June Beauty Awards

Hi there! Today’s post is about my current beauty favourites. As always, I’ve picked my top 3 and a few honourable mentions from all the products I reviewed this month. And these are the products that I liked best!

3rd place – Montagne Jeunesse Berrylicious Mud Masque
Runner-Up – Nivea Age Defying Q10 Hand Cream

When I used Montagne Jeunesse’s Berrylicious Mud Masque for the first time, I liked it a lot. Then I used it again, and I started to love it! This mask is one of the best masks I’ve tried in the past 12 months. Awesome stuff!

Nivea’s Age Defying Q10 Hand Cream is a great product. This hand cream does everything you’d expect from a hand cream. But it also smells extremely nice, and it has sunscreen! Just fantastic!

WINNER – Primark PS… Cellulose Facial Cleansing Sponges

Primark’s PS… Cellulose Facial Cleansing Sponges are my new go-to facial cleansing tools. Beauty and skin care trends come and go, but I think these sponges might become all-time favourites, so I’ve already stocked up on these wonderful (and sensationally cheap) sponges. You really, really need to try these amazing beauty tools!

Now onto the honourable mentions! I really liked I Love…’s Tropical Paradise and Mango & Papaya body care products. Superdrug’s Vitamin C Boost Body Butter, Superdrug’s Manuka Honey Peel-Off face mask, and Gliss’ Satin Relax hair products were very nice too!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, how do / did you like them? Which products did you like best this month? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Samples Stash – Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Hi there! Not too long ago I received a Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel sample. Hydro Boost is a new range that promises (I’m quoting from their marketing leaflet…) “Lightweight yet intense hydration for skin so supple it bounces back”.

Neutrogena mentions hyaluronic acid, glycerin and an olive derivative as active ingredients which are supposed to hydrate skin and to (here’s another quote) “help fortify the skin barrier”. Sounds great. Now, how’s the water gel?

I’m not impressed. I think that the water gel felt nice for the first few minutes, but it made my skin feel in need of hydration after less than an hour. I tried to wait and see what would happen, but after 2 hours I gave up. I didn’t want my skin to feel dry, so I just applied some Olay moisturiser on top of the water gel, and this seemed to help.

Whilst I was expecting Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel to be a moisture bomb, it turned out to be the exact opposite. In terms of hydration, I think this water gel is just as disappointing as Garnier’s Skin Active Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask and Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Radiance Balm.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Cruelty-Free – Superdrug White Chocolate Mousse Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug’s White Chocolate Mousse Mask.

This face mask for normal to dry skin promises to cleanse and to nourish skin. So is this 99p mask any good?

This face mask seems to be the reincarnation of Superdrug’s Yoghurt Smoothie mask. It looks, feels and smells the same.

So yes, this mask cleanses my skin well, and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry. I would recommend it!

Superdrug’s White Chocolate Mousse Mask carries the Leaping Bunny logo. This means it’s BUAV-approved, so it’s 100% cruelty-free!

Have you tried this face mask If so, how did you like it? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Nail Art Challenge #28 Inspired By A Flag

Hi there! Today’s post is about another mani I did for the 31 Days Nail Art Challenge. And this mani is for challenge #28 Inspired By A Flag.

This challenge is (well, was) one of the few that I thought I might have to skip. However, I remembered that Canada Day is just around the corner. And I also have quite a few Canadian blogging buddies, so I thought I could do Canada nails. 😉

I didn’t have any stamping plates with large maple leaf images, and I couldn’t draw a maple leaf if my life depended on it. So I opted for a stamping image that featured small maple leaves.

Which products did I use? I chose Boots No 7 Devil’s Delight as my red base colour. The white nail polish I used for the accent nail is MUA White Wash. The red stamping colour is Rimmel 60 Seconds 320 Red Ruby, and the stamping plate is an unbranded one that’s just called CF-17.

I really like how this mani turned out! One of the maple leaves didn’t stamp perfectly, but all in all I’m happy with this mani.

How do you like this mani? And if you’re Canadian – will you try a Canada Day mani? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

L’Oréal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Masque

Hi there! Today’s post is about a product that I’ve been using once a week since early May – L’Oréal’s Fibrology Thickening Masque. This product promises to expand hair from within, thus increasing the diameter of every single hair. L’Oréal also says that the thickening effect is long-lasting and buildable. This sounds fantastic! But does it work? If you read on, I’ll let you know.

This mask is easy to use. It’s supposed to be used instead of a regular conditioner – you just need to leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes before rinsing it out.

I’ve used this mask several times, but I’m not impressed because this mask feels like ‘product’ in my hair even after it’s rinsed out. I also don’t see or feel any immediate thickening effect. The only thing I can feel right away is that, as soon as my hair is blow-dried, it feels crunchy.

But whilst there’s no immediate thickening effect, there is, without doubt, a delayed thickening effect which seems to kick in after about 18 to 24 hours. Unfortunately I can’t appreciate the delayed thickening effect because I wash my hair every day, so I won’t benefit from products which (claim to) start working after 24 hours.

I will continue to use this hair mask because I can hardly give it away now, and I don’t want to be wasteful, so I won’t throw it away. Maybe I should treat my husband to a thickening hair mask every now and then! 😀 L’Oréal’s Fibrology Thickening Masque is available as 300ml for £5.09. I paid £2.49 (better than half price offer).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 19 – 25 Jun 2017

Hi there! I hope everyone had a great week so far. Today’s post is my weekly recap. If you read on, I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to on my blog. 🙂

Monday 19 Jun – Superdrug Vitamin C Boost Body Butter Mango & Papaya

On Monday I reviewed Superdrug’s Mango & Papaya Body Butter. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 20 Jun – Haul!

Tuesday’s post was about all the new products I bought recently. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 21 Jun – Nail Of The Day / Nail Art Challenge
Thursday 22 Jun – Superdrug Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask

Wednesday post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read the post.
And on Thursday I reviewed Superdrug’s Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask. Click here to read the post.

Friday 23 Jun – Moschino Toujours Glamour

Friday’s post was about Moschino’s Toujours Glamour EdT, shower gel and body lotion. Click here to read the post.

This is it for this week. I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Moschino Toujours Glamour Eau De Toilette, Perfumed Bath & Shower Gel, Perfumed Body Lotion

Hi there! Today’s review is about Moschino Toujours Glamour Eau De Toilette, Perfumed Bath & Shower Gel and Perfumed Body Lotion. I never really cared for Moschino fragrances. However, Moschino’s Toujours Glamour gift set looked quite appealing – in part because it was half price. So… I bought it!

OK, let’s take a closer look at the fragrance! Moschino Toujours Glamour is described as a light floral fragrance. The fragrance notes are red currant, green violet leaves and cardamom (top notes), lily-of-the-valley, jasmine and bitter almond (heart notes), and heliotrope, benzoin and musk (base notes). Now onto the actual product reviews!

Let’s start with Moschino Toujours Glamour Perfumed Bath & Shower Gel! This shower gel is very nice. It lathers up well, it feels soft and gentle on my skin, and it’s not drying. I like it! I also enjoy Moschino’s Toujours Glamour Perfumed Body Lotion because it’s non-sticky and it moisturises my skin well. The body lotion is quite runny, but that’s not a problem for me. 🙂

And what’s the actual fragrance like? I think Moschino Toujours Glamour Eau De Toilette is a nice enough fragrance. It’s light, it’s floral, it’s powdery, it’s inoffensive, and it’s perfectly forgettable. I think Toujours Glamour would fit in with all these random ‘suitable for office wear’ fragrances that everyone kind of likes but that no one really remembers.

Well, I will use up the shower gel and the body lotion, and I’ll probably continue to use the fragrance on and off for a few weeks before I’ll pass it on to a young relative who, without doubt, will enjoy it much more!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing Superdrug’s Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask which is aimed at people with sensitive skin.

This mask with manuka honey and chamomile flower promises to lift away dead skin cells and impurities to reveal a clearer complexion.

Does it work? Yes, it does! As soon as I peeled off the mask, I could feel that my skin was softer, smoother and clearer. Fantastic stuff!

And the wonderfully sweet and cuddly honey fragrance is an added bonus!

I would recommend this face mask to everyone! And I will definitely repurchase this mask. I can’t wait to go shopping! 🙂

Superdrug’s Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask is available for 99p. Superdrug also runs 3 for 2 promotions almost all the time – fantastic value! Oh, and by the way, this face mask is 100% cruelty-free!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Revlon Colorstay 100 Buttercup & Stamping With Bundle Monster BM-S162 / Nail Art Challenge #27 Inspired By Artwork

Hi there! Today’s post is about a recent mani I did for the 31 Days Nail Art Challenge. With this mani I’ve completed challenge #27 Inspired By Artwork!

The artwork in question is the black cats print on the pale yellow scarf that one of my co-workers has been wearing for quite some time.

For this mani I painted my nails with Revlon Colorstay 100 Buttercup (2 coats). I don’t love this colour, but it came in handy for this mani!

The stamping plate I used is Bundle Monster’s BM-S162 plate (which is part of Bundle Monster’s Fuzzy and Ferocious collection).

The black stamping polish (not a real stamping polish) is Rimmel 60 Seconds 820 Hot Black To Go.

I didn’t like this mani at all. I rushed it, and it shows. I wore this mani for one day only. However, I’m glad I’ve completed the dreaded ‘artwork challenge’. Yay! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Haul! New Products – Primark, Poundworld, Poundland, Boots, Wilko, Home Bargains, M&S

Hi there! I’ve done a little shopping this month. I haven’t gone nuts, I promise. But I picked up quite a few bargains. So let me show you what I bought!

I bought 4 PS… Facial Cleansing Sponge duo packs. That’s 8 sponges for £4. The reason I stocked up is because I’ve been using one of these sponges for a few weeks now – and I love it! I also bought 2 more PS… Konjac Sponges. That’s £3 for 2 konjac sponges.

It appears that Superdrug has given up on selling reasonably priced konjac sponges which is their loss, really. They also discontinued a few other fantastic products, so I haven’t done much Superdrug shopping lately. So yeah, it really is their loss! Anyhoo, those PS… sponges are from Primark!

I don’t think I’ve ever left my local Poundworld store empty-handed. Poundworld and Bargain Buys (which is part of the Poundworld family) have awesome nail products. I bought a cute Nails Inc. glitter topper (RRP £13), a Revlon Base Coat (RRP £6.49) and a J Lo exclusive collection L’Oréal polish (RRP £4.99). I paid £1 per polish – that’s £3 in total for these 3 polishes.

I picked up 4 new Montagne Jeunesse masks – Relaxing Spa Mud Mask, Candyfloss Scrub, Sea Splash Peel Off and Blueberry Blast Mud Masque. These masks seem to be exclusive to Primark, and they were 90p each. This adds up to £3.60 for 4 face masks.

Sukin’s Purifying Facial Masque is normally £11.95 at Boots. Thanks to a Save 1/3 offer it was £7.97. However, I didn’t spend any money, I paid with points!

I picked up 3 more Montagne Jeunesse face masks (they’re £1 each at Boots). However, these were on a 3 for 2 promotion, so I paid £2 (I paid with points for these products as well!) for these 3 face masks. I also went to Poundland where I found this Imperial Leather Foamy Banana shower cream – I paid £1 for it.

I bought these 10 Essence Colour Boost nail polishes – these are supposed to be one-coaters, so I bought them all to find out if they stamp on a black base. Well, if they stamp, they’re the cheapest quality stamping polishes out there (£1.80 each). If they don’t stamp, they don’t.

I got myself 2 more Essence Out Of Space Stories nail polishes (£2 each) and 4 Essence Glamaxy top coats (£2 each). Why 4? This is a flakie topper! All in all, I paid £30 for these 16 Essence nail polishes.

When I went to Home Bargains the other day I picked up 3 promising products. Creightons Charcoal Deep Cleansing Scrub and Creightons Charcoal Detoxifying Clay Mask were 79p each, I believe (sorry, I lost the receipt). I also picked up a strawberry-flavoured kids’ toothpaste. Yes, I bought it because of the Twilight Sparkle image!

Then I went to a different Primark store where I picked up a My Little Pony Lip Balm duo for £1.50, a My Little Pony Body Mist (100ml) for £2, and another Montagne Jeunesse Sunburst Sauna mask. On the way back home I swung by Marks & Spencer – and I bought a 100ml Monotheme Il Libro Degli Agrumi Pompelmo fragrance for £22.

Have you tried any of these products? Have you done any shopping recently? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde