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

The hot weather in the UK this week has kind of messed up my plans a bit - Although it's currently chucking it down with rain, on the whole it's been way to hot to shoot the make up looks that I need for my next two Glossybox unboxing posts so I've decided to post my May empties this weekend instead.

Primark PS...It's All Good Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Delhicious Hello Beau-Tea-Ful Exfoliate & Glow Original Black Tea Body Scrub - 100g
AVON Foot Works Expert Exfoliating Foot Mask 1 x Pair - 2 x 20ml
Poundland #6 Limited Edition Gold Anti-Ageing Woven Face Mask - 1 x Woven Sheet Mask
L'Oreal Paris Nutri Oil Nails & Cuticles - 5ml

Total - 5 Items 

I was really pleased to finish 8 items in April, and I was hoping for a similar result in May, but alas it wasn't to be and I only managed to finish 5 items. Still it was better than nothing and I did manage to finish quite and interesting mix of products, including one bottle, a few packets, a few sachets, a few wins and one big fat fail

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

If you were to look back through all of my previous trimming my stash posts, I've probably finished more packets of these wipes, in their various incarnations, than any other product. As I've said on many occasions I don't use them that often on my face, but I find the tea tree scent and tea tree in general very clean, and refreshing, so I've mainly used this pack for general freshening up, and also for cleaning up my hands and arms in between swatch photographs.

I only have one more packet of these wipes left, and as useful as I find them, I don't think I'm going to be rushing off to Primark to buy some more. They are really handy for when you're on the go and for holidays, and I'd definitely consider buying some more in those circumstances, but at home I could just as easily use a muslin cloth, or a reusable cotton pad rather than use a wipe that has to go into landfill. 

2. Delhicious Hello Beau-Tea-Ful Exfoliate & Glow Original Black Tea Body Scrub - 100g

Next up a sachet, and this was a lovely natural, vegan and cruelty free body scrub that I received in the September 2019 edition of Glossybox UK. You can read a full review here but I really like this scrub. it contained black tea, brown sugar, Himalayan pink salt, almond oil and Vitamin E. I loved the citrus scent and the grittiness of this scrub. It left my skin feel super soft, smooth and toned but it was very messy and the tiny tea particles seemed to get everywhere, so if like me you have a wet room, then be prepared to do a bit of extra cleaning. If you can deal with that though this is a really nice scrub, and even though Mummy Lou wouldn't necessarily approve I would definitely consider buying it again. This scrub retails at around £7.95, and it's available direct from Delhicious and from Fragrance Direct.

3. AVON Foot Works Expert Exfoliating Foot Mask 1 x Pair - 2 x 20ml

From something that I loved to my fail of the month. I love foot masks, not quite as much as I love a good body scrub but yeah I like them a lot. Thanks to some nice inherited thyroid problems my feet always feel and look dry. I have to scrub them with scrubs, pumice stones, and foot files, and slather them in moisturiser, just to keep them looking even vaguely presentable. Every now and then though I like to give them a bit of an extra treat, and treat them to some sort of foot mask.

There are two different types of foot mask on the market, plastic booties that are designed purely to add moisture to the feet, and socks that contain some sort of acid based solution, to literally make the dry skin on your feet just peel off.

These AVON socks fall into the latter category, they contain glycolic acid, and aloe vera and promise a salon like 'foot peel' callus treatment, which is designed to exfoliate soften and smooth the skin on the feet.

The packet contains 2 plastic socks and 2 adhesive strips to hold them in place. The socks are sealed so you need to carefully cut along the line so you can put your feet inside. Each sock contains a fibre lining and liquid solution. They are very wet and you need to be super careful not to spill the liquid. The liquid itself has a clean, fresh, slightly astringent scent.

They are really simple to use you just pop the socks onto clean, dry feet, and then you seal them securely with the adhesive strips. I take a size 8 in shoes, and I found the booties very loose, so I could really have done with a few more adhesive strips to tighten them and to hold them in place - I should really have put a pair of socks or slippers over the top to keep them in place and to be able to move around a bit more easily.

The socks feel exactly like you think they would, slippy, cold, soggy and wet, but after a few minutes they did seem to warm up slightly and you could feel a slight tingling sensation especially on the tops of the feet. As I say you could put some socks or slippers on over the top if you wanted to walk around a bit but I took the opportunity to sit down and rest for an hour.

After an hour you take the socks off and rinse your feet in the warm water. The tops of my feet did look slightly red, and the soles of my feet did look slightly wrinkled as though they'd been soaking in water. 

There were no real instructions as to what to do next so I just did what I've done in the past with similar socks, no moisturiser, no picking, and lots of foot soaking, and then I just waited, and waited, and waited, but nothing happened! There was difference in the moisture levels of my feet, and unlike every other pair of similar socks that I've tried there was no drying and no peeling! I used these socks nearly 2 months ago now and I'm still waiting for something to happen!

The skin on my heels especially is still very dry, so there was definitely skin to come off so that definitely wasn't the problem - I just don't think that the solution in these socks was strong enough to make any real difference. I've a look at the small print on the packet and apparently you can use these socks every 1-2 weeks, compared to once every few months with similar products so I definitely think that the strength of the glycolic / AHA's has something to do with it. These socks are available from your local AVON representative or online for around £5 but take my advice and give them a miss, and try another brand instead.

4. Poundland #6 Limited Edition Gold Anti-Ageing Woven Face Mask - 1 x Woven Sheet Mask

From a foot mask, to a face mask, and this one is from Poundland's high end inspired #6 skincare line. This limited edition gold anti-aging woven sheet mask, is suitable for all skin types, and it's suitable for vegans. Designed to fight visible signs of ageing, it contains Vitamin E, aloe vera, and a special blend of herbal extracts including rose geranium, bamboo lily, and golden camomile.

The first thing I noticed was just how wet this mask was, the sachet was nearly half full of a clear, barely scented, viscous liquid, there was so much of it that I actually rubbed it all over my body and my next. The mask was quite tightly folded but it felt pretty sturdy, one side was comprised of a gold plasti feeling foil, and the other side was made of a white fibre. As well as the obvious holes for the eyes, nose and mouth, there were also some folds, which I think could have been there to help the mask contour to the fact. It's a good idea in theory but it actually meant that I couldn't get the mask to lie flat.

Like most sheet masks, it feel very cool on the skin, and it also felt and looked very wet. The excess fluid from the mask ran down my neck, and into my eyes and nose for the full 15 - 20 minutes.

As you can see from the picture below my skin was left both feeling and looking very wet. I rubbed as much of the excess liquid as I could into my skin, but it still took around 10 minutes for it all to absorb, and even then it still felt a touch sticky.

Although there wasn't too much of visual difference, my skin felt a little bit plumper, and a bit more hydrated. It did feel nice and refreshing on the skin and it would be a really nice treat if you were on a budget - This mask is a limited edition so I'm not sure if it's still available but if you can find it, it is just £1.

5. L'Oreal Paris LA Manicure Nutri Oil Nails & Cuticles - 5ml

Finally another Poundland purchase, and it was a nail and cuticle oil from L'Oreal Paris. I don't always have time to look through the purple packets containing branded make up that Poundland often sell, but every now and then you can really find a gem. There is no real writing on the bottle and to be honest I can't find out too much about it. Apparently it contains a blend of 11 nutritive oils and vitamin derivatives - I've no idea which ones though, and it was designed to improve the appearance of the nails, and leave nails and cuticles nourished and more elastic and to help prevent breakages and flaking.

It was a nice cuticle oil, with no real scent, it was hydrating and moisturising, but it wasn't too heavy or greasy.

I can't find this oil on either the Boots or the Superdrug websites so I think it has possible been discontinued. I can only find it on eBay and Amazon, and on discount beauty sites like Fragrance Direct and Beauty Outlet. It has an RRP of £5.99 but it seems to be selling for around £2.99 so I think that I got a bargain.

So I didn't finish that many products in May but I did finish a few interesting bits. I've already finished 7 products so far in June, and fingers crossed I might be able to add one or two more in the next few days x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned then leave me a comment below, and don't forget to link me up to your empties posts or videos x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

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

I'm late again but it's empties time! The never ending house sort out continues, and as result I've found a few bags and boxes of beauty things that I'd forgotten about. I've found some press samples, so I've got lots of new reviews coming up, and I also found another box of shower and body products, so I've got more products to use up than I thought - argh!

The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Scrub - 250ml
Femfresh Ultimate Care Soothing Wash - 250ml**
Superdrug Shower Foam - Orange & Satsuma - 150ml
Patisserie De Bain Caramel Whip Hand Cream - 50ml
Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes
AVON Naturals Kids Bursting Berry Body Wash & Bubble Bath - 250ml
Primark PS... Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Mask - 10ml

Total - 8 Items

Never mind, I've found a few interesting products, and I had my joint best month of the year so far, when it comes to trimming my stash. In August I managed to finish 8 items, which puts August on par, with both March and April. Although I didn't manage any nail or make up products again, I did manage to finish quite a few body products and a couple of skincare items, and a few things that had been hanging around in the bathroom for some time.

1. The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Scrub - 250ml

First up a long gone, Christmas edition from The Body Shop, and would you believe the last body scrub in my beauty stash bar something that you'll see in an upcoming Glossybox unboxing. I can't believe it, I've actually used up every single scrub in my collection, and considering I had about 7 or 8 at some point, I think I've done bloody well, the only problem is I'm now going to have to go out and buy a body scrub too, so if you have any recommendations for something then please let me know x

I'm quite sorry to say goodbye to this one actually, The Body Shop Exfoliating Sugar Scrub is probably one of my favourite formulations when it comes to body scrub. If I'm being really picky, I prefer a slightly grittier formulation but I still like it, I'll definitely repurchase this particular products in either a permanent scent, or in a limited edition scent.

Frosted Berry, as I say was a festive scent from a few years ago. It had a lovely, slightly tart, fruity, berry scent. It won't be long now before we find out what the 2019 festive scents from The Body Shop are going to be. I'm hoping beyond hope that we're going to get another apple based scent, but I've heard whispers that there might be a pear based scent that I'm already super excited to smell, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

2. Femfresh Ultimate Care Soothing Wash - 250ml**

Talking of rediscovered press samples, I've just discovered a few more products from Femfresh in a box I'd forgotten about - me bad! Quite a while ago now I was sent a package of washes and wipes including this one.

Now as you know I can take or leave, specific feminine washes, and wipes, but at certain times of the month they can be really useful especially when you've got some highly scented or sparkly products in the shower.

This pH balanced product is both dermatologically and gynaecologically tested, and contains probiotics, and cranberry extract, and is designed to soothe and cleanse the intimate area.

Texture wise it's a cross between a lotion, and a cream wash, it doesn't have any really scent, and it doesn't really foam that much. It felt comfortable, and non drying, and it's something that I would feel comfortable using all over the body.

The packaging seems to have changed slightly since I received mine but the product and the ingredients seem to be the same. This product retails at around £3.65 from various retailers including Superdrug and Boots.

3. Superdrug Shower Foam - Orange & Satsuma - 150ml

When I first lost my bathtub I went on a quest to find products that made showering a more pleasant, and pampering experience, and one of the products that I've come to love is a shower foam. It doesn't matter what the brand is, loads of foam and bubbles just makes showering a more pleasurable experience.

This one was from Superdrug's fruity range. The dispenser was a little bit stiff so it wasn't the easiest product to dispense but a little bit of pressure produced a lovely moisturising, creamy foam, with a lovely citrus scent that transported back to eating orange ice lollies, when I was a child. It was nice and easy to rinse off, and since you could also use it as a shaving foam it's a real time saver.

Alas this product appears to have been discontinued but Superdrug still seem to do a Fruity Orange & Satsuma Shower Gel that has an RRP of 99p for 250ml. So I'm assuming and hoping, that it smells the same, and it's something that I'm definitely going to pick up in the near future.

4. Patisserie De Bain Caramel Whip Hand Cream - 50ml

Apologies for the photo, but in between finishing this product and photographing it, I lost the other half of the tube! Now I've had a little look through the blog, and I can't find any previous reference to this hand cream, so whilst I originally thought that I got this in an advent calendar, I must have received it in a subscription box.

If I'm honest I'm not quite sure what's going on with Patisserie De Bain as a brand at the moment. It's the little sister brand of Yorkshire based beauty company Rose & Co but recently it seems to have disappeared from their website, and with products from Patisserie De Bain recently appearing in Poundland, it does make you wonder if at least some of the range has been discontinued .You can still find the odd thing on various websites including Superdrug and Fragrance Direct but I can't find anything in the Caramel Whip scent.

This was a really good night time hand cream, it had a slightly sticky, thick, rich and creamy texture, that took a while to absorb and as a result worked perfectly with cotton gloves as an overnight treatment. It had a lovely sweet, slightly sickly, burnt caramel, sugar scent.

As I say I've had a quick look online and I can't find this particular product anywhere, so if you fancy trying it, ebay might be your best bet.

5. Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes

Next up an item that I received in the April 2019 edition of Pink Parcel. You can read my full review here x They were decent wipes, all be it with a slightly odd tea tree, and fragrance free scent but for what I use wipes for I probably wouldn't repurchase. I'm actually trying to cut down on the amount of wipes that I use anyways so I will just stick to my favourite Primark wipes for now.

6. AVON Naturals Kids Bursting Berry Body Wash & Bubble Bath - 250ml

Even though I'm in my forties now I can't resist cute, and I also can't resist anything fruity or berry scented, so no I don't have a secret child I just occasionally use products from the AVON kids range.

This was a thin translucent, blue purple gel, that you could use either as a bubble bath or as a shower gel. I don't have a bath so I just used this as a shower gel, and it produces loads of creamy bubbles. I'm not sure what berry it was supposed to smell of but it definitely had more of a grape like scent that reminded me a bit of grape bubblegum!

AVON are always discontinuing products and scents so it's not really that surprising that I can't find this particular scent in the latest brochure or online. There are still plenty of other fragrances available though including Playful Pear, Groovy Grape, and Swirling Strawberry. They are retail at a very pocket friendly £1.50 for 250ml so you can afford to treat the little ones or yourself.

7. Primark PS... Cuticle Oil - 10ml

I think that this cuticle oil is probably one of my most finished beauty products over the last couple of years. It's super cheap (£1 a bottle!) and it does the same job as some of the more expensive brands. It's a product that I will definitely continue to repurchase - I've only got about half a bottle left so I think I'm due a Primark trip to stock up - watch this space!

8. Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Mask - 10ml

Finally another product from a subscription box, and this time a face mask from the July 2019 'Holiday Haul' edition of Glossybox. I've already written a full review of this mask which you can read here x It was a nice mask and it's definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

So there we have it my August empties x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've finished please let me know in the comments x August was a good month for empties so here's hoping that I can do even better in September x

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links 
**Press Sample

Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - April 2019 Edition - City Breaks*

Long time no speak guys, I'm sorry for the mini hiatus but things have been a little bit hectic in LouLouLand over the last week or so, with a new addition (post coming soon x ), and a huge fatigue flare but I'm back and raring to go with a very late unboxing of April's Pink Parcel.

I know I seem to say this every month but changes are again a foot at Pink Parcel, in the last few weeks I've received 3 or 4 emails from Pink Parcel, and from the CEO of Pink Parcels talking about up and coming changes to the service. The biggest change seems to be a change in the price, from June not only will the price of the box increase but there will also be an additional charge for post and packaging. I'm not 100% sure about what the price changes on all plans will be and what the P&P options will be so I'll let you know when I get June's parcel and then hopefully all will be revealed.

I can't say that I'm that impressed with the whole price increase thing especially since the box has been so hitty missy lately but hopefully it will be a guarantee that things will get better. A new revamped website is due to launch on the 20th May and hopefully that will be just the start of a few positive changes.

As well emails about the price rise, and the new website, I also recently received an email from Pink Parcel about the box design, well it seems as though that is changing as well. In a bid to go more eco friendly, over the new few months Pink Parcel will be using up all of their old style Cosmopolitan and Betty Boxes before the launch of a new, both eco and user friendly box later this year. Again we'll have to wait and see what happens but as I've said on many occasions I would love a box that i can reuse so here's hoping Pink Parcel are listening|!

Anyways on to April's box - again this was an all pads box and again I only received 23 items in  total. They've definitely cut back on the amount of sanitary products in the box but as I've said before I usually have a lot of stuff in back up so it isn't really a big deal for me but if you have heavier or longer periods then I don't think you can rely on just your Pink Parcel any more. I really hope that this is a concern that Pink Parcel take on board. As nice as the Wants box is, the majority of people probably subscribe to Pink Parcel because of the sanitary protection and if you still need to go out and buy some then it kind of defeats the purpose the box. I've ordered a mixed tampon and pads box for May's delivery so I'm curious as to how many items that I'll get this month.

As much as I probably get Pink Parcel for the convenience of getting sanitary protection delivered to my door, it is the Wants box that I really look forward to, and thankfully April's was a good one. The theme of April's box was City Breaks, and all of the products inside were perfect for either when you're on the go, or for a bit of me time before you go away.

Laritzy Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Tidal - 3.1g - Full Size - RRP $20 / £20

First up an item from a company that seem to be a bit of a subscription box staple, Laritzy. I've tried a dew now including the fab Dew Pot from the March 2019 edition of Glossybox (read my post here) and some pencils but I can't recall trying any of their lip products before.

To the best of my knowledge Laritzy are either a US or a Canadian brand, that are vegan. a 100% cruelty free, and paraben free.

April's Pink Parcel contained one of two shades of Laritzy's Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, which is a long wear, highly pigmented, matte liquid lip colour. It's water resistant, non drying, and all of the shades adapt to your own individual skin tone. The shade that I received is Tidal, which is described as a Deep Mauve, but I definitely think it has more than a little hint of berry to it.

The first thing you notice is the taste and scent, it has a very coconut, vanilla type scent. The texture itself is very creamy, and because of the slanted sponge doe foot applicator it's quite easy to apply, because of the colour and the texture though you need to be a bit careful when you apply it avoid a smeared, bleeding jammy doughnut type finish.

After a moment or two though the creamy glossy finish gradually disappears leaving at first a semi matte, and eventually a true matte finish. As it dries you can feel a slightly tightening of the lips, but it isn't uncomfortable. Once it dries down there is hardly any risk of smearing or transfer - the colour stays put.

Despite the long wear and the matte finish I didn't find this that drying. Like all matte lip products it emphasised my lip lines, and the odd dry patch but it certainly didn't make my lips any drier. As I say the wear time was excellent and it faded fairly evenly - Even after countless cold drinks and salad with an oil based dressing, the outline was still strong and my lips were still covered in colour. 

It comes across as quite a deep berry shade on me, and it's a shade that I wouldn't normally wear but I do think that it works, not so much now if your a stickler for brights for the spring and summer, but come autumn and winter I think that this shade would be simply perfect. This product comes in loads of colours though so even if this shade isn't for you then I'm sure you would find something that would work for you on the Laritzy website.

INC.redible Be Shore To Shine Nourishing Sheet Mask - 1 Sheet Mask - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £5

Next up a face mask, and every Pink Parcel in April contained 1 of 3 sheet masks from Nails Inc's beauty brand INC.redible. The mask I received in my box was crystal mermaid themed, and is specifically designed for tired skin. Containing seaweed, soy bean, and hyaluronate, this mask aims to nourish, energise, rejuvenate and soften the skin. I haven't had a chance to try this yet . but you can read my thoughts on another of the INC.redible masks here, and of course I'll let you know in due course what I think about this one. I can't find this specific mask online but the rest of the sheet masks in the  INC.redible range retail at around £5.

Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber - Full Size - Est. RRP £5.17 - £5.19

Now I used to be a bath person, and to be honest if I still had a bath in my house I probably still would be, but now finally I get showers, they aren't really about relaxing their designed to get you clean as whistle in a matter of minutes. When it comes to showers I switch my products up all of the time but something that remains constant it my shower scrunchie, or body puff or dougal or whatever else you choose to call that ball of scrunched up net. It does exactly what I want it to and it's easy to clean just stick it in the washer every now and then and if it falls apart they're cheap enough to replace. Thing is though they probably aren't the most eco friendly of items, so that's why I was pretty pleased to receive something just that bit different in April's Pink Parcel. 

Made in North America the Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber is clinically allergy and dermatologist tested, and it's environmentally friendly. The foam inside the scrubber is soy based which helps increase the foaming and effectiveness of any shower product. 

The scrubber itself features a slightly more abrasive side which features a cotton base layer, and nylon exfoliating loops, and a slightly gentler side with a cotton handle, and a cotton based towelling finish. The scrubber also features smart technology which lets you know when you need to replace you scrubber. In the picture below you can see a label which says "It's Me Time" - the writing on the label will gradually fade as you use the product until it completely disappears after around 90 days of use so you now when it needs replacing x

I haven't had a chance to use this yet but I do like the whole more eco friendly concept, and the quicker and simpler way of exfoliating. If you fancy trying one of these for yourself then you can buy one direct from Daily Concepts or from Amazon UK

Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £3

Now I've had a few of these Merci Handy gels in the Flower Power fragrance already from various subscription boxes mainly the new defunct My Little Box UK, but I've never tried this particular fragrance before.

When I see the word cherry on a beauty product, it normally turns me right off, I hate bitter almond and a lot of cherry scents so I normally avoid them like the plague but thankfully this scent is more inspired by cherry blossom, so it is in fact a pleasant but quite strong floral, perfume type scent.

Just a small amount of this alcohol based gel, which contains eco friendly emollient pearls, cleanses and freshens hands, without leaving them too wet, dry, or sticky. The scent does linger with this particular one so it probably isn't ideal if your going to eating or preparing food but it does the job and cleanses your hands without water. 

The Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry comes in a pocket friendly 30ml bottle, and retails at £3. It's available from various retailers including direct from Merci Handy and Skinnydip London.

Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes - Full Size - RRP £2.99

There are two things that I normally keep in my handbag - hand sanitising gel, and some form of face or wet wipes, and April's Pink Parcel included both. 

Dr Organic are a UK natural based beauty brand, none of their products are tested on animals and they are all free from parabens, SLS, synthetic colours, DEA, phthalates, petroleum, glycols, mineral oil, silicones, and GM ingredients, and this particular product is also vegan.

Contains bioactive and organic, tea tree and aloe vera, these wipes are designed to cleanse, revitalise and refresh the face and hands.

Officially described as fragrance free they do have a slight tea tree scent combined with that slightly strange aroma that fragrance free products often have. These are a thick decent quality wipe and they are very wet to the touch. I haven't used these on my face but I have been using them to freshen up my hands and to clean make up swatches and as you can see the results even on a long wear product like the Laritzy lip colour, are pretty impressive.

These wipes retail at around £2.99 a packet and are available from various retailers including Holland and Barrett 

Fiat 500 For Her Eau De Toilette - 2ml

The final beauty product in April's Pink Parcel was a fragrance, and as I've said on many occasions I love trying out new scents so receiving a little perfume vial in a subscription box in my opinion is as good a way as any to try something new with very little risk.

Now we all know that Fiat are a famous Italian car manufacturer but did you know that they've now branched out into fragrance? Well they have, and I believe that Fiat 500 is their first female scent. The full size fragrance comes in a striking car bumper design bottle but here we just have a mini spray vial.

I don't know about you but I can normally tell within a few sniffs whether or not I'm going to like a fragrance, and I liked this one straight away. There was something that drew me to it and there was something that smelled quite familiar but what was it? I used it a couple of times and then I realised what it was - the Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Peppercorn Hand Therapy cream that I received on Day 19 of last years Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar (read my review here).

It doesn't smell exactly the same but every time I've sprayed it or worn it, the first thing that I can smell is one of the key top notes of pink pepper, combined with the fruitiness of mandarin and lychee, then throw in two of my other favourite scents gardenia and jasmine, and it's no surprise that this one was a winner. It's fresh, yet warm, floral and spicy all at the same time.

My one complaint is that it didn't seem to last that long on me but never the less I would still consider buying the full size in the future. It comes in both a 50ml size which retails at around £29 and a 100ml which has an RRP of around £39, and it's available from various retailers including Debenhams.

Seed And Bean Organic Fine Dark Chocolate Sweet Orange And Thyme - The Little One - 25g - RRP £1.20

Ah Chocolate! No matter how much chocolate that I consumed over Easter there is always room for more, and this bar was a nice contrast to all of the sickly milk and white chocolate that I consumed over Easter. Seed and Bean are a 100% organic, British brand who produced a fabulous range of high quality chocolate, with some unusual flavourings. 

This particular bar is vegan and contains 58% cocoa, it's also palm oil free and the packaging including the foil is full compostable. This was a gorgeous rich dark chocolate with a nice citrus kick, and herbal green notes of thyme. I don't think this flavour will be for everybody but if you like the taste of Earl Grey and more adult citrus tastes then this could be something to try. This sized bar retails at around £1.20 and is available directly from Seed and Bean, and from various other retailers including Amazon UK

t+ Multea Lemon & Peach Green Tea + Vitamins - 1 x Tea Bag - 2g

Finally the drink and another regular brand for Pink Parcel t+. From the same stable as Vitabiotics, I've had a few different tea bags from this brand now and thanks to Mummy Lou I still haven't managed to try any of them yet, maybe this will be the one! It's basically a lemon and peach flavoured green tea bag that contains vitamins B12, C and Folic Acid. It retails at around £3.49 for 15 tea bags, and it's available from various retailers including Tea Plus direct and Amazon UK

So that was April's Pink Parcel, and despite the promise of change and the usual gripes, this was a pretty decent box, the value was certainly there and I'll use all of the products inside. What will May's box bring we'll well see x Let me know your thoughts in this box in the comments x

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

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

I don't know about you guys but at the moment I think I'm in the middle of a pancake coma! Gluten free pancakes aren't the easiest thing to master but thanks to a slight tweak to Gizzi Erskine's famous recipe, pancakes have been made (you can see some pics on my Instagram if you want to see how they came out x) and consumed, so I'm now feeling a little bit full and a bit lethargic, so I'm going to apologise in advance for how this post might comes out lol

I'm finding it all a bit scary though that we're in March already, it doesn't seem two minutes since Christmas, and what with the relatively warm for the time of year, temperatures, it seems like we've bypassed winter altogether. Only joking it's actually forecast for snow this weekend, but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from, yet again the months and years are flying by!

February was a busy month for me, as well as dealing for a seeming never ending fibro, and CFS flare, as I mentioned in my last post, I've also been having a bit of a sort out and a bit of a change around in my room. As well as binning a few bits that were passed their best, I also discovered a whole box of beauty products that I'd completely forgotten about! but hey what's one more boxful of goodies, when you already have about a dozen to use up? It's only made me even more determined to keep on using things up, and of course to stick to my philosophy of buying less and using more. 

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bod Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask - 15ml
AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml
Natura Rose Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 22ml
Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream - 50ml
Tea Tree Daily Use Cleansing Facial Wipes - 25 x Wipes

Total - 5 Items

When it comes to trimming my stash though, February wasn't the best of months. Although I was one up on January's total I still only managed to finish 5 items. As I say I binned a few bits and pieces but because I didn't actually use them up I can't count them, so no make up items, and no haircare, and instead a nice but small mix of skin care and body care products.

1. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bod Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask - 15ml

Now first up a products that I acquired sometime last year through the FEELUNIQUE Pick 'n' Mix scheme. I don't use it all the time but it does give you a good opportunity to try try some sample sized products before you buy the full sizes. Every month you can pick 5 samples from an extensive list of skin, body care, fragrance and make up minis for only £3.95. Your samples are delivered straight to you door, and the £3.95 that you paid, can be redeemed against any future purchases from FEELUNIQUE. As I say I don't get one every month but if you keep checking back your can sometimes pick up some real gems.

A lot of the samples are in sachets but I was lucky enough on one occasion to get this good, travel sized tube of body scrub. From the same stable as the almost cult status, Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. This scrub isn't just a daily exfoliating body scrub, it's also a detoxifying body treatment mask. 

Containing, Amazon river clay, rice bran wax, coconut oil, cupuaco seed butter, acai fruit oil, henna, basil, turmeric, and crushed Brazilian quartz crystal, you can either use it like you would a regular body scrub by massaging it in to damp skin, or you can use it on the body as a treatment mask, simply apply it dry skin, and then leave it for 5-10 minutes until it sets, and then add warm water, and massage into the skin before rinsing the excess away.

The first thing you notice about this is the colour, probably thanks to the turmeric and henna, it's a bright mustard yellow with very small blue, green particles suspended, in an almost clay face mask kind of consistency. After the colour the next thing you notice is the smell, officially described as pistachio and salted caramel, it has quite a strong perfumed scent, I'm sure I get those particular notes from it but it is very tropical and very summery.

To be honest I just used it as a body scrub, and whilst this kind of cream based formula isn't my favourite body scrub consistency I did actually enjoy using this. It wasn't the scrubbiest of scrubs that I'd ever used but it did the job. I don't know about it making me beach ready but my definitely felt cleaner and smoother.

This isn't the cheapest product out there at around £21 for 160ml but I wonder definitely consider not only buying the full size but also trying the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, and the rest of the range in the future. You can buy the full range from various retailers including FEELUNIQUE, Cult Beauty, Selfridges, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols.

2. AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml

Now I'm a bit of a fan of micellar waters, and out of all of them that I tried two from AVON are definitely in current my top 5. I'm a huge fan of the AVON ANEW Anti-Aging 3 in 1 Cleansing Water and at the moment I'm loving this particular one from their True Nutra Effects range.

Basically micellar waters contain an ingredient called micelles which basically act like magnets to remove all of the make up and impurities from the skin. This particular one also contains AVON's unique active seed complex which contained both vitamin E and chia seed. Designed to gently remove makeup from the face, eyes and lips, it's suitable for sensitive skins and it's allergy tested and paraben free. 

It always surprises me how unassuming micellar waters look and this is one is no different. With no real scent and a water like, clear appearance, you don't expect miracles, but this one removes every trace make up without redness and even with my super sensitive eyes only a tiny bit of watering!

I don't use micellar waters all of the time, but when I'm lacking in spoons, or pushed for time, I often use them for a quick morning cleanse, or for a super quick make up removal or night time cleanse. Whilst some skincare aficionados questions their use, for me they are good alternative to wipes when it comes to speed and convenience. I'm currently trying a few other micellar waters out so it might be a while before you see another one of these in an empties post but I do occasionally order one or two when they are on offer. The 200ml size has a recommended retail price of £4 but depending on the brochure you can sometime make some decent savings. This particular bottle is the 400ml double size, it isn't a regular stock item but you do see it every now and then.

3. Natura Rose Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 22ml

I've already briefly talked this mask in my January Pink Parcel unboxing (click here to read it, if you haven't already) but now I've had a change to try I feel I can say a little bit more about it x 

From Beauty Pro's vegan friendly line, this sheet mask contains extracts of lavender and rosemary and rosewater, and it's designed to calm, and hydrate the skin, and to soothe irritation, and minimise redness.

My skin is a bit all over the place at the minute, with spots, redness and dry patches so I thought I'd give this a go. The first thing I noticed was just how wet this mask actually was, it was literally dripping, with an almost water like scented solution. I expected to have a rose scent but it actually had quite an aromatherapy / herbal based scent, with unusually just a hint of baby powder. Because it was so wet, I had to lie back and properly relax for 15 minutes to stop the excess liquid running down my neck!

After the 15 minutes was up there was still quite a bit of liquidy residue on my skin so I helped it along it's way and started to massage it in to my face, and neck. It was a touch sticky, at first but the majority of the liquid did eventually absorb into my skin. When it had absorbed it my skin felt cooler and fresher, and it definitely looked brighter and clearer.

It wasn't the most hydrating mask that I've ever used buy it was a nice treat for tired, dull skin. The mask retails at £4.95 and is available directly from Beauty Pro and the Pink Shop.

 

4. Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream - 50ml**

As a blogger I'm sometimes lucky enough to be invited along to blog or press events, and something that you often get is a goodie bag. Now I know that I didn't buy thing and I know that I've never received it as part of a gift with purchase so the only place that I think it could have come from is in a goodie bag, which one? I have no idea, but I thought I'd better be safe than sorry and mention it's potential origins ;)

Anyways because of thyroid issues I do have very dry feet so I'm always on the look out for new miracle, foot care products, and in particular foot creams that don't smell of mint. I not the biggest fan of minty aromas so anytime I can find a foot product with them is a bonus. Containing cashew nut, Shea butter, arnica, myrrh and thyme, this cream has a fresh herbal type scent.

It has a a creamy, non oily texture, but it's not too thick, so it's quite easy to massage it in to the feet. Because it isn't the thickest of textures it absorbs into the skin quite easily, and because of the arnica extract it does leave them feeling less achy, and tense. 

When it comes to foot creams though my feet need a products with a bit of a bite and unfortunately this didn't quite cut the mustard. It's a good everyday cream but if you have very dry skin, you might be better off with a more hydrating, intensive treatment. The full 125ml size retails at around £25 at Clarins concessions and online.

5. Tea Tree Daily Use Cleansing Facial Wipes - 25 x Wipes

Finally a packet of face wipes, and unusually they're not my usuals from Primark. I originally bought these in B&M for £1 for 2 packs of 25 wipes, but they are also available in Poundland. I already finished one packet, back in September (read my thoughts here), and after finishing the second packet last month my opinion hasn't really changed.

Yes they contains tea tree, but they also contains peppermint, and as a result they have quite a strong menthol, minty based scent, which I found slightly irritating on my eyes and skin. I ended up using these for swatch removal and in my handbag as almost hand sanitising wipes. They were pretty good for that but in future I think I'll stick to my old favourite Primark wipes.

After all of that concentration and contemplation I think the pancake overdose is subsiding, ah the relief, anyways they were my February empties, the aim is to do better in March but if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment below x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

**Came In Blog Event Goodie Bag 

Happy Birthday LouLouLand And Trimming My Stash - January 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Surely there is no doubt in anybodies mind what a cake with candles means? A birthday of course! and whilst my own birthday is still a few months away, today is my blog's 12th birthday!

I can't quite believe that I've been sharing my thoughts with you for that long, as much as I love writing and blogging, I wouldn't still be here 12 years later if it wasn't for you guys. I haven't been the best or most consistent blogger over the years, but I've kept at  it and I'm still here rambling on and sharing my life and loves with you all, so I want to thank you all for all of your support and interactions over the years. I know that your time is precious, and that there are so many blogs out there that you could read, yet you choose to read mine, thank you x I really do appreciate every view, like, comment and share x 

As I've said before in 2019 , I'm going to try and pay back all of that support by trying to be a better and more consistent blogger. I have lots of posts planned, including  lots of reviews and a few giveaways, so I hope that you'll stick around for the foreseeable future, and maybe even for another 12 years ;)

Despite a promise to be a little bit more consistent, this post is a little late but does it really matter? I don't think so, so let's just get on with it x Now something that I've done for quite a few of those 12 years now, are my monthly Trimming My Stash posts. If you're a new reader, basically I have too many beauty products, and whilst my spending, and hauling has definitely slowed down of late, a few years ago now I decided to try and finish as many products as I could every month, and to keep a running total of just how many beauty products I could finish in a year. In the early days I just used to post a list but nowadays I go into a little more depth and share some mini reviews of all of my finished products

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads - 60 Pads
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 250ml
Primark PS... It's Oil Good! Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

Total - 4 Items 

Looking back at last months total, I've got to say that January 2019 wasn't the best of months. I only managed to finish a paltry 4 items, including a couple of shower and body products, and a couple of skincare items, but 4 products is sill better than nothing, and in all the years that I've been doing this I've definitely had worse months x 

1. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads - 60 Pads

First up a skin care product from Superdrug's hugely popular Naturally Radiant range. The screw top jar contains 60 fabric cleansing / toning pads. The pads are quite small and thin but they are double sided, and each side has a slightly different textures. The pads are soaked in a mixture of glycolic acid, fruit AHA's, aloe vera, and pro vitamin B5 and are designed to remove dead skin cells, and leave the skin brighter and fresher, all you do is wipe over the pads over cleansed skin, using the slightly rougher side, and then the smoother side.

Now I'd never tried these before, but I'm a firm fan of the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner (read my thoughts here) and the solution that these pads are soaked in is pretty much identical. It has the same herbal / aftershave type scent, and they produce the same slight tingling sensations on the skin. My results after using these were also pretty similar, my skin looked clearer, my pores were less obvious and any hormonal spots that I had dried up really quickly.

So in theory I should love these as much as the toner, well despite having pretty much identical results I don't love these quite as much. The pads themselves are quite small and then, and although I love the different textures, I ended up using several pads to do my face and neck where as with the toner I only needed to use one cotton pad. I also found that no matter how tight the jar lid was, the pads still seemed to dry out, so much so in fact that the last couple of pads were pretty much bone dry.

I think these are great for travel but I definitely prefer the liquid version. If you fancy trying these though they have an RRP of £5.99 but Superdrug often have offers on their own brand skincare, so you can usually get them either a bit cheaper are are part of a multi buy offer x

2. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 250ml

Next up the first of two items from The Body Shop Spiced Apple festive collection from 2016 / 2017. Whilst my heart really belongs to their Glazed Apple range from 2014 / 2015, Spiced Apple also went down in history as one of my favourite ever holiday scents from The Body Shop.

It's just so mouthwateringly, edible, and combines the sweet, yet fruity tartness of apple, with cinnamon, and warming spices - it really is American style apple pie in a bottle! It does smell slightly strong in the bottle, but mix a small amount with water and the scent really comes to life as the gel produces a mountain of creamy bubbles.

Alas there were no apple based scents in The Body Shop 2018 festive inventory but fingers crossed they make another appearance in 2019, till then though I have a few bottles and tubs remaining to keep me clean and apple scented throughout 2019.

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

Now if you are a new reader, be prepared to see these quite regularly in my monthly empties post, I buy them in multiples, and they are a regular fixture in my beauty and hygiene routine. i don't tend to use them on my face that often but I do use them for general freshening up, cleaning make up packaging, and for cleaning up swatches after photographing make up swatches.

Containing lots of antibacterial tea tree, you can get these wipes in Primark at just £1 for 2 packs of 25 wipes.

4. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

Finally another item from The Body Shop Spiced Apple range, and I feeling particularly sad about this because this was my last tub and this was probably my favourite product in the whole range :(

With that warming, cinnamon spiced apple scent, this scrub is perfect for those cold nights. It's crammed full of exfoliating sugar grains. It's nice and gritty but it's not too harsh, or scratchy, it gives you a nice thorough scrub, and it rinses away easily and dissolves when you add warm water, and it leaves the skin feeling super smooth. I don't really have anything else to say apart from please, please bring this back in 2019 The Body Shop !!!

So they were my January 2019 empties, not the best of starts to the year, but hopefully I can do a lot better from here on in x If you have any questions on any of the items that I finished then please leave me a comment below xx