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

August Beauty Awards

Hi there! Since it’s end the of August, it’s time for my monthly favourites post – aka Mrs Strawberry Blonde’s August Beauty Awards. 🙂 I’m also making one change to my monthly favourites. From now on I’ll be choosing my favourites from all the products I’ve written about during the month.

This way I don’t have to keep track of what’s really new in my stash and when I’ve used what. I think it’ll also make more sense with products I’ve been using for longer – i.e. I like to use certain products for a few weeks to see if and how they work, and then I write about them.

OK, that’s sorted then. 🙂 And now, let’s get to my monthly favourites!

3rd place – Superdrug Clearly Youthful Hydrating Day Serum

Even though the serum has its flaws, I’m happy with the results it helped me achieve. I will definitely continue to use it and I will – without doubt – repurchase it. It will become a beauty staple!

Runner-Up – Superdrug Clearly Youthful Retexturising Glycolic Peel Off Mask

I cannot recommend this face mask enough. Within only a few weeks this face mask made a huge difference to my skin’s overall appearance. I’ll definitely continue to use it. And as soon as there’s another half price or BOGOF offer, I’ll stock up!

WINNER – Herbal Essences Shimmering Colour & Sensuously Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner

I cannot praise the original Herbal Essences collection enough. It’s bottled magic. It’s a shame the relaunched Rainforest Flowers collection has been discontinued again. 😦 I do have a few shampoos and conditioners left (needless to say I stocked up in time), but one sad day they’ll be gone… So if you see any of these Rainforest Flowers products in a bargain store near you, just buy them! You won’t regret it.

Now to the honourable mentions! Other products which I’ve enjoyed (and which I’ll continue to enjoy) big time are Original Source’s Liquorice and Mango & Macadamia shower products and Garnier’s Peach Body Lotion.

What are your favourite products this month? Have you used any of the products I’ve used? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

My Holy Grail Of Hair Care Part 2 – Herbal Essences Shimmering Colour & Sensuously Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner

Hi there! If you read the original Holy Grail Of Hair Care post, you know I love the classic Herbal Essences products. The newer Herbal Essences products (in the curvy bottles) don’t do anything for me – I tried three different shampoo and conditioner combos but I really didn’t like them at all. (And neither did my husband.) So I’ll stick to my original Herbal Essences favourites! 🙂

OK, let’s look at the shampoos first. 🙂 The Herbal Essences Shimmering Colour and Sensuously Smooth shampoos are amazing. They smell of tropical flowers (this line was once called Rainforest Flowers) and they make my scalp and my hair feel incredibly clean. But these shampoos are very gentle at the same time. They’re perfect!

The conditioners are better than what I could dream up if it was my mission in life to dream up the perfect conditioner. Nothing detangles hair the way Herbal Essences’ Classics conditioners do. And nothing else makes could make hair feel silkier or look shinier. These conditioners offer tons of moisture without weighing hair down. Why other manufacturers of hair care products don’t copy these conditioners is something I’ll never understand…

Now let me say a few more words about the two product lines. The Shimmering Colour shampoo and conditioner really work for freshly coloured hair. Normally my hair colour bleeds quite a bit for a few days after I’ve dyed my hair, but this shampoo and conditioner combo seems to make the colour hold on to my hair. Brilliant! These two products are even better than L’Oréal’s Colour Protect offerings!

The Herbal Essences Sensuously Smooth products really do what they’re supposed to. You may remember my last hair post about Pantene’s Colour Protect & Smooth products. OK, you don’t remember. But that’s OK. 🙂 I said that Pantene’s products really make my hair feel smooth. Now, a few weeks ago I emptied the Pantene conditioner, and I went on to use these Herbal Essences products. And guess what – my hair is so smooooooth, it’s insane! Verdict? Herbal Essences Sensuously Smooth mops the floor with Pantene!

I think, along with Herbal Essences Classics Moisture Balance and Silk N’ Shine, Herbal Essences (Rainforest Flowers) Shimmering Colour and Sensuouly Smooth are the best hair products out there. Unfortunately they were relaunched as a limited edition, and they have now disappeared from the shelves – but I’ve stocked up when I noticed them disappearing, so I’ll be OK for a while. However, I still hope that Herbal Essences will relaunch them again. Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde