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

2021 Beauty Awards – Part 1 – Face & Fragrances

Hi there! Today’s post is about my favourite beauty products in 2021 – well, this is Part 1, and it’s about fragrances and products for the face. Part 2 will follow tomorrow with hair and body products and my favourite manis of 2021. Alrighty, let’s start with Part 1 now!

FACE

Danielle 2 In 1 Jade Dual Sided Facial Roller

This facial roller is my favourite beauty tool of 2021! It changed my life!

Superdrug Vitamin C Detox Skincare Brightening Vitamin C Tonic
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

These 2 toners are total game changers. I love them both so much, and I cannot imagine my skin care without them!

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Flexi-Hold 3 In 1 Foundation 30 Porcelain

I’m glad I tried Max Factor’s Face Finity foundation. I love it!

Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

Olay’s eye gel is one of my all-time favourite eye products.

Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Ageing Regenerating Night Cream

Olay’s Regenerist night cream is soooo good!

Cellio It’s True Honey Moisture Cream

I enjoyed Cellio’s honey moisturiser very much!

Poundland #6 Anti-Ageing Retinol Day Cream With SPF 25

Poundland’s £3 retinol day cream is absolutely lovely (just like the matching serum and night cream).

Primark PS… Revitalising Cucumber Peel Off Mask
Montagne Jeunesse Cosmic Rose Quartz Peel-Off

These 2 peel off masks are very effective! I love them!

Global Beauty Care Anti Aging Collection Glycolic Acid Spa Treatment Mask
DearBoo Collagen & Canola Flower Everyday Mask

And these 2 sheet masks made a positive difference to my skin care. Highly recommended!

Jayjun Pollution-Proof Refreshing Mask
100% Cruelty-Free – Primark PS… Vitamin C Revitalizing Bubble Sheet Mask

2 more face masks which worked amazingly well for me!

Mitomo Retinol Facial Essence Mask
Esfolio Hyaluronic Acid With Peach Essence Mask Sheet

And here’s another 2 face masks I’d highly recommend.

Astor Rouge Couture 301 Nude Silk

Astor’s Nude Silk lipstick is so beautiful! I love it!

FRAGRANCES

Nina Ricci L’Extase Eau De Parfum

L’Extase is such a beautiful fragrance. It’s in my all-time top 40 from the past 25+ years.

Antonio Banderas Her Golden Secret Eau De Toilette

Who would have thought that Antonio Banderas fragrances are actually very good? I was surprised (almost shocked) to find such a quality fragrance at a drugstore price. Wow!

Agent Provocateur Fatale Eau De Parfum

Fatale EdP has blown me away! I already bought another bottle – this time I bought a big 100ml!

Superdrug Layering Lab Blossom Body Mist
Superdrug Layering Lab Paradise Body Mist

Superdrug’s fantastic Layering Lab body mists resemble some of the most popular designer fragrances. Blossom is a dupe for Mugler’s Alien, and Paradise is a dupe for Olympéa.

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

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 20 – 26 December 2021

Hi there! I hope you’ve enjoyed Christmas so far. Today’s post is my weekly blog recap, so read on if you’d like to know what I’ve posted about this past weeek.

Monday 20 Dec – Nail Of The Day
Tuesday 21 Dec – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Monday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
On Tuesday I re-reviewed a toner with glycolic acid. Click here to read the post.

Wednesday 22 Dec – Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Steam Shower Body Cleanser AND Rich Intensive Body Butter 

Wednesday’s post was about 2 body products. Click here to take a look.

Thursday 23 Dec – Ciaté Liquid Velvet Delight, Ciaté Bamboo Bronzer Palm Island (12 Days Of Ciaté London Calendar)

On Thursday I reviewed 2 products from Ciaté’s advent calendar. Click here to read the post.

Friday 24 Dec – Olay Anti-Wrinkle Firm & Lift Eye Renewal Gel

And on Friday I re-reviewed Olay’s wonderful eye gel. Click here to read the post.

And this is already it for this week! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy what’s left of the holidays! x

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

Empties – September 2020

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I emptied in September. As always, I used a number of single-use face masks, and if you’re wondering if they were any good, you can click here to read about my latest face mask finds. Now let’s take a look at the big bottles, tubs, etc…

1 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic – one of my favourite skin care products. I’ve already repurchased it.

2 L’Oréal Fine Flowers Gel-Cream Wash – this is a decent face wash. Repurchase? Probably!

3 NSPA Deliciously Soft And Sweet Peach Shower & Bath Gel – this isn’t a great shower gel. Most of it went into the hand wash dispenser. I wouldn’t care to buy it again.

4 Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Pineapple & Lemon Zest Shower – this is a nice shower gel that I might buy again.

5 I Love… Juicy Watermelon Revitalizing Shower Gel – a decent shower gel. However, this is a huge 750ml bottle, and the fragrance got old less than halfway through the bottle, so I repurposed this shower gel as a hand wash.

6 Original Source Plum & Blackcurrant Shower – I really liked this one. Smells like yummy cough lozenges. 😍 I believe this one has been discontinued, but I think I have one more bottle in my stash.

7 Orly Clear Nail Polish – the best quick-dry polish I’ve ever used. I can paint my nails with it and 2 minutes later I can get in the shower and wash my hair. I have 7 or 8 more bottles of this amazing nail polish.

8 NYC 16H Lipstain 491 Forever Freesia – this is an amazing product. I think that I have a backup!

9 Manhattan Colour Loop Lipgloss 52S Soft Nude – I love this lipgloss. I think this is the 3rd one I’ve finished. And I have 4 more – 2 red, 1 brown(ish) as above, 1 berry! 😍

10 Elizavecca Milky Piggy Aqua Rising Argan Gelato Steam Cream – this is a very good face cream. It doesn’t have SPF, but since I’ve been working from home since March (and still am), I used it as a day and night cream. I would buy this face cream again! But I have a few other Elizavecca products to try first.

11 Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Raspberry & Rose Water – a nice shower gel. I can see myself buying it again.

12 L’Oréal Elvive Triple Resist Reinforcing Shampoo & Conditioner – this is a very good conditioner. I will buy it (and the matching shampoo) again.

13 Boots Extracts Sweet Mango Body Lotion – I loved this body lotion. Unfortunately, the entire line has been discontinued, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to buy it again.

I think I’ve done well with the big bottles – 5 more shower gels are history. And I’m glad to have finished a few more skin care products as well! Have you tried any of these products or would you like to try any of them? What have you emptied recently? Feel free to get in touch via the comments and thanks for reading! 😘

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

Empties – October 2018

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the products I emptied last month. As always, I used a number of single use face masks. Whilst I don’t keep the empty sachets, you can read about my latest face mask finds here. Onto the big empties!

1 Olay Anti-Wrinkle 2 in 1 Instant Hydration + Radiant Glow – this is a lovely moisturiser. I have a back-up bottle!

2 Essence Black Eyeliner Pencil – my favourite eyeliner pencil! I have several more in my stash and in my rota!

3 Sukin Super Greens Facial Recovery Serum – another great product from Sukin. I can definitely see myself buying this serum again.

4 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Flycolic Tonic – this is one of my new holy grail products!

5 Nivea Waterlily & Oil Shower Gel – this is a lovely shower gel. My husband used it too, so this is a shared empty. I hope I’ll find it again somewhere.

6 Herbal Essences Moisture Balance Conditioner – the best conditioner ever. It’s been discontinued, but I have an impressive number of back-up bottles (shampoo and conditioner).

7 The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Body Lotion – I enjoyed using this body lotion while it lasted, but I won’t buy it again.

8 The Crème Shop Detoxing & Renewing Overnight Gel Mask With Charcoal – whilst I liked using this product, I don’t think I’ll buy it again. When the seasons changed, I noticed that I would need a more hydrating product for 9 months of the year.

9 Max Factor Pan Stik 25 Fair – this is my holy grail foundation!

10 My Little Pony Strawberry Lip Balm – a nice lip balm. It’s very hydrating, and it has a fruity taste. I have a few more My Little Pony branded lip balms.

11 Superdrug Lip Balm – a nice vanilla-flavoured lip balm. I have a few more of these.

12 Ekél Natural Clean Peeling Gel With Grape – this is a truly awesome product. I have 3 more of these with different fragrances (apple, apricot, rice bran).

13 My Little Pony Shower Gel – a nice shower gel. The melon fragrance is lovely. I might repurchase it at some point.

14 Radox Scent Touch Feel Lively Body Wash – I don’t like the fragrance of this one very much. I managed to use it up but I won’t buy it again.

15 Superdrug Cucumber Peel-Off Mask – this is a nice face mask. I enjoyed using it. I have a back-up!

16 Anna Sui Flight Of Fancy – this is a lovely fragrance. I can definitely see myself picking it up again!

I think I’ve done well again this month. I’m happy I managed to finish a lot of skin care products. What did you empty last month? Feel free to comment. And thanks for reading! 🙂

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

October Beauty Awards

Hi there! Today’s post is about my favourite products in October. As always, I’ve chosen my top 3 from the products I’ve reviewed this month. And there are a few honourable mentions as well. 🙂

3rd place – Astor Soft Sensation Lipstick 114

I love this lipstick and I’ll be wearing it a lot this autumn and winter.

Runner-Up – Claire’s Popcorn Popcorn Flavoured Lip Balm

Claire’s Popcorn Popcorn Flavoured Lip Balm was a lovely surprise. It’s the best lip balm since My Little Pony’s melon-flavoured lip balm.

WINNER – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

How obvious was it that this toner would be my favourite product this month?! Superdrug’s glycolic tonic has blown me away. It really is a game-changer!

Over the summer I’ve developed dark patches on my face again (it’s actually a skin condition that’s called melasma, as I found out a few months ago). Getting rid of those patches is not easy at all, but this toner got it done. I’ve already bought 4 back-up bottles. I will continue to use this toner for as long as it’s made. This is truly an 11 stars product!

Onto the honourable mentions!

I’m still enjoying my Daily Defense Pomegranate shampoo and conditioner. This is the 4th Daily Defense hair care combo I’ve tried, and they’ve all been pretty awesome. If your local bargain store stocks Daily Defense hair products, you really should pick them up!

Another product line I enjoyed is the Wonder Woman toiletries collection which I picked up at Poundland. The shampoo is clarifying, the shower gel is gentle on the skin, and the fragrance roll-on is brilliant too. The products share the same lovely fragrance – rose and powder.

Have you tried any of these products? Would you like to try them? Which products have you been loving lately? Feel free to get in touch, and thanks for stopping by!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Weekly Recap 1 – 7 October 2018

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today’s post is about all the posts I’ve written this week. Read on if you’d like to know what I’ve been up to on my blog this week.

Monday 1 Oct – September Empties

On Monday I told you about all the products I emptied in September. Click here to read the post.

Tuesday 2 Oct – Nail Of The Day
Wednesday 3 Oct – Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic

Tuesday’s post was a Nail Of The Day post. Click here to read it.
And on Wednesday I reviewed a glycolic acid toner. Click here to read the post.

Thursday 4 Oct – Daily Defense Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner With Pomegranate

On Thursday I told you about the hair products I’m using at the moment. Click here to read the post.

Friday 5 Oct – Nail Foil Tutorial

Friday’s post was a tutorial. 6 pictures pretty much explain how everyone can do eye-catching manis at home. It’s super easy, you’ll see! I’ve done a tips and tricks section as well. Click here to read the post.

And this is it for this week! Enjoy what’s left of Sunday. And thanks for stopping by! By the way, next is going to be NAIL WEEK. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂

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