Trimming My Stash - November 2018 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Have you ever felt as though there just aren't enough hours in the day? I'm feeling that way at the moment, and it's so easy to see why people get so frazzled at this time of year, there just seems to so much to do at times and the to do list never seems to get any shorter! The annual decorating and tidying frenzy is well and truly under way, there are gifts still to wrap, cards still to deliver and there is shopping still to be done. For a spoonie that's hard enough to deal with but throw in an attack of the sniffles, a coughy, snotty and snuffly Mummy Lou, and all the everyday tasks that still need to be done, then it's no surprise that I don't whether I'm coming or going at the minute. It's hard for everyone at this time of year, so I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, I'm going to do what needs doing and I'm going to try not to stress about the little things, and above all I'm going to try and focus on what's important.

Having said that, although this post is up a lot later than I would have liked, this and my previous post probably marks the start of what hopefully be my busiest spell on the blog of 2018. I have lots of posts planned, they are nearly all photographed, and I'm really excited to start getting some content up, eventually! I've also got a festive giveaway planned so providing the creeks don't rise, stay tuned for some long awaited blog posts x First of all though it's time to take a step back to last month and have a look at November's beauty empties.

I was so proud of myself with October's total of 10 items, but alas I couldn't continue that success in November. I tried hard I really did but for some reason it just didn't happen and I only managed to finish a measly 3 items :( Not the best month I'm sure you'll agree but every little helps as the famous supermarket saying goes and it does, I now have 3 less items in my bulging cupboards and drawers, and I've created a tiny bit of space for potential beauty gifts (fingers crossed ;) Although there aren't many of them, the items that I managed to finish are pretty interesting and weirdly I loved them all and as you'll see, I will definitely be repurchasing two of them x 

Baija Paris Green Tea Jasmine Body Oil - 30ml
Oh K! Fruit Enriched Peeling Foot Mask - 2 x Skin Softening Socks - 2 x 20ml Sachets Stimulating Foot Essence
Simple Kind To Skin Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

Total - 3 Items

1. Baija Paris Green Tea Jasmine Body Oil - 30ml

We'll start off with an item that I probably won't be repurchasing but I would if I could. Like so many unusual and less well known brands this product came in beauty box, I think it was either a My Little Box or a Birchbox. This isn't very well known brand but in my experience it should be, it's a French based predominantly body care brand, that seems to be famous for it's beautiful, natural aromas.

This was a beautiful, fine textured, easily absorbed body oil. You could use it as an all over body moisturiser but I tended to use it on my tiger stripes to add a bit of excess moisture and a bit of TLC! Okay, I admit it I have stretch marks, who doesn't? I'm not the biggest fan of them but thanks to growth, and periods of weight loss and weight gain, I have them and once you have them there isn't too much that you can do about them bar embrace them, and give them a little bit of moisture love. Although it doesn't get rid of them completely, moisturising can make them less visible and it can definitely prevent new ones from forming. Whilst this wasn't a miracle worker it did leave my skin feeling smooth and silky, and smelling amazing.

This oil had an amazing scent - a fabulous fresh, fruity floral green tea scent, mixed with just a hint of jasmine. It actually smelled very similar to Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, a scent that some people find a little bit old fashion but personally it's a one that I love and that I used to wear regularly. I would definitely consider repurchasing both this product and some of the other products that I've tried from Baija Paris but the range is incredibly difficult to get hold of in the UK, you can occasionally find the odd thing in TK Maxx, but other than that you're pretty much relying on resellers which is a shame, if you see it though the entire range is well worth trying x

2. Oh K! Fruit Enriched Peeling Foot Mask - 2 x Skin Softening Socks - 2 x 20ml Sachets Stimulating Foot Essence

Foot peels and peeling socks are probably one of the grossest beauty products on the market but personally I love them! There is something completely gross yet somewhat fascinating and even enjoyable about watching all of that dry skin fall off your feet! I don't even like feet that much but these things are just so satisfying - Does that make me a bit weird lol I don't know?

I've tried a lot of different types of peeling socks over the years but these ones are a little bit different to all of the other brands that I've tried so far. The box contains a pair of paper / fabric socks with a plastic lining. The socks are pretty decent quality they don't feel flimsy or thin and they have a tie which helps secure them onto your feet. The tie is a much better idea than the sticky tabs that these socks normally have, they felt really safe on my feet, they didn't feel as though they were going to slip off, and I didn't feel that I needed to put a pair of socks on over the top to hold them in place. 

Sounds pretty standard so far doesn't it but what is unusual is that the socks are completely dry, so the box also contains two sachets of stimulating foot essence (1 for each foot), which contains lactic, salicylic and glycolic acids and a variety of fruit acids including lemon, lime, orange, apple, grape and wild cherry, which you then pour into your socks.

All you do is wash and dry your feet, and then put the liquid filled socks on to your feet, secure them with the ties and then you just sit and relax for between an hour and an hour and a half, to let the liquid do it's thing before rinsing off your feet in plain, warm water.

There was no real scent to the liquid just a slight astringency, almost alcohol scent, The two phase system meant that the socks were really wet, and the liquid really did completely cover the feet. I'm not going to lie, after about 10 minutes I started to feel a tingling sensation, it wasn't unpleasant but it was noticeable, and you definitely felt as though it was doing something. 

The worst thing with this type of product is the waiting, over the next week or so your feet steadily get drier and drier, and no matter how much you want to, you can't moisturise them! I used these socks around 2 weeks ago now and it's safe to say that my feet do not look pretty! The skin is drying and peeling off on the soles, and balls of my feet and even between my toes . Soaking your feet makes a big difference and it can really help speed the process up, so for best result either shower with your feet in a washing up bowl (that's what I've been doing!), have a bath, or treat yourself to a foot spa, to really loosen off that dead skin!

Based on the initial feeling and the results so far these are probably the strongest type of these socks that I've tried, yes my feet look pretty horrid at the moment, but in a week or so they'll be smooth, baby soft and party ready x If your feet have seen better days and the thought of showing them to anyone fills you full of horror then these could be something to try, just make sure you give them long enough to work before that big event, as with these things it definitely gets worse before it gets better x Based on my current results I will definitely be repurchasing these socks again x They retail at around £8.50 from various retailers including FEELUNIQUE, ASOS and the Oh K Life website x 


3. Simple Kind To Skin Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

As you know my quest for a new eye make up remover has been a long one - there have been lots of fails, and lots of nearly's, but at long last I think I may have found the one. Simple are specialists in skincare for sensitive skin, so why on earth did I wait so long before giving this one a go? I'm obviously not quite with it at times! 

Like all Simple products this eye make up remover is free from colours or dyes, artificial perfumes, or chemicals, it's also oil free, non comedogenic, hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested and approved, and opthamologically tested. Containing Pro Vitamin B5, it is designed to gently and effectively remove all eye make up including waterproof mascara, and it's also suitable for contact lens wearers.

As you would expect it is clear in colour and it has an almost water like appearance and texture, and no real scent. Given the slightly unassuming appearance I was really surprised at how well this worked. It removed everything that I threw at it with very little effort, long wear mascara took a little bit longer but it still removed easily without scrubbing or rubbing, and most importantly my eyes didn't feel dry or sore, and there was no watering or stinging!

I don't know if my quest is over, and I'll definitely keep trying new things, but with this product I've definitely found something that I like and that I'll continue to repurchase. In fact I've already bought another couple of bottles, the RRP for this is around £3.79 but in Superdrug in particular, it's normally on special offer so it's well worth stocking up if you like it as much as I do.

So only 3 items, but as hopefully you can see they were three very interesting items, 2 of which have subsequently become firm favourites. We're now well into December and so far I've only managed to finish one item so fingers crossed I can up my game and finish the month and the year on a high x Don't forget to let me know if you're doing something similar to Trimming My Stash and of course please let me know if you have any questions on any of the items in this post x 

Trimming My Stash - August 2018 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

So should I apologise again for the lateness of a blog post or should I just get on with it? You decide! Well you don't I do and I'm going to offer a fleeting but non specific apology - things happen, life gets in the way and all that jazz. I've had another pretty up and down few weeks but I'm still here, I'm still shopping and I'm still desperately trying to finish a few beauty products along the way.

Courreges La Fille De' L Air Eau De Parfum - 8.5ml
Scrub Love Hydrating Coconut Oil Body Scrub - Coconut Cranberry - 100g
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml
My Little Beauty Coco Sunrise Hair And Body Oil - 75ml
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml
Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin & Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g

Total - 6 Items 

August was a much better month than July, I managed to finish 6 items, including a few long time favourites and a few beauty box items, although I didn't manage to add any make up items to my August I did manage to finish a fragrance, and some skin and body care products, all in all not a bad month empties wise!

1. Courreges La Fille De' L Air Eau De Parfum - 8.5ml

If you follow any of my other social media channels or if you're a regular watcher of my You Tube unboxing videos, then you'll know that I love fragrance but like most people I'm not always a fan of random perfumes in beauty boxes. Scent is such a personal thing that it can be really hard to give a 100 or so people the same fragrance and for them all to love it, but it really can give you the chance to try something new, and every now and then, you hit the jackpot. When I received this in a My Little Box, well over a year ago now I was hesitant but it really was love at first sniff! 

This fragrance from iconic French designer brand Courreges is the perfect scent for summer. It's a perfect combination of citrus and floral, and contains bergamot, neroli, orange blossom, musk, ozone scents and rubber! Yeah ignore the concept of the rubber that's just weird, instead embrace the white flowers and the orange blossom and you'll be transported to the Mediterranean before you know it, quite literally as it turns it, the name actually translates to The Girl In The Air, and for a while when it was first released in 2015, it was an Air France exclusive. Thankfully now it's readily available worldwide, well apart from in the UK that is! For some reason Courreges don't officially retail their scents in the UK so this is definitely something to try if your heading to sunnier or not so sunnier climes in the near future. If you're like me though and you have no exotic jaunts planned than you could always try reseller sites such as ebay and Amazon, I've had a look today and this fragrance is still available from both UK and European sellers. Thankfully I have a couple of bottles to keep me going, when I first talked about this scent, and about how much that I loved it, the lovely team at My Little Box, very kindly sent me another purse spray free of charge, and this year my lovely mummy managed to get her hands on a full size bottle that she gave me for my birthday. I love a lot of different fragrances but this is definitely now one of my go to's. 

2. Scrub Love Hydrating Coconut Oil Body Scrub - Coconut Cranberry - 100g

Ah the last of my Scrub Love sachets, and Mummy Lou breathes, well a sigh of relief. Don't get me wrong I do like these an awful lot it's just that they are so messy! This one though was way, way better than the Charcoal one that I talked about last month (read my post here if you haven't already). The texture and the scent was way better and this one was a little bit more like some of the other Scrub Love products that I'd tried. With a fruit, slight coconut scent, this one was much squidgier, and a result much, much easier to apply and use. Containing ground coconut shells and flakes, as well as coconut oil, vitamin E, and cranberry seed oil, this one had a decent scrubby texture, and whilst it wasn't any wear near or scratchy as the charcoal variant it still did the job, and thanks all of the natural oils (which also helped hold it together) it felt slightly oily on the the skin. It rinsed off fairly easily in the shower, and the skin was left feeling both smooth and hydrated. Like all of the other scrubs that I've tried from this brand it did leave a bit of gunk in the bottom of the shower, so whilst this product maybe isn't for my mam or clean freaks, if you're looking for a natural scrub with no nasties or micro beads, and that's full biodegradable then this range could be something worth trying. I personally would be happy to use some of these again but I don't wish to incur the wraith of Mummy Lou so all I can do is hope that they pop up in another subscription box sometime soon.

3. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml

Now if you've spent as long online as I have then you might have already seen a lot of buzz and hype about this purse friendly skincare product range from Superdrug, with many people hailing as a fabulous budget alternative to products such as Alpha H Liquid Gold, PIXI Glow Tonic, and NIP + FAB's Glycolic range.

Containing kiwi and mulberry extracts, AHA's and Glycolic Acid, this product is designed to even out the complexion, refine pores, smooth out fine lines, fade pigmentation, clear dead skin, and add radiance to the compexion.

Simply use it as you would any other toner, apply it to a cotton pad and then wipe it over the skin. You can use this toner both morning and night, but I prefer to use it at night, and to let it do it's thing whilst I sleep. Immediately after application it starts to feel as though it's doing something, and my skin starts to feel slightly warm and tingly. I've been using this for over a month now, alongside another product from the same range, and my skin definitely feels smoother, and looks brighter and clearer, I also noticed that those annoying hormonal breakouts on my chin cleared up more quickly whilst I was using this product.

This stuff is good, and it's definitely something that I intend to buy again, the only bad thing for me (other than remembering to wear SPF - I know, I know - slaps wrists), is the smell. It has a very green, woody, herbal scent that reminds me a bit of aftershave! Never mind I guess I can live the scent of a hunky man purely for the results that I've had from this little bottle of magic. It normally retails at £5.99 for 100ml bottle but Superdrug nearly always has some sort of offer on this range, the current offer is buy one get one free so it's well worth trying.

4. My Little Beauty Coco Sunrise Hair And Body Oil - 75ml

Another product from the now defunct My Little Box UK, and it one of the products from their own line that was sadly never available to buy separately in the UK. 

Thanks to too much Malibu once upon a time I have a love / hate relationship with coconut. I really can appreciate the yumminess of the scent but sometimes it can be a little bit too much for me. I can usually deal with a little bit though and this product was both within my limits and perfect for the summer months.

This was basically a multi purpose oil both containing and smelling of coconut. I do love an oil and I mainly used this oil in two ways, on my hair as both a pre-wash treatment, and a styling product to tone down the frizz and add shine, and as a body oil to add extra nourishment to drier areas and to help treat some stretchmarks. It was a nice easy to apply oil, that absorbed pretty quickly and it made an instant difference hydration wise to both the skin and the hair. 

5. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml

I love, love, love this stuff, it's one of my most used and repurchased body scrubs and it's something that I will continue to use and repurchase. As the name would suggest it's a gritty brown sugar based scrub, with just a touch of sea salt and macadamia grains, with add sweet lime oil, to give it its zesty citrus scent, and added almond oil, and glycerin for hydration.

Sugar and salt scrubs are without a doubt my favourite kind, apply a small amount (a little goes a long way)  to damp skin and you get a decent friction scrub with none of the mess. The oil content also gives the skin a nice moisture boost, and the scent is a real mood booster, honestly what's not to love.

6. Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin & Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g

Now Bomb Cosmetics definitely don't get as much publicity as Lush does but there products are equally fun and quirky - no they don't just make bath bombs, they also make everything from candles, to soaps, to hair masks and shower butters!

Shower butters I hear you cry, what is a shower butter? well shower butters are probably my favourite product from Bomb Cosmetics, Think tubs of squidgy butter, that foams up equally well in the bath or the shower. Simply scoop a small amount and pop it under running water or onto a shower scrunchie and it lathers up like a dream.

Crammed full of nourishing shea butter, this mandarin orange scented citrus fabulousness has been a mainstay in my bathroom for a few years now. It's such an economical product you only needs a tiny little bit so you £7.99 investment goes a long way. They are also super easy to use, they feel gentle on the skin and this one in particular smells amazing.

The name and the packaging seems to have changed now to just Mandarin Shower Butter but I'm hoping that the product inside is still the same. Since I don't have easy access to a bath tub now I'm always on the lookout for fun and different shower products and these fit the bill perfectly. I'll definitely be picking up another tub in the near future, and I'm also fancying trying one of the scents maybe Blackcurrant hmm decisions, decisions!

So they were my August empties, I've already finished a few bits already in September so fingers crossed that I'll do even better this month x Let me know if you have any questions on any of the items that I finished and I'll do my best to get back to you x 

A Life Update And Trimming My Stash - August 2017 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

After a pretty manic few weeks I've finally managed to grab a few minutes to sit down and blog. I wish I could say that I'd been away sunning myself but the reality is a little bit more boring than that, so I'm not going to bore you with too much of a life update. 

This week on the whole, has been a fun one though, I've combined a huge shopping trip, with lots of friend and family time, culminating in celebrating my mums birthday yesterday and a family meal tomorrow night. I'm not going to lie I'm exhausted and lacking spoons but when you've done or you're going to do, something that you enjoy it makes the drained feeling a little easier to stomach.

I know it's a bit of cliche but this year is really flying by, I can hardly believe that the first week of September is now done and dusted, despite my lingering hopes of an Indian summer, Autumn is definitely on it's way. I've drank my first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year, the Halloween and Christmas bits are starting to appear in stores and the leaves are beginning to fall from the trees. I'm still trying to cling on to the last remnants of summer but I need to stop kidding myself, August is long gone.

Sanctuary Body Scrub - 50ml
Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipeout Mask x 1
Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt - 35ml
Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath And Shower Cream - 200ml
Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Nourishing Conditioner - 250ml
Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Moisturising Shampoo - 250ml
My Little Beauty Body Scrub - Sandy Shore - 210g

Total - 7 Items

Before we forget August completely though, it's time to take an all be it, late look back, at all of the beauty products that I finished last month. Although I'm nowhere near July's total, 7 items is still more than acceptable. There wasn't a lot of skincare again but I did finish a few pairs of products, that pleased my slim OCD side immensely.

1. Sanctuary Body Scrub - 50ml

This is a product that I've talked about on a few occasions. The Sanctuary range is one of the mainstays of Boots bath and body care brands, and it's a popular one when it comes to Christmas gift sets. I haven't bought a Sanctuary product in it's own right for a number of years now, but I do occasionally receive their products as gifts. This was a mini, travel sized body scrub that I probably got in a gift set. The smell of the Sanctuary products is intoxicating, an exotic mix of essential oil that creates a warm, slightly citrus scent. This is a gel based scrub that is full of fine, pumice based particles. It foams up nicely but it's just not scratchy enough for me. I would use it again if I got it but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it myself.

2. Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipeout Mask x 1

Next up a product from one of my favourite brands Benefit, and quite surprisingly it's a skincare product. I haven't tried a lot of skincare products from Benefit but I know for a fact that they have their devotees. In it's simplest terms these are a cross between a pore strip and a sheet mask. You pop the button and it soaks the mask with a pore refining solution. You then pop the mask on either your nose, your forehead or your chin and leave it for 10 minutes, before massaging the rest of the liquid over your face with the rough side of the strip. I know pores don't open and close like doors but this menthol scented, slightly tingly feeling strip definitely left my skin feeling a little bit smoother and tighter. I think these are on the verge of been discontinued by Benefit so if you want to try these get a move on! You get 8 masks in a pack and whilst they aren't a miracle product they do seem to improve the texture of your skin at least in the short term.

3. Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt - 35ml
4. Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath And Shower Cream - 200ml

Products 3 and 4 are both from Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture range. I'm a huge, huge fan of this range, if you want a luxurious bath and body range then this is definitely a one to try. With the beautiful exotic fragrance of tropical white flowers, infused with coconut oil, these products are perfect for pamper time, and they are even used in one of Elemis' post wedding treatments. The shower cream is rich, thick and moisturising, and it produces a rich, creamy foam that leaves you skin beautifully scented and feeling like silk.

The Exotic Frangipani Moisture Melt is a beautiful and unusual multi use product, solid at room temperature, pop the bottle into a bath or a bowl of warm water and it melts down to a beautiful, moisturising fragranced oil, that you can use on your body, your nails, your hair or even as a bath oil.

Both of these products are pretty expensive (the shower cream retails at around £26)  but if you want some luxury body treats and you love heady, white flower scents then you need the Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi range in your life.

5.Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Nourishing Conditioner - 250ml*

6.Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Moisturising Shampoo - 250ml*

Another coordinating pair of products and these were a budget shampoo and condition that I was recently sent to review. You can read my full review here x but for just £1 a tube I was pretty impressed with both the shampoo and the conditioner which in my experience proved that you don't need to spend a fortune on hair care basics if you don't want to or your if your budget doesn't stretch to it.

7. My Little Beauty Body Scrub - Sandy Shore - 210g

Finally a product from one of most recent My Little Boxes (check out my unboxing videos on You Tube) and it's another body scrub. This is from the My Little Box exclusive My Little Beauty brand, which unfortunately isn't available to repurchase in the UK. This was everything that I love in a body scrub and a little bit more besides. From the name you can probably already guess that this is a salt scrub, nice gritty grains, suspended in a moisturising oil. You could apply it to wet skin or if you wanted a real intense, almost painful scrub then you can use it on dry skin. It was nice and scrubby and it smelt beautiful - a combination of baby powder, and white flowers. I loved this and I'm gutted that I can't get any more x 

So it was a little bit late but they were my August empties, if you have any questions then leave me a comment and let me know x I've got a busy weekend ahead but I will hopefully be back on Sunday with a yummy recipe that I made for my mam's birthday and then next week with a haul, a review or two and a couple of videos xx

*Press Samples

Life Lately, Photobucket And Trimming My Stash - July 2017 Edition

Well I'm back with yet another apology - July was another month that just never seemed to get going for me and as a result my blog took another hit and sporadic and patchy posting resumed. It's not that I haven't been working on the blog I really have - I've taken a ton of photos, I've done a lot of research and product testing but I just haven't managed to get the words on the screen, again!

As well as being in the middle of a huge CFS, Fibromyalgia flare, a lot of things have tried both my patience and my energy over the last month. First of all we've had the decorators in, which always creates havoc, stress and disorder and secondly I've had to deal with total stupidity of Photobucket!

For those of you that aren't in the know, Photobucket is a photo hosting site, you can upload your pictures, store them safely, and then share them online, or you can print them off or create all sorts of personalised items. Sounds good doesn't it? Well it used to be ! - when I first started blogging over 10 years ago now, using a third party hosting site like Photobucket was one of the only ways to add photographs into your posts, so that's what I used to use. Nowadays it isn't something that I use that regularly but it's still there hosting a lot of the pictures from the first few years or so of my blog. Fast forward to last month and Photobucket decided that if you want to continue using their service to use your pictures on other websites then you need to pay nearly $300!!! Needless to say that ain't happening so I'm currently having to weed through all of my blog posts (numbering nearly 2000 now) and either edit or delete all of the posts which included images from Photobucket! I know a lot of bloggers who have routinely deleted a lot of their early posts but I'm not one of them, every post has made me the blogger that I am today, but thanks to Photobucket I really don't have an option anymore. I'm basically having to delete all of the posts with pictures that I can't replicate, and I'm going to have to re shoot and redo a lot of my original nails of the day posts, and a lot of my early recipe posts. It's so frustrating and it's something that I really could have done without. Like so many things it will be an ongoing process so I'm going to apologise in advance for the dead links, page not founds, and lack of photos that you'll no doubt find littered throughout my blog. Anyways before I combust with rage and frustration lets get back on point and take one final look back at July 2017, and take a look at my July beauty empties!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 75ml
Kueshi Anti Cellulite Booster Anti Cellulite Lotion - 150ml
Jack Wills Hope Cove Ladies Luxury Body Scrub - 200ml
Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash - 204g
Hei Poa Pur Monoi Tahiti Tiare - 100ml
Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Body Wash - 200ml
Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil - 100ml
Purederm Botanical Choice Exfoliating Foot Mask - 1 Pair
Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml
Percy & Reed Hair Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Overnight Recovery - 30ml
Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Body Lotion - 295ml
Lush The Comforter Shower Cream - 250g

Total - 12 Items 

At last something to be happy about, July proved to be my most successful month of 2017 so far. I managed to finish 12 items, including quite a few bits that I'd forgotten about and rediscovered. No make up again, and for a change no skincare, but I still managed to finish a nice mix of body, and hair products

1. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 75ml

I haven't done a favourites or a products I'm loving right now video, on my You Tube channel for ages now, I definitely need to remedy that and one product that I will definitely be featuring will be Philip Kingsley's famous Elasticizer. Originally invented for the goddess that is Audrey Hepburn, this stuff really is a miracle worker. Apply it to damp hair before you shampoo, leave for at least 20 minutes, and then shampoo out, and your hair will be transformed! My hair is rubbish, and it has been for several years now, it goes through phases (thanks to certain products) where it's passable and then it starts falling out and generally looking like crap again. I've used this product sporadically for a few years now but over the last few months I've been using it a couple of times a week and I really can see a difference. I'm still losing hair but my hair definitely feels stronger, and more resilient, and it looks shinier and healthier. This is the original fragrance free version but you can now get various fragranced versions, including my favourite, the Geranium and Neroli and the new Coconut Breeze scent which is perfect for holidays.

2. Kueshi Anti Cellulite Booster Anti Cellulite Lotion - 150ml

This was a product that came in a Glossybox many, many moons ago and it's something that I've been using for the last few months now. Like most people  I'm pretty sceptical when it comes to cellulite products, I don't see how rubbing a bit of cream on your bum and thighs is going to magic all of those lumps, bumps and dimples away, but I'll still keep products every now and then in the vague hope that they will make a difference. This was just a white, cream, it didn't have much of a scent and apart from adding a bit of moisture to my wobbly bits, I didn't feel as though it was doing anything, and I certainly couldn't see any difference in my thighs.

3. Jack Wills Hope Cove Ladies Luxury Body Scrub - 200ml

Me bad - I recently discovered a whole Jack Wills gift set in my wardrobe that I'd completely forgotten about! I love the Hope Cove scent and unusually for body scrubs that come in a tube, this one was actually pretty decent. You know my usual gripe with body scrubs is that they aren't scrubby enough, well despite being in a cream / gel base this one was actually nice and scrubby and it's one that I would happily use again. This particular scrub came in one of the Boots Star Gift Christmas kits, but if you don't want to wait till Christmas, there are still a couple of Jack Wills bits of the Boots website and there are also a few beauty bits on the Jack Wills website x 

4. Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash - 204g

This is the first of two, coordinating Weleda products in the this list, and I'm slightly embarrassed to say that both of them were well past their use buy date. They still smelled okay though and the texture hadn't changed so I thought I better use them up. This vegan shower gel, had a lovely creamy texture and a fruity yet powdery scent. Full of natural, good for you ingredients, a little went a long way and produced a lovely creamy lather which didn't feel drying on the skin. If you're looking for a nice shower product from one of the worlds most established and best known natural brands then this could be something worth trying. If you don't fancy the idea of the Pomegranate scent, Weleda offer several other scents including Wild Rose, Lavender, and Arnica, and you also use them in the bath x

5. Hei Poa Pur Monoi Tahiti Tiare - 100ml*

From one rediscovery to another, and this was a product that I actually reviewed on the Zuneta website. Zuneta were one of the first online stores that really understood the power of the blogger, and several of us were actually featured on their website reviewing products that they'd sent us. It was fun to do, it got us noticed and we got to try lots of new products, those were the good old days and unfortunately in some cases things change, Zuneta is now part of Love Lula and my original post has gone for good so here's a quick summary of what I thought. This is basically a solid coconut oil in a bottle, fragranced with tirare and gardenia, you warm it up in a bowlful or sink full or hot water until it returns to a liquid and then you can use it as a body moisturiser, on the hair as a styling oil, or as an intensive conditioning treatment. It smells fabulous and a little goes a long way. This product isn't that easy to find in the UK so Amazon is probably your best bet, I really liked this but Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt just edges it in to second place, when it comes to solid melting, multipurpose oils.

6. Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Body Wash - 200ml

This isn't the most exciting of products but it's a staple in my bathroom cupboard. Crammed full of natural tea tree essential oil, this gel textured body wash has a refreshing, almost Eucalyptus type scent. Being an antibacterial wash it's perfect for any areas of irritated skin, it's great if you have any body odour issues, and it's a must have if you have pets, for cleaning scratches on them and on yourself! This stuff is brilliant for making you feel really clean, and it's great for using before and after hair removal, and if you heading to somewhere warm and toasty on holiday this summer, then the mosquito's hate it!

7. Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil - 100ml

This Weleda product is a perfect accompaniment to the shower cream that I've just shown you. I think I got this product in a beauty box and as you can see it was well out of date. Thanks to the dark glass bottle, and good storage though, it didn't smell or feel any different. Designed to be used on ageing and slackening skin this oil had a lovely fruity, citrus scent. It was quite a thick oil but it felt nice on the skin and it didn't take too long to absorb. If you like body oils then Weleda is definitely a brand that's worth looking at, they have several other varieties in their range, including lavender for relaxation and Birch for cellulite and skin firming.

8. Purederm Botanical Choice Exfoliating Foot Mask - 1 Pair

Despite liberal applications of foot cream, and body butter, at the beginning of July my feet still looked dry and crusty and they were crying out for even more TLC. After seeing these in a few posts and Instagram pictures I decided to place a little Amazon order, and attack my dry feet head on. I've tried a few of these exfoliating sock treatments now and these ones are by far the best ones that I've used. I used to get them in Primark but the only place that I've seen them recently is Amazon. The idea is simple wash your feet, put the socks on a relax for about an hour, then wash your feet and wait for the magic to happen. It usually takes about a week and then your feet will start shedding like a snake sheds its skin. It's gross yet fascinating at the same time, and at some point you'll definitely feel as though you want to slather your feet in cream but you need to persevere and embrace the crustiness for a little while. Mine have just about finished peeling now and bar a few stubborn bits on my heels my feet are at least 80% better than they were a month ago.

9. Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml

There are a lot of things that I have no patience for when it comes to beauty, hair removal is one of them and so is brush cleaning! I have an awful lot of make up brushes so I'm one of those people that uses a brush once and then puts it to one side to wash. so I usually end up with dozens and dozens of brushes to wash. I know I should probably wash them as I go but I never do and as a result I make my life so much harder. Over the years I've used a variety of things to clean my brushes, including face wash, and baby shampoo, and various specialist brush cleanser but nothing I've used has come close to this. From the TAM Beauty stable, this is from their Freedom line, and it is hands down, the easiest and nicest smelling brush cleanser that I've used. It's basically a solid brush soap, and all you do is swirl a damp brush into it to create some lather, squeeze, repeat and rinse and your brush is clean. It really does work and it also cleans sponges and beauty blenders like a dream. I've got a couple of other brush cleansers to use but this one is now a staple in my beauty regime.

8. Percy & Reed Hair Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Overnight Recovery - 30ml

Another hair product and this time something that was not only completely new to me but something that is also pretty new to the market. This was something that I got in July's Birchbox (see my unboxing video here) and I couldn't resist trying it out straight away. From the hair geniuses at Percy & Reed this is basically an intensive conditioning treatment, that you apply to dry hair just before you go to sleep. You then give it a few minutes to soak in and then you can go to bed without the risk of any residue getting on your pillow. Then in the morning you just shampoo it out and you're left with shiny, bouncier and more manageable hair. I actually really liked this, it left no residue on my pillow, it smelled lovely and I really think that it made a difference to my hair. I'm obviously devoted to my Elasticizer at the moment but I would potentially buy this product again.

9. Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g

Ah Snow Fairy, this is probably one of the cult beauty products of the last 10 years or so and rightfully so. This sweet, sugary shower cream is fun, girly and it is crammed full of sparkles. I love it and so many other people do to. Thankfully I have another couple of bottles to last me till Christmas when hopefully Snow Fairy will be back, making it's annual festive appearance in stores.

10. Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Body Lotion - 295ml

Cry! Well bar half a bottle of hand sanitizer, this is the last Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple product that I own. Yes it's another Christmas item, but as I've said previously this scent for me works all year round. You get a hint of festive spices mixed with apple, and most surprisingly pineapple. A little of this creamy body lotion goes a long way, both smoothing and fragrancing the skin. Again Bath and Body Works is a brand that isn't that easy to get hold of in the UK, but The Bath And Body Shop do have a decent selection of products and they also have a few Winter Candy Apple items x 

11. Lush The Comforter Shower Cream - 250g

Finally I'm saying goodbye to another Lush product, and sadly it's also one that Lush are saying goodbye to as well. When I had my bath tub, the Comforter Bubble Bar was one of my favourite products. I love it fruity blackcurrant, berry scent. Thankfully not long after I lost the bath, Lush introduced The Comforter Shower Cream so I could still get my Ribena esq fix. Personally I find this shower cream a little bit drying on the skin but I love the fragrance and I've really enjoyed staining the shower cubicle purple when I've used it! As I've said this product is on Lush's latest goodbyes list so if you like this product you better get a move on and stock up while you can.

So they were my July empties x If you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and thanks as always for sticking with me x

*Press Sample

Trimming My Stash - May 2017 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

A little late I know but like the year so far, the past week has flown by. We're now half way through the year and you know what that means, we're only 6 months or so from Christmas. Ha Ha I know I'm wishing my life away but I do love Christmas and at the moment life is a little bit tough so I really do need something positive to focus on.  

I do know something already though, I think this is going to be the first Christmas in living memory where I actually discourage my friends and family from buying me beauty products. I've been reevaluating my beauty stash over the last month and there are actually beauty products from several Christmas's ago that I haven't even opened - me bad! I therefore goes without saying then that I need to really up my game when it comes to Trimming My Stash.


Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Shimmering Shower Gel - 355ml
PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
Vitamasques Pomegranate Moisturising + Firming + Lifting Sheet Mask x 1
AVON Skin So Soft Tissue Oil - 150ml

Total - 5 Items

I must say, I'm a little bit disappointed with May's total, despite my best efforts, I only managed to finish 5 items. I honestly thought that I would have done better than that but since I'm trying to use products normally and I'm trying to overuse things, some items are just going on and on and on. Still 5 items are better than none and I did manage to finish two of those seemingly never ending products.

1. Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml

You should know by now that I'm a huge fan of salt and sugar based scrubs, they are my go to, and they are the type of scrubs that I tend repurchase. Thanks to beauty boxes and gift sets though I have had plenty of opportunities to expand my body scrub knowledge, and thanks to the big Boots Christmas Star Gift from Soap & Glory I've had plenty of opportunities to try out one of their signature body scrubs. Sugar Crush is by far my favourite body scrub from Soap & Glory but if you prefer and gentler and less gritty scrub then this one could be one to try. The Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life  has the original Soap & Glory fragrance and retails at around £7. It's a gel based scrub with very fine exfoliating particles, that foams up when you add water. I'll happily use it again, (I already have another one) but I wouldn't go out of my way to repurchase it on it's own because for me it just isn't scrubby enough.

2. Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Shimmering Shower Gel - 355ml

As much as I enjoy finishing products so I can move on to something knew, this is one of those products that I didn't really want to finish, as it's the last bottle that i own. Despite it's popularity on the other side of the pond Bath & Body Works is very, very hard to get hold of in the UK. I only know of one online store that sells is (The Bath And Body Shop) and even then they don't always stock limited editions or holiday items, so I normally rely on eBay or Amazon, or friends and families US holidays for my Bath And Body Works fix. I've used this product on and off for over 10 years now and I absolutely love it. It's obviously from their Christmas / Holiday collections, and it's got the most fabulous fruity fragrance. You obviously get the apple and a few festive spices but you also get a bit hit of pineapple. Pineapple is a really strange ingredient for a festive scent but for me it really, really works. I have half a bottle of hand sanitiser, and a little bit of body lotion left and then the last of my Winter Candy Apple stash will be gone. I really hope that B&BW bring this fragrance back again this year, and if they are reading this some UK  stores or a UK website would be great as well, pretty please!

3. PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes

Yawn, yawn, yawn another packet of these, means lots of more swatch photographs which means that I have lots of make up reviews in the pipeline - You're welcome x 

4. Vitamasques Pomegranate Moisturising + Firming + Lifting Sheet Mask x 1

As much as i love beauty boxes the contents can be a little bit repetitive - If you've been watching my unboxing videos over the last few months or so (check out my You Tube channel I you haven't seen them yet), then you'll have seen quite a few sheet masks and a few in particular from Vitamasques. I actually had two of these so I sent one to one of my giveaway winners, after using it though I kind of wish that I'd kept it. The Pomegranate mask is all about moisturising and firming, and whilst these aren't my main skin concerns, I loved how this mask made my skin feel. Unlike some sheet masks that I've tried this one was very, very wet. It had a slightly fruity fragrance, and it felt really cooling and refreshing on the skin. When I took it off there was quite a bit of dampness and residue left on the skin so I just massaged it in to my skin. I didn't see a huge difference in my skin but it did look a little bit more awake after I removed but it, and it certainly felt plumper and more hydrated. This particular mask retails at around £3.99 and it's available from various retailers including ASOS, Look Fantastic, and HQ Hair. I have a few sheet masks in my collection now and I definitely think they are going to be one of my summer skincare saviours, especially on those warmer days. By the way if you're a bit of a face mask fan, make sure your following my blog, because later this week I'll be reviewing another fruity facial treat x

5. AVON Skin So Soft Tissue Oil - 150ml

Apologies that the labels missing from this bottle, but oiliness and dampness isn't really that conducive to sticky labels! What is it? well it's a body oil designed to help with stretch marks and skin imperfections. What can I say? I'm a woman and thanks to life in general, weight loss and weight gain, I have stretch marks, uneven skin and wobbly bits. When it comes to body care, I must admit that I'm pretty good, and whilst I'm a regular body lotion, body cream and body butter user, I do tend to spend a little bit of extra time on my "problem ares" I'm suckered in by a promise and I always use a firming cream on my stomach, bum, and thighs, and I usually slather my tummy, my hips, thighs, my bum and my boobs in some form of body oil. Whether or not it makes any difference I really can't say but I really don't think that a hit of extra moisturiser will do any harm in the long term, especially when this product contains Vitamin E. I've recently repurchased this product for around £6 and it does seem to have changed slightly, (AVON are probably the worst brand for changing products and reformulating things) but I'm hoping that I still like it. As I say I'm not sure if it's making any real difference to the condition of my lined bits but it feels nice on the skin so I going to keep using it.

So they were May's now famous five products, If you have any questions or comments on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x 

Avon + Peacocks Goodies

I placed a little order with my local Avon rep a couple of weeks ago - my goodies came this afternoon :) The main thing that I ordered was the Skin So Soft Soft and Fresh Replenishing Dry Oil Body Spray

I always take some of this on holiday - it is brilliant for keeping the mosquito's, and flying things away - they don't seem to like the smell hurray:) It's also really moisturising and leaves your skin with a nice sheen.
I also ordered one of the new Color Trend Shimmering Lip and Cheek Balm in the shade Icy Petal - This is a lovely pink colour - I love this type of product they are really easy to use and they are so versatile



In my brochure the Color Trend products were on buy one get one for a pound so I got a Gemstone Liquid Liner in Diamond - a lovely shimmery silver shade


Me and my mum popped up to Matalan this afternoon to have a look at summer clothes but it was so crowded and all the good stuff appeared to be long gone bar if you were a size 8 or 10 which neither me nor my mum are. So we headed home stopping to pick up a new Argos catalogue on the way and to have a tiny look in Peacocks - there was some nice stuff but I just got a couple for pairs of jersey shorts (pics from Peacocks )


I'm not a million percent sure about the colours but they should got with most of the sun tops that I own - any colour pretty much should go with white, and I am picturing the mint ones with white, yellow or black. It's so hard to find jersey shorts in a longer length - I have a few pairs of the short, shorts but I'm not feeling overly body confident at the moment so I wanted a few pairs of longer ones, just in case. My New Look order also came so I'll try and show you some pics of my order tomorrow xx