September Beauty Awards

Hi there! Welcome to my September Beauty Awards, aka my monthly favourites post. As always, I’ve chosen my top 3 products from all the poducts I’ve reviewed this month. And I’ve thrown in a few honourable mentions as well. Let’s start with the top 3!

3rd place – Daily Defense Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner With Argan Oil

Daily Defense’s Argan Oil hair products are amazing. Just wow! I’ll buy them again, no doubt.

Runner-Up – Ekél Natural Clean Peeling Gel With Grape

I love Ekél’s Grape Natural Clean Peeling Gel. I already bought 2 more Ekél products because I love this product so much.

WINNER – Olay Essentials Complete Care Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion

Olay’s Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion is simply wonderful. It makes my skin look and feel refreshed, and it smells like… a summer morning. Awesome stuff!

Now onto the honourable mentions! I think J Lo’s Live Luxe fragrance is really nice. Garnier’s Intense 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion with Shea Butter is very good, and I’m sure it’ll serve me well this autumn and winter. And Boots’ Essentials Cucumber products were a fantastic surprise. If you’ve never tried Boots’ own brand cucumber products, you need to change that!

Have you tried any of these products, or would you like to try them? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for  reading! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Samples Stash – L’Oréal Revitalift Laser Renew Day & L’Oréal Revitalift Filler Renew

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 samples I received fairly recently – L ‘Oréal Revitalift Laser Renew Day & L’Oréal Revitalift Filler Renew. Let’s start with the Laser Renew sample!

L ‘Oréal Revitalift Laser Renew Day contains hyaluronic acid and a chemical exfoliant (LHA), and it promises reduced wrinkles and smoother, firmer skin – after 4 weeks of use. Well, I had 1 sample, so I can only share my first impressions. Read on, and I’ll tell you more.

The first thing I noticed about this face cream was its lovely texture. It felt silky, and it melted into the skin. Nice! I think this face cream would be suitable for normal to oily skin types. But I don’t think it’s good enough for dry skin. After a couple of hours I could feel that this cream just wasn’t moisturising enough. What else? I liked the subtle fragrance. However, I’m not happy that this face cream doesn’t contain sunscreen. All in all, I’m 100% sure I won’t be buying the full size.

Sample number 2 is L’Oréal Revitalift Filler Renew Anti-Ageing Day Replumping Care (this is what it says on the back of the sachet). This product contains hyaluronic acid and fibroxyl plant extract, and it promises reduced wrinkles and plumper skin that bounces back. L’Oréal didn’t state how long it would take for results to be visible.

When I opened the sachet, the first thing I noticed was a strong (and not very feminine) smell. It wasn’t really unpleasant, but I didn’t care for it at all. I also noticed that this cream was considerably thicker than the Laser Renew cream I tried the day before. I wouldn’t say the cream was waxy, but the texture felt quite awkward. I have to admit that I expected the cream to flake. However, it did nothing of the sort. It went on fine. Still… this cream wasn’t very moisturising, and it doesn’t contain sunscreen, so this is another product I won’t buy the full size of.

If you’d like to try these L’Oréal face creams, they’re available as 50ml for about £20 – £23 each. I think they’re quite pricey, so I would recommend you look up reviews from people who’ve used these creams for a number of weeks. Anyway, if you’ve tried these face creams, please get in touch. I’d love to know if these products worked for you. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Pantene Breakage Defence Hair Strength Tonic

Hi there! Pantene’s Breakage Defence Hair Strength Tonic has been sitting in my stash for quite some time. So I thought it’s time to give it a try! Before I tell you if this product is any good, here’s what it claims to do. 🙂

This product promises to provide “extra strength and resilient fullness”. It also claims to protect hair from styling damage. In order to reap the benefits, you’re supposed to use this tonic daily by spraying it at your roots (15 pumps, your hair can be dry or wet) and to massage it in. Now onto the review…

I’ve used this tonic twice – and I won’t be using it again. This tonic stinks. Literally. It stinks up my hair! But it’s not really surprising considering that the first ingredient listed on the back of the bottle is alcohol! I’m also not convinced that spraying alcohol at my roots and massaging it into my hair and scalp is a good thing…

In summary, this product is going in the bin!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – NYC In A Minute 238 MoMa & Stamping With Pueen 65

Hi there! I’ve got a Nail Of The Day post for you today.

For this mani I painted my nails with NYC In A Minute 238 MoMa (2 coats).

And I stamped with Pueen’s 65 plate (which is part of Pueen’s Stamping Buffet collection) and Rimmel 60 Seconds 820 Hot Black To Go.

I think this mani looks alright. But I don’t love it because the pink polish turned out to be darker than expected. I wanted a pale pink, but I got a bright pink…

How do you like this mani? Feel free to comment if you want to. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion with Shea Butter

Hi there! Today’s post is about Garnier’s Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion With Shea Butter.

This body lotion is aimed at people with very dry skin, and it promises hydration that can be felt for up to 7 days after you’ve stopped using the body lotion.

Sounds cool. So how’s the product?

Well, I think this body lotion is great. It’s very rich, so it can feel sticky on my skin. However, the sticky feeling doesn’t last very long, so I have no reason to complain.

I also think that this body lotion is very hydrating. It’s plain awesome for dry skin. It even works on elbows. Fantastic stuff!

And there’s one more thing… this body lotion smells wonderful. The shea butter fragrance is sweet and cuddly. I love it!

I would definitely recommend Garnier’s Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion With Shea Butter. It’s available as 250ml and 400ml. The smaller bottle can be yours for £1.49 if you keep your eyes peeled for special offers. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 18 – 24 Sep 2017

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I’s the last day of the week, so it’s time for my weekly blog recap. So let me tell you which posts I’ve published this week.

Monday 18 Sep – Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation

On Monday I reviewed Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid Foundation. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 19 Sep – Olay Essentials Complete Care Plus Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion

On Tuesday I reviewed an Olay moisturiser. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 20 Sep – Nail Of The Day / Nail Art Challenge
Thursday 21 Sep – Montagne Jeunesse Candyfloss Scrub

Wednesday’s post was about a mani I did for the A-Z Nail Art Challenge. Click here to read the post.
And on Thursday I reviewed a Montagne Jeunesse face mask. Click here to read the post.

Friday 22 Sep – Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath & Moisturising Crème Bath

Friday’s post was about 2 Superdrug bath products. Click here to read the post.

I also have a small eye palette update for you. I’ve neglected my Sleek Au Naturel palette during the summer, so I haven’t made that much progress. But I started to use it again. Here’s what it looks like now:

And I’m using a small Manhattan compact as well. The lightest shade (top) is my current inner corner shade. The pan’s almost empty. The orange shade (2nd from the top) is gone because I used it to make my own orange stamping polish. The light brown shade (2nd from bottom) is almost finished because I’ve been using this one almost every day for a few weeks now. Once the light brown shade is finished, I’ll start using the medium brown shade (bottom). This is what the Manhattan compact looks like now:

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

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Oldies Stash – 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath & Moisturising Crème Bath

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 Superdrug bath creams that I’ve had for quite some time – Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath & Moisturising Crème Bath. These 500ml bath creams are £1.39 each, but they were on special, so I bought 2 for the price of 1. Now onto the reviews!

Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath with shea extract and the fragrance of vanilla and almond is really nice. Whilst the bath cream isn’t nourishing, I’m happy that it isn’t drying. And the fragrance is sweet and cuddly. Good job, Superdrug!

Superdrug Moisturising Crème Bath with rose extract and the fragrance of shea butter and ginger is just as nice. Again, I don’t think this product is moisturising, but it doesn’t dry out my skin, so I can’t complain. The fragrance is lovely too. It’s a sweet rose fragrance. A candied rose, if that makes sense.

I haven’t seen any Superdrug own brand bath products the last time I swung by my local store. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think they might introduce a new bottle design. Well, that’s what they did with the shower gels…

Anyhoo… Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath & Moisturising Crème Bath are certified cruelty-free (they carry the Leaping Bunny logo) and suitable for vegans. Awesome stuff!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Cruelty-Free – Montagne Jeunesse Candyfloss Scrub

Hi there! Yesterday I showed you another mani that I did for the A-Z Nail Art Challenge. And today’s post is about Montagne Jeunesse’s Candyfloss Scrub which is exclusive to Primark (where it’s 90p).

This sugar scrub mask is easy to use. Apply the product and massage it over your face. Leave it alone for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse.

I think this mask is effective because you exfoliate your skin twice – the first time when you apply the mask, the second time when you rinse it off.

And the mask is fun too! The candy floss fragrance is sweet and authentic, and the gooey texture of the mask makes you think you really have some sort of sugary paste on your face. Awesome fun!

All in all, I would recommend this mask, and I will buy it again. Montagne Jeunesse’s Candyfloss Scrub is certified cruelty-free. It’s BUAV-approved, and it carries the Leaping Bunny logo.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Gosh 549 Holographic Hero & Stamping With Pueen 76 / A-Z Nail Art Challenge H-Holo

Hi there! I’ve got a Nail Of The Day post for you today.

This mani is another one that I did for the A-Z Nail Art Challenge. And I’m filing this one under H – Holo.

For this mani I painted my nails with Gosh 549 Holographic Hero (2 coats). This holo polish is not great, but holo polishes aren’t readily available in the UK, so I’m actually happy to have this one (and several back-up bottles) in my stash.

I also did a little stamping – and I used Pueen’s 76 plate (which is part of Pueen’s Buffet Leisure collection) and Rimmel 60 Seconds 820 Hot Black To Go for that. 🙂

I think this mani looks quite nice. Do you agree? Feel free to comment. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Essentials Complete Care Plus Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion

Hi there! Today’s post is about the moisturiser that I’ve been using since the end of July – Olay Essentials Complete Care Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion.

This product contains vitamins B3, E and pro-vitamin B5, and it promises 24-hour hydration, protection from sun exposure (SPF 15) and more radiant looking skin.

I’ve been using this moisturiser for quite some time now, and I think it’s awesome! It makes my skin feel soft and well hydrated, and it’s a perfect base for make-up. I also love the light-reflecting particles in this moisturiser because they really give my skin a healthy looking glow! Another thing I love about this moisturier is its subtle & sunny mandarin fragrance – to me it smells like a sunrise in Palermo.

I would recommend this moisturiser to everyone! Olay Essentials Complete Care Multiradiance Moisturising Lotion is available as 75ml for £10. I paid £4.50 (better than half price offer, Asda).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde