Trimming My Stash - December 2019 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A 2019 Round Up*

Before I continue with my long overdue unboxing posts I thought I'd a little break from all of the newness and take you back to 2019 again, with my December empties.

Elemis Skin Nourishing Hand Wash - 200ml
#6 Micellar Cleansing Water - 200ml
Anatomicals Boob Tube Grab Your Melons Shower Gel - 50ml
Cussons Carex Fun Edition Mr Tickle Antibacterial Hand Wash - Sherbet Lemon - 250ml
Total - 4 Items

Despite all of my promises to end 2019 on a high, December ended up being a bit of a damp squib, and I only managed to finish 4, not very interesting items.

1. Elemis Skin Nourishing Hand Wash - 200ml

Despite Mummy Lou's continuing, and very environmentally conscious love affair with the humble bar of soap, as a pet owning household we go through quite a lot of hand wash. Although we normally finish a bottle or so a month I don't normally include it in my trimming my stash totals because to be honest it always it seems to be more of a household item rather than something that I finished but breaking the habits of a lifetime December's empties total actually contains 2 hand washes. 

The first one that I'm going to talk about was actually part of a gift set that I received a few Christmas' ago, from luxury British spa brand Elemis. Now, whilst writing this post I've searched high and low for it online but unfortunately I can't find it anywhere so I've came to the conclusion that it was either a QVC UK exclusive or it was a limited edition.

To call this just a hand wash is actually a bit of a disservice - from their famous Skin Nourishing range, this hand wash is actually much more of a hand treatment. Containing camellia, cotton seed extract, and milk proteins, just a small amount of this thick, opaque gel, produced a gentle, light weight, but really nourishing and moisturising foam, you actually felt as though you were giving your hands a treatment rather than just washing them. The treatment aspect was also compounded by the soft and creamy,  almost powdery, gentle floral scent that runs through the entire Elemis Skin Nourishing range.

Perfect for dry hands or just hands that needed some love I'm really sad to see the back of this but thankfully I still have quite a few products from the Skin Nourishing range to use up including the corresponding hand cream. If you haven't tried this range, then I would thoroughly recommend it, it's ideal for skin that easily irritated, and skin that needs a bit of moisture. You can buy Elemis products from a variety of retailers online including QVC UK, Debenhams, John Lewis, Look Fantastic and Feel Unique.

2. #6 Micellar Cleansing Water - 200ml

Next up a skincare item, and something from Poundland's #6 skincare range. When it comes to beauty I'm not a snob, I love brands and luxury as much as the next person, but I'm not frightened to try dupes, and bargain basement items - if I love it, great! if I don't I haven't wasted my money.

The #6 range was designed to deliver a range for all skin types, that delivers healthy looking skin on a budget, but containing high end ingredients such as ceramides, Vitamins A and E, and algae extracts.

For just £1 an item, the first item that I tried from the range was their micellar water, which is hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested, opthamologically approved, alcohol and fragrance free, and suitable for vegans. Containing Pro Vitamin B5, aloe vera, chamomile, and Vitamin E it is designed to remove make up, cleanse, smooth and purify the skin.

The packaging is pretty basic, a clear plastic bottle with flip top cap, and to be honest the contents doesn't look very exciting either, it just looks like a typical micellar water, aka a clear water like liquid, with no real scent. Performance wise it was pretty gentle on the skin, it removed even long wear make up without too much effort. Like a lot of micellar waters I did find it tingled slightly when it was left on the eyes. I didn't find drying on the skin and I didn't see any redness but it did leave a slightly tacky finish on the skin which took a few minutes to subside.

For just a £1 this wasn't bad and whilst I wouldn't buy it and use it regularly I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up in an emergency or to use it again. It's certainly not the worst micellar water than I've ever used and as I often say I've definitely spent more than this and liked a product less, so I firmly believe that you don't always get what you pay for. You can find the #6 range in Poundland stores.

3. Anatomicals Boob Tube Grab Your Melons Shower Gel - 50ml

The next December empty is something that I think that I received in a subscription box. It's a quirkily named, melon scented shower gel from Anatomicals, that was produces in association with breast cancer charity Coppafeel.

I'm not a huge fan of melon scents but to me this is just a very fruity scent, with a hint of a floral, that I loved. I can't find this mini tube anywhere online but you can buy the full 250ml size from ASOS for around £3.49, and 80p of that goes to Coppafeel. Thanks to the November 2019 edition of Pink Parcel (the least said about the debacle that is Pink Parcel at the moment the better though!) I have another full sized bottle in my stash but this is definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

4. Cussons Carex Fun Edition Mr Tickle Antibacterial Hand Wash - Sherbet Lemon - 250ml

Finally another hand wash and something else that I actually bought in Poundland. This was just a cheap impulse buy that I picked up because I'm a bit of a fan of Mr. Men & Little Miss. It was nowhere near as luxurious as it's Elemis counterpart, but it was gentle, it was antibacterial (essential if you have cats), and it had a lovely, fruity, sugary, lemon scent.

I'm currently using a festive AVON hand wash but I've already picked up the Mr. Bump Tutti Frutti version to try. The price for these hand washes does vary quite a lot, you can get them for as little as 95p, to £1 in Poundland, Boots, and Tesco, to as much as £1.89 in Superdrug, so shop around if you can.

So that was December Trimming My Stash, and that was 2019, but just how did I do in 2019 overall? Well let's see...

January - 4 Items

February - 5 Items

March - 8 Items

April - 8 Items

May - 4 Items

June - 3 Items

July - 5 Items

August - 8 Items

September - 11 Items

October - 5 Items

November - 2 Items

December - 4 Items

Total - 67 Items 

Well, in total in 2019, I managed to finish a grand total of 67 beauty products. It sounds like a lot but like Decembers total it turned into a bit of a damp squib. 2019 was actually my worst year since I started counting down my empties, and I was 5 products down on last years total of 72. I'm a little bit disappointed but despite that I think that 2019 was the first year where I've actually been able to see my stash diminishing. I definitely didn't buy as much beauty stuff in 2019, I had several good sort outs, I gave some things away, I binned a few bits, and I finished a few ancient products that had been hanging around in my bathroom since the year dot.

It goes without saying that I'm going to continue to trim my stash in 2020. The same goals will apply, to finish as many beauty products possible, to buy less, and to try and only buy what I need. I made a good indent into my bath and body products in 2019, and whilst I'm hoping that I can keep that up in 2020, I'm also going to try and make more of a dent in both my skincare and my make up stash than I did last year, and of course I'm going to share my journey with you every step of the way, starting with my January empties in a week or so x Let me know if your doing something similar and if you have any questions on any of the products that I finished in December or on anything else then leave me a comment below x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - August 2019 Edition - Midnight Garden Edit*

I know this post is a little bit late but I'm not going to apologise for that - I took a bit of time out for some family and friend time - I helped my mam celebrate her birthday and I spent a lovely day with my bestie, that unfortunately I'm still recovering from, walking along the sea front, eating ice cream, playing mini golf, and shopping.

Even though I haven't managed to get a post up, I've still being posting on Instagram and I've been photographing products, and make up looks for some upcoming posts. The first few posts that I've got coming up are quite long and in depth so I'm going to get down to it straight away, and do some catch ups starting with August's Pink Parcel unboxing x

After a few up and down months with Pink Parcel, like July's box , August's arrived bang on time and its arrival coincided perfectly with the arrival of my period. My August box was packaged in the old style grey and pink outer box, and inside it contained the familiar pouch and a mixture of Pink Parcel, and Betty Box cardboard boxes.

Again I chose a pads only box, and this time round I received 24 items, which was one more than last month. Like last month, and the month before, and the month before that I got a mixture of different brands rather than the brand and product type that I requested. As I've said before I don't really mind a mixture of brands but I actually received an email from Pink Parcel last month telling me that the items I'd selected were being discontinued, so maybe that's why I've been getting a mixture of different products. I've selected another product now so it should be interesting to see what I get in September's box.

Now on to the fun stuff and the theme of August's box was Midnight Garden, and the theory behind the box was products that would take from day to night. It contains products that would be great for festivals and summer days, and pampering products that would help you wind down at the end of the day.

Floss My New Favourite Lip Gloss - Yul - 15g - Full Size - RRP £16 / $16

The first item in the 'Wants' box is from a new brand to me, Floss. Hailing from Canada, their products are cruelty and paraben free, are specifically designed to enhance your natural beauty.

Packaged in a squeezy plastic tube, with a doe foot applicator, Floss claim that this gloss is smooth, hydrating and long lasting, and that it will quickly become your new favourite lip gloss, a big claim indeed!

I received the shade Yul, which I believe is the code name for Montreal International Airport. It looks translucent pink in the tube but as you can see from the swatch below it actually comes out clear.

It's not the thickest gloss that I've ever used but it feels comfortable on the lips, and it doesn't feel too sticky or tacky. I used to be a real lip gloss fiend when I was younger, but now I'm not a huge fan of the gloopy or tacky feel. This isn't bad though it adds a nice subtle gloss to the lips, without too much of the goo. Obviously you can wear it over another lip colour but I like the slightly glossy, natural look that you get from wearing it alone. 

If you're not a huge fan of full on thick, sticky glosses then this one might be worth trying. It looks nice and wears well, but personally I'm not a huge fan of the taste or scent which more often than not is a pretty big deal for me. It has a slightly synthetic, and dare I say it plastic like vanilla / coconut scent. It's not crazily strong so I will probably use this up but I can't see myself repurchasing it. If you fancy trying it for yourself though, then you can buy it directly from Floss.

Minus -417 Time Control Firming Radiant Mud Mask - 20ml -Est. RRP £8

Next up another brand that you may not have heard of Minus -417. Apart from featuring occasionally as potential prizes on the Clawee app (my invite code code is WCLLZER if you fancy playing), the first time I heard about the range was when I received a face wash in the January edition of Glossybox UK.

You can read my thoughts on it here, but I really enjoyed using it so I was really pleased to receive another product from this Dead Sea based skincare range in August's Pink Parcel. 

Pink Parcel are famous for including face masks, and this one is a 2 in 1 exfoliating and nourishing mud mask, that is designed to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish the skin, whilst at the same time drawing out impurities and absorbing excess oil. It contains Dead Sea mud, red and white clay, avocado, and olive oils, verbena extract, honey, titanium dioxide, and vitamins A, B, E, and F.

With a mild, slightly earthy, aquatic scent, it has a creamy clay mask type consistency, and it contains small exfoliating particles. -417 recommend that you apply it to cleansed skin, avoiding the eye area. It was nice and easy to spread, and to apply evenly. On application there was a slightly warming sensation that gradually disappeared after a few minutes. 

On Application

The advice was that it should dry in about 7-10 minutes, but given the humidity when I tried it out, it probably took around 10 or 11 minutes to dry completely. It dries like any other clay mask, and you do experience a slightly tightening sensation as it sets but it wasn't uncomfortable.

After Around 10 Minutes 

Clay masks can often be quite stubborn and quite difficult to remove, but this particular one was quite easy to remove with warm water, and a muslin cloth. My skin was a little bit pink after removal but that quickly disappeared. Unusually for a clay mask my skin didn't feel tight, it felt comfortable and supple, and it looked clearer, cleaner and smoother.

After Removal

I am a bit of a maskaholic and this was a nice one, I liked the warming sensation, and the exfoliating aspect and I liked how supple my skin felt when I'd removed it. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to repurchase it but I'll happily use it up. Pink Parcel value this 20ml size at £8, the full 10ml size retails at around $39 direct from Minus -417.

Mudmasky Hair Mask, Scalp Treatment & Miracle Shampoo - Full Size - RRP £26-£29

The next item is a product from Pink Parcel favourite brand Mudmasky. Over the years I've recieved quite a few products from Mudmasky but this time it isn't a face mask, it's a hair product.

Now I haven't had a chance to try this yet but it sounds really interesting. It's basically a paraben and sulfate free, 3 in 1 hair mask, scalp treatment, and shampoo. Like all of the Mudmasky products it isn't tested on animals and based on the theory that healthy hair starts from the scalp, it's designed to repair and strengthen the hair,  and to moisturise and to prevent an itchy scalp and to control dandruff. It's suitable for all hair types but it's especially good for damaged hair.

As I say I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds like it could be a real time saver, you need to leave it on the hair for 1 minute, and it could replace up to at least 3 products, so I can't wait to give it a try. As per usual I'll let you know what I think in a future empties post x This is a full size tube and retails at around £29 / €29 direct from Mudmasky x 

Anatomicals Tanatomicals The Stick It Where The Sun Does Shine Stick SPF 30 Lip Protector - 5.5g - Full Size - RRP £3

It's been a little while since I've had an Anatomicals product in a subscription box, so it's nice to see them again and it's nice to receive a product that I haven't tried before x 

From their sun care, and fake tanning diffusion line Tanatomicals, this is basically a twist up, stick lip balm that contains an SPF 30. 

I'm not a huge fan of the slightly cardboard, synthetic plastic taste but it's actually a pretty decent lip balm. It has a nice moisturising feel, it adds a nice bit of gloss to the lips, and it actually absorbs into the lips, rather than just sitting on the top.

The addition of the SPF also means that you could also use it on the tops of the ears, on the nose, and on other exposed bits that catch the sun in an emergency. 

Even though the Anatomicals range still seems pretty widely available, the Tanatomicals website doesn't seem to exist any more, and I can't seem to find this product anywhere online, so it may have been discontinued. 

Moonface Fan Brush - Full Size - RRP £8

I do love a make up brush, as I'm sure my rather crowded dressing table would testify to, if it could talk that is, so I'm always pleased to see a brush in a subscription box, and in particular I'm always pleased to see a fan brush.

My first ever fan brush was from Ruby and Millie and would you believe that I still have it x Look after your brushes and they really will last a lifetime. Fan brushes are just so useful, you can use them for removing eye shadow fall out from under the eyes or on the cheeks, or to apply loose powder to the t-zone, or even to apply a bit of highlighter or cheek colour. 

This is a particular nice example, I love the pink and purple ombre handle, and the pink hairs are super soft.

I can't actually find out anything about this brand though, the website that Pink Parcel gave doesn't seem to exist and a web search proved equally fruitless. So if you know anything about Moonface then I'd love to hear from you so please leave me a comment below, or contact me via my email louloulanduk@gmail.com or via my other social media channels x 

Cocoba Milk Hot Chocolate Spoon - 33g - Est. RRP £2.75

I'm going to start off by saying that technically this is a stick not a spoon, but that in no way affected my enjoyment of this product ;) Why would it, gorgeous Belgian milk chocolate, that you melt into a mug of warm milk, or if you're greedy you can just eat it as it is.

I'm not going to lie that's what I did, when I got my Pink Parcel it was way too warm for hot chocolate, so I just ate it off the stick like a yummy chocolate lollipop. A huge chunk of good quality chocolate, what is not to love about that! 

I can't put an exact price on this product because all of the similar products on Cocoba actually contained a wooden spoon, but they looked almost identical so I would imagine that this product would retail at around £2.75. 

Lyons No3 Rich & Full Bodied 100% Fresh Ground Coffee In A Bag - 1 x Bag 

I honestly don't know why these bags aren't everywhere - the whole idea of ground coffee in a bag is just such an amazing, time saving concept. I've received a few of these in the past, most recently in March's Pink Parcel, and as yet I still haven't managed to try one - Mummy Lou drinks a lot more coffee than I do, and she always manages to get there first, so fingers crossed I get a chance to try one of these at some point in the future x 

I don't think was the most exciting box that I've ever received but as per usual there was a decent range of products, and most probably products that I'll use - the standouts for me was definitely the mask, and the chocolate spoon but I'm also excited to try the Mudmasky hair product. Let me know your thoughts on this box, and don't forget to check out the Pink Parcel website if you're interested in signing up for your own box x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links 

Fake Tanning On A Budget - Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale*

I meant to pop this post up yesterday but I had relatives over all afternoon so I never got round to it - sorry! Still nothings changed really has it, it's still dull and it's still raining, there have been some tiny sunny intervals both yesterday and today but the latest rumour is this horrid weather is going to last for at least two weeks - sob :( What does bad weather mean ? well no suntan for me  :( I know I talked about the importance of SPF the other day and I still stand by everything I said, but it is possible to get some colour safely and with protection, just not in this weather so I think I'm going to have to dig out the faux glow.

I'm not a fake tan junkie by any means but I do like a bit of extra colour especially during the summer months. I will freely admit that St Tropez Mousse is my fake tan of choice but it's pricey so I've decided to try out a few cheaper alternatives for my benefit and for yours :)

The first budget fake tan product I'm going to try out for you is by quirky brand Anatomicals' , fake tan line Tanatomicals.

Whatever your self tan preference creams, sprays and mousses Tantatomicals probably have a fake tan for you. As I said before I am a mousse girl so I was delighted to be sent the quirky named The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse.

Enriched with moisturisers such as Aloe Vera, this mousse is pH balanced to minimise dryness, and irritation. It's designed to give the skin an instant glow which will then develop into a natural tan.

Ahead of using the product I made sure that my skin was well exfoliated and that I'd been using a body moisturiser for a few days prior to using the product particularly on my drier areas such as my knees and my ankles. As you can see from these before pictures my legs are pretty pale :(

The mousse itself comes packaged in the traditional pump action dispenser. It is a sort of mustard / brown in colour which is quite unlike the green tinged products that I normally use.

I applied the product to clean, dry skin using my favourites method of application the tanning mitt (I have a review of my preferred mitts coming soon). The first thing you notice about the product apart from the colour is the smell - none of your hideous self tan smells here this product smells of a summery cocktail, think   coconut and pineapples yum! The next thing you notice is the colour to be honest it looked very scary after the initial application, it looked very orange on my skin, personally there is no way I would have gone out with my skin that colour - it's looking OK in this picture but it looked a lot more orange toned like irl

So the instant tan aspect was a bit of a fail for me so I left it to develop overnight. This mousse I have to say dried really quickly, and left the skin feeling matte and without any stickiness. I was able to go and sit on the sofa and dress with about 5 minutes of applying it. It left no marks or the furniture, my sheets or my clothing. I also noticed that the Pina Colada smell lingered and it never developed that horrid digestive biscuit aroma.

By the next day the colour on my legs had changed dramatically, instead of the unflattering orangey shade, my legs had developed a very subtle and natural looking tan. It's not that easy to see it in these pics but as I say the colour was very natural.

I decided to pop on another coat just to see if you could go a bit darker with this product, again I left it over night and this was the result

Again the lighting isn't the best but I did go a little bit darker so you can definitely build up the colour if you want (ignore the sock marks lol)

I have to say I really liked this fake tan, the initial colour didn't work on me at all but it developed into a super natural looking tan. It smelt great, it wasn't drying or sticky and the colour faded pretty well, without any major patching or dryness. If you like a super dark, obvious fake tan this isn't the one for you, if your a fake tan newbie and you want something natural, just ignore the instant colour and this colour be the one for you .In fact I've already bought my godmother a bottle of this tan purely based on the smell - she hates the usual fake tan smell and this one seems to be suiting her down to the ground - Look even Jasper wanted to try it out - I'm sure he's got enough of a tan already though hasn't he ;)

Tanatomicals The Holy Grail For The Deathly Pale Instant + Self Tan Mousse 150ml retails at around £6.99  from Superdrug and various other retailers. Have you tried any of the Tanatomicals products? and what's your favourite fake tan product? let me know in the comments x

*Sample

Christmas Goodies Part 1 - Nails, Some Skincare and Bodycare

OK I know a few people aren't keen on Christmas pressie hauls but I thought I'd show you some of the things that I got (all these items were bought for me by my friends and family) that I will be reviewing and using throughout 2010 - I'll start off with skincare, nails and body stuff.
Nails

Rio Easy Art Nails - This is basically a Konad kit you even get Konad plates in it - can't wait to have a play with this :)
OPI Gift Set - This has some super colours in it lots of glitter and some nail treatments and a minis kit :)

Leighton Denny Gift Set - again nail treatments, and loads of full size and mini colours mainly in french and neutrals. I also got the Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File kit so far I am super impressed with this and I'll definitely do a review on it :)

Body /Skin Care

Soap & Glory Plane Jane Travel Kit - this kinda makes up for missing out on the hat box - a cute case, mini smellies and a travel pillow

Philosophy The Gingerbread Man - a Christmas staple for me this one contains the bath / shower gel, the hot salt scrub, and the body butter (I also got the cranberry orange lip gloss)

Elemis Gift Set - Bath and Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Cleanser, Exfoliator, and my favourite Pro Collagen Marine Cream (more on this to come)

Anatomicals Gift Set - Body, Face and Hair Stuff
Korres Fig Set - Body Butter and shower gel, and some fig jam :)

OK this is getting a bit pic heavy so I'll do a separate post with my make up goodies x (ETA - I have missed a whole load of bits out whoops I also got some Avon stuff and a whole load of candles :))