Empties – December 2022

Hi there! Today’s post is about my December Empties – plus a summary of everything I used up in 2022. Let’s start with December – which has been a very bad month for Empties. I thought I’d be able to finish a bunch of skin care items – but it wasn’t meant to be. And some products seem to be self-replenishing… Onto the Empties now!

1 Jil Sander Simply Elixir Eau De Parfum – a lovely fragrance! I would be happy to buy it again!

2 Palmolive Aroma Therapy Morning Tonic – one of the best shower gels ever! Unfortunately, this one has been discontinued, and this was the last bottle from my stash. 😢

3 Dove Go Fresh Nectarine & White Ginger – my favourite Dove product ever. Another one that’s been discontinued. Very sad! But I have 2 more bottles in my stash.

4 Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Conditioner – I liked the volumising effect of the shampoo and the conditioner in the beginning, but towards the end, these products made my hair unmanageable to the extent that I woke up with what I’d call clown hair every single morning. I wash my hair every morning, so in theory this shouldn’t be a big deal, but the clown hair effect was hard to get rid of. It took me 3 washes with the original Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner to restore my hair back to its normal amazingness. For the first 2 weeks, I thought this Pantene shampoo and conditioner combo was awesome if it weren’t for the annoying scent which I didn’t like at all. However, for the last 2 weeks my hair looked so bad that even the annoying scent faded into the background.

5 Palmolive Delicate Care with Almond – this is my all-time favourite Palmolive fragrance. I haven’t seen the almond bath and shower products for a long time, but I hope Palmolive will bring them back. Please, Palmolive!!!

6 Boots Live + Be Woodland Whisper Shower Cream – this is such an amazing shower gel. I love it! Unfortunately, another discontinued gem, but I have another bottle of this shower cream, a body cream and 2 bottles of body mist with this beautiful scent.

And here’s the total for 2022:

Face Masks 45
Shower Gels, Bath Gels, Body Scrubs 45
Fragrances 22
Conditioners 14
Body, Hand & Foot Moisturisers 13
Facial Moisturisers 6
Nail Polishes 5
Toners 5
Serums 4
Face Washes & Scrubs 4
Nail Polish Removers 2
Lip Products 2
Eye Creams 2
Face Mists 2
Make-up Removers 1
Pan Stiks 1
Face Mask Tubes and Tubs 1

That’s a total of 174 products. I haven’t used as many face masks as usual. In the past, I’d often do 3 masks per week. But 2022… ouch! Well, I can definitely do much better in 2023!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you had a good start to the new year. Let’s hope it will be the best one yet! xx

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner combo. I really enjoyed the Grow Strong shampoo and conditioner from this range, but I didn’t care for the Silky & Glowing products. So how did these volume products do?

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo works. it just works. I knew it was volumising the first time I tried it. It felt amazing on my head, and I could tell that it managed to thicken my hair immediately. The only downside is the scent – it smells like a mix of that awful Chloe rose fragrance (yes, many people love it, but if you hate it, you really hate it) and cold air.

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Conditioner is just as brilliant as the shampoo. It detangles my hair with ease, but it doesn’t flatten it or weigh it down. Most volume conditioners either give me crunchy hair – or they’re just so bad that I end up using a ludicrous amount of product which then has a flattening effect. But not this one. Nope! This conditioner is excellent. Soft and bouncy hair, tons of volume… my only complaint is the smell.

Based on my experience, I’d actually recommend these products. And if you like fragrances like that Chloe fragrance, you’ll love the scent of these 2 products. I don’t know if I’ll buy these products again. Time will tell. If you’re interested, Pantene Pro-V Miracles Lift N’ Volume Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner are available as 400ml and 275ml respectively. These products are usually about £5 each, but I paid £2.50 each (half price offer, Tesco Clubcard).

EDIT 2 January 2023: I’ve finished these products now, and I’m glad they’re gone. The last 2 weeks, I woke up with what I’d call clown hair. Every single day. These products made my hair totally unmanageable. They were pretty good for the first 2 weeks, but the last 2 weeks were the worst 14 bad hair days of my life. Good riddance!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde 💙💛