2022 Favourites (Skin Care, Hair Care, Eyes, Lips, Fragrances)

Hi there! Today’s post is about my favourite products in 2022. Only the best of the best! Let’s take a look!

Scinic Sparkling Pore Toner

This is one of the best toners I’ve ever used. 😍

Agent Provocateur Fatale Intense Eau De Parfum

Fatale Intense is like a lighter version of Thierry Mugler’s Angel. 😇

Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum & Rich Body Cream

Simply Elixir was a very successful blind buy. It’s like a lady’s version of Dior Fahrenheit! 🌡

Oriflame Mirage Eau De Parfum

Mirage is one of the most beautiful and unique fragrance I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. It’s the Moira Rose of fragrances. 😍

Yves Saint Laurent Elle Limited Edition 2011, Yves Saint Laurent Elle Limited Edition 2012

I love YSL’s limited editions of Elle! 🗼

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Moisturising Facial Oil

Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Facial Oil is a skin care super hero! 💗

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Grow Strong Biotin + Bamboo Shampoo & Conditioner

These Pantene hair care products are some of my all-time favourite shampoo and conditioner combos. 😍

Antonio Banderas Her Secret Temptation Eau De Toilette

Her Secret Temptation is another amazing Antonio Banderas fragrance. Wow! 💗

Boots Live + Be Woodland Whisper Whipped Body Cream

This whipped body cream is one of the best body moisturisers I’ve used over the past year (or more). Insanely beautiful fragrance, perfect formula. 😍

Marks & Spencer Lip Balm
Prada Infusion De Fleur D’Oranger Eau De Parfum

This M&S lip balm is one of the best lip products I’ve ever used. Incredible stuff. 😍
Prada’s orange flower fragrance is my favourite Prada fragrance. I hope they’ll relaunch it so I can repurchase this gem! 💗

Revlon Custom Eyes 020 Naturally Glamorous

I love this eye palette so much! The quality of the eyeshadows is insane! 😍

Lancôme Hypnôse

Hypnôse is a cult classic and an incredibly beautiful fragrance. I love it! 💗

Ekél Natural Clean Peeling Gel Rice Bran

This is Ekél’s best peeling gel. Awesome stuff! 💗

MakeUp Revolution Redemption Palette Romantic Smoked

Wow, what an eye palette! This one was a wonderful surprise! 😍

Marks & Spencer Spiced Bergamot Eau De Toilette

M&S did an amazing job with this budget Light Blue-style fragrance. No, it’s not a dupe for Light Blue, but it’s the same type of fresh and summery citrus fragrance. 😍

Giorgio Armani Armani Code Summer Eau Fraîche
Nip + Fab Renew Retinol Fix Tonic Extreme

Armani Code Summer was a wonderful summer surprise. 🌞
Nip + Fab’s retinol toner is simply magical. 😍

Aussie Mega Shampoo & Conditioner

Aussie Mega is truly mega! An all-time favourite hair care combo. 💗

Yves Rocher Un Matin Au Jardin Cerisier En Fleurs Eau De Toilette
Salvador Dali Dalissime Eau De Toilette

Yves Rocher’s Cerisier En Fleurs fragrance was another lovely summer surprise. 🌞
Dalissime is one of my all-time favourite fragrances. I’ve been buying it since the 90s! 😍

Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Age-Defying Cream

This Olay moisturiser is simply stellar! I love it! 💗

Botanical Lab Neem Leaf + Salicylic Acid Anti-Blemish Gentle Face Wash
Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Toning Mist With Turmeric

This Botanical Lab face wash is one of the best face washes I’ve ever used. 😍
Neutrogena’s face mist with turmeric is a new skin care favourite. 💗

Ramer Sponges Cleansing Shammy For Sensitive Skin

This Shammy by Ramer Sponges is one of the best things I’ve ever bought. It’s that good that I bought 6 more already. These should last me for a long time – but I would always stock up on these. 💗

Marks & Spencer Water Jasmine Eau De Toilette

This fragrance is one of my favourites. It’similar to Light Blue (no, they’re not the same), and it’s refreshing and has this happy aura… I love it! 😍

Superdrug Revive Hair Care Collagen Shampoo & Conditioner

Superdrug did a fabulous job with these brilliant vegan collagen hair care products. 😍

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Eau Savoureuse Parfumante / Delectable Fragrant Water
Poundland #6 Vit C Toner

Rêve de Miel is one of my new favourite fragrances. I wish I had tried it sooner! 💗
Poundland’s Vit C Toner is an amazing skin care product. I love using it. 😍

Superdrug Extracts Banana 3 In 1 Hair Mask

Another amazing surprise find – I’m still enjoying this banana hair mask from Superdrug. 💗

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Cream With SPF 15

Olay products have served me so well over the years, and this lovely face cream is no exception. I love it! 💗

I Love… Chocolate Truffle Nourishing Body Butter
Kenzo Amour Eau De Parfum

OMG, this Chocolate Truffle Body Butter is out of this world. LOVE! 😍
And what can I say about Kenzo Amour? It’s one of the most beautiful fragrances ever. 11 stars don’t do it justice. 💗

And this is it for the year! I hope you love some of these awesome products too – and if you don’t know them, I hope you’ll give them a try. Thanks for stopping by again today. Have a happy and healthy 2023! 🥳🥳🥳

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Weekly Recap 12 – 18 December 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap. I only managed to do 2 posts this week – pretty much like the past few weeks.

Wednesday 14 Dec – I Love… Mango & Papaya Nourishing Body Butter

On Wednesday I reviewed this body butter that I’m using at the moment. Click here to read the post.

Saturday 17 Dec – Boots Glow Pineapple Sleep Mask

And Saturday’s post was about this sleep mask. Click here to take a look!

This is already it for this week. I don’t think I’ll be able to post more than 2 posts per weeks for the next few weeks, but hopefully work willl be less crazy in the not too distant future! Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Boots Glow Pineapple Sleep Mask

Hi there! Today’s short post is about this Boots Glow Pineapple Sleep Mask. This is a night cream with a fancy name, and it promises to smooth and to hydrate the skin. I’ve been using this product for about a month now, and here’s what I think.

I’ve been positively surprised by this product. While the gel moisturiser from the same range wasn’t a favourite, this sleep mask is much better. I love the thick formula, although I always mist my face before I use this sleep mask to lock in some extra moisture, and to make it easier to massage it into my skin.

I’m very happy with the nourishing formula, although it’s probably not the best product if your skin tends to develop impurities. I’ve also been using product as a day cream during the recent cold spell, and I’m happy to report that it’s a brilliant base for my foundation. Very nice! The fragrance is alright – it’s not annoying, so this is a huge step up from the gel moisturiser.

I’m happy with this product and I would recommend it. If you’re interested, Boots Glow Pineapple Sleep Mask is available as 50ml for £4. I bought 3 items from this range on a 3 for 2 special offer.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

I Love… Mango & Papaya Nourishing Body Butter

Hi there! Today’s short post is about this I Love… Nourishing Mango & Papaya Body Butter. I’ve tried and liked quite a few products from I Love…’s Mango & Papaya range, so it was more than time that I tried the matching body butter.

I started to use this body butter about 2 weeks ago, and I like it! This is a great body butter if you don’t want to waste spend time rubbing white moisturiser residue into your skin. This body butter sinks into the skin beautifully, it doesn’t leave any white residue behind, and it also doesn’t feel sticky. The fragrance is fruity and summery which makes me look forward to much nicer weather in a few months.

Based on my experience, I’d recommend this product. I Love… Nourishing Mango & Papaya Body Butter is available as 200ml. I think mine was from one of the bargain stores or from a reduced price gift set, so I’m not sure what I would have paid for this product.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Astonish Bath Soak Refreshing Golden Glow, Astonish Bath Soak Soothing Deep Blue

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 cheap bath gels which I picked up at Iceland and Poundland, respectively – Astonish Bath Soak Refreshing Golden Glow and Astonish Bath Soak Soothing Deep Blue. Onto the review!

Astonish Bath Soak Refreshing Golden Glow is a beautiful bath gel. Whilst most peach-scented toiletries smell of slightly bitter peach skin or of overly ripe peaches, this bath gel managed to capture the most pleasant peach scent – I call it dream peach! The bath gel is on the drying side, but I moisturise after every bath anyway, so I don’t mind.

Astonish Bath Soak Soothing Deep Blue smells too masculine for my taste. It smells like my husband’s many blue shower gels. It’s not a bad scent at all, and my husband used and enjoyed most of this bath gel, but I wouldn’t buy it again for myself. But I’d buy it for my husband. This one is also a bit drying, but not a problem if you moisturise after you’ve bathed.

Based on my experience, I would recommend both bath gels – provided you like the fragrances. Astonish Bath Soak Refreshing Golden Glow and Astonish Bath Soak Soothing Deep Blue are available as giant 950ml bottles, and priced at £1 each, they’re a total steal! Also, both products are certified cruelty-free – they carry THE Leaping Bunny logo, and they’re also vegan!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner combo. I really enjoyed the Grow Strong shampoo and conditioner from this range, but I didn’t care for the Silky & Glowing products. So how did these volume products do?

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo works. it just works. I knew it was volumising the first time I tried it. It felt amazing on my head, and I could tell that it managed to thicken my hair immediately. The only downside is the scent – it smells like a mix of that awful Chloe rose fragrance (yes, many people love it, but if you hate it, you really hate it) and cold air.

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Conditioner is just as brilliant as the shampoo. It detangles my hair with ease, but it doesn’t flatten it or weigh it down. Most volume conditioners either give me crunchy hair – or they’re just so bad that I end up using a ludicrous amount of product which then has a flattening effect. But not this one. Nope! This conditioner is excellent. Soft and bouncy hair, tons of volume… my only complaint is the smell.

Based on my experience, I’d actually recommend these products. And if you like fragrances like that Chloe fragrance, you’ll love the scent of these 2 products. I don’t know if I’ll buy these products again. Time will tell. If you’re interested, Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner are available as 400ml and 275ml respectively. These products are usually about £5 each, but I paid £2.50 each (half price offer, Tesco Clubcard).

EDIT 2 January 2023: I’ve finished these products now, and I’m glad they’re gone. The last 2 weeks, I woke up with what I’d call clown hair. Every single day. These products made my hair totally unmanageable. They were pretty good for the first 2 weeks, but the last 2 weeks were the worst 14 bad hair days of my life. Good riddance!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Weekly Recap 28 November – 4 December 2022

Hi there! Today’s super short post is about the posts I’ve written this past week. Only 2 posts – and here they are

Wednesday 30 Nov – November Favourites

Wednesday’s post was about my favourite products in November. Click here to see the TOP 3.

Saturday 3 Dec – November Empties

And on Saturday I showed you which items I managed to use up last month. Click here to see them all.

This is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by and take care! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Empties – November 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is about the products I emptied in November. I’d usually post on the 1st of a new month, but thanks to a ridiculous workload, I haven’t found the time to do a quick Empties post any sooner… Anyhoo, here’s what I finished in November.

1 Hugo Boss Pure Purple Eau De Parfum – this is a very nice fragrance. I enjoyed it, but it’s not something I’d buy for myself.

2 Maui Moisture Body Care Extra Hydrating + Shea Butter Body Lotion – sadly, this body lotion wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t buy it again.

3 Superdrug Fruity Vanilla Ice Cream Shower Gel – a lovely shower gel! My husband enjoyed it too. This was a limited edition shower gel which has sold out, but I have another bottle.

4 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Wash – simply lovely! Too bad the entire line has been discontinued. I have a few random Extracts products left in my stash, and I’ll use them here and there.

5 Boots Glow Pineapple Gel Moisturiser – this was alright while it lasted. Not a bad moisturiser at all, but I didn’t care for its scent.

6 I Love… Chocolate Truffle Nourishing Body Butter – this is one of the best body butters ever. Too bad it was a limited edition. But I have a few more tubs.

7 MakeUp Gallery Time To Shine Completely Clear 1 (no photo as my husband binned the empty product) – this is a decent clear polish from Poundland. I finished a few of these, and I bought 2 more.

8 Dove Purely Pampering Almond Cream With Hibiscus – an oldie from my stash. I fell out of love with this fragrance, so I wouldn’t repurchase this shower gel any time soon.

9 Revisiting Holy Grail Products – Herbal Essences Silk N’ Shine Conditioner – holy grail stuff! I have plenty more (shampoo and conditioner) in my stash.

10 Imperial Leather Indulgence Rich Moisturising Body Wash Irresistible – this was lovely, but unfortunately this shower gel has been discontinued.

And this is everything I finished in November. Another so-so month for empties. I hope I can finish a few more products in December. Let’s see…

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛