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

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