January Beauty Awards

Hi there! Since it’s the last day of the month, today’s post is about all the products I loved the most in January. It’s quite a few products this month. Let’s start with the Top 3, and there are a few honourable mentions further down.

3rd place – Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum & Rich Body Cream

Jil Sander Simply Elixir was a lovely surpise! The fragrance smells a lot more expensive that it is. You could call it a female version of Dior Fahrenheit!

Runner-Up – Agent Provocateur Fatale Intense Eau De Parfum

Fatale Intense smells like a lighter version of Angel. What a great find!

WINNER – Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner

Whilst the 2 fragrances above have really blown me away, this toner is in another dimension. I worship this toner!

Onto the honourable mentions! Skin Treats Aloe Vera Restoring Sheet Mask and Skin Treats Fennel Brightening Sheet Mask were lovely. Westlab Reviving Epsom Bath Salts are a new household favourite. And Carex’s gentle shower products definitely deserve a mention too!

Valjean Labs Replenish Hydration Gel is a brilliant facial moisturiser, whilst Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Fragrance-Free Non-Greasy Lotion is wonderful for the body. Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond is my current favourite lip product, and Lux Soft Touch Soap With SilkEssence TM & Rose Water is already on my list of products to buy again.

Wow, so many favourites! Have you tried any of these products? Which products have been your beauty heroes lately? Feel free to let me know via the comments, and thanks for stopping by! xo

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 24 – 30 January 2022

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is about all the posts I’ve written this past week, and here they are:

Monday 24 Jan – Sukin Rosehip Hydrating Day Cream

Monday’s post was about the day cream I’m using at the moment. Click here to read my review.

Wednesday 26 Jan – Skin Treats Aloe Vera Restoring Sheet Mask

I didn’t post on Tuesday, but Wednesday’s post was about this face mask. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 27 Jan – Carex Vitamin Fresh Shower Gel & Carex Nourishing Shower Cream

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

Friday 28 Jan – Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum & Rich Body Cream

And Friday’s post was about a fragrance and the matching body lotion. Click here to take a look.

This is already it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum & Rich Body Cream

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 products – Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum & Rich Body Cream. The fragrance Simply Elixir contains the following notes: pink pepper, ginger and blood orange (top notes), violet, iris, cedar and rose (heart notes), and leather, vanilla and patchouli (base notes).

Let me start with the fragrance review and say… this fragrance is gorgeous! It’s violet and leather on a sweet iris and vanilla base. This fragrance is feminine and sophisticated, probably more suited to people aged 30 and over as it gives off a grown-up vibe. Simply Elixir could be a female version of Dior Fahrenheit, however, it would still be suitable for men who enjoy sweeter fragrances. The other day I doused my husband in Simply Elixir (he didn’t know the fragrance), and he actually liked the beautiful scent on himself (and so did I).

The body cream is great too. The formula is simply perfect. It’s quick and easy to apply the cream. It hydrates my skin perfectly, and it smells just like Simply Elixir. Awesome stuff!

If you’re interested, Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum (40ml) & Rich Body Cream (75ml) are available as a gift set. I paid £13.95 (post Christmas sale). The price is absolutely ridiculous. Even though the price has gone up to over £20 again after the sale, the gift set is still a total steal. This exact gift set is over 50 EUR in Germany (I looked it up and found it on a website for a department store chain similar to the UK’s John Lewis).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Carex Vitamin Fresh Shower Gel & Carex Nourishing Shower Cream

Hi there! I picked up two random shower products – Carex Vitamin Fresh Shower Gel and Carex Nourishing Shower Cream. These were £1 each at Boots. Now let me tell you if these shower products are any good.

Carex Vitamin Fresh Shower Gel for hair and body with vitamins A&E has a fairly random marine scent. The scent is not bad at all – it’s actually pleasant – but it’s just not very imaginative. I thought I’d end up squeezing this shower gel into the hand wash dispenser in the kitchen. However, this shower gel leaves my skin feeling amazingly clean but also hydrated, so I’m happy to continue to use it in the shower. All in all, this is a really good product!

Carex‘s Nourishing Shower Cream for dry skin has a random creamy scent – it’s pleasant enough, and it fits the colour and the formula of the product. This shower cream cleanses my skin gently. It’s not the best shower gel to use after a work-out, but it’s definitely more than just good enough for day-to-day use. It feels nice on my dry skin, and it even lets me get away with not using body lotion after a shower. Another positive surprise from Carex!

Based on my experience, I’d recommend these products. They’re much better than comparable gentle shower products from Dove and other such brands. Carex Vitamin Fresh Shower Gel and Carex Nourishing Shower Cream are available as 250ml and 500ml. I picked up these two 250ml bottles when they were on special (£1 each).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Skin Treats Aloe Vera Restoring Sheet Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Skin Treats Aloe Vera Restoring Sheet Mask which I picked up at Savers a few weeks ago. The mask promises to have a soothing, calming and moisturising effect on the skin.

This face mask is easy to use. Cleanse your face, put the mask on, leave it on for 15 minutes while you relax. Then masssage the essence into the skin.

I tried this mask just yesterday, and I found it nice! It has a very subtle and pleasant aloe vera scent. With respect to what the mask does, I would agree that it calmed and hydrated my skin. I enjoyed how the mask felt while it was on, and I was also happy that it left my skin looking refreshed.

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

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Sukin Rosehip Hydrating Day Cream

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Sukin Rosehip Hydrating Day Cream which also contains pomegranate, kakadu plum and a bunch of other botanical ingredients. This day cream promises to help relieve dehydrated skin and fight the signs of ageing.

I’ve been using this day cream for a few weeks now and I think it’s not the best product for my skin type. It’s probably better suited to people with oily skin types. I don’t think someone with normal to dry skin would find this day cream hydrating enough. What I like about this day cream is that plays well with the other facial products I use and that it doesn’t irritate my skin. However, this cream is just not enough for my dry skin, and I often end up using face mist and facial oil as a booster.

If you’re interested, Sukin Rosehip Hydrating Day Cream is available as 120ml for £18.95. I got this product as part of a £12.99 gift set which contained Sukin products worth over £40! So far, the cleanser was disappointing, and this night cream is not suitable for my skin type (even though it says it is). Fingers crossed for the facial oil!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 17 – 23 January 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap, and these are the posts I’ve written this past week.

Monday 17 Jan – Nail Of The Day
Tuesday 18 Jan – Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Fragrance-Free Non-Greasy Lotion

Monday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
On Tuesday I reviewed a body lotion. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 19 Jan – Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner

Wednesday’s post was about this toner. Click here to read my review.

Thursday 20 Jan – Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond, Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Lip Balm, Malibu Sun Lip Care Vanilla Flavour 

On Thursday I reviewed a few lip products. Click here to take a look.

Friday 21 Jan – Westlab Reviving Epsom Salt

And Friday’s post was about these bath salts. Click here to read my review.

And this is it for this week. Enjoy what’s left of the weekend, and thanks for stopping by! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Westlab Reviving Epsom Salt

Hi there! Today’s post is about these bath salts which I picked up for £2 at B&M Bargains – Westlab Reviving Epsom Salt. These bath salts claim to help relax aching muscles. Simply add 2-3 handfuls of these bath salts to your bath and relax!

I’ve given these scent-free bath salts a try, and I would agree that they help relieve sore muscles after a workout. My husband has tried these bath salts too, and he was just as happy with them as I was. These bath salts will be repurchased, no doubt!

If you’re interested, a 1kg bag of Westlab Reviving Epsom Salt is usually about £6, but they’re also often on a half price deal at the drugstores or the supermarkets. I only paid £2 at my local B&M store.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond, Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Lip Balm, Malibu Sun Lip Care Vanilla Flavour

Hi there! Today’s post is about 3 lip products I’m using at the moment – Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond, Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Lip Balm which is 100% vegan and cruelt-free, and Malibu Sun Lip Care Vanilla Flavour.

Let’s start with Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond! This is a gorgeous lip gloss. It has a subtle sweet flavour and a sheer brownish tint which is a good match for me (pale ginger with green eyes). I also like that the gloss doesn’t slip. All in all, this is a really good lipgloss! I paid £1 for it (Wilko, sale)

Onto Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Lip Balm! I’ve been enjoying this lip balm for a few months now, and it’s almost finished. Why is it good? It has a beautiful texture that glides on and provides a real hydration boost. I’ve even used it around my eyes and my nose to heal broken, flaky skin. One word of caution though – this lip balm has a strong ricinus oil scent – if that’s not your cup of tea, you won’t like this lip balm!

If you’re interested, this lip balm is available as a duo pack for £3.49. I paid just over £2 during a Save 1/3 promotion (which Superdrug runs most of the time). Also, this lip balm is vegan and certified cruelty-free as it carries the Leaping Bunny logo!

Malibu Sun Lip Care Vanilla Flavour is a decent lip balm. It has SPF30 – this is great in many ways. However, this also means that the lip balm stings on broken skin. This lip balm is nice for healthy lips, and I would recommend as a summer holiday lip balm. The sweet vanilla flavour is alright too. Malibu Sun Lip Balms are usually available in sets of 3 for about £1.99 (Home Bargains and other bargain stores although the price may be different).

Whilst this post is not a product comparison, let me rate these lip products from best to 3rd best = Essence lipgloss, Superdrug lip balm, Malibu Sun lip balm. But I like them all; there’s not a single stinker amongst these products!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Pure Awesomeness – Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner which I found at TK Maxx. This toner with sodium hyaluronate, lemon, lime and plenty more botanical extracts promises to remove sebum and dead skin cells, to soothe the skin and to make pores appear smaller.

I’ve been using this toner for a few weeks now, and I love it! Wow, what a product! Since this toner contains lemon and lime extracts as well as other fruit extracts, it has a brightening effect on the skin. It’s amazing! This toner has insane cleansing powers. It makes my face look and feel clean and clear, but at the same time it doesn’t feel drying at all. This is, without doubt, one of the best toners I’ve ever used!

Based on my experience, I’d recommend this awesome toner. If you’re interested, Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner is available as 150ml. I paid £6 at TK Maxx.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde