2021 Beauty Awards – Part 2 – Hair, Body & Nails

Hi there! Today’s post is Part 2 of my 2021 beauty favourites. Yesterday, I focused on fragrances and products for the face. And today is all about hair and body products and my favourite manis of the past year. Onto the favourites!

HAIR

Herbal Essences Silk N’ Shine Shampoo & Conditioner

Holy grail stuff!

Herbal Essences Moisture Balance Shampoo & Conditioner

More holy grail stuff!

Revisiting Old Favourites – L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Caring Shampoo & Conditioner

Elvive Colour Protect is an all-time favourite combo. Great stuff!

Alberto Balsam Exotic Mango Shampoo & Conditioner

These mango-scented hair products are simply amazing!

Harmony Hair Indulgence Herbal Shampoo & Conditioner With Ginseng Extract

It’s a shame that the Harmony collection has been discontinued. This particular hair care combo was a delight.

Daily Defense Advanced Deep Conditioner With Argan Oil From Morocco

This deep conditioner is simply fantastic!

BODY

Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Smoothing All Over Body Cream With Acacia Collagen

This body cream with acacia collagen has been my favourite body moisturiser this year. I love it!

Palmolive Aroma Therapy Morning Tonic, Sensual, Absolute Relax

If I could only use 10 different shower gels for the rest of my life, these 3 would be in my top 10!

Radox “Shell Yeah” Sea Mineral Scent Shower Gel, Radox “Donut Mind If I Do” Vanilla Bean & White Chocolate Scent Shower Gel

These Radox shower gels were one of the most delightful beauty surprises this year.

Sanctuary Spa Mestizo Acai Rain Shower
Westlab Himalayan Salt Cleansing Bath & Shower Gel

2 more totally fabulous shower gels!

Sanctuary Spa Foaming Bath Soak
Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life
Palmolive My Fresh Splash Shower Gel

And the final 3 shower and bath favourites from this year.

NAILS

Marble Nails
Purple Nails
Blue & Red Nails

Some of my favourite manis from 2021. In no particular order!

Foil Nails
Gold & Magenta Nails
Lilac Nails

Here’s another 3 manis.

Marble Nails
Purple Nails
Red Nails

The last set of my favourite manis from 2021.

Thanks for stopping by today! And I hope you have a great start into the new year. Happy 2022! 😘🥂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

2021 Beauty Awards – Part 1 – Face & Fragrances

Hi there! Today’s post is about my favourite beauty products in 2021 – well, this is Part 1, and it’s about fragrances and products for the face. Part 2 will follow tomorrow with hair and body products and my favourite manis of 2021. Alrighty, let’s start with Part 1 now!

FACE

Danielle 2 In 1 Jade Dual Sided Facial Roller

This facial roller is my favourite beauty tool of 2021! It changed my life!

Superdrug Vitamin C Detox Skincare Brightening Vitamin C Tonic
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

These 2 toners are total game changers. I love them both so much, and I cannot imagine my skin care without them!

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Flexi-Hold 3 In 1 Foundation 30 Porcelain

I’m glad I tried Max Factor’s Face Finity foundation. I love it!

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

Olay’s eye gel is one of my all-time favourite eye products.

Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Ageing Regenerating Night Cream

Olay’s Regenerist night cream is soooo good!

Cellio It’s True Honey Moisture Cream

I enjoyed Cellio’s honey moisturiser very much!

Poundland #6 Anti-Ageing Retinol Day Cream With SPF 25

Poundland’s £3 retinol day cream is absolutely lovely (just like the matching serum and night cream).

Primark PS… Revitalising Cucumber Peel Off Mask
Montagne Jeunesse Cosmic Rose Quartz Peel-Off

These 2 peel off masks are very effective! I love them!

Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Glycolic Acid Spa Treatment Mask
DearBoo Collagen & Canola Flower Everyday Mask

And these 2 sheet masks made a positive difference to my skin care. Highly recommended!

Jayjun Pollution-Proof Refreshing Mask
100% Cruelty-Free – Primark PS… Vitamin C Revitalizing Bubble Sheet Mask

2 more face masks which worked amazingly well for me!

Mitomo Retinol Facial Essence Mask
Esfolio Hyaluronic Acid With Peach Essence Mask Sheet

And here’s another 2 face masks I’d highly recommend.

Astor Rouge Couture 301 Nude Silk

Astor’s Nude Silk lipstick is so beautiful! I love it!

FRAGRANCES

Nina Ricci L’Extase Eau De Parfum

L’Extase is such a beautiful fragrance. It’s in my all-time top 40 from the past 25+ years.

Antonio Banderas Her Golden Secret Eau De Toilette

Who would have thought that Antonio Banderas fragrances are actually very good? I was surprised (almost shocked) to find such a quality fragrance at a drugstore price. Wow!

Agent Provocateur Fatale Eau De Parfum

Fatale EdP has blown me away! I already bought another bottle – this time I bought a big 100ml!

Superdrug Layering Lab Blossom Body Mist
Superdrug Layering Lab Paradise Body Mist

Superdrug’s fantastic Layering Lab body mists resemble some of the most popular designer fragrances. Blossom is a dupe for Mugler’s Alien, and Paradise is a dupe for Olympéa.

Have you tried any of these products or would you like to try any of them? Which products do you love the most? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

December Beauty Awards

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I loved the most in December. As usual, I picked my favourites from all the products I’ve reviewed this past month. Let’s start with the TOP 3, and there are a few honourable mentions below!

3rd place – Daily Defense Advanced Deep Conditioner With Argan Oil From Morocco
Runner-Up – 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Daily Defense’s deep conditioner with argan oil is sooo good!
Superdrug’s glycolic toner has done wonders for my skin!

WINNER – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle eye gel is out of this world. One of the best eye products I’ve ever used!

Onto the honourable mentions! Superdrug’s Vitamin E Moisture Boost Facial Serum is amazing. It would have made the TOP 3 in most other months but I had too many awesome products to chose from this past month.

I like Asda’s and Sainsburys’ purple foam baths. Repurchase guaranteed! And there were a few great masks too – Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Retinol Spa Treatment Mask is a great and effective face mask, Skin Treats Manuka Honey Revitalising Facial Sheet Mask was lovely to use, and Skin Treats Spirulina Renewing Sheet Mask was very enjoyable too!

Have you tried any of these products or would you like to try any of them? Which products have you been loving lately? Feel free to comment, and thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Skin Treats Spirulina Renewing Sheet Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Skin Treats Spirulina Renewing Sheet Mask. This face mask is aimed at all skin types, and it promises to tone and revitalise the skin for a purified and refreshed feel.

How does it work? Start with a cleansed face. Put the mask on, leave it on for 15-20 minutes while you relax, then massage the essence into your skin.

I’ve given this mask a try, and I liked it. It felt refreshing and stimulating, and it left my skin looking clear and dewy. I also liked the subtle soapy fragrance – very nice!

Based on my experience, I’d recommend this face mask. If you’re interested, Skin Treats Spirulina Renewing Sheet Mask is available as a 20ml single-use sheet mask for £1 (Savers, B&M Bargains).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nail Of The Day – Miss Sporty Lasting Colour 500 & Pop Rocks Scalper

Hi there! Today’s short post is about a rather simple mani I did a few days ago.

For this mani I painted my nails with Miss Sport Lasting Colour 500 (2 coats). This is a beautiful shade and a quality polish. It’s a shame that the brand no longer exists.

The glitter top coat I used is Pop Rocks Scalper. This is a red-tinted jelly top coat with silver holographic glitter. I don’t use it much, but it is a cute glitter top coat.

I didn’t love this mani, but it wasn’t much of a surprise as it was a result of not having a single creative thought that day. The mani looked good enough for a few days, and that was OK. But hopefully the next mani will be more original!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 20 – 26 December 2021

Hi there! I hope you’ve enjoyed Christmas so far. Today’s post is my weekly blog recap, so read on if you’d like to know what I’ve posted about this past weeek.

Monday 20 Dec – Nail Of The Day
Tuesday 21 Dec – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Monday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
On Tuesday I re-reviewed a toner with glycolic acid. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 22 Dec – Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Steam Shower Body Cleanser AND Rich Intensive Body Butter 

Wednesday’s post was about 2 body products. Click here to take a look.

Thursday 23 Dec – Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight, Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island (12 Days Of Ciaté London Calendar)

On Thursday I reviewed 2 products from Ciaté’s advent calendar. Click here to read the post.

Friday 24 Dec – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

And on Friday I re-reviewed Olay’s wonderful eye gel. Click here to read the post.

And this is already it for this week! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy what’s left of the holidays! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Revisiting Old Favourites – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel. This product promises to reduce fine line and wrinkles and to help fight puffiness and dark circles. Use the eye gel twice a day, and expect results within 21 days – that’s what it says on the box. I haven’t used this eye gel for quite some time, but I was very happy when I found a few of these in my stash!

I’ve been using this eye cream for a few months now, and I love it just as much as I used to love it back then. This eye gel is at least in my all-time Top 3 eye products – it maybe even be the best eye product I’ve ever used. It kills lines and dark circles, and it makes me look well-rested even if I slept less than 4 hours. A true 11 stars product!

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel has been discontinued and replaced with another eye gel with a very similar ingredients list – Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel. However, the original eye gel can still be found online for a decent price!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight, Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island (12 Days Of Ciaté London Calendar)

Hi there! A while ago I bought this half price 12 Days Of Ciaté London Calendar. I don’t even know why I bought it, but since I have it, I thought I’d start giving the products in it a try. And today’s post is about 2 of the products from the calendar – Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight and Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island.

But before we get to the first 2 products, let me quickly show you the back of the calendar, so you can see the other goodies that I’ll be testing soon.

I’ve randomly picked 2 products to review – day 7 (Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight) and day 9 (Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island).

Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight is a matte look lip cream. It would have been behind door number 7 in the calendar. On the front of the little box it says “Merry Kissmas”. On the back it says “On a bad day there is always lipstick”.

I’ve been wearing this lip cream on and off for a few weeks now, and I think it’s OK but nothing special. It also doesn’t dry properly, so it comes off rather easily. If you’d ask me to choose between the cheap Manhattan lip cream and this one, I’d pick the cheap Manhattan one because that one actually dries properly (and it still looks good).

Onto Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island! This bronzer came in a little box with a London bus image on the front, and the phrase “Success is the only option because I like expensive makeup” on the back. Strange statement. 🙄

I don’t care for this bronzer at all. It has a strong orangey tinge which wouldn’t flatter anyone. I tried to use it as a blush, but it also doesn’t look good if used sparingly on the cheeks. Sorry, but this bronzer will go in the bin.

I’m more than happy to explore the other products in this calendar, and I’ll review them shortly!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Steam Shower Body Cleanser + Rich Intensive Body Butter

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 body products I found at Home Bargains – Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Steam Shower Body Cleanser and Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Rich Intensive Body Butter. I’ve given these 2 products a try, and here’s what I think.

Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Steam Shower Body Cleanser is really nice in all aspects. I like the formula – it’s a luxurious gel. I also like how the shower gel cleanses my skin without drying it out, and the fragrance is pleasant too – it’s a dense, dark floral scent which is perfect for this time of year.

Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Rich Intensive Body Butter is not really a body butter but a lotion in a tub. One twitch and you’ll spill it all in a second. Having said that, the body lotion is good. It’s absorbed quickly, it hydrates my skin well, and the floral scent (whilst not as nice as the shower gel) is alright too.

I found these two products at Home Bargains. The 500ml shower gel was £1.99, the 200ml body butter was 99p.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Revisiting Old Favourites – 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Today’s post is about this Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic.

This glycolic toner is an old beauty favourite, but I neglected using it for a while because I had so many other toners that I wanted to get to. But I’ve started using in again in September, and I’m over the moon with it. But let’s start with what the product promises…

This toner with 5% glycolic acid, kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts promises to exfoliate and to retexturise the skin, to fade pigment irregularities and to reduce discolouration, to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and to brighten and even out the skin tone. Wow, that’s quite a few promises!

But guess what – this toner keeps all of its promises! I’m using this toner once a day, in the morning, after I’ve showered. I love to start the day with a squeaky clean face, and this toner really makes it happen.

What does it do? It’s the ultimate post-cleansing product that catches all the dirt and gunk that your other cleansers and toners don’t catch. This toner keeps improving my skin tone – my skin is more even and brighter, and, my skin feels and looks smoother as well.

I’m in love with this toner’s exfoliating and brightening powers. It’s just incredible that this toner manages to keep my melasma in check. I know where the dark patches are (one of them is the size of a coaster), but you wouldn’t notice them unless I told you to look for them.

I love this toner so much, and I would recommend it! Since this toner has glycolic acid, please make sure to do a patch test before you use it, and use it gently, at least for the first few days until you’re satisfied that your skin tolerates it. Also make sure to use sunscreen!

If you’re interested, Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic is available as 100ml for £6.99 and 300ml for £11.99. Superdrug runs Buy 1 Get 1 Free or Better Than Half Price off promotions almost all the time. The 2 toners I bought were on a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal.

Also, this toner is 100% vegan and certified cruelty-free. It carries THE Leaping Bunny logo! 😍

Mrs Strawberry Blonde