Empties – July 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is my July Empties post – so it’s about all the products I used up last month. Let’s take a closer look at them!

1 Prada Infusion D’Iris Hydrating Body Lotion – this is an alright body lotion for spring and summer. Basic hydration but a long-lasting and powerful fragrance. I wouldn’t pay full price for this body lotion, but I wouldn’t mind picking it up as part of another reduced price fragrance gift set! 😋

2 A’kin Brightening Vitamin C & Niacinamide Correcting Eye Gel – a basic eye cream. I wouldn’t buy it again.

3 Giorgio Armani Armani Code Summer Eau Fraîche – an elegant and pretty summer fragrance. I’d repurchase it.

4 Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 In 1 Firm & Lift Anti-Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum – a very nice serum! I’d be more than happy to buy it again!

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

6 Boots Botanics Refreshing Toning Spritz – not my favourite face mist. I won’t buy it again.

7 Aussie Mega Conditioner – this conditioner is one half of one of my all-time favourite hair care combos. A definite repurchase (along with the shampoo).

8 Cussons Creations Peace Bottled Apple & Elderflower Shower Gel – a decent shower gel. Definitely refreshing. It was nice enough while it lasted, but it wasn’t a favourite, so I won’t buy it again. My husband used this shower gel too – quite a few times actually – so he helped me use it up!

9 Nivea Refreshing Face Wash – a basic face wash. I won’t buy it again.

10 Imperial Leather Awakening Mango & Papaya Infusions Shower Cream – a lovely shower gel! Unfortunately, this one has been discontinued, so I can’t buy it again.

11 Boots Extracts Sweet Mango Body Wash – another discontinued beauty. I have a few more products from this range in my stash.

I also used a few single use face masks. You can read about my latest face mask finds if you click here. All in all, not a bad month for empties. I love to finish skin care, but I also love to finish big shower gel bottles and tubes. So based on that, I’ve done pretty well!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

100% Awesome – Olay Total Effects 7 In 1 Anti-Ageing Day Moisturiser

Hi there! Today’s post is about Olay’s Total Effects 7 In 1 Anti-Ageing Day Moisturiser. In a nutshell, this product promises younger and healthier looking skin in 4 weeks.

Well, the product promises basically everything you’d want an anti-ageing product to take care of, but I won’t list everything because I don’t want to type 5,000 words. In addition, I’m reviewing the product anyway, so I’ll tell you what’s important. 🙂

I think this moisturiser is awesome – and here’s why. The pump bottle dispenses the perfect amount of product. One pump gives me enough moisturiser for my face and my neck. Brilliant!

The moisturiser feels great on my skin – and it makes my skin feel great. It might be a bit too rich for women with oily skin, but my dry and moody skin loves this product. My skin has been looking healthier and happier for a few weeks now, and I haven’t had any visible dry patches for over a month. I’ve also noticed that my pores are less visible. Awesome!

Whilst this moisturiser is rather rich and nourishing, it’s not greasy at all, and it sits very well under my make-up. And I’m very happy about this because the office air con has been running in desert heat mode for about 6 weeks now…

To sum it up… Olay’s Total Effects 7 In 1 Anti-Ageing Day Moisturiser is fantastic. I love the product, and I know I’ll buy it again. And I would recommend this product to everyone! This 50ml moisturiser is usually £14.99. I paid £2.99 (Bargain Buys).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Facial Cleansing Products – Cleansing Milk, Face Wash & Toner

Hi there! A few weeks ago I bought a few new Olay products – they were on a better than half price offer (£2.95 each instead of £5.99 each), so I had to have them. Now meet Olay Anti-Wrinkle Cleansing Milk, Olay Anti-Wrinkle Face Wash and Olay Anti-Wrinkle Toner.

Olay’s Ani-Wrinkle cleansing products promise…
– to help reduce the appearance of fine lines,
– to improve dull skin,
– to make skin look and feel smoother,
– to maintain skin suppleness,
– to promote the renewal of skin cells,
– and to “fight signs of ageing as you cleanse” (that’s what it says on the back of these three products).

I’ve now used these products for three weeks. And if you read on, I’ll tell you what I think of Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle cleansing products.

I think the cleansing milk is quite effective. It removes my make-up very well, and it doesn’t cause any problems when I use it to remove my eye make-up. I think this cleansing milk makes my skin feel and look smooth and supple. Nice!

I really like the face wash. It reminds me very much of Olay’s Total Effects Face Wash – the texture and the fragrance are the same! I think this face wash makes my skin feel great. It’s creamy and it exfoliates my skin gently. It’s perfect for dry skin and for everyday use.

The toner is very nice too. It removes make-up and cleanser residue without problems, and it makes my skin feel clean and refreshed. Whilst I prefer the fragrance of Olay’s blue toner, I can’t find any issue with this toner.

I don’t think that any of these products have made a difference to my fine lines. But I really enjoy using these cleansing products because they make my skin feel great. In addition, I’m 35, so I can accept that the fine lines aren’t going away. 🙂

Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle cleansing products are available for £5.99 each. The toner and the cleansing milk are 200ml, the face wash is 150ml.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

My New Favourite Face Serum – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum

Hi there! Today’s post is about my newest beauty weapon – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum. This serum is meant to be applied in the morning – either before a regular moisturiser or instead of a moisturiser. I’m using this serum right before I apply my regular Olay Day Fluid– this way my skin gets the maximum hydration out of these products. 🙂 But now, let’s take a closer look at the serum!

Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum is simply fantastic. It promises instant hydration – and it gives you instant hydration. I love it! And I think this serum actually keeps my eczema at bay. The semi-permanent dry patch on my left cheek isn’t half as angry as it used to be. And as soon as I put on my make-up, that patch is 100% invisible – and it stays invisible all day. Fantastic, isn’t it?

Another thing I love about this serum is its formula. It’s soft and silky – very much like Boots’ No 7 serum – and it’s fun to apply. And smoothing it into my skin feels great! I’ve been using this serum for just under three weeks now, so I can’t comment on its anti-wrinkle properties. But my skin already feels so much more supple, flexible and elastic. I think this serum might actually prevent a few lines (the ones you get from dry skin…) from forming.

To sum it up, I think Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration Day Serum is absolutely amazing. I would recommend it to everyone. Literally everyone! Priced at £10 (RRP) , the 50ml bottle is very affordable. But if you keep your eyes peeled for half price offers, you shouldn’t have to pay more than £5 for this serum. 😉

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Regenerist Regenerating UV Lotion

Hi there! Today’s post is about my current moisturiser – Olay Regenerist Regenerating UV Lotion. This product claims to exfoliate, smooth and brighten skin, to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, to regenerate cells in the skin’s outer layer and to protect skin from the sun.

In summary, this product promises quite a lot! But does it keep its promises? YES, it does! I’ve been using it for three weeks now and I’m blown away. If you’d like to know more, then read on. 🙂

When I started using this product, I was aware that it’s a lot more powerful than Olay’s Complete range. So I was careful when I applied it around my eyes. But I shouldn’t have worried because everything was and is fine. No stinging or burning, no redness, no irritation. Perfect!

I love the formula of this moisturiser. It’s light and non-greasy, it sits perfectly under my make-up, and it feels amazing. It makes my skin feel smooth and soft. And thanks to this product I understand what an exfoliating moisturiser does! I don’t understand the ‘how’ though. 🙂

Another thing I want to mention is that, with this product, I can feel a gentle firming / lifting sensation on my skin. It starts about 10 to 20 minutes after I’ve applied the product and it stays for several hours – almost an entire day. But it’s not like something’s pulling my skin. It’s a very pleasant sensation!

Based on my experience using this product for the past three weeks I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I’ve got sensitive and dry skin, and I’m a long-term eczema sufferer, but this moisturiser didn’t give me any trouble at all. I will definitely buy this moisturiser again!

Olay Regenerist Regenerating UV Lotion is available as 75ml bottle for £21.99. The drugstores and supermarkets run promotions all the time. I only paid £9.99 for my bottle!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Total Effects Radiance Enhancing Cream Wash

Hi there! If you read my blog, you know I’m an Olay girl who’s on a long-term quest to try all the Olay products out there. 🙂

And I wanted to try Olay’s Total Effects Radiance Enhancing Cream Wash for ages – but the product seemed to disappear from the shelves. But the last time I swung by my local Family Bargains store, I found this face wash for £1.99 only!

Now that I’ve used the face wash for about two weeks, I wish I’d tried it sooner. I’m not sure if this face wash makes my skin more radiant, but it feels absolutely great on the skin, and it exfoliates very gently. I love it!

If you always wanted to try this face wash, pop by your local discount stores to check if they have it. Priced at £1.99 (Family Bargains) this face wash is a total steal!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

Hi there! Here’s another Olay post; this time I’m reviewing Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel. This product targets wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness and it claims to give you a ‘firmer looking eye contour in 21 days. So does it work? I’ve been using this eye gel for a few weeks now, and I’m not only happy with it, I’m blown away. If you read on, I’ll tell you why.

Thanks to Olay I haven’t had any real wrinkles to begin with. However, I have noticed a few lines which resulted from a recurring angioedema which I battled a couple of months ago. At first I thought it would take months go get rid of these lines, but at some point I realised I would have to make peace with them.

But after using this eye gel twice a day – morning and night – for ten days, the lines disappeared. Completely. I can’t believe how easy it actually was – all it took was the right product from my favourite skin care brand. I couldn’t be happier!

I’ve also noticed that my dark circles have improved a lot in the past few weeks. All my life I’ve had dark circles and I didn’t think anything could be done. However,  this eye gel helped a lot. I can’t tell you exactly how much the dark circles have improved, but I wouldn’t even call them dark circles anymore. The skin under my eyes is still a bit darker than the rest of my face, but it’s no longer a purplish grey area that needs lots of concealer. Again, I couldn’t be happier!

If you look for an effective, yet affordable anti-wrinkle eye product, look no further! Seriously, I cannot recommend Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel enough. The 15 ml tub (which will last you for several months even if you use the product twice daily) is usually £10, but there’s always a BOGOF or half price offer at some drugstore or supermarket. (At the time I’m writing this post, this eye gel is £5 at Wilko’s and £4.95 at Superdrug’s.)

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Lotion

Hi there! I’ve already done a couple of posts about Olay products recently – and I’ll be doing a lot more. 🙂 I’m a real Olay nut and I’m currently testing several different products. I know I’ll always return to the incredible Complete Care Day Fluid, but that doesn’t stop me from trying different moisturisers in between.

At the moment I’m using Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Lotion. I’m quite impressed with the product because it’s similar to my favourite Complete Care moisturiser, and I can see that it might become one of my beauty staples.

And here’s why: I love the formula and the scent of this moisturiser. It smells wonderfully sunny and optimistic and it moisturises my skin very well without leaving a greasy film behind. It’s also perfect under make-up because it’s easy to apply and it doesn’t sit on the skin. I cannot comment on its wrinkle-smoothing qualities because – thanks to Olay – I don’t have wrinkles, but that goes to show that Olay’s products really work.

What can I say other than… you need to try this moisturiser if you haven’t already. I cannot recommend it enough. Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Lotion is available as 100 ml for £10. However, there’s always a half price offer somewhere, so you can buy this gorgeous moisturiser for £5!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration & Wrinkle Blur

Hi there! I bought this special edition Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration & Wrinkle Blur moisturiser for half price a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been using it for the past ten days and I’m actually quite happy with it. And here’s why.

Once applied, this moisturiser sinks right into my skin and leaves it looking matte and silky. It’s great under make-up and yes, it does have an instant blurring effect on wrinkles and lines!

Because of the non-greasy formula and the matte finish, this moisturiser would be great for women with oily skin. But at the same time it doubles as a primer for women with dry skin. This moisturiser has primer-like qualities, yet – unlike most ‘real’ primers – it is not drying at all. So if you want a primer that doesn’t feel like it’s sucking the moisture out of your skin, this product is for you.

Another thing I love about this Olay moisturiser is its fresh and pure scent which I would describe as a mix of water lilies and apples.

But there’s one bit that I’m not super happy with – this moisturiser is SPF-free. I love my sunscreen, but if you prefer SPF-free face creams and moisturisers, this one is definitely worth a try.

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration & Wrinkle Blur is exclusive to Superdrug. It’s available as 50ml and it’s currently on sale for £4.99 only!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde