Trimming My Stash - July 2021 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

 Hey, everyone, I hope that you all had a good weekend, apart from prepping this post, and doing a bit of house stuff, I had quite a chilled weekend, I made a yummy stir fry on Saturday, and I geeked out and watched a few documentaries that I'd Sky plussed, so apart from another dodgy result for Newcastle United, a good weekend was had.

After a return to pretty sporadic posting recently, you're in for a real treat this week, because I have 3 posts planned for you, including the return of my Foodie Friday series. First up though it's Trimming My Stash time, with a look back at July's beauty empties.

Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml
The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml
The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml
Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml
Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes
SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml
Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g
Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Total - 10 Items

So like in June, in July I managed to finish another 10 items. Again I managed to finish a nice mix of products including one skincare product, a couple of haircare items, and a lot of body and hand care bits. In those 10 items I finished a couple of new discoveries, a few favourites, and another one of those been around forever items, and even though I didn't manage to finish any make items (yet again!) I'm still pretty pleased with myself.

1. Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

First up, the first of 4 hand and nail care items, and the only product of the month. I bought a few of these at the end of 2019 in a huge Primark haul, and having recently rediscovered it I decided to get it used, and you can read a full review of it here x 

I have only been to Primark a couple of times this year, but on my last trip I was really pleased to see that they still had this so I bought another bottle. The outer box has changed, as has the scent (it smells a bit more like marzipan than it used to - not my favourite scent but it isn't too strong, so I can just about tolerate it!), but it's still £2 and the oil itself feels and looks the same as it used to.

2. The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up the first of 3 hand creams in this post. Slightly excessive for one month? Maybe, but my hands and nails have been so dry lately, and I am so desperate to make my nails grow that I'm slathering the stuff on about 3 times a day!

Anyway the first one is from The Body Shop, and it's a hand cream in one of their classic scents - mango. I think that Mango is probably my favourite core scent from The Body Shop, obviously it used to be cocoa butter, but since its disappearance (WHY THOUGH???), it has to be mango.

Containing fair trade shea butter from Ghana, and mango seed oil from India, this hand cream which is peach in colour, has an almost cream / gel texture. A little goes a long way and whilst it is a touch tacky at first, it absorbs really quickly making it an ideal daytime hand cream. My hands instantly felt and looked, smoother and more hydrated.

The big selling point of this hand cream is of course the smell, and boy is it good! Fresh, fruity, tropical mango! If you love fruity scents, then this hand cream and the entire mango range is the one for you.

My one complaint with this hand cream though is the size of the tube! It only comes in this tiny 30ml travel size which retails at £5.50. Great for travel, and great for sticking in your handbag, but come on The Body Shop, please make it in a bigger size!

3. The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml

From one product from The Body Shop to another, and this next item is one of those products that's been hanging around in my bathroom for ages. You know what it's like when a product you love has been discontinued, so you just use a tiny amount, and try to eek it out for as long as possible, well that's what I've been doing with this one, and that's why I've had it for so long!

Originally realised at around the same time as my favourite ever festive scent from The Body Shop, Glazed Apple in around 2014, this was just one of numerous spicy vanilla scents that The Body Shop have released over the years.

Made from community fair trade cocoa butter from Ghana and vanilla extract, this body butter had a lovely buttery, creamy texture, and a rich almost dessert like, sweet but not too sickly vanilla scent. As well as moisturising even the driest skin, the gorgeous scent also lingered on the skin in a warming and comforting way. In fact I finished this way back in July. and even though I've washed the tub out, I can still smell the same warm, spicy vanilla scent emanating from it.

Alas this particular product and scent are long gone, and no vanilla based scents appear in this years Christmas offerings from The Body Shop, but if your willing to pay an extortionate amount of for 'old' products then can still find the odd product from the Vanilla Brulee range on eBay.

4. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml

This next item is something that you have seen many times before, the anti hair fall conditioner! With arginine, keratin complex, and peppermint extract, this was a lovely lightweight but nourishing conditioner that made your scalp feel revitalised and your hair feeling super soft and smooth.

Alas this range, and you probably already know has now been discontinued but thankfully I love all of the other products that I've tried from various Advance Techniques ranges, so I can just about deal with the fact that I only have one bottle of this left.
 

5. Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml

Time for another hand cream, and this time one from tea inspired beauty brand, Bubble T. I received this particular product in the February 2021 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here x 

I think that this particular hand cream must have been a limited edition as I can't find it anywhere. I did however recently buy a smaller Bubble T hand cream in Peach, and it's pretty much identical in appearance, texture and scent. It comes in a smaller 60ml tube and it retails at around £1.99 direct from Bubble T, and from Beauty Expert, and at around £4 from NEXT Beauty.

6. Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes

Next up it's something for your bits, and this is a product that I was first introduced to thanks to disgraced subscription box Pink Parcel, and you can read my initial thoughts here x 

Like a lot of women I sometimes despair at the feminine hygiene industry, and the way that they constantly try to tell us that we look bad and smell bad, so whilst I do used products like this at times, you do you and don't feel that you need to use products downstairs to make yourself smell good! Anyways to be honest I only normally use products like this when I'm on my period, and out of all of them that I've tried in the past these are by far the best.

Woo Woo are a really fun and modern brand that produce a wide range of products including everything from hair removal products, to condoms and lube, and intimate washes and wipes. These particular wipes are pH balanced, vegan, biodegradable and flushable.

Containing aloe vera and cranberry extract, these wipes have a light fresh, fruity scent, and they super gentle on the skin, they aren't too wet, and they don't cause any dryness or irritation.

As I say I don't use them everyday by any means but they are really good for keeping you fresh and clean when you're on the go or when you can't make it to the shower.

You can buy a packet of 12 wipes direct from Woo Woo or from Superdrug for around £2.25. Feel Unique and Woo Woo also sell a pack of 20 wipes for around £3.75.

7. SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml

I only managed to finish one skincare item in July and it was a face mask. As you should know if you follow me on any of my other social media accounts, I'm a tiny bit addicted to Poundland, and a little while ago I picked up a different sheet masks from a brand called SUGU Beauty.

If I remember rightly I used this mask when we were having a bit of a heatwave in the UK, as I thought hope upon hope that it might cool me down!

Containing cucumber juice, centella asiatica, gingko biloba, honeysuckle and chamomile, this mask is specifically designed to calm and cool the skin - perfect for the warm weather!

The first thing that I noticed about this mask was just how wet it was, it was literally dripping with  a water like liquid. Despite the wetness it was a decent quality mask so it was fairly easy to unfold. It was a typical fibre like mask with a slightly fibre textured appearance and feel.

Before

With a subtle, fresh, clean scent, because it was so wet, it initially felt quite cool on the skin. The mask as I say was quite good quality, and it fit my face really well.

Being so wet, the liquid did actually start to run down my neck, but to be honest because it was so warm, it was actually a welcome part of the overall cooling myself down process!

On Application

I left it on for about 20 minutes, and as often is, the packet said to massage the excess liquid into my skin using circular motions until it absorbed. Whether it was down to the heat, I don't know but it actually absorbed into the skin quite quickly. It left my skin feeling a tiny bit tacky but it certainly wasn't the stickiest mask that I've ever used.

Appearance wise I don't really think you can see a lot of difference in the before and after pictures, but my skin generally felt cooler and more refreshed, which was a good thing on such a warm, sticky day - I only wish that I'd stuck it in the fridge for a bit beforehand for even more cooling benefits!

After

Unfortunately I have't seen this range in my nearest Poundland since, but you can find it online from various retailers where it tends to be priced between £3 - £3.50.

8. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml

I've already mentioned the conditioner in this post but in July I also managed to finish the 400ml supersize of the AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo.

Again I've talked about this shampoo at length in several previous posts, but in brief my hair really seemed to like it. Like the conditioner it contained arginine and keratin complex, it had a lovely fruity and slightly minty fresh scent and it left my hair and scalp feeling clean, and revitalised.

Like with the conditioner I have one bottle of this left to use, and whilst I will miss it, I'm pleased to say that my hair really likes quite a few of the products in various advance techniques ranges, so providing AVON don't start changing things again, I'm sorted with my hair care basics for the foreseeable future.

9. Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g

Now as a regular Poundland shopper, I love hunting out a bargain, and this is one of my most recent finds. Loose coffee and tea scrubs are currently all the rage, and despite the mess I couldn't resist pulling my pound out and giving this one a try.

Opening the pouch though I was quite surprised to see a predominantly salt based scrub. Containing arabica coffee seed powder, walnut shell powder, and salt, this scrub consisted of almost table salt like grains, with tiny black and brown specks mixed into it, a bit like Chinese salt and pepper seasoning with the chilli and garlic. Rather than smelling like out and out coffee it had a subtle, almost perfumed coffee, vanilla scent.

To use it, like any loose scrub, all you need to do is grab a handful and massage it onto damp skin. The grains were quite fine but it definitely rated quite highly on my scrubby scale, without being too harsh. Obviously being a salt based scrub it was a bit stingy and scratches and so on, and I certainly wouldn't use it straight after hair removal.

Being a salt based scrub it was really easy to rinse away, and it was pretty much mess free as the salt dissolved and the coffee and walnut particles where so fine they just washed down the drain. It left my skin feeling really, really smooth and soft, and I would definitely consider buying it again, and you probably should too. My one gripe is that my resealable pouch wouldn't seal back up again, so due to it potentially spilling and getting wet I couldn't store it in the shower, but for just £1 I don't really have any reason to complain.

The product was still available in my nearest Poundland (Consett) as of last week, so you should probably be able to still your hands on it, but if not and you fancy spending a little bit over the odds I have seen it on eBay.

10. Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Finally we're finishing where we started with a hand and nail care product, and this hand cream came in box number 14 of the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar!

From Danish skincare brand Ecooking, this vegan friendly hand cream contains organic almond oil, apricot seed oil, and organic olive oil, as well as natural squalane.

Packaged in a paint style, metal tube this hand cream is white in colour, and it has a really thick, and creamy texture.

On Application

Despite Ecooking's claim that it's quick to absorb, I found that it took quite a bit of rubbing in, it felt a touch sticky, and it took a good few minutes to completely absorb into the skin.

Slightly Rubbed In 

Once it had absorbed though, I could actually see the difference in my skin, it had a lovely healthy sheen, and even though it had by and large all absorbed, my hands felt almost as though they had a protective barrier on them making this hand cream ideal for night time, or for those colder months of the year.

After 

The odd thing about this hand cream for me though was the smell! Officially described as jasmine, grape, and orange flowers, to me it smelled slightly strange not in bad way I just found it really unusual. I'm useless at describing scents but for me it smelled like a mixture of white flowers, nuts, almonds, and traditional furniture polish!

Where as The Body Shop Mango hand cream is definitely more of a daytime / everyday product, this one is much more of either an overnight intensive product or if you're clearing snow or even building a snowman, then this would perfect for protecting your hands on a freezing cold day.

This 30ml size is available for around £9 direct from Ecooking and  from The Fragrance Shop, and for around £8 from Look Fantastic. The full 75ml size is also available for around £15.50.

So there you have it, my July empties, and for the second month in a row I finished 10 beauty products. Could I make it a hat trick in August - well I would say that you'll have to wait a few weeks for my post to find out, but there may be a little clue on the right hand side of your screen → ;)

As per usual if you have any questions on any of the items in the post then leave me a comment, and if you've found any fabulous bargain beauty buys, I'd love to hear your recommendations x Thanks for reading and I'll see you later in the week with a couple of posts x 

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

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - February 2021 Edition - Sing, Dance, Love, Repeat*

Hi Guys, I hope you have all had a good start to the week, thankfully it's cooled down a little bit here, so I can actually think straight again! Today I'm playing catch up and I'm sharing my thoughts on the February edition of Glossybox UK with you. 

In some senses February seems like a lifetime ago, but for me this year seems to have flown by, and it's very much a case of stop the world I want to get off!

So, February, the month of love, and in 2021's case the month of lockdown! Despite that though the limited edition February box seemed to be perfectly designed to lift our spirits, and for some of us to trigger a little bit of nostalgia.

 

Way back when I was a lass (LOL) there was no such thing as Spotify, iTunes, or downloads, in fact even CD's were just becoming popular, it was all about vinyl records, and cassette tapes.

I grew up in a very music loving household, and I still remember my first ghetto blaster, and my personal stereo, and later my Walkman's, and I still remember having to fix or rewind my tapes with a pin or a pencil.

Needless to say the brightly coloured, cassette tape design took me right back, to listening A-HA tapes in the car on the way to Scotland.

Instead of the usual pale pink tissue paper, the contents of the February box were wrapped in a sheet of creamy yellow tissue paper featuring a yellow cassette, and blue headphone design, the box also contained toning light blue paper shred, all secured together with a pink and white Glossybox logo sticker, and a pink ribbon.

The first thing as per usual in the box was the product information leaflet, which told you a little bit more about all of the products in the box, and talked a little bit more about the "Sing, Dance, Love, Repeat!" theme.

Avant Skincare Velvet Perfecting Rose Sugar Lip Scrub - 10ml - Full Size - RRP £58

The first product in the box was the product that was teased in January, and it was another product from high end skincare brand Avant.

I've tried quite a few items from Avant skincare now (Check out my Beauty Product Directory to see which ones), and by and large I've been pretty impressed but this is the first opportunity that I've had to try one of their lip products.

Now like most people I regularly use lip balm, but like with skincare, and body care there isn't a lot of point in applying any moisturiser if you aren't using an exfoliator. Whilst I probably don't exfoliate my lips as often as I should with a specific product (although I am trying to get better at it - more in that in a future post!), I usually use a cloth or a flannel on my lips when I'm doing my skincare, so at least I guess I'm doing something!

Containing hyaluronic acid, sugar, jojoba oil, argan extract, sweet almond oil, and rose, and peony extracts, this lip scrub aims to soothe, soften and revitalise the lips, as well as protecting them against environmental aggressors, leaving them radiant and brighter.

Unboxed and packaged in a plastic lip gloss like tube, with a slanted tip, the product itself is a very sticky pale pink, translucent gel, containing a fairly sparse smattering of white, sugar grains, and larger red /. brown particles. Given the name I was expecting it to have more of a rose, floral scent, but instead it has a sweet, vanilla based scent.

To use it all you do is apply a small amount to clean, dry lips. Although it's sticky it's quite easy to massage, and whilst it is abrasive, it isn't rough or scratchy. The one thing that I did notice though is how warm and slightly tingly it felt on the lips. I didn't find it uncomfortable but it was noticeable especially since you need to leave the scrub on for between 1- 2 minutes. 

Despite its sweet taste, unlike a lot of lip scrubs you can't lick this one off, so you need to wash it off with warm water, and a flannel or a muslin cloth, before patting them dry with a towel.

Alas I didn't manage to take any before and after pictures, but this product did what it promised, my lips were noticeably more even in tone, all of the dry, flaky bits were gone, and probably down to the self heating element, my lips actually looked a little bit fuller. They did feel softer as well but I still felt as though I needed to apply a lip balm.

I've got to say that this product did exactly what I wanted it to, and whilst I will happily use it up, even with the small amount you use each time, it is quite price prohibitive. 

The Avant Velvet Perfecting Rose Sugar Lip Scrub comes in a 10ml tube which retails at around £58 direct from Avant Skincare. It is also available in a 10ml jar also with a recommended retail price of £58 from Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

NUDESTIX Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm - Siren - 2.5g - Full Size - RRP £20

Next up the only make up item in February's  box, and it was a multi purpose product from a brand called NUDESTIX. I've only tried one other product from the brand, a Lip + Cheek Pencil in the shade Mystic, which I received in the 2019 Glossybox Advent Calendar, and I was pretty impressed. As much as I love beauty, and make up, most of the time I want a quick fix and multipurpose products like this are the way forward, so I was thrilled to get a chance to try another product from NUDESTIX, this time in a different formulation.

Preservative, paraben, gluten and cruelty free, this pencil contains over 30% ultra hydrating and protective plant oils including sunflower, cottonseed, and soybean oils, as well as Vitamin E.

In their Gel Colour Formulation this pencil promises rich pigment and a wet gloss like finish, as well as protecting, nourishing and hydrating the lips. So it's basically a lip balm, a lip colour, and a gloss all in one, and you can use it on your cheeks as well, what's not to love!

The shade that subscribers received in February was Siren, a deep glossy, cherry red that was perfect for Valentines Day (even though we should have been fist bumping rather than snogging in 2021 ;)

The pencil itself had a lovely, creamy texture, but it wasn't so soft that it lost it's shape and went smooshy.

The pigmentation, and gloss as you can see is superb, so you did need to be a little bit careful when you were applying to stay within the lines. That said though it was really easy to put on, it felt comfortable, moisturising and there was no dragging, or pulling. The coverage was excellent and I loved the rich, glossy finish.

Understandably given the finish it did transfer quite easily but it still lasted well and it gradually faded down to a more natural looking stain.

I don't know how well you can see it in these pictures but I'm also wearing it on my cheeks as a blush. Just pop a couple of dots or stripes on your cheeks, and then blend it out with a brush, sponge or even with your fingers, for a nice "pinch your cheeks" look. On and I used it on top of foundation and powder, and it blended out really easily with pilling or clumping.

A couple of years ago, I would have probably ran a mile from the shade of lip colour, and whilst it does look super bright against my pale skin, I love it for a statement look, and I love both the finish and the formulation.

Glossybox claim that this 2.5g size is a full size that retails at £20, but based on what I can find though the full size is 2.8g and that size also comes in a tin and with a pencil sharpener from £20 from Look Fantastic and for $26 direct from NUDESTIX.

Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml - Full Size - RRP £4.99

As you can see from my latest beauty empties posts and updates I'm still going through hand cream as though it's going out of fashion, and this particular one will probably be the next one that I will be adding to the that list.

From tea inspired beauty brand Bubble T this cocktail themed hand cream contains aloe vera and shea butter.

White in appearance, it has a thick, almost cream / gel texture and a slightly oily feel. Despite that it absorbed into the skin really quickly leaving the skin with a slightly matte finish, but looking immediately more hydrated and feeling a lot smoother.

Probably the biggest selling point for this hand cream is it's fabulous sweet, peach based fruity scent. If you've ever had a Peach Bellini or any form of tropical fruit cocktail then that's exactly what this hand cream smells like. The scent does tend to linger on the skin and if I'm being hyper critical I think that some people could find it a touch sickly, but that is obviously very much a personal thing.

Whilst this wasn't the most intense hand cream that I've ever used, it was quick to absorb, and it made an immediate difference making it a great everyday hand cream.

From what I gather this was a special limited edition Valentines's product but there are several other hand creams in the Bubble T range, some of which I already have to try, that are available from around £1.99 - £4.99, from various retailers including direct from Bubble T, NEXT Beauty, Look Fantastic, and HQ Hair.

Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Mask - 1 x 8g Mask - Full Size - RRP £5

Next up another lip product this time from Glossybox championed, US based brand Steve Laurant. So far the February edition of Glossybox has given us a lip balm / lip colour, and a lip scrub, and now they've given us a real treat, a lip mask.

This cruelty free, lip mask contains Irish moss powder, rose extract, and hydrolysed collagen, and is designed to hydrate and sooth the lips, whilst at the same time reducing the appearance of fine lines.

The sachet contains a plastic tray which holds a little bit of excess liquid, and a translucent hot pink, wet, hydrogel like mask in the shape of an exaggerated pair of lips. The mask is quite thin but it feels quite substantial so there doesn't seem to be any danger of it splitting.

Before

It was quite easy to stick to the lips and whilst there was no real taste, it did have a slight floral scent.

On Application

The mask initially felt quite cool on the lips, but it gradually warmed up to body temperature. It felt fairly comfortable and secure on the lips, and the slit did mean it was possible to talk and move your face but it did move a bit so it was safer to stay put, lie down and take some silly selfies!

There was no indication either or on the packaging, from Glossybox or even on the Steve Laurant website about how long to leave on for, so I left on for about 15 minutes.

After

After peeling it off the skin above my upper lip did look a bit pink, and it felt a bit tingly but I think that was because I'd had a facial wax the day before. I don't think you can see too much difference in these pictures, there was no outward impression of extra moisture, but my lips definitely felt less dry and a touch more defined.

Glossybox place a value of £5 on this one single use mask. The only retailer seems to be Steve Laurant themselves where one mask retails at $10.

Glow On 5th Rose Gua Sha - Full Size - RRP £10

The final product in February's box was an item that subscribers were supposed to get in January's box, but due to import issues subscribers ended up getting it a month late, but was it really worth waiting for?

From US based brand Glow On 5th Beauty, the product in question was a Rose Gua Sha facial massage tool. These facial massagers are everywhere, and when I first saw that subscribers were getting one I was pretty excited -I was hoping to receive a lovely piece of rose quartz, instead I received a piece of all be it recyclable plastic / resin!

So obviously no crystal or stone benefits, but never mind I gave it a go anyways. Basically you massage your face and neck either with or without products, in an upward motion using the different angles, and nodules to contour your face for 4-6 minutes a day, to help firm the skin and to flush out toxins.

I've watched a few You Tube videos on techniques, and so on, and I've got to say I don't get it! For a start a lot of people don't have the time to do this every day, but not only that I also found it pretty uncomfortable to use even with barely any pressure. Is it supposed to hurt or am I doing it wrong? I'm sorry Gua Sha devotees on this experience give me a facial roller any day!

Glossybox place a price of £10 on this product, it's available exclusively from Glow On 5th Beauty where it retails at $12.

So that was a very late review of the February 2021 edition of Glossybox UK. Given the fact that it was the Valentines Day edition, it's no surprise just how lip heavy it was, even though I wasn't kissing anyone this year though, I loved all of the lip products in the box, with the NUDESTIX lip colour being a particular favourite. I also love the hand cream, and although the Gua Sha tool was a bit of a disappointment, I loved the box design and the majority of the contents.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the products in this box, so let me know your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to check out Glossybox for yourself x 

I hope you all have a good week, and I'll see you soon with another post x 

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

Trimming My Stash - September 2020 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

Before I share a little Halloween themed post with you, I thought I'd play catch up again and share my September empties with you x 

SUGU Beauty Refreshing Panda Face Sheet Mask With Apple - 1 x 27ml Mask

Bubble T Restoring Hand Wash - Hibiscus & Acai Berry Tea - 260ml

Primark PS... Love Your Nails Nail Polish Twist Post - 70ml

Living Proof Perfect hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector - 30ml

Eyeko London Black Magic Mascara - Drama & Curl - Black - 4ml

Primark PS...It's All Good Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 250ml
The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel - 250ml

Total - 8 Items

After a fairly middle of the road performance in August, I tried really, really hard in September, and as a result I managed to finish 8 items, including a couple of forgotten about bits, a few new discoveries, and believe it or not a make up item!

1. SUGU Beauty Refreshing Panda Face Sheet Mask With Apple - 1 x 27ml Mask

The first product that I finished was a skincare item, and it was a sheet mask from Korean inspired skincare brand SUGU Beauty.

Containing apple, cucumber, lavender, and wild cherry extract, this was a printed face mask that made you look like a pretty scary looking panda, and it was designed to refresh and add radiance to dull, puffy skin.

Made from some sort of fibre, the mask itself was absolutely soaking wet, which initially made it quite difficult to unfold, but the fibre was pretty strong so it didn't tear. If you have ever had a problems with sheet masks like this being too small, this this mask would be perfect for you. I don't have the smallest of heads and this mask actually felt pretty big on me, and the nose hole in particular was huge! which made this poor panda even more terrifying.

Because of all of the fruit and flower extracts, I was really expecting this mask to smell gorgeous but alas not, instead it had a fresh, neutral but slightly chemically scent.

Before 

On application it felt cool, and damp on the skin, as I say it was quite wet and liquidy, so the excess did run down my face, and my neck and into my eyes which was a bit stingy.

On Application

You can leave it on for anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes, so I left it on for about 15 minutes. After I removed the mask my skin still felt quite wet, so I massaged the excess liquid into my skin. It definitely felt more hydrated and cool to the touch, if a little sticky.

After 

I don't know whether or not you can see too much difference between the before and after pictures but my skin definitely felt more hydrated, and cool to the touch. The cool sensation lasted for about the 10 minutes that it took for the excess liquid to fully soak in, my skin was then left looking and feeling smoother and more refreshed.

All in all this wasn't a bad mask for skin that needed a little bit of tlc, and the panda face is either fun or terrifying depending on your point of view. Even better still was the fact that I just paid £1 for it in Poundland. One of my local stores had a whole load of different SUGU Beauty masks in stock, so I bought a few different ones to try. Poundland change their stock all of the time though so there is no guarantee that these masks will still be in stock. A few different places including ASOS, Argos, and The Fragrance Shop sell a small range of SUGU Beauty products but the only places that I can find this particular mask are Amazon and a website called Beauty Goddess, where it retails at around £3.99, so I think I got a bargain.

2. Bubble T Restoring Hand Wash - Hibiscus & Acai Berry Tea - 260ml

Ah, hand wash! We didn't know it way back in January but in 2020 hand wash pretty much became more precious than gold! As I've said on the blog before we're very much soap bar people, but because of COVID we've now become hand wash devotees.

In the deepest, darkest of lockdown way back in March and April hand wash became ridiculously scarce, and the only place that I could be was on the NEXT Beauty website,  and I manage to grab a bottle just days before they went into temporary hibernation.

From fruit and herbal tea inspired brand, Bubble T, this vegan friendly hand wash contained sweet orange extract and goji berries. Just a tiny little bit of this pinky, red gel was enough to produce a creamy, non drying, cleansing foam with a lovely fruity scent.

I really enjoyed using it and I've subsequently gone on to buy a few more for gifts. Specific hand washes are still a bit difficult to track down and this one is currently out of stock on the official Bubble T website but it is still available from NEXT Beauty for £3 and from Boohoo for around £4.

3. Primark PS... Love Your Nails Nail Polish Twist Post - 70ml

More nails of the day posts can only mean one thing - I'm using more nail polish remover! Whilst I swear by favourite Superdrug remover for removing full manicures, these little dippy pots are fabulous for single fingers, and for correcting mistakes without removing your entire manicure, just dip, twist and your done!

I haven't tried any of the more expensive versions but this is the best one of the posts that I've tried. It's cheap, the polish remover is strong enough to remove even the darkest polish, and the sponge is substantial enough that it doesn't fall apart after a single use. Who knows when I'll make it back into Primark again, but when I do I'll definitely be hunting a couple more of these pots down.

4. Living Proof Perfect hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector - 30ml

The next item is a travel sized hair product from the brand Living Proof that I received in the May 2020 edition of Pink Parcel. You can read a bit more about it here but basically this was a overnight mask that you apply to damp or dry hair, and then you leave it overnight before washing it out the next morning, leaving your hair shiny, vibrant and manageable.

For a hair mask it quite a thin cream, almost lotion like texture, with a lovely fresh scent that's almost identical to the classic Elizabeth Arden Green Tea fragrance. Whilst initially it feels a tiny bit sticky, it sinks in really quickly leaving no residue or staining on your pillows.

Ideally you should really wash it out first thing in the morning but since it wasn't obvious that I had product in my hair, and tended to leave it in all day, and I washed my hair at night instead, meaning that you could even use it as a styling product for calming frizz and as a general hair fragrance. Whilst the difference in my hair wasn't earth shattering, my hair looked shiny, felt less tangled, and didn't look quite as frizzy. If you have fine hair this would probably be ideal for you, as it provided nourishment without weighing the hair down.

I actually really liked this and I loved the scent so once I've worked my way through my hair product mountain I will definitely be buying the full size. I can't find this travel size for sale on its own, but the full 118ml size retails at around £20 from various retailers including direct from Living Proof, Cult Beauty, ASOS, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique and NEXT Beauty.

5. Eyeko London Black Magic Mascara - Drama & Curl - Black - 4ml

I know it's been a while but shock of horrors in 2020, I finally finished another make up item. Okay it was another mascara but in this upside world I'll take what I can get!!

This particular Eyeko mascara came in the March 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read a full review here.

I actually surprised myself by really liking this mascara, I loved the curl and the uplift that it gave my lashes, and I initially loved the idea of the squeezy tube. I did find it a touch clumpy, and that actually got worse as it got older. I don't know whether or not that was down to the tube but it did seem to dry out more quickly than my mascaras usually do, but I still liked it and I would definitely consider buying it or using it again.

6. Primark PS...It's All Good Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Just when I think I'm out of these another packet miraculously appears. I actually found this packet in a random drawer and as per usual I've been using them for swatch clean up. I couldn't actually find these the last time that I was in Primark, they had all of the other varieties in their new biodegradable wipe format but not the tea tree ones! 

Never mind I've been using micellar water and cotton pads, and some other tea tree wipes, and my mum actually won a huge pack of biodegradable baby wipes (amongst lots of other things I may add) so I've been using those. If I find some I probably will buy them but I don't think that I'll be buying any in the near future.

7. AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 250ml

As I've said before there really is nothing worse than when a brand discontinues something that you like. it literally happens to me all of the time. One of the most recent things that's disappeared from my life is the AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall range. Thankfully I managed to stock up on a few products from the range before it disappeared completely but I thought that it was only fair that I should try some it its replacements, so I bought some products from the Loss Control range and some products from the reconstruction range.

This is the shampoo from the Reconstruction range and it contains keratin, protein, omega 6 and avocado oil, and it's designed to help reduce split ends and breakages, and to help smooth away frizz. Like the Anti Fall products it smells amazing. It had a gorgeous fruity scent, and just a small amount produces a lovely creamy foam. 

I've been using this shampoo alongside a few other products in the Reconstruction range, so I can't really say how well it performs on its own, but my hair generally feels in much better condition, and it doesn't look quite as frizzy and fly away as it normally does. I'm still losing what seems like a tonne of random hairs but it's not noticeable and my hair still looks nice and thick and healthy.

For the price again I'm really impressed with this range, it smells gorgeous and my hair seems to like it. Obviously I have other things to use up (including another bottle of this shampoo) and I still have some bits from the Loss Control line to try but I will definitely be buying this again. As you probably know already, AVON prices and offers (and products!) change all of the time but at the time of writing this size of shampoo currently retails at around £3 with the 400ml size retailing at around £4 online direct from AVON, or from your local AVON representative.

8. The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel - 250ml

The final item in this list is something that has been hanging around in my shower for sometime now, and I was inspired to finish it thanks to a more recent purchase.

The local cat charity from where I got Max frequently hold various raffles and sale on their Facebook page to raise money for the rescue. Well a couple of months ago now one of the members who is a representative for The Body Shop at home, held a sale to raise some much needed funds for the rescue - obviously I bought a few bits and one of the things that I bought was The Body Shop Mango Body Yogurt. 

As much as I love The Body Shop Body Butters, the body yogurts are my new love. Hydrating, yet super light and not greasy or heavy they are perfect for when you're in a rush and you don't have time to stand around waiting for moisturiser to absorb. They do them in a few different scents but the Mango is where it's at, it has the most amazing, mouthwatering, fruity scent, in fact it took my strength not to have a taste.

Since I like to coordinate my shower gels and body moisturisers, I went on to see what other mango, peach and apricot shower products that I could find in my stash and this was the first thing that I grabbed. I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop shower gels, and this one is right up there. Yellow, orange in colour it has the most gorgeous fresh and fruity mango scent.

This particular bottle is as old as the hills now, and obviously the packaging has now changed but this particular shower gel is still available in their core range for around £5.50 for a 250ml bottle. Again I won't be buying this in the near future but I will definitely repurchase it somewhere down the line x 

So there you have it Trimming My Stash - September 2020 edition! I was really pleased to finish 8 items, and whilst I'm not convinced October's total is going to be anywhere near that. I'm going to do my best over the next 24 hours or so and see what happens. As per usual if you have any questions on any of the items in this post then either leave me a comment below, or get in touch with me via email or via any of my social media channels x Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with a spooky Halloween post x 

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