Never Again – The Ultimate Beauty Duds – Part 4

Hi there! Over the past few months I did a couple of posts about beauty products that I think are useless. Those posts were quite popular, so here’s Part 4 of The Ultimate Beauty Duds. 🙂

MUA MakeUp Academy Matte Lipstick Lilac Belle

MUA’s matte lippies are probably the worst matte lippies out there. I’ve read a few positive reviews (?), but I can only guess the reviewers never had a decent matte lippie to compare MUA’s offerings with. Or they never actually tried the lippie. Or they found it rubbishy too, but didn’t want to be negative because they got the lippie for free. Who knows?

Now why is this lipstick so horrible? Well, this lipstick is very waxy. It’s almost impossible to apply it properly, it’s poorly pigmented and it’s drying. And because it’s so difficult to apply, my lippie broke off the first time I’ve used it. Rubbish!

Pantene Breakage Defence Hair Strength Tonic

This stuff scared me! I tried it, I got scared, then I binned the product! I thought of giving the product away – but I didn’t want anyone else to be scared by this truly binworthy product.

Superdrug Simply Pure Refreshing Toner For Sensitive Skin &
I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Refreshing Body Spritzer

Superdrug’s Simply Pure toner for sensitive skin isn’t very effective. As if this weren’t enough, this toner gave me an unpleasant skin reaction. I’m now using it to clean my nail art stampers! 🙂 I Love…’s Cherry Almond Sparkle smells like bread. Not a great fragrance, eh?

John Frieda Forever Smooth Shampoo, Conditioner, Anti-Frizz Primer

I’ve never used John Frieda hair products before – and thanks to these samples I can safely say that I won’t be using John Frieda hair products again. Complete rubbish!

Superdrug Moisturising Cocoa Butter Body Lotion
Yardley Invigorating Blue Orchid Body Lotion &
Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter

I can make this one short – these 3 moisturisers didn’t smell great at all. And Pacifica’s Indian Coconut Body Butter is the worst smell I’ve ever came across in a moisturiser. These 3 products were used as foot lotions.

Superdrug Clearly Youthful SPF 15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser

It’s impossible to apply this cream without causing it to ball up. The only way to use the product at all is to use it as a targeted treatment. But again, you can’t rub it into your skin. Major fail!

Pantene Volume & Body Shampoo & Conditioner

The shampoo wasn’t completely horrible. However, the conditioner was rubbish. It failed to detangle my hair, and it didn’t feel conditioning at all. As if this weren’t enough, the conditioner also flattened my hair. Bye-bye Pantene Volume & Body hair products. You won’t be missed!

Have you tried any of these products? Which products have you hated recently? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – July 2016

Hi there! Since it’s the 1st of August, it’s time for my monthly empties post. I’ve emptied quite a lot this month (of course I’m proud of myself), so let’s take a look at my garbage. 😀

1 (no photo) – I’ve used a few different face masks (Boots, Superdrug and Montagne Jeunesse). As always, I didn’t keep the sachets.

2 (no photo – sorry) Yves Rocher Apple Star Anise Refreshing Shower Gel – a really nice shower gel. Unfortunately I can’t repurchase it because it was a limited edition.

3 Herbal Essences Silk N’ Shine Conditioner – my favourite conditioner. I’ve said it before and I say it again: THIS is the best conditioner I’ve ever used. Even if it were my mission in life to think up the perfect conditioner, I couldn’t even imagine anything that could be better. I’ve got quite an impressive stash of Herbal Essences Classics products (don’t ask…) but I’ll keep on buying more just in case Herbal Essences discontinues these beauties again.

4 Rightguard Shower + Lotion with Pomegranate – this is a lovely shower cream and I’d recommend it to everyone with dry skin. Repurchase? Yes.

5 Superdrug Kids Softmint Mouthwash – I haven’t used kids’ mouthwash since I was a kid – but a few weeks ago I picked up this cute mouthwash. It tastes absolutely yummy! 🙂 I’ve also been to different stores and noticed that the Sainsbury’s own-brand kids mouthwash is identical to Superdrug’s. And then I went to Home Bargains to find Wisdom kids’ mouthwash – which is the exact same thing. So now I know that Wisdom makes Superdrug’s and Sains’ own-brand dental care products!

In case you’re wondering, Superdrug’s mouthwash is £1.49, Sains’ mouthwash is 99p, and Wisdom’s mouthwash at Home Bargains is 89p. I’ll continue to buy the cheapest product 😉 and I’ve already stocked up. I know I won’t be going back to mouthwash for adults.

6 Rimmel Wear Max Nail Polish 421 Clearly Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes (thank you, Rimmel). I’ve got several back-up bottles and I’ll continue to purchase this clear polish.

7 NYC In A Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish 264 Lincoln Square Lavender – a very nice polish! Applies like a charm, dries quickly, looks good. I already have a back-up bottle. 🙂

8 Essence The Gel Nail Polish 33 Wild White Days – I think this is the best white polish under £2 – unfortunately this doesn’t mean a lot. This polish isn’t really great. It’s too thick, it goes on streaky (it might be different if you have short and small nails and if you can paint your entire nail with a single brush stroke), and it takes a long time to dry. But I’ve repurchased a bottle already because of all the cheap white polishes, this is the only one that comes close to being opaque in one coat.

9 Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect & Smooth Conditioner – a decent conditioner. Nothing special. I might buy it again, but I don’t really feel an urge to have it in my stash.

10 Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Non-Greasy Lotion – one of my favourite body lotions. I’ve already repuchased it.

11 Superdrug Soothing Aloe Vera Body Lotion – this is a reasonable body lotion. It’s not the richest lotion but it’s OK for ‘maintenance’. I like the fragrance a lot and I might repurchase it.

12 Olay 2 In 1 Hydration + SPF 15 Lightweight Lotion – a wonderful day moisturiser! At the moment I’ve got quite an impressive number of face creams and lotions in my stash so I’m trying not to stock up. But I’ll definitely buy this one again in the future.

13 Miss Sporty Dr Balm Gossip Kiss SOS – a decent lip balm. I got this lip balm (yes, unused) from a friend, but I bought a few more a couple of weeks later when Poundland sold packs of three Miss Sporty items for £1. I’m working on finishing another Miss Sporty lip balm – I hope it’ll be in next month’s empties. 🙂

14 I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Nourishing Body Butter – at first I really liked this body butter but the christmassey fragrance started to annoy me big time halfway through the tub. Since I’m trying my best not to be wasteful, I’ve used this body butter as a foot butter (with great results)!

15 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Day Lotion – a nice fragrance-free moisturiser. I did enjoy using this product but I prefer scented products (the scent of a product is actually quite important to me), so I think I won’t buy this one again.

16 Original Source Cherry & Nettle Shower Gel – a really nice, refreshing shower gel. I’ve already repurchased it.

17 I Love… Tangerine Dream Shower Gel – a wonderful shower gel that made my skin feel refreshed and clean even on the hottest days this July. I’d like to repurchase it, but unfortunately it has been discontinued. 😦

18 Original Source Raspberry And Cocoa Shower Gel – not a favourite. It sounded promising, but it smelled weird. I wouldn’t repurchase it.

So this is what I’ve used up in July. I’m glad I finished (!) a few skin care products and nail polishes. In case you’re wondering, I won’t include mouthwash in future posts (unless I discover something new and better) – I just wanted to let you know that I’ve switched to kids’ mouthwash. 🙂

Have you tried any of these products? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And thanks for reading! I hope you have a great week.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Refreshing Body Spritzer

Hi there! If you read my blog, you know I’ve been buying all things I Love… lately. I bought quite a few body mists (and other products) – for £1 each from Poundland! Here’s the haul post.

I thought I was very lucky that I Love…’s 2015 Christmas collection hit the bargain stores. I already had the shower gel and the body butter. So I was happy to try the I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Refreshing Body Spritzer as well.

However, after trying the body mist, I have to say it’s not for me. Whilst the shower gel and body butter do smell like cherry bakewell tarts, the body mist smells like a mix of almonds and baked bread – without the tiniest hint of cherries.

And when the fragrance dries down, it leaves behind a bread-like scent on my skin and my clothes. I may be too critical, but I don’t like the smell or the taste of bread, so I won’t be using this body mist again. But the product won’t be wasted. It’s going in my beauty box for the women’s shelter. Hopefully someone else will like this body mist a lot more.

If you would like to try I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Refreshing Body Spritzer, it’s £2.99 at Superdrug’s or onlline. Or swing by your local Poundland where you might find it for £1.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I Love… Haul – 8 Products for £1 Each!

Hi there! Today’s post is just a little shopping advice. 😉 OK, here it is! If you love I Love… products, swing by your local Poundland! I was really happy when I found a few I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle body butters the other day – but now I found so much more!

I bought…
– 500 ml I Love… Raspberry & Blackberry Shower/Bath Gel (2 bottles),
– 200 ml I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Body Butter,
– 250 ml I Love… Coconut & Cream Body Lotion,

– 100 ml I Love.. Mango & Papaya Fragrance Mist,
– 100 ml I Love… Coconut & Cream Fragrance Mist,
– 100 ml I Love… Raspberry & Blackberry Fragrance Mist, and
– 100 ml I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Fragrance Mist!

I won’t touch the Coconut & Cream products because I hate the taste, texture and smell of coconuts. But I know many people who love all things coconut. So the two I Love… Coconut & Cream products I bought will be given to someone who will like and use them. I also have a few (unopened) Cherry Almond Sparkle body butters now. These will also be given away.

So if you’re looking for a few little beauty treats for yourself, keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re at Poundland. Or if you’d like to give someone a really nice beauty hamper – go get a basket and fill it with I Love… products!

I Love… products are £2.99 at drugstores, supermarkets, etc. But Poundland currently stocks the Cherry Almond Sparkle limited edition and a few other lines (which I think are about to be discontinued). I’ll go back to Poundland soon!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Nourishing Body Butter

Hi there! I hope you had a Merry Christmas! I’ve done all my sale shopping, so I went to Poundland yesterday. And I found this I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Body Butter – for £1! I just started to use the Cherry Almond Sparkle body wash a few days ago. So I was very happy to find the matching body butter for such a bargain price.

I think this body butter is a really nice moisturiser. It makes my skin feel soft and it’s not sticky. And just like the shower gel this body butter smells like cherry bakewell tarts. It’s absolutely delicious and very suitable for this time of year. What’s not to love?

I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle is available as 250ml and 500ml Bath & Shower Crème, 200ml Body Butter and 100ml Body Spritzer. I don’t know how much the 250 ml Bath & Shower Crème is, but the other three products are £2.99 each – online and at Superdrug’s. Or if you’re looking for a bargain, try Poundland and the likes. 😉

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Bath & Shower Crème

Hi there! I’m one of those people who buy beauty gift sets for themselves – usually post-Christmas when they’re half price. 😉 Now imagine how happy I was when I spotted a few different I Love… gift sets for half price at Superdrug’s last week.

Most of the sets contained familiar I Love… products and fragrances, such as Strawberries & Cream, Mango & Papaya and the likes. But I found one set which contained Raspberry & Blackberry products AND this limited edition I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Bath & Shower Crème.

I’ve used this shower crème twice now, and I must say that I love it. It smells just like cherry bakewell tarts. Absolutely delicious! I can see that I might eventually tire of this fragrance, but for now I’m very happy with this yummy shower crème.

I also like that this product is very gentle. I don’t think it’s particularly rich or creamy or moisturising, but it’s not drying at all which is always a bonus, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin.

I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle is available as 250ml and 500ml Bath & Shower Crème, 200ml Body Butter and 100ml Body Spritzer. I don’t know how much the 250 ml Bath & Shower Crème is, but the other three products are £2.99 each.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde