging. It just made my skin look better. Now, five days after using the mask, I still admire my brighter skin and my (relatively) even complexion. I can’t wait to use this mask again in 48 hours! (I’m following the instructions on this one – I’ll be using it once every seven days).

OK, I cannot comment on whether this mask has any real wrinkle-reducing benefits because thanks to Olay my face is largely wrinkle-free. But I give this face mask my 11 stars approval because it really brightens skin and it does even out skin tone. So if you’re looking for a product that does exactly these two things, try this mask!

But don’t repeat my 30 minute experiment! Keep in mind that this mask contains powerful fruit acids which can cause irritation and / or redness, breakouts and the likes. And if you have sensitive skin you might want to do a patch test first. I’m not a dermatologist, but personally I believe this face mask won’t cause the majority of people any trouble at all. And I’m saying this as someone who has eczema and generally dry, sensitive and moody skin which, in the past, reacted to quite a few products, like these sensitive skin wipes and a this sensitive skin facial toner. However, my skin was (and still is) 100% happy with this face mask.

So yeah, I love Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask. And I would really recommend it. Just don’t overdo it! And don’t forget that products with fruit acids make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so please always use a moisturiser with SPF! Since I want to end this post on a 100% positive note, I’m now telling you how much this face mask costs – it’s £4.99 for a 75ml tube, but I picked it up for £2.45 when it was on special the other day. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde