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

Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing the face wash I’m using at the moment – Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash.

I think I’ve actually been using this face wash for almost 2 months now, so it’s definitely time for a review!

This face wash belongs to Boots Botanics’ All Bright collection, and it promises a brighter, more even and smoother complexion. It’s aimed at all skin types.

What else? This face wash contains hibiscus extract, which, according to Boots, is known for its brightening properties. However, the face wash also contain an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) which is proven to have exfoliating and brightening powers.

Since I’m using a number of very effective brightening products already, it’s not possible for me to say which product does what. But I’m satisfied that this face wash helps me maintain a bright and smooth complexion.

I also enjoy this face wash because it cleanses my skin gently, and it removes makeup and oil effectively and without irritating my skin.

I’m happy to continue to use this product, and I would recommend it if you’re looking for a face wash that contains AHA but that’s not to harsh on the skin. Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Foam Wash is available as 150ml for £5.49. I paid £2.50 (clearance, old packaging).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – July 2017

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished last month. I used a few single-use face masks. Whilst I don’t keep the empty sachets, you can read about my latest face mask finds here. Now onto the ‘big’ empties! 🙂

1 Superdrug Clearly Youthful Resurfacing Night Serum – this is a great serum. Since it contains AHA and BHA it doesn’t smell great, but this serum gives real results. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued, but I have one more back-up bottle.

2 Superdrug B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I love this product! I will continue to buy it for as long as it’s made. Awesome stuff!

3 Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Perfume Roll-On – this fragrance is nice. It says coconut nectar, but it’s more like a heavy vanilla with lots of honey and a drop of coconut milk. I won’t buy it again because I don’t love the fragrance.

4 I Love… Mango & Papaya Refreshing Body Spritzer – this body spritzer was a nice surprise. The fragrance is sunny and summery – and it’s very well done. Definitely a lot better than all those £15 celebrity fragrances. I have 1 back-up bottle!

5 Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel – this is a wonderful face wash (and I have a back-up). I’d love to buy this product again and again, but, unfortunately, it’s been discontinued.

6 I Love… Tropical Paradise Nourishing Body Butter – this body butter was really nice. Very nourishing, but not sticky. Great for summer! I would buy this body butter again, but it appears that Tropial Paradise was a limited edition that sold out quickly.

7 L’Oréal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Crystal Sparkling Conditioner – this is an average conditioner. However, I might buy it again one more time because I’d like to test if the Nutri-Gloss Luminizer shampoo would be a better prep for this conditioner.

8 I Love… Tropical Paradise Bath & Shower Crème – this is a nice shower gel with a pleasant exotic fragrance. I would buy it again. However, it appears that this limited edition product is gone for good!

9 Nail Polish Remover – quite effective and not too stinky, and dirt cheap (£1 for 400ml)! Yes, I have a back-up.

10 Astor Fashion Studio 221 Cabaret – this was an ugly pearly-white polish with a frosty finish. I used it as a base coat. Repurchase? Nope!

11 Rimmel Lycra Pro 421 Clearly Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes. Great as a base coat or as a top coat. I have several bottles in various states of empty. 🙂

12 MUA Top Clear Coat – yes, its name is Top Clear Coat! This is a reasonable top coat. And I have a few back-up bottles.

13 The Healing Garden JasmineSensations – this is a super sweet jasmine and bubble gum fragrance. Gorgeous! I have a few 15ml bottles!

14 Leafy & Lovely Summer Meadow Hand Lotion – a very nice hand cream! It also looks super fancy but it was £1 only. This hand cream has been repackaged – and I have one more tube in my stash!

15 Garnier Skin Naturals Fresh Radiance Boosting Scrub – a reasonable scrub. Effective, but not harsh at all. I’ve been using this scrub every Saturday for 10 months, and it’s finally finished! Whilst I would recommend this scrub, I won’t buy it again because I have countless scrubs in my stash.

16 Garnier Moisture + Protect Daily Protective Moisturiser – this is a good moisturiser. However, I don’t like the fragrance at all, so I wouldn’t buy it again.

This is what I emptied last month. I’m glad I managed to finish another big 500ml shower gel and lots of smaller items! Feel free to comment if you want to. And thanks for reading. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – August 2016

Hi there! It’s the 1st of September – this means it’s time for the monthly empties post. Again, I managed to use use up quite a few products (I’ve done well this summer!), so here’s what I’ve said goodbye to in August.

1 Jennifer Lopez Live EDP (100ml) – I’ve worn this fragrance on and off for about five years. It’s one of my favourite fragrances and a guilty pleasure because in real life I try my best not to tell people that I’m in love with a J Lo fragrance. However, I’m happy to recommend this fragrance on my blog (Try it!) and I’m just as happy to tell you I have another 100ml back-up bottle!

2 NSPA Passionfruit Fragrance Body Mist (200ml) – I’ve used this body mist on and off since last summer – as a body and scarf spray. 🙂 It’s a decent fruity body mist. But I won’t buy another bottle because I’ve got too many fragrances and fragrance mists, but if you’re looking for a budget-friendly, simple, fresh, fruity and tropical body mist, I’d definitely recommend you try this one.

3 Alverde Grapefruit & Kiwi Body Spray (100ml) – I bought this body spray in 2010 and I’ve finally used it up. I actually liked this body spray. The fragrance is (well, was) 95% kiwi – very fresh, a little sweet and a little tangy! This one was a limited edition, so it’s no longer available. But I wouldn’t repurchase it anyway because I’ve got other fragrances that want to be used up!

4 Original Source Extreme Deep Clean Liquorice Body Scrub – I’ve used this one on and off since mid-July. If you love liquorice, you need to try this shower scrub. It’s brilliant. My husband likes this scrub too. And since he’s also used it a couple of times, this one is a shared empty. And yes, I have a back-up bottle. 🙂

5 I Love… Raspberry Vanilla Shower Cream – I’ve used this one on and off since May. It’s very nice! It’s sad that it has been discontinued. 😦

6 Imperial Leather Revitalising Grapefruit & Pomegranate Shower Cream – I’ve used this one on and off since mid-June. It’s a super refreshing shower cream that’s perfect for those summer days when it’s too hot to use a body lotion after the shower. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued and I can’t buy it again. But I’ve got at least two back-up bottles.

7 Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel – one of the best face washes I’ve ever tried. I’ve used this face wash on and off since mid-May and I’m very happy with the results. But I’ve used this face wash before so I knew how brilliant this product is. Unfortunately this face wash has been discontinued, so I can’t buy it again. But I have three tubes left, so there’s no need for me to panic.

8 Rimmel 60 Seconds 740 Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes. Applies like a charm, dries quickly…. I have several back-up bottles and I’ll continue to buy this polish for as long as I can find it.

9 Dove Intensive Nourishing Hand Cream – my go-to hand cream until it was almost empty and I forgot about it. But I’ve made an effort to use it up now. I really liked this hand cream. Too bad it’s been discontinued.

10 Herbal Essences (Rainforest Flowers) Sensuously Smooth Conditioner – one of the best conditioners ever made. It made my hair feel incredibly smooth and soft. This conditioner mops the floor with comparable drugstore conditioners that promise smooth hair! Whilst I have a few back-up bottles of the shampoo and the conditioner, I think it’s very sad that the wonderful Rainforest Flowers collection has been discontinued. 😦

11 Radox Brazilian Fusion – a decent shower gel that’s actually more of a shower cream. It smells of white flowers which is nice, but not very special. This empty is another shared empty (my husband used this shower gel a few times too last month). This shower gel has been discontinued – but I wouldn’t rush out to repurchase it anyway.

12 Bronnley Lemon & Neroli Body Lotion – a light moisturiser that’s perfect for summer. This lotion doesn’t feel sticky at all – and it’s paraben-free! Whilst I don’t think I’ll repurchase this particular body lotion (it’s £12 for 250ml), I would recommend it to anyone who loves the classic fragrance of lemon and neroli and who doesn’t mind spending a little more on a body lotion.

13 (no photo) – I’ve used several face masks (Superdrug, Montagne Jeunesse) – but as usual, I didn’t keep the empty (=messy) sachets.

So this is what I emptied last month. Not too bad, eh? This month is going to be awesome for empties as I’m making it a priority to use up several travel-sized products and to empty a few half full bottles, tubs and tubes which I have plenty of!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel & Skin Brightening Toner

Hi there! I’ve previously mentioned that I’ve got drawers full of toiletries with lots of untouched stuff from ages ago. My quest to use up at least some older products before buying new ones led me to these to (g)oldies: Boots Botanic Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel and Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Toner.

The Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel is one of the best face washes I’ve ever had. It’s incredibly powerful at removing make-up, grease and grime; at the same time it doesn’t feel harsh at all.

I can also see that this face wash really brightens my skin. I’ve noticed that the yellow patches just above my cheek bones have disappeared within a couple of weeks. This face wash is absolutely brilliant!

The Skin Brightening Toner does a really nice job too. When I use the toner, I can feel that it does something to my face. It doesn’t burn or sting, and it also doesn’t cause redness, but I can feel that it works.

I think that this toner, in addition to the face wash, really helps brightening my skin. I use it about two to three times a week only (it’s too precious), but I can see a big difference. This toner is amazing!

Now here’s the but… Boots discontinued these products when it revamped in Botanics collection. Boots has new products which promise to brighten skin, and I will certainly try them, but no matter how good the new products are, I’ll miss these oldies when they’re gone.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde