Skin Techniques Vitamin C Eye Serum

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Skin Techniques Vitamin C Eye Serum. This eye serum promises to repair the skin around the eyes and to improve the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles.

You’re supposed to use this product after you’ve cleansed your skin. Simply pat 1-2 drops of this eye serum around the orbital bone without pulling or stretching your skin. Then apply your regular moisturiser.

I’ve been using this eye serum for just 2 weeks now, but I like it a lot! The eye cream that I used for the past 6 (or so) months was nice, but this eye serum is much better. I love the watery formula – it’s very hydrating. The serum plays very well with my other facial products – face mist, moisturiser, make-up and so on. No issues at all!

I’ve also noticed that the skin around my eyes feels smoother. No difference in how it looks though – hey, it’s only 2 weeks. But based on the feel and the rich hydration I’m getting from this eye serum, I’m already very happy with it.

Based on my experience, I’d recommend this product. If you’re interested, Skin Techniques Vitamin C Eye Serum is available as 15ml. I paid £1.49 (B&M Bargains).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

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 💙💛

Essano Rosehip Visible Lift Eye Crème

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Essano Rosehip Visible Lift Eye Crème for all skin types. This eye cream contains shea butter, rosehip and seed jojoba oils, vitamins A, B3 (Niacinamide) and E, as well as pro-vitamin B5. The packaging states that over 97% of the ingredients are of natural origin.

This eye cream promises what most eye creams promise. It says it will soften and smooth fine lines and wrinkles, firm the skin for a visible lift, even out the skin tone and restore a youthful glow. Use it like any other eye cream = simply dab a small amount around the eye contour area.

I’ve been using this eye cream for over a month now, and I think it’s quite alright. It’s a lot better than the eye gel I used before. This eye cream feels rich and nourishing, but it’s not greasy. I haven’t seen any actual youthful glow or a visible lift, but I like the hydration I’m getting from this eye cream. One thing though – this eye cream could smell better! It smells a bit like furniture polish. Fortunately, the scent isn’t strong, and it doesn’t linger.

In any event, I’m happy to continue to use this product. If you’re interested, Essano Rosehip Visible Lift Eye Crème is available as 15ml. I paid a ridiculous £3 (TK Maxx). On another note, according to the manufacturer, this eye cream is vegan and cruelty-free! 😍

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Declutter & Swatches Part 3 – Astor, B., MUA, NYC, Rimmel, L’Oréal

Hi there! Today’s post is about a bunch of beauty products I swatched the other day. And here they are!

Astor Color Last VIP 240 Desire

Wow, what a bright and velvety red! Beautiful formula and beautiful colour. This is a good lipstick.

MUA MakeUp Academy Power Pout Intense Tint & Balm Crazy In Love

This is supposed to be a tinted balm. It’s a nightmare to apply. The colour is uneven and you’ll have to go over your lips 10 times to get the colour right. Not good.

MUA MakeUp Academy Power Pout Intense Tint & Balm Rendezvous

Just like the tinted lip balm above, this one wasn’t good (for the same reasons).

MUA MakeUp Academy Power Pout Intense Tint & Balm Broken Hearted

3rds time’s the charm? Nope. Another disappointing tinted lip balm from MUA. Also, this is by far the worst with respect to the uneven colour. It’s very streaky.

MUA Sheer Finish Lipgloss Let’s Meet

This lipgloss is a bit too sheer. You would need a lot of product to get any visible colour on your lips. But good if you don’t really want much colour with your lipgloss.

Superdrug B. Lipstick 054 Eton Mess

This is a light red. Not bad but not really my colour.

NYC City Duet Eyeshadow 799B Vintage Style

This is a small eyeshadow duo. An off-white shade and a brown shade.

These are actually quite nice!

Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Eyeshadow 018 Romantic Cool

Another small eyeshadow compact. This one’s from Rimmel.

3 shimmery shades, 1 matte shade (3, grey). The shimmers are surprisingly highly pigmented, but the chalky matte shade isn’t.

L’Oréal La Couleur 015 Flashback Silver

This is a great eyeshadow – it’s bursting with pigment. It’s also easy to blend and I haven’t had any fallout!

And this is it for today’s swatchfest. Thanks for stopping by! xx

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

MakeUp Revolution Redemption Palette Romantic Smoked

Hi there! Today’s post is about this MakeUp Revolution Redemption Palette Romantic Smoked. I’ve had this palette for a little while, and I only used 2 of the eyeshadows so far. But I’m going through my stash to see what’s worth keeping, and which products need to go. So I’ve now swatched the entire palette now. Let’s take a look!

The first 4 eyeshadows are beautiful shimmers – an off-white, a light brown, a pale peach and an olive shade. All of them are buttery and highly pigmented. And I’ve used all of them in different looks so far, and I like them all.

The 5th shade is a shimmery rosey pink. I like it a lot. The next 3 shades are mattes – a dark rose, a pale rose and a medium brown. All of them are highly pigmented, and they’re easy to blend. I like all of these 4 shades!

Onto the last 4 eyeshadows which are all mattes – a pale pink, a charcoal, a purple and a sandy shade. Thr first 2 mattes are easy to blend, but the last 2 are a bit chalky.

All in all, MakeUp Revolution Redemption Palette Romantic Smoked is a really good quality eye palette. 10 of the 12 shades are bursting with pigment and are easy to work with. This palette was £4, so I have no reason to complain!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

NYC City Mono Eyeshadows 915 Broadway Look, 918 Front Raw, 906 Luxury Reborn & Astor Couture Eye Shadow 120 Cocoa, 750 Glam Grey, 800 Pearl

Hi there! Today’s post is about 6 eyeshadows – NYC City Mono Eyeshadows 915 Broadway Look, 918 Front Raw, 906 Luxury Reborn & Astor Couture Eye Shadow 120 Cocoa, 750 Glam Grey, 800 Pearl.

Let’s start with NYC City Mono Eyeshadows 915 Broadway Look. This is a medium to dark grey which has both matte and metallic facets (swatch in photo 4). This is a weird eyeshadow. I won’t keep it.

NYC City Mono Eyeshadows 918 Front Raw is a bright and sparkly piggie pink (swatch in phopto 4). In terms of quality it’s not bad, but I don’t like it at all.

NYC City Mono Eyeshadows 906 Luxury Reborn is a beautiful light brown (swatch below). The eyeshadow has a creamy look to it. It’s so pretty!

I think Front Raw (2) and Luxury Reborn (3) look nice in the swatches, but Broadway Look (1) is just weird. Apologies for the pinkish hue in the first swatch – this is a scar.

Onto Astor Couture Eye Shadow 120 Cocoa which is a medium brown. This shade has a creamy texture and a shimmer-free metallic look (swatch in photo 8). Really nice!

Astor Couture Eye Shadow 750 Glam Grey is a metallic light grey shade (swatch in photo 8). Not bad but not a favourite.

And the last eyeshadow today is Astor Couture Eye Shadow 800 Pearl which is a shimmery white (swatch below). If it wasn’t so poorly pigmented, I could use it to make white stamping polish, but… I really have no use for this eyeshadow.

Cocoa (1) and Glam Grey (2) look nice in the swatches, but you can see that Pearl (3) is not a great product.

I will keep the 2 brownish shades – Luxury Reborn and Cocoa. I will incorportate the 2 grey shades – Broadway Look and Glam Grey – into a few more looks, but I will not keep these eyeshadows for long. And by the time this post is published, the pink and white eyeshadows – Front Raw and Pearl – will have been binned.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

W7 The Naughty Nine Arabian Nights

Hi there! Today’s post is about an eyeshadow palette – W7 The Naughty Nine Arabian Nights. W7 is a drugstore cosmetics brand from the UK. According to W7, their products are cruelty-free (and they don’t sell in China).

OK, let’s look at the palette now! It has 9 eyeshadows, all of them nude shades. Since 6 of the eyeshadows are lighter shades, I would say the palette is more suited to lighter skin tones.

Let’s start with the first 3 eyeshadows – below. The first shade is a matte, poorly pigmented, chalky pink. It hardly shows up on me. It also doesn’t blend well, but you wouldn’t know it because it’s barely there. The second shade is a pale, shimmery peach. Another barely there shade with respect to its (lack of) pigment. Shade 3 is a matte light coral shade. Just like shade 1, it’s poorly pigmented, it’s barely there and it’s also rather chalky. I’m not a fan of these 3 shades.

Onto the second row below! Eyeshadow number 4 is a pale gold. It’s also far from bursting with pigment, but this one looks nice when I use it as an accent in the inner corners of my eyes. Shade 5 is a light-brown-meets-orange kind of shade. Apologies for the pinkish hue on the left. This is a scar which I thought I’d covered. Oops! However, this eyeshadow is also not great. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too dark and too orangey for the inner corners of my eyes. I also don’t like the colour on my eyelids. Shade number 6 is a light toffee colour. Also matte, and also chalky.

And right below is row 3. No, this photo was not taken in a different setting or with different lighting. It’s just that my arm had a bit of a pink colour after I had removed the eyeshadow from the previous swatches. Alrighty, shade 7 is my favourite of the bunch. It’s a classic shimmery rosey light brown. I like it! Shades 8 and 9 are matte browns. Yes, also chalky and poorly pigmented. Not easy to apply.

This eye palette looked promising but once I started to use it, I found that only 2 eyeshadows are worth my time. I’ll make sure to get some use out of shades 4 and 7 over the next few weeks, but I won’t keep this palette for much longer.

W7 The Naughty Nine Arabian Nights eyeshadow palette is available for about £3. I bought it at a local bargain store (I want to say B&M but it may have been somwehere else).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Revlon Custom Eyes 020 Naturally Glamorous

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Revlon Custom Eyes 020 Naturally Glamorous eye shadow compact that I found in the bargain bin – I believe it was £1.99. I liked the neutral colours, and I thought they would suit me. So I gave these eyeshadows a try.

The shades are (from left to right) a matte black-tinted dark brown, a metallic golden topaz shade, a shimmery beige, a metallic teddy brown, and a gold-tinted light brown.

When I did the swatches, I was blown away. These eyeshadows are highly pigmented, buttery and so beautiful! I’ve worn them in all different kinds of combinations already, and I love the looks I can create with this compact.

This little compact was one of the biggest positive surprises of the year so far. Based on my experience, I’d recommend it! Revlon Custom Eyes 020 Naturally Glamorous is discontinued, but you might be able to find it online or in a drugstore bargain bin.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel

Hi there! Today’s post is about this A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel which I’ve been using for a few weeks now. This eye gel also contains pro-vitamin B5, vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid, bisabolol, Australian jojoba oil and other botanical extracts. According to A’kin, this eye gel is vegan and cruelty-free! 😍

This eye gel promises to do a lot – to reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes, to brighten, even out and tone the skin, to soften fine lines and wrinkles, to sooth and hydrate the skin and to fight signs of premature ageing for firmer and more luminous skin.

Since I’ve been using this eye gel for a few weeks, I think it’s not great. Definitely not repurchase-worthy – especially not for its usual price of £24. I paid £3 for this eye gel (TK Maxx), and I think that price is more in line with what the product does – which is to provide basic hydration (although I need to use a lot more product compared to other eye gels or creams).

With respect to its other claims, this eye gel is actually quite a letdown. I have to compare it with Olay’s eye gel which I’ve used for a few months right until I started to use this eye gel. The difference in quality is quite remarkable. Olay’s eye gel had a visible positive effect. This A’kin eye gel can’t maintain what Olay’s eye gel did for me.

All in all, I will use up this eye gel, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re interested, A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel is available as 15ml. The price will depend on where you shop.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Ciaté Liquid Velvet Oh Honey, Ciaté Eyeshadow Fierce (12 Days Of Ciaté London Calendar)

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 products from Ciaté’s 12 Days of Ciaté London Calendar – Ciaté Liquid Velvet Oh Honey and Ciaté Eyeshadow Fierce.

Let’s start with Ciaté Liquid Velvet Oh Honey which would have been “behind door number 1”.  On the front of the pack there’s the number 1 and a star, and on the back of the pack it says “Put on some lipstick and live a little”.

Oh Honey is a matte lip cream in a rich brown shade. It’s definitely not the most suitable shade for pale girls. Also, the name of the shade “Oh Honey” is just… 🙄 I might mix this shade with a lighter one but based on the formula, I’d prefer other lip creams, i.e. the cheap ones from Manhattan Cosmetics.

Onto Ciaté Eyeshadow Fierce! This eyeshadow would have been the 11th item in the calendar. The front of the pack displays the number 11 and the words “Beauty Shop”. On the back of the pack it says “Too glam to give a damn”. OK then!

When I freed the eyeshadow from its sleeve, I was disappointed to find a small eyeshadow tester. Not very glam! I appreciate the entire purpose of the calendar is to give an impression of what the brand has to offer. But the calendar was rather expensive (well, if you paid full price – mine was 50% off), and this kind of plastic tester isn’t really what most women would consider to be glamorous.

Personally, I love cheap stuff and I’m not ashamed of being a bargain hunter. Expensive fashion, beauty and jewellery have no appeal to me. But even I thought this was the cheapest looking eyeshadow sample I’ve ever seen. I must admit I felt some second hand embarrassment for Ciaté! 🤭

Since the packaging isn’t the most important thing about a product, let’s review the actual product. Looking at the eyeshadow in the tester pod, you’d expect a beautiful, velvety deep wine shade – rich and shimmery. Unfortunately, once applied, this shade turned out to be more of a colour-shifting rosey shade. It’s not a terrible shade, but it’s not what I wanted or expected. On a more positive note, the eyeshadow is highly pigmented and I haven’t experienced any fallout when I wore it.

If you’re interested, the photo above is what the calendar looks like. I will continue to test and review the remaining products!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde