Empties – December 2021

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I managed to use up in December; there’s also a breakdown of all my 2021 empties at the bottom. But let’s start with the December empties!

1 M&S The Fragrance Collection Peony & Rhubarb Eau De Toilette – this is a nice fragrance. I’ve gone through 2 bottles (1 x 50ml, 1 x 100ml) now, and I might buy a third (although not too soon)!

2 Superdrug Layering Lab Gelato Body Mist – not a groundbreaking scent, but nice and pleasant enough for everyday wear or for your handbag. I won’t repurchase it though as it’s not a favourite.

3 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic – one of my all-time favourite skin care products. Yes, I already repurchased it!

4 I Love Elderflower Fizz Scented Bath Salts – I didn’t enjoy these bath salts, and I won’t buy them again.

5 I Love… Tangerine Dream Revitalizing Shower Gel – this was a gigantic 750ml bottle! This shower gel smelled delicious; unfortunately, it has been discontinued.

6  Palmolive Memories Of Nature Flower Field Shower Gel – a decent shower gel, but not a favourite. I won’t repurchase it.

7 Sanctuary Spa Kuan Jin Lychee & Pearl Bodywash – a beautiful limited edition shower gel. Unfortunately, it can no longer be found, so I can’t buy it again.

8 Imperial Leather Indulgence Irresistible Rich Moisturising Body Wash – I’m not really a fan of lotus or water lily scents, but this shower gel is lovely! I have 1 more bottle in my stash.

9 Herbal Essences Bio Renew Bourbon & Manuka Honey Deep Repair Conditioner – I LOVE this shampoo and conditioner combo. I have a back-up set!

10 Asda Sleep & Relax Bath Soak – such a nice bath gel. I have a few more bottles in my stash.

11 Superdrug Nourishing Pro-Vitamin B5 Body Lotion For Dry Skin – a nice enough body lotion. Much, much better than its incredibly low price would suggest. But I don’t think that I’d buy it again.

12 NYC Expert Last 138 Classy Glassy – a decent clear polish. I think I have at least a few more of these in my stash.

13 Boots Extracts Shea Butter Body Butter – an all-time favourite! Unfortunately discontinued, but I have a few more tubs in my stash!

I also used a bunch of single-use face masks, and you can read about my latest face mask finds if you click here.

Onto the 2021 summary now! I finished 261 beauty products last year. Not bad at all!

109 Single-Use Face Masks
52 Shower & Bath Products
23 Fragrances & Fragrance Mists
16 Body, Hand & Foot Moisturisers
13 Conditioners (plus matching shampoos – but I don’t count these because once I finish a conditioner, I always pass the matching leftover shampoo onto my husband)
13 Nail Polish Bottles
8 Face Washes &  Scrubs
7 Face Creams
6 Facial Cleansers & Toners
4 Lip Products
3 Serums
2 Nail Polish Removers
2 Face Mists
1 Foundation
1 Eye Cream
1 Multi-Use Face Mask

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Revisiting Old Favourites – 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Today’s post is about this Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic.

This glycolic toner is an old beauty favourite, but I neglected using it for a while because I had so many other toners that I wanted to get to. But I’ve started using in again in September, and I’m over the moon with it. But let’s start with what the product promises…

This toner with 5% glycolic acid, kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts promises to exfoliate and to retexturise the skin, to fade pigment irregularities and to reduce discolouration, to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and to brighten and even out the skin tone. Wow, that’s quite a few promises!

But guess what – this toner keeps all of its promises! I’m using this toner once a day, in the morning, after I’ve showered. I love to start the day with a squeaky clean face, and this toner really makes it happen.

What does it do? It’s the ultimate post-cleansing product that catches all the dirt and gunk that your other cleansers and toners don’t catch. This toner keeps improving my skin tone – my skin is more even and brighter, and, my skin feels and looks smoother as well.

I’m in love with this toner’s exfoliating and brightening powers. It’s just incredible that this toner manages to keep my melasma in check. I know where the dark patches are (one of them is the size of a coaster), but you wouldn’t notice them unless I told you to look for them.

I love this toner so much, and I would recommend it! Since this toner has glycolic acid, please make sure to do a patch test before you use it, and use it gently, at least for the first few days until you’re satisfied that your skin tolerates it. Also make sure to use sunscreen!

If you’re interested, Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic is available as 100ml for £6.99 and 300ml for £11.99. Superdrug runs Buy 1 Get 1 Free or Better Than Half Price off promotions almost all the time. The 2 toners I bought were on a Buy 1 Get 1 Free deal.

Also, this toner is 100% vegan and certified cruelty-free. It carries THE Leaping Bunny logo! 😍

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Glycolic Acid Spa Treatment Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Glycolic Acid Spa Treatment Mask which I found at TK Maxx. This mask is aimed at all skin types, and it works by removing dead skin cells through chemical exfoliation. This mask claims to… help promote cell renewal, reduce oil and help slow down the ageing process for a more radiant appearance.

Here’s the how to! Cleanse your skin, put the mask on, leave it on for 15 minutes, then take it off and wash off any residue as the essence is powerful and, according to the manufacturer, might cause an unwanted skin reaction.

I’ve given this mask a try, and I think it’s brilliant. It has an immediate brightening effect, and it makes my skin feel soft and look more radiant indeed. It doesn’t feel harsh on the skin – pretty much like every other regular sheet mask. However, I did follow the instructions with respect to taking the mask off and washing it off after 15 minutes. Glycolic acid is a powerful ingredient, and it’s best not to overdo it.

Based on my experience, I’d recommend this mask (always check you’re not allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients, of course). Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Glycolic Acid Spa Treatment Mask as a pack of 5 masks for £4.99 (TK Maxx). I have used 2 masks, so I have 3 left, but I can see myself stocking up on these!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 21 – 27 June 2021

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap. I wrote 3 posts this past week, and here they are.

Monday 21 Jun – Boots Ingredients Glycolic Acid Toner

Monday’s post was about this glycolic acid toner. Click here if you’re wondering if it’s any good.

Tuesday 22 Jun – Nail Of The Day
Wednesday 23 Jun – Mad Beauty Toy Story Little Green Men Face Mask

Tuesday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
Wednesday’s post was about a face mask. Click here to read my review.

I didn’t post on Thursday and Friday, so this is already it for this week! Thanks for stopping by! x

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Spascriptions Brightening Spa Treatment Mask With Vitamin C & Glycolic Acid

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Spascriptions Brightening Spa Treatment Mask with vitamin C and glycolic acid. This mask promises to brighten and to revitalise the skin.

You’re supposed use this mask after you’ve cleansed your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse. On the back of the pack it also says that the mask should not be left on for longer as it might cause an allergic reaction. This sounds scary! So I looked at all the ingredients first. I was satisfied that there’s nothing in the essence that I don’t use regularly, so I was happy to give this mask a try.

I think this is a very good mask! Whilst the mask was on my face, I could feel that it did something. But it didn’t feel unpleasant, weird or scary at any point. When I took it off, I noticed that my skin looked indeed brighter. It was exciting to see! 😍 I have 4 more of these masks, and I’m looking forward to using these over the next few weeks or months.

Spascriptions Brightening Spa Treatment Mask is available as a pack of 5 masks. I paid £4.99 at TK Maxx – a total steal!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – April 2020

Hi there! Happy Friday! Today’s post is about all the products I finished in April. Read on if you’d like to know which products I said goodbye to.

1 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Day Lotion – another amazing Olay product. I’ve already repurchased it!

2 Olay Essentials Refreshing Face Wash – one of the best pure and gentle face washes out there. I have a backup!

3 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic – this is an amazing toner. It’s brightening and exfoliating, and my skin tolerates it perfectly well. I’ve already repurchased this one.

4 The Sanctuary Spa Body Lotion (travel size) – I love this stuff! I have lots of Sanctuary Spa products in my stash.
5 Nivea MicellAIR Skin Breathe 2 In 1 Rose Water Cleanser & Toner – this is a terrible cleanser. Good riddance!

6 Kirstie Allsopp Nerolina Orange Blossom Shower Gel – this is a nice shower gel. It has been discontinued, otherwise I’d buy it again!

7 Palmolive Pampering Clay Body Wash – this shower gel is lovely, and I will buy it again!

8 Spa Premium Epsom Salts And Eukalyptus – these bath salts were great, and I’ll buy them again next time I’m at Poundstretcher.

9 Calcot Manor The Lazy Evening Moisture Soufflé – this is a nice body butter, and I’d like to buy it again!

10 Beautifully Scrumptious Cocoa & Vanilla Body Butter Fusion – my husband and I used this body butter as a foot butter because we didn’t like its “fragrance”. So glad this one’s gone!

11 Alberto Balsam Zesty Orange Conditioner – I enjoyed this one very much, and I will buy it (and the matching shampoo) again.

12 Carex Sensitive Bath Soak – I won’t repurchase this one. I didn’t care for the fragrance, and I found the formula to be drying.

13 Palmolive Purifying Clay Body Wash – this is a lovely shower scrub that I’ll buy again.

I’ve also used quite a few single-use face masks. If you’d like to read about my latest face mask finds, click here. All in all, I’m happy with what I emptied. And I know May is going to be a good month too because I have a few near-empties which I will focus on.

Have you tried any of these products or would you like to try any of them? Feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by today! 😘

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Battle Of The Glycolic Acid Cleansing Pads – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads VS Superdrug B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads

Hi there! Today’s post is a product comparison. Not too long ago I purchased Superdrug‘s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads and Superdrug‘s B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads. It’s obvious these come from the same supplier, and the majority of the ingredients are identical. However, these products aren’t the same!

Superdrug‘s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads are pretty awesome. They promise to awaken skin’s natural glow and to improve skin tone and texture.

I’m always using at least 1 brightening product, so it’s not always easy to determine which product does what. However, these cleansing pads are really something! I’m satisfied they maintained my skin’s brightness, and an improvement in my skin texture could be felt after a single use. In case you’re wondering, I used these 5 times a week (on the tub it says these can be used twice daily, but I didn’t want to over-exfoliate).

Superdrug‘s B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads do essentially the same thing. I have no doubt they work jus as well because the difference in ingredients is minimal. However, they don’t feel as powerful. I think there are 2 reasons for this:

1. the Naturally Radiant pads have a strong scent that matches the power of the product. The B. pads aren’t fragranced.
2. whilst the B. pads are moist, the Naturally Radiant pads are wet, so it feels like you’re getting more out of them.

All in all, these are great products, but the Naturally Radiant cleansing pads are the winners of The Battle Of The Glycolic Acid Cleansing Pads. I will repurchase the Naturally Radiant pads, no doubt! Superdrug‘s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads and Superdrug‘s B. Soft Multi Acid Retexturising Pads are available in tubs with 60 pads each. They’re usually £5.99 each, but I paid £2.99 each (half price offer).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Hi there! Today’s post is about Superdrug‘s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic with 5% glycolic acid.

In addition to glycolic acid, this product also contains kiwi, lemon and mulberry fruit extracts, lotus flower extract and witch hazel.

This toner claims to… help revive skin’s radiance, even out skin tone, refine pores, retexturise the skin surface, and make fine lines and wrinkles appear smoother. The promised result is a brighter, healthier and more youthful complexion.

Use this product like any other toner. Superdrug recommends it be used twice a day (mornings and evenings). I’ve been using this toner once a day (evenings) on most days since some time in July, and I think it worked wonders for me.

I don’t think this toner refined my pores at all, but it did everything else it promised. This summer, I’ve had new dark skin patches (I learned that this is called melasma) develop on my forehead, above my upper lip, on the bridge of my nose, and on my cheekbones. Thanks to this toner, these dark patches have almost disappeared. I can still see them if I take a very close and prolonged look, but this toner has been amazing at brightening and evening out my skin tone.

I have been really impressed with this toner. I already bought 4 back-up bottles! I would also recommend this toner to everyone! If you don’t at least give this toner a try, it’s your own fault!

Superdrug‘s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic with 5% glycolic acid is available as 100ml for £5.99. I paid £2.99 (half price promotion). This product is suitable for vegans, and it’s certified cruelty-free (it carries the Leaping Bunny logo).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde