Trimming My Stash - January, February And March 2023 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews* **

Nothing proves more that life gets in the way than this blog post - Already way later than I intended I originally started drafting it way back in December, which worked out fine for most of it, but not for the new year, new start introduction that I'd originally planned, so please forgive me for this probably garbled beginning. This post is the first of four that I'm hoping to get up before the end of February, sharing all of my beauty empties from 2023 with you. I've been debating for a while over which was the best and quickest way to do it, and I've decided to split all of 2023 empties into 4 blog posts, each post focusing on 3 months worth of empties, starting today with January, February and March.

January, a month supposedly of new beginnings and change, or in reality for most of us I guess, the start of more of the same! - I mean I always try to start the year on a positive note and make the odd change but that's not usually how it stays or what actually happens, but I guess that's life for you!

Beauty Pie Renewed Density Anti Hair-Loss Ampules - 14 x 8ml
Stericlens Sterile Saline Spray - 240ml
AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 400ml
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Bath & Body Works Merry Christmas Winter Candy Apple Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

Total - 5 Items

My start to 2023, at least trimming my stash wise, wasn't too bad. It wasn't a spectacular start by any means, but it was a good steady month where I managed a pretty respectable 5 items, including 1 festive product, and a few staples.

1. Beauty Pie Renewed Density Anti Hair-Loss Ampules - 14 x 8ml

This first item first made an appearance on the blog in my August 2022 empties post, and whilst you will see it mentioned in a quite few upcoming empties posts, it does now appear to have been discontinued or at least altered.

As I've said on many occasions I don't know whether it's down to illness or medication, but despite taking all of the gummy vitamins in the world, and spending a fortune on hair products, I'm sure that I still lose way more hairs than the average person.

This particular product was just one of my many anti hair loss products that I've tried over the years, and I have to say that these little vials did seem to help. You can read a little bit more about them and my experience with them here, but you just massaged some of the colourless, water like serum into your hair and scalp, and let it do its thing. My hair had more volume and felt thicker, and it looked a bit fuller as well. The biggest compliment you can give a product though, is when you stop using it you really do notice the difference, hence it's something that I've repurchased again and again.

Alas I couldn't justify keeping my Beauty Pie subscription, but my bestie still has hers, and she's been kind enough to place the odd order for me so I can still make use of the member prices. As I say though this product does appear to have been discontinued, or at least replaced by the Renewed Density Anti-Hair-Loss Treatment, which comes in a 100ml bottle and has a recommended member price of £19. The ingredients and description are very similar to these ampoules so I'm hoping that it's just a packaging switch up - I've got one to try so I'll let you know my thoughts when I've used it up x 

2. Stericlens Sterile Saline Spray - 240ml

Now in my previous empties post, I mentioned that 2022 was the year that I rediscovered my love of ear piercings, adding another 3 piercings to my admittedly quite small ears, and something that you need to do with especially new piercings is to clean them, preferably with saline solution.

While the NeilMed spray is by far my favourite. I did buy a couple of cans in a row that had problems with both the nozzles and the pressurisation , so I ended up trying a few other brands, while my anger subsided. 

For the price and the size of the can, this particular one is probably the best value saline spray on the market, but unlike the NeilMed spray it dispenses an awful lot of product at once, the mist is nowhere near as fine, so it tends to go everywhere, and obviously you end up wasting quite a bit as it ends up in your hair and running down your neck, but as I say it is a bit cheaper than the NeilMed version, and again it's pure saline with nothing else added, so I guess it depends on how your going to use it, and what type of piercing it's for.

This 240ml can of Stericlens Sterile Saline Spray retails at around £7.44 on Amazon, and the smaller 100ml bizarrely retails at around £8.48 also from Amazon. Various sizes and multipacks are also available from eBay.

3. AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 400ml

If you're a regular reader of my empties posts then you'll know that there are some products that I buy over and over again, and this is definitely one of them. I'm not going to bore you by talking about it yet again, so I'll just say that I love this shampoo and so does my hair. If you're interested in finding out more about it them use the search function in the sidebar and have a little read.

This 400ml size retails at around £5 from both the AVON website, and via your local AVON representative, and if you love it as much as I do, then you can also get a 700ml super size, which retails at around £8.

4. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips

Next up something else that you're probably sick to death of seeing on here, so especially since this won't be there only appearance in this post, I'll keep it brief - Jolen Face Wax Strips = A literal holy grail product for me! You can read a full review here x Nuff said!

5. Bath & Body Works Merry Christmas Winter Candy Apple Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

Now I'm a huge fan of Bath & Body Works as a brand, and whilst I love so many of their scents, this particular one was one of the first fragrances that I ever tried from the brand, and as a result it has a special place in my heart.

For me the quintessential festive scent, Winter Candy Apple, is fresh, fruity, and spicy. With notes of apple, rose petals, and candied orange, it will definitely appeal to anyone who loves fruity and foodie scents. Teamed up with Bath & Body Works, aloe, shea, and vitamin E, non drying foaming hand soap formulation, and you have a festive bathroom essential.

Alas this one has probably disappeared from shelves now till at least the Autumn but you might still be able to find it, in an in store sale section or on the secondary market.

So they were my January empties, as I say not a spectacular start trimming my stash wise, but a steady foundation and a place to build from.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose Limited Edition - 50ml
Easy Piercing Saline Solution - 50ml
Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask - 100ml
Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Eucalyptus + Spearmint Stress Relief Sugar Body Scrub - 368g

Total - 4 Items

Unfortunately I couldn't quite live up to that start in February 2023, and I only managed to finish another 4 items, including a couple of things you've seen before, something new and a limited edition item.

1. Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose Limited Edition - 50ml

A few years ago you couldn't read a blog or any other form of beauty editorial or content without seeing at least version of this product been talked about and hyped up.

One of the original glycolic acid preparations on the market, this water like toner of sorts which contains 5% glycolic acid, is perfect for brightening and improving the texture of the skin, and I swear by it for helping reduce the appearance of pores, and keeping spots and blackheads at bay.

This particular bottle isn't the original though, this was and I believe still is a limited edition, and contains plant and flower extracts, such as lotus flower and damask rose. It has more moisturising ingredients than the original and it's recommended for people with a drier skin.

Whilst the scent was still quite astringent, it has a slight rose, geranium aroma, and whilst the familiar liquid gold tingle was still there, I personally though found this rose gold version to be a bit more gentle on the skin.

Whilst his version is quite hard to find now Cult Beauty do currently have the 100ml bottle in stock which retails at around £37. If you're a purist though and love the original, the original Liquid Gold is still widely available with the 30ml bottle retailing at around £14.99 from various retailers including ASOS, Space NK, Cult Beauty and Amazon. You can also get a large 100ml bottle for around £43, for most of these other retailers as well as from Look Fantastic, and M&S and if you fancy saving some money it's currently on offer at Amazon for £34.39!

2. Easy Piercing Saline Solution - 50ml

Next up another saline spray, what can I say I was still mad at NeilMed! I think I picked this particular one up because it was cheap, and I knew it must be decent because it's stocked at the studio where I get my piercings done.

Agin it's just pure saline solution with nothing else added, this 50ml spray actually lasted longer than I thought it would, and it would be perfect for travel or for just throwing in your bag to keep your piercings clean on the go.

I bought this particular bottle from Amazon where it retails at around £6.94.

3. Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask - 100ml

If you've been reading my blog for sometime now then you'll probably have already realised that I'm an advertiser or influencers dream. If something gets a cult reputation or if everyone seems to be talking about a product, then you can guarantee that I'll pretty much need it, and this was just one of those products.

I don't even think that it was that hyped up over its skincare benefits, it was more for the novelty value, with people turning their faces in fluffy, bubbly clouds that was the true selling point.

You can reads my review here, but I think that after finishing another pot my opinion has changed a little bit. This pot seemed to have a slightly different fresher scent, and I don't know if that was why, or if my skin has changed (probably more likely!) but I didn't seem to get on with this mask quite as well as I did. Whilst it still looked fun, I found the bubbling and tingly feeling a bit more uncomfortable this time round, so much so that I couldn't wait to wash it off, and it left my skin looking pretty pink.

Needless to say I probably won't be buying this again, and it's clear to see that the hype has now well and truly died down because this product is now really hard to find in the UK.You can find it on eBay, and whilst Amazon no longer stock the Elizavecca version there are several very similar looking products in their lists ranging from around £9.99 to £11.99.

4. Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Eucalyptus + Spearmint Stress Relief Sugar Body Scrub - 368g

Now it wouldn't be an empties post without the appearance of at least one body scrub, and this one was a new one for me. Whilst I definitely have a list of my favourite scrubs, that I'll definitely repurchase, I can't resist trying new ones, and this one if I remember rightly was a sale purchase again from Bath & Body Works.

From their 'Aromatherapy' range, comes a sugar scrub, which contains jojoba oil, in this case essential oils of eucalyptus and spearmint, as well as clary sage extract and safflower oil.

With a chunky, oily brown sugar like appearance, it has the super scrubby texture that I love, but it isn't too harsh or scratchy thanks to the high oil content that leaves the skin both exfoliated, moisturised and silky soft.

On paper this scrub is perfect for me but I just wasn't a huge fan of the scent. If I buy a product with eucalyptus in it, that's what I want it to smell like but for what ever reason, no matter what the brand I always end being disappointed. This scent isn't horrible by any stretch of the imagination it just isn't my favourite. The eucalyptus scent is definitely there but it's covered up by a lot of other things so you just end up with a herbal, green scent, a bit minty, head clearing but not really what I expected. This is definitely a unisex scent and I do think that a lot of people will love it, it just wouldn't be top of my list. There are a couple of other different scents in this scrub including a few lavender based scents though that I definitely want to try.

This scrub now comes in slightly different packaging, and retails at around £18 from NEXT Beauty online, and from Bath & Body Works stand alone stores and concessions.

So not a vintage performance in February, but could I do better in March 2022?

Eclat Advanced Foot Exfoliation Peeling Mask - 2 Socks - 60ml
Ginvera Green Tea Hydrating White Mask - 1 Sheet Mask
NeilMed Neil Cleanse Piercing Aftercare Fine Mist Wound Wash - 177.6g
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Conditioner - 400ml

Total- 5 items 

Well, it turns out that I could - I went one better in March and equalled January's total of 5 items, including 3 things you've seen before, something new and an item from deep, deep in my stash!

1. Eclat Advanced Foot Exfoliation Peeling Mask - 2 Socks - 60ml

Something that March usually signifies is that winter is coming to its close and that spring is well and truly on its way, barring the odd rogue snow shower in April obviously! and if you're anything like me that means taking a closer look at what those boots, and fluffy socks have been hiding over the winter months.

I suffer from horribly dry feet and every now and then I love to use one of these masks to get rid of some of the worst calluses. I actually bought this particular one after seeing it mentioned on a Buzzfeed list which surprise, surprise featured predominantly Amazon products!.

You should know the drill by now - the sachet contained a pair of fibre lined plastic socks, cut them open and the socks contained a clearish liquid, which contained lactic and salicylic acids, lots of different alcohols, and oat kernel extract, which had a warm apple like, but slightly astringent scent.

As per the instructions I put the booties on to clean dry feel, and like every other similar product that I've tried they felt pretty squishy. They did feel slightly warm and stingy but nothing too strong or uncomfortable.

The instructions advised to leave them on for anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes, so you've guessed it, I left them on for the full 90! When I removed them my feet were covered in a slightly oily bubbly like solution. After rinsing my feet in warm water they looked a touch pink but nowhere near as red as some similar peels that I'd used in the past.

I initially had really high hopes for this peel, my skin started to feel tighter within 24 hours, and within 3 days the peeling had started, which is by far the quickest time of any previous mask that I'd used! Alas that was pretty much as good as it got, the dry skin peeled off here and there for another 5 or 6 days, and then it stopped. My feet were definitely smoother and less callused but it had barely made inroads into the dry skin on my heels. 

If you have the odd bit of dry or callused skin on your feet, then I would definitely give these a go, but unlike the original article suggested if your heels especially are thick and dry, then don't expect miracles.

That being said these aren't actually that expensive so they are probably worth a try. You can pick these up on Amazon for just £4.45 which is a pretty good price especially if you're a Prime customer (If you aren't though and you're in the UK don't forget you can use my link and sign up for a free 30 day trial!) You can also find them for various prices and multipacks on eBay.

2. Ginvera Green Tea Hydrating White Mask - 1 Sheet Mask

The next product on March's list came from the deep, deep depths on my skincare stash, and to be honest with you I have no idea where I got it from! 

I'm a huge, huge fan of the Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel facial peel, and this mask comes from the same brand. Containing green tea, vitamin C, and aloe vera, like so many Asian created masks this one is designed to hydrate, brighten and whiten.

The mask was a nice quality fibre sheet mask, I'm not sure how old this was so it wasn't really surprising that it wasn't the wettest mask that I'd ever used, but at least that made it fairly easy to unfold!

It didn't really have a lot of scent and since it seemed to dry out quickly I had a little lie and chill session for the 15 or so minutes that I had it on.

Despite the lack of moisture in the mask there was a little bit of leftover serum on my skin. I massaged it in an although it felt sticky for a good five minutes or so afterwards, my skin actually looked less red and more even, and my eye area especially looked a lot brighter.

Unfortunately I can't find this mask anywhere online, or I would have definitely considered repurchasing it. Even when it was 'way past its best' I still saw some good results, so if you know where I can buy this or if you can even recommend a reliable stockist of the Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel, then please let me know in the comments x 

3. NeilMed Neil Cleanse Piercing Aftercare Fine Mist Wound Wash - 177.6g

So after trying a few other saline sprays, I eventually retuned to my HG product - I talked about this is my previous empties post, so you can have a read and find out just way I rate this stuff so highly. If you have fresh or healing piercings then buy this! 

4. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips

Blah, Blah - Love them, I don't want to bore you and talk about them again - repeat to fade...

5. AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Conditioner - 400ml

Question, are you one of those people who finishes their shampoo first or do you always end up using more conditioner? If you fall into the latter category then please tell me how that works - I just don't understand it!  I've use way more shampoo than I do conditioner, and again so it's proven, I finished the corresponding shampoo in January and I didn't finish the matching conditioner until March!

I've spoken at length on many occasions about how much I love the products in this range (have a little search if you don't believe me!) so if you've made it almost to the end of this post I'm not going to start boring you even further - lovely conditioner, my hair likes, and even though I'm currently using and loving something else at the moment, I will definitely continue to use and repurchase this product.

This 400ml size retails at around £5 direct from the AVON website or from you local rep.

If you've made it to the end of this post then thank you for your dedication and perseverance in reading this somewhat epic, longwinded post. I know it was long but I think that this is going to be the best way to try and my empties posts back up to date again x 

All in all a solid but not necessarily spectacular start to 2023 what with quarter of the year gone and 14 items down, surely if could only get better in the next quarter? Well, if you want to spoil the surprise then you can have a little look in my sidebar, otherwise you can hang on for my next empties post which should be live soon but in the meantime I'll have some fresh, probably beauty related content up soon x In the meantime though if you have any questions then please help save me from the spam and leave me a comment below, I hope that you all have a great start to the week and I'll see you all soon x 

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**Prices And Information Correct At The Time Of Publication

Trimming My Stash - January 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

I didn't really intend to post two empties posts in a row, but since this isn't going to be a particularly long post (compared to most of my other posts anyways!), I thought that since I had a little bit of spare time I'd try and get it out the way.

DR Docteur Renaud Mango Hand And Nail Repair Cream - 75ml

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Gentle Gel Hand Soap - 236ml

Gelicity Gel Spa Just For Feet Jelly Foot Soak - Soothe With Lavender & Lemongrass - 40g - 1 x Treatment

Total - 3 Items

When it comes to beauty empties, January is usually a pretty barren month, so whether it was down to illness, or the fact that December was such a good month empties wise, it wasn't really too much of a surprise that I only managed to finish 3 items in the first month of the year.

1. DR Docteur Renaud Mango Hand And Nail Repair Cream 75ml**

This first item is another one of those products that I rescued from the deepest darkest depths of my beauty stash, and it's another items that's so old, I'm almost too embarrassed to show you. I actually received this product as a press sample way back in 2014, and you can read my full review here.

I recently rediscovered it and there was about quarter of a tube left so I decided to use it up, and do you know what? Even though it was old enough to have started school, it was still as nice as it was when I originally opened it. The smell maybe wasn't quite as strong as it had been, but it was still pleasant, it was still lovely and creamy, and really hydrating. 

Obviously the packaging has changed in the intervening 8 years, but you can still buy the same hand cream directly from DR Docteur Renaud all be it in a slightly small 50ml size for around €9.90, and for about £9.60 from a site called Skin Evolution, and for about £6.51 from My Origines.

2. Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Gentle Gel Hand Soap - 236ml

One of the few good things that came out of 2021 was the official launch of Bath & Body Works in the UK. You've been able to buy it on the secondary market and from the odd website for a little while now, and whilst we don't have any standalone stores yet, you can now pick up some of your Bath & Body Works favourites both online and in store from NEXT Beauty.

Ever since the late 1990's when my godmother first brought me some Warm Vanilla Sugar bits back from Florida, I've been in love with the brand. In the intervening years I've picked up a few bits online and from the US, but having such easy access to brand over the last few months has been dangerous! Their festive ranges are by far my favourites and over the last few months I've stocked up on everything from candles, to shapeable soap, to sparkly body moisturiser, and of course hand washes.

I believe that Bath & Body Works do two different types of hand was, and this one is in their "Gentle Gel Hand Soap" formulation. You only needed less than half a pump of this clear gel, mixed with warm water to produce a gentle, non drying foam.

It is a really nice hand wash but the real selling point for me was the scent, even though I've been introduced to a lot of new scents this season, Winter Candy Apple is probably my favourite holiday scent from Bath & Body Works, and it's the one that I've been buying by any means possible for the last 10 years or so. Officially a combination of red apple, winter rose petals, candied orange, maple and cinnamon it has a gorgeous slightly spicy, festive apple and citrus scent that I absolutely love.

This retailed I believe at £7.50 which is a bit pricey for a hand wash but in my opinion it was well worth it. Other than on the secondary market you'll probably have trouble finding this one at least October / November time when it will hopefully return to stores. Not to worry though I still have lots of Bath & Body Works and Winter Candy Apple bits to use up, so you'll definitely see some more products in some upcoming empties posts x 

3. Gelicity Gel Spa Just For Feet Jelly Foot Soak - Soothe With Lavender & Lemongrass - 40g - 1 x Treatment

One of the most frustrating things about being a beauty blogger, is the fact that both products and brands are either discontinued or just seem to disappear overnight. The amount of things I've photographed, and researched, and then wham! all of that work is just wasted. 

The same thing happened with this particular product, I'd shot some pics and videos, and I was just finishing an Instagram post, and then nothing! The brands social media presence had gone, and after a little bit of digging I found out that the company had actually gone into liquidation :( Since I'd already gone to the trouble of shooting pics that I'd share them with you in this empties post x 

Gelicity were really famous for both of their kids and adults jelly baths - products that you could add to bath to give the water a fun jelly like consistency. I actually reviewed one of their bath products way back in 2013, but this particular product was designed specifically as a treat for the feet.

Containing lavender and lemongrass extract this pedicure treatment was designed to soothe tired and aching feet, as well as helping with odour and fungal problems

The box contained two sachets, 1 to create the jelly, and 2 to dissolve it. Sachet 1 contained pale blue crystals, that resembled salt or sugar. It had a slight spa like scent but it wasn't as strong or as evident as I'd hope or expected.

All you needed to do is to fill a bowl (not a foot spa), large enough to put both of your feet in at once. with 4 - 5 litres of warm water, and then you add the contents of sachet 1 and swirl it round a bit to mix it, and then you need to leave it for two minutes.

In those two minutes the water gradually turns into a thick purple/ lilac, semi solid, jelly like substance.

The instructions advise to give it a stir with your hands to break it up a bit. You can then really see the jelly bead like texture. Once you've done that it's time for the fun and pampering to begin!

Plonk yourself on a chair and just pop your feet into the bowl, and move your feet up and down, scrunch your toes up and enjoy the squish! Turn up the video volume for the full effect!

As well as being super fun, it actually feels really nice and relaxing squashing the jelly underfoot and squishing it between your toes.

I probably kept my feet in the bowl till the jelly water went cold which was about 10 - 15 minutes, if the water was a bit warmer then I would definitely have kept me feet in for longer! When you've had enough, you just add the contents of packet 2 to the bowl, which is basically just sodium chloride, aka salt and the jelly will gradually start to dissolve. 

It doesn't completely return back to water, but it does basically turn into a slightly denser than water liquid with a few small jelly like beads suspended in at. At this point it's now safe to dispose either down the skin, or like I did down the toilet.

After removing your feet you just had to pat them dry (you can still see the odd bit of jelly clinging on!), and whilst there was no real change (bar immersion changes - wrinkles!) to the texture of my feet, they did feel refreshed and very relaxed.

This soak was really fun to use, and it was a really relaxing treat for achey or tired feet, and I would definitely repurchase it if I could! As I say this particular company has now gone in to liquidation but I think that there still are some similar products on the market. I've seen something similar in some professional pedicure videos on You Tube, and I've also seen something similar on eBay which I will definitely be trying out. If you know of anything similar out there then please let me know in the comments x 

So that was my very short January empties list! Not the best start to the year but as the saying goes things can only get better, well fingers crossed they can anyways As per usual let me know if you have any questions or comments, and of course it you have any jelly foot soak recommendations, and I will see you soon with another post x 

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Trimming My Stash - November 2018 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Have you ever felt as though there just aren't enough hours in the day? I'm feeling that way at the moment, and it's so easy to see why people get so frazzled at this time of year, there just seems to so much to do at times and the to do list never seems to get any shorter! The annual decorating and tidying frenzy is well and truly under way, there are gifts still to wrap, cards still to deliver and there is shopping still to be done. For a spoonie that's hard enough to deal with but throw in an attack of the sniffles, a coughy, snotty and snuffly Mummy Lou, and all the everyday tasks that still need to be done, then it's no surprise that I don't whether I'm coming or going at the minute. It's hard for everyone at this time of year, so I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, I'm going to do what needs doing and I'm going to try not to stress about the little things, and above all I'm going to try and focus on what's important.

Having said that, although this post is up a lot later than I would have liked, this and my previous post probably marks the start of what hopefully be my busiest spell on the blog of 2018. I have lots of posts planned, they are nearly all photographed, and I'm really excited to start getting some content up, eventually! I've also got a festive giveaway planned so providing the creeks don't rise, stay tuned for some long awaited blog posts x First of all though it's time to take a step back to last month and have a look at November's beauty empties.

I was so proud of myself with October's total of 10 items, but alas I couldn't continue that success in November. I tried hard I really did but for some reason it just didn't happen and I only managed to finish a measly 3 items :( Not the best month I'm sure you'll agree but every little helps as the famous supermarket saying goes and it does, I now have 3 less items in my bulging cupboards and drawers, and I've created a tiny bit of space for potential beauty gifts (fingers crossed ;) Although there aren't many of them, the items that I managed to finish are pretty interesting and weirdly I loved them all and as you'll see, I will definitely be repurchasing two of them x 

Baija Paris Green Tea Jasmine Body Oil - 30ml
Oh K! Fruit Enriched Peeling Foot Mask - 2 x Skin Softening Socks - 2 x 20ml Sachets Stimulating Foot Essence
Simple Kind To Skin Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

Total - 3 Items

1. Baija Paris Green Tea Jasmine Body Oil - 30ml

We'll start off with an item that I probably won't be repurchasing but I would if I could. Like so many unusual and less well known brands this product came in beauty box, I think it was either a My Little Box or a Birchbox. This isn't very well known brand but in my experience it should be, it's a French based predominantly body care brand, that seems to be famous for it's beautiful, natural aromas.

This was a beautiful, fine textured, easily absorbed body oil. You could use it as an all over body moisturiser but I tended to use it on my tiger stripes to add a bit of excess moisture and a bit of TLC! Okay, I admit it I have stretch marks, who doesn't? I'm not the biggest fan of them but thanks to growth, and periods of weight loss and weight gain, I have them and once you have them there isn't too much that you can do about them bar embrace them, and give them a little bit of moisture love. Although it doesn't get rid of them completely, moisturising can make them less visible and it can definitely prevent new ones from forming. Whilst this wasn't a miracle worker it did leave my skin feeling smooth and silky, and smelling amazing.

This oil had an amazing scent - a fabulous fresh, fruity floral green tea scent, mixed with just a hint of jasmine. It actually smelled very similar to Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, a scent that some people find a little bit old fashion but personally it's a one that I love and that I used to wear regularly. I would definitely consider repurchasing both this product and some of the other products that I've tried from Baija Paris but the range is incredibly difficult to get hold of in the UK, you can occasionally find the odd thing in TK Maxx, but other than that you're pretty much relying on resellers which is a shame, if you see it though the entire range is well worth trying x

2. Oh K! Fruit Enriched Peeling Foot Mask - 2 x Skin Softening Socks - 2 x 20ml Sachets Stimulating Foot Essence

Foot peels and peeling socks are probably one of the grossest beauty products on the market but personally I love them! There is something completely gross yet somewhat fascinating and even enjoyable about watching all of that dry skin fall off your feet! I don't even like feet that much but these things are just so satisfying - Does that make me a bit weird lol I don't know?

I've tried a lot of different types of peeling socks over the years but these ones are a little bit different to all of the other brands that I've tried so far. The box contains a pair of paper / fabric socks with a plastic lining. The socks are pretty decent quality they don't feel flimsy or thin and they have a tie which helps secure them onto your feet. The tie is a much better idea than the sticky tabs that these socks normally have, they felt really safe on my feet, they didn't feel as though they were going to slip off, and I didn't feel that I needed to put a pair of socks on over the top to hold them in place. 

Sounds pretty standard so far doesn't it but what is unusual is that the socks are completely dry, so the box also contains two sachets of stimulating foot essence (1 for each foot), which contains lactic, salicylic and glycolic acids and a variety of fruit acids including lemon, lime, orange, apple, grape and wild cherry, which you then pour into your socks.

All you do is wash and dry your feet, and then put the liquid filled socks on to your feet, secure them with the ties and then you just sit and relax for between an hour and an hour and a half, to let the liquid do it's thing before rinsing off your feet in plain, warm water.

There was no real scent to the liquid just a slight astringency, almost alcohol scent, The two phase system meant that the socks were really wet, and the liquid really did completely cover the feet. I'm not going to lie, after about 10 minutes I started to feel a tingling sensation, it wasn't unpleasant but it was noticeable, and you definitely felt as though it was doing something. 

The worst thing with this type of product is the waiting, over the next week or so your feet steadily get drier and drier, and no matter how much you want to, you can't moisturise them! I used these socks around 2 weeks ago now and it's safe to say that my feet do not look pretty! The skin is drying and peeling off on the soles, and balls of my feet and even between my toes . Soaking your feet makes a big difference and it can really help speed the process up, so for best result either shower with your feet in a washing up bowl (that's what I've been doing!), have a bath, or treat yourself to a foot spa, to really loosen off that dead skin!

Based on the initial feeling and the results so far these are probably the strongest type of these socks that I've tried, yes my feet look pretty horrid at the moment, but in a week or so they'll be smooth, baby soft and party ready x If your feet have seen better days and the thought of showing them to anyone fills you full of horror then these could be something to try, just make sure you give them long enough to work before that big event, as with these things it definitely gets worse before it gets better x Based on my current results I will definitely be repurchasing these socks again x They retail at around £8.50 from various retailers including FEELUNIQUE, ASOS and the Oh K Life website x 


3. Simple Kind To Skin Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

As you know my quest for a new eye make up remover has been a long one - there have been lots of fails, and lots of nearly's, but at long last I think I may have found the one. Simple are specialists in skincare for sensitive skin, so why on earth did I wait so long before giving this one a go? I'm obviously not quite with it at times! 

Like all Simple products this eye make up remover is free from colours or dyes, artificial perfumes, or chemicals, it's also oil free, non comedogenic, hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested and approved, and opthamologically tested. Containing Pro Vitamin B5, it is designed to gently and effectively remove all eye make up including waterproof mascara, and it's also suitable for contact lens wearers.

As you would expect it is clear in colour and it has an almost water like appearance and texture, and no real scent. Given the slightly unassuming appearance I was really surprised at how well this worked. It removed everything that I threw at it with very little effort, long wear mascara took a little bit longer but it still removed easily without scrubbing or rubbing, and most importantly my eyes didn't feel dry or sore, and there was no watering or stinging!

I don't know if my quest is over, and I'll definitely keep trying new things, but with this product I've definitely found something that I like and that I'll continue to repurchase. In fact I've already bought another couple of bottles, the RRP for this is around £3.79 but in Superdrug in particular, it's normally on special offer so it's well worth stocking up if you like it as much as I do.

So only 3 items, but as hopefully you can see they were three very interesting items, 2 of which have subsequently become firm favourites. We're now well into December and so far I've only managed to finish one item so fingers crossed I can up my game and finish the month and the year on a high x Don't forget to let me know if you're doing something similar to Trimming My Stash and of course please let me know if you have any questions on any of the items in this post x 

Trimming My Stash - July 2018 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews, And Life Lately

I'm late again with my monthly empties post but at the moment that just seems to be the way that my life is going. I makes plans and for whatever reason they just don't come off. Case in point after months of lacking in energy, and umph, over the last week or so I've actually started to feel a little bit more with it, so yesterday me and the mothership planned to make a little trip to Intu Metrocentre. The plan was simple, a short trip with a Primark visit, and a coffee stop, and a quick appointment with Benefit to get my brows waxed. Perfect! then on Thursday night I had a call from Benefit asking me if I could reschedule my brow appointment for next week! It wasn't a major inconvenience so we put the day out on hold until hopefully next Tuesday! They say that things happen for a reason well if that's the case I'd love to know the reasoning behind some of the things that go on in my life, wouldn't we all though! Maybe someone up there or out there knows the potential damage that I want to do in Primark, and they trying to save me some money lol who knows? maybe it's for the best that we don't know the grand plan, or the meaning of life though haha.

I don't if you're really that interested in my life but believe me this post needs a bit of padding out. Last months trimming my stash was to put it mildly a bit of a fail and I haven't really got that much to talk about!

Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes
AVON Advance Technique Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml
Beautifully Scrumptious - Deep Moisturising Foot Pack - Honey & Almond - 1 x Pair Socks

Total - 3 Items

Yeah... I only managed to finish 3 items and two of those items were things that I've talked about at length in several previous post, what can I say apart from that 3 is better than none and from a budget friendly angle every item that I finished was less than £2! I promise I'll try harder in August but first of all lets take a closer look at the 3 products that I did manage to finish x 

1. Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes

Yawn! I have no idea how many of these packets have ended up in my monthly empties posts over the years but they are a real constant in my beauty routine. I don't use them on my face that often (facial wipes are bad don't you know ;) but I do use them for all sorts of things including sticky hands, cleaning up swatches, and general freshening up. They are full of tea tree so they have a bit of an antibacterial effect so I often have a packet inside my handbag alongside my hand sanitiser. I always stock up when I go into Primark but since I haven't been in store since May, I've now ran out! I'm hoping I'll be able to stock up when (or if!) I go in next week but in the meantime I'm trying out some Tea Tree and Peppermint facial wipes that I picked up in another one of my favourite stores, B&M.

2. AVON Advance Technique Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml

I've talked about this product and the corresponding conditioner a few times already both on the blog and on my Instagram, and I have to say that I think this product is amazing. Not only is it really affordable at around £1.70 for a 250ml, but it's also really good and it smells lovely. Anti-Fall is a pretty big claim, and whilst I'm still losing probably more hair than the average person, my hair definitely looks fuller, and thicker, and it feels healthier, and in much better conditioner then it did before I started using this product. I'm using a couple of other shampoos now but I do like to switch it up a bit so I've already bought the 400ml Super size which appears every now and then in the brochures. I really like both the shampoo and the conditioner in this line and it's something that I'm going to continue to repurchase. 

3. Beautifully Scrumptious - Deep Moisturising Foot Pack - Honey & Almond - 1 x Pair Socks

Ah we've reached the final item already and it's probably the most interesting one because it's something that I haven't talked about before. Admittedly I've mentioned the tea tree and peppermint variant but until last month I'd never tried these honey and almond moisturising socks. I'm not sure whether or not that I've mentioned this before but I don't like honey! It's weird I love sweet things, I have a ridiculously sweet tooth, and I can eat things that most other people would find too sweet but honey nah not for me. I think it's more about that smell than the taste for me I just don't like how it smells, I know it's good for you and it's an excellent addition to your body and skincare routine but I just don't like it. Thankfully in the majority of beauty lines it seems to be masked by the addition of a few floral notes, but throw in the fact that I don't like the smell of bitter almond, and these Poundland moisture socks were a bit of a risky buy. Thankfully though they had a pleasant warm, sweet, slightly floral scent that reminded me a bit of whiskey! Odd I know but way better than out and out honey and marzipan! The idea is the same as the tea tree socks, a pair of plastic / paper / fabric socks that are infused with moisturising ingredients - pop them onto clean dry feet for 20 minutes or so and your feet look better and feel instantly smoother and more hydrated. I prefer the freshness of the tea tree and peppermint socks but these are a good alternative and for just £1 a pair they are perfect for dry foot emergencies. 

So short and sweet, but I still managed to ramble for a few minutes longer than this post should have taken, never mind hah ha! Let me know if you have any questions on any of the 3 items that I've talked about in the post or even if you have any random life questions and I'll do my best to respond x Thanks for reading x