Weekly Recap 25 – 31 March 2019

Hi there! It’s Sunday – this means it’s time for my weekly blog recap. If you’ve missed a post that you might have liked, this is your chance to catch up. 🙂

Monday 25 Mar – Haul! Lots Of New Products!

On Monday I showed you what I bought over the past 4 weeks. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 26 Mar – Yves Rocher White Vanilla Limited Edition

Tuesday’s post was about Yves Rocher’s White Vanilla body care products. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 27 Mar – Nail Of The Day
Thursday 28 Mar – Valjean Labs Hydrate Face Mask

Wednesday’s post was about a mani. Click here to read it.
And on Thursday I reviewed a face mask. Click here to read the review.

Friday 29 Mar – Monthly Favourites

On Friday I told you which products I loved the most in March. Click here to read the post.

This is it for this week! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

March Beauty Awards

Hi there! Today’s the last working day of the month, so it’s time for my Monthly Favourites post, a.k.a. Mrs Strawberry Blonde’s March Beauty Awards. 😜 I’ve picked my favourites from all the products I reviewed in March. Let’s start with the Top 3!

3rd place – UNE Casual Matt Colour Rouge Demi-Mat Lipstick M08

UNE did an amazing job with this lipstick. I love the colour and the formula. I’m sad the entire line has been discontinued.

Runner-Up – Aussie Mega Shampoo & Conditioner

Aussie’s Mega hair products are in my all-time top 10 of shampoo and conditioner combos. I’ll stock up the next time there’s a half price or buy 1 get 1 free offer.

WINNER – Yves Rocher Monoï Eau Des Vahinés Eau De Toilette

This gorgeous fragrance is one of my new all-time favourites. I bought several back-up bottles. Just in case!

Onto the honourable mentions! Palmolive‘s Aroma Moments shower gels are amazing. Yves Rocher‘s White Vanilla products are super lovely, and Dove‘s Go Fresh shower gels are very enjoyable!

Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try any of these products? Which products have you been loving lately? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Valjean Labs Hydrate Face Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about Valjean Labs’ Hydrate Face Mask with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin B5. This face mask promises to plump up skin, and to improve skin’s elasticity.

This mask works like any other sheet mask. You’re supposed to… cleanse your face, place the mask on your face, leave it on for about 20 minutes, then remove it and massage the remaining essence into your skin.

I’ve already used 2 of these masks, and I have to say that I’m not impressed. I found that the mask doesn’t hydrate my skin, but that it makes my skin feel sticky. And this makes my skin feel uncomfortable to the point that it feels like something is pulling at my skin.

Whilst I can report that the mask did plump up my skin and smooth out the lines on my forehead, this effect was very short-lived (20 minutes). I’m not impressed.

A look at the ingredients showed that the essence contains a number of botanical extracts, and this is great. However, it also revealed that sodium hyaluronate was listed near the end of the ingredients list and only after parfum, so there can’t be much of it in this mask. Overall, I’m disappointed with this mask. I won’t recommend it, and I’ll take the remaining masks from the set into work, and whoever wants them can have them. If you’re looking for a hydrating face mask, I recommend Nature Love’s Hyaluronic Face Mask.

Valjean Labs’ Hydrate Face Mask is available as a set of 5 masks. I paid £4.99 (TK Maxx).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – NYC In A Minute 221 Spring Street & Stamping With Pueen 96

Hi there! I have a Nail Of The Day post for you today. 🙂

For this mani I painted my nails with NYC In A Minute 221 Spring Street (2 coats). This polish is almost a one-coater, and it dries reasonably quickly. I don’t love the colour, but I often use this polish for plain and simple manis (no stamping, no glitter, etc.), and I’ve noticed the bottle is almost empty. I think I should be able to get another mani out of it. But let’s see…

This time I decided to stamp, and I opted for the seashell pattern from Pueen‘s 96 plate (which is part of Pueen‘s Buffet Leisure stamping plate collection). The blue polish I stamped with is Essence Colour Boost 11 Instant Match.

I liked this mani. It wasn’t the most spectacular look, but I liked the coral and blue colour combo, and I’m glad I decided to stamp. What colour nail polish are you wearing at the moment? Feel free to comment. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Yves Rocher Vanille Blanche / White Vanilla Bath & Shower Gel, Perfumed Body Lotion, Hand Cream

Hi there! Today’s post is about Yves Rocher‘s Vanille Blanche / White Vanilla Bath & Shower Gel, Perfumed Body Lotion and Hand Cream. I bought these products when they went on sale after Christmas.

I’m pretty sure this collection is sold out now, but Yves Rocher seems to be doing the same 2 collections almost every Christmas (it’s usually vanilla and berries), so they might recycle these fragrances for this year’s festive season. Who knows…

Onto the review! Yves Rocher‘s Vanille Blanche / White Vanilla Bath & Shower Gel is lovely. I would describe the fragrance as a mix of snow and vanilla. The shower gel is gentle and not drying at all, and I’m very happy with it.

Yves Rocher‘s Vanille Blanche / White Vanilla Perfumed Body Lotion smells just as lovely as the shower gel. I also love the light formula. It’s not the most suitable body lotion for dry skin, but it absorbs in no time without leaving a sticky film behind. I think this is the perfect body lotion for when you’re in a hurry.

Yves Rocher‘s Vanille Blanche / White Vanilla Hand Cream is my favourite of the bunch! This is the perfect hand cream. It feels instantly nourishing, but it doesn’t feel sticky at all. It makes my hands feel super soft, but it doesn’t feel like “product”. The cute snowy vanilla fragrance is the icing on the cake. Awesome stuff!

If you’re interested in Yves Rocher products, you have to look online since, unfortunately, Yves Rocher ceased trading in the UK 2 weeks ago.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Haul! New Products From… Revolution, Barry M, Bundle Monster, The Crème Shop, Treacle Moon, Montagne Jeunesse, CND, Superdrug & More!

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I’ve bought over the past few weeks. I picked up a lot of face masks, but I also bought toiletries, nail stuff and other skin care. The following goodies are mine now!

The Crème Shop Clean Up, Skin set of 3 sheet masks for £4, TK Maxx. Polish’d Vitamin C Brightening Face Mask set of 5 sheet masks for £4.99, TK Maxx.

Skin Treats Glitter Face Pink Hydrogel Glitter Mask, £1 at B&M Bargains, 3 Holler And Glow Sheet Masks, £1 each at Primark.

2 fantastic Montagne Jeunesse Purple Acai Peel Off Face Masks, 30p each at Primark, Maxbrands Panda Face and Kitty Face Sheet Mask, 2 for £1 (intro offer) from the independent bargain store (formerly Poundworld) in East Ham.

2 Original Source shower gels – 90p each from the independent bargain store (formerly Poundworld) in East Ham.

Superdrug Calm Skin Blemish Rescue Gel, Superdrug Calm Skin Refreshing Facial Spritz – these were £2.99 each but there was a Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price offer. 2 CND Clear Top Coats – £1 each at Poundland. I bought 1 of these before, tried it, liked it, bought 2 more.

The incredible Treacle Moon Happy Melon Sorbet 4x500ml, £2 each (save 1/3 offer) at Waitrose!

Treacle Moon Her Mango Thoughts shower gel, £2 (save 1/3 offer) at Waitrose. Pack of 10 Fascy Aqua Sheet Masks, £5.99 at TK Maxx.

Superdrug Vitamin E products – 2 lip balms, £1.99 each but Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price, the Facial Exfoliating Bar and the Vitamin E Leave On Moisture Mask were £2.99 each but also Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price.

Palmolive Welcome To Madagascar Forest, Palmolive Welcome To Japanese Garden, £1 each, Superdrug.

Jiinju Sheet Mask Duo – I got 3 of these sets for free (gift with purchase), B. face masks, £1.45 each. Superdrug.

Barry M Molten Metal Holographic nail polishes, these were on special (3 for 2 across all makeup and nails at Superdrug, so I bought 6 items for £4 each and I paid £16 instead of £24). The Barry M Rockstar Lip & Nail Kit was a free gift with purchase.

Revolution Reloaded Marvellous Mattes, £4 but 3 for 2. I’m going to use this palette to make more stamping polishes! I bought another eye palette, but I don’t know where I placed it. Oops!

B. Vitalised Vitamin Facial Spritz, B. Comforted Camomile Facial Spritz, £3.89 each (half price offer).

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Facial Pads, B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads, £2.89 each (half price) – these seem to be the exact same product! 🤔 I’ll give them a try and report back!

And I bought 11 new Bundle Monster stamping plates, the cheapest plate was £1, the most expensive one was £2.60. Bundle Monster is now Maniology. Either way, I bought these stamping plates from a fantastic online shop – Nail Art UK. I’ve shopped with them before, and I think they provide excellent service! I’m not affiliated with them in any way, I’m just a happy customer.

Wow, I bought quite a lot! And I have no excuse really! Any new products you picked up recently? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 18 – 24 March 2019

Hi there! It’s Sunday, so it’s time for my weekly blog recap. Read on if you’d like to know what I’ve been up to on my blog this past week.

Monday 18 Mar – Yves Rocher Monoï Eau Des Vahinés Eau De Toilette

On Monday I reviewed a gorgeous fragrance. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 19 Mar – UNE Casual Matt Colour Rouge Demi-Mat Lipstick M08

Tuesday’s post was about my current favourite lipstick. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 20 Mar – Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger, Dove Go Fresh Pear & Aloe Vera

On Wednesday I reviewed 2 Dove shower gels. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 21 Mar – Nail Of The Day
Friday 22 Mar – Superdrug Refreshing Foaming Facial Wash

Thursday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
And on Friday I reviewed a face wash. Click here to read the post.

This is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Refreshing Foaming Facial Wash For Normal Skin

Hi there! Today’s post is about the face wash I’m using at the moment – Superdrug‘s Refreshing Foaming Facial Wash for normal skin.

This product with lemon and grape extract promises to remove make-up and impurities gently and effectively, and to refresh and revitalise skin.

I’ve been using this face wash for a few weeks now, and here’s what I think.

I think this face wash is very effective. It cleanses my skin deeply. However, I don’t agree that this product is gentle. It feels very drying. Based on this, I think this face wash is more suitable for people with very oily skin.

Another thing I’m not happy with is the strong fragrance. I love nice fragrances and scented products, but this face wash is just too much! I would describe the fragrance as one of those cheap smelling chemo-cosmetic fragrances. I’m not a fan, and I don’t understand how Superdrug got this fragrance so very wrong…

Based on my experience, I would not recommend this face wash. However, if you have very oily skin, you might want to give this a try.

Superdrug‘s Refreshing Foaming Facial Wash for normal skin is not only suitable for vegans, but also certified cruelty-free (it carries the Leaping Bunny logo). However, this product is being discontinued (which isn’t surprising), so this is one you will only find in your local Superdrug’s bargain bin.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel Salon Pro 312 Ultra Violet, Rimmel Lycra Pro 431 Stormy Skies, Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch 889 & Stamping With Pueen 99

Hi there! This post is about a mani I did a few weeks ago.

For this mani I painted my nails with Rimmel Lycra Pro 431 Stormy Skies (1 coat, middle and index fingers, thumbs) and Rimmel Salon Pro 312 Ultra Violet (2 coats, pinkies, ring fingers).

I used Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch 889 to add a touch of glitter to the purple nails.

For the images on the blue(ish) nails I used Pueen‘s 99 plate (which is part of Pueen‘s Make Your Day stamping plate collection). The golden polish I stamped with is the sensational Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure 819 Coat Of Arms.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger, Dove Go Fresh Pear & Aloe Vera

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing 2 Dove shower gels – Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger and Dove Go Fresh Pear & Aloe Vera. Dove’s pear shower gel is completely new to me. However, Dove’s nectarine shower gel used to be one of my favourites. Then it was discontinued, and I stashed away the last bottle I had. I didn’t buy anything else from Dove for a few years, and then, all of a sudden, I found a few more bottles of Dove’s nectarine shower gel at a local bargain store. But instead of using the shower gels, I put them in a box and stored them under the bed…

I’ve now made the decision to dip into my Dove stash, and I think that Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger is still amazing. It feels great on my skin, and it smells like nectarine yoghurt with a hint of ginger. It’s fruity, sweet, but also refreshing. My husband loves the shower gel too. I have no doubt we’ll be going through this one quickly.

Dove Go Fresh Pear & Aloe Vera is simply wonderful. The formula is kind to skin, and the shower gel smells of juicy pears and aloe vera. I love the refreshing fragrance, and my husband is quite fond of this shower gel too. Dove did a great job with this one!

Dove Go Fresh shower gels are available as 250ml, occasionally as 500ml as well. Prices vary depending on where you shop. I don’t mind picking up my Dove products for £1 at bargain stores. 😎

Mrs Strawberry Blonde