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 💙💛

Empties – November 2016

Hi there! After yesterday’s monthly favourites post, today’s post is about last month’s empties. As always, I used several face masks, and I also used up basics like cosmetic pads (which I never thought of mentioning before – and I might not do it again – who knows…). And I threw out one old eyeshadow brush. But now let’s get to the bulky empties, the REAL empties! 🙂

1 Herbal Essence Silk N’ Shine Conditioner – the BEST conditioner ever. Ladies with thick, long or curly hair will appreciate this conditioner the most! I have lots of back-up bottles, but I’ll continue to buy the (pink and yellow) Herbal Essences Classics hair products. If you’re wondering what happened to the shampoo, my husband is using it up. Whenever I finish a conditioner, I pass the matching shampoo on to my husband.

2 Yardley Invigorating Blue Orchid Hydrating & Enrichting Body Lotion – not great. My husband and I used this one as a foot lotion. So this one is a shared empty. Repurchase? No!

3 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my favourite nail polish remover. 400ml for £1. You can’t find a great nail polish remover for less than that. I’ll repurchase this product – and I’ll always have at least one back-up bottle.

4 Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Fluid – my favourite moisturiser! I always buy the big 200ml bottles. And yes, I have a back-up bottle! 🙂

5 I Love… Choca Mocha lala Shower – this is the ultimate hot chocolate shower gel. I started to use this shower gel this spring, then ignored it this summer, but I used it again when it got colder. And now I’ve finished it. Too bad it’s been discontinued, so I can’t repurchase it. I need to try I Love…’s current chocolate fudge shower gel – hopefully it’s the same – or at least similar!

6 Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care All Over Body Cream With Manuka Honey – this body cream is simply fantastic. It should be a permanent item in Superdrug’s Vitamin E collection. I can’t repurchase this cream because it was a limited edition, but I have two back-up tubs!

7 Kenzo Amour Florale Body Lotion – I got this body lotion as part of a gift set. It’s a nice floral fragrance but it’s nothing like the original Kenzo Amour. I did like this body lotion because it hydrated my skin well. It was nice while it lasted but I wouldn’t buy it again.

8 Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 In 1 Firm & Lift Anti-Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum – I love this stuff. It’s… perfect. I’ve already repurchased it. 🙂

9 Anna Sui Secret Wish Magic Romance 75ml EdT – a nice and inoffensive office fragrance. It’s not very special, but certainly pleasant. It smells like a floral and less cool version of D&G Light Blue, although this one isn’t as powerful as Light Blue, and it only lasts a few hours on me. I bought this fragrance on a whim a few years ago. It was nice while it lasted, but I wouldn’t buy it again.

10 The Red Forest Moonlight Raspberry Body Lotion – this body lotion was OK but not very memorable. The ‘moonlight raspberry’ fragrance smelled more like a mix of roses and waterlilies. This was a limited edition product (from a gift set). I don’t think I’d buy it again even if I could.

11 The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion – this body lotion was OK but it was nothing special. I’ve had better moisturisers from the drugstore. This body lotion has been discontinued. But I wouldn’t buy it again anyway.

12 Superdrug Shea Butter & Bamboo – a nice shower gel. It smells like caramel. I will buy it again, no doubt.

So this is what I emptied last month. I didn’t empty as many products as I hoped I would, but that’s OK. At the moment I have all these big 500ml bottles in the shower, I have a few more fragrances which are near empty, and I’m using different skin care products in a rota – and I know I’ll emtpy at least two of them within one week from now. So I think I’ll have more empties this month! 🙂

Oh, and I’ll be using up lots of foundations over the next few months. I realised I’ve been using six different Max Factor Pan Stiks (2 different shades) for the past six months or so – and I expect to finish them all (one at a time, of course) in the next 2 to 3 months.

Have you used any of these products? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for reading! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

October Beauty Awards

Hi there! And Happy Halloween! October 2016 is almost over – and this means it’s time for the October Beauty Awards – a.k.a. my monthly favourites. As always, I picked three favourites from all the products I’ve reviewed this month. You could say I’m dishing out imaginary gold, silver and bronze medals! 🙂 And I’ve included a few honourable mentions as well. Now let’s get started, shall we?

3rd place – Superdrug Superfruits Exfoliating Mask
Runner-Up – L’Oréal Skin Perfection Velvety Soft Toner

Superdrug’s Superfruits Mask is the best face mask I’ve ever had. It’s brilliant! It seems to be out of stock online at the moment, so I hope it won’t be discontinued. Fingers crossed! L’Oréal’s Velvety Soft Toner is… velvety soft. I’ve never felt anything like it. I will use this one regularly, no doubt.

WINNER – Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 In 1 Firm & Lift Anti-Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum

You really must try Olay’s Anti-Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum. It feels like a mix of liquid silk and velvet and it makes my skin feel wonderfully smooth and supple. It’s an 11 Stars product!

Now on to the honourable mentions! I really like Garnier’s Skin Naturals Fresh Radiance Boosting Scrub, Superdrug’s Leafy & Lovely Hand Lotion and Superdrug’s Mango & Papaya Body Scrub. And Anovia’s Fragranced Body Mists With Fruit Extracts have shown that “Made In UK” doesn’t mean a product has to be expensive, and that a cheap product from a bargain store can be surprisingly good!

What do you think of my favourites? Have you tried any of these products? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Awesome – Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 In 1 Firm & Lift Anti-Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum

Hi there! Today’s post is about the wonderful Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 in 1 Firm & Lift Anti Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum. I’ve used this product on and off for a year – and I love it!

At first, let me tell you that this product promises to fill fine lines and wrinkles, to activate cell renewal and to nourish skin to boost firmness – within 14 days. The product also claims to be an ideal base for make-up, and it’s aimed at women aged 40+.

I remember the first time I’ve used this serum. I fell in love with its gorgeous (yet subtle) fragrance. It smells like a high end product! Then I applied it to my face – and I couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt – like a mix of liquid silk and velvet. And still, after about a year of on and off use of this serum, I still feel like I’m hitting the jackpot every time I use it.

I think that this product really plumps up my skin and that it makes it firmer. I love it! I also agree with Olay that this product is a great base for make-up. However, it doesn’t contain sunscreen. So when I use this product in the morning, I still apply a day cream or day fluid with SPF on top of it.

I can’t comment on any long-term anti-wrinkle benefits. That’s because my skin is almost wrinkle-free. But then, I have to credit Olay for this because I know their regular day fluid DID take care of quite a few deeper lines which I had when I was a teenager but which I don’t have now – and I’m in my mid-thirties. Plus: I’ve never been to a beautician, I’ve never had plastic surgery or botox. And I also don’t use high end products. I only use affordable skin care – mainly Olay – which I buy when there’s a half price offer! 🙂

I’d recommend this product in an instant. Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 in 1 Firm & Lift Anti Wrinkle Booster + Firming Serum is available as 50ml for around £10 – but the big drugstore and supermarket chains run half price or BOGOF promotions very frequently, so this product can be yours for £5 or slightly less!

If you’re interested in other products that I can’t recommend enough, take a look at all of my 11 Stars Products. And thanks for reading! I appreciate it!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde