Empties – November 2021

Hi there! It’s the first day of a new month, so this means that today’s post is about last month’s beauty trash = November’s empties. I used a bunch of single use face masks, and you can read about my latest face mask finds if you click here. Now let’s look at the big bottles and tubs and…

1 Radox Blueberry Scent Bath Bomb (no photo) – this was a single-use bath bomb, hence no photo. I enjoyed this bath bomb, and I might buy it again.

2 Original Source Green Banana & Bamboo Milk Moisturising Shower Milk – this is a really nice shower gel! I’d buy it again, but unfortunately, it was discontinued.

3 Radox Muscle Relax Bath Salts With Peppermint Scent – I used them twice and didn’t care for them. My husband used most of these salts, but he also didn’t love them. I won’t buy these bath salts again.

4 Max Factor Pan Stik 12 True Beige – my all-time favourite foundation! I have a few more of these!

5 Superdrug Layering Lab Paradise Body Mist – I liked this one a lot, and I will buy it again.

6 Valjean Labs Restore Facial Serum – a decent serum. Not groundbreaking though. I won’t repurchase it.

7 Boots No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator – this is a very nice product. I will buy it again, no doubt.

8 Patisserie De Bain Mango Sorbet Hand Cream – a decent hand cream. Repurchase-worthy.

9 Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream – this is the US version of the cream, and I didn’t like it as much as the UK version. This one isn’t very moisturising, unfortunately.

10 Palmolive Aroma Therapy Absolute Relax – an all-time holy grail shower gel. I have a few more of these.

11 L’Oréal Elvive Colour Protect Caring Conditioner – a very nice conditioner! I have another shampoo and conditioner combo in my stash.

12 Westlab Dead Sea Salt Soothing Bath & Shower Gel – a nice shower gel. I can see myself buying it again.

November wasn’t a bad month for empties. I hope I can keep the streak going and finish the year with at least 12 more products (aiming for a few more, though…). Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – December 2020

Hi there! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Today’s post is about all the products I emptied in December. I’ve done much better again, and I’m happy to report that I’ll be returning to a normal blog schedule soon – and this includes catching up with all of my blogging buddies. 🥰

So what kind of stuff did I finish last month? I used quite a few single use face masks, but let’s look at the big bottles, tubes and tubs.

1 Boots Extracts Sweet Mango Body Wash (travel size) – unfortunately discontinued. 😢 Otherwise I’d buy this amazing body wash again.

2 Alberto Balsam Mandarin & Papaya Conditioner – this is an old favourite, and I have no doubt that I’ll buy it and the matching shampoo again.

3 Garnier Skin Active Refreshing Botanical Cleansing Milk– not bad, but also not a favourite. I won’t buy this cleanser again.

4 Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Non-Greasy Lotion – this is a very good body lotion, and I’ll buy it again for sure!

5 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover. Already repurchased.

6 NSPA Green Tea & Aloe Vera Bath & Shower Gel – a lovely shower gel that I can see myself buying again.

7 Max Factor Pan Stilk 12 True Beige – unfortunately, this HOLY GRAIL product has been discontinued, but fortunately I stocked up on original Pan Stiks as soon as I read that the Pan Stik would be relaunched with a “new and improved” 🙄 formula, so I’ll be OK for a long time.

8 Patisserie De Bain Raspberry Roulade Hand Cream – this is a nice hand cream. I would repurchase it.

9 Essence Plumping Nudes 07 So Heavy – what a wonderful lipgloss! Too bad that this shade is no longer available.

10 Rimmel 60 Seconds 740 Clear – a nice clear polish. I’d buy this polish again, but I think I have a few more of these. 😁

11 Yves Rocher Jardin Des Nymphes Eau De Toilette – not my favourite type of fragrance, so I wouldn’t buy it again.

12 I Love… Chocolate Truffle Bath & Shower Crème – this is one of the best shower gels I’ve ever used. Too bad it was a limited edition.

13 Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Cream Wash – this is a very good face wash, and I can definitely see myself buying it again.

And this is everything I finished in December 2020! Which products have you used up recently? Feel free to let me know via the comments.

And below is a breakdown of all the products I said goodbye to over the entire year (256 products in total).

Single Use Face Masks 86
Shower + Bath Gels, Bath Salts 54
Body + Hand + Foot Moisturisers 23
Conditioners 14
Fragrances 12
Nail Polish 12
Facial Cleansers, Toners, Pads 10
Lip Products 10
Facial Serums, Oils 8
Facial Moisturisers 7
Face Washes 5
Face Mists 4
Nail Polish Remover 3
Multi Use Face Mask Tubes or Tubs 2
Pan Stiks 2
Eye Creams 2
Eyeliners 2

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – January 2020

Hi there! The first month of 2020 is already over (What? How?), and I’ve got quite a few empties to report. Yes, I used a few single use face masks. No, I still don’t keep the empty sachets. But if you’d like to know if the masks I used recently are any good, click here. Now, onto the big empties!

1 Gliss Hair Repair Magnificent Strength Conditoner – this is a great product, and I’ll buy it (+ the matching shampoo) again!

2 Rightguard Shower + Elixir Black Orchid Shower Cream – this is a great shower cream! I already bought a backup! This is a shared empty because my husband enjoyed this shower cream too!

3 Treacle Moon Her Mango Thoughts Shower Gel – a nice enough shower gel, but I won’t repurchase it. The 500ml bottle was plenty!

4 Radox Cherry Blast Shower Gel – this is a nice shower gel. I might buy it again if I find it for cheap.

5 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover. It’s £1 at Poundland!

6 Yves Rocher Nutritive Végétal Velvety Cleansing Milk – this is a lovely product that I’d like to repurchase!

7 Balance Active Formula Instant Effect Wrinkle Filler – this stuff doesn’t fill lines or wrinkles at all, but it’s a decent moisturiser. I won’t buy it again though. There’s better stuff out there.

8 My Little Pony Bath Bubbles (travel size)- this one was nice. I might purchase another MLP toiletries set!

9 + 10 99p Stores Wood & Forest Body Lotion AND The Red Forest Body Lotion (travel size) – I bought these ages ago, and because of this, I used these body lotions as foot moisturisers. These are shared empties because my husband used these too!

11 Yves Rocher Baies Des Merveilles / Marvellous Berries Bath & Shower Gel – a lovely shower gel that I’d buy it again if it hadn’t been a limited edition.

12 Yves Rocher Baies Des Merveilles / Marvellous Berries Perfumed Body Lotion – same thing here – I wish this hadn’t been a limited edition…

13 Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner – a great toner! I’ll repurchase it for sure!

14 Sanctuary Spa Classic Eau De Toilette – I love this fragrance! I’ve got several bottles from years of picking up half price gift sets on Boxing Day! 😁

15 Rightguard Shower Oils Pink Jasmine Shower Gel – a nice shower gel that I might buy again.

16 Superdrug B. Comforted Camomile Facial Spritz – this is a decent facial mist, but I dislike the fragrance, so I won’t buy it again.

17 Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care All Over Body Cream With Moonstone Extract – an amazing moisturiser. Too bad it was a limited edition. This is the 2nd (and unfortunately the last) tub I had. If Superdrug ever decides to bring this product back, I’ll stock up!

18 Boots Botanics Luxurious Coconut Body Wash (travel size) – a nice enough shower gel. I have more minis from this range!

Wow, I emptied quite a lot in January! But to be fair, I had to get on top of all the half-full bottles and tubs before the move. And I have high hopes for February as well, so I’ll keep going! 💪 Which products have you said goodbye to recently? Please feel free to comment! And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – December 2018

Hi there! Happy New Year, everyone! 🙂 Since it’s the 1st of the month, this post is about everything I finished last month. I’ve used a few single-use face masks. Whilst I don’t keep the empty sachets, you can read about my latest face mask finds if you click here. Onto the empty bottles, tubes and tubs!

1 Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Butter – this is, without doubt, one of the best body butters I’ve ever tried. I have a few back-up tubs in my stash!

2 NYC Expert Last Nail Polish 138 Classy Glassy – this is a lovely clear polish. I love to use it as a top coat when I do foil manis. I have a few more bottles in my stash.

3 Orly Nail Lacquer Clear – this is the best quick-dry polish ever. I have 10+ back-up bottles.

4 Enliven Mango & Papaya Shower Gel – this is a nice shower gel that I can see myself buying again. My husband used this shower gel too, so it’s a shared empty.

5 Yves Rocher 3 Min. Cranberry Cooling Effect Mask – this is, without doubt, one of the most useless “beauty” products I’ve ever come across. It doesn’t do anything at all.

6 Boots Garden Collection Rose Body Wash (travel size) – this is a great little shower gel. I have one more bottle in my stash.

7 Max Factor Pan Stik 12 True Beige – my holy grail foundation!

8 Palmolive Aroma Moments So Vibrant Shower Gel – this is a fantastic shower gel that I would love to repurchase.

9 Herbal Essences Bio Renew Whipped Cocoa Butter Strength Conditioner – I thought this conditioner and the matching shampoo were not bad, but I’ve changed my mind. They were bad! For weeks, I thought my hair needed a trim, but I realised how incredibly flattening these 2 products were just after I had finished this conditioner (which was the day I passed the matching leftover shampoo on to my husband). I started a new shampoo and conditioner combo (Gliss), and those new products made my hair look big from day 1. Thank you Gliss! Goodbye and good riddance Herbal Essences Cocoa Butter products.

10 Boots Extracts Sweet Mango Body Spray – this stuff smells gorgeous! It’s the best mango fragrance out there! I have another bottle – which is already in use!

11 Enliven Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel – another great shower gel that I would like to repurchase. My husband helped with this one, so this one’s a shared empty.

12 Imperial Leather Thai Fusion Bath Moments – if this one hadn’t been discontinued, I’d buy it again.

13 Classics Nail Polish Remover – I will continue to buy this nail polish remover for as long as it’s made.

14 Simple Pleasures Winter Woodland Frosty Delight Body Lotion (travel size) – I found this half-empty bottle in my stash, so I made an effort to finish it. Success! This one was alright, but I wouldn’t buy anything from this brand again.

15 Garnier Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Energising Gel Scrub – I liked this gentle scrub, but I didn’t love it. I don’t think that I’ll repurchase it.

16 Wonder Woman 2 In 1 Shampoo / Conditioner (travel size) – this is a nice shampoo. Very clarifying! But it doesn’t replace a conditioner. I might pick up another Wonder Woman toiletries set in the future.

17 Elizavecca Milky Piggy Kangsi Pack – this is another product that didn’t do anything for me. I won’t repurchase it.

18 Ciaté Amazing Gracie – another low quality polish from Ciaté that I am happy to say goodbye to.

19 Super Facialist By Una Brennan Vitamin C + Brighten Sleep & Reveal Night Cream  – this night cream isn’t the most suitable product for dry skin. And I think it didn’t do anything for my skin. I won’t buy it again.

20 Superdrug Treat Me Salted Caramel Shower & Bath Soak – this is a nice shower gel that I would repurchase. Since my husband used this shower gel too, this is another shared empty.

I did well again in December, didn’t I? I’m glad I finished all these shower and bath products. Some of them have been sitting by the shower – in various states of empty – for much, much longer than I’d care to admit. But (with a little help from my husband) I finished them – one by one. I’m actually a little proud of myself!

Since this is also the last Empties post for last year, I thought I’d let you know that I emptied 239 products in 2018. This figure includes the single-use face masks I’ve used. Whilst I don’t keep the empty sachets for my Empties posts, I do count them in my overall empties.

Again, Happy New Year! I hope it’s going to be a great year for everyone!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – April 2018

Hi there! Another month is history (time really flies…), so it’s time for my April Empties post. I’ve thrown out a konjac sponge (note to self: Primark’s konjac sponges are much better than Superdrug’s). And I’ve used a few single-use face masks, but I didn’t keep the empty sachets (what else is new…). You can read about my latest face mask finds if you click here. Alrighty, onto the big empties!

1 Caolion O2 Sparkling Purifying Soap (not in the photo because it was a soap and I used it up…) – I finished this awesome face soap after almost 4 months. This soap was £4, so it was excellent value! I’ve already repurchased it!

2 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Wash (travel size) – this is a great little body wash. I have more of these in my stash!

3 NSPA Shea Butter Shower & Bath Gel – this is a lovely shower gel that I’m happy to buy again. My husband enjoyed it too, so this one’s a shared empty.

4 I Love… Chocolate Truffle Refreshing Body Spritzer – this body spritzer was just as nice as the matching body butter. I have 1 back-up bottle.

5 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Butter (travel size) – another awesome product from Boots. I do have several vanilla body butters in my stash!

6 Superdrug Optimum Phyto Brighter Triple Action Illuminating Black Moisturiser – I’m glad this stuff is now finished. Repurchase? Nope!

7 Dr. Organic Bioactive Haircare Organic Aloe Vera Conditioner (travel size) – it conditioned well, but it smelled unpleasant. I wouldn’t buy this conditioner again, but I’d like to try more products from this brand.

8 Flower Pharm Orange Flower Body Butter – one of the best body butters I’ve ever had. Perfect formula, sensational fragrance. The entire Flower Pharm collection has been discontinued, but I do have a few back-up body butters!

9 Max Factor Pan Stik 12 True Beige – this is my holy grail foundation!

10 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Day Cream (Normal To Dry Skin) – this is a reasonable day cream that really helps with dry skin (it’s super rich and hydrating). I think I’ll buy it again, but not before autumn or winter.

11  The Body Shop Frosted Plum Shower Gel – this is the ultimate “filler” shower gel. It’s basic in every way. No one, absolutely no one, needs to buy it twice!

12 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Wash – this one’s a shared empty (my husband used it too).

13 Boots Extracts Luscious Vanilla Body Lotion (travel size) – this is a great body lotion. I believe I have 2 full-size tubes in my stash (and quite possibly another 75ml tube). I finished quite a few vanilla-scented products this month, didn’t I? 🙂

This is what I’ve emptied in April. I’m happy that the black moisturiser is gone, and I’m proud of myself for finishing a few more travel-sized products, as well as one of the big 500ml shower gels. 🙂 Have you tried any of these products? What have you emptied last month? Feel free to comment. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Beauty Haul! 20+ New Products – Olay, Ekél, Scinic, Daily Defense, Sukin, Balance, Rimmel, Primark, Sinful Colors, Orly & Max Factor

Hi there! Today’s post is about the beauty, skin care & toiletries I bought in August. Well, this is most of what I bought. There were a few purchases in between, but these were 1 or 2 items only each time, and I already stashed those products away…

Anyway, before I tell you what I bought, I’d like to remind you that I’m still doing 3 out / 1 in which means that I can buy 1 item (make-up, skin care, shower stuff, etc.) for every 3 items that I finish. I’m committed to the 3 out / 1 in policy. However, this time I had to ‘borrow’ from future empties. The offers were just too good! OK, now onto the goodies!

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting UV Cream – finally, it is mine! This is an import from the US. Olay doesn’t sell this moisturiser in the UK. I’ve read great things about it, and I didn’t have to think twice when I found it for £12.99.

Ekél Natural Clean Peeling Gel Apple & Rice Bran – I bought the Grape version of this Peeling Gel a few weeks ago – and I fell in love with it. So I bought the apple and rice bran versions as well. They were £4.99 each.

Scinic Aqua All In One Ampoule – I’m only 50% sure of what this product is supposed to do. Yeah, I know what ‘all in one’ means, but still… anyway, the reason I bought this was because it just looked so cool. I’ll try to review this one asap. I paid £9.99.

Sukin Facial Recovery Serum – I bought this serum because it was £4.99 only. It’s usually just under £14, so this one was a total bargain.

Balance Active Formula Instant Effect Wrinkle Filler & Dragon’s Blood Eye Lift Balm – I’ve never heard of this brand, but the wrinkle filler was £2.99, and the eye lift serum was £1.99. I can’t wait to test these products!

Daily Defense Argan Oil 3-Minute Leave-In Treatment – So far I’ve been impressed with Daily Defense’s hair products. And that’s why I bought this deep conditioner. It was £1.99 only!

More Daily Defense! I bought the Daily Defense Macadamia Oil Shampoo & Conditioner combo and a massive 946ml Argan Oil Body Wash (which will probably take me a year to finish). These 3 products were 99p each!

I also bought 2 more Max Factor Pan Stiks. The shade 12 True Beige is the perfect shade for me, but I only use it as my winter foundation because it’s not easy to find anymore. The Pan Stiks were 2 for £5.99. I also bought 2 clear Orly polishes for 99p each. And I bought another Rimmel I ♥ Lasting Finish 702 Marshmallow nail polish for 75p. I already have one bottle of this polish, but love these bubblegum purple nail colours so much!

I went to Primark and Poundland again. I picked up 2 cheap white polishes (Primark own brand, 60p each), and 5 Sinful Colors nail polishes (Poundland, £1 each).

This is (most of) the stuff I bought in August. I didn’t need any of these products, but I was lured in again… Have you tried any of these products? If so, how did / do you like them? Or would you like to try any of these products? Feel free to comment. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Max Factor Pan Stik 12 True Beige, 25 Fair

Hi there! Let’s talk foundation. I’ve been using many different foundations over the years and I’ve always been on the hunt for something better – until I discovered the incredible Max Factor Pan Stik. I’m using two different shades at the moment – 25 Fair and 12 True Beige. (Scroll down for swatches – unblended and blended.)

25 Fair is my go-to shade for most of the year. It’s supposed to be the lightest shade, but it can look orange if you apply too much. 12 True Beige is a beautiful soft beige and I use it as my winter foundation.

The Pan Stik has the most incredible coverage. It covers everything – redness, sun spots, acne… you name it. But it’s no surprise since the Pan Stik was originally developed as a stage make-up almost 100 years ago.

Some say ‘it’s a concealer’, but it’s not. You can use it as a concealer if you want to, but the Pan Stik is a foundation.

I apply the product by ‘drawing it on’ my face. A couple of strokes on my cheeks, chin, forehead, under my eyes… and then I blend it with my fingers.

Two minutes later my face looks basically flawless. However, I then use a sponge to give my foundation the perfect finish and to make sure there aren’t any fingerprints on my face.

My skin is very dry, so I don’t need to apply powder. Ever. This foundation simply lasts all day on me.

I would recommend to use powder if you have normal skin, but I wouldn’t really recommend the Pan Stik if you have oily skin.

Still, if you have dry skin (even with several dry patches) and want full coverage, the Pan Stik is for you.

I also don’t think that the Pan Stik looks cakey at all if it’s applied the way it should be (with fingers, then blended out with a sponge) on dry or normal skin.

While it’s obvious that I am wearing make-up, my face looks simply flawless. I don’t look airbrushed, and I don’t look like I ‘towelled it on’. Thanks to the Pan Stik, I look like someone who has great skin and only needs a light foundation – even though my skin is not great at all and the foundation is very rich. 🙂

And I love that my faces looks dewy. Yes, I have dry skin with dry patches. For years I’ve envied other women whose faces looked dewy because I thought my skin could never look like theirs no matter which foundation I’d use. But thanks to the Pan Stik, my dry skin looks dewy!

The incredible Max Factor Pan Stik is available for around £7.99, but there’s usually a 3 for 2 offer at the two big drugstores.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde