Empties – May 2023

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I said goodbye to in May. And here they are.

1 Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum – a wonderful serum. A definite repurchase!

2 Yves Rocher Oui A L’Amour L’Eau De Parfum – a really nice fragrance. I would buy it again, but unfortunately, Yves Rocher withdrew from the UK market.

3 Max Factor Pan 25 Fair – my holy grail foundation!

4 Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Moisture Splash Conditioner – this was the last of its kind. Unbelievable quality! So sad that these amazing Herbal Essences products are gone.

5 Westlab Mineral Bathing Recover Epsom Salts With White Willow & Eucalyptus – these are really nice bath salts, and I can see myself buying them again.

6 Palmolive Naturals Almond & Milk Shower Cream – unfortunately, my stash of these is dwindling. One of the best shower gels ever! I’ve used it since the 90s, but it looks like it’s going to be gone for good very soon.

7 Superdrug Fruity Vanilla Ice Cream Shower Gel – unfortunately a limited edition shower gel which is sold out now. If it weren’t, I’d buy this beauty again.

8 Superdrug Clearly Youthful Triple Action Cleanser, Mask & Scrub – I liked this product a lot! Such a shame that it has been discontinued!

9 Astonish Bath Soak Refreshing Golden Glow – a nice bath gel. I will buy it again.

10 Westlab Salt Shack Mango Moods Bath Salts – these bath salts were such a lovely surprise. Unfortunately, these have been discontinued.

And this is it for May which was a decent month for Empties. June has started more than OK as well with 3 products finished since the 1st. So fingers crossed June will be a good month for Empties as well. 😀 Thanks for stopping by today! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Empties – April 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished in April. I used a bunch of single-use face masks – but I didn’t keep the empty sachets (I never do). But here are the big bottles and tubes.

1 Yves Rocher Monoï Lagoon Moisturizing Perfumed Body Mist – a very nice tropical body mist. I have at least 1 more bottle in my stash.

2 Anna Sui La Vie De Bohème Body Lotion – not my favourite Anna Sui fragrance. The body lotion was nice to use, but I wouldn’t repurchase it (or the matching fragrance).

3 Superdrug Layering Lab Blossom Body Mist – the best cheap Mugler Alien dupe you can find. I have a few more bottles, and I’d always repurchase this body mist.

4 Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum – one of the best serums ever. A definite repurchase.

5 Agent Provocateur Fatale Intense Eau De Parfum – a really nice fragrance, similar to Mugler’s Angel. I don’t think I’d buy it again though. I have a bunch of other Angel dupes to try and use (and use up).

6 MakeUp Gallery Time To Shine Completely Clear 1 – Poundland’s own brand clear polish. Not the best clear polish, but definitely good enough as a base or top coat.

7 Palmolive Aroma Moments So Sweet Shower Gel With Rooibos Tea, Rose And Almond – one of Palmolive’s best shower gels ever! My husband likes this one too. Unfortunately discontinued, but I have a few more bottles in my stash!

8 Sainsbury’s The Collection Sleep Relax Bath Soak – a very nice bath gel, and a definite repurchase!

9 Imperial Leather Indulgence Rich Moisturising Body Wash Beautiful – a lovely shower gel. Unfortunately discontinued, otherwise I’d buy it again.

10 Yves Rocher Jardins Du Monde Energising Shower Gel With Grapefruit – a decent shower gel. Not my favourite type of grapefruit scent, but I would probably still repurchase this shower gel.

11 Rightguard Shower + Oils With Argan, Marula & Almond Oil – what a beautiful shower gel! My husband used it a few times too, and he also liked it a lot! Unfortunately, this one appears to have been discontinued.

12 Gliss Ultimate Volume Conditioner – just lovely! Too bad Gliss discontinued the Ultimate Volume product line, otherwise I’d buy this conditioner (and the matching shampoo) again.

April was a decent month for empties. I’m glad I managed to finish 3 fragrances and 5 shower and bath products. I hope May will be good too. I already finished 2 products today.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Empties – August 2020

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished in August. I used quite a few single-use face masks. You can read about my latest face mask finds here. Now let’s get to the big bottles and tubes!

1 Thierry Mugler Alien Flora Futura – such a stunning fragrance. I love it! It’s a limited edition from 2018, but it can still be found online. I might buy another bottle.

2 Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum – this is a lovely serum. This is the last tube of the “old” formula. But the current version is awesome too, so I will repurchase that.

3 Superdrug B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – my go-to face mist. I have plenty of back-up!

4 Lucy B. Royal Water Lotus & Vanilla Musk – another amazing fragrance. I would love to buy it again if I find it somewhere (without having to pay for international shipping plus tax)

5 Imperial Leather Grapefruit & Pomegranate – one of my old favourites. It’s been discontinued, but I have 1 more bottle in my stash.

6 Palmolive Santorini Breeze – this is a very nice shower gel. Those big 500ml are quite a commitment, but I might buy this one again.

7 Alberto Balsam Stunning Shine Conditoner – I like this conditoner (and the matching shampoo) a lot. This collection has been discontinued (and replaced with a terrible new line), but I have another shampoo and conditoner combo as a back-up!

8 + 9 Essence Eyeliners Boogie Nights & Forever Green – I used to like these colours, but I won’t be using these anymore, so bye-bye!

10 Boots Extracts Luxurious Coconut Body Lotion (travel size) – a decent body lotion. I got this as part of a gift set, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought a coconut-scented product. I may have a few more of these…

11 Olay 2 in 1 Cleanser & Toner – such a lovely toner. I have a back-up bottle!

12 Maybelline Color Elixir By Colorsensational 135 Raspberry Rhapsody – I enjoyed this gloss very much, and I’m glad that I have another one in my stash!

13 Rimmel 60 Seconds 820 Hot Black To Go – this is one of the polishes I used as a stamping polish. I have no doubt that I have a few back-up bottles in my stash.

This is everything I emptied in August. I’ve done better than last month, and I’m happy with this. 🙂 Which products have you finished recently? Anything worth repurchasing? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

 

Empties – June 2020

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I said goodbye to in June. As always, I used a number of single-use face masks, and if you’d like to read about my latest face mask findings, you can click here. Now let’s focus on the big bottles and tubes.

1 Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Refreshing Toning Mist – this is an amazing face mist which I’ll buy again for sure!

2 Nivea Clay Fresh Deep Cleansing Shower With Hibiscus & White Sage Scent – this is a nice shower gel. I’ll buy this again in the future.

3 Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Wash – I love this stuff! I might have a few more tubes in my stash – I certainly hope so because the entire Extracts collection has been discontinued. 😢

4 Beauty UK 76 Jade – this is a good quality polish! I won’t repurchase it though because I have at least 15 very similar shades in my stash.

5 CND Creative Play Top Coat – this is an amazing top coat. I found it at Poundland! I’m glad I have a few more of these in my stash.

6 Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum – this is a lovely serum. I have one more, and I’m halfway through the second tube as well. I will repurchase the current version of this serum, no doubt!

7 Manhattan Colour Loop Lipgloss 52S Soft Nude – I love this lipgloss! This is already the 2nd one of these that I’ve gone through. I have one more, and I aim to finish it this or next month.

8 Sukin Nourishing Chia Seed Oil – this is a very rich facial oil. It has served me very well. However, I didn’t care for its strong smell, so I won’t repurchase this one.

9 The Body Shop Frosted Berries Shower Gel – I liked the sweet berry fragrance, but the formula was just too drying.

10 Herbal Essences Silk N’ Shine Conditioner – this is my HOLY GRAIL conditioner. It has been discontinued but I’m sitting on a significant stash of original Herbal Essences shampoos and conditioners. 😁

11 Imperial Leather Narwhal Always Love You – I loved this one! I think I’ll buy it again!

12 Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser – this cleanser is good but it’s not in my all-time favourites, so I don’t think that I’ll buy it again.

13 Scinic Vita Ade Eye Cream – This is an amazing eye cream. I hope I can find it again.

14 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Lotion – I loved this body lotion. Too bad it has been discontinued.

15 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Spray – another sensational Boots Extracts product that I’ll miss dearly!

16 I Love… Raspberry & Blackberry Refreshing Body Spritzer – this is a lovely all-over body spray. I have at least 1 more of these in my stash.

I think June has been another amazing month for empties. I hope I can continue the streak! 😂

Which products have you said goodbye to recently? Feel free to get in touch via the comments, and thanks for stopping by! 😊

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

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 – April 2019

Hi there! It’s 1 May, and this means that it’s time for my April Empties post. I used quite a few single-use face masks, but I also finished quite a few big bottles! And here they are…

1 Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid – this is a truly wonderful moisturiser that I would recommend without hesitation.

2 Boots Garden Collection Lavender Body Wash (travel size) – a nice body wash that I would like to buy again.

3 Boots Garden Collection Lavender Body Lotion (travel size) – this is a lovely body lotion. I’d love to repurchase this one too!

4 Dove Go Fresh Nectatine & White Ginger Shower – this is an all-time favourite shower gel. It’s discontinued, but I have 4 more bottles in my stash!

5 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover. 400ml for £1 at Poundland and other bargain stores.

6 Garnier Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Lotion – a lovely moisturiser that I will buy again for sure!

7 Sante Naturkosmetik Instantly Smoothing Night Cream – I’m glad this night cream is gone. It’s one of the worst moisturisers I’ve ever tried. Good riddance!

8 I Love… Chocolate Truffle Refreshing Body Spritzer – this is a lovely body spray that really smells of chocolate truffles! Too bad it was a limited edition, otherwise I’d buy it again!

9 Maybelline Eyeliner Chestnut – I have several more of these in my rota. These eyeliners are really nice.

10 Astor Lipliner Pencil 014 Bronze – I love these lipliners. I have quite a few more of these!

11 Max Factor Pan Stik 25 Fair – my holy grail foundation!

12 Boots No 7 Protect & Perfume Intense Advanced Serum – this is a fantastic serum, and I will repurchase it, no doubt!

13 Hair Repair Rejuvenating Conditioner – a surprisingly nice conditioner. Another product that I’d like to repurchase!

14 Imperial Leather Paradise Island Bath Cream – this stuff smells amazing. I think I have another bottle or 2 of these in my stash.

15 Original Source Orange Shower Gel – another nice shower gel that I can see myself picking up again.

This is everything I emptied in April. I think I’ve done well last month! I hope I can continue to empty many more bottles, tubes and tubs over the next few months!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

April Beauty Awards

Hi there! It’s the last day of the month. This means that I’ve now chosen my favourite products of the month. I’m not doing a big intro today, so let’s start with the TOP 3, and then we move on to the honourable mentions.

3rd place – Valjean Labs Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Face Mask

Whilst Valjean Labs’ Hydrate mask didn’t impress me, their Glow face mask is simply amazing.

Runner-Up – Skin Treat Unicorn Hydrating Sheet Mask

This face mask is not only the cutest sheet mask ever, it’s also very effective. And it’s £1 only at B&M Bargains!

WINNER – Boots No 7 Skin Care Products

Boots did a great job with these No 7 products. And the lip care turned out to be the unexpected star of the collection!

Onto the honourable mentions! Garnier’s Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Lotion For Extra Dry Skin almost came in third (it was very close). Original Source did a great job with their Passionfruit And Jojoba Milk Shower Milk and their Orange Shower Gel. And I’ve been very happy with the cheap Hair Repair Rejuvenating Shampoo & Conditioner from Poundland!

Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try them? Which products have you been loving lately? Feel free to comment. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

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

Hi there! Today’s post is about a number of Boots No 7 products which I’ve been using for several weeks now. A few months ago, I purchased 2 half price gift sets containing a mix of sample size and full size Boots No 7 products. I’ve now given these products a try. And here’s what I think!

Let’s start with Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum. Whilst this was only a 5ml sample size, it served me well for 2 weeks. I used this product twice a day as the 2nd step in my post-cleansing skin care routine and immediately after a few sprays of Nourish’s face mist.

I haven’t seen any dramatic results, however, this serum makes my skin feel considerably firmer – within seconds of application. I have noticed that the few fine lines I have on my forehead have almost disappeared, but I’m reluctant to credit this serum alone because I’m using a few new No 7 products. I guess they do work best when combined! Anyhoo, I like this serum very much, and I’m very interested in giving the full size version a try!

Now scroll down and read on to find out if the eye cream and the lip care are any good. 😎

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Eye Cream (15ml, full size) provides the perfect level of hydration. It glides on easily, it feels weightless, and it plays well with my foundation. I don’t think it improved how the skin around my eyes feels or looks. But to be fair, I’ve been using my holy grail Olay eye gel for the past few months right until I started to use Boots’ eye cream (which was around 4 weeks ago). I guess the skin looks and feels as good as it reasonably can! But I have no doubt that Boots’ eye cream helps maintain the skin around my eyes. And all in all, I think this is a really nice eye cream.

And last but not least… Boots Protect & Perfect Lip Care (10ml, full size). This is, without doubt, the most effective lip care product I’ve ever used. And I’m saying this as someone who’s actually not a fan of lip products in tubes. However, this stuff is simply amazing! This lip care glides on easily, it feels very lightweight, but it also feels extremely hydrating and nourishing at the same time. The first few times I used it, I didn’t even understand what was going on. It’s THAT good.

Here’s the best bit – after 2 uses on 2 consecutive days, this lip care fixed the cracks in the corners of my mouth. No other lip product and no combination of vitamin pills has ever fixed the issue. But this Boots product did the trick. I’m blown away! What else? This lip care doesn’t leave a shiny residue on your lips. So whilst it feels like the ultimate lightweight hydration bomb, it’s not visible on your lips at all. It makes your lips look velvety, but it doesn’t look like product. Oh, and this lip care tastes of vanilla, and you only need a very small amount of product which means that the 10ml tube will last for quite a while!

In summary, I’m very happy with these No 7 products. I’m also using the day and night creams at the moment, and I’ll review these products shortly!

Have you tried any Boots No 7 products? Or would you like to try any of these products? Feel free to comment, and thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde