Empties – September 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I finished in September. I used a few single-use face masks – as usual. And I didn’t keep the sticky sachets – as usual. So let’s look at the bottles and tubes and what not…

1 Essence XXXL Nude Lipgloss 06 Soft Almond – I love this lipgloss so much! A shame it’s been discontinued.

2 Marks & Spencer Spiced Bergamot Eau De Toilette – one of my favourite summer fragrances. I love fresh, citrusy fragrances which remind me of Light Blue (nope, this is not a dupe for Light Blue), so this one is right up my alley. I already bought 2 backup bottles!

3 Boots Ingredients Niacinamide Serum – this is a basic serum. Too basic for me. I wouldn’t buy it again.

4 Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Age-Defying Cream – what a wonderful skin treat! I love this moisturiser. I believe I have another one in my stash.

5 Pantene Pro-V Miracles Silky & Glowing Biotin & Hydrolised Silk Protein Shampoo & Conditioner – I didn’t care for this hair mask. I’m glad it’s finished now, and I won’t be buying it again.

6 Astonish Body & Soul Refreshing Golden Glow Bath Soak – this is a lovely bath soak. I’ve already respurchased it.

7 NSPA Grapefruit Shower & Bath Gel – this is such a beautiful shower gel. A shame it’s been discontinued.

8 Palmolive Sauna Retreat Shower Gel – a really lovely shower gel. I would repurchase it.

9 Herbal Essences Moisture Balance Conditioner – HOLY GRAIL stuff. I have plenty of back-up.

10 Classics Nail Polish Remover – my go-to nail polish remover!

And this is already it. September wasn’t the best month for Empties, but I hope I’ll do better for the last 3 months of the year. Thanks for stopping by today! xx

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Weekly Recap 13 – 19 June 2022

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap. And here are the posts that I’ve written this past week.

Monday 13 Jun – Primark PS… Revitalising Marine Algae + Hyaluronic Acid Sheet Mask

Monday’s post was about a face mask. Click here to read it.

Wednesday 15 Jun – Pantene Pro-V Miracles Strong & Long Biotin + Bamboo Keratin Reconstruct Mask

On Wednesday I reviewed a hair mask. Click here to read the post.

Friday 17 Jun – Vaseline Lip Therpay + SPF 15, I Love… Choca Mocha Lala Moisturizing Lip Balm

And Friday’s post was about 2 lip balms that I’m enjoying very much right now. Click here to read my review.

And this is already it for this week. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. xx

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Strong & Long Biotin + Bamboo Keratin Reconstruct Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Pantene Pro-V Miracles Strong & Long Biotin + Bamboo Keratin Reconstruct Mask. This hair mask promises to strengthen hair against styling damage (vs. non-conditioning shampoo) and to help reduce hair loss due to breakage.

The instructions state that you should apply the hair mask to your wet hair, then rinse it out, then dry and style your hair.

I’ve used this hair mask about once every 5-7 days for the past 5 weeks, and I think it’s alright but not great. I tried this hair mask because the shampoo and the conditioner from the same collection blew me away. Whilst the shampoo and the conditioner are all-time faves, the hair mask is not. And here’s why:

It starts with the instructions – they don’t state how often you should use the mask, and for how long you should leave it in. Pantene needs to improve this. I just leave the mask on for 2-3 minutes. But I have no idea if this is how Pantene expects people to use this hair mask.

Also, I don’t style my hair. I have long, wavy-to-curly hair, and I just wash and condition my hair (and blow-dry it if I have to go anywhere) – and my hair just looks great. I don’t use any kind of foam, gel, spray, etc. So I can’t evaluate how effective this hair mask is if you style your hair. However, I have noticed zero difference between this hair mask and a regular conditioner. I guess that’s why Pantene promises a strengthening effect compared to the use of a non-conditioning shampoo only. If you style your hair, and this mask works for you, this is great. But it doesn’t do anything special for me.

Another thing is that this hair mask makes no difference to how much hair I lose in the shower the next day. I’m a daily washer, so I know how much hair I lose or should lose. Whilst the shampoo and the conditioner from this range made a visible difference from day 1, this mask makes no difference.

Because of the above, I won’t repurchase the mask. I will continue to use it for as long as it lasts, but since it’s not better than a random conditioner, I don’t really need it. But if you’re interested, Pantene Pro-V Miracles Strong & Long Biotin + Bamboo Keratin Reconstruct Mask is available as 160ml for about £5. I paid £2.50 (Tesco Clubcard offer).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛