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 3 – 9 June 2019

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is my weekly blog recap. Read on if you’d like to know what I’ve written about this past week. ☺️

Monday 3 Jun – May Empties

Monday’s post was about all the products I emptied in May. Click here to read it.

Tuesday 4 Jun – Nail Of The Day
Wednesday 5 Jun – Garnier Skin Active Matcha + Kaolin Mask

On Tuesday I showed you a mani I did recently. Click here to read the post.
Wednesday’s post was a face mask review. Click here to read it.

Thursday 6 Jun – The Battle Of The Glycolic Acid Pads

Thursday’s post was a product comparison. Click here to read it.

Friday 7 Jun – Nivea Free Time, Nivea Harmony Time

And on Friday I reviewed 2 shower creams. Click here to read the post.

This is it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! 😘 By the way, next week is going to be Nail Week, so I’ll be posting about manis only.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Empties – March 2017

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I emptied in March 2017. I used a few face masks (what else is new…) but I haven’t kept the empty sachets. So let’s get to the (more or less) big empties right away! 🙂

1 L’Oréal Youth Code Luminizer Serum – this serum is very good! It’s been discontinued, so I don’t think I’d be able to repurchase it at a reasonable price. I have, however, started to use a new L’Oréal serum just a few days ago, and I think the new serum (which I’ll review soon) is very good too!

2 B. Confident Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – fantastic stuff! I only discovered this product in December 2016 – but it became a beauty staple and an all-time favourite in a matter of days. I have four back-up bottles! 🙂

3 Superdrug Clearly Youthful Retexturising Glycolic Peel Off Mask – this mask is the most effective spot-fighting product I’ve ever used. Unfortunately this product has been discontinued. But I still have two back-up tubes.

4 Olay Total Effects CC Cream Complexion Corrector Fair To Medium – I liked the rich and nourishing formula, but the shade fair to medium (which is the lightest shade) was way too dark for me. Because of this I won’t purchase this moisturiser again.

5 Pacifica Vanilla Hibiscus Color Quench Lip Tint – this is a really nice tinted lip balm. I might repurchase it again at some point in the future, but for now I have more than enough lip balms and glosses in my stash…

6 Miss Sporty Dr Balm Gossip Kiss SOS Lip Balm – this is a decent lip balm, but I wouldn’t buy it again. I finished one of these before and I must say that the melon flavour has been annoying me for quite some time…

7 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Radiance Balm – I’m glad this product is finished. It didn’t do anything for my skin, it wasn’t hydrating at all, and the chunky shimmer particles weren’t great either. I wouldn’t buy this product again.

8 Boots Botanics Quenching Body Lotion – another oldie that’s been sitting in my stash for ages. I found this body lotion very hydrating. However, it was also quite sticky. I wouldn’t repurchase it (but it’s been discontinued anyway…).

9 Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Toner – this toner is fantastic. Too bad it’s been discontinued – otherwise I’d buy it again and again and again… However, I do have another small 75ml bottle of this toner in my stash! 🙂

10 Maybelline Color Sensational Luscious Lipgloss 410 Peach Sorbet – a decent lipgloss! It’s never been a true favourite, but I did enjoy using this lipgloss. I have several of these Maybelline lipglosses – another peach-flavoured one, a cherry-flavoured one, and several pink ones (not sure about those flavours though).

11 Rimmel Pro Super Wear Ultra Shine Topcoat – a nice top coat! I think this one’s been discontinued, but if it pops up in some bargain store at some point in the future, I’d repurchase it!

12 Markwins Orange Shimmer Nail Polish – I’ve had this nail polish in my stash for ages but it seemed to have dried out over the years. This polish has never been a favourite of mine, so I didn’t mind letting it go.

13 Possibility Raspberry Pavlova Shower & Bath Gel – I liked this one in the beginning, but the sweet raspberry fragrance started to annoy me half-way through the huge 500ml bottle. I wouldn’t buy this one again.

14 Boots Marshmallow Peppermint Body Butter – I didn’t like the fragrance, so I’m glad this one is gone. I hope Boots won’t repeat this fragrance for this year’s limited Christmas edition.

15 Essence Nail Art White Stampy Polish – the best white stamping polish you can find for £1.50. I have two back-ups, but I’d like to stock up because this one’s sold out online at the moment. I’ll see if I can still find it in store… Fingers crossed!

16 Superdrug Vitamin C Boost Body Scrub Mango & Papaya – a really nice scrub. I will buy it again! This one’s a shared empty. My husband used this scrub a few times too.

17 Superdrug Raspberry Bubblegum Shower Gel – this is a decent shower gel, but it’s not special. I wouldn’t buy it again. This one’s also a shared empty.

18 Classics Nail Polish Remover – this is one of my nail care staples. As long as Poundland, Poundworld and the likes stock this product, I’ll repurchase it.

19 Radox Passionfruit Splash Shower Gel – this one is very nice. I’ll repurchase it, no doubt.

20 Daily Defense Moisturizing Conditioner With Keratin – I think this conditioner is fantastic. I already bought another bottle. 🙂

I think March was surprisingly good for empties. I’m very proud of how many ‘small’ products I finished! Right now I’m thinking I won’t be able to finish anything this month, but I’m sure I’ll have a few empties. For now… feel free to get in touch via the comments. And thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

30+ New Products – Superdrug, Asda & Bargain Store Haul!

Hi there! I tried my best not to buy more stuff, but I caved. And then I caved again. I bought a lot of stuff in the past three or four weeks… So let’s take a look at the new products that moved in with me.

Item number 1 is this Flutter Hand Cream – Flutter is a Superdrug brand that always makes an appearance around Christmas. This hand cream was £1. Then there’s this Sweet Snuggles Hand Lotion Set – this set consists of a small hand cream and a nail file. I think it’s cute. And it was £1 only.

I also bought 3 Superdrug Facial Konjac Sponges. There was a 3 for 2 offer, each sponge was £1.99, and thanks to the offer I paid £3.98 in total. Nivea’s Firming Body Lotion was on a better than half price promotion so I paid £2.55 instead of £5.25. And I’m looking forward to trying my new B. Refine Exfoliating Cleanser which was half price as well – it was £2.69 instead of £5.49.

I also bought new hair care – L’Oréal Nutri-Gloss Crystal Shampoo & Conditioner. These were on a half price offer – £1.99 each instead of £3.99. I also bought two more eyeshadow brushes. These are Superdrug own-brand, they were 99p each.

I couldn’t resist when I saw this exclusive edition Olay Refreshing Face Wash. It was £1.45 instead of £2.99. And I found this incredibly cute My Little Pony Nail Polish Trio for £2.99 at B&M Bargains. This set contains 2 toe separators and three nail polishes (pink – Pinkie Pie, lilac – Rarity, glitter – Rainbow Dash). Awesome stuff!

I liked Superdrug’s cocoa butter & vanilla body butter, so I wanted to give Superdrug’s Cocoa Butter & Vanilla Body Scub a try too. This scrub was £2.45 (half price offer). I also bought two more Superdrug Clearly Youthful Glycolic Peel-Off Mask tubes. They’re £4.89 each, but there was a 2 for £5 offer. By the way, this mask is absolutely brilliant. Please check out my review of it!

The Patisserie de Bain set was a freebie. Superdrug gave these sets away as a gift with purchase – all you had to do was buy two skin care products (yes, they included lots of cheap basics – like face wash for £1.50 and the likes – in this offer), and you’d get this Patisserie de Bain set for free.

Up next is a lipstick – Models Own Miami Heat – £1.24 (clearance). And I couldn’t resist this cute Flutter Lip Balm. It’s strawberry-flavoured and it was £1. The Models Own Nail Polish was £2.49 (clearance) and the shade is called Eggshell Goose. The Max Factor nail polish is from Poundworld, so it was £1. I had to have it because the colour really pops!

I was really happy when my local Asda restocked Alberto Balsam products whilst they were still on a £1 promotion. So I got Alberto Balsam Volume Boost Shampoo & Conditioner for £1 each. The Pantene Breakage Defence Hair Strengthening Tonic was £1 at Poundland.

Finally I bought a few face masks again. They’re all Montagne Jeunesse masks. I got two Mud Pac and Amore Rose duos for £1 each at Poundland. The Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask and the Charcoal Masque were 85p each at Asda.

As I love Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant collection, I bought another product – a serum & moisturiser. This product was on a half price promotion, so I paid £2.94 only. Superdrug also had a new version of the Leafy & Lovely hand cream. It’s probably the same as before – but it was £1 only, so I thought I should have it. Superdrug’s Vitamin E Toning Facial Mist cost me £2.24 only. Superdrug’s Sweet Snuggles gift set was £3.50.

I also bought 2 Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks. They were on special for 99p each. And I got 2 tubs of Superdrug’s Vitamin E Intensive All Over Body Cream for £2.61 each. Superdrug’s Vitamin E Leave-On Moisture Mask was £2.24. And Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Night Cream was also on special for £2.95. I love this night cream. This one’s a back-up! And the last item is a Sweet Snuggles lip balm set which I got for £1. I loved last year’s lip balms, and I’m sure this year’s lip balms are just as excellent.

So this is what I bought over the last few weeks. I know it’s more stuff that I didn’t really need, but I’m still happy that I stocked up on products that were on a promotion. 🙂 Have you tried any of these products – or would you like to try any of them? Feel free to let me know what you think. 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

100% Awesome & 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free – Superdrug Clearly Youthful Retexturising Glycolic Peel Off Mask

Hi there! Today’s post is about another Superdrug product – Superdrug’s Clearly Youthful Retexturising Glycolic Peel Off Mask. I think this product is absolutely amazing! And I only paid £2.39 (offer). Now let me tell you why I love it so much!

This mask works like a typical peel off mask. You apply it to your face and you leave it alone and let it dry for about 15 minutes – or until it’s completely dry. Then you just peel it off and you remove any residue with warm water. Superdrug recommends this mask be used twice weekly for four weeks – just not on two consecutive days.

What is this mask actually good for? It’s aimed at women who want an anti-ageing product that also helps with skin impurities. In summary, this mask promises to even out skin tone, to refine pores and to reduce breakouts with the help of several active ingredients, namely salicylic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, phytoprotein, ployglycan and cimicifuga. Sounds great, doesn’t it? 🙂 Read on, and I’ll tell you about my experience with this product.

When I tried the mask for the first time, I didn’t use enough product. So I couldn’t peel it off in one piece. I had to peel it off in several pieces, and I had to remove a lot of product residue with water. However, the mask still worked like a charm. As soon as I had washed my face, I noticed that my pores looked considerably smaller, my skin surface appeared to be a lot (!) more even, and my skin looked clearer and brighter. Wow!

Since I’m also using Superdrug’s fantastic Naturally Radiant Brightening Renewal Face Mask every Saturday, I’m actually used to my skin tone looking brighter and more even every week. But it’s great that this glycolic peel off mask has a similar effect. 🙂

I’ve now used this mask twice a week for three weeks and I’ll definitely continue to use it because it made a huge difference to the appearance of my skin. Whilst the instructions don’t state what you’re supposed to do after the four-week course, I think I’ll see how I get along using the mask once every week.

I wouldn’t hesitate recommending this face mask. If you consider your skin to be ‘problem skin’, you should try this mask. The 50ml tube is usually £4.89 – which is great value. But Superdrug runs BOGOF and half price promotions frequently, so you can bag even better bargains. And don’t forget that this face mask is suitable for vegans and it’s 100% cruelty-free – it’s BUAV-approved and it carries the Leaping Bunny logo.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde