Empties – September 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished in September. I used a few single-use face masks – as usual. And I didn’t keep the sticky sachets – as usual. So let’s look at the bottles and tubes and what not…

1 Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond – I love this lipgloss so much! A shame it’s been discontinued.

2 Marks & Spencer Spiced Bergamot Eau De Toilette – one of my favourite summer fragrances. I love fresh, citrusy fragrances which remind me of Light Blue (nope, this is not a dupe for Light Blue), so this one is right up my alley. I already bought 2 backup bottles!

3 Boots Ingredients Niacinamide Serum – this is a basic serum. Too basic for me. I wouldn’t buy it again.

4 Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Age-Defying Cream – what a wonderful skin treat! I love this moisturiser. I believe I have another one in my stash.

5 Pantene Pro-V Miracles Silky & Glowing Biotin & Hydrolised Silk Protein Shampoo & Conditioner – I didn’t care for this hair mask. I’m glad it’s finished now, and I won’t be buying it again.

6 Astonish Body & Soul Refreshing Golden Glow Bath Soak – this is a lovely bath soak. I’ve already respurchased it.

7 NSPA Grapefruit Shower & Bath Gel – this is such a beautiful shower gel. A shame it’s been discontinued.

8 Palmolive Sauna Retreat Shower Gel – a really lovely shower gel. I would repurchase it.

9 Herbal Essences Moisture Balance Conditioner – HOLY GRAIL stuff. I have plenty of back-up.

10 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover!

And this is already it. September wasn’t the best month for Empties, but I hope I’ll do better for the last 3 months of the year. Thanks for stopping by today! xx

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Boots Glow Banana Toner

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Boots Glow Banana Toner which I’ve been using once to twice a day for the past 3 weeks.

This toner claims to refine the pores and to make the skin appear smoother.

This toner contains niacinamide which is listed as the third ingredient on the back of the bottle. Unfortunately, Boots doesn’t state the percentage.

Alrighty, how’s the toner? Well, it does have a beautiful foamy banana fragrance. However, this toner isn’t the best one for my skin type.

Whilst I like that this toner leaves my skin feeling velvety soft, I don’t find it cleansing enough. Within 2-3 days of starting this toner, I noticed considerably more impurities.

I haven’t started to use any other new products for well over a month, I haven’t taken any new medication, and I also haven’t eaten a lot of junk food. What other explanation could there be? I’ve also noticed that my dark patches (melasma) have become a lot more visible over the past 2 weeks. The only difference in my skin care routine is this toner.

I will continue to use this toner after I’ve cleansed my face in the evening. It’s super gentle, so I’m happy to use it around my entire face – the eye area included – to remove the last traces of make-up. However, as part of my morning routine, I’ll go back to using a vitamin C or glycolic acid toner.

I won’t buy this toner again, but I might try other products from this collection. If you’re interested, Boots Glow Banana Toner is available as 100ml for £4. Boots sometimes runs 3 for 2 promotions across their Glow and Ingredients ranges, so if you’re on a budget, you can try an extra product for free. On another note, on the back of the bottle it says that this toner is vegan and cruelty-free. This is great!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Valjean Labs Restore Facial Serum

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Valjean Labs Restore Facial Serum with Niacinamide and Zinc.

This serum promises to purify and to calm stressed and blemish-prone skin.

You’re supposed to use a few drops of serum – on its own or under moisturiser.

I use this serum twice a day – right after I’ve cleansed my face. I use it in combination with a face mist. I like to use serums and oils with face mist as the mist “stretches” the serum or oil (i.e. heavy oils become easier to use), and the oil or serum can “lock in” some extra hydration.

I’ve been using this product for about 4 few weeks now, and I think it’s alright. It’s not moisturising enough to be used on its own, but that’s OK for me since I use other products with it.

And I would agree that the serum has a calming effect. It’s exactly what I need at the moment since my skin has been rather awful lately (work is… incredibly stressful right now).

Valjean Labs Restore Facial Serum is available as 54ml. I paid £6 (TK Maxx). Considering the low price and the decent quality, I’d recommend this product.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist

Hi there! Today’s post is about the face mist I’m currently using – Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist for Combination Skin. This product, which is 97% organic, promises to balance skin PH, to close pores, and to prepare skin for nourishment.

This face mist contains vitamins C, B3, B5 and E, as well as well as niacinamide. Sounds great, doesn’t it? I’ve been using this face mist for a few weeks now, and here’s what I think.

I think this product is a lot better than the last facial water I’ve had. And whilst I think that this product is alright, I don’t love it. And here’s why…

I think this product works well as the first step in my skin care (after cleansing). I spray my face (about 4-5 sprays) right before I use my serum or facial oil. However, I’d like this product more if it had a better spray nozzle. With this nozzle, a spray is more like a splash, and I’d prefer a light mist. Superdrug managed to get the spray nozzles right for their cheap face mists, so I’d expect “better” brands to get this feature right too. Apparently I’m expecting too much.

Another thing I don’t like is the strong fragrance. It’s a mix of concentrated apple juice and something else. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s very strong and it’s cloyingly sweet. Fortunately, the fragrance doesn’t linger!

I haven’t noticed any benefits other than hydration. My pores look the same, and my skin tone and texture don’t appear any different. I will continue to use this product because it plays well with my serums and facial oils, but I wouldn’t repurchase it. As of now, Superdrug’s B. Facial Spritz and Superdrug’s Calm Skin Facial Spritz are still my favourite face mists.

Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist for Combination Skin is available as 100ml for £12 through Nourish’s own web site. I paid £3 (TK Maxx).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Calm Skin Skincare De-Stress Refreshing Facial Spritz

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug‘s Calm Skin Skincare De-Stress Refreshing Facial Spritz. This product contains chamomile, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and it promises to target the visible signs of stress on the skin.

On top of that, this product claims to soothe the skin, with visible results promised after 4 weeks.

So how’s the product? I’ve been using it for 4 weeks now, and I think it’s great. I know I’ll buy it again! I have very dry skin and I suffer from occasional bouts of eczema, but my my skin is also quite moody, and it’s prone to impurities.

This facial spray helps me because, thanks to its high glycerin content, it helps lock in moisture which allows me to stay on top of my eczema patches.

My skin hasn’t been moody for a few weeks, so I’m satisfied that this spray soothes my skin. On top of that, I’ve noticed that blemishes come and go faster than usual. I’m used to dealing with blemishes for weeks at a time. Seeing them heal within a few days is a very welcome change!

But there’s one thing I need to mention as not perfect. You cannot spray this product over your make-up because it can’t be dispensed as a fine mist. I thought it was the spray nozzle, so I filled the contents of this bottle into an empty B. Confident facial spritz bottle (which has always dispensed the finest and most wonderful hyaluronic acid face mist). However, there was no change at all.

I tried another spray bottle that I was always happy with, but again, no change. So if you spray this product on your face, it comes out quite “targeted”, and you’ll end up with big wet patches on your face. For this reason I only use this spray as the first step of my skin care routine (= after cleansing). I use it right before I apply a serum. That way I get to mix the facial spray with the serum. 🙂

All in all, I’m actually very happy with the product. I got used to the spray, and like I said, I’ll buy it again. No doubt!

By the way, Superdrug confirmed that this product contains more than 5% of niacinamide. This is really impressive! Niacinamide is a powerful skin-restoring agent that is known to help with dull skin, enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines and blemishes. Pretty awesome, right?

Superdrug‘s Calm Skin Skincare De-Stress Refreshing Facial Spritz is available as 100ml for £2.99. On top of that, the Calm Skin collection seems to be on a buy 1 get 1 half price promotion almost all the time. So if you’re not at least trying these products, that’s your own fault really!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde