Trimming My Stash - July 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

I've been writing Trimming My Stash posts for a very long time now, and whilst they've changed a little bit in content and in format, my monthly empties posts have been one of the few constants in LouLouLand. A few years ago now I started integrating mini reviews into the posts and ever since every empties post that I've written has included at least one or two in depth product reviews. Today's post is a little bit different though, in that I've already reviewed most of the products in it!

May Beauty The Incredible Pore Strip - 1 x Pore Strip
Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Skin Wash - 500ml
Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel - 500ml
Moroccanoil Treatment - 15ml
Le Savonnier Marseillais Extra Pure Olive Oil Body Soap With Lavender Essential Oil - 500ml

Total - 5 Items

Now although I only managed to finish 5 items in July it's a distinct improvement on both May and June's total of 4 items, and 3 items respectively which has to be a positive. I'm also pretty happy because I managed to finish a couple of press sample products that became almost permanent fixtures in my bathroom, and just never seemed to end. There is definitely room for improvement but one of my major goals is finish all of those half finished products that I have floating around in my bedroom and in the bathroom, and in this case that's exactly what I've done. As I say I haven't got too many new reviews to share with you, but have a read below, and elsewhere on the blog, and you can find out exactly what I managed to finish in July.

1. May Beauty The Incredible Pore Strip - 1 x Pore Strip

The first product that I finished was one of the May Beauty The Incredible Pore Strips that I received in the July edition of Pink Parcel. You can read my thoughts here but seriously is there anyone that doesn't love a pore strip? They are one of those gross but slightly addictive beauty products, like peel off masks, and foot peels - I love products where you can see an instant result, and you may think that I'm a bit gross but seeing the gunk on the strip is one of life's little pleasures. I've still got another strip to use up but I'm saving it for a special occasion when I need my skin to look perfect. If you're interested in trying Pink Parcel for yourself don't forget to use my referral code PPLT2153.

2. Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Skin Wash - 500ml

Now although I think I've mentioned this product in the past, I don't think I've ever talked about it properly. Myself and Mummy Lou are obsessed with the entire range from Australian Bodycare. Based on, and containing, one of the best varieties of tea tree, Melaleuca Alternifolia, the full range is antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiseptic, it's also gentle, natural and skin friendly.

Although we've tried a lot of products in the range over the years, the products that we just keep coming back to, and that always have a place in our bathroom, are the body lotion and this body / skin wash. Crammed full of antiseptic and antibacterial tea tree, this thick translucent green gel transforms into gentle foaming body wash, it's powerful but it isn't harsh or drying. It's a perfect shower product if you have spotty, sore or irritable skin, or if you're prone to body odour or excess perspiration. It's especially good for this time of year when we're all feeling a little bit hot and bothered. It's also brilliant for shaving and for before and after waxing, and other types of hair removal, and you can even shave with it. You can also use it as a antibacterial and antiseptic hand wash, which is ideal if you're a gardener, or if like me you have pets. It does have quite a strong tea tree scent, which I personally don't mind I just find fresh and clean but if you aren't a fan it doesn't really linger on the skin, We normally buy our Australian Bodycare products from QVC UK, but you call also buy if from various other retailers including Australian Bodycare direct, as well as from Feel Unique, and Fragrance Direct. This 500ml size retails at around £26.99.

3. Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel - 500ml**

Next up one of the projects that seemed to have taken root in my bathroom, a gorgeous shower gel from the Yes To stable. I originally reviewed this for My Pure way back in 2012, and like so many products it just got pushed to the back of the cupboard as I moved on to something else. I know it's as old the hills but when I dug it out again it was just as good as how I remembered. A tiny amount of products produced a mass of moisturising, creamy bubbles, that had the most amazing milky, almost powdery scent. I think that's one of the reasons why it lasted as long as it did this was a huge 500ml bottle and you needed such a small amount that it seemed to go on forever. You can read my original review here but I'm sad to say that this now seems to have been discontinued by Yes To, whose tomato range now seems to focus purely on skin care. I'm actually super sad to see the back of this, and it powdery creaminess will live long in my memory.

4. Moroccanoil Treatment - 15ml

The fourth beauty product that I finished in July was another one that I've recently reviewed and again it was all thanks to a beauty box. Arriving at just the right time, the July edition of Glossybox featured a slightly larger bottle of this argan oil packed hair treatment oil. As I said in the original post it isn't my favourite hair oil but it certainly deserves it's cult reputation - you can read my full review here x 

5. Le Savonnier Marseillais Extra Pure Olive Oil Body Soap With Lavender Essential Oil - 500ml**

Finally another press sample, and another product from My Pure. This isn't quite as old as the Yes To Tomatoes body wash, but it was another one of those products that never seemed to end. I originally reviewed this way back in 2015, and whilst I think it had got a bit thicker with age, it was still as nice as I remembered. Containing olive oil and real lavender essential oil, you could use this as a shower product, but I actually ended up using it as a hand wash. Again you just needed a tiny amount mixed with warm water to produce a lovely creamy, moisturising hand wash. You can read my full review here, and whilst this still appears on the My Pure inventory it's currently out of stock, have a quick search online though and you can still find the range elsewhere.

So another 5 items to add to my 2019 empties total, As I say July was a definite improvement on the previous two months but I know I can do better and even though I'm off to a slow start in August I'm determined to do better this month. You know the drill, if you have any questions please leave me a comment below x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links 

**Press Samples

Trimming My Stash - November 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

I'm a few days late with this one but never the less welcome to December. Despite it's often rubbish weather, its stresses and its strains, December is probably my favourite month of the year - I love Christmas and I love spending time with my family so it really is the perfect month for me especially when I'm feeling a bit mehh and need something to look forwards to.

November was a pretty sucky month in a lot of ways so I had a lot of showers and created as many pampering opportunities for myself  as I could and that's something that's definitely reflected in my November empties.

AVON Senses Wonderland Warm And Welcoming Shower Gel - 250ml

Decelor Creme Exfoliante Exfoliating Body Care - 50ml

Beauticology Sweet Gingerbread Body Wash - 50ml

The Body Shop Vanilla Spice Shower Gel - 250ml

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - 500ml

Aldi Lacura Balancing Day Cream For Oily And Combination Skin - 50ml

St Tropez Tan Optimiser Body Polish - 120ml

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder - 9g

Total - 8 Items

November was pretty much all about body care, and if this empties list is to be believed I must have the cleanest and smoothest skin on planet earth! It wasn't all about scrubs and body washes though, I did manage to finish a skincare product and a make up item so despite being down on last months total I'm still pretty pleased.

1. AVON Senses Wonderland Warm And Welcoming Shower Gel - 250ml

Towards the end of the month I switched my shower products up a bit and I started introducing some of my festive scents. There were a few half finishing products left over from last year and this shower gel from AVON was one of them. This had a lovely fruity, spicy fragrance, that just screamed Christmas, it was full of citrus and apple scents coupled together with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Alas AVON haven't made this product, this time round but I would definitely recommend their Snowman shaped bath soaks if you get the chance to give them a go.

2. Decelor Creme Exfoliante Exfoliating Body Care - 50ml

Even though I'm not exactly flashing my limbs around at the moment, I'm an avid body scrub user all year round. I found this during the bathroom renovation and I have to say I really enjoyed using it. This product is perfect for this time of year, it has a soft and creamy, subtle, almost shea butter scent and it feels fabulous on the skin. It's quite abrasive but the grains as suspended in a lovely, rich and creamy base, that seems to nourish the skin while you scrub. This scrub isn't cheap but it's something I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase and from someone who normally prefers oily, salt scrubs that's high praise indeed.

3. Beauticology Sweet Gingerbread Body Wash - 50ml

Another mini and another festive fragrance - this little body wash  is from Baylis & Harding's diffusion line Beauticology. This thick sparkly gel foams easily, and produces a lovely foam and a lovely subtle, and spicy, foodie gingerbread scent. I actually have another one of these to use up but if you're looking for a quirky, yet affordable beauty gift this Christmas, then I would definitely check out this product and the whole Beauticology line which is available from various retailers including Debenhams, Boots, and independent chemists.

4.The Body Shop Vanilla Spice Shower Gel - 250ml

Ahhh one of my favourite ever festive fragrances from The Body Shop - Vanilla Spice has a warm vanilla scent which is peppered with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, to give it that irresistible, Christmas baking type aroma. They aren't doing this fragrance and any of it's other reincarnations this year though, so I'll just have to stock up on the years fruit based offerings - I already love the apple, and cranberry scents and I can't wait to have a sniff of the new Frosted Plum fragrance. The Body Shop always do Christmas so well and I'm sure this year will be no exception.

5. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - 500ml

This body wash or rather the Sugar Crush fragrance in general has achieve an almost cult following over the years and it's not hard to see why. This super creamy body wash has the fabulous Sugar Crush fragrance - this fruity lime and citrus blend isn't as bright or as zingy as you think and to me it almost has a vanilla like warmth. I love it and I will continue to buy it and I'm hoping that I might find a bottle under my Christmas tree in 22 days time ;)

6. Aldi Lacura Balancing Day Cream For Oily And Combination Skin - 50ml

My favourite moisturiser is Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream - there is not a thing that I don't like about it bar maybe the price tag. It's something that I always ask for, for birthdays and for Christmas because quite simply I can't always justify buying it myself. QVC deals help but sometimes a budget option is the only way and this one in my opinion is one of the best. It's cheap, it smells nice, it has a light texture and it absorbs quickly. I really do like but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be a regular stock item so I always stock up when I see it. Alas this was my last bottle, I do have one of the very, similar shimmery versions in my stash but I'm hoping upon hope that it makes a comeback.

7. St Tropez Tan Optimiser Body Polish - 120ml

This scrub was something that I picked up in Poundland of all places. I think it's discontinued now which probably explains it but I have to be honest and say even at a pound I wasn't overly impressed with it. It wasn't gritty enough, it took a bit of rinsing and I didn't like the smell. It was worth trying but that was about it 

8. MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder - 9g

A little while ago now, face powders that were white in appearance but had a translucent finish were the way to set your make up. When they first came out they were only available in high end lines but thankfully now they're available at all different price points. This one from MAC was one of the first ones that I ever saw. A little goes a long way and despite the fact that it can look a little floury at first, it blends nicely and leaves a nice matte finish. I do like this but at £20.50 I can't justify a repurchase at the moment, so over the next few months or so I'm going to be trying out a more budget, friendly alternative, but in the meantime I have another Back To MAC product so it's free lipstick time :)

As you can see it was a pretty shower product heavy month but it's always nice to finish things that have been hanging around for a while, even if you can't replace them. December is always a busy month but I'm hoping that I can finish the year with a bang, I'm already nearly out of a nail polish remover and a foundation so fingers crossed I can finish a nice mix of products. I hope you found this post useful, let me know if you have any questions and have a fab December x 

Trimming My Stash October 2015 Edition - Empties, Updates And Mini Reviews

A nip and a punch for the first of the month and welcome to November! It's quite a scary thought but there are only about 8 weeks left of 2015 - argh where has this year gone! My life is passing me by Never mind the start of November means that we're one step closer to my favourite holiday - Christmas! 

I'm trying not to get too excited just yet - there is a lot of water under the bridge between now and then, and I'm just trying to focus on the here and now with my imminent oral surgery (sobs) and a few home renovations. It seems as though we've been changing decor and furniture for nearly all of 2015 and it looks as though it's going to continue to the very last moment, so it's going to be a mad dash to get everything tidy and organised ahead of the big day.

I'm trying to focus on a couple of rooms, my bedroom and my office / craft room and just when I think I've made a dent in my beauty stash I find another box of goodies. I'm doing my best to use things up as quickly as possible but sometimes it seems like such a slow process.

Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette -30ml
Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 Green Apple
Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes
Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g
Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml
Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara -001 Black - 7ml
Total - 10 Items

That said in October I did manage to finish 10 beauty products, equalling my best monthly performance of the year. I still have a long way to go to get my stash at an even vaguely manageable level but every little helps, and over the last month I've managed to finish a good variety of products.

1. Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette - 30ml

When Prada first started making perfumes, I have to say I was disappointed. Fragrance is such a personal thing and up until this one, nothing appealed. Prada Candy Florale is the most recent additions to the popular Prada Candy line, and whilst it has some of the caramel, candy sweetness of the original, it has something else that made it more me -both fresh and floral notes. I'm useless at describing fragrance but I'm lead to believe that the notes that are appealing to me are peonies and limoncello :) My sense of smell is a little awry at the minute so this is smelling a little strange to me but this is easily in my top 3 fragrances now. I love it and since I have a 50ml bottle and a roller ball to use up, so happily this fragrance is going to remain in my collection for quite some time to come.

2. Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 - Green Apple

This pocket money friendly lip balm was originally released as a Limited Edition but it's now being integrated into the permanent collection line, all be it though in different packaging. This is a traditional, twist up, stick style lip balm, with an apple, melon, like fruity taste. It's very moisturising, on the lips, and seems to absorb without being too sticky or tacky. This lip balm comes in a few different flavours and it retails at a very budget friendly £1.99.

3. Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml

This was a product that I received in a goodie bag quite a while ago now, at the Newcastle Meet Up At The Mal event (read my post here). The body wash is one of the complimentary products that you will find in your bathroom if your lucky enough to stay in a Malmaison hotel. Sometimes the products that you find in hotel bathrooms aren't up to much but this was decent. A little went a long way and it had a pleasant warming woody, fruity aroma. If you stay in a Malmaison hotel make sure that you take this one home with you x

4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes

You must be sick to death of seeing pictures of these on my blog but I really do buy them and use them up. As I've said about 100 times now I don't tend to use wipes on my face so these are really just for emergency or lazy person use but I do use them to freshen up my hands and for cleaning up swatches. They have a light tea tree aroma and of course they have the antibacterial properties that tea brings. I buy these pretty much every time I'm in Primark, and for the price, they are a really useful item to have have in your beauty stash. These wipes retail at just £1 for 2 packs so they are definitely worth a try.

5. Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml

This was a produce that I was sent for review purposes and you can read my full review here x I really enjoyed using this, I'm a huge lover of shower foams, as they seem to add a bit of indulgence to the pretty basic showering experience. This one had a lovely fresh, slightly floral scent, and it lasted for ages. There are a few different fragrances to try, so your bound to find something that you like.

6. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g

This is something that I'm planning to review in the future for you so I'll try and keep this one brief. This is a melting, balm cleanser, that's packed full of essential oils and good skincare ingredients, add a bit of water to it and it transforms to a creamy milk that dissolves the heaviest make up in an instant, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. I like this but I don't love it, but I have a super size which I'll happily use up, and if it came in a kit I would use it again, It's good but I personally prefer the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm.

7. Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml

This wasn't the hugest bottle of body lotion but it was something that I found in one of my long forgotten and ignored beauty piles. From French brand Decelor this is described as a body milk but that makes me think of something runny and watering, this has more of a thick, lotion consistency. It has a nice gentle, neutral fragrance, and it leaves the skin, silky soft and hydrates. This isn't the cheapest of products but a little goes along way and I would definitely consider a repurchase, if I didn't already own the worlds body lotion mountain.

8. Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml

This product was one of my regular My Pure and it was something I only reviewed a couple of months ago (read my review here). After finishing the bottle the same thing still applies, I'm still not sure about the smell, but it does the job and removes make up, and even eye make up, without drying or stinging. My only issue is the size of the bottle and the price, and that's what puts me off making a repurchase.

9. Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml

Get the violins ready, the tissues and the sad music! It's not often that finishing a product makes me sad but this one has. The original Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover was my holy grail eye make up remover. I bought bottle after bottle of it, it removed my eye make up in a couple of swipes, and it didn't sting. The new reformulated version however did sting my eyes like crazy so I bought it once and never again. I've found a couple of replacements but this original product still holds a special place in this beauty lovers heart x  You can read a full review of this here x

10. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 001 Black - 7ml

Yeah a make up item! I know mascaras are normally the quickest thing that we finish but I normally have about 3 on the go at once so it can take a while. This was a pretty decent, drugstore brand mascara, I personally found it a bit fluid, and it did have a tendency to gloop and to travel but it made the lashes look long and pretty decent. As well as being a lengthening mascara this one also contains lash conditioners, and claims to help the lashes to grow longer, unfortunately I didn't see any real difference in the length of my lashes in the the long term but this was still an okay mascara but I probably wouldn't repurchase.

I'm pretty pleased with this little last, I tried really hard and it definitely paid off. Another 10 items will be a hard target to reach in November but I'm going to do the best that I can to up my yearly total. I'm aiming for a few hair products, maybe a skincare item, some shower products, and maybe a make up product or two but who knows - Make sure your following my blog to see how I get on and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

Skin Blossom Cleanse & Nourish Body Wash - A Review For My Pure*

When you're as big a bath fan as I am, embracing the whole of Autumn and Winter with only a shower for company, is not a comforting prospect. I love a bath and the warmth and comfort that it brings but for the first time this year I'm having to embrace the cold and dark days before Christmas with an all be it very nice, power shower.

Despite that though ,I'm coming around very slowly to the whole idea of showering and whether it's down to a whole change of heart or necessity, I'm starting to love the ease, speed and convenience that a hot shower brings.

At this time of year I normally shake up my bath and shower routine and swap my summer fruit and floral fragrances. for warmer, food and spice aromas. I don't think I'm quite ready yet though, and like my bright nails I want to embrace the idea of summer for just a little bit longer so for one of Octobers My Pure reviews I decided to try a more summery feeling body wash.

I've already tried the lavender scented Skin Blossom Therapeutic Bath Soak and loved it so I thought I'd branch out and try another product from the brand, the Skin Blossom Cleanse & Nourish Body Wash.

Made of 76% organic ingredients, this Soil Association approved product is free from from SLS and SLES, parabens, silicone's and artificial colours, and fragrances. Skin Blossom are a UK company and this product is also suitable for vegans. It contains Aloe Vera, and glycerin to soften and nourish the skin, and orange extract, Palmarosa and rose geranium.

It comes in a pump action bottle, it's clear in colour with just a hint of orange and it has quite a thick gel like texture. As you would expect from the colour and the ingredients this body wash has a beautiful orange, citrus aroma with slight floral and herbal notes. It's refreshing but it's quite gentle and not as zingy or fresh as some citrus fragrances can be.

A little of the product goes a long way, and just a small amount produces a thick, creamy foam that gently cleanses the skin, and rinses away easily. The product felt very soothing, and calming on the skin, and after rinsing the skin didn't feel tight, or dry.  Body washes and shower gels can often be quite stripping but this one definitely gave the skin a moisture boost thanks to the inclusion of the vegetable glycerin and the Aloe Vera. I personally still used a body lotion after using it but if you're in a rush or you have an oilier skin it might not be necessary.

SLS free body washes can be disappointing and produce a watery foam but products with strong foaming agents can often be drying - At times you can't win but with this body wash you can win - Not only is this product free from harsh foaming agents but it produces a lovely creamy foam that leaves the skin cleansed and nourished. This isn't just my opinion though this is Mummy Lou's too, I left this in the shower and she loved it too, on her more mature, drier skin.

We also loved the scent, and although this more gentle herbal tinged citrus is quite a summery fragrance, it's definitely something that you could use all year round for a comforting and refreshing yet calming shower. The Skin Blossom Cleanse and Nourish Body Wash comes in a 300ml bottle and normally retails at £6.95 from My Pure but it's currently on special offer at just £5.91. If you have any questions please let me know x Thanks for reading.

*Sample

Trimming My Stash - August 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a lovely Monday x If you're in England at least, you may have been lucky enough to have a day off work - scarily it's the last Bank Holiday before Christmas and looking out the window today it's certainly looking more like autumn /winter than summer :( As per usual summer in the UK has been a bit of a damp squib - we've had a few nice days but to be honest I think that's going to be our lot.

Never mind, a new month equals a new start and instead of bemoaning the lack of sunshine in my life, I'm going to start dreaming about Pumpkin Spice Lattes and cosy jumpers. First of all though lets have a look back over the past few weeks and have a look at my August empties.

Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage With Dead Sea Salt And Aloe Vera - 250ml

elf Brush Shampoo - 120ml

Rolanjona Tendering Feet Mask Milk And Bamboo Vinegar Peeling - 1 Pair

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml

Palmolive Mediterranean Moments Shower Milk - 250ml

Total - 6 Items 

I only managed to finish 6 items which is 3 down on last month but I'm still pretty pleased. The two shower gels that I finished were rediscoveries thanks to the bathroom renovations and I have few more stash items that are just about done. I'm still missing my bath but the disruption and the tidying have definitely give me a better idea of what I actually I have and what needs to be used up.

1. Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage With Dead Sea Salt And Aloe Vera - 250ml

This is one of those shower products that I mentioned and this was something that I was sent to review quite a while ago now x You can read my full review here x To be honest I've been using this more as a body scrub rather than an all over body wash and I have to say as someone who isn't normally a fan of aquatic, fresh fragrances I did quite like this one. I think this product has been discontinued now but Palmolive have recently introduced a product called Aroma Sensations Feel The Massage which sounds quite similar.

2. elf Brush Shampoo - 120ml

Washing my make up brushes is one of those thing that I put off for as long as possible. Last week I eventually got round to doing it and as a result I finished this product. It did the job and that was about it. I probably would have repurchased if elf had still been in the UK  but now I'm not really sure what I'm go to use. I sometimes use either an antibacterial tea tree wash or a baby shampoo so they are an option but I'd love to know what you use, so if you could leave me a comment and let me know I'd be really grateful x

3. Rolanjona Tendering Feet Mask Milk And Bamboo Vinegar Peeling - 1 Pair

Feet You either love them or you hate them x I have to say though I'm not particularly bothered either way but mine and so dry at the moment that it's driving me batty! Instead of forking out for some of the more expensive foot peeling socks I decided to try some cheap ones from ebay. Unlike the socks that I've used in the past these ones with just made of the sort of thin, papery fabric, with no plastic outer so you needed to wear them with socks. The socks themselves were drenched with a pleasant, coconut smelling liquid, so you just left them on for an hour, then you rinsed your feet. I used them a week past Friday and as yet I haven't seen any noticeable difference to my feet and as yet they haven't started to peel but there is still time so I'll keep you posted via twitter if you're interested x 

4. May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

After months of playing ball and behaving itself, my skin has had a major flare this month. It's mainly around my chin and jawline so it is probably hormonal but I'm not a happy bunny! I was sent some of these masks to review a little while ago (read my review here) and I really liked them so I bought another set. They really deep cleanse the pores, and I'm hoping that they will stop this breakout in it's tracks.

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

As I've told you on many occasions I have an obsession with scrubs and exfoliators, but when it comes to body scrubs I can be a little bit picky. I love a nice salt or sugar scrub that dissolves in the water, and I hate gritty bits that just don't dissolve. Whilst this one does have particles that dissolve, it does also have a few of those grainy bits but since I got rid of the bath, this scrub has come into it's own. The grains wash easily away under the power shower, and they don't get into places where you don't want them ;) Throw in that familiar Soap&Glory smell and this is pretty decent product x

6. Palmolive Mediterranean Moments Shower Milk - 250ml

Another shower gel, another rediscovery, another product from Palmolive and another sample x You can read my review here but this is a lovely product that's perfect for summer or even when you want to evoke memories of balmy summer days. It's a lovely moisturising creamy milk, that smells of apricots and summer fruits. You can still get this one in Boots and it's well worth a sniff x

I'm way down on last years empties target so far so I'm really hoping that I can do a little bit better in September, my focus again will be some of those half finished products and I'm really hoping that I can add at least one make up item to my total x I hope this post was useful and if you have any questions please leave me a comment, and again I'd love to hear your brush cleaner recommendations x

Sweet Showers With Yes To Blueberries And My Pure*

Way, way back when I first started reviewing products from My Pure, one of the first brands that I fell in love with, was Yes To. The brand uses a high percentage of natural ingredients, and the entire range is both paraben and cruelty free.

The Yes To brand is divided into several sub brands depending on the skin or hair, type or concern, and the key active, natural ingredient. I'd already tried products from the Yes To Carrots, Grapefruit, Cumbers, and Tomatoes lines but I hadn't tried anything from one of the newer ranges Yes To Blueberries, so for one of April's My Pure items I decided to take the plunge and pick something out.

I'm going to hold my hands up and say that the Yes To Blueberries facial skincare line probably isn't for me - it's specifically geared towards people with a drier skin, and people who are concerned with lines and ageing. I may be in my mid to late 30's but oiliness is still much more of a problem for me so I decided to try a body product instead.

The Yes To Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash is paraben, SLS and petroleum free and contains a massive 95% natural ingredients. As you would expect from the name the key ingredient is the blueberry. Blueberries are a natural anti-oxidant that can help to support and that can help with skin renewal, add the other key ingredient of this product pure African Shea butter and you have a product that claims to moisturise and soften the skin.

First up the packaging none of your delicate little bottles here, all of the Yes To body washes and hair products, came in huge chunky 500ml bottles, so the bottles are easy to handle and you're getting a lot of product for your money.

I've tried most of the other body washes from Yes To and this one has the most distinctive texture by far. Whilst the majority of the others resemble a clear shower gel, this one has a milky almost, creamy appearance and much thicker texture- this is very much a shower cream as opposed to a gel.

I've read a couple of reviews where people have said that this didn't foam too well but that definitely wasn't my experience. A small amount of product onto a shower puff produced a lovely, creamy soft feel lather and it also passed my bath test - If you have dry skin and you want a creamy, bubble bath without SLS then I would definitely give this ago.

Because of my illness and medication my body skin can be prone to both itchiness and dryness but after using this product I didn't even feel as though I needed to use a body lotion. My arms especially felt smooth and supple and were left delicately scented.

Ah, the smell I haven't mentioned that up to now but it's definitely something that I need to talk about. Buy a blueberry scented product from the chemist or the supermarket and you normally get something with a sickly, sweet, berry aroma. I have to say I'm all for that and I really like it but more often than not, it will be a synthetic, created fragrance that's never even seen a blueberry in it's life.
In reality blueberries just don't really smell like that, they actually don't have a lot of fragrance. This product has a very distinctive scent, it is a bit fruity and maybe a bit citrussy but it's quite herbal and a has an  almost lavender aroma. It's actually really nice but it just wasn't what I was expecting given the name but what your getting is a 95%  natural product with real natural ingredients and scents.

I've thought about it and thought about it and I actually can't say anything negative about this product. Both me and Mummy Lou, who tested it with me loved both the feel and the result, and the all be it unexpected scent. My first love will always be the now discontinued Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel but this is definitely a very close second and a product that I will thoroughly enjoy using over the weeks and months to come. The Yes To Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash retails at £7.99 for a 500ml bottle from My Pure. Thanks for reading and if you would like to read some more of my Yes To reviews then either have a look in the search bar or click on the Beauty Product Directory tab above xx

(*Sample)

Le Savonnier Marseillais Extra Pure Olive Oil Body Soap With Lavender Essential Oil - A Review For My Pure*

One of my favourite fragrances when it comes to bathing and showering is lavender. I think lavender has had a pretty bad press over the years but to be honest I can see why. The majority of lavender scented products on the market have probably never seen a sprig of real lavender in their lives. Synthetic lavender products just aren't that nice and dare I say it they have a reputation of being a little bit old lady like. I think it's a real shame and products like this have probably put a generation of people off anything that smells of lavender.

Not me though, if you buy a good, product that contains real lavender essential oil then you're on to a winner and those traditional stereotypes go flying out of the window. My current beauty quest is to find a fabulous lavender shower gel or body wash so for one of January's My Pure reviews I went for the Le Savonnier Marseillais Extra Pure Olive Oil Body Soap With Lavender Essential Oil.

Based in the famous soap making area of France, Marseille, Le Savonnier Marseillais are a family based company that specialise in traditional soap making methods and produce a variety of natural olive oil based soap bars and a range of olive oil based liquid body soaps.

All of their liquid body soaps, are made of  100% natural ingredients and are fully biodegradable. They contain no added colours, animal ingredients, solvents or synthetic fragrance, just pure natural ingredients and pure essential oils.

First up the packaging, this body soap comes in a huge 500ml, pump action bottle. Yes it's plastic but the French writing and the lettering style does give it a bit more of a sophisticated edge. Pump action bottles are really easy to use especially if you have any dexterity issues, just push down the plunger and apply.

The soap itself is quite a viscous, light amber gel, a little goes a long way so you don't need a lot. The smell hits you almost as soon as the first drops of the soap start to appear. It's a fresh, revitalising zingy lavender, and about as far away from the traditional, powdery, air freshener lavender as you can get.

Adding water only appears to intensify the smell, a small amount of product on a shower scrunchie, or in your hand produces, a mass of small creamy bubbles, that when rinsed off leave the skin feeling squeaky clean, smooth and gently fragranced.

Although this product failed my bath test, and didn't produce enough bubbles to justify it's use as a bath product, you could also use it as a luxury hand wash. I've actually used it as a hand soap a couple of times and I definitely think that you can use this product both ways, on the body and on the hands.

This product was a winner for me, and a winner for another lavender fan, Mummy Lou. The bottle is huge and a small amount goes a long way, whether you're using it just on your hands or on your whole body. The lavender fragrance is intense but not overpowering and the product leaves the skin feeling clean and soft. Le Savonnier Marseillais Extra Pure Olive Oil Body Soap - Lavender Essential Oil - 500ml normally retails at £12.50 from My Pure but it's currently on special at just £11.25. Are you a lavender fan or is it still just too old fashioned for you? Leave me a comment and let me know x

*Press Sample
*As Of August 2019 This Product Is Still Available From My Pure But It Seems To Be Out Of Stock But It Is Still Available Elsewhere

Sales Haul - Part 2 - Boots - Jack Wills And Illamasqua

As per usual the Boots Christmas sale started on Christmas Eve. I looked and then I clicked the X and closed the page. Why? well everything I wanted had either already gone or it was still too expensive for mean old me. Fast forward though to this week and the 70% off final clearance started. Again I missed out on a few bits but I did manage to pick up two things.

The Jack Wills Weekend Essentials kit was something that I'd had my eye on for a while, unfortunately though the £65 price tag put me off. Like a lot of people I assumed that it would be a Star Gift, but despite having a small reduction on Black Friday it didn't actually become a Star Gift till after Christmas when it was reduced to £35. I thought about but it was still more than I wanted to pay so I held off and I'm glad I did, I ended up paying just £19.50 for it.

The kit comes packaged in a canvas sports bag, and contains 6 products in the Jack Wills Hope Cove fragrance. Everything is full sized and you get a body scrub, a body lotion, a body butter, a body wash, and a body mist. You also get a mesh body polisher and a Jack Wills branded water bottle. I'm useless at describing fragrances but I really, really like the Hope Cove fragrance . It's very unusual, it's warming, with a bit of floral with a tiny bit of fruit.

This sale haul was all about the fragrance, and whilst some of the sets that I really wanted were out of stock I did manage to pick up this bargain from Illamasqua, which was reduced from £45 to just £13.80.

I going to be completely honest with you - I hadn't actually smelled Illamasqua - Freak when I ordered this set. It was a bit of a risk but when you consider what you got in the set,the value, and the saving,it was a risk worth taking.

The Illamsaqua Freak Fragrance & Make Up Gift Set, was a Boots exclusive and contained a 30ml bottle of Freak Eau De Parfum, a 15ml Nail Varnish in Raindrops, and a 1.3g Pure Pigment in Furore.

Furore was actually the real reason why I bought this kit. Illamasqua Pure Pigments in this size retail at £16.50, compare that to £13.80 for everything your about to see and you'll see why this purchase makes sense.

I'd wanted Furore for quite a while, it's a gorgeous peach, champagne, nude shade. I've never actually tried an Illamasqua pigment before so I'll be giving this a good go and reviewing it for you x

As well as the pigment, the set also contained a full sized Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Raindrops. Raindrops is one of Illamasqua's most popular shades. It's a light grey, blue jelly, with quite a bit of iridescent sparkle. This would normally retail for £14.50 but it's currently £5.80 on the Illamasqua website which again shows the overall value of this kit. I actually already own Raindrops and love, so I'm currently debating whether to hang on to this one as a backup or to give it away - decisions, decisions!

So the value of this set is pretty evident already but the star of it, is undoubtedly the fragrance itself. The kit contained a 30ml Freak Eau De Parfum which retails at around £34 on it's own!

I'm very much a sweet fruit and floral girl when it comes to fragrance so this one is a bit of a departure for me. Although it's a floral, it's a very heady almost, masculine fragrance, crammed full of  unusual ingredients such as hemlock, queen of the night and frankincense. At first I found it a little too strong but it's really growing on me, and I actually love the dry down scent, when the initial headiness had evaporated. Being an Eau De Parfum you only need a couple of squirts, and you have a fragrance that will last you all day.

On those two items I saved a pretty huge £77.70 when you compare the price I paid to the normal Boots price. Pretty impressive even if I say so myself. Sometimes it pays to wait and sometimes it pays to take a risk every now and then. Apologies that neither of these sets are available online any more but it's worth checking your local Boots store to see what sale items they have left. Oh, and don't ignore some of the smaller stores I've had some of my best sale bargains from some of their smaller stores x Thanks for reading x

Feeing Fresh And Zingy With Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - A Review For My Pure*

Although the weathers cooling off, I've still been loving my showers both in the morning to wake myself up and in the evening to freshen myself  up after long day. I am a big believer in changing my bath and shower fragrances depending on the time of day and depending on my mood. In the evening I prefer florals and more relaxing fragrances and I love using brighter, fresher, and zesty aromas in the morning to start my day off on a high. So feeling a little bit tired and weary this month I decided to try a nice refreshing shower gel from My Pure.

I've tried quite a few of the Yes To boy washes over the years (check out my reviews via my Beauty Product Directory here) and whilst some of them have changed slightly in formulation I would still recommend them in a heartbeat. Since I first started reviewing for My Pure though they've introduced two new lines to the brand Yes To Blueberries and Yes To Grapefruits.

Grapefruits are probably one of the zingiest things on the planet. I'm not a huge fan of the taste but I can just about manage a Sea Breeze or a cocktail :) The Yes To Grapefruits Rejuvenating Body Wash is 98% natural and contains extracts of both apple and grapefruit, and coconut extract to help it foam.

This body wash is crammed full of fruit acids which naturally exfoliate the skin without the need for any grains or mess. This body wash is designed to leave the skin fresh, and radiant x

It comes in a huge 500ml, with a flip top cap. The wash itself is white opaque in colour and has a thick texture. It has a lovely fruity, grapefruit aroma that fresh, without being too strong or too zingy. Despite the lack of chemical foamers, this actually foams up really well, producing a lovely creamy feeling foam. A little goes a long way and you don't need a lot so this bottle will last a long, long time. You can also pour this under running water to make a lovely creamy, refreshing foam bath.

The foam washes off easily and I was quite surprised by how smooth my skin actually felt, particularly on my upper arms, which are prone to that bumpy feeling, and texture.

Like every other shower gel I've tried from Yes To this one was another winner. I would have probably liked the scent to be a bit more zesty and a bit stronger but that's a personal preference. It's a nice shower product to use in the morning, and the lack of in your face scent also means you could also use at night especially when the weather is a bit warmer. The size is obviously a big selling point so much so that this could easily be used as a family product. This price is also really reasonable for the size - The Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash normally retails at £7.99 and unfortunately as of 2019 it is no longer available from My Pure but it's still available from various other retailers including Feel Unique.

*Press Sample