December Beauty Awards

Hi there! It’s the end of the month. So it’s time for my monthly favourites. As usual, I only picked products which I’ve reviewed this month. And since I’ve loved quite a few products, it wasn’t easy to pick three favourites and to limit myself to only a few honourable mentions. But I did it! So let’s take a look at the products I loved the most this month.

3rd place – Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Wash

I love the taste and the fragrance of chocolate and cocoa. So it’s hardly surprising that I also love chocolate and cocoa scented shower products. Boots did an excellent job with their Cocoa Butter collection. It mops the floor with the more expensive offerings from a certain high street brand. 😉

Runner-Up – Boots Exracts Olive Body Butter

Boots Extracts Olive Body Butter was one of my favourite products from the Extracts range. And then Boots discontinued it and replaced it with a cheap smelling strawberry body butter… Idiots! I have a few tubs of this wonderful olive body butter left but I know I’ll be sad once they’re finished.

WINNER – Flower Pharm Orange Flower Body Butter

Flower Pharm’s Orange Flower Body Butter is simply fantastic. The formula is perfect, the orange flower fragrance is divine, the product bursts with natural ingredients and the price is very reasonable. If you see this body butter at your local Home Bargains or TK Maxx store (or wherever), you should just buy it.

Now onto the honourable mentions. I loved all the Superdrug face masks that I’ve tried this month:
– Clearly Youthful 3 in 1 Mask / Cleanser / Scrub,
– Vitamin E Leave On Mask,
– Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask, and
– Superfruits Clay Mask.

And I’m really pleased with my new Olay Anti-Wrinkle cleansing products. I also love Givenchy’s original Ange Ou Démon fragrance. And Alberto Balsam’s Stunning Shine hair products are very nice too!

What do you think of my December favourites? Which products did (or do) you love this month? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Oldies Stash – Boots Extracts Olive Body Butter

Hi there! And welcome to today’s episode of ‘Reducing My Oldies Stash’. 😉 Today I’m reviewing an old favourite, Boots Extracts Olive Body Butter.

This product promises to moisturise and to soften skin with the help of olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and sweet almond oil. In addition, this body butter promises nourished and healthy looking skin. If you read on, I’ll tell you more! 🙂

First of all, this body butter smells amazing. No, it doesn’t smell like olives or olive oil. It smells fresh, green, joyful and feminine. It’s perfect – I love it! And I’ve never come across any other ‘green’ fragrance that smells this lovely.

Now let’s get to this body butter’s actual job – skin care! This body butter is definitely nourishing and moisturising. It makes my skin feel soft and supple. It’s perfect for dry, very dry and flaky skin. However, this body butter isn’t sticky at all because it’s easy to massage into the skin, and it’s absorbed quickly. I think the formula is perfect.

Because of this it is very unfortunate that Boots discotinued this body butter. And it’s even worse hat they replaced it with a cheap smelling strawberry body butter. I’m glad that I still have a few tubs of this olive body butter. I’ll be enjoying them very much, no doubt.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I Love… Chocolates & Oranges, Iced Cookies, Mixed Berries Bath & Shower Crèmes

Hi there! About two months ago I told you that I found two cute I Love… gift sets at my local Asda. One of the gift sets contained summery shower gels, the other set contained winter-themed shower gels. Of the six summery shower gels only two were interesting (and new) to me.

However, I found four of the six winter-themed shower gels tempting. The two shower gels that I didn’t care for were Cherry Almond Sparkle (had it last year, it annoyed me half way through the bottle) and Spiced Cinnamon (I gave it a sniff and I knew I wouldn’t like it). I gave these two away with the four summery shower gels that I didn’t love.

And the four winter-themed shower gels I kept were I Love… Sugared Cranberries (which I’ve already reviewed), Chocolates & Oranges, Iced Cookie and Mixed Berries. Now let me tell you more…

I Love… Chocolates & Oranges disappointed me. Yes, it smells somewhat chocolately, and yes, it also smells somewhat orangey, but it doesn’t smell delicious at all. It smells more like cheap dish soap. I’ll finish this shower gel (fortunately it’s only a 100ml bottle), but I have to say that it’s definitely one of my least favourite shower products ever.

I Love… Iced Cookie is very nice! It’s cookies and icing and Christmas… This shower gels reminds me of the extremely delicious soft and fluffy German gingerbread thingies (?) I stuffed my face with when we visited Cologne a few years ago. So yeah, this shower gel is awesome!

I Love… Mixed Berries is a decent shower gel. It doesn’t smell particularly christmassey but the fragrance is pleasant. It’s fruity, but it’s not a sugarbomb. Nice!

I found my two I Love… sets (6 different shower gels per set, 100ml per bottle) for £2.99 each at my local Asda. Unfortunately the majority of the fragrances in these sets aren’t part of I Love…’s permanent collection, so if you end up loving one (or several) of the shower gels, you won’t be able to buy a full-size bottle.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Superfruits Clay Mask

Hi there! I’ve got another face mask review for you today. So let me tell you what I think of Superdrug’s Superfruits Clay Mask.

This clay mask is like every other clay mask. You apply it, then you leave it alone so that it can dry (this takes about 20 minutes), and then you rinse it off.

And what’s special about this mask? The fragrance! This mask contains goji berry, pomegranate and acai berry extracts (and natural clay and sea salt) which are said to have anti-oxidant properties.

Whilst I can hardly comment on any anti-oxidant benefits (How could I?), I must say that this mask smells simply fantastic! I love it!

Yes, the mask also feels cleansing and purifying – but I think it’s fair to say that almost every other clay mask out there does the same. However, the fragrance makes this mask particularly delightful!

A word of warning though – my husband said the mask felt ‘hot’ (not warm, but also not burning – just ‘hot’) on his skin for about a minute, but it was perfectly fine after that. He didn’t experience any redness or any other issues, but I think I should mention it anyway. I didn’t have any problems with this mask at all – even though I’m the one who has sensitive and moody skin! 🙂

Based on my experience I would recommend this face mask. It’s 99p at Superdrug, although Superdrug runs promotions (it’s usually 3 for 2 or Buy 1 get 2nd half price) all the time. In addition, this mask carries the Leaping Bunny logo. It’s certified cruelty-free and it’s suitable for vegans!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel Lycra Pro 322 Sweet ‘N’ Spicy & China Glaze Pure Joy / Mrs Santa Nails

Hi there! I hope everyone’s still enjoying the holidays. Today is one of my favourite days of the year – Boxing Day! 🙂

Why? Because the big 50% off in-store post-Christmas sale is on! I’ll show you all the stuff I bought – in a few days. Now onto the mani!

I painted my nails with Rimmel Lycra Pro 322 Sweet’N’ Spicy (one coat). And I topped off my mani with two coats of China Glaze Pure Joy, a limited edition glitter topper from a few years ago.

Pure Joy is a densely packed red and gold glitter topper. But I still wanted a simple red base just so that I could skimp on the glitter topper.

Whilst I have dozens of red polishes, I only have 2 bottles of China Glaze’s Pure Joy. And I want to wear this polish again and again and again. By the way, Pure Joy isn’t just a Mrs Santa glitter polish, it’s also great for Halloween – if you’re going for a non-gory vampy vampire or devil look. 😉

Anyway, I really like my Mrs Santa nails. How do you like this mani? Feel free to let me know if you want to. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 19 – 25 Dec 2016

Hi there! And Merry Christmas! Today’s post is my weekly recap. If you’ve missed any of my posts this week, this post will bring you up to speed. So let’s start!

Monday 19 Dec – Alberto Balsam Stunning Shine Shampoo & Conditioner

Monday’s post was about Alberto Balsam’s Stunning Shine shampoo and conditioner. I like these two products. You can read the full review here.

Tuesday 20 Dec – Nail Of The Day
Wednesday 21 Dec – Superdrug Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask

Tuesday’s post was a nail post. I went for christmas glitter on a white base. If you want to know which products I used, click here to read the post. On Wednesday I reviewed Superdrug’s Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask. This mask is fantastic! You can read the full review here.

Thursday 22 Dec – Superdrug Clearly Youthful SPF15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser

Thursday’s post was about a product that I won’t miss when it’s gone – Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful SPF 15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser. If you’ve missed the post, you can read it here.

Friday 23 Dec – Haul! 20+ New Products

Friday’s post was about the new products I bought recently. I didn’t need any of these products, but I couldn’t resist. Click here to see all the goodies I bought.

This is it for this week! I hope everyone’s enjoying the long Christmas weekend – no matter if you celebrate it or not. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

20+ New Products – Boots AND Superdrug Haul!

Hi there! It’s almost Christmas. And since I’m planning some serious shopping this Boxing Day, I wanted to show you what I’ve bought so far this month. I expect to do another haul post after Christmas though. 🙂 OK, this is what I bought this month.

I stocked up on Superdrug’s konjac sponges. They’re £1.99 each, but they’re on a 3 for 2 offer. So I bought 3 more. There are only two sponges in the picture, I know. Sponge number 3 is already in the bathroom, it’s ready to be used once I’ve thrown out my current sponge (which will happen in a few days).

I picked up Zoella’s Kissy Missy Lip Balm for £1. And I also bought B.’s Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz. It was £3.95 (half price offer) and I’ve wanted to try it for some time. So I bought it.

I bought two Body Fantasies fragrances – Twilight Mist and Pink Grapefruit Fantasy. I already have Grapefruit Fantasy, but these two were on a 2 for £3 offer, and they’re usually £3.99 each. And since I could have two body mists for less than the price of one, I just bought another Pink Grapefruit Fantasy body mist. By the way, I hate the Twilight Mist fragrance. I think it’s the stuff of nightmares. It smells like a cheaper version of Britney Spears’ Fantasy. My teenage relative will love it, no doubt!

I bought another Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream. This eye cream isn’t brightening at all, but otherwise it’s a fairly nice eye cream. And it was £2.95 only. And finally I got my hands on Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser. This was £2.95 as well.

I also swung by my local Boots store. I bought Boots’ Botanics Triple Age Renewal Day Cream, Night Cream and Super Serum, and Boots’ Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish. These products were £4 each.

And I bought six products from Boots’ Botanics All Bright range – Radiance Concentrate Serum, Day Cream, Night Cream, Toner, Cleansing Cream and Face Wash. These products were £2.50 each.

I’ve also stocked up on the Hyaluronic Acid face mists. Initially I bought one, but I liked it so much and I knew it would be stupid not to stock up. So I bought 4 more. The price was the same as before – £3.95 per bottle.

Superdrug’s face masks were on a buy 1 get 2nd half price offer. The face masks are 99p each, and because of the offer I paid £2.98 in total for the 4 face masks.

I also noticed that Superdrug had revamped their Extracts hair care collection. The bottle design is new, and they also had a few new fragrances. I liked Grapefruit & Papaya and Aloe Vera & Mango. These were 89p each. Normally the Extracts products are £2.29 each, but there was a better than half price offer.

So this is what I bought this month. I spent just over £71 which isn’t much at all considering I got myself 5 hyaluronic acid face mists! I’m really happy with what I bought (even though I needed none of these products) – but I know I’ll go out hunting for bargains again soon.

Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by! I appreciate it! And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Clearly Youthful SPF15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser

Hi there! I’ve now tried and used all of Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful products. So today I’m reviewing the only product I haven’t told you about before, Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful SPF 15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser.

This product promises mattified, softer and smoother skin, tighter pores and a clearer complexion. In addition, the product claims to reduce the visibility of fine lines. Does it work? Read on, I’ll let you know. 🙂

This cream has a mattifying effect, no doubt. And it even seems to calm angry spots. However, it’s not possible to apply this cream without causing it to ball up. I mean it. It’s impossible. It balls up. Every time. I even tried to pat it on. But that didn’t work either. And don’t get me started on what happens when I try to apply another product on top of this one…

To make a long story short – this cream is useless if you want to use it as a cream. But I’ve found that it works when it’s applied to spots (or spot-prone areas) directly. Since I can’t use this product under my foundation, I can only use it at night time. So I use this cream as a targeted blemish treatment, and I (have to) leave it alone until the next morning.

I will finish this cream, no doubt. But I think that my zinc cream (which is actually a super cheap diaper rash cream) does a better job taking care of spots. In summay, the only thing that’s great about this face cream is that it wasn’t tested on animals. It’s BUAV-approved (it carries the Leaping Bunny logo) and it’s suitable for vegans.

Superdrug has discontinued the entire Clearly Youthful line. A store assistant told me the line would be redone. I just hope they’ll leave the glycolic face mask, the day serum, the night serum and the triple action cleanser the way they were. Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100& Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug’s Black Seaweed Peel-Off Face Mask.

This mask is fairly new, and it’s out of stock almost all the time, so I’m glad I got my hands on a few sachets! 🙂

The mask is like every other peel-off mask – you apply it, you let it dry, you peel it off, and then you rinse off any residue.

Is this mask any good? Yes, it is! It makes my skin feel soft and properly cleansed. I love it! It’s fantastic!

This mask contains seaweed and sea buckthorn, two ingredients which are said to have skin-cleansing properties. And they really seem to work! 🙂

I do like the fragrance as well – it’s a mix of ‘sauna’ and something marine. I think it really enhances the ‘home spa experience’.

So yes, I’d recommend this face mask in an instant! Superdrug’s Black Seaweed Peel-Off Face Mask is suitable vor vegans and it’s certified cruelty-free (it’s BUAV-approved and it carries the Leaping Bunny logo). The mask is 99p – but there’s almost always a 3 for 2 promotion on face masks!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Essence The Gel Nail Polish 33 Wild White Days & Barry M Christmas Tree

Hi there! If you read my blog regularly, you know I’m trying to complete the 31 Days Nail Art Challenge as a lifetime nail challenge.

However, I couldn’t find any christmassey challenges, so I’m putting the nail challenge on hold for a few weeks.

Now onto today’s mani! I painted my nails with Essence The Gel Polish 33 Wild White Days (one coat). I love this polish. And I hate it.

I love it because it’s opaque in one coat. But I hate it because the formula is a complete nightmare. It’s thick and goopy – and nail polish thinner doesn’t help. And it’s impossible to apply it without making a mess.

Anyway, I was going for a christmassey mani, so I applied one of my favourite christmas glitter toppers, Barry M Christmas Tree. This is a fantastic topper – it’s packed with glitter (I applied one coat of topper) and it dries reasonably quickly. I love it!

I’ve done the same mani last year but I’m OK with that because I love the white base and the christmassey glitter. I really love the look of this mani because it’s not the standard ‘Mrs Santa Red’. What do you think? Do you like this mani? Or is it too much glitter? Feel free to comment if you want to. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde