April Beauty Awards

Hi there! It’s the last day of the month. This means that I’ve now chosen my favourite products of the month. I’m not doing a big intro today, so let’s start with the TOP 3, and then we move on to the honourable mentions.

3rd place – Valjean Labs Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Face Mask

Whilst Valjean Labs’ Hydrate mask didn’t impress me, their Glow face mask is simply amazing.

Runner-Up – Skin Treat Unicorn Hydrating Sheet Mask

This face mask is not only the cutest sheet mask ever, it’s also very effective. And it’s £1 only at B&M Bargains!

WINNER – Boots No 7 Skin Care Products

Boots did a great job with these No 7 products. And the lip care turned out to be the unexpected star of the collection!

Onto the honourable mentions! Garnier’s Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Lotion For Extra Dry Skin almost came in third (it was very close). Original Source did a great job with their Passionfruit And Jojoba Milk Shower Milk and their Orange Shower Gel. And I’ve been very happy with the cheap Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner from Poundland!

Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try them? Which products have you been loving lately? Feel free to comment. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum, Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream, Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Lip Care

Hi there! Today’s post is about a number of Boots No 7 products which I’ve been using for several weeks now. A few months ago, I purchased 2 half price gift sets containing a mix of sample size and full size Boots No 7 products. I’ve now given these products a try. And here’s what I think!

Let’s start with Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum. Whilst this was only a 5ml sample size, it served me well for 2 weeks. I used this product twice a day as the 2nd step in my post-cleansing skin care routine and immediately after a few sprays of Nourish’s face mist.

I haven’t seen any dramatic results, however, this serum makes my skin feel considerably firmer – within seconds of application. I have noticed that the few fine lines I have on my forehead have almost disappeared, but I’m reluctant to credit this serum alone because I’m using a few new No 7 products. I guess they do work best when combined! Anyhoo, I like this serum very much, and I’m very interested in giving the full size version a try!

Now scroll down and read on to find out if the eye cream and the lip care are any good. 😎

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Eye Cream (15ml, full size) provides the perfect level of hydration. It glides on easily, it feels weightless, and it plays well with my foundation. I don’t think it improved how the skin around my eyes feels or looks. But to be fair, I’ve been using my holy grail Olay eye gel for the past few months right until I started to use Boots’ eye cream (which was around 4 weeks ago). I guess the skin looks and feels as good as it reasonably can! But I have no doubt that Boots’ eye cream helps maintain the skin around my eyes. And all in all, I think this is a really nice eye cream.

And last but not least… Boots Protect & Perfect Lip Care (10ml, full size). This is, without doubt, the most effective lip care product I’ve ever used. And I’m saying this as someone who’s actually not a fan of lip products in tubes. However, this stuff is simply amazing! This lip care glides on easily, it feels very lightweight, but it also feels extremely hydrating and nourishing at the same time. The first few times I used it, I didn’t even understand what was going on. It’s THAT good.

Here’s the best bit – after 2 uses on 2 consecutive days, this lip care fixed the cracks in the corners of my mouth. No other lip product and no combination of vitamin pills has ever fixed the issue. But this Boots product did the trick. I’m blown away! What else? This lip care doesn’t leave a shiny residue on your lips. So whilst it feels like the ultimate lightweight hydration bomb, it’s not visible on your lips at all. It makes your lips look velvety, but it doesn’t look like product. Oh, and this lip care tastes of vanilla, and you only need a very small amount of product which means that the 10ml tube will last for quite a while!

In summary, I’m very happy with these No 7 products. I’m also using the day and night creams at the moment, and I’ll review these products shortly!

Have you tried any Boots No 7 products? Or would you like to try any of these products? Feel free to comment, and thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 22 – 28 April 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 written about this past week.

Monday 22 Apr – Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner

On Monday I reviewed a hair care combo. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 23 Apr – Superdrug B. Glowing Clay Face Mask, Superdrug B. Purified Clay Face Mask

Tuesday’s post was about 2 face masks I tried just recently. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 24 Apr – Nail Of The Day
Thursday 25 Apr – Superdrug Deep Action Deep Cleansing Charcoal Peel-Off Mask

On Wednesday I showed you a mani I did recently. Click here to read the post.
And on Thursday I reviewed a face mask. Click here to read the post.

Friday 26 Apr – Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa With Passion Flower & Rice Milk, Imperial Leather Moisturising Night Blooming Jasmine & Vanilla

Friday’s post was about 2 Imperial Leather shower gels. Click here to read the post.

And this is already it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! 😊

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa Passion Flower & Almond Milk Spa Escape Shower Cream, Imperial Leather Moisturising Night Blooming Jasmine & Vanilla Infusions Shower Cream

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing 2 shower creams which I started to use a few weeks ago – Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa with Passion Flower & Almond Milk and Imperial Leather Moisturising Night Blooming Jasmine & Vanilla.

Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa with Passion Flower & Almond Milk is a nice enough shower cream. It feels mildly hydrating. The fragrance is best described as a pink floral fragrance with an almond core. I don’t care for the fragrance. It’s not terrible, but it’s incredibly unremarkable.

Imperial Leather Moisturising Night Blooming Jasmine & Vanilla feels just as hydrating as the Polynesian Spa shower cream. This fragrance is a bit nicer. However, I’d still describe it as an unspectacular jasmine fragrance with a hint of vanilla.

Imperial Leather Polynesian Spa with Passion Flower & Almond Milk and Imperial Leather Moisturising Night Blooming Jasmine & Vanilla are available as 250ml and 400ml. I paid 90p each for the 400ml bottles.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Deep Action Deep Cleansing Charcoal Peel-Off Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug‘s Deep Action Deep Cleansing Charcoal Peel-Off Mask.

This face mask with activated charcoal, birch leaf and witch hazel promises to absorb excess oil and to cleanse pores deeply for a fresh and clear complexion.

I’ve tried this mask, and I think it works. It makes my skin feel clean and clear, and I agree that it removes excess oils – this is very noticeable around the nose!

Based on my experience, I would recommend this mask to anyone who’s looking for an inexpensive but effective (charcoal) peel-off mask that helps with oily skin or skin impurities. 👍

Superdrug‘s Deep Action Deep Cleansing Charcoal Peel-Off Mask is available as 10ml for 99p. Superdrug ran a Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price promotion, so I bought 2 masks.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 340 Cinna-Snap & Foils

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

I haven’t done a foil mani in quite some time, so I thought it’s definitely time for one!

So for this mani I painted my nails with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 340 Cinna Snap (2 coats). This is supposed to be a quick-dry polish, but it took ages to dry. Terrible!

I used colourful foils for the accents, and I’m happy with how this mani turned out. Each nail looked truly unique!

If you’ve never done a foil mani but would like to know how to do one, I’ve done a tutorial which you can find here. Supplies are cheap, and it’s super easy to do!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug B. Glowing Clay Face Mask, Superdrug B. Purified Clay Face Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 face masks that I bought in March – Superdrug’s B. Glowing Clay Face Mask and B. Purified Clay Face Mask. These 2 face masks are suitable for all skin types, and they’re vegan and cruelty-free (Leaping Bunny certified).

Superdrug’s B. Glowing Clay Face Mask promises to brighten and exfoliate skin and to refine skin texture. This mask contains a blend of 3 clays, red seaweed and apricot seed powder.

Since the pack provided enough product for 2 uses (10ml), my husband was happy to test the mask with me. We both agree that the mask feels cleansing and exfoliating. In addition, the mask feels extremely cold for the first minute or two, and I can see that some people would find this unpleasant. What else? My husband and I also agree that apricot seed powder is great in body scrubs but that it’s too harsh for facial skin. Because of this, I wouldn’t repurchase the mask.

Superdrug’s B. Purified Clay Face Mask promises to refresh and purify skin and to minimise shine. This face mask contains a blend of oil absorbing ingredients as well as eucalyptus extract.

My husband and I gave this mask a fair try as well, and we liked this one a lot more. My husband found that this mask stung a little around this nose, but I didn’t notice anything unpleasant or scary. This mask is very effective – it sucks the grease right out of the pores. I won’t buy this mask again because it’s too powerful for me. But if you have oily skin, or if your skin tends to develop impurities, you might want to give this mask a try!

Superdrug’s B. Glowing Clay Face Mask and B. Purified Clay Face Mask. are available as 10ml for £2.99 each. I paid £1.45 each (special offer).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner combo with Nourishing Oil. Hair Repair appears to be a true non-brand. However, a look at the back of the bottles reveals that these products are made by the same company (Mibelle Group) that makes Lee Stafford hair products as well as NSPA‘s face and body care products. On the back of the bottles it also states that these products are vegan and cruelty-free. Cool!

I’ve been using these hair products on and off since late March, and I think they’re really good. The shampoo is a clear liquid. It contains quite a few oils, but it feels cleansing and it doesn’t make my hair or scalp feel oily at any point. I like the beautiful floral fragrance a lot!

The conditioner is nice too. It’s thick in texture, but it’s easy to spread, and it detangles my hair nicely. It doesn’t smell as good as the shampoo (it doesn’t smell bad, it’s just not a spectacular fragrance), but it’s beautiful to look at. I love its shimmery golden colour. And I’m happy to report that this conditioner doesn’t make my hair or scalp feel oily at all.

Now here’s the best thing! These 2 products give my hair a lot of extra volume. I’ve used many volume shampoos and conditioners over the years, but these 2 products mop the floor with almost all of them. The only volume shampoo and conditioner combo that is slightly better is Alberto Balsam’s! So if you want to give your hair a little extra volume, you should give these products a try!

Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner with Nourishing Oil are available as 300ml for £1 each (Poundland).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Miss Sporty Lasting Colour 500, Jess Nail Polish Oxygen, Water Decals & Stamping With Pueen 77 / 31 Day Nail Art Challenge #6 Violet Nails

Hi there! Today’s post is about another mani that I’m doing for the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge. This is challenge #6 VIOLET NAILS.

For this mani I painted my nails with Miss Sporty Lasting Colour 500 (2 coats, middle and index fingers, thumbs). This is a gorgeous purple polish.

I used MoYou London‘s Orchid Chic stamping polish and Pueen‘s 77 stamping plate (which is part of Pueen‘s Buffet Leisure collection).

For the ring fingers and pinkies I used floral water decals and 2 coats of Jess Oxygen. Jess nail polishes used to be exclusive to Poundland, but the brand disappeared.

I really liked this mani. Purple is one of my favourite (nail) colours, and the decals looked very nice with the holo glitter top coat.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Rimmel Salon Pro 636 Hooray Henry & Stamping With Pueen 72 / 31 Day Nail Art Challenge #5 Blue Nails

Hi there! I did another mani for the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge (which I’m doing again – on my own terms).

This mani is for challenge #5 BLUE NAILS.

For this mani I painted my nails with Rimmel Salon Pro 636 Hooray Henry (2 coats). I love this polish. It’s perfect. I’ve been using it a lot lately!

I thought I’d do an easy floral mani, so I used one of my favourite stamping plates – Pueen‘s 72 plate (which is part of Pueen‘s Stamping Buffet collection).

The black polish I stamped with is Revlon Colorstay 270 Stiletto.

I was pleased with how this mani turned out. I need to use this beautiful stamping plate more often!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde