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

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 Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration + Wrinkle Smoother

Hi there! Since it’s mission in life to try every Olay product out there, I bought this Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration + Wrinkle Smoother.

This is a day moisturiser – without SPF. I like my SPF, so I knew this product wouldn’t become a favourite. But I wanted to give it a try nonetheless.

Now what did I find? This product is the exact same thing as Olay’s Instant Hydration + Wrinkle Blur!

I should have known! The packaging is almost identical, and the only differences are the colour of the box and bottles (blue/white and pink/white, respectively) and the name (wrinkle smoother and wrinkle blur).

Everything else is the same! So I can only come to the same conclusions as last time – when I used the pink sister product. 🙂

OK, 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’s 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 Smoother is available as 50 ml for £9.99. But it’s currently half price at Boots and Superdrug- so it’s £4.99 only!

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 Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl

Hi there! I’ve been using this Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl for about four weeks – and now’s the time to share my findings. So let’s start!

This eye cream glides on smoothly and it hydrates my under-eye area nicely.

I can see that it makes lines appear less pronounced, but this effect is only temporary. When I cleanse my face and don’t reapply the cream, I can’t see any difference between now and four weeks ago.

One thing that annoys me is that this eye cream is too rich. It’s not horrible, but it’s just enough to render it unsuitable for wear under make-up. Well, under my make-up, that is.

I use Max Factor’s Pan Stik which doesn’t work with this eye cream. There may not be any problems at all with other foundations, but I’m not changing my (holy grail!) foundation for a non-
essential eye product.

This means that I can only wear this eye cream when I’m not wearing make-up, which is overnight and on the odd day when I’m not leaving the house.

I know you wonder whether this eye cream actually helps with dark circles or not. And my answer is that it helps to a certain extent – whilst the cream is on. The eye cream contains shimmer particles which appear to reflect light; this makes dark circles disappear if you look at your eyes from the right angle.

I’m not sure whether to recommend this product or not. I’ll definitely use it up because it hydrates the skin under my eyes nicely, but I don’t think that I would repurchase this eye cream because I can’t use it under my make-up. I’ll stick to my favourite eye gel!

I know that this product received mixed reviews when it was first launched and I remember a few negative reviews from people who said that this cream would look like under-eye chalk (?) or that it would leave them with glittery skin around their eyes. However, I don’t believe that these reviews are accurate descriptions of this eye cream. And – in all honesty – I am still wondering how much product these people used!

If you would like to try this Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl, it’s £29.99 for 15 ml. I bought mine for half price a while ago, so you should check prices online before buying.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Olay Total Effects CC Cream Complexion Corrector

Hi there! Some of you may remember that I’m a total Olay nut – so it was only natural that I picked up Olay’s CC Cream Complexion Corrector when I found it for half price.

I’ve read dozens of reviews about this product after I bought it, and a lot of reviewers said that they didn’t like this moisturiser, so I was hesitant to try it.

However, I tried it and I like it! And here’s why: Olay’s CC Cream feels smooth and silky on my skin, and it moisturises very well. As someone with dry skin I’m very happy with this product, but I can see that women with oily skin might prefer a lighter moisturiser.

I think Olay’s CC Cream is a great base for make-up and it also doubles as a primer which saves time and money! I’m very happy about this.

Saying this, I understand why some of the reviewers didn’t like this moisturiser. I have to say that it’s difficult to apply this CC cream evenly. So I usually end up with a few darker patches on my face. Because of this I wouldn’t recommend this CC Cream if you don’t intend to wear make-up on top of it.

However, if you use a foundation after moisturising and if you don’t have oily skin, you’ll love the result! I think that Olay’s CC Cream really makes my make-up last longer. I guess it’s the rich, moisturising formula that helps make-up hold on to dry skin.

In summary, I’m very happy with this product and I’m sure I’ll buy it again. This CC Cream feels amazing on my skin, it smells nice and it’s got SPF 15 – what’s not to like?

If you’d like to try Olay’s Total Effects CC Cream Complexion Corrector, it’s £14.99 at the big supermarket’s and drugstores. I got my bottle for half price, so I recommend you compare prices online before buying. 😉

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