Best Of Beauty 2019 – Skin Care

Hi there! Welcome to part 2 of my Best Of Beauty 2019 round-up. This post is about the skin care products I loved the most in 2019, and it’s about everything except face masks since these were covered in yesterday’s pots. Alrighty, onto the skin care favourites!

Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF 15

Boots’ All Bright Hydrating Day Cream with SPF 15 is amazing for very dry skin!

Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner

Boots’ All Bright facial cleansing products are fantastic!

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum, Eye Cream, Protect & Perfect Lip Care

No 7 is Boots’ premium skin care range for a reason. These products are outstanding!

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream, Night Cream

More amazing products from Boots! 🥰

Balance Active Formula Vitamin C Brightening Serum

This is the best vitamin C serum you can buy for under £3!

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads

These cleansing pads are sensational. I love them!

Superdrug Deep Action Extreme Skin Brightening Solution
Superdrug B. Vitalised Vitamin Facial Spritz

Superdrug knocked it out of the park with this skin brightening solution! And their vitamin facial spritz is simply awesome!

Poundland #6 Anti-Ageing Eye Cream

Poundland did an amazing job with this £1 eye cream!

The Crème Shop Depuffing & Anti-Inflammatory Overnight Gel Mask With Rose Oil

I enjoyed The Crème Shop’s Overnight Gel Mask very much!

Yves Rocher Nutritive Végétal Velvety Cleansing Milk
Skin Assistant Collagen Morning Glow Serum

Yves Rocher’s cleansing milk is simply wonderful. And Skin Assistant’s serum was a revelation!

These are the best skin care products that I came across in 2019! Have you tried any of these products or would you like to give them a try? If there’s anything you’d recommend, please do let me know via the comments!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you’re back tomorrow when I’ll publish part 3 of my 2019 beauty favourites – tomorrow’s post is about everything not covered so far, and that’s fragrances and beauty stuff for hair, body and lips.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – November 2019

Hi there! November is behind us, and today’s post is about my November 2019 beauty trash. 🙂 I used quite a few single-use face masks. I didn’t keep the empty sachets, but if you’d like to read about my latest face mask finds, click here. Onto the big empties!

1 Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash – I enjoyed this face wash, and I’d like to buy it again (once I’m at least halfway through my face wash stash).

2 Imperial Leather Relaxing Orchid & Ylang Ylang Infusions Bath Cream – this a lovely bath cream that I will buy again.

3 Jennifer Lopez Glow EdT – whilst I’m not a fan of the singer/actress J Lo, I’m enjoying quite a few of her fragrances. I can definitely see myself buying a big 100ml bottle of Glow again!

4 Max Factor Pan Stik 25 Fair – my holy grail foundation! And this is the original Pan Stik – not the stuff they sell now…

5 Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care All Over Body Cream With Moonstone Extract – this is a lovely body cream. It’s a limited edition, but I have one more tub!

6 Nourish Protect Cooling Toning Mist – this is a very good face mist. I enjoyed using it! I’ll buy it again if it’s on special.

7 Good Things Spa Manuka Honey Nourishing Body Wash – another amazing body wash that I’d like to pick up again!

8 Boots Time Delay Deep Cleansing Facial Exfoliator – this stuff was good but not great. It’s been discontinued now, but I wouldn’t have repurchased it anyway.

9 Maybelline Black Eyeliner – this is a very good eyeliner. It may have been the last of the bunch or I might have a few more (I used to buy these in bulk). I’d buy these eyeliners again.

10 Boots No 7 Devil’s Delight Nail Polish – this is a good quality polish. I might have a backup (from one of the countless half price Christmas gift sets I bought over the past few years). Anyhoo… I’m happy to have finished another colour polish!

11 Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF15 – this day cream was very nice. I’m sure I’ll buy it again!

12 L’Oréal Elvive Dream Lengths Detangling Conditioner – a very unspectacular conditioner. Repurchase? Nope!

13 Imperial Leather Moroccan Spa Orange Blossom & Argan Oil Spa Escape Bath Cream – another amazing bath cream that I’ll buy again soon!

14 Yves Rocher Les Plaisirs Nature Organic Vanilla Silky Lotion – I enjoyed this silky lotion very much. I have 2 more bottles (old and new packaging).

I’m pleased with what I finished last month – I like to finish big bottles as well as small items like nail polish and eyeliner. I think I’ve done well again! Which products have you finished lately? Feel free to get in touch via the comments, and thanks for reading! 😊

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boots Botanics All Bright Night Cream

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream for people with normal or dry skin. This face cream promises to brighten and to hydrate skin. Here’s what I think about this product…

Unfortunately, I had to bin this face cream. A few weeks ago my eyes started to swell up. It was bad! Fortunately, I have a prescription for steroids, so I was able to take care of my eyes as soon as I noticed what was happening, and yes, I was able to prevent a full-blown angioedema. However, I also thought that a new beauty product might be to blame.

Since I started to use a few new products and new makeup brushes around the same time (silly me), I stopped using all of the new products and I went back to a full Olay skin care regime. Then I re-introduced the new products – 1 product or tool at a time, and no more than 1 new product or tool every 5 days. I also kept track of every single product and tool that I used around my eyes. 👍

5 weeks later I finally had my answer – it was this night cream that caused a terrible skin reaction. Whilst I love Boots’ Botanics All Bright Day Cream and a few more products from their All Bright collection, I won’t go anywhere near this night cream again.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – August 2019

Hi there! It’s the first weekday of a new month, and this means that today’s post is about all the toiletries and beauty products I finished last month. I’ve done very well again (yes, my husband helped), and for the first time in what feels like a million years I managed to use up a mono eyeshadow! YESSS! 🤣💪 Now, onto the empties!

1 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel – of all the eye creams / gels I’ve tried so far, this is my favourite! Yes, I have a backup.

2 Manhattan Multi Effect Eyeshadow 92W Caramel Fudge – I enjoyed this eyeshadow a lot! Great quality and colour. Repurchase? Nope! I’d never repurchase the same eyeshadow because of how long it takes to finish such a product.

3 Radox Scent Touch Feel Free – this is a good shower gel with a pleasant and long-lasting fragrance, and I might buy it again. This is a shared empty because my husband used this shower gel too.

4 Herbal Essences Bio Renew Rosemary & Herbs Moisture Conditioner – this is a great conditioner, and I will buy it (and the matching shampoo) again, no doubt!

5 Original Source Lemon And Tea Tree Shower – this is a summer favourite and another shared empty. Repurchase? Yes!

6 – 7 Hello Kitty Lipstick & Lipgloss – these products aren’t empty, but they’ve been living in my drawer for far too long. I’m not going to use them at this point, so bye-bye!

8 Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer – another product I’m throwing out because I won’t use it. This is a lip lacquer in an insanely bright neon-raspberry kind of shade. I don’t know why I bought it because I can’t wear such shades.

9 Essence Eyeliner 02 Blue – I tried to get some use out of this light blue eyeliner, but it’s just not me, so I’m binning this one too. I have green eyes, and this shade of eyeliner just doesn’t work for me.

10 Baylis & Harding Beauticology Pink Grapefruit & Raspberry Fragrance Mist – I enjoyed this body mist while it lasted, but I don’t think I’d repurchase it because I’ve grown tired of the fragrance.

11 Good Things Spa Acai Berry Daily Essential Body Wash – I enjoyed this body wash, but it’s been discontinued, so I can’t repurchase it.

12 Carex Moisture Plus Shower Cream – this is another shared empty and another nice shower product that I might buy again!

13 Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Apple & Melon Shower – this is one of 2 hydrating (!) shower products that helped me stay on top of my dry skin and my eczema when it was almost 40C in July (I just couldn’t bring myself to use body lotion for 3 days). But I don’t think I’ll buy this particular fragrance again; the grapefruit & mint shower gel was nicer!

14 Sleek Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette – this palette isn’t empty, but it’s as near-empty as it can possibly be. I’ve now decided to throw it away because I haven’t used it in ages, and I’m not going to use it anymore. But I DID empty 9 of the 12 pans! Anyhoo, before I took the photo, I gave the palette a quick wipe – but then I dropped it and the lid broke off.

15 Superdrug B. Vitalised Vitamin Facial Spritz – this is another amazing face mist from Superdrug. I enjoyed it very much, and I will buy it again!

16 Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream – one of the best cleansers I’ve ever tried. Repurchase? Yes!

17 Superdrug B. Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I love this face mist! This was the first Superdrug face mist I’ve ever tried, and I loved it from day 1! Superdrug repackaged this one but the ingredients are 100% the same! If you’re wondering why I emptied 2 face mists, this was the one I had in my handbag.

August was a good month for Empties – I said goodbye to small items and big bottles, and I even threw out unloved stuff that I won’t be using and can’t repurpose. I do hope I can say goodbye to just as many products in September. Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 19 – 25 August 2019

Hi there! Happy Sunday! It’s the end of the week, so today’s post is my weekly blog recap. If you’ve missed a post that you might have liked, this is your chance to catch up. 😉

Monday 19 Aug – Tresemmé Expert Keratin Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner With Marula Oil

Monday’s post was about 2 hair products. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 20 Aug – Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF 15

On Tuesday I reviewed the day cream I’m using at the moment. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 21 Aug – Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Apple & Melon Shower, Grapefruit & Mint Shower

Wednesday’s post was about 2 shower gels. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 22 Aug – Nail Of The Day
Friday 23 Aug – Superdrug Pink Clay Purifying Mask

On Thursday I showed you a mani I did recently. Click here to read the post.
And Friday’s post was a face mask review. Click here to read it.

And this is it for this week! Thanks for stopping by! 😊

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream SPF15

Hi there! Today’s post is about the face cream I’m using at the moment – Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream with SPF 15. This face cream for people with normal to dry skin promises to brighten and protect skin for 24 hours. I’ve been using this face cream for a few weeks now, and here’s what I think.

I’m enjoying this day cream very much! I can’t comment on whether it’s actually brightening (my face has reached maximum brightness levels since I started using Superdrug’s Skin Brightening Solution almost 2 months ago). However, I think this day cream is very good because it feels rich and insanely moisturising, and it plays amazingly well with my foundation (Max Factor Pan Stik). I think Boots did a fantastic job with this day cream!

Boots Botanics All Bright Day Cream with SPF15 is available as 50ml for £6.99. I paid £2.50 (clearance, old packaging).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 12 – 18 August 2019

Hi there! It’s the last day of the week, and this means that today’s post is my weekly blog recap. Read on if you’d like to know what I’ve been up to on my blog this past week. 🙂

Monday 12 Aug – Nail Of The Day
Tuesday 13 Aug – Superdrug Deep Action Extreme Skin Brightening Solution

Monday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
On Tuesday I reviewed Superdrug’s new Skin Brightening Solution. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 14 Aug – Yves Rocher Framboise Nourishing Lip Balm, Manhattan Lipjelly 59N, MUA MakeUp Academy Sheer Finish Lipgloss Perk Me Up

Wednesday’s post was about a bunch of lip products. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 15 Aug – Nail Of The Day
Friday 16 Aug – Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash

On Thursday I showed you another mani I did recently. Click here to read the post.
And on Friday I told you about Boots’ All Bright face wash. Click here to read the review.

One more thing of a personal nature – we had another mumps outbreak at work. Yikes! Apparently the initial outbreak happened at a university nearby… Work was crazy with some of us having to cover for other people and other departments. People, if you haven’t had mumps as a child, please get vaccinated. Mumps is serious, and it takes you out for 2 weeks! And if you feel symptoms, please stay at home and don’t spread the virus on the train / bus / work place / sandwich place…

And this is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

February Beauty Awards

Hi there! It’s the last day of the month, so it’s time for my Monthly Favourites post – a.k.a. Mrs Strawberry Blonde’s February Beauty Awards. As always, I’ve picked my top 3 from all the products I’ve reviewed this month. And, of course, there are a few honourable mentions as well. 🙂

3rd place – The Crème Shop Rose Oil Depuffing & Anti-Inflammatory Overnight Gel Mask

I’m very impressed with The Crème Shop’s Rose Oil Overnight Gel Mask. This product makes my skin look great, and it’s also fun to use. Recommended!

Runner-Up – The Crème Shop Holiday Cheer And Clear “Naughty” Clarifying Face Mask

This Clarifying Face Mask from The Crème Shop is simply amazing. It reduces redness significantly, it calms down angry skin, it shrinks pores, and it’s deeply hydrating. What’s not to love?!

WINNER – Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner

Boots did a fantastic job with these All Bright facial cleansing products. I saw a huge difference after 2 weeks of using the cleanser and the toner. These products are outstanding. 11 stars!

Onto the honourable mentions! I loved The Crème Shop’s Last Christmas “Nice” Forever Young Face Mask and Primark’s PS… Deep Cleansing Bubble Mask With Blueberry.

But I was also impressed with a couple of body care items. Baylis & Harding’s Beauticology Pink Grapefruit & Raspberry products (especially the body butter) are really lovely, Superdrug’s Cherry & Macadamia Body Scrub is fantastic, and Treacle Moon’s Happy Melon Sorbet is one of the best shower gels I’ve ever used. It’s… wow!

Which products have you been loving lately? Have you tried any of these products or would you like to try any of them? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 11 – 17 February 2019

Hi there! It’s Sunday, so it’s time for my weekly recap. Read on to find out what I’ve written about this week.

Monday 11 Feb – The Crème Shop Depuffing & Anti-Inflammatory Rose Oil Overnight Gel Mask

On Monday I reviewed another overnight gel mask. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 12 Feb – Treacle Moon Happy Melon Sorbet & Sugared Grapefruit Sunrise

Tuesday’s post was about 2 shower gels. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 13 Feb – Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner

On Wednesday I reviewed 2 amazing facial cleansing products. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 14 Feb – Nail Of The Day
Friday 15 Feb – The Crème Shop Last Christmas Nice Forever Young Face Mask

On Thursday I showed you a mani I did not too long ago. Click here to read the post.
And on Friday I reviewed a face mask. Click here to read the post.

And this is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner

Hi there! Today’s post is about 2 facial cleansing products – Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner for all skin types. These products promise to remove make-up and impurities, and to refresh skin. Both the cleansing cream and the toner contain hibiscus extract which is said to have a brightening effect. I’ve been using these products for a few weeks now, and here’s what I think.

Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream is a nice change from Garnier’s unconvincing honey flower cleanser. Boots’ cleansing cream is very effective at dissolving and removing makeup. At the same time, it’s very gentle on the skin. I have very dry and moody skin, and I think this cleansing cream is simply wonderful! One more thing – now that I’m no longer using Garnier’s honey flower cleanser, I ‘ve realised that my skin doesn’t have to look red after I’ve cleansed my face! Thank you Boots for this amazing product!

Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner is just as great. This toner picks up any product residue with ease, so it’s very effective. Not only does it feel refreshing and purifying, but it also does make my skin look bright, clean and clear. Another fantastic product from Boots!

Based on my experience, I would recommend these products to anyone. I’ve noticed that, after just over 2 weeks, my skin tone looked more even, my skin is a lot clearer, and the yellowish patches I’ve had under my eyes and on my cheekbones are gone. It’s like they’ve never existed! I’m impressed!

Boots Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream & Cleansing Toner are available as 250ml each. They’re £5.49 each at Boots. However, I paid £2.50 each (clearance before the products were repackaged).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde