Trimming My Stash - April 2021 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, And A Life Update*

Well, I'm playing some serious catch up now aren't I? When you're already ridiculously behind with something though, in the wider scheme of things, does another week or so really matter? In all seriousness though I had throughly prepped this post, and I'd planned to get it up last week, but if you follow me on any of my other social media channels, then you'll already know that my mam was rushed into hospital a week past Monday with an infection. Thankfully she was discharged on Saturday, but she took a turn for the worst again yesterday, she's feeling a little bit brighter today but all I can say is thank heavens for the NHS.

So that's where I'm at at the moment, I'm tired and more than a little bit stressed, and whilst I obviously have more important things on my mind than blogging - I need a distraction, I've already eaten pretty the contents of the fridge, and I may have placed a few online orders, so in order to protect my wallet and my waistline, I thought I'd try and play catch up, and share my April beauty empties post with you x 
 

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream - 30ml
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic -100ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Shower Gel - 250ml
Rituals The Ritual Of Ayurveda Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Soothing Hand Balm - 70ml
Essence Instant Matt Make-Up Setting Spray - 50ml
Balance Me Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash - 125ml**
Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalising Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

Total - 7 Items

All is all, al least empties wise, 2021 hasn't started off too badly. In January, February, and March I finished a combined total of 18 items, and whilst it wasn't my best month of the year so far, in April I managed to add another 7 items to that total. Like so many of my empties posts lately this one is a bit of a cop out, as I seem to have talked about most of the products on it on the blog before. That's just the way it is sometimes though when you've been blogging as long as I have, and I still pretty happy to have finished another 7 skin and body care products

1. The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream - 30ml

Whilst operation nail growth is still ongoing, I've suffered a bit of setback in my attempt to restore my natural nails to their former glory, but it was entirely my own fault. I decided that I wanted to have nice nails for my birthday back in May, so I bought a set of false nails from Poundland, and if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that they looked pretty fantastic. The only trouble with any type of fake nail is that you need to stick on them, and whilst these Poundland ones were pretty amazing and lasted nearly 3 weeks, the glue and the removal process didn't really do my natural nails any favours.

Despite that and a few cleaning related breakages I'm keeping at it, and I'm still going through hand creams and cuticle oils like they are going out of fashion, and way back in April I finished this hand cream from The Body Shop's popular Wild Argan range.

I originally got this product in the 2019 Glossybox Advent Calendar and you can read a full review of it here x I really enjoyed using this hand cream, and I loved the surprisingly floral scent, and I would definitely consider buying it again. This full 30ml sized cream now retails at £5.50.

2. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic -100ml

Next, on this list is a skincare product, and it goes without saying that it's another product that I've talked about before. Although it's never achieved the glory of having a post all to itself, it has appeared in numerous empties posts over the last few years.

Containing glycolic acid, and kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts, this slightly masculine / aftershave scented toner is perfect for smoothing the skin, drying out blemishes, and adding a bit of a glow to the skin. 

I've used countless bottles of this stuff (have a little search if you don't believe me ;) and it's something that I will continue to use and buy x 

The Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner comes in a 100ml bottle which retails at £6.99. It also comes in a 300ml bottle that retails at around £11.99. As with so many products in Superdrug though it tends to be on offer quite a lot so it worth stocking up when you can - at the time of writing the products in the range are on buy one, get one free.

3. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Shower Gel - 250ml

Now, although I'm not sure that I've talked about this next product before, I have talked at length about The Body Shop's Juicy Pear festive range in the past. I'm already a huge fan of The Body Shop's shower gel formulation, and teamed up with the sweet, yet tart, fruity scent which contained real Italian pear extract, it was another winner.

I have another couple of bottles to use up, but I'm really hoping that this scent makes another appearance in 2021's Christmas range.

4. Rituals The Ritual Of Ayurveda Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Soothing Hand Balm - 70ml

Next up another hand cream, and it's something else that you've seen before back in 2019. This gorgeous hand balm from Rituals, came in the November 2019 edition of Glossybox UK. You can read a full review here, but it is safe to say that I really liked this product. It was lovely and rich, yet it absorbed really quickly into the skin, leaving the hands super smooth and protected. The smell was a bit strong and it did linger quite a bit, but personally I loved it. This full sized hand balm retails at around £9.90 direct from Rituals, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, NEXT Beauty and John Lewis.

5. Essence Instant Matt Make-Up Setting Spray - 50ml

Is it a skincare product or is it a make up item - I have no idea really but since it's something I only use when I'm wearing a full face of make up, I'm checking this product off as a make up item :)

Whatever you term it as, I received this particular product in the March 2019 edition of, you've guessed it Glossybox UK. What it is, is basically a mattifying and setting spray, that's designed to eradicate shine, and to help your make up last longer, and look better for longer.

I often question whether these sprays actually do anything, but as someone with a very shiny t-zone, who has trouble keeping make up in place, this certainly seemed to do something. Like all facial / setting sprays, it initially felt quite cool on the skin. It felt quite wet but the spray quickly absorbed or evaporated? leaving a visible matte finish.

I don't think that I am ever going to find a product that helps my make up stay completely put, and shine free but this certainly made a difference all be it in the short term. Despite a couple of drawbacks (the plasticy scent and the small sized bottle) I would definitely consider buying this again.

The Essence Instant Matt Make Up Setting Spray comes in 50ml bottle and retails between £2.99 - £3 from various retails including Feel Unique, Just My Look, and Wilko.

6. Balance Me Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash - 125ml **

I'm almost embarrassed to talk about this next product because it's so old! I first used this back in 2014 when I was sent it to review from natural beauty store My Pure. I used the majority of it and then it got pushed to the back of the drawer, until I rediscovered it early this year and decided to finish up the dregs in the bottom of the tube.

You can read a full review of it here x Alas My Pure don't seem to stock this particular product any more, and it no longer seems to exist in this format and in this packaging. Balance Me still produce a Pure Skin Face Wash that sounds very similar and retails at around £16 for a 125ml tube from various retailers including direct from Balance Me, NEXT Beauty, and Look Fantastic. 

7. Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalising Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

The final item on April's list is another hand and nail based product, and it's a cuticle oil from Cuccio. I've already talked about this product in the wee 3.7ml baby size in my August 2020 empties, but this is the big daddy, 75ml salon size, which comes in an angled glass bottle, so you can get ever last drop out with the rubber and glass dropper.

It is a really nice cuticle oil and I love the almost mojito like mint, and citrus scent. I'm currently using this particular oil, and size in another scent but I will definitely buy this particular scent again.

So there you have it, my late April empties post! Apologies again for the delay and as per usual if you have any questions please leave me a comment below x Next up, I've got a little Primark haul for you, and then I'll be playing catch up again, with my May empties post and some more Glossybox unboxings, so don't forget to follow and keep subscribing x 

*This Post Contains Added Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

** Press Sample 

Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland 2017 Advent Calendar - Part 1 - Days 1 - 12

I don't know why it is, but at this time of year I always tend to look back at Christmas's past. Christmas has changed so much since I was child, but so many things have stayed constant and one of those is the excitement of opening the doors of an advent calendar and counting down the days until Christmas.

Advent calendars have came a long way since I was a child, my earliest memories of advent calendars were those traditional cardboard calendars, which my mam usually bought from the local newsagent, that were sprinkled with glitter and had a festive image behind each door. I know you can still get them and personally despite their simplicity I loved them, but I just don't think that a lot of today's children would be too happy to get just a little picture in their advent calendar! Things have changed and in a big way!

Being a chocoholic though the introduction of chocolate advent calendars were a big thing for me, - I mean what could honestly be better than eating chocolate for breakfast! erm not much in my opinion, and even at my age both myself and Mummy Lou, always count down to the big day with a chocolate advent calendar or two. Over the last few years or so though I've jumped onto a relatively new bandwagon and I've added a beauty advent calendar to my festive traditions.

Nowadays there seems to be a new breed of advent calendar, the luxury calendar which is almost like an early gift in it's own right. No longer content with just a piece of chocolate, you can now get advent calendars geared towards both children and adults containing everything from beer, to gin, to cheese, to nail polish and LEGO, and this year I've even seen one which contains shall we say, slightly more adult themed toys. What will they think of next? I think it's been well documented that some of these advent and 12 days of Christmas calendars are just plain rip offs but some of them do offer genuine value for money and are well worth picking up,

In the last two years I was lucky enough to get my hands on the M&S Marks & Spencer beauty advent calendar, and whilst this years little house themed version looked amazing and is probably their best one to date I decided to try something different. As I say advent calendars have become more like presents in their own right, and my lovely mummy kindly offered to buy me a calendar as part of my Christmas present I was pretty much spoilt for choice. My initial aim was to get the QVC UK TILI Advent Calendar but it sold it in seconds creating all manner of problems for QVC's poor social media team, so instead I went for the Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Advent Calendar.

This calendar retailed at £79, and whilst it certainly wasn't the cheapest one on the market, it certainly wasn't the most expensive of this years offerings either. I have to be honest and say that this is one of the prettiest and most useful calendars that I've seen.

Although the calendar contains images of deer and fir trees it isn't obviously Christmas themed, instead it features a beautifully illustrated fairy tale theme.

The fact that it doesn't scream Christmas means that this calendar can definitely serve a dual purpose. Made of a good quality thick card, this calendar is basically a mini chest of drawers, which will be perfect for storing make up or beauty products, or even crafting supplies, knick knacks or jewellery.

Open the midnight blue decorated, magnetic fastening doors and the surprises just keep on coming. The top section which is empty features a flip top lid, with ribbon hinges and a large mirror. Underneath that are 4 good sized sturdy drawers with white grosgrain ribbon pulls.

The drawers contain 25 numbered, removable boxes, to help you countdown the days until Christmas day. Inside the boxes you gift of the day comes beautifully wrapped in tissue paper which is covered in drawings of beauty products and wording in keeping with the Alice In Wonderland theme such as Love Me, Swatch Me, Apply Me, Use Me, Spritz Me, Lather Me and Smell Me. Every aspect of this calendar has been so well thought out, it would have been so easy to just wrap the products in plain tissue but Look Fantastic really have put a lot of thought into this calendar, and every aspect of it just works and adds to the appeal and the excitement, honestly it really is beautiful and my not the best winter light photos just don't fo it justice!

Okay it looks beautiful, and it's reusable but what's the contents like? Well, it been hard to resist opening all of the boxes at once but I've been good and I'm sticking to my days and my calendar and I'm only opening one box a day. I know I've posting pictures of the contents on Instagram but I thought I'd share the contents with you as well - so this is what the Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Advent Calendar contained on days 1-12

Day 1 - Illamasqua Lava Lipstick - Vixen - 3.6g - Full Size

This first item was a beauty and it was a full 3.6g Lava Lipstick from Illamasqua in the exclusive to this calendar shade, Vixen.

These lipsticks were a limited edition anyways but this colour is an exclusive and it's a beauty I'm not really a red lipstick wearer but at the time of year nothing screams Christmas like a red lippy.

This one isn't a scary red though, there is a bit of white in the marble effect which definitely tones it down a bit, it was creamy and easy to apply and it wore well.

The RRP of the other Lava Lipsticks was around £20 so value wise, this was an excellent start.

Day 2 - Ciate Fierce Flicks Precision Tip Liquid Liner - Black - 1.7ml - Full Size

Day 2 was another make up item, and another full size make up item at that. This felt tip style liquid liner from Ciate retails at around £15. I struggle like hell with liquid liners but I'm going to persevere with this one, it's pretty fine, and it's a proper deep, black.

Day 3 - Grow Gorgeous Scalp Detox Exfoliating Pre-Wash Treatment - 50ml

I know some of you will probably be thinking what is this girl on, but I'm slightly obsessed with hair products, I love trying new things and new brands. Grow Gorgeous is a new brand to me and this slightly grainy treatment is designed to clarify the hair and remove product build up. It contains a combination of white willow, pomegranate fruit enzyme and Castor oil beads. The brand is cruelty free and vegan and the products are paraben and sulphate free. I'll definitely be trying this out soon so look out it in a future empties post. The full size of this product is 190ml which retails at £28 and whilst this is just a travel size it's perfect for holidays and for trying out a new product and a new brand.

Day 4 - First Aid Beauty - FAB - Ultra Repair Cream  - 56.7g

This cream has a bit of cult reputation as a skin saviour. Containing oatmeal, shea butter, ceramides and eucalyptus, this cream is designed specifically for dry, chapped, itchy, and flaky skin. You can use it from head to toe and it's approved for use on skin condition such as eczema and psoriasis. I've been using this on my hands and believe me it is good! Allergy tested with no added parabens, fragrance or colour, this thick white, slightly eucalyptus scented cream absorbs quickly and makes an almost immediate difference. This 56.7g tube retails at around £10 and it's well worth that as a little bit really does go a long way.

Day 5 - Balance Me Flash Cleanse Micellar Water - 30ml 

I've acquired a couple of these little bottles in the past few months, but as yet I haven't managed to try any of them. I'm a bit of a fan of micellar waters though so I definitely need to give this a go. Containing mandarin essential oil, and pea protein, this liquid is suitable for all skin types, and you can even use it around the eyes. This is a little bottle but it's perfect for travel and for trying out a new product without too much of a risk.

Day 6  - This Works In Transit Camera Close Up -15ml

This is something else that I've got a few of now and again it's something that I haven't managed to try yet but I do love multi use products so again I need to get this used. Victoria Beckham is supposedly a fan of this mask, moisturiser and primer in one, which supposedly hydrates, brightens and evens out the skin.

Day 7 - James Read Gradual Tan H2O Illuminating Tan Mist Body - 30ml

Glitter! Where would we be at Christmas with out a bit of glitter or at least a bit of shimmer. This isn't a body glitter though this is actually a gradual tanning mist from tanning guru to the stars James Read. Containing rose water, hyaluronic acid, and caffeine, this is a clear gradual tan spray that contains subtle gold sparkle which is perfect for the party season and for getting rid of that white / blue leg look. I haven't tried any of James' products before  but this is something that I'll definitely be trying out over the next few weeks. I think that this is quite a new product, so it's great to have it in the calendar

Day 8 - Redken No Blow Dry Airy Styling Cream For Fine Hair - 30ml

Another hair care product and this time something from top salon brand REDKEN. I've never heard about this product before but as someone who more often than not, leaves their hair to dry naturally this little tube could be a godsend. Basically the cream / gel inside this tube is designed to make your hair dry more quickly, naturally, and it' supposedly makes your hair easier to style without heat. I've been prepping my hair for a salon visit tomorrow but once I'm done and dusted I'll definitely be giving this a go next time that I wash my hair.

Day 9 Bellapierre Banana Setting Powder - 4g - Full Size

I know some people hate face powder but I'm not one of them - I love it, my oily skin needs all of the help that I can get and nothing gets rid of that shine quicker than a dusting of face powder. This full size loose powder from mineral make up company Bellapierre is a yellow toned powder, so it doesn't just help you keep your make up in place, it can also act as a colour corrector and help get rid of and tone down redness and discolouration. My skin is prone to a bit of redness and I can't wait to see if this makes a difference. This powder is a full size and retails at around £25 / $35

Day 10 - Oskia London Renaissance Mask - 10ml 

I've got to be honest and say that I'd never heard of this brand before but after finding out about the ingredients and what this mask does I can't wait to try it. OSKIA are a British brand, and this gel like mask which is suitable for all skin types contains a mixture of papaya and fruit enzymes which aims to increase radiance, even out the skin tone and minimise the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. The full 50ml size retails at £51 so this is easily a £9 or £10 product.

Day 11 - Molton Brown Gingerlily Body Wash - 100ml  

I've used Molton Brown for a long time now, and I remember using this under it's previous incarnation Heavenly Gingerlily. This is one of their longest standing and most popular products, and it's easy to see why. Exquisitely blended with ingredients from around the world this has a slightly unisex scent to me with just a hint of floral. It contains ginger, tuberose, cedar wood and lily, and whether you use it in the bath or the shower a little goes a long way. Although Molton Brown do a larger size, this generous travel size retails at £10.

Day 12 - Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet - 15ml

Although I've tried a few Caudalie products over the years I can honestly say that I've never gone out and bought one specifically or used any of their products for any real period of time, and to be honest I don't know why that is. They are a French brand that base a lot of their products on grapes and grape extracts hence the name Vinosource. This cream gel based moisturiser is perfect for sensitive skin, and with regular use it can help to soothe, strengthen and hydrate the skin, and it can also help to reduce redness. I tried a little bit on day 12 and I was really impressed, I don't like thick and gloopy moisturisers and thanks to the lightweight texture this one absorbed into my skin really quickly and it left it feeling really smooth. The full 40ml size retails at £23. 

Well what can I say so far so good, you've got a good mix of make up items, skincare, hair care and body products, with a couple of high value products and a couple of decent value and sized products. Couple that with the aesthetically pleasing look of the calendar, and for me it's definitely worth the money so far and I'm certainly looking forward to opening the remaining doors. I'd love to know your thoughts on this calendar, and advent calendars in general, did you get an interesting one this year? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to keep an eye on my Instagram for some sneak peeks of what you can expect to see in part 2, which I'm hoping to post on Christmas Eve - eek! x

Trimming My Stash - October 2016 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

I know I'm a couple of days late again, but today I'm sharing my October beauty empties with you. I can't believe I'm saying that to be honest how is it November already, where did 2016 go! I swear years seemed to drag by when I was child, but not now, blink and you'll miss it!

"Butterfly" Exfoliating Socks - 1 Pair
The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub - 50ml
Lovea Papaya Firming Jelly - 200ml
Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil - 200ml
Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish - 50ml
Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser - Aloe Fresh - 190ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Total - 7 Items 

September's Trimming My Stash, was a bit of disaster but thankfully in October, I've managed to pull it round a bit and I managed to finish 7 items. Admittedly 6 out of the 7 items were body products, but I still pleased to have finished them and to have created a bit more space in the bathroom.

1. "Butterfly" Exfoliating Socks - 1 Pair

If like my mum, you're not a fan of feet I suggest you skip to the next item because this is going to get graphic. These babies are probably one of the least glamorous beauty products ever but I swear by them. Basically what they are is a pair of plastic socks that contain a lactic acid based solution that smells ever so slightly of rose. You simply wash and dry your feet, then you put the socks on for a couple of hours, before rinsing and drying your feet. These socks are designed to help you get rid of all of the dry skin from your soles and heels, and over the next few week, the dry skin will gradually peel away and fall off, leaving you with baby soft tootsies. These ones are very similar to the Footner Exfoliating Socks that I reviewed here but they are a lot cheaper, I only paid a couple of pounds for these from ebay. Do they work well, I only used them a few days ago so the peeling hasn't really started yet. I'm not expecting miracles because my feet are pretty bad at the moment but fingers crossed that these make a bit of difference.

2. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub - 50ml

I love my body scrubs and that's probably why there are two in this post. I'm trying to use up my trial and travel sizes at the moment, and this was one of them. Over the years I've loved so many products from The Body Shop, and I think that I'm about to fall in love with all of their new Christmas ones, one fragrance that I keep coming back to though, is their Cocoa Butter. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter is my real love but every now and then I do use some of the other products and this is one of them. I love the fragrance of this one and the creamy, moisturising base, but I'm not really a fan of the ground nut, or cocoa bean pieces, give me a salt or a sugar scrub any day! Unfortunately this product no longer seems to be online, and the only cocoa butter products that The Body Shop website have seem to be in the sale so I have the horrible feeling that The Body Shop are discontinuing the Cocoa Butter line. I'm going to try and find out for definite but I'm definitely going be tracking down some body butter just in case.

3. Lovea Papaya Firming Jelly - 200ml

 

This was a product that I was sent to review from My Pure. This cooling, gel like product was designed to freshen and firm the skin, and to be honest despite feeling pretty nice on the skin I'm not actually convinced that it did anything. Despite that the though, I really enjoyed using it, it smelled almost exactly like juicy mango smoothie or a tropical fruit cocktail. You can read a full review of this product here x 

4. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil - 200ml

Another cocoa butter product and this time one from Vaseline. All of the cocoa butter products from Vaseline have a much sweeter and sightly sicklier scent than The Body Shop's, so if you like scents on the sweeter side then this is a range to try. When I first bought this product I couldn't wait to use, what could be nicer, a super moisturising gel, the left the skin silky smooth and with a fabulous healthy sheen. In reality though I found this to be overtly oily, and overtly sticky, and instead of using to highlight a summer tan in sleeveless tops I found that it stained and left marks on my clothes. In fact towards the end of it's life I used it as a foot cream. Like a lot of products the idea was good, but it didn't quite work in practise. This product is still available but it has been renamed; If you want to try it for yourself, it is now called Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Gel Oil.

5. Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish - 50ml

I've got another mini body scrub now for you and this one is from Balance Me. This is their Toning Body Polish which is specifically designed for cellulite and those areas of your personage that maybe quite as smooth and firm as they used to be! Crammed full of essential oils including lavender, geranium, bergamot and juniper, this scrub has a pleasant aromatherapy type scent. Alas it isn't a sugar or a salt scrub, instead you have ground walnut shells suspended in a creamy base. It wasn't bad but i definitely prefer Balance Me's sugar and salt based brightening body polish.

6. Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser - Aloe Fresh - 190ml

Another Vaseline product, but this time it's a product that I love. This product is perfect for anyone how is feeling a bit lazy or anyone who is a bit short of time. Body lotion in a can, it's simple really, depress the nozzle, and spray the fresh scented moisturising mist all over your body, and if you got a minute or two extra massage it in. There was a lot of hype about this product when it launched and I can see why. it's quick and easy to use and it does the job. It's not something that I would use all the time and it probably isn't suitable for very dry skin, but thanks to this body moisturising doesn't have to be a chore.

7. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Yawn, yawn! Another packet of these and what more can I say, cheap, full of tea tree, good for emergencies and swatch clean up and I'll definitely buy them again.

So they were my October empties x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned, then please leave me a comment below and don't forget to link me up to your empties posts or videos x 

Trimming My Stash - July 2016 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x It's the first of the month and that means that it's empties time again. I've been a busy bee this month sorting out my entire toiletry stash, so I know exactly what I've got and what I need to use up. and what needs to go in the bin. I've moved everything that's been opened and half used into the bathroom and my aim is to use those up before I start on anything new. I really love trying new things but toiletry wise I'm looking forward to rediscovering some old favourites and of using some products up. Speaking of which lets see what beauty items I managed to finish in July.

Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes
Nivea Daily Essentials Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml
Easy Nails Fast & Fruity Acetone Free Nails Polish Remover - Peach Fragrance - 50ml
Balance Me Skin Brightening Exfoliating Body Polish - 220g
Fair Squared Vanilla Shower Gel - 10ml
Make Up Gallery Well Polished Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g
OPI Chip Skip Nail Lacquer Chip Preventor - 15ml
Total - 8 Items 

Although I didn't managed to surpass or equal June's total of 14 items, I still pretty pleased to have finished 8 things. Again I've finished a nice variety of products including some body care and some skin care items, and I also managed to finish a few things that have been lingering on for a while.

1. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes

Nuff said really, hot, and sticky weather, and lots of swatches to clean means another packet of these bit the dust

2. Nivea Daily Essentials Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

It always seems that I'm on the lookout for something beauty wise, and at the moment I'm on the hunt for a good, budge eye make up remover. Gatineau is my brand of choice but it isn't cheap so I'm on the lookout for something a bit cheaper. Recently my local Superdrug had an offer on their Nivea skincare so I picked this eye make up remover and the Nivea Daily Essentials Eye Make Up Remover. I've only managed to use this one so far, and I have to be honest and say that I don't love it. Don't get me wrong this stuff removes even the most hard wearing mascara, and long wear eyeshadow but like a lot of removers it makes my eyes sting and water. I'm going to give the other bottle ago but based on this one I'm not expecting a lot and my search for the perfect eye make up remover goes on.

3. Easy Nails Fast & Fruity Acetone Free Nails Polish Remover - Peach Fragrance - 50ml

This was an emergency purchase many moons ago on the way to a blog event. Three of my nails chipped before I even got on the bus and I needed something quick and easy to take my nail polish off. I bought this pot from Bodycare and an emergency purchase was about all it was good for. If I remember rightly it struggled to take the polish off, the quality of the sponge inside was really poor and it the tub leaked everywhere. I've been using it to remove clear  nail strengthener which was about all it was good for thankfully now though it's dried out and I can bin it. The only plus point was the peach scent - needless to say I won't repurchase!


4. Balance Me Skin Brightening Exfoliating Body Polish - 220g

This was a My Pure review product from way back in 2014 and I loved it. I love a good body scrub and that's exactly what this one is. I love salt and sugar based scrubs and this one is salt based, it was nice and gritty with a moisturising oil and shea butter base, this scrub had a refreshing and revitalising spearmint based scent. It left my skin feeling silky smooth and alive. Fabulous stuff - you can read a full review here. I don't think My Pure sell this in this format now but they have do have do sell a product in a tube that sounds almost identical x


5. Fair Squared Vanilla Shower Gel - 10ml

This was a subtly scented, moisturising shower gel that  was kindly sent and I recently reviewed in one of my Sample Saturday posts x You can read my full review here x

6. Make Up Gallery Well Polished Cuticle Oil - 10ml

This is the second bottle of this Poundland oil that I've finished lately and it probably shows my current obsession with cuticle oil. It makes such a difference to the state of your nails and at the moment I'm applying it numerous times a day. My favourite oil of all time is OPI Avoplex but it's pricey, this was a pretty decent accompaniment to my OPI but my new love is Primark's PS Cuticle Oil. It's the same price as this one and I prefer it so I'll only be buying this one again in an emergency

7. Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g

What can say about this cult product from Lush that hasn't already been said! Snow Fairy is one of Lush's most popular products of all time. This pink sugary, sweet shower gel, which is packed full of fine glitter is a Christmas limited edition, So come December time me and my fellow Snow Fairy lovers try to stock on as much as we can for the year ahead. I've used it quite sparingly so far this year so I still have another small, and a medium size bottle to use up but come December, I'll definitely be buying more x

8. OPI Chip Skip Nail Lacquer Chip Preventor - 15ml

Ah Chip Skip, one of OPI's most misunderstood products and one of my personal favourites. I have heard so many people referring to this as base coat and then saying it's rubbish! Well that's because it isn't a base coat. If you can't get nail polish or strengtheners to stay on your nails then you need this. Chip Skip is a clear watery liquid that you paint onto your bare nails, it soaks into your nails, and then you apply your base coat and polish on top. What Chip Skip does is remove any of the grease and oils from your nail surface that can lead to your polish peeling and chipping. A lot of people recommend wiping your nails with either alcohol or nail polish remover instead but this product is much easier and less messy to use. I think it's makes a real difference and it's something that I will continue to use. A little goes a very long way and because it isn't a polish, it doesn't go thick or gloopy so you can use it till the very bottom of the bottle.

I'm pretty excited now I've completed my toiletry sort out, to get going, and to get some products used up. I've rediscovered a couple of half finished shower products that I'm going to start with and hopefully I'll manage to work my way through a few more products in August.

I know I mentioned Product 10 Pan in my last empties post, and although I'm not quite ready to start it, it is definitely going to happen next month. I've got a lot of beauty haul posts to go up and then hopefully I'll be able to start Project 10 Pan in September and get some of my make up used up. If you've posted an empties post on either your blog or on your You Tube channel then link me up so I can have a nose x