Never Again – The Ultimate Beauty Duds – Part 4

Hi there! Over the past few months I did a couple of posts about beauty products that I think are useless. Those posts were quite popular, so here’s Part 4 of The Ultimate Beauty Duds. 🙂

MUA MakeUp Academy Matte Lipstick Lilac Belle

MUA’s matte lippies are probably the worst matte lippies out there. I’ve read a few positive reviews (?), but I can only guess the reviewers never had a decent matte lippie to compare MUA’s offerings with. Or they never actually tried the lippie. Or they found it rubbishy too, but didn’t want to be negative because they got the lippie for free. Who knows?

Now why is this lipstick so horrible? Well, this lipstick is very waxy. It’s almost impossible to apply it properly, it’s poorly pigmented and it’s drying. And because it’s so difficult to apply, my lippie broke off the first time I’ve used it. Rubbish!

Pantene Breakage Defence Hair Strength Tonic

This stuff scared me! I tried it, I got scared, then I binned the product! I thought of giving the product away – but I didn’t want anyone else to be scared by this truly binworthy product.

Superdrug Simply Pure Refreshing Toner For Sensitive Skin &
I Love… Cherry Almond Sparkle Refreshing Body Spritzer

Superdrug’s Simply Pure toner for sensitive skin isn’t very effective. As if this weren’t enough, this toner gave me an unpleasant skin reaction. I’m now using it to clean my nail art stampers! 🙂 I Love…’s Cherry Almond Sparkle smells like bread. Not a great fragrance, eh?

John Frieda Forever Smooth Shampoo, Conditioner, Anti-Frizz Primer

I’ve never used John Frieda hair products before – and thanks to these samples I can safely say that I won’t be using John Frieda hair products again. Complete rubbish!

Superdrug Moisturising Cocoa Butter Body Lotion
Yardley Invigorating Blue Orchid Body Lotion &
Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter

I can make this one short – these 3 moisturisers didn’t smell great at all. And Pacifica’s Indian Coconut Body Butter is the worst smell I’ve ever came across in a moisturiser. These 3 products were used as foot lotions.

Superdrug Clearly Youthful SPF 15 Skin Balancing Moisturiser

It’s impossible to apply this cream without causing it to ball up. The only way to use the product at all is to use it as a targeted treatment. But again, you can’t rub it into your skin. Major fail!

Pantene Volume & Body Shampoo & Conditioner

The shampoo wasn’t completely horrible. However, the conditioner was rubbish. It failed to detangle my hair, and it didn’t feel conditioning at all. As if this weren’t enough, the conditioner also flattened my hair. Bye-bye Pantene Volume & Body hair products. You won’t be missed!

Have you tried any of these products? Which products have you hated recently? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – July 2017

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished last month. I used a few single-use face masks. Whilst I don’t keep the empty sachets, you can read about my latest face mask finds here. Now onto the ‘big’ empties! 🙂

1 Superdrug Clearly Youthful Resurfacing Night Serum – this is a great serum. Since it contains AHA and BHA it doesn’t smell great, but this serum gives real results. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued, but I have one more back-up bottle.

2 Superdrug B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I love this product! I will continue to buy it for as long as it’s made. Awesome stuff!

3 Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Perfume Roll-On – this fragrance is nice. It says coconut nectar, but it’s more like a heavy vanilla with lots of honey and a drop of coconut milk. I won’t buy it again because I don’t love the fragrance.

4 I Love… Mango & Papaya Refreshing Body Spritzer – this body spritzer was a nice surprise. The fragrance is sunny and summery – and it’s very well done. Definitely a lot better than all those £15 celebrity fragrances. I have 1 back-up bottle!

5 Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Deep Clean Gel – this is a wonderful face wash (and I have a back-up). I’d love to buy this product again and again, but, unfortunately, it’s been discontinued.

6 I Love… Tropical Paradise Nourishing Body Butter – this body butter was really nice. Very nourishing, but not sticky. Great for summer! I would buy this body butter again, but it appears that Tropial Paradise was a limited edition that sold out quickly.

7 L’Oréal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Crystal Sparkling Conditioner – this is an average conditioner. However, I might buy it again one more time because I’d like to test if the Nutri-Gloss Luminizer shampoo would be a better prep for this conditioner.

8 I Love… Tropical Paradise Bath & Shower Crème – this is a nice shower gel with a pleasant exotic fragrance. I would buy it again. However, it appears that this limited edition product is gone for good!

9 Nail Polish Remover – quite effective and not too stinky, and dirt cheap (£1 for 400ml)! Yes, I have a back-up.

10 Astor Fashion Studio 221 Cabaret – this was an ugly pearly-white polish with a frosty finish. I used it as a base coat. Repurchase? Nope!

11 Rimmel Lycra Pro 421 Clearly Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes. Great as a base coat or as a top coat. I have several bottles in various states of empty. 🙂

12 MUA Top Clear Coat – yes, its name is Top Clear Coat! This is a reasonable top coat. And I have a few back-up bottles.

13 The Healing Garden JasmineSensations – this is a super sweet jasmine and bubble gum fragrance. Gorgeous! I have a few 15ml bottles!

14 Leafy & Lovely Summer Meadow Hand Lotion – a very nice hand cream! It also looks super fancy but it was £1 only. This hand cream has been repackaged – and I have one more tube in my stash!

15 Garnier Skin Naturals Fresh Radiance Boosting Scrub – a reasonable scrub. Effective, but not harsh at all. I’ve been using this scrub every Saturday for 10 months, and it’s finally finished! Whilst I would recommend this scrub, I won’t buy it again because I have countless scrubs in my stash.

16 Garnier Moisture + Protect Daily Protective Moisturiser – this is a good moisturiser. However, I don’t like the fragrance at all, so I wouldn’t buy it again.

This is what I emptied last month. I’m glad I managed to finish another big 500ml shower gel and lots of smaller items! Feel free to comment if you want to. And thanks for reading. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – September 2016

Hi there! It’s a new month (Can you believe it’s October already?), so let’s look at the products I used up last month! As always, I’ve used several face masks (Yay!) which means I’m getting on top of my stash – and I can buy new face masks later this fall – although not this month. But now, let’s look at what else I’ve used up in September.

1 Original Source Tropical Pineapple Shower – a decent shower gel that smells like the white Haribo gummy bears. I’ve used it on and off for over a month. I do have a back-up bottle but once that one’s finished too, I wouldn’t repurchase it.

2 Garnier Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Energising Gel Wash – a decent face wash which I’ve been using on an off for about a year. I don’t think I’d repurchase it. Whilst it was nice while it lasted, it’s simply not a favourite.

3 Harmony Hair Indulgence Herbal Conditioner With Ginseng Extract – a good conditioner that detangled my hair without problems. Of all the Harmony conditioners this is the best one. In addition, this conditioner smells amazing! I will buy it (and the shampoo) again! If you’re wondering what happened to the shampoo, I’ve passed it on to my husband who always uses up my shampoos once I’ve emptied the matching conditioners.

4 Garnier Ultimate Blends The Shine Revitaliser Conditioner – I’m pretty sure this is the best Garnier conditioner I’ve ever had. The Garnier shampoos and conditioners I’ve tried in the past made my hair go greasy within about 12 hours after washing, but this one didn’t. I was also pleased with how nicely this conditioner detangled my hair. And whilst the fragrance isn’t my favourite (it’s not bad, but it’s just OK), I’ll buy this shampoo and conditioner combo again.

5 Original Source Mango & Macadamia Shower – a gorgeous shower gel that’s exclusive to Poland. I used it on and off for over a month. I love the sweet and delicious fragrance. If only Original Source would permanently replace the sickly sweet mango shower gel with this one… In the meantime, I’m glad I have a back-up bottle! 🙂

6 Olay Essentials Smoothing Face Scrub – a very nice, gentle and creamy (!) face scrub that’s perfectly suitable for dry and sensitive skin. This product lasted me for over a year! This scrub has been discontinued, so I can’t repurchase it, but I have two back-up bottles!

7 Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter (73ml travel size) – this is one of the few Pacifica products I didn’t like at all (the smell is very unpleasant). But since I always try not to be wasteful, I used this product as a foot cream. It did an OK job, but compared to other body butters I’ve tried, this one is considerably less moisturising. And it’s actually not even a body butter, but more of a lotion.

8 Bvlgari Jasmin Noir Body Lotion (30ml travel size) – a decent body lotion. Ages ago. I got it as a sample to figure out whether to buy the fragrance. I’ve used up the body lotion now, and I can safely say it made me fall out of love with the fragrance.

9 The Healing Garden JasmineSensations (15ml) – the sweetest and most delightful jasmine fragrance I’ve ever come across. It’s all sweet, innocent jasmine and bubble gum. It’s delicious. The bottle was near empty (5ml left?) when I started to use it again this month. Ages ago, I found this fragrance at one of those bargain basement stores (I think the store name might actually be Bargain Basement or something like that), and I’ve never seen it anywhere else before or after, so I assume I’ll never be able to buy it again. BUT I have several back-up bottles!

10 Boots Extracts Mango Body Butter (50ml travel size) – the best and most delicious mango body butter out there. Forget the more expensive one from you know where. 😉 Get this one from Boots. It mops the floor with its competitors. I will, without doubt, repurchase it.

11 Boots Extracts Mango Shower Gel (75ml travel size) – it smells just as amazing as the body butter, it lathers up nicely, and it’s not drying at all. Yes, I’ll repurchase it.

12 The Red Forest Moonlight Raspberry Bath Salts (50g, single use) – Ages ago, I got these bath salts as part of a small limited edition gift set from the 99p Store (R.I.P. 99p Stores!). I think these bath salts are actually decent. And the rose & raspberry fragrance is pleasant.

13 Dolly’s Mixtures Piña Colada ‘Don’t Be Shy’ Shower Gel – a decent shower gel that smells mainly of pineapple with a hint of coconut. I do like it, but it’s not a favourite, so I don’t know if I’ll repurchase it.

14 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my favourite nail polish remover. Not tested on animals, made in the EU. What’s not to love? For as long as this nail polish remover is made, I’ll keep buying it.

15 Superdrug Refreshing Day Cream SPF 15 For Normal Skin – a decent SPF face cream that moisturises well. However, I’m not in love with the fragrance (the next person might love it), so I won’t repurchase this cream. Saying this, if you’re on a budget and if you’re looking for a nice moisturiser with SPF, I would definitely recommend it.

16 I Love… Strawberries & Cream Body Butter – if you love strawberry-scented toiletries, I’d definitely recommend this one because I Love…’s Strawberries & Cream collection is the most natural smelling strawberry-scented product line out there. Personally, I found the fragrance overwhelming, so I used this body butter as a foot butter – with great results. But I wouldn’t repurchase the product.

So this is it for this month! I finished several travel-sized products, I managed to finish a face cream and I emptied a seemingly bottomless face wash. Success! What have you used up this month? Have you used any of the products I used? If so, please let me know in the comments.

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – June 2016

Hi there! Today’s post is about what I emptied last month. It’s quite a lot (and I’m proud of myself), so let’s get started! 🙂

1 (no photo) I used several face masks from Montagne Jeunesse (Lemon Zest, Mud Pac, Passion Peel Off) and Superdrug (Naturally Radiant Mask, Fruit Sorbet Peel Off, Dead Sea Clay Mask). I didn’t feel like keeping the empty (= dirty & sticky) sachets. The masks that really stood out were the Montagne Jeunesse masks – I can’t believe I’ve never used them before! Anyway, I’ll repurchase all the face masks I’ve used this month.

2 Garnier Intensive 7 Days Hydrating Body Lotion with Aloe Vera – this is a fantastic body lotion. Of all the body lotions and butters I’ve had in the past six month or so, this one is definitely in my top 3. It appears Garnier has now discontinued this product which is stupid a shame!

3 St. Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub – Blemish Fighting – I stopped using harsh scrubs with crushed apricot seeds or walnut shells on my face – I’m using these on my body only. Essentially, I used most of this face scrub as a body scrub. 🙂 I wouldn’t repurchase this product because most body scrubs smell much nicer than this product.

4 Rightguard Shower + Nutrients Shower Cream with Acai Berry – this shower cream is amazing – it’s gentle and creamy and it smells absolutely delicious. Highly recommended! Repurchase? Yes!

5 Dolce & Gabbana 3 L’Impératrice (100ml) – a lovely fruity fragrance for grown-ups. I won’t repurchase it (I have too many fragrances) but I recommend you give this one a sniff if you come across it. L’Impératrice is a really nice fragrance.

6 Harmony Hair Indulgence Herbal Conditioner with Jasmine Extract – I didn’t love the conditioner. It smells really nice but it’s not great for my hair type (thick, long, curly). I won’t repurchase it but I think it would work fine for ladies with short, fine and straight hair. If you’re wondering what happened to the matching shampoo (now that the conditioner is gone), my husband is using it up.

7 Imperial Leather Oriental Calm Shower Cream – I kept this around for a while because I thought it was discontinued. However, this gorgeous vanilla and cherry blossom shower cream has only been renamed and it’s still available as Imperial Leather Mauritian Spa! I’ve already stocked up. 🙂

8 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Instant Hydration + Wrinkle Smoother – this is a really good non-greasy moisturiser which has an instant blur effects on fine lines, and it doubles as a primer. I won’t repurchase it because it’s not the most suitable moisturiser for my skin type (dry, sensitive & moody), but I can totally see that women with normal to oily skin would love it.

9 Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Shower Gel – I liked that this shower gel didn’t smell too coconutty and that it was gentle. But I won’t repurchase it. The fragrance isn’t my favourite.

10 Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Eye Swirl – this eye cream didn’t do anything for me. I think this is the only Olay product that left me disappointed. I’m glad it’s finally gone and I won’t repurchase it.

11 The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Body Mist (100ml) – a decent body mist with a sweet and fruity fragrance. The product is no longer available (limited edition from ages ago), but I wouldn’t repurchase it if it were still available. Like I said earlier, I have too many fragrances…

12 Imperial Leather Paradise Island Nourishing Bath Cream – this is one of my favourite bath creams at the moment. It smells of peach nectar and vanilla – delicious! I’ve already repurchased it.

13 Palmolive Pampering Touch with Coconut and Moisturising Milk – I really love this shower gel. It feels amazing on my skin and it smells wonderful. I have a few back-up bottles and I’ll always repurchase this one.

14 Original Source Plum & Blackcurrant Shower Gel – a nice and refreshing shower gel. I’m pretty sure I’ve got at least one back-up bottle (probably two). I don’t feel like purchasing more at the moment.

15 Imperial Leather Revitalising Ylang Ylang & Juniper Shower Gel – this is already the second big bottle I’ve used up. I really like this shower gel. The bottle (yellow floral image, I’m looking at you) is quite ugly, but the shower gel smells lovely and quite sophisticated. Repurchase? Yes!

This is everything I managed to use up in June. There aren’t any small items like lipsticks or eyeliner pencils, but I’m really proud of myelf for emptying so many bottles and tubes. Have you used any of these products? Feel free to let me know what you think. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Wash, Body Butter & Perfume

Hi there! You might know that I’m not the biggest fan of the fragrance and the flavour of coconuts. So I wouldn’t have chosen these coconut-scented products for myself. However, these products were part of a humongous gift box (no, not a set – it was a huge box) which was incredibly cheap – so I just had to have it. 🙂 Now let’s look at Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Wash, Body Butter & Perfume.

The Body Wash is quite nice. It smells like coconut and vanilla, but it doesn’t have this sickly sweet scent which many coconut-themed products have. The body wash lathers up nicely and it feels good on my skin – it’s not drying at all. Well done, Pacifica!

The Body Butter is a weird product. First of all, it’s not a butter but more like a body lotion. And it’s brown. It doesn’t stain. But for a moment I really thought they might have accidentally filled this tube with a self tan lotion. 😀 I think this product is very moisturising, but the fragrance is totally off. I looked up reviews elsewhere, and about half the reviewers noticed the weird scent too. Most of these guys (or rather gals) found the scent plasticky, and someone likened it to furniture polish (not that far off). I’d describe the scent as that of a wet gym towel. Unfortunately the scent is also quite long-lasting – and no, it doesn’t get better.

The Rollerball Perfume is excellent. When I roll on the fragrance, it’s quite strong and harsh at first. But that’s just for a few seconds. And it develops into a really beautiful summer vanilla fragrance. It’s tropical, exotic, sweet, warm and creamy. Yes, the coconut is definitely noticeable but it doesn’t smell cheap. And (fortunately) the vanilla note is stronger than the coconut note. The fragrance stays close to the skin, but it’s really long-lasting – twelve hours plus!

Based on my experience with these products, I’d recommend the fragrance and the shower gel. In regards to the body lotion, if you can sample it in-store, you should do it!

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar is available as body wash, body butter, rollerball perfume, spray perfume, solid perfume, soap, candle, reed diffuser, body oil, hand cream and wipes. There’s something for everyone! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Brand Of The Month: Pacifica – 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free

Hi there! I read a fantastic post about a Pacifica make-up palette on Vegan Needs a couple of days ago, so I thought it would be a good idea to check which of my Pacifica products look presentable enough to be photographed. 🙂 Here’s what I deemed to look good enough to show off:

These little beauties above are body washes. From left to right: Tuscan Blood Orange, Indian Coconut Nectar, Tahitian Gardenia and Hawaiian Ruby Guava. And below you can check out the matching body butters:

Now on to my favourite Pacifica products: Fragrances! My love for Pacifica started to blossom when I discovered their wonderful fragrances about 5 or 6 years ago. At the moment I have at least 10 perfume sprays and roll-on perfumes; some of them are in the photo below.

I will review the different products in more detail soon. If you’re interested in Pacifica products, you can buy them online from their web site pacificabeauty.com. If you’re UK-based, you can purchase Pacifica products from Holland & Barrett and shopvegan.co.uk.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde