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

Right, only two catch up posts to go and then we can finally say goodbye to October x First up October's beauty empties

Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 105g
Kueshi Double Effect Make Up Remover - 100ml
Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balance For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes
Natura Potato & Parsley Infused Under Eye Mask - 1 x 3g Pair
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml

Total - 5 Items 

To be fair after the highs of finishing 11 items in September (read my post here), October was nearly always going to be a disappointing month, but I've got to say that I'm actually not that disappointed. 5 items is still a pretty respectable total, and even if you ignore a few recent buys,  I still have 5 less skincare, and body care items to use up, so I guess it still counts as a win.

1. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 105g

First up one of my favourite cleansers of all time, from one of my favourite British brands of all time. I am a huge fan of British brand Elemis, and this award winning product is without a doubt one of the best products that they, and believe me they make a lot of fabulous things so that's a pretty high accolade.

This semi solid balm contains a whole load of good for your skin ingredients including mimosa, and rose waxes, starflower oil, elderberry, coconut oil, Shea butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, as well as the key ingredient in Elemis Pro Collagen range, Padina Pavonica which is a type of seaweed. It also contains some gorgeous botanicals including orange, clove, eucalyptus, lavandin, mint, and chamomile, which give it a beautiful, if slightly strong, spa like, aromatherapy based scent. 

Massage a tiny bit into dry skin, and the balm melts down into a oil, add a touch of water, and it turns into a milky cream, remove your make up with a warm muslin cloth, or flannel, rinse and dry and your skin is left feeling clean, soft and hydrated.

If you have an oily or combination skin like I do, don't worry this will still work for you, it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily or greasy, in fact it almost seems to help balance the oil production, and help with dry patches. I only use it at night, as I prefer something a bit lighter in the morning, and with the texture, ritual and scent, I think it makes a lovely pre bedtime treat.

As I say the scent can sometimes be a little bit strong for me and I because of the aromatherapy oils I don't use it on my eyes, but other than that it's a fabulous product that I will continue to use, and I already have a pot or two in back up.

This particular size retails at around £44 direct from Elemis, but it's also available on it's own and in sets from various other retailers including Look Fantastic. Feel Unique, Debenhams, John Lewis, and from where I get most of my Elemis products from, QVC UK.

2. Kueshi Double Effect Make Up Remover - 100ml

This was the first of three items, that I received in subscription boxes. It was so long ago now that I can't really remember but I think that this came in a Glossybox.

I can't find too much online about them but I believe that Kueshi are / were a Spanish brand. Containing Aloe Vera and Chamomile this was a dual phase eye make remover comprising of a blue, and a clear liquid. The blue liquid was a gentle, refreshing lotion, and the clear liquid contained oils that were designed to remove even the toughest eye make up. All you do is give the bottle a good shake to combine the two phases, then as usual you apply it to a cotton pad.

I have quite sensitive dry, but watery eyes, and I'm wary about trying new eye make up removers but this actually wasn't bad. It removed everything that I threw at it from notoriously hard to remove mascara and water resistant liner, with no irritation and no rubbing. My one issue was that despite non greasy claim I did find that it left a slightly oily residue on the eyes, that you had to rinse away, other than though it was decent and it did the job.

I can't find this particular product on any UK based websites, and I can only find it on a few European sites such as ekosmetik all be it in a slightly larger size, and slightly different packaging for around €15.99.

3. Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balance For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes

Next up another subscription box item, and something that I received the July 2019 edition of Pink Parcel. You can read my initial thoughts here, but basically what they were, were intimate wipes, containing Aloe Vera, and cranberry extract. With a lovely fresh, fruity scent they weren't the thickest wipes that I've ever used but I don't particularly mind that because they are biodegradable and flushable.

As I've said before I can take or leave specific intimate products, I wouldn't buy these all the time but these wipes are good for that time of the month, or for when you're on holiday or on the go, and you went to freshen up a bit. This pack of 12 retails at around £2.25 from Superdrug

4. Natura Potato & Parsley Infused Under Eye Mask - 1 x 3g Pair

We've reached product number 4, and that was another product that I received in a Pink Parcel. This cooling mask came in the September 2019 edition of Pink Parcel, and you can read my full review here. They did what they promised and cooled and soothed the eye area, my skin felt refreshed, and looked less puffy, and felt more hydrated, and moisturised. A pack of 3 pairs retails at around £5.95 direct from Beauty Pro and from various retailers including Feel Unique.

5. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml

Finally an autumnal limited edition from The Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin range. Containing Madagascan vanilla extract and pumpkin fragrance, this is a rich and creamy shower gel, that I would personally describe as a shower cream. You only need a tiny amount to produce loads and loads of soft creamy, moisturising bubbles. It leaves my skin feeling soft with a light warm, sweet, vanilla based scent that smells good enough to eat.

I absolutely love this scent and I was fully intending to stock up on it this year but by the time I made it into The Body Shop, a couple of weeks ago, they only had the new festive scents and Vanilla Pumpkin was long gone. A sensible person would have left the shop but old habits die hard, and I ended up picking up a few Juicy Pear products instead, which after such high hopes is the only Christmas limited edition that I actually like this year ho hum! Anyways I have a scraping of Vanilla Pumpkin Body Butter left, and about 2/3 bottle of shower gel remaining which I'm going to really enjoy using, before moving onto some of the older festive limited editions from The Body Shop that I still have in my stash.

So they were my 5 items, despite a couple of beauty buys this month so far, I've already finished a couple of items already in November, so here's hoping that I can punish on over the next two months and finish 2019 Trimming My Stash on a high! Any questions as per usual, leave me a comment and let me know xx 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Reflections and Trimming My Stash - September 2017 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

So any lingering hopes of an Indian summer are long gone, now we're in October there is no denying that Autumn is here. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, the leaves are falling from the trees and you can now go into any supermarket in the UK and buy a pumpkin!

In the last couple of days I've been reminded of a song that we used to sing at this time of year in school assemblies and at Sunday school. The song is called Autumn Days and it's about been thankful for the harvest and those little things in life, and I think it's something that we can all live by. It's very hard at times to find any positives in life but they are always there even if sometimes they take a little bit of finding.

If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I'm currently doing the #365DaysOfHappiness project, it hasn't been easy it times but sometimes even the smallest and most innocuous things can lift your spirits, from a nice cup of coffee, to a fragranced candle, and knowing that it's only 82 days until Christmas.

I know, I know I've already started my Christmas shopping and I'm preparing to fill the shower with all of my festive toiletries, I love Christmas and it always makes me happy but in order to start using all of those cranberry, apple, and gingerbread smellies, I need to make space and get some bits used up. My October aim is to clear my shower of fruits and florals but in the meantime lets see what beauty products I finished last month.

Scrub Love Invigorating Coffee Body Scrub - Coconut Affair - 50g
Beauty Bible Cleansing Milk - 300ml
Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 250ml
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara -10ml
Collection 2000 Colour Match Foundation - Ivory 1 - 30ml

Total - 5 Items 

Okay, so five items isn't that amazing but I'm still really happy because of the type of items that I managed to finish. Make up items are always pretty thin on the ground for me, probably because I have so much of it that I never really use anything consistently but in September I managed to finish 2 make up products and some body and skincare bits, and as the slogan goes "every little helps"

1. Scrub Love Invigorating Coffee Body Scrub - Coconut Affair - 50g

These scrubs are absolutely everywhere at the moment, and I've managed to accumulate quite a few of them thanks to the various beauty boxes that I'm subscribed to. Billed as more eco friendly, these scrubs are basically just coffee grounds, with a few added ingredients (coconut in this case). I always assumed that these scrubs would have some sort of cream, oil or gel base but they don't, or at least this one didn't. It's basically looks and smells just like coffee grounds, with just a hint of coconut. I tried just taking a handful and rubbing it on my legs but I think I managed to lose more in the shower than I managed to use! I found the best way to use this was to tip a small amount into my hand and then I added a bit of shower gel to achieve a more spreadable consistency. When it comes to body scrubs I know what I like, and the number one thing that I look for is grittiness, this scrub is definitely gritty but it is just so, so messy! The floor of my shower room was literally covered in coffee grounds, and brown yucky looking splodges, I managed to get more of the scrub on the floor, on the shower screen and on the wall then I did on my thighs, and the shower trap, clogged up in an instant! This scrub would be amazing first thing in the morning, with the invigorating feel and the coffee aroma but for me I just can't deal with the mess and neither can Mummy Lou. I'll use the remaining sachets that I have but I definitely won't repurchase :( If you want to try this scrub for yourself then you can buy if from various retailers including Beauty Bay, Fragrance Direct, and Very.

2. Beauty Bible Cleansing Milk - 300ml

I think I've mentioned this in a previous post but I recently tested a batch of products for one of the most comprehensive beauty books on the market, Beauty Bible. If you're confused by all of the beauty products on the market then this is the book that you need. Basically it's a beauty review book, and for every edition the team behind the Beauty Bible recruit hundreds and hundreds of volunteers to try out every beauty product under the sun. I've done it a few times now and I've really enjoyed trying out a wide variety of new products. The only thing is that you're not allowed to talk about the product that you tried on social media :( which in this case is a bit of a bummer because this was one of my favourite products. So in brief it's a sensibly priced, cleansing milk and I loved it, and I would definitely consider spending my hand earned cash on it in the future x 

3. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 250ml

I don't know if you've noticed but I'm starting to get into painting my nails again, after around 6 months of rubbishness, my nails are getting longer, stronger and they're looking pretty decent, so I'm taking advantage and painting and photographing them while I still can. I know it isn't the most exciting of tasks, but if you paint your nails, at some point you're going to need to take that polish off. 

I'm using two different polish removers at the moment, the Primark PS Love Your Nails Nail Polish Twist Pot, which I use to correct mistakes and to just remove one or two nails, and for everyday use and removing a full manicure I swear by this one from Superdrug. I've used this remover for years and the price has remained the same for the longest time. This acetone free polish is one of my holy grail products, it works, it doesn't smell too awful, and it's only £1.39 for 250ml. I love it so much that I even wrote a blog post devoted to it, that you can read here x 

4. Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara -10ml

I'm not having the best of luck with mascaras at the moment - During a recent optician visit I was diagnosed with dry corneas, due to a combination of both my facial nerve paralysis, and one of my current medications. My eyes can be a bit sensitive at the best of times but at the moment, they're particularly bad. I've tried and binned 3 mascaras in the past fortnight due to sensitivity and whilst I couldn't really class those as empties, I can class this one as an empty.

I haven't tried a lot of make up from Soap & Glory but other the past few years I've managed to acquire a few of their mascaras thanks to the Boots Star Gifts, and a few months ago now I decided to give this one a try and I have to say I was impressed. This mascara which retails at around £10 promises thicker fuller lashes and on me it delivered. It didn't dry my lashes out and it didn't feel heavy or clumpy, and whilst it didn't look as though I was wearing false lashes, my lashes definitely looked fuller, and thicker, and it didn't make my eyes run or sting. It wasn't the longest wearing mascara that I've ever used but I'll happily use the ones that I have and I would definitely consider repurchasing this one in it's own right.

5. Collection 2000 Colour Match Foundation - Ivory 1 - 30ml

Now before you I say anything I know that this is an old, old bottle of foundation. I'm fully aware of that, and I know that you should really throw make up and especially liquids and creams out after so long. This still smelled okay and the texture hadn't changed so I kept as it and tried to eek it out for as long as possible. The reason why is that I loved this foundation, the colour match was perfect, the texture was perfect for my skin type, and it wore well on my oil prone skin. In this format this foundation has long gone. Collection, as they are now called does have a Colour Match Foundation in it's current collection (haha) but it's now in plastic, squeezy tube, and the shade names have altered slightly. At only £3.99 for 30ml it's well worth a try though, so I've picked up the shade Ivory and I'm hoping upon hope that it is just as good as this one was. If it isn't I'll be begging Collection to bring the original one back!

So they were my September empties, as I say I'm really pleased to have finished a few make up items, but in October I'll definitely be focusing on the bathroom, and trying to make room for both my festive shower bits, and my winter themed body creams. Which reminds me, if you are a bit obsessed with Christmas bath and body bits then check out tomorrow's post to see some of Lush's festive offerings x If you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment below x 

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

After a bit of an iffy start to the year, over the last few weeks, I'm finally starting to feel as though I'm starting to turn the corner and leave some of the negativity that's clouded the first part of the year behind.

It's not to say that April's been all sweetness and light, it hasn't but maybe I'm starting to deals with life's hurdles a little bit better than what I have been doing. I'm feeling more comfortable in my own skin, and I'm feeling more positive about the blog and about life in general. May is my birthday month and I have lots to look forward to this month, so I'm going to grab the bull by the horns (I am a Taurus after all) and go for it, life is too short to worry about pointless things, life really is for living and that's what I intend to do from now on.

Before I start afresh though it's time to take one last look back at April, and take a look back at my April beauty empties. 

Soap & Glory Peaches And Clean 3 In 1 Deep Purifying Cleanser - 200ml
Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipe Out Mask Dual Sided Pore Clarifying Mask x 1
OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil - 15ml
L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml
RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active Hair Serum For Women - 30ml

Total - 5 Items

So I managed to finish 5 beauty products in April, not the best total ever but I'm going to embrace the positive, 5 items are certainly better than 1 and I finished a few things that I thought would never end.

1. Soap & Glory Peaches And Clean 3 In 1 Deep Purifying Cleanser - 200ml

I've got to be honest and say that Ive never actually bought a Soap & Glory skincare item on it's own. All of the Soap & Glory skincare products that I've tried have come from the Boots Soap & Glory Star Gifts. Buying a big gift set of products can be a bit hit or miss, but in this case I've been introduced to a gem. This is just a basic cream cleanser with a slightly weird - peach, menthol, mint smell. It's perfect on my oily skin and it's really easy to use, just massage a small amount over your face, then wipe away with either a damp flannel or muslin cloth or splash off with warm water, and all of your make up just wipes away, leaving your skin silky soft. I really like this cleanser and it's definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

2. Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipe Out Mask Dual Sided Pore Clarifying Mask x 1

This pore mask from Benefit Cosmetics is part of their ever expanding Porefessional range. It's basically a combination of a pore strip and sheet mask. All of the masks are packaged individually and to use them all you do is press the plastic bubble, to release the pore tightening liquid into the fabric like mask. Then you just open the packet and apply the damp mask, smooth side down to either your chin, your forehead or your nose, they you leave it for ten minutes before rubbing the remaining liquid all over your face with the rougher side of the mask. It smells slightly of menthol, and as you would expect it tingles ever so slightly on the skin. To be honest I haven't noticed any long term effects but I do have a few more of these masks to use up so I might notice a difference then but we'll see. What I can say though is after you've used the mask your skin certainly feels tighter and less oily. I definitely think that these masks would be great before an event or a party, or an occasion where you would want your make up to stay in place and for your skin to look more even and less oily. 

3. OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil - 15ml

My nails at the moment are really unpredictable, in the space of a week, they can go from long, hydrated and healthy, to dry, rough and broken. I'm persevering with the strengtheners and perhaps more importantly I'm trying to keep my hands and nails hydrated. OPI Avoplex is probably my favourite cuticle oil of all time, crammed full of avocado oil, it smells lovely, it absorbs quickly and it makes an immediate difference to the appearance of my nails. I love it and I will continue to buy it when I can justify it but at the moment I'm loving the Primark PS Cuticle Oil, which is nearly as good and retails at just £1 a bottle. Spend or save it's up to you, but they are both great products that can a real difference with just one use

4. L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml

Be it summer or winter, this product really is an all year round skin saviour. If you have dry skin, or itchy skin, or even if you feel that the skin or your body just needs a little bit of love, then this is the product that you need. The shower oil concept is quite a new one and L'Occitane one of the genres innovators, the product feels oily on the skin but add water to it and it turns into a creamy, lightly foaming body cleanser. You can also add to the bath for pampering, and moisturising soak. Oh and if you think that almond means marzipan, it doesn't - I hate anything that smells or tastes of bitter almond, and I love this, instead of the bitter almond scent you might expect instead this smells of slightly of apple, and warm vanilla with just a hint of nuttiness. This product isn't cheap but a little goes a long way, and I guarantee that once you try it you will never want to be without it x I've recently repurchased this from QVC UK thanks to a special price, and an easy pay offer that made it a bit more affordable, so I would definitely recommend shopping around if you do decide that you want this in your life x You can read a review of this product here x

5. RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active Hair Serum For Women - 30ml*

I was sent this product quite a while ago, as part of the full RESEED line which is specifically designed for women with thinning hair. This is the serum that you massaged into the hair to encourage hair growth. I've tried to eek this product for as long as possible because this is the one product in the range that really makes the difference. Unfortunately i do think that you need to use all of the products in the system together and consistently to see a real difference. You can read my review of the full system including this product here x

So they were my April empties x My aim as always for this month is to do better, and I hopefully want to try and finish at least one make up item in May x Are you doing something similar link me to your posts and channels below and of course if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in this post, then please leave me a comment x

*Sample 

Trimming My Stash - March 2017 Ediiton - Empties And Mini Reviews

I know I'm a little bit late with this post but as I seem to say a lot, better late than never. As I mentioned in yesterday's post Spring is most definitely here, we've left March behind and warmer and sunnier days on hopefully on the horizon.

2017 isn't turning out to be the best of years for me so far, and unsurprisingly despite the best of intentions, and plans to be more positive about things, March to put it politely was pretty rubbish. I did have a few good days, and a few good things did happen, so at least I have something to build on in April, and as I keep saying life is all about finding the positives, no matter how hard they might to find. Anyways before I move forward and spend another month facing life's ups and downs, it's time to look back a bit, and talk about my March beauty empties x

The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 60ml
NIP + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - 60 Pads
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 50g
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 300g
MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara - Black - 9g

Total - 7 Items

It's fair to say that I haven't had the best of starts to the year (surprise, surprise) when it comes to empties, finishing only 2 products in January and 3 in February. I really gave it my best shot in March though, and thankfully I managed to finish 7 products, blowing my previous yearly total right out of the water - Go me! As pleased as I was to finish 7 items, I was also really pleased with the variety of products, that I finished, I finished a nice mixture of skin care, body care, and make up products, in fact the only thing that probably missing was a hair care product.

1. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 60ml

I've spoken on many occasions about my love for The Body Shop's festive collections, and this Spiced Apple fragrance was one of their Christmas 2016 launches. I am a big fan of The Body Shop's shower gels, they always foam really nicely, and I don't find them drying and they don't leave me skin feeling sore or irritated. This is a particularly nice one, the Spiced Apple fragrance smells a little bit like apple pie with the sweet yet tart apple, and just a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and apple pie spices. I have to say I completely stocked up on all of The Body Shop fragrances in the sales so I have enough Spiced Apple and Frosted Berry fragrances goodies to last me till Christmas.

2. NIP + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - 60 Pads

From one slightly niche product, to one that has an almost cult status. I've mentioned before how much I love the feeling of acids on my skin and this is another one of those products that can make an incredible difference to your skin in only a few uses. Basically they are slightly textured, cotton / fabric pads that are infused with glycolic and hyaluronic acids, and witch hazel. I normally use them at night, and all you do is just wipe the pad over clean dry skin, and let all of the active ingredients do their thing. If you like Alpha -H Liquid Gold you'd probably like these, they have a bit more oomph than Pixi Glow Tonic, and they can make your skin tingle a bit when you use them but it's definitely worth it. The aim of these pads is to re-texturise the skin and add brightness, and in my experience that's exactly what they do. Even after just a couple of days of use, my skin looks clearer, my spots seem to fade and I don't look quite as tired and washed out looking. These are something that I would definitely consider buying again, but in the meantime I was very kindly sent a tub of the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Extreme Pads to try and I've also recently picked up a pot of the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Pads which are supposed to be a good, cheaper alternative. I will let you know what I think about both of these products in due course. 

3. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 50g

For a couple of years I really didn't get the hype surrounding cleansing balms, I was very much a cream, a gel and a foam girl. I always associate balm type cleansers with oil, and having a oily prone skin, I honestly thought that using an oily product on my skin would make skin greasier. It's a common misconception I guess, and it's one that I can officially debunk, I now get facial oils, and I now get oil based, balm cleansers. My favourite is without a doubt Emma Hardie's Moringa Balm, but this Elemis one is a very close second, and just misses out on the top spot due to scent. It actually smells really good but I find it quite intoxicating at times, it crammed full of good for you oils and waxes, and essential oils including rose, geranium, orange and lavender. I tend to use it at night and when I want to remove make up, all you is just massage a small amount all over your face, then add a touch of water to transform it into a creamy milk, remove it with a warm, damp muslin cloth or a flannel and then rinse it away. This stuff takes off every scrap of make up with ease - I don't tend to use it on my eyes because of the essentials oils but that's a personal thing, it literally leaves my skin glowing, and feeling super smooth. I actually have a few of these in my skincare drawer (thanks to several QVC offers!) but it's something that I would happily repurchase x 

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

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

Yup, items 4 and 5 aren't the most interesting, I've probably said everything about these wipes that I could ever say so all I'm going to add is that these wipes are amazing for clean ups in between swatch photographs, and the other day I took nearly 200 swatch photographs - A hint that maybe I have quite a few make up posts coming soon? - yes, I think so😉

6. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 300g

Another Spiced Apple item from The Body Shop, and by far my favourite product from the 2016 releases. Obviously it has the same fruity, spicy scent as the shower gel, only this time it's infused into an amazing sugar, body scrub. I'm not a fan of half hearted scrubs with finer than air grains, I love my scrubs to have a bit texture and whilst this wasn't a rough and scratchy scrub, the sugar grains were large enough, to make you feel as though you'd exfoliated. The sugar crystals were in a slightly oily base, which meant that this product was really easy to use, it was easy to rinse, and if left your skin feeling smooth and revived. Again I picked up a few of these in the sale, so again I should have enough pots to last me through till November / December time when this scrub will hopefully make a reappearance.

7. MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara - Black - 9g

Finally a make up item - okay it's a mascara not an eye shadow or a lipstick but it's still better than nothing. It's fair to say that my love affair with MAC Cosmetics is well and truly over. In the early days of this blog it safe to say that I and a lot of my contemporaries were MAC addicts, we knew the release dates of every single collection, we had our lists made ahead of time, and we knew almost to the second when the collection would launch online. I don't dislike the brand by any means and I still love a lot of their products, I just think that I reached saturation point, I was buying things for buying sake, not because I actually wanted them or I would actually use most of them. Looking back at myself now I could kick myself for how much money I used to spend every month purely on MAC. I've definitely learnt my lesson now and I only pick up things from the brand or ask for things that I really love. I'm not sure how long this mascara has been in my collection, but a few months ago I decided to open up the box and get it used. Innovative at the time and now much copied Haute and Naughty Lash basically offers you two different mascaras in the one tube. At first I thought it contained two brushes, but in fact a clever wiper system allows this mascara to give you two different effects in the one tube, a natural defined lash and something a bit more dramatic. I did actually quite like this mascara, the two effects were noticeably different, and it did make lashes look longer and thicker depending on how I used it. I did find it just a little bit clumpy though, and I did keep a lash comb and a cotton bud on hand, just in case, when I applied it. I'm not a 100% sure I would repurchase because of that but considering my experience with one of MAC's other mascaras Zoom Lash wasn't the best, this wasn't bad.

So they were March's empties, I'm hopefully going to keep up the good work in April and I'm going to try to at least equal March's total - Fingers crossed anyway x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned in this post, then please leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you x 

Trimming My Stash And A Life Update - August 2016 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Well the summer holidays are just about over, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or Frappuccinos in this case) are now back on the Starbucks menu, what does that mean? well it's September of course, and whilst I'm still praying for a lottery win or an Indian summer to get my sunshine fix, there is no doubt that despite the warm start to the week, autumn is on its way

Whilst I'm sorry to see the end of summer. I have to be honest and say I'm not particularly sorry to see the back of August. It was a pretty rubbish month in a lot of ways for me, culminating in a broken laptop, and a couple of screen free weeks, that I could seriously have done without. I'm now way behind schedule when it comes to blogging and You Tube and I have to admit that it's stressing me out a little bit! For once though I'm going to try and take my own advice and try to keep calm, and enjoy the creative process.

I've got lots and lots of posts and videos planned for the next few weeks, to try and bring myself back up to date, including some hopefully interesting reviews, and some hauls. If you like hauls, you need to make sure that your following my blog, and that your subscribed to my You Tube channel. I have a home haul, an ebay haul, specific shop hauls, and countless beauty hauls to come, including some items that I bought way back in May!

Since I have so many beauty items still to show you, I'm putting my Project 10 Pan plans on hold. My decision has nothing to do with the launch of Kat Von D into Debenhams later this month, and if you believe that you'll believe anything! ;). Seriously though I want a clean break and I can only do that when all of my beauty haul posts and videos are out of the way. I am definitely going to do it though and I'll let you know with a post and a video when I take the plunge and start my make up no buy. In the meantime though I've still be trying to use up as many beauty products as I can and here are the items that I finished in August.

Butter London Hand & Nail Creme - Mango Peach - 50ml
Sanctuary Spa Body Scrub - 50ml
The Body Shop Earth Lovers 100% Biodegradable Shower Gel - Apricot And Basil - 250ml
Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover - 100ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Nail Polish Twist Pot - 70ml
Rituals Fortune Scrub Sweet Orange And Cedar Shower Cream Scrub - 150ml
No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser - 200ml
Next Passion Fruit Coulis Shower Gel - 50ml
Total - 8 Items

July and August ended up being twins - I managed to finish 8 products in July and I managed to finish another 8 items in August. It wasn't a vintage performance by any means but I managed to finish a nice assortment of older body care items and one longstanding skin items so I'm still pretty pleased, and I'm already looking forward to improving my total next month.

1. Butter London Hand & Nail Creme - Mango Peach - 50ml

The first item that I finished was a product that I had pretty much forgotten about. I normally have about half a dozen hand creams on the go at once and this one was one that I'd pretty much forgotten about. I originally bought this from a site called Powder Rooms that I loved but it now appears to be offline. They sold all sorts of quirky brands and products and this hand cream from popular nail brand Butter London was just one thing that I bought from the site. It had quite a runny texture, but it was easily absorbed and it left the skin feeling silky soft. The biggest selling point for me though was the smell - the Mango Peach scent was literally mouthwatering. Unfortunately Butter London don't seem to sell their hand creams anymore but you can still buy their nail polishes and lip products from various retailers including Feel Unique and HQ Hair, and with their new UK website set to launch soon here's hoping that they bring this gorgeous smelling lotion back

2. Sanctuary Spa Body Scrub - 50ml

This is the first of several mini products in this post and it's another rediscovery. Like socks and selection packs, a Sanctuary Spa gift set from Boots used to be almost a mainstay under my Christmas tree. My tastes have changed slightly over the years but I can still appreciate this exotic scent and the familiar bright orange packaging. This body scrub is still one of core products in the Sanctuary line, and although the name has changed slightly, this micro bead free scrub, contains gentle, pumice stone particles, suspended in a patchouli and orange scented, essential oil filled foaming gel. I like this scrub and I'll happily use up the couple that I've found in my stash but that said I probably wouldn't repurchase. There are now lots of different scrubs in the Sanctuary line, and you should know by now that I love salt and sugar scrubs, so my favourite scrub from Sanctuary is actually their Hot Sugar Scrub which normally retails at around £12. Pricey but worth it for the circulation boost that the warming effect gives you. This one though under it's new name the Sanctuary Gentle Polish Body Scrub retails at a much more affordable £5.50 for a 200ml tube and this 50ml size retails at the perfect try me price of just £2.50.

3. The Body Shop Earth Lovers 100% Biodegradable Shower Gel - Apricot And Basil - 250ml

This is another rediscovered product and unfortunately it's another product that's been discontinued. The Body Shop Earth Lovers range was a range of 100% biodegradable shower gels. The packaging was biodegradable as was the shower gel itself, and it was also sulfate, paraben, colour and soap free. This one sounds a little odd fragrance wise but it just worked, the sweetness and fruitiness of the apricot, went perfectly with the peppery herbal hit of the basil. I personally found the formulation a bit watery but I did enjoy this fragrance.

4. Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover - 100ml

This was a product that I was sent to review from My Pure, and whilst I quite like it, I've got to say that in my opinion you can't beat a normal chemical filled (but acetone free) nail polish remover. This did what it was supposed to but it really struggled on anything with texture or glitter, and it was also better suited at removing one or two coats rather than a full manicure. You can read a full review here.

5. Primark PS Love Your Skin Nail Polish Twist Pot - 70ml

When these little pots first came on the market I had to admit that I wasn't a fan. I tried a few at several different price points and I was left feeling a bit mehh but now I get it I really do. This particular pot is just £1 and for me it's been a beauty life saver. I don't use them often to remove a full manicure but if you mess a nail up mid paint, then these pots are a quick and easy way to take your polish off without ruining the rest of your manicure. They also last for ages, and even when their effectiveness is starting to fade, just tip the polish remover out of the pot, and replace it with fresh remover, and you can get a bit more use out of it. Eventually though the sponge starts to disintegrate and you need to move onto a new pot. I already have a new pot and I will definitely be picking up another one.

6. Rituals Fortune Scrub Sweet Orange And Cedar Shower Cream Scrub - 150ml

Another one of these and I think that this particular full sized one came in a beauty box. I love the texture and that fact that you can use it wet or dry but it definitely isn't my favourite Rituals scent. I think it has a fairly unisex scent, with the tart, citrus of the orange, and the warm woodiness of the cedar. Nice product but I prefer some of the other Rituals scents. You can also read my thoughts on this product here x

7. No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser - 200ml

Although I don't use or buy this particular product regularly, it's one of those things that I seemed to have a few of. The reason being, that this was the product that I always bought when I they had the free No7 voucher offer on in Boots. It's a good quality, gently fragranced hot cloth cleanser, that takes your make up off quickly and easily, and it feels nice on the skin. Every time I use this I always ask myself why I don't buy it and use it more often, for me it easily rivals some of the more expensive and famous hot cloth cleansers out there, so if you're on a budget or if it's on offer, it's well worth a try or at least it used to be. Like a lot of things Boots seem to have to changed the name, it seems to be the same product but it is now called The No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser which retails at £9.95 for a 200ml tube. I really hope it is the same product and I will definitely be picking one up to try next time that I need a new cleanser.

7. Next Passion Fruit Coulis Shower Gel - 50ml

My shower product sorting continued last month and this was another rediscovery. This mini came from a limited edition Next Christmas gift set, that was themed around food fragrance beauty products. It had a thick texture and a pretty disappointing fruity scent. The name promised so much but for me it didn't deliver and even it could repurchase it, I wouldn't  :(

A bit of a mixed bag from me today I know, with a mini life update and an empties post, but it's good to share, and if you have any questions either on any of the products that I finished last month, or on anything else to do with me, my blog or my You Tube channel then please leave me a comment x Don't forget to follow me on all of my other social media channels via the links in the sidebar and I'll see you soon with a haul post x

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

Hey Guys x Happy Saturday x I hope you're all having a lovely weekend despite the rather changeable weather. It doesn't seem as though it can make it's mind up at the moment, one minute the sun is shining and the next minute it snowing - oh please can we have some decent weather for once! Probably because of the drunken weather I'm full of cold again, and my voice today resembles someone who has been inhaling helium - squeaky! I had planned to record a couple of videos this weekend but I'm going to have wait until I can talk properly, so instead of the haul post and video I had planned I thought I'd get my April empties post of nice and early.

It's hard to believe that it's the first of May tomorrow, but do you know what I'm not complaining, May is one of my favourite months of the year because it's my birthday month. I have to say that I'm not really looking forward to my birthday this year but it's always a chance to indulge in some new beauty products, so it important to start making a bit of room in my cupboards and in my drawers x

Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water - 250ml
Make Up Gallery Well Polished Cuticle Oil -10ml
Benecos Natural Nail Care Pen - 2ml
AVON Mrs Frosty Spiced Cranberry & Orange Bubble Bath - 250ml
Bumble And Bumble Bb Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo - 60ml
Benefit Bathina Touch Me Then Try To Leave...Cream - 140ml
Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g
Rituals Fortune Scrub Sweet Orange And Cedar Invigorating Body Scrub - 70ml
Molton Brown Eucalyptus Body Wash - 30ml
Total - 9 Items

I managed to finish 9 beauty products in April, including a sneaky one today to make April my best month so far. Again no make up but I managed to finish a skin product and lots of long standing body products including a few Christmas things.

1. Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water - 250ml

I finished this one today so it's a very late addition to April's Trimming My Stash list. I love my micellar waters especially when I'm in a rush or if I'm not feeling too well, so this one has been a godsend over the last month or so. This was a product that I chose for one of my regular My Pure reviews x I like it but to be honest my eyes don't, so personally I wouldn't go out and buy this one - it's a shame really as it's a decently priced, nasty and cruelty free product. You can read a full review here x

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

This is the first of two cuticle care product on this months list which probably tells you that my hands and nails are in a bit of a state at the moment. This one is from the Make Up Gallery range at Poundland, so believe it or not it was just £1 ;) For the price it's not too bad,it doesn't have any real scent and it contains Vitamin E and Sweet Almond Oil. It's not the most hydrating oil I've ever used but it's a nice cheap product, that you don't feel guilty for using liberally. I've got a few other cuticle products to use up but I've already bought another bottle.

3. Benecos Natural Nail Care Pen - 2ml

Another cuticle product and another product from My Pure. You can read a full review of this pen here. Given the dispenser and the texture of the product I think this is a great product for holidays and for your handbag but for me it just didn't seem to last that long for the price which was a shame

4. AVON Mrs Frosty Spiced Cranberry & Orange Bubble Bath - 250ml

Five products in and we've hit a Christmas product. This was actually a bubble bath that I got the Christmas before last. It was put away to be brought out at Christmas but what happened? Well the wet room happened didn't it, no bath and no more bubble baths. I'm trying to get stuff used up though so I pulled this out and I've been using it as a very bubbly shower gel. It had a slightly citrus, tart scent, and whilst the packaging looked very Christmassy, you could easily use it all year round. If you interested in trying this or picking up some very early Christmas pressies I have seen this in a recent AVON sale brochure x

5. Bumble And Bumble Bb Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo - 60ml

I was originally given a bottle of this in a kit from the lovely people at Bumble And Bumble, and I have to say I liked it so much that I went out and bought another bottle. It was a lovely, gentle conditioning shampoo that gave the hair a temporary plumping effect. I have quite a few shampoos to use before I consider buying anything but this is something I would definitely consider repurchasing despite the scary £23 price tag for the full size x

6. Benefit Bathina Touch Me Then Try To Leave...Cream - 140ml

This one product probably shows why I need to do something like Trimming My Stash. Benefit Bathina Touch Me Then Try To Leave...Cream has been discontinued for many, many years now, yet I still had a open pot and rather scarily a sealed, unused one (now opened ;). The thing is this one wasn't a full tub in fact there was only about 2 tablespoons left so needless to say when I rediscovered it I used it up pretty quick. This is so typical of me I use a product for a little while, then I move onto something else so I end up having loads of half finished products that I just seem to forget about - slaps wrists - I really need to start using things up when I open them! Anyways this was a lovely, rich body cream, that was delicately perfumed with Benefit's Maybe Baby floral fragrance. Long gone as I say but this Benefit Maybe Baby, Baby Be Mine set contains various products with the Maybe Baby scent including a body cream, which I suspect will be similar to this one x

7. Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g

Another Christmas product and one that I'm pretty sad to have finished. I loved the smell of this, apples, red wine and spices, yummy. The showers jelly are a bit of a pain to use at first but once you get the hang of them, they're really good fun to use. Resembling jelly, I find the best way to use them is to squish a lump, into a shower puff or shower scrunchie, hold it tight and then rub it over your body to produce a lovely creamy, sweet smelling foam. If you gave me a choice between shower smoothies, and the shower jellies, the jellies would win hands down and I have my fingers firmly crossed that Santa's Belly returns this Christmas.

8. Rituals Fortune Scrub Sweet Orange And Cedar Invigorating Body Scrub - 70ml

As you know I love my body scrubs and this one from Rituals appeared in one of many beauty boxes quite a while ago now. Thanks to some beauty boxes and some blog events I've been lucky enough to accumulate quite a few Rituals products now and whilst this isn't my favourite fragrance this was a pretty decent scrub and I'll be happy to use up the full sized one that I have in my scrub drawer. Add water to this gel based salt scrub, and it transforms into a lovely, pleasantly gritty exfoliating scrub, with a unisex, woody citrus scent.

9. Molton Brown Eucalyptus Body Wash - 30ml

Again thanks to blog events and goodie bags, I seem to have acquired a lot of mini bottles from British brand Molton Brown. Many years ago I was a regular Molton Brown customer but with changes in ownership and their temporary disappearance from QVC, I moved on to other brands. This product though has been and will be one of my most regular Molton Brown purchases. This is a travel size but even at £18 for the full 300ml size it's well worth it. It's not like showering with Olbas Oil or Vicks Vapour Rub instead it has a pleasant yet not overpowering  eucalyptus based herbal scent. It's a must have if you're feeling hot and bothered or a real essential if like me at the moment you're full of cold and feeling all yucky and congested.

So they were my April empties x Lots of bath and shower products but I did manage to get rid of a lot of long established and never ending products. Plans for May? well pretty much more of the same - I'm aiming for some more skincare products, and a few travel sizes, and maybe some hair things. Again I'm probably going to be holding off on the make up thing because Project 10 Pan is gonna happen probably from June onwards so I'll keep you posted  x If you've produced a recent empties post or video then link me up below x If you have any questions then leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x

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

Hey everyone x Welcome to the first day of spring and guess what a weather warning is in place for the North East for ice and snow! Well lets hope the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb is true and that warmer weather is on it's way.

Even with the extra day thanks to leap year February is still the shortest month and it's another one that I'm pleased to see the back of. From today though I'm going to try and think more positively and try to look forwards and focus on the good things in my life rather than the bad bits. Before I do that the I'm going to take a quick look back at February's beauty empties.

Evolve Tropical Blossom Body Polish - 30ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes
The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser - 200ml
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 50ml
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml
Cien Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 200ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes
Total - 8 Items 

It's only the 1st March and we've already got a positive, I managed to finish 8 items in February which is one more than I did in January. I didn't manage to finish any make up items but I managed to finish quite a few body care and skincare items, including a few things that had been lingering on, so all is good.

1. Evolve Tropical Blossom Body Polish - 30ml

When I was choosing products for my My Pure reviews why oh why didn't I chose the larger size of this scrub, I love it and I'm really sad that I've used it up. I love sugar scrubs at the best of times but the scent of this one took it up to the next level. A lovely combination of natural oils, and sugar with the most beautiful tropical floral scent. If you love monoi oil or  the fragrance of  the Elemis Tahitian Tiare line, or if you fancy been mentally transported to a tropical island, then you need this product in your life. You can read a full review here x

2, Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes

You're probably sick of seeing these in my empties posts but I seem to go through packets and packets of these. Last month I mainly used them for quick and easy swatch clean up, and the fact that I used two packets should perhaps show you how many make up posts I have coming up so if you love make up reviews you're in the right place!

3. The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser - 200ml

This was something that I received in a goodie bag when I attended an event at The Body Shop way back in 2014. You can read more about this product and the event here but this product is a real classic. This creamy textured cleanser has a lovely rose scent, it removes make up and dirt with ease and it leaves the skin feeling silky soft. I've really enjoyed using it and whilst I wouldn't repurchase at the moment, it's something that I would consider using again.

4.The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml

5.. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 50ml

It's 3 in a row from The Body Shop, and their Glazed Apple fragrance is something that I've fell in love with over the last few months. Whilst not traditionally apple scented, this a sweet, sugary, mouthwatering, fruity scent that I've really grown to love, so much so in fact that I may have even licked my own arm! Don't try this at home folks eating body butter isn't good and unfortunately it didn't taste as nice as it smelled. These were just mini sizes, and thankfully I have a few full sizes to use up. If anyone from The Body Shop is listening please bring this back next Christmas - pretty please!


6. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml

I've talked quite a bit on the blog about micellar water's and of the ones that I've tried so far, this was is by far my favourite. It removes make up with absolutely no effort and it's really economical - you get a lot of product and it isn't expensive. Would I buy it again? I already have x -

7. Cien Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 200ml

This acetone free nail polish remover is from Lidl's own brand Cien. I love the dispenser and it works without drying the nail but I just can't stand the marzipan, almond scent it leaves on the nails, so unfortunately I won't repurchase. I will however reuse the pump action bottle with my favourite Superdrug remover.

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

Blah, blah' blah - what else can I say about these - they're  cheap and they have tea tree in them.

So they were my February empties, here's hoping I can keep up the good work and finish even more beauty products in March and maybe even a make up item or two x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment xx