Empties – October 2019

Hi there! It’s a new day and a new month (Hello November!) – so today’s post is about all the products I said goodbye to in October. As always, I used a few single-use face mask, but I didn’t keep the empty sachets. If you’re interested in my latest face mask finds, click here. Now, let’s focus on the bigger bottles and tubs. 🙂

1 Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream – I had to bin this product because it caused me physical harm. 😲

2 Skin Care Chemist Macadamia Beauty Oil – this is a lovely oil. Not too heavy, suitable for warmer weather as well. I’d like to repurchase it, but I’d like to try other oils from this brand first.

3 Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume Roll-On – this is a nice fragrance, and I think this is already the 2nd blood orange roll-on I’ve emptied, but I won’t buy it again.

4 Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream – a lovely eye cream. I won’t pay full price for it (£18), but if it’s part of a reduced price gift set (I’m looking forward to the post-Christmas half price) sale, I’d be happy to have it again.

5 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover. Priced at £1 for 400ml it’s a steal!

6 Body-X Endless Weekend Shower Gel – my husband and I enjoyed this shower gel, so this is a shared empty. I’d like to repurchase it!

7 Treacle Moon One Ginger Morning Shower & Bath Gel – another shower gel my husband and I enjoyed, and yes, this one’s another shared empty. I wouldn’t mind picking it up again next summer.

8 Manhattan Nail Whitener – not bad, but not great. I’d pick it up again for £1, but I wouldn’t spend more than that.

9 Superdrug B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads – these pads are great, but I won’t buy them again because the ones from Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant range are a tad better.

10 Superdrug Sweet Snuggles Lip Balm – a nice vanilla lip balm. I have a few more of these.

11 Essence Eyeliner Pencil 01 Black – my go-to eyeliner. I have a few more of these.

12 The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig Shower Gel – this is a very nice shower gel. I’d buy it again but TBS discontinued it!

13 Herbal Essences Classics Silk N’ Shine Conditioner – this is the best conditioner EVER. It’s been discontinued but I’ve got plenty of backup!

14 Garnier Skin Active Nourishing Botanical Toner With Honey Flower – this is a below average toner, and I won’t repurchase it.

I thought October would be terrible for empties, but with a bit of focus and dedication I managed to empty 7 products over the last 7 days. Success! 💪 Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try them? What have you emptied recently? Feel free to comment, and thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 26 Feb – 4 Mar 2018

Hi there! I hope everyone had a good week so far. This post is my weekly recap – so if you’ve missed any of my posts, this will bring you up to speed. 🙂

Tuesday 27 Feb – Superdrug Optimum Phyto Brighter Triple Action Illuminating Black Moisturiser

I didn’t post on Monday, but on Tuesday I reviewed Superdrug’s Black Moisturiser. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 28 Feb – Monthly Favourites

Wednesday’s post was about my favourite products in February. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 1 Mar – February Empties

On Thursday I showed you which products I emptied last month. Click here to read the post.

Friday 2 Mar – Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash, Body Butter, Perfume

Friday’s post was about Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange collection. Click here to read the post.

What else? I won Stashy’s incredible hoarder giveaway! I still don’t know what to say…

And this is already it for this week! I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. And thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash, Body Butter & Perfume

Hi there! Today’s post is about Pacifica’s Blood Orange Body Wash, Body Butter & Perfume. These products were part of a gift set which I picked up for next to nothing (clearance). I’ve now tried these products, so let me tell you if they’re any good.

Let’s start with the body wash! I really liked this one. It lathered up nicely and it cleansed my skin well without being too harsh. I also liked the boozy blood orange fragrance.

The body butter is… well… not a body butter, but more of a lotion. The product’s also nowhere near as moisturising as it claims to be. However, the main issue is the “fragrance”! This body butter doesn’t smell as bad as Pacifica’s Indian Coconut Nectar body butter, but it still smells unclean (a mix of night sweats and candied oranges). We (my husband and I) use this body butter as a foot lotion!

I’ve already reviewed the perfume – and you can read the full review here. But to summarise my thoughts… this perfume isn’t a summer fragrance. It smells like a mix of oranges, strawberries, marmalade and a hint of carrot. I think it’s an autumn fragrance that would go well with pumpkin spice scented body products!

I don’t think I’ll be buying any of these products again. I do like the perfume, but I don’t love it. The body wash is nice, but it’s not nicer than the shower gels I can find in supermarkets or drugstores (or bargain stores).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – February 2018

Hi there! It’s the 1st of March, so it’s time for my February Empties post! Here’s what I finished last month!

1 Yves Rocher Les Plaisirs Nature Organic Raspberry Shower Gel – I’m sad Yves Rocher discontinued this.

2 Yves Rocher Les Plaisirs Nature Organic Raspberry Silky Lotion – I’ll miss this body lotion dearly!

3 Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Vanille Noire – I received this as GWP. I didn’t love this fragrance, and I wouldn’t buy it for myself.

4 Imperial Leather Sea Of Tranquility Bath Cream – I really enjoyed this bath cream, and I’m sure I’ll buy it again.

5 Imperial Leather Enchanting Romance – a lovely shower cream and another Imperial Leather product that I’m happy to repurchase.

6 Daily Defense Moisturizing Conditioner With Macadamia Oil – this is a lovely conditioner! Yes, I’m happy to buy it (+ the matching shampoo) again.

7 Rimmel 60 Seconds 740 Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes. Yes, I have a few back-up bottles.

8 The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Body Butter (travel size) – this was an okayish body butter. I received it as a gift, but I wouldn’t buy it for myself.

9 B. First Base Coat – this is a good base coat that also works well as a top coat. I believe I have 2 back-up bottles. By the way, the brush is from an old Rimmel polish (I needed the clean B. brush for another polish bottle…)

10 Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Wash – I have the review scheduled for tomorrow.

11 Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter – same thing – tomorrow. 🙂

12 Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care Intensive All Over Body Cream – this is a lovely rich body cream that smells very nice. I’m happy to repurchase it!

What else? I’ve used a few single-use face masks. Whilst I didn’t keep the sachets, you can read about my latest face mask finds here! I also threw out a konjac sponge and a glass nail file – yes, I replaced these two essentials right away.

I would have liked to have a few more empties, but I had so many empties in January that I can’t be unhappy with what I finished in February. Now… how about you? What did you finish? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – October 2017

Hi there! Another month has passed, so it’s time for my monthly empties post. I’ve gone through a number of single-use face masks. I don’t keep the empty sachets, but you can read about my latest face mask finds here. Now let’s take a closer look at the ‘real’ empties. 🙂

1 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Overnight Peel – I love this product. I’ve already replaced it. 🙂

2 Superdrug B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – this product is a beauty staple. I stocked up some time ago already, and I have a few back-up bottles.

3 The Body Shop White Musk Breeze Cooling Chiffon Body Mist – this is (was) a reasonable all-over body spray. It was really nice while it lasted, but I wouldn’t buy it again.

4 Olay Essentials Complete Care Plus Multi-Radiance Moisturising Lotion – this is another product I love. Yes, I’ll buy it again!

5 Maybelline MNY Black Eyeliner (x2) – I picked up 5 or 6 of these eyeliners when they were on sale (£1 each), and I tried my best to like them and make them work. But these eyeliners are rubbish. They can’t even be sharpened properly. I had these 2 in my current eyeliner rota, but I’ve had it with them. I’ve binned them.

6 The Body Shop White Musk Breeze EdT (x2) – I finished 2 of these over the past 6 months. They were nice enough while they lasted, but I wouldn’t buy them again. However, about 2 weeks ago I discovered that I have another bottle of White Musk Breeze, so I’m still thinking about whether I should just finish the 3rd bottle or give it away…

7 Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume – another ‘nice enough while it lasted’ fragrance. I also have 2 roll-on fragrances (+ body care products), but I don’t think I’ll buy any of the Tuscan Blood Orange products again.

8 Rimmel 60 Seconds 740 Clear – one of my favourite clear polishes. I have several back-up bottles. 🙂

9 Boots French Lavender Relaxing Bath Essence – I really liked this product. Too bad it’s been discontinued, so I can’t repurchase it.

10 Superdrug Moisturising Crème Bath – I think this is one of the loveliest sweet floral bath products I’ve ever tried. I’d love to buy it again.

11 Superdrug Nourishing Crème Bath – another awesome Superdrug own brand product. I’d love to repurchase this one too!

12 Original Source Hibiscus & Pomegranate Tea Shower – this is a great limited edition shower gel from Original Source. I enjoyed the lovely fragrance very much, and I can see myself buying this one again as well!

13 I Love… Mango & Papaya Exfoliating Shower Smoothie – I liked this shower product. It did have an exfoliating effect, but it wasn’t too harsh. I might buy this product again.

14 Alberto Balsam Blends Volume Boost Conditioner – this conditioner is awesome – and so is the matching shampoo. I will buy these again. Soon!

15 Palmolive Aromatherapy So Sweet Shower Gel – this is a fantastic shower gel. My husband loved it too. This one is a shared empty! I’ve already stocked up!

16 Boots Botanics Relaxing Bath Elixir (x2, travel size) – I love Boots’ old Botanics products. I think these were the last 2 bath elixirs I’ve had in my stash. I’ll miss the gorgeous fragrance!

17 The Red Forest Moonlight Raspberry Scented Body Scrub (travel size) – I think this body scrub was OK, but not special. I wouldn’t buy it again.

This is what I emptied in October. I think I’ve done well again last month, and I hope I can keep up the good work. 🙂 Oh, and in case you’re wondering why I finished so many bath products this month… well, I caught a nasty cold around the 3rd. And then I caught another nasty cold around the 20th. And because of this I’ve enjoyed quite a few hot baths!

Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try them? What have you emptied last month? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 2 – 8 Oct 2017

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap. If you’ve missed a post that might have interested you, this is your chance to catch up! 🙂

Monday 2 Oct – September Empties

Monday’s post was about all the products I finished in September. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 3 Oct – Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume

On Tuesday I reviewed Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange perfume. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 4 Oct – Palmolive Aroma Moments Feel Good & So Sweet

Wednesday’s post was about 2 sensational Palmolive shower gels. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 5 Oct – Nail Of The Day / A-Z Nail Art Challenge
Friday 6 Oct – Nail Of The Day

I showed you two Halloween-themed manis on Thursday and Friday. Click here to read Thursday’s nail of the day post. Or click here to read Friday’s nail of the day post.

Oh, by the way, next week is going to be face mask week! Over the past few weeks I’ve tried quite a few new face masks, so the reviews have been piling up. And because of this I’ll be posting 7 face mask reviews next week.

Alright… this is it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume

Hi there! Today’s post is about Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume. But before we get to the review, let me tell you a little about the brand! Pacifica is an Oregon-based company that specialises in vegan and cruelty-free beauty products.

Yes, all their products are vegan and cruelty-free! Pacifica started out with a number of fragrances, fragranced body products and candles. But now they also do nail polish, colour cosmetics, skin care and hair care. Great stuff!

Back to the fragrance! Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume contains the following notes: blood orange, strawberry, raspberry, mandarin and sweet orange.

When I bought the fragrance, I thought I’d be getting a fresh, sunny and juicy summer orange fragrance. However, the fragrance isn’t a pure orange fragrance. The strawberry note is quite strong, so it takes away from the freshness.

I would describe this fragrance as a sweet mix of orange, strawberries, marmalade and a hint of carrot. Tuscan Blood Orange is definitely an autumn fragrance, maybe even a Halloween or Thanksgiving fragrance!

Whilst I think that Tuscan Blood Orange is quite nice, I don’t love it, and I won’t be buying another full-size bottle. If you’re interested, Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume is available as 29ml for about £20.

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