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

I don't know about you, but I'm finding it really hard to understand just where this year has gone! I'm sure I say this every year but the days, weeks, and months seem to go by way quicker than they did when I was a child, but here we are, it's now less than 6 weeks to Christmas, and I can now safely say that 2021 has been a bit of a fail.

For various reasons (mainly health related) I haven't achieved what I wanted to on either a personal or on a blogging level. So with the year hurtling towards a close, all I can promise is that I'm going to give it my all in the remaining weeks of 2021, and I'm going to try and post as often as I can, whilst at the same time trying my best to maintain my own, almost impossible to achieve, standards (being a perfectionist and never being happy with anything you do full on sucks!).

Although my Glossybox posts and my other more general reviews have gone up the spout, I have just about managed to keep my empties posts pretty much up to date -Shock of horrors I'm only 2 months behind, and today I'm going to make only 1 month behind by sharing my September Trimming My Stash post with you x 

L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
Cuccio Naturale Cuticle Revitalizing Oil - Lavender & Chamomile - 75ml
Bubble T Blueberry Hand Cream - 60ml
Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice Eau De Parfum - 30ml
L'Occitane Shea Butter Rose Petals Hand Cream - 30ml
Oh K! Bubble Sheet Mask - 1 x 23g Sheet Mask
L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml
Elysium Spa Avocado & Lime Sea Salt Scrub Body Exfoliator - 200g
Lush Yog Nog Shower Gel - 275g
You're Sweet! Exfoliating Cubes - Sweet Candy Exfoliating Cubes - 8 x 10g
eos Evolution Of Smooth Shea Better Hand Cream - Eucalyptus - 74ml

Total - 11 Items

At last I did it! After 3 months in a row of finishing a massive 10 items, in September in eventually managed to go one better, and finish 11 beauty products, making it my best month of the year so far! Alas no make up but a nice mix of body care products, with a few skin and hair care products thrown in for good measure.

1. L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

First up one of those products, where I bought into the hype, and unsurprisingly fell hook, line and sinker in love! There was a period of time, I think, earlier this year, when this stuff was everywhere, in magazines, on blogs, and on Instagram, and being the beauty junkie that I am I couldn't resist giving it a try.

You can read a little bit more on what it does and how it works here, but to put it simply, this stuff is amazing! Although it looks like water, it's super quick and easy to use, and it leaves your hair feeling softer, looking smoother and less flyaway and smelling gorgeous.

I don't use it every wash, only when I'm going to be blow drying my hair, but it really is a revelation and it's something that I will continue to buy.

L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water has an RRP of £9.99, and is available from the like of Superdrug, Boots, Amazon UK, and Look Fantastic. If you fancy trying it for yourself though, then it's worth shopping around a bit because you regularly find for around half price.

2. Cuccio Naturale Cuticle Revitalizing Oil - Lavender & Chamomile - 75ml

Over the last year or so I've mentioned quite a few cuticle oils from European professional nail brand, Cuccio (You can read me thoughts here, here and here x) but of all of the scents that I've used so far, this one is by far my favourite.

In the salon size, glass, globe like, angled base, dropper bottle, this gentle lavender scented nail and cuticle oil contains safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, and cotton seed oil, as well as lavender and chamomile extracts.

Perfect for bedtime use, this oil is lovely and hydrating, but without feeling overly heavy or greasy. I'm currently using another bottle of the White Limetta & Aloe Vera oil, and some pure jojoba oil on my nails and cuticles, but I will definitely be repurchasing this particular scent in the future.

This particular scent comes in a variety of sizes but this 75ml size retails at anywhere between £12.99 and around £8.95 from various retailers including direct from Cuccio, Nail Polish Direct, eBay and Amazon.

3. Bubble T Blueberry Hand Cream - 60ml

Next up another hand and nail product, and this time it's another hand cream from Bubble T, and it's the first of 4 hand creams in the post! Although I'd tried a few products from fruity, tea inspired beauty brand Bubble T, up until I tried the Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream that came in the February 2021 edition of Glossybox UK, I'd never tried one of their hand creams before.I enjoyed using the limited edition Peach Bellini version so much that I went out and bought another couple of hand creams from the brand, including this one.

Similar in texture and appearance, and performance to the previous hand cream that I'd tried, this one also contained aloe vera, and shea butter, and it had a sweet, fruity, almost bubblegum like grape / berry scent. Again it was a nice hand cream, it wasn't too heavy or greasy, making it ideal for everyday use.

This price for this particular hand cream seems to vary a little bit, but you can find it anywhere between £1.99 and £4 from various stockists including Amazon UK, Look Fantastic, Beauty Expert, and NEXT Beauty.

4. Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice Eau De Parfum - 30ml

For someone who loves fragrance as much as I do, it's been a long, long time since I featured a fragrance on the blog, and this one is a bit of an old favourite of mine.

This particular scent is another product that I remember there being a lot of hype about. I can't remember whether though the hype was due to the fragrance itself, or down to the cute heart, Vivienne Westwood logo, charm bracelet that came with each bottle. My bracelet lies forgotten somewhere in one of my many jewellery boxes, and despite the initial hype, it seems as though the fragrance has now been largely forgotten as well.

With notes of black rose, ylang ylang, violet and pink pepper, this warm floral scent always reminded me of a more grown up version of one of the most well known scents of the 80's and 90's Coty Exclamation!

I would definitely have considered buying another bottle of Naughty Alice, but alas it appears to have been discontinued, and whilst you may be lucky enough to find a reasonably priced bottle, all of the bottles that I can find on the secondary market seem to be on sale for around £100 a more, which unless you're a serious perfume collector, is quite frankly ridiculous. I loved you Naughty Alice but not that much!

5. L'Occitane Shea Butter Rose Petals Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up another hand cream, and it's the first of two luxurious products in this post from French brand L'Occitane. With 20% shea butter, this was one of their thicker hand creams, it had a rich creamy texture, and a heavenly, fresh, powdery, almost fruity rose scent.

It took a little bit of time to absorb, as most of the L'Occitane shea butter based hand creams do, but it left the hands feeling velvety soft, and delicately scented.

This particular L'Occitane hand cream, like so many that I feature on the blog, was a limited edition, but if you're after a rose scented hand cream there are currently a few different ones on the L'Occitane website, which retail at around £8 for a 30ml travel size like this one.

6. Oh K! Bubble Sheet Mask - 1 x 23g Sheet Mask

From hands to face, but no space - the next item on September's list is a skincare product and it's a sheet mask from Korean inspired brand Oh K!  Now we're all familiar with ordinary paper sheet masks but this one is just a little bit different, it's a bubble sheet mask!

Containing willow bark extract, this serum soaked mask reacts with the oxygen in the air to create tiny bubbles which exfoliate the skin, and help to reduce the appearance of pores.

The instructions say to squeeze the packet before you open it, to make sure that the serum is evenly distributed throughout the mask. The mask itself is made from charcoal fibre, which in itself can minimise pores, and purify the skin. Given the charcoal the mask is quite dark in colour, and although it's of a good thickness, and good quality, the dark colour does make it a little bit tricky to unfold because you can't really see the folds very well.

Before

With a pleasant green, herbal scent, almost as soon as you apply it you can start to see and feel the bubbles forming both on top and underneath the mask.

On Application

It initially felt quite cool on application, but as the oxygen reaction started to do it's thing, almost immediately you started to feel a tingly, tickly, popping sensation, that continued as the bubbles grew!

After 10 Minutes    

The instructions advise that you leave the mask on for at least 10 minutes, and for no longer than 15 minutes, so I left it on for around 10 minutes, before peeling it off. Immediately after removal, my face was covered in a layer of bubbly, foam.

Straight After Removal

After rinsing my face with warm water as instructed, and then patting my skin dry, my face looked a touch pink, but it looked very clean, and clear, and it felt almost squeaky clean!

After Rinsing 

I really love just how clean my skin feels after using bubble masks like this one. I know a lot of people aren't keen on the tingling and prickling sensation, but I love it when a product actually feels as though it's working, and after all who doesn't like impersonating a cloud with all of those lovely bubbles!

The Oh K! Bubble Sheet Mask retails between £4 and £4.50 and is available direct from Oh K! as well as from Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, Boots, and NEXT Beauty.

7. L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml

Next up yet another hand cream, and this one is without a doubt one of my favourite hand creams of all time and you can read a little bit more about it here x 

Although I'm not a huge fan of honey, this hand cream had a warm sweet scent, cut through with just a hint of citrus. Team that comforting scent up with L'Occitane's rich and decedent hand cream texture and in my eyes you have a winner!

Alas this one has now been discontinued as well, and sadly this was the last large tube that I had left - Thankfully, I do still have a tiny, tiny little tube so I'll be able to enjoy this scent for just a little bit longer.

8. Elysium Spa Avocado & Lime Sea Salt Scrub Body Exfoliator - 200g

Now if you're a regular reader, you'll already know that I'm partial to a bargain. I love high end beauty products as much as the next blogger, but lets be real, in these current confusing times, sometimes we just don't have the money for a proper splurge, and even though prices have risen across the board you can still find a beauty bargain if you look hard enough.

If you live in the North East, or Yorkshire, then you might be lucky enough to have a Boyes store near you. Never the most organised of shops, Boyes sells everything from hardware, to craft supplies, clothing, miss matched china, and of course health and beauty products. I'm lucky enough to live quite near to a store but I've got to say that I don't actually go in that often, but I really should. I went recently and picked up a super cute 2022 diary, and a pile of beauty bits including a rainbow Wet N' Wild highlighter, and this body scrub.

I was really pleased to see a whole range of products from a brand called Elysium Spa. I'd previously tried and really liked a lavender shower gel from them, and as well as picking up the eucalyptus shower gel that I'd been looking for, I thought I'd try one of their body scrubs - there were a few different ones to choose from but I went for the Avocado And Lime Sea Salt Body Scrub.

Containing sea salt, sweet almond oil, jojoba butter, avocado oil, and lime oil, it came packaged in the cutest little screw top tub / bucket. The scrub inside was pale yellow in colour, and it resembled slightly damp table salt that you can just about clump together with your fingers.

I don't know quite what I was expecting scent wise, but I think I was probably expecting it to have a little bit more of a fruity scent. In reality though it actually reminded me of a fresh unisex, or even aftershave, cologne like scent.

Use wise, it was pretty simple, you just needed to grab a handful, and massage it over damp skin. It wasn't rough or scratchy, but you definitely feel as though you'd given your skin a thorough exfoliation - like all salt scrubs it did sting a bit on cuts and scratches (the perils of cat ownership!) so I wouldn't use it directly after hair removal but it wasn't too bad. Being predominantly a salt scrub it rinsed away really easily and it dissolved straight away leaving no mess in the shower and super soft, smooth skin.

I can't remember whether this was a £1 or just 99p, but either way it was a bargain, and I'm definitely going to try some of the other scents and formulations in the future.

9. Lush Yog Nog Shower Gel - 275g

From a scrub to a shower gel, and it's one of Lush's festive offerings. Containing maple syrup water, clove bud oil, and ylang ylang, Yog Nog not only looks beautiful with its shimmery, gold finish, but it also smell amazing! Officially described as caramel scented, for me it has more of a spicy, sweet, burnt caramel, almost honeycomb scent! Use it in the shower, and both you and your bathroom will smell mouth watering.

I know that Lush is famous for Snow Fairy, but if you haven't tried Yog Nog yet you really are missing out. I shouldn't really be buying anymore shower products but I will definitely be picking up another bottle this festive season.

This 275ml size retails at £12, you can also a 100ml taster bottle for £6, and a huge 550g bottle for £20. It isn't cheap but you need such a tiny amount, it lasts for ages.

10. You're Sweet! Exfoliating Cubes - Sweet Candy Exfoliating Cubes - 8 x 10g

From a sweet shower product, to a sweet body exfoliator, and it's another bargain buy, this time from Poundland. Basically what this was, was a tube of about 6 large, varying sized pale pink sugar cubes. Like the Sunday Rain ones, you take a cube, dampen it, crumble it and then use it on damp skin as a body scrub.

With a subtle but sweet scent, these cubes were way less dense and compact than the Sunday Rain ones, and they felt a lot coarser on the skin. I also felt that I needed to use a couple of these for a full body exfoliation, compared to usually just one of the higher priced ones.

To be honest I think that cubes like this are a bit of a gimmick, yes they are great for travel and they're a bit of fun, but surely it works out more economical just to buy a tube of body scrub?

As I say they were a bit of fun but I probably wouldn't repurchase these particular ones. I can't remember if I paid £1 or £1.50 for these but if you're interested check out your local Poundland.

11. eos Evolution Of Smooth Shea Better Hand Cream - Eucalyptus - 74ml

Finally another hand cream, and it's another one that you've seen before, this time from eos. You can read my thoughts on this one here x I think that this was another Poundland buy, and I would definitely buy another one if I came across it again. I love the true eucalyptus scent and I think it's especially great for this time of year when so many of us are feeling bunged up and snotty.

If you can't find it in Poundland then you can find it online for around £4.99 from Look Fantastic, and HQ Hair, and for around £4.13 from Amazon UK.

If you've made it to the end - Thank You!! That was a pretty epic empties post, so if you have any questions on any of the numerous products that I featured in this post then please leave me a comment below x 

As you can probably see from my sidebar, October in comparison was a bit of a fail trimming my stash wise, but that means that I should be able to get my post up a bit quicker this time round - every cloud as they say! Never mind I've got a few days of November left now, so fingers crossed I can improve my total this month.

Thanks for reading and I will seen you soon with another post xx

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

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

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

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

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

Total - 7 Items

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

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

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

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

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

2. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic -100ml

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

** Press Sample 

Trimming My Stash - August 2020 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A Life Update*

I've been reading a few bits online lately about how to write a blog post, well if you're me start with an apology! I've been trying to practise a little bit more self care recently and cut down on the apologies and the guilt trips, but again I'm sorry for the lack of posts but I've been taking a little bit of time out to work on that self care thing.

Seeing as though another lockdown seems to be increasing likely, I decided to bite the bullet and go and get my eyebrows done, and do a little bit of shopping. Despite the inability of some people  to wear a face mask correctly (COVER YOUR NOSE!!!) I felt pretty safe, but I've got to say that some of the joy that I usually experience when I head to somewhere like Intu Metrocentre seemed to be pretty much non existent, hence I didn't got too crazy and I only bought a few treats and a few essentials (check out the highlights section on my Instagram page, and click into Instahaul 3 and scroll through to see some of the bits that I bought x)

The fun aspect though just wasn't there, and I very much doubt that the carefree experience is going to return in the near future. With local restriction in Co Durham increasing on almost a daily basis, and a ban on meeting people outside of your household, it's a stressful and scary time. My beloved godmother is 90 next month and the thought of not being able to help her celebrate, or even not being able to spend Christmas with her, fills me full of so many emotions that I really don't want to think about it. My fingers are tightly crossed that people stick to the new rules and that things will hopefully get better.

So my eyebrows look great, but like so many people I'm worried about the future, and the what if's, cue lots of self care, and some distraction techniques, including plenty of cat cuddles, some sorting, some decorating, and some blogging.

Before I continue on with my late Glossybox unboxing's and reviews, I thought that I would share a couple of other posts with you including a really interesting nail polish brand discovery, and my August beauty empties.

Cuccio Naturale White Limetta & Aloe Vera Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml
Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml
Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque -125ml
Kocostar Slice Mask Sheet - Watermelon - 12 Slices - 20ml

Total - 5 Items 

After the highs of June and July, August's total of 5 items was a bit of a disappointment, but with only 4 months of 2020 left, I'm still in with a chance of equalling or even bettering last years total of 67 items. No make up yet again (I haven't been wearing it that often) but I still managed to finish a good assortment of skin, body, and hair care items.

1. Cuccio Naturale White Limetta & Aloe Vera Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml

As the mini glut of nail posts will probably tell you (including another one scheduled for tomorrow), my nails are actually pretty decent at the moment. To combat all of that washing and sanitising, I've been applying OPI Nail Envy regularly, as well as copious amounts of cuticle oil and hand cream.

Like I mentioned in my July empties post, I've been trying out a few different cuticle oils from US born, professional nail brand, Cuccio. In July I finished a mini bottle of their Pomegranate and Fig Cuticle Revitalising Oil, and in August I finished a mini bottle of their White Limetta & Aloe Cuticle Revitalising Oil.

In the same mini glass bottle with a brush applicator, this runny green / yellow oil contains a variety of natural plant oils including safflower, sunflower seed, cotton seed and vegetable oils, as well as aloe vera, lime, lemon peel, and bergamot extract.

It has a lovely green, slightly citrus scent that reminds me a bit of a mojito! It's a really nice oil to use, it's lovely and hydrating, without sticky, heavy or overtly greasy. I really enjoyed using both of the oils that I tried from Cuccio, but this one was my favourite, so I actually went out and bought it in the 75ml salon size. If this scent isn't for you Cuccio produce a wide variety of scents in this formulation, and they also come in several different sizes from various retailers including direct from Cuccio, and Nail Polish Direct. This particular size is great for both the product and the scent, it comes in a few different sets but you can also buy it on it's own for between £2.95 - £3.95.

2. Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml

Next up another product that I mentioned in my July empties posts, and as well as being another hand and nail product, it's also fitting in National Honey Month to talk about the Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream.

As I've said before I'm not the biggest fan of the smell of honey, but if you feel the same as I do, don't let that stop you trying out this honey hand cream. Containing around 76% organic ingredients, including sunflower seed oil, Brazil nut oil, sweet orange oil, vitamin E, camellia extract, propolis extract and honey, this hand cream is also paraben, and GMO free. It also contains synthetic fragrances or colour, and it's both cruelty free and vegan.

Slightly off white in colour, it has a thick and creamy but slightly greasy texture. It has a nice workable texture and it's easy to apply and to massage into the skin.

It takes a little while to absorb though, so it's great for overnight use. I've been slathering it all over my hands and popping a pair of gloves on for a really intense treatment, but if you only apply a small amount you could use it during the day if your hands are especially dry. After it's completely absorbed, the skin feels silky smooth and the hands look noticeably more hydrated.

As I say if you're not a fan of honey based scents then don't worry, I doesn't smell at all sickly, there is warm background sweetness to it, but the more noticeable scent for me is a citrus, sweet orange juice scent.

Not only is this a really nice hand cream to use, but with every purchase you're also helping to protect the humble bee. Without the bee it would be almost impossible for humans to survive, so for every purchase from Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely range, they will donate 3% of all of their sales to various bee charities who help protect bee populations across the world, including Bees For Development which is based in Ghana.

The packaging has changed slightly since I acquired this particular tube but it's still the same product inside, and a 50ml tube retails at around £10. The hand cream and all of the other products in the Bee Lovely range are available from a variety of retailers including direct from Neals Yard Remedies, John Lewis, Waitrose, and Look Fantastic.

3. John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml

Now would you believe that the next product is yet another item that's related to something that appeared in July's list? Well it is, and it did - it's the matching conditioner to the John Frieda shampoo that appears in July's countdown.

Designed to enhance the appearance and prolong the life of red tones in the hair, the shampoo was nice but it's the conditioner that really makes the difference. Again containing pomegranate extract and Vitamin E, as well as European plum extract, the conditioner is designed to infuse red tones into the hair and hold in moisture.

After washing with the Radiant Red shampoo, you apply the dark, pinky red cream to wet hair. My hair is a few inches longer than shoulder length, so I've been using a good sized glob (technical term ;). All you do is massage it through the hair and then you leave it for anywhere between 3 and 10 minuted depending on the desired affect before rinsing it out.

It has the same fruity, floral scent as the shampoo, and it has a lovely creamy, easy to apply texture. It takes a little bit of rinsing but it leaves the hair smooth and shiny. It doesn't make a huge difference to the red tones in my hair as it's currently quite a dark red, but I definitely think that it's helped my colour to last a little bit longer, especially when my full head of hair was coloured in a red tone.

I've already repurchased both the shampoo and conditioner and I'll continue to do so as long as I have red tones in my hair. Like the shampoo it's not that widely available but the best places to find it seem to be Boots, Amazon and in larger Tesco stores where it retails between £6 - £6.99.

4. Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque -125ml

This next item was a recent rediscovery - I was sorting out some of the bathroom drawers, and I found this tube of face mask at the back, and I decided to create some space by using up the dregs in the bottom.

I first purchased this face mask in 2016, after being invited along for a complimentary Kiehl's skin consultation and facial treatment, after an Intu Metrocentre Style Garden event. I subsequently bought a few of the products that were used during my treatment and this was one them.

I've had a real issue with visible pores and an oily t-zone, and this mask really helped to control my oily patches and to make my skin look smoother and my pores less visible. You can read a full review of it here but it's something I would definitely consider repurchasing. Understandably since 2016, the price has gone up, by nearly £6 in fact, and a 125ml tub now retails at £27.50 from various retailers including Kiehls, House Of Fraser, Feel Unique, Debenhams, and Space NK.

5. Kocostar Slice Mask Sheet - Watermelon - 12 Slices - 20ml

Finally another mask, and this time it was a more recent acquisition, and it was a sheet mask from Kocostar. This quirky mini watermelon mask came in the July 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here.

It was a fun mask, and it had a lovely fruity scent but I just don't think my skin liked it that much so I probably wouldn't repurchased.

So there you have it, a very late August empties post. With only a few days left of September I've already beaten August's total but fingers crossed I can maybe add another couple of items before Wednesday ends. As per usual if you have any comments on any of the products that I finished then please let me know xx

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

 

Right, as promised, after another slight delay it's July empties time!

Beautaniq Beauty Guardian Angel Revitalising Eye Gels - 1 x Pair - 3g
Neutrogena Pure Glow Daily Cleansing Cushions - 22 x Dual Textured Cushions
Primark PS... Love your Nails Pump Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 150ml
Cuccio Naturale Pomegranate & Fig Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Shampoo - 250ml
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml
AVON Senses Romantic Garden Of Eden Shower Gel - 500ml
Neal’s Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml

Total - 8 Items

Alas I didn't manage to equal or surpass June's total of 9 items, but I was pretty damn close and I managed to finish 8 beauty products in July. Again no make up (I haven't really been wearing that much lately), but again I managed to finish a nice mix of body, skin and hair care items, and again quite a few hand and nail related products.

1. Beautaniq Beauty Guardian Angel Revitalising Eye Gels - 1 x Pair - 3g

First up a product that you may have already seen in my recent review of the June 2020 edition of Glossybox UK. You can read a full review of these under eye gels in that post, but to sum up, I liked them - the glittery angel wings looked super cute, they left my under eye area feeling really cool and refreshed, and they contained no animal ingredients, and they are suitable for vegans.

The one drawback is that they are a tiny bit pricy, with a single pack of gels retailing at £4.59, direct from Beautaniq, but they are a nice treat especially when the weather is as warm as it's been over the last the week or so.

2. Neutrogena Pure Glow Daily Cleansing Cushions - 22 x Dual Textured Cushions

The first thing I want to say about this next item is please don't judge me on this one, this is probably the most embarrassing item that I think I'll ever show you in one of these posts but please hear me out!

These babies are old! From what I gather that they were discontinued in the UK at least 8 years ago now! You know how it is though when you love a product and it's discontinued, it sucks! So when these pads disappeared from shelves I stocked up and bought about a dozen boxes from eBay, and from local discount store. You know me though I'm not always when it comes to products so I used the majority of them up, and then I moved on to other things, and pretty much forgot about the last two boxes. I recently rediscovered them though and as they were still sealed, and looked and smelled fine I decided to use them up.

They were basically a form of cleansing pad, think a large fibre round with two different textured sides. One side had a textured beaded / raised dot side - this is for gently exfoliating and cleansing the skin and the other side had a softer feel, and an almost striped appearance, this side is meant massage the skin, and to add moisture.

There is a little finger pocket in the pad so you just add some warm water, and start off my massaging the exfoliating side all over you face, followed by the massage side. The water and the massage action produces a gentle, creamy, slightly fruity smelling foam. Then you just rinse you face as normal and you skin is left looking clean, and fresh, and feeling super smooth.

I'm still to this day gutted that they discontinued these, which slightly outweighs the embarrassment that I feel for holding on to them so long. They weren't classed as a liquid so they were great for travel, as a quick and easy alternative to wipes. I still have around half a box left so the embarrassment will continue for a little bit longer, but I know I'm not alone in hoarding discontinued products for way longer than I should so please let me know if you have any ancient products in your stash that your still using and leave your product confessions in the comments x

3. Primark PS... Love your Nails Pump Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 150ml

My blog contents have varied quite a lot of the years, as I've gotten older and my life and tastes have changed, but some posts have remained pretty constant over the years including regular nails of the day posts. I love nail polish but nails of the day posts have been a little bit thin on the ground recently due to the god awful state of my nails. Thankfully though after a lot of cuticle oil, hand cream, and liberal applications of OPI Nail Envy, I actually have nails again, so I have lots of nail posts coming up including some nails of the days, and my foray into gel nails.

If you paint your nails regularly though, then you need to remove your polish properly, so I went into my nail stash and grabbed the first bottle of nail polish remover that I came across, and it was this half finished bottle of nail polish remover from Primark's PS... range.

I think what attracted me to this remover was the bottle and to be honest that's its major selling point. The liquid itself has a typical, chemically nail polish remover scent, with just a hint of fresh fragrance. It was decent, like all acetone free removers you needed to work at it a bit but it removed even the darkest shades without too much, strangely though it didn't seem to struggle a bit with just OPI Nail Envy, but I just used the soak the cotton pad and wrap method. I didn't find it drying or particular moisturising or greasy, but it did the job. For just £1 I likes but it still didn't surpass my holy grail, the Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover (you can read my thoughts on that here).

That said though I am going to decant my Superdrug remover in this bottle. The bottle is exactly like the pump action bottles that you often see in nail salons. You just press you cotton pad down, and the polish remover comes up and soaks your pad - no mess, no fuss, and much less chance of spillage.

I know you can buy these pump action bottles online and to be honest if my decanting idea doesn't work that exactly what I'll be buying. To sum up okay polish remover, excellent packaging.

4. Cuccio Naturale Pomegranate & Fig Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml

Next up another nail product and this time it's a cuticle oil from professional nail brand Cuccio. 

As much as I love OPI Avoplex, the price has shot up, and as much as I love Primark's cheap as chips cuticle oils, I was running low during lockdown so I ordered a few new cuticle products to try including a couple of new oils from Cuccio.

The first one I tried was this dinky little bottle of pomegranate and fig oil. Containing natural antioxidant pomegranate extract, and naturally moisturising and Vitamin C fig extract, as well as sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cotton seed oil, the size of oil contains a brush applicator. The translucent pale pink oil has a slight fruity scent, and thin oil texture, it isn't sticky or too greasy or oily IYKWIM. It absorbs into the skin really quickly and it seems to have made an immediate and long term difference to my cuticles and nails.

I was so impressed with this, and the other Cuccio oil that I bought, that I've gone on to buy the 75ml salon size in the other scent. I bought this particular bottle from Nail Polish Direct for around £2.95, but they have loads of different scents and better value sizes. You can also find Cuccio's full range of cuticles oils on their own website and you can also find some products on Amazon.

5. John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Shampoo - 250ml

Although the colours and end results have all been slightly different, on my last few visits to the hairdressers, I've recently been embracing the red. If you've had any form of red hair dye on your hair then you'll know how quickly it fades, and dulls down. One of the best ways of keeping that vibrance though is to use a colour boosting shampoo. I've got to say red colour boosting shampoos aren't that easy to find any more, but eventually I found the Radiant Red range from John Frieda in Boots.

Formulated again with pomegranate extract and vitamin E, the range is designed to preserve and enhance the red tones in the hair. With a translucent red, gel like appearance this shampoo has a gorgeous fruity, floral scent. A small amount produces a lovely creamy foam, and it left the hair feeling soft, clean and shiny. It's really good on it's own but for the full colour boosting treatment you really need to use it alongside the corresponding conditioner.

I'm probably going to talk about the conditioner in August's empties post but I definitely think that using the two products together regularly helped my colour stick around for a little bit longer. Like a lot of people I had over 7 months between hairdressing appointments and bar some root growth, and few greys coming few your could still see the red tones especially with the sun shining on it. I know just have the odd red streak in my hair, but I'm definitely going to keep using this range on a regular basis to keep it looks shiny and vibrant. 

The range isn't that easy to find, the only retailers that I can find are Amazon, larger Tesco stores, and on Boots; Each product retails between £6 and £6.99, but I've been buying in Boots where it's usually on 3 for 2. 

6. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml

The next product is a skincare product that I've mentioned before in a couple of empties posts - the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner. You can read my thoughts on it in this post, but this is a product that I really like, it's a good alternative to pricier glycolic products if you don't fancy going down the dupe or copy route. It contains glycolic acid / AHA's from mulberry and kiwi fruit, as well as lemon extract and witch hazel. It's designed like most of these toners to re-texturise and brighten the skin; It feels a bit tingly on application but it really helps with improve the smoothness of my skin, it makes it look more even and it's great for clearing up, drying out and preventing blemishes. The one slight drawback is the aftershave, herbal type scent but I have another bottle to use and it's definitely something that I will consider repurchasing in the future. The price has gone up so it's now £6.99 for 100ml bottle but it's nearly always on some kind of promotion such as buy one get one free, or buy one get one half price.

7. AVON Senses Romantic Garden Of Eden Shower Gel - 500ml

One of my biggest gripes with AVON is the fact that they keep discontinuing things that I like. Thankfully though this product isn't one of them, it seems to be a regular stock item and for that I am grateful.

To put it simply this shower gel smells beautiful, its full name is Garden Of Eden Exotic Fruits And Basil Shower Gel. This translucent pink shower gel smells fabulous, it has a really fruity scent with a slight green aniseed hint thanks to the basil, it's a lovely a refreshing, and it foams nicely without leaving the skin feeling dry or tight, and it's really affordable. I've already bought another bottle but if you fancy trying it yourself this 500ml size retails at around £1.50 with the 250ml size retailing at around a £1, direct from AVON or from your local AVON representative.

8. Neal’s Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml

Finally a little bit of a cop out, I mentioned in my last empties post that 2 of my current favourite hand creams combined citrus and honey scents, well this is second one. I recently rediscovered another tube of this one which I think was also either a beauty box or a magazine freebie, and since I'm now nearly half way through it, I thought that at the risk of repeating myself I'd just hold off and write a full review of this orange and honey hand cream in my August empties post instead, so other than saying I like you'll have to wait till next month for a full review x 

So they were my July empties, so near, yet so far! I'm not holding out much hope that I'll reach 8 or 9 empties in August but we'll see, I'll keep at it and who knows? As per usual let me know if you have any questions on any of the items that I finished then please leave me a comment x I love reading your thoughts and feedback so don't be a stranger x 

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