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 💙💛

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream SMLC 30 Seoul, NYC Smooch Proof Liquid Lip Stain 320 Unforgettable Fuchsia

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 lip products I picked up at Poundland for £1 each – NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream SMLC 30 Seoul and NYC Smooch Proof Liquid Lip Stain 320 Unforgettable Fuchsia.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream SMLC 30 Seoul is lovely! I’m enjoying the colour, the matte look, the cute vanilla flavour and, of course, the soft and velvety feel of this lip cream. I’m glad I bought it. I know I’ll be wearing it a lot this autumn and winter.

NYC Smooch Proof Liquid Lip Stain 320 Unforgettable Fuchsia is nice too (in a way), but it’s not going to be a favourite product of mine. The colour is insanely intense and bright – which I didn’t expect. Also, this lip stain is very difficult to remove from wherever you apply it. This stuff on your skin is like ink on a piece of blotting paper. But I’ll see if I can incorporate it into my “pretty working from home” routine.

Based on my experience, I’d recommend the NYX lip cream. However, I woldn’t recommend the NYC lip stain unless you’re into very bright and bold lip colours. However, if you’re interested, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream SMLC 30 Seoul is available as 8ml, and NYC Smooch Proof Liquid Lip Stain 320 Unforgettable Fuchsia is available as 7ml.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Lip Balm Favourites – Vaseline Lip Therpay + SPF 15, I Love… Choca Mocha Lala Moisturizing Lip Balm

Hi there! Today’s short post is about 2 lip balms that I’ve been using for the past few weeks – Vaseline Lip Therpay + SPF 15 and I Love… Choca Mocha Lala Moisturizing Lip Balm. I think these 2 lip balms are amazing, and here’s why.

Vaseline Lip Therpay + SPF 15 is a classic. It has the most wonderful formula. The lip balm just glides on, and it makes my lips feel hydrated and cared for. The yummy cocoa flavour is an added bonus. A great lip balm!

I Love… Choca Mocha Lala Moisturizing Lip Balm was a lovely surprise. I’ve had this lip balm in my stash for a little while, and I’ve never tried it until a few weeks ago. I fell in love instantly because this lip balm is very hydrating and it has the most amazing flavour – it comes close to Kinder chocolate! Another great lip balm!

Based on my experience, I’d recommend both these lip balms. The price for each item will depend on where you shop, but I found them both at Poundland!

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 💙💛

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Marks & Spencer Alphabet Personalised Beauty Gift Set

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Marks & Spencer Personalised Beauty Gift Set. They had a few random letters left on sale (half price = £6.25), and I opted for J over X or Q. This gift set contains 3 items – a fragrance, a hand cream and a lip balm. All of these products are vegan and certified cruelty-free – they carry the Leaping Bunny logo!

Let’s start with the fragrance which contains the following notes: red berries, pomegranate and musk. On paper, this doesn’t sound bad. However, this fragrance is the stuff of nightmares. They forgot to list one major ingredient – cloves! I’ve never smelled such a disgusting mess of cloves and overly ripe fruit.

I sprayed it once, smelled it, then I washed my arm and threw my cardie in the washing machine. The stink lingered for hours despite the window being open. I couldn’t and wouldn’t gift this to anyone. This fragrance is rubbish!

Onto the next product, the hand cream! The hand cream smells like an extremely watered-down version of the fragrance. Fortunately, the scent is very weak and fleeting, so it doesn’t stink up the room. The formula is very rich and nourishing. However, after the fragrance nightmare, I wasn’t too keen on the hand cream. So my husband is using it as a foot cream – and it works well.

And here’s item number 3 – the lip balm. This is the surprise of the month! Wow, what a beautiful lip balm! It’s very similar to Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Lip Care! This beautiful lip balm has a very subtle vanilla scent, it glides on, it’s very lightweight, and it’s incredibly hydrating. I love it! 😍 One of my favourite products this month!

All in all, whilst the lip balm is the absolute bomb, I had to bin the fragrance and I’m also not using the hand cream. I would hope that M&S will bring back the lip balm next Christmas, or that it will be available to buy on its own!

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

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

Claire’s Vanilla Cookie Flavoured Lip Balm, Claire’s Trifle Flavoured Lip Balm

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 lip balms I found at Claire’s – Claire’s Vanilla Cookie Flavoured Lip Balm and Claire’s Trifle Flavoured Lip Balm. I started to use these lip balms about a week before Christmas. And here’s what I think.

Claire’s Vanilla Cookie Flavoured Lip Balm is a pinkish-tinted lip balm. The pale pink tint is visible, and it doesn’t look flattering. The flavour is a bit random – definitely sweet, but nothing that could pass for vanilla, cookie or vanilla cookie. The lip balm is super soft and creamy, and it won’t stay on if you eat or drink.

Claire’s Trifle Flavoured Lip Balm is a purple-tinted, soft lip balm. The tint doesn’t show on the lips which is nice. The flavour reminds me of candy violets – I like it! This lip balm is also on the softer side, but fortunately not overly creamy, so it will stay on while you drink (not while you eat thought).

Lip balm 1 is a bit of a disappointment, but lip balm 2 is actually quite nice. In any event, I paid £1 per lip balm, so I can’t complain…

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

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