July Beauty Awards

Hi there! I can’t believe it’s the end of the month. Time really flies! And now’s already the time to look at my monthly favourites. Of all the new products I’ve tried this month, these are the ones I liked the most. 🙂

3rd place – Superdrug Refreshing Day Cream SPF 15 For Normal Skin

I think this cream is very nice. It has SPF 15, and it’s great for dry skin too – and it’s only £3.49. This is the ultimate no-nonsense moisturiser.

Runner-Up – I Heart MakeUp Go! To The City Palette

I really like this palette. It contains a highlighter, two blushes and six eyeshadows. I’m happy with the quality and I know I’ll be using this palette a lot.

WINNER – NYC 16H Lipstain 493 Champagne Stain

I think NYC did a fantastic job with this lip stain. The product is a bit drying when I use it for a few days in a row. But I love the colour, the formula, and the finished look which is essentially a ‘my lips but better’ look. What’s not to love?

I’d like to throw in a few honourable mentions as well. I really love Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Micro Polish and Yves Rocher’s Apple and Star Anise products. I think Boots’ Vitamin Recovery Mask is brilliant, and I’m enjoying my I Love… shower products.

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

Guilty Pleasure – Jennifer Lopez Live Eau De Parfum

Hi there! Today’s post is about a guilty pleasure of mine – Jennifer Lopez Live EDP. It’s one of my favourite fragrances. But I try to keep it a secret in real life. 😉

What I love about Live is that it’s not like ‘all the other fruity fragrances’, and that it’s definitely one of the best celebrity fragrances out there.

Live is full of live. It’s juicy, it’s sunny, it’s full of energy, it’s optimistic and it’s youthful. It’s alive. I think most fruity fragrances smell pink, but Live is different. It smells yellow! 🙂

Now, Live contains the following fragrance notes: Sicilian lemon, Italian orange and pineapple (top notes), redcurrant, peony and violet (heart notes), and tonka beans, sandalwood and caramel (base notes). Live sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

I think Live smells like a mix of fresh pineapple, caramel and vanilla with a hint of powder. It’s perfect for the colder seasons because the juicy, tropical fragrance is a real pick-me-up. But it’s just as perfect for the hottest summer days because it’s not too sweet. Yes, it’s got all these sweet notes, but it’s a lot more juicy and sunny than it is sweet. Like I said, it’s a yellow fragrance.

Jennifer Lopez Live is available as 30, 50 and 100ml EDP. Prices vary greatly – the RRP for the small 30ml bottle is around £24. However, lots of stores sell the big 100ml bottle for under £20.

Do you have any guilty pleasure fragrances? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Yves Rocher Apple Star Anise Refreshing Exfoliating Shower Gel

Hi there! Not too long ago I told you I went nuts at Yves Rocher’s clearance sale. And I’ve already reviewed Yves Rocher’s Apple Star Anise Shower Gel.

And now that I’ve finally tried Yves Rocher’s Apple Star Anise Refreshing Exfoliating Shower Gel, I’ll tell you what this product’s like.

This exfoliating shower gel claims to be gentle enough for daily use. And it containts kiwi seeds and apricot kernel powder – these two ingredients are meant to give your skin a good scrub!

So how’s the product? It’s really good. It exfoliates my skin, but it’s also gentle. I don’t use it every day, but I think I could.

The fresh and sunny apple scent is very authentic. Other manufacturers of toiletries should take note because this is the apple fragrance they should aim for!

All in all, this is a very nice exfoliating shower gel. It feels good, it smells good, it’s refreshing… I should have bought two bottles! 🙂 The exfoliating shower gel is/was (?) available as 200ml (£4.50). I found it in the clearance sale for just under £2. I think Yves Rocher should consider making it a permanent edition!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Essence The Gel Nail Polish 33 Wild White Days, B. Complete 154 Brit, Rimmel 60 Seconds 503 Mind The Gap, Victoria & Stamping With MoYou London Doodles 07

Hi there! This is another mani I did recently. I painted my nails with Essence The Gel Nail Polish 33 Wild White Days (pinky), Rimmel 60 Seconds 503 Mind The Gap, Victoria (ring and middle fingers), and B. Complete 154 Brit (index finger, thumb).

I didn’t know what to do with the white & blue mani – I didn’t feel inspired at all. So in the end I opted for an underwater mani.

I used Essence Nail Art Stampy Polish in White (ring and index finger, thumb) and Filthy Gorgeous Midnight (pinky, middle finger) to stamp on images from Moyou London’s Doodles 07 plate.

Unfortunately I smudged the image on my pinky. Not sure how it happened. But all in all I like this mani. In regards to the polishes I used, I found the Rimmel polish to be amazing. The formula was perfect and it applied like a charm. Brilliant!

The B. polish wasn’t great. It took ages to dry and I had to apply three coats. The B. polish was also prone to chipping, so within 24 hours I had to ‘fix’ all the nails I painted with this polish. Not great. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the B. polish didn’t stain at all when I removed it. The white Essence polish is alright. It really is opaque in two coats. But it takes a while to dry and the formula is on the goopy side.

Feel free to comment if you wish. And thanks for reading!

If you’d like to order from MoYou, you can get 10% off if you order through this link. In case you’re wondering… yes, I did purchase this stamping plate myself!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Tropical Cocktail Peel Off Mask

Hi there! Thanks to a recent promotion (triple points on Superdrug own-brand products AND 3 for 2 on face masks) I bought anther 15 or so face masks.

I’m not a fan of coconuts, but I bought this Superdrug Tropical Cocktail Peel-Off Mask anyway. And I’ve already tried it.

This mask works like any other peel-off mask. You apply it, you let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes, and once it’s dry, you just peel it off.

What I like about this mask is that it isn’t as runny as Superdrug’s Fruit Sorbet Antioxidant Peel-Off Mask. This mask is rather gooey which is great because it’s easier to apply.

Another thing I like is that the pineapple and coconut fragrance isn’t very strong. I can smell a random tropical scent when I apply the mask, but it doesn’t last long. So all in all, I think this is a really nice peel-off face mask. I’d recommend it and I’m sure I’ll buy it again.

If you’d like to try Superdrug’s Tropical Cocktail Peel-Off Mask, it’s 99p only. In addition, Superdrug often runs 3 for 2 promotions on face masks.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

NYC 16H Lipstain 493 Champagne Stain

Hi there! Today’s post is about my NYC 16H Lipstain in 493 Champagne Stain. I would describe the shade as a cool and soft fuchsia. And I love it. It’s pretty and wearable – I couldn’t ask for more. The product dries quickly once applied, and it really doesn’t wear off. Yes, the colour does somewhat fade, but I can get away with only one touch up during the way. Brilliant!

The pointy tip is great for precise application and the subtle scent of apricots is very pleasant. The only thing that I would mention as a negative is that this product is a bit drying. I use lip balms all the time when I’m not wearing lipstick (or lipstain), but I don’t think that I could wear this lipstain for more than three days in a row if I weren’t such a lip balm nut.

Still, I really love this product! NYC 16H Lipstains have been discontinued – but they’ve hit the Poundstores, so you can get these for £1 each. I bought quite a few! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Clearly Youthful AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cream Cleanser

Hi there! I bought lots of Superdrug own brand products recently – with all those half price offers and triple points I couldn’t resist.

One of the products I’m currently using is Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cream Cleanser which claims to target skin ageing and problem skin.

Superdrug says… (and I’m almost quoting from the back of the tube) apply this cream cleanser to a cotton wool pad and (gently) wipe it across the face – avoiding the delicate eye area – until all (unspecified) residue has been removed.

Superdrug also recommends that this cleanser be used alongside other products from the Clearly Youthful range.

Unfortunately Superdrug doesn’t mention whether the cream cleanser is supposed to be left on the skin to work its magic overnight – or whether it’s OK (or even recommended) to wash it off or to use a toner. The thing is that there’s no toner in the Clearly Youthful range – otherwise it would have been a no-brainer!

I know not everyone likes to tone or moisturise after cleansing. But I always tone and moisturise after I’ve removed my make-up, no matter whether I use a face wash or a cleansing milk. Now, if you just thought “so use a toner”, I hear you! However, I’m still wondering whether I’m missing out on some of the benefits this product promises because I still have no idea what the manufacturer of this cream cleanser would recommend…

Anyway, now let me tell you about my experience with this cream cleanser. The first thing I noticed was the product’s smell. It’s strong, it’s unpleasant and it reminds me of a mix of stale beer and overly ripe fruit. Apparently this is what the sum of all the ingredients smells like.

When I used this cleanser on my face, I felt a tingling sensation. I didn’t notice any redness or any other unpleasant reaction. But I knew that I really couldn’t let this product get anywhere near my eyes. And whilst this cream cleanser did a good job removing most of my make-up, I was a little annoyed that I had to use another product to remove my eye make-up. And I need to mention the smell again – wow, it really lingered!

I’ve been using this cream cleanser several times now. And I tried different ways to make it work for me. But I’m not really happy with it. As I don’t want to be wasteful, I’ll continue to use it. However, I’ll limit the use of this cream cleanser to make-up free days (= when I don’t leave the house) like homeworking days and the odd Saturday or Sunday. And when I use this cleanser, I use it as a mask in the morning – this way I get to wash it off in the shower half an hour later.

Since I’m using this cream cleanser a few times per week only, I can’t comment on whether it really delivers on its ‘anti-ageing’ and ‘clear skin’ promises. I have to admit that my skin looks a lot better (brighter, clearer, more even) than it did four weeks ago, and I’ve only had two tiny spots in these four weeks. But I don’t think my on/off use of this cream cleanser is anything more than a minor contributing factor. I think Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant products deserve the credit!

I know I won’t be repurchasing this cream cleanser. But I acknowledge that it seems to work well for some people – all the reviews on Superdrug’s web site are very favourable. So if you’d like to try Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cream Cleanser, you can pick up a 150ml tube for £3.69. I paid £1.79 only (half price offer), so keep your eyes peeled for promotions to get the best deal.

Thanks for reading! Have a good day! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel Salon Pro 444 Seduce & Stamping With Pueen 72

Hi there! Today’s post is another nail of the day post. I did this mani a few weeks ago. It didn’t turn out as pretty as I had hoped. But it’s not a nail fail. 🙂

I painted my nails with Rimmel Salon Pro 444 Seduce (pinky, middle finger, index finger, thumb) and MUA White Wash (ring finger).

I wanted to stamp white on purple and purple on white. So I used Essence’s fantastic white stamping polish – and Rimmel 444 Seduce.

The exotic floral image is from Pueen’s 72 plate (from Pueen’s Stamping Buffet collection) which is one of my favourite plates.

All in all, I’m happy with the mani. Yes, it’s unfortunate that the purple polish didn’t stamp very well. However, I can look past that. 🙂 Feel free to let me know what you think and thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Micro Polish

Hi there! A few weeks ago I fell in love with Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask. So I wanted to try a few more products from Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant range.

Superdrug also ran a half price promotion. Needless to say, I bought several products. 🙂 But now let’s focus on Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Micro Polish.

This product promises to exfoliate skin, to refine skin texture and to clarify skin discolouration with the help of kiwi and mulberry extracts, blueberry seeds and fruit acids.

As per the instructions on the back of the tube, this micro polish should be… (I’m almost quoting) massaged over wet or dry skin in a circular motion. Then you’re supposed to add a splash of water and work the product into a lather. And then the product should be rinsed off.

Oh, and this micro polish scrub is meant to be used once or twice weekly.

When I used this product for the first time, I noticed that it wasn’t as gritty as I thought it would be. That’s because this micro polish doesn’t contain any harsh and abrasive ingredients like ground walnut shells or crushed apricot seeds. So whilst this micro polish doesn’t give my face the St. Ives treatment, I can definitely feel its cleansing and exfoliating powers. And I don’t have to worry about microscopic cuts on my skin surface. 🙂

By the way, other scrubs that don’t contain walnut shell powder or crushed apricot seeds are Superdrug’s Simply Pure Smoothing Face Scrub and Olay’s Essentials Smoothing Face Scrub (which, I think, is being discontinued – it’s now available for £1 at Poundworld and Bargain Buys).

Now back to Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Micro Polish. 🙂 I think it’s a fab product and I’d recommend it in an instant. I’ll continue to use it weekly and I’ll definitely buy it again! The 75ml tube is usually £4.99. But I paid £2.45 only for my micro polish. So I suggest you keep your eyes peeled for half price or BOGOF offers to get the best deal! 🙂

By the way, since I’ve been so impressed with the face mask (I use it every Saturday) and the micro polish (I use it every Tuesday), I bought a few more Naturally Radiant products which I’ll review within the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the post. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect & Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi there! A few weeks ago I went nuts at the drugstore and I bought about a dozen shampoos and conditioners which I’ve never had before. I know it’s quite a lot, but everything was half price. And I really can’t resist a bargain. 🙂 OK. Now meet Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect & Smooth shampoo and conditioner.

The shampoo feels nice and gentle and I’m satisfied it cleanses my hair properly. However, it’s nothing special. The conditioner is decent. It detangles my hair nicely, but every other day it feels like it’s weighing my hair down.

I have to say that these two products really make my hair feel smooth. And I like the pleasant (yet non-descript) scent. However, in regards to colour protection, this combo doesn’t really work. All in all, I think this product line is OK, but clearly I’m not in love with it. So whilst I might buy these two products again, I’m in no rush to do so.

In regards to whether I’d recommend these products, I’d say it depends on your hair type. If you have dry hair or if you want your hair to be smoother, I’d say give these products a try.

Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect & Smooth shampoo (400ml) and conditioner (360ml) are available for £3.99 each. But keep in mind, there’s almost always a half price offer somewhere. 😉

Mrs Strawberry Blonde