A Very Late Trimming My Stash - August 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

Well looking out of the window today it definitely looks as though summer is here, or at the very least on its way! The sky is blue, the sun's out, it pleasantly warm, the birds are singing, and the ambiance is only being spoilt by the council cutting the grass outside my window!

All of this sunshine is making me think back to last summer, and to say that it was a warm one, with July and August seeing some of the hottest days in the UK since records began. Normally my monthly empties posts reflect either what I've been doing that month, how I've been feeling or the weather, or the temperature, but looking back to August 2022, bar the odd item, all of my empties were pretty much just basics. 

Tresemme Colour Enhancing Mask - Warm Red - 200ml
VEGAN By Happy Skin Original Skin Essence Toner - 100ml
Beauty Pie Renewed Density Anti Hair-Loss Ampules - 14 x 8ml
AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner - 250ml
AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 250ml
MineTan Body. Skin Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel - 50ml
Sunday Rain Scrub Away Exfoliating Cubes Charcoal - 8 Cubes - 150g

Total - 7 Items

Yeah, not the most exciting of months by any stretch of the imagination, but I managed to go one better than I did in July 2022 and I managed to finish 7 items, including a few must haves, a few things that you've seen before, and a couple of newer loves.

1. Tresemme Colour Enhancing Mask - Warm Red - 200ml

First up the first of 4 hair care products in this post, and this one is all about the colour! I've coloured my hair for years now, dabbling with everything from blonde streaks, to the darkest brunette, to red and blonde 'Ginger Spice' streaks, but at the moment I'm loving the red tones, cherry, burgundy, pillar box - if it's red based, bring it on!

The thing about red based colours though is that they have a tendency to fade quite quickly, so in order to keep them looking their best you either need to keep colouring your hair, or you need to integrate some colour care products into your hair regime.

The trouble is though that products for red hair just aren't that easy to find, so when I spot something, i usually end up buying it on the spot. I originally bought this particular product when it was on offer in Superdrug, and I have to say it one of the best colour based hair products that I've ever used.

Made by affordable salon inspired brand Tresemme, this product is basically a colour enhancing deep conditioner / hair mask. Containing colour pigments as well as argan and jojoba oils, you apply it as you would any other conditioner or mask to damp hair after shampooing, and then you can leave it on for anywhere between 3 and 15 minutes before rinsing it off. I always try to leave it on for as long as possible to get the full benefits but you can easily see and feel a difference even after 3 minutes. I usually only use it once a week and that's enough to maintain my colour you can also eek it out by adding a little bit to regular conditioner.

As well as just being a great hair conditioner that leaves the hair feeling, soft, nourishes and detangled, it also gives the hair a great shine and it really seems to enhance the red tones in my hair, so it looks better for longer.

The one drawback if you can call it that is the colour of the product itself, it really us a bright red and it resembles a combination of ketchup and berry compote, so try not to move your head about too much when you're using it or you may have to give your bathroom tiles a clean! It can also leave a bit of residue on your hair, something that you'll probably already be familiar with if you're a fan of red hair dye, so watch what you're wearing, be prepared to stain a towel or turbie twist or two at least temporarily and sleep with your head on an old towel, or invest in some dark pillowcases (I'm currently using the black satin self tan pillowcase protectors from NEXT which are really good!), and enjoy your fruity smelling, glossy red locks!

Alas this stuff isn't that easy to get a hold of now, it's long gone from Superdrug and when I last saw some in Morrisons of all places, I bought the last 3 bottles that they had on the shelf. The blonde and silver shades are still available here and there but the only place that I can still find 'Warm Red' is now on Amazon where it retails at £9.95.

2. VEGAN By Happy Skin Original Skin Essence Toner - 100ml

Next up a skincare product and it's something that you've seen before. This skin tonic came in the February 2022 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read a full review of it here.

This was a really nice product to use, it was gentle on the skin, and it had the most gorgeous orange blossom like scent and I would definitely have considered repurchasing it if wasn't for the high price tag for what is quite a small bottle. It is another one of those shop around products though and whilst it's still selling for £34.99 for a 100ml bottle on the official VEGAN By Happy Skin website, it's slightly cheaper on Sephora retailing at around £19.99 and I've also found cheaper still on secondary markets such as eBay.

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

Now, whether or not it's down to chronic illness or medications, I can't really say, but what I can tell you is that I think I lose way more hair on a daily basis than the average person. The shower drain is constantly full of hair, every bobble or scrunchie has a clump or hair wrapped around it, and there is a reason that doesn't involve my two long haired cat that we have an anti hair wrap vacuum cleaner!

I've always used decent products and even though I no longer abuse my hair with Sun In spray and heated hair tools like I did when I was in my teens, it sill falls out! Needless to say I'm not obsessed with, and always on the look out for anti-fall and hair growth products.

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know that I subscribe to Beauty Pie, a scheme where you can either pay a monthly or a yearly subscription, and that allows you to buy their own brand, high quality beauty products for a fraction of what they would cost on the high street, or from a designer or high end beauty brand.

I'm not going to lie it can work out expensive, to justify the cost of the subscription and to not waste it  there is almost an obligation to buy something, but I've been pretty impressed with all of the bits that I've tried and there are some real gems in their inventory.

After seeing the words anti-hair loss on my screen I remember ordering these when they first came out in early summer last year, and it's safe to say I'm a bit of a fan!

Inside the plain but embossed Beauty Pie box you get 14 glass ampoules that are filled with an anti-hair loss solution as well as two plastic nozzles that fit onto the bottles. The colourless, water like serum in the little bottles contains Zinc, to promote healthy hair, arginine to moisturise and condition the hair, Niacinamide to reduce oil and sebum on the scalp, larch tree extract, and Redensyl™, which is an ingredient that has been specially created for thinning hair to condition the scalp, to help reduce hair and help to promote thicker, and denser hair. With an independent study finding that 90% of users agreed that their hair looked and felt thicker after 12 weeks, there was no question that I had to try it for myself.

Unlike a lot of hair growth products and regimes these ampoules were really simple to use. When you first start using them it's best to do a month long intensive treatment, so depending on the length of your hair you apply 1/2 - 1 full ampoule a day, to a dry or towel dried scalp, and then you just massage the liquid into your hair and scalp. Even on my length hair I only used half a vial a day so my box lasted the whole month, it doesn't add any residue, or stickiness to the hair, and the solution does seem to absorb quite quickly so if you wanted to use a full vial then I don't think it would cause any issues bar having to buy another 2 boxes to do a one month treatment. Then after your first month is complete you can then either do another intensive treatment or you can move on to a maintenance programme and use 1 vial a week.

The clear water like liquid does smell a little odd, slightly herbal with a bit Deep Heat thrown in for good measures, and whilst it did tingle a little bit when I first used it, as I say there was no stickiness, and it didn't really alter the feel of my hair.

Since this product looked so innocuous I was pretty sceptical at first but by the end of my first month my hair seemed to have more volume and it definitely felt a bit fuller, so I bought another box and another one, etc. and whilst I personally did another intensive months treatment, I have now switched to using a couple of bottles a week as more of a maintenance programme. I guess if anything that's my one complaint, if something works you really need to keep buying it and using it to see results. I'm currently using yet another box of these treatments but after that I do have a couple of other things to try including something that you may have seen on Tik Tok, but I will more than likely be buying another box of these in the near future.

One box of 14 x 8ml ampoules retails at the non member price of £56, or if you're a Beauty Pie member you can pick up a box for £28 excluding postage and packing.

4. AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner - 250ml

Next up the first of two hair products from AVON and this one was a rediscovery. It might not really seem like it but I really am trying to use up some of the older products in my stash. I started doing a real deep dive into some long forgotten drawers and boxes last year, and that's something that I'm continuing to do now in 2023.

I finished the matching shampoo back in February 2022, and unlike a lot of people who used way more conditioner than shampoo, it's pretty typical of me that I took another 6 months to finish the conditioner!

From AVON's discontinued Moroccan Argan Oil range, this conditioner as you would expect contained argan oil, as well as vitamin E, and Pro Vitamin B5, and was designed to hydrate the hair and transform the condition of dry hair.

It had a lovely creamy but lightweight texture, and like all of the other AVON conditioners that I've tried, it was easy to apply and rinse out and it left the soft, and detangled, and with a gorgeous fruity scent.

Alas this particular range has been discontinued but there are still some really good hair care products to be found in your brochure including the next item...

5. AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Shampoo - 250ml

Yes, you've most definitely seen this particular product in quite a few previous empties posts, and even though I'm now trying to use some of the random shampoos in my beauty stash, you'll definitely see this product again in a future empties post.

From AVON's Reconstruction range which is designed to restore damaged hair and to to prevent breakages and split ends, this shampoo contains keratin and panthenol, vitamin E, and avocado oil, and it does exactly what it says it does. It foams well, it cleans well, and it leaves the hair feeling and look clean and shiny, and on my quite coarse textured hair.

The only thing i would say is that since I first started using the Reconstruction range, the scent recently appears to have changed - the lovely fresh, fruity aroma appears to have been replace with a warm, muskier floral scent, and whilst it's not awful by any means, I do prefer the original scent.

Never mind it's still a really good value shampoo, with this 250ml size retailing at around £3 and the 400ml size retailing at £4.50, but don't forget AVON nearly always have special offers on things like haircare so keep an eye on the website or in you AVON book via your local AVON rep x 

6. MineTan Body. Skin Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel - 50ml

Finally an item more in keeping with the sun and the heat of July and August 2022, and it's another product that you've seen before. Yes it's an aftersun and you hopefully first saw this in early 2022 when I eventually got round to reviewing the contents of the May 2021 edition of Glossybox UK.

You can read a full review of it here, but this combination of aloe vera and niacinamide was perfect to soothe sun exposed skin, even if it did melt a little bit due to the heat!

I can't find this particular size anywhere online but the larger 177ml size is available for £13.99 direct from Mine Tan.

7. Sunday Rain Scrub Away Exfoliating Cubes Charcoal - 8 Cubes - 150g

From moisturising and healing the skin to preparing it for some sun exposure, by giving it a good scrub, and surprise, surprise the final item that I finished in august 2022 was a body scrub. I've talked about these little things from Sunday Rain a few times before but sadly I think that this is going to the last time that I talk about this particular body scrub.

Admittedly a bit gimmicky this tub contained 8 large grey / back sugar cubes, that contained a combination of sugar, shea butter, sweet almond oil, sunflower oil and charcoal powder, that are designed to scrub, soften and purify the skin.

One cube is enough for 1 bath or shower, and all you do is just break up the semi solid cube and massage it on to damp skin like you would any other body scrub, before rinsing it away. With a pleasant fresh scent, and a really lovely scrubby texture, as well as being fun to use these cubes also left my skin feeling super soft, and as a bonus they are also great for travel.

I've had a good search online and unfortunately I can't find these charcoal cubes anywhere, so I've came to the conclusion that they may have been discontinued. You can still get the Rose Water, and the Watermelon cubes though from various retailers including Amazon, Superdrug and Beauty Bay, and I recently spotted a few Sunday Rain bits on my local TK Maxx amongst some other good stuff ;) so it might be worth checking them out x 

If you made it to end thank you x That seemed to be a pretty epic post, but they were my very late August 2022 empties, pretty hair heavy I admit, but another 7 items were added to my 2022 total which is all thay matters. Again if you have any questions on any of the products that I mentioned, or on anything else that you fancy, then please leave me a comment below x 

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

Trimming My Stash - November And December 2021 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, And A 2021 Round Up*

Hey Guys,  It's been a little while since I've posted any of 'my own' content, so I want to apologise for taking yet another unexpected break but I haven't been too well. About a month ago now I developed a really nasty chest, and sinus infection, and ended up with a course of antibiotics, and a steroid nasal spray which thankfully did the trick or so I thought! To cut a long story short I'm ill again with exactly the same thing, my immune system just seems to have given up the ghost! Although I was offered a telephone appointment with a GP next week, I actually want to see my GP face to face so she can try sort out my ailing body out for once and for all, so I've got to wait a little bit longer for an appointment, so fingers crossed I can hang on till then! In the meantime though for the sake of my own mental health I'm trying to avoid the horror and inhumanity that is the news, and I'm keeping hydrated and throwing myself into a bit of craft and some blogging x  

Before I get into today's post though it's time for cake and I want to say a very belated thank you to all of you. On the 12th February my blog celebrated it's 15th birthday - I can hardly believe that I've been sharing my life and my thoughts you for over 15 years now. It's crazy when you think about but as I slowly edge towards 2 million all time page views, I can honestly say that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys. So I want to say a huge, huge thank you to everyone of you for reading, commenting, sharing, and supporting my blog through thick and thin x 

So to celebrate my blogging birthday, all be it a few days late, I've got an epic empties post for you, and today I'm sharing both my November and December 2021 empties, as my final totals for Trimming My Stash 2021.

AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml
Bubble T Peach Hand Cream - 60ml
Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips
Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant - 50g
Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks - 1 x Pair - 5g
AVON ANEW Radiance Maximising Tonic - Vitamin C & Glycolic Acid - 200ml
The Body Shop Hand Cream Vanilla Pumpkin - 30ml

Total - 7 Items

First up lets take a little trip back to November; the month of fireworks, the start of winter, and of course in my world beauty empties. Although in comparison it wasn't the best of months, I still managed to finish a fairly respectable 7 items, including a few skin care items, a couple of hand creams, and 'sniff' a now discontinued haircare product!

1. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml

I always knew that this day would come, and in November it finally did as I finished my very last bottle of the AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo! From the first moment that I tried it, I fell in love with the fresh and fruity with a hint of mint scent, and I loved the effect that the combination of arginine and the keratin complex had on my hair.

For a 'budget' shampoo it made a real difference to my hair, and whilst I've found another Advance Techniques range that I love, when I eventually finish the remaining bottle of conditioner, I will remember this range with fondness.

2. Bubble T Peach Hand Cream - 60ml

Next up the first of two hand creams, and this one is from fruity tea and cocktail inspired brand, Bubble T. Back in 2021 I received a Bubble T Hand Cream in the fragrance Peach Bellini in the February edition of Glossybox UK, and I loved it! The scent was super sweet and fruity, and it was a great everyday hand cream. Alas when I came to try and repurchase it, like so many products that come in subscription boxes, I couldn't find it anywhere!

What I did find though was this Bubble T Peach Hand Cream, and do you know what? Apart from the size, it's pretty much identical! From the ingredients (shea butter and aloe vera), to the sweet fruity scent, there really isn't that much of a difference between the two. 

Thankfully this one is still pretty widely available and is available from various stockists including Beauty Expert and The Bath & Body Shop, where it retails anywhere between £1.99 - £2.99.

3. Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

When it comes to beauty products, 2021 was definitely a year of discovery, I tried lots of new things, and some of those products have ultimately already achieved holy grail status. Top of my new holy grail list is of course the Beauty Pie Sugar Scrub, but these bargaintastic facial waxing strips are right up there!

At just £1 a pack they do the job, and my upper lip is smoother than it's been in years! I wasted so much time and money on other methods when all I really needed was a wax strip,

I will definitely continue to buy these but in the last month or so I have been trying out a few different facial hair removal products, and one of them is also a potential repurchase, so these babies may have a rival, but more on that in a future post x 

4. Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant - 50g

This is another one of those products that I'm almost embarrassed to show you because it's so old! I don't know how long ago it was that I bought this, but I think that it must have came in a QVC UK kit when I purchased the brands famous Liquid Gold.Obviously from Australian skin brand Alpha-H, this is basically a micro exfoliator, designed to remove unwanted skin cells, as well as improving texture and reducing pigmentation.

Containing pineapple and green papaya enzymes, and bentonite clay, the bottle contained a fairly fine white powder. It didn't have a lot of fragrance, it just smelled ever so slightly fresh, and chalk like.

Designed to be used on cleansed skin, you mix a small amount with warm water until you get a creamy paste; you then massaged it on your face for around 1 minute before rinsing with warm water.

Whilst it didn't feel too scratchy or rough it definitely felt as though it was doing something to your skin. It did leave my skin a touch pink after removal (not unusual), but it felt very smooth and clean. As the name would suggest it was designed to be used daily, but I personally only used it once or twice a week.

I actually really liked this and how smooth it left my skin. I don't know whether it's down to my early experience with the much missed Japanese Washing Grains from The Body Shop, but I love products like this where you can mix a product to a paste in your hands. Unfortunately this product appears to have been discontinued but I still have a couple of similar products in my stash from both elf and Dermalogica to use up.

5. Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks - 1 x Pair - 5g

Next up another skincare product, and it's something that I spoke about quite recently. You can read a full review of these eye masks here, and to be honest it's safe to say that I wasn't that impressed.

6. AVON ANEW Radiance Maximising Tonic - Vitamin C & Glycolic Acid - 200ml

I know they go in and out of popularity but ever since I started using skin care 'properly' I've always used some sort of toner, and even though I usually have a few on the go at once, depending on how well my skins behaving, I always have some sort of glycolic or general AHA tonic in my routine.

There are a couple that I keep coming back to but like with everything beauty wise, I love trying new things and this is one of my latest discoveries. From AVON's popular ANEW range, this skin tonic contains vitamin C, glycolic acid and lactic acid, and is designed to exfoliate and brighten the skin.

This fresh and slightly fruity scented toner, does make my skin tinge just a tad on application, but in the period that I used it, it definitely made a difference texture wise, spots cleared up more quickly and skin definitely look brighter and less grey and tired.

As it contains both acids and vitamin C, it is recommended that you apply SPF if you use it during the day (which you should probably be doing anyway) but I mainly used this particular product as part of my nighttime routine.

I'm a big fan of products like this - I like how smooth and bright they make my skin, and I'm also a big fan of products that feel as though they are doing something. I've got a few other things to use up first but I've already repurchased this one, and if you fancy trying it for yourself, whether directly from your local AVON representative, or from their website, keep an eye out for offers because you can often get it cheaper than the £10 RRP.  

7. The Body Shop Hand Cream Vanilla Pumpkin - 30ml

The final product that I finished in November was quite a seasonal one, and it was another hand cream, this time from The Body Shop. Yes, it's a Vanilla Pumpkin product! For those of you who've never tried anything from this seasonal range - let me tell you, you're missing out!

Officially described as Madagascan Vanilla, blended with sweet, warm, baked pumpkin, with hazelnut, caramel, maple syrup and almond milk, it has a delicious warming, comforting foodie scent that just makes you want more.

I did notice a tiny bit more of a bitter almond scent to this hand cream, which as you know isn't my favourite scent, but it kind of worked for me for some reason. Combine the yummy scent with a shea butter, rich cream / gel hand cream, which absorbs quickly and leaves the skin feeling hydrated, and protected, and you've got a winner!

Alas this is a fall / autumn limited edition so it's currently unavailable anywhere else bar on the secondary market, and I have my fingers tightly crossed that it will be available again around September time.

So in November I managed to finish 7 items but could I end the year on a high and beat that total in December...

Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g
Ecooking Moisturising Serum - 10ml
AVON Care Calming Moisture With Tea Tree Hand Soap - 250ml
Kiehls Rare Earth Pore Minimising Lotion - 75ml
Berry Smooth Strawberry Foaming Salt Scrub - 240g
Skin Techniques Honey & Almond Reindeer Moisturising Foot Mask - 1 Pair x 28ml
Oh K! Nourishing Lemon Oil Cuticle Mask With Vitamin E - 10 Fingertip Masks
The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Cream - 30ml
Derma V10 Coconut Printed Sheet Mask - 1 x Mask
Derma V10 Argan Oil Printed Foot Pack - 1 x Pair

Total - 10 Items

Well, it turns out that I could, and whilst I couldn't quite hit the highs of Septembers total of 11 items, I still managed to finish a pretty impressive 10 items! Again it was a nice mix of products including some more skin care bits, some more long haulers, and as you would expect some festive items. 

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

First up one of those festive products that I just mentioned and it's a product from Lush, that I'd been eeking out since Christmas 2020! and no it wasn't a bottle of Snow Fairy! Instead it was a product that dare I say I think I actually liked more than Snow Fairy, and unfortunately it was a product that didn't return in Lush's Christmas 2021 inventory, I am of course talking about Santa's Belly Shower Jelly!

I think that it was probably the smell of this product that I liked more than anything else. Containing seaweed, red grape juice, apple juice, star anise, orange flower, bergamot, and rose, Santa's Belly had a gorgeous fruity, apple scent with just a hint of festive spices, that for me just screamed Christmas.

You only needed a tiny amount of this translucent red jelly squished up either in your hands or with a shower puff and some warm water to produce a mountain of creamy bubbles. It was fun to use and I loved the scent, come on Lush bring it back for Christmas 2022, you know you want to ;)

2. Ecooking Moisturising Serum - 10ml

Next up the first of 3 skincare products in December's list and it's something else that I've reviewed before. From the January 2021 edition of Glossybox UK came the Ecooking Moisturising Serum, and you can read my full review here. I'm still really loving hyaluronic acid based serums at the moment, and whilst this one did the job, I did find it a touch sticky and a bit expensive so I probably wouldn't repurchase.

3. AVON Care Calming Moisture With Tea Tree Hand Soap - 250ml

One constant of both 2020 and as it turned out 2021, was the impact that products like hand wash and hand sanitiser would have on our lives - you would honestly think that some people had just started washing their hands! Anyways like in 2020, in 2021 I tried a variety of different hand washes, and liquid soaps, and this was the year when I finely convinced Mummy Lou that communal bars of soap on the sink just aren't that hygienic.

This AVON offering was just one of the products that we used, and it was decent - nothing fancy but it cleaned the hands multiple times a day without leaving them feeling sore or dry. I do though have one slight issue with it - if you see a product that contains antibacterial technology, and vitamin E, and TEA TREE not only as an ingredient but also the name of it, then surely it's fair to assume that with tea tree being such a strong, distinctive scent, then you might say be able to smell it a bit? Nada! Nothing! Instead this had a fresh clean scent almost like an aloe vera product, and I personally couldn't smell even the tiniest whiff of tea tree. Great if you aren't a fan of the scent of it but maybe I've been spoiled by using the Australian Bodycare range, maybe it's a personal thing but if something contains tea tree and it's actually in the name of the product - I want it to smell like it!

Urgh! Rant over! Anyways if you want a nice clean smelling hand wash that must definitely does not smell like tea tree then this could be one to try. Again it's regularly on offer but you can get it for around £1.65 direct from your rep and from the AVON website, and there is also a matching hand cream available.

4. Kiehls Rare Earth Pore Minimising Lotion - 75ml

This next product, is another one of those item that seems to have been hanging around my skincare drawer for what seems like forever! Way, way back in the day in 2016, I attended a fashion and beauty even in what was then Intu Metro Centre. At the event attendees we're invited to make an appointment with skincare brand Kiehls, for a complimentary skincare analysis and facial treatment, and this was one of the products that was recommended to me, and as I had some birthday money I bought it!

Designed for normal to oily skin, this moisturiser contained Amazonian white clay, and was specially formulated to minimise pores, refine the texture of the skin, and reduce oiliness. It had a lightweight lotion like texture, and a subtle fresh if again slightly chalky scent. It absorbed quite quickly and left the skin with a slight matte finish. Although it didn't completely erase my pores, it definitely made them less noticeable, and it was also a great base for make up. You can read a little bit more about it here.

Unfortunately, again, this particular moisturiser has now been discontinued, but the corresponding cleanser and face mask are still available. I did like it but that being said I probably wouldn't have repurchased it; My skin has definitely changed over the last few years, and whilst my pores are still screaming look at me, my skin is a lot less oily, and a lot more moisture hungry than it was back in 2016.

5. Berry Smooth Strawberry Foaming Salt Scrub - 240g

From quite a pricy purchase to the first of several pretty cheap ones, and like a few of the others this one is from Poundland. This was one of their Lush a likes and I think I paid around £1.50 for it. It was basically a foaming salt based body scrub. Each pot as you can see below contained a 3 layers of the same scrub only in 3 different colours, red, blue and yellow. Marketed as a strawberry scrub it actually had more of an artificial berry / grape / bubblegum like scent. It passed my scrubby test, it wasn't too harsh or drying and it was fun to use.

I do actually have another one of these to use up, and whilst you might still find it in your local store, I haven't seen it in my nearest branch for quite some time now.

6. Skin Techniques Honey & Almond Reindeer Moisturising Foot Mask - 1 Pair x 28ml

Next up the first of 3 festive themed masks, that I used over Christmas and new year. From a brand called Skin Techniques, I purchased this particular mask from B&M stores just before Christmas and it's the first of two foot masks in this post. Foot masks fall into two basic categories, peeling and exfoliating masks, and moisturising masks, and with vitamin E, and extracts of honey and lemon, this one was a moisture mask.

The pack contained 2 plastic socks with a super cute snowflake and reindeer design. Like with all of these masks you cut along the dotted line to open up the booties, and inside them was a fibre like lining and lots of slightly sweet scented creamy liquid.

It's advised that you wear them for about 20 minutes but I think I ended up wearing them for about half an hour (alongside my fabulous NYC Christmas PJ's). They felt quite cool and squishy, but the liquid had quite a slick moisturising feel to is.

After I removed them my feel felt very wet, and there was a lot of obvious liquid still on my feet. As per the instructions I massage the excess into my feet concentrating on my soles, heels, and nails, where it took about 5 minutes or so to fully absorb. There was a noticeable difference to my feet, the dry bits looked less dry and whilst my feet looked a touch pink, they looked more healthy and hydrated, and my feet felt super smooth even on my soles.

I was so, so impressed with these socks and since they do them in a regular, non festive version, for just £1 I'll definitely be buying them again.

7. Oh K! Nourishing Lemon Oil Cuticle Mask With Vitamin E - 10 Fingertip Masks

From feet to hands, and yet another seemingly discontinued product, this time from Korean inspired beauty brand, Oh K! Over the last 5 or 6 months, I've really struggled with dry hands, dry raggy cuticles, and dry brittle nails, I've literally used everything that I can get my hands on, thankfully I'm now seeing an improvement back way back in December I was getting a bit desperate, so when I found this cuticle mask, which I think came in a NEXT Beauty Box, in my stash, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Containing coconut and argan oil, as well as sesame seed extract, lemon juice, and liquorice root. these fingertip masks are designed to brighten and nourish the nails and cuticles. The outer sachet contained 2 sets of 5 plastic, fibre / paper lined pod like sheet masks (1 for each finger). 

To use them, you had to separate them from each other by cutting along the dashed line, and then you had to cut the bottoms off so you could put them on to clean, dry finger tips, like little finger puppets.

Before

Each pod contained a small amount of watery, cloudy white serum, which had a very subtle sweet scent. As you would expect they felt cool, wet and squishy. The plastic layer did have a tendency to split so I found easier and more practical to do one hand at a time.

On Application 

After removing the mask after around 30 minutes, there was a tiny bit of residue left on my nails and cuticles, which the instructions said to massage into the fingers. It was a tiny bit sticky and it took a little while to fully absorb but overall I was pretty pleased with the results.

After 

I don't know how obvious it is in these pictures (not very I don't think) but my nails and cuticles definitely looked more hydrated. The skin peels and hangnails were still there, but these masks were a nice treat that my dry and sore nails and fingers really appreciated.

8. The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Cream - 30ml

Sticking with hands and nails, in December I also managed to finish another hand cream, and it was another one from The Body Shop. From their underrated Satsuma range, this hand cream which contains shea butter, sweet almond oil, and Argentinian cold pressed satsuma oil, is pale peach in colour and it has a dense cream / gel texture. It's fairly easy massage in and whilst it feels a touch sticky at first, it quickly absorbs down and leaves an almost protective sheen on the skin.

As you would expect from a hand cream from The Body Shop, it does exactly what you want it to, but for me personally this ones biggest selling point has to be the scent. The satsuma range has quite a strong fresh sweet yet tangy citrus scent, it reminds me a bit of orangeade or an orange ice lolly I remember from my childhood. I don't think it's for everyone but personally I love it! This full 30ml size retails at £5.50.

9. Derma V10 Coconut Printed Sheet Mask - 1 x Mask

Finally I'm going to end December's countdown with the last two beauty products that I used up in 2021, as me and Mummy Lou ended the year with nibbles, Prosecco, The Meg! and a some festive themed pampering products !

First a face mask, and it was another Poundland buy, this time from Derma V10. I don't know about you but in 2020 and 2021 we went slight daft over gonks, so it seemed fitting to add a little bit of that fun nordic spirit to our NYE pamper party.

Containing vitamin E, chamomile, and aloe vera, this subtle coconut scented sheet mask had printed gonk. The mask felt very wet and slightly oily but despite that it was of a decent quality so it was fairly easy to unfold.

Alas no pics of Mummy Lou is either of her masks but initially it felt quite cold and wet but as you would expect it gradually warmed up to body temperature, and slowly started to dry out.

I removed it after about 20 minutes and there was quite a lot of excess serum left on my skin, but it was really easy to massage in, and within about 3 minutes it had pretty much all absorbed into my skin. It felt a touch tacky at first but that quickly subsided leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth and despite the salty snacks and alcohol, looking brighter and more hydrated - it was just what I needed after a stressful week and a bit!

10. Derma V10 Argan Oil Printed Foot Pack - 1 x Pair

Finally we come back to the feet again, with a coordinating gonk foot mask, also from Derma V10 and Poundland.

Containing argan oil, shea butter, and vitamin E, again this was a moisture mask, featuring a pair of plastic gonk design socks! Again sealed to prevent mess, cut open the socks and contained a fibre like lining, and lots of cloudy liquidy serum, that smelled vaguely of something like antiseptic or menthol.

Like all foot masks when you first put them on, they felt cool and squishy. This was another 20 minute treatment but I got engrossed by Jason Statham (I do not understand why everyone thinks he's attractive - he's not!) fighting Megaladons! so I probably left them on for nearer 40!

As expected there was a lot of excess liquid left both in the socks and again on my feet which immediately felt a bit sticky, when I started to massage it in but it quickly absorbed leaving my feet feeling instantly silky soft on the tops, and quite a bit smoother on the soles. They also looked visibly more hydrated, and the dry white patches of skin, had all be it temporarily disappeared.

So there you have it, I ended the last two month of 2021 by adding another 17 items to my yearly total, which was a good finish but who will did I do overall...

January - 6 Items

February - 4 Items

March -  8 Items

April - 7 Items

May - 7 Items

June - 10 Items

July - 10 Items

August - 10 Items

September - 11 Items

October - 4 Items

November - 7 Items

December - 10 Items

2021 Total - 94 Items 

Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you, in 2021 I managed to finish 94 beauty products, which utterly destroys 2020's total of 75 items; Not only that but it was my best yearly performance since 2013 when I finished an absolutely crazy 130 items!

I'm not sure that I'll ever manage to finish that many items again, but you never know! 2022 hasn't started off too well in any sense, but hopefully things can only get better! I'll be updating my January and February empties lists in my sidebar later today so you can keep tabs on my progress, and hopefully my January empties post at least should be up in the next week or so x 

If you have any questions or comments on any of the products that I've talked about in this post, or if you would like to share a link to your own empties posts or project 10 pan challenges, then please leave me a comment below x Thanks again for reading this epic post, and thank you again for your support, and I'll see you soon with another post x 

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

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Ways To Restore Your Hair To Its Crowning Glory*

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of having my photograph taken, I grew with a dad, who was a very passionate amateur photographer, so needless to say there are hundreds and hundreds of photos of little Louise! I often look through those photos, and the one positive thing that I always end up focusing on is my beautiful hair. It was long, just a tiny bit wavy, and super healthy! so what happened?

Well illness, and no doubt colouring, perming, and heat styling have all played their part, and whilst it can look okay sometimes, I still lose way more strands than I would like, and more often than not, it looks like a wavy, tangly hedge!

Sadly it’s not that uncommon for people to feel negative about their hair and how it looks, and feels. If you're having more bad hair days than good hair days, then it's probably down to the strength and overall health of your hair. Don't despair though if you're dealing with strands that just don't do what you want, or look the way you want, then there are some things that you can do to get your hair back in shape, and to make it healthy as it can be.

Don’t Expose Your Hair to Too Much Heat

This first one is pretty obvious, I don't know many people (both guys and girls!) that don't own at least a hairdryer and maybe a set of straighteners, or curlers! Whilst appliances now are way less damaging than they used to be (sticking your tongs in the fire anyone!), and there are now numerous products out there to protect your hair from heat styling, exposing your hair to too much heat can severely damage it and prevent you from being able to keep it healthy and looking how you want it to look going forward. You see those little flyaways that you get in the mid lengths and around your hairline? Breakage because of an obsession with hair straighteners!

I'm not telling you to give up your hair styling products completely, but do what I do now and try to use them a bit more sparingly, you really don't need to straighten your hair everyday, try have a few days off a week, let your hair dry naturally every now and then, and if you must use heat tools, try turning the temperature down a bit. Oh and whilst we're talking about heat, don't wash your hair in really hot water as that too can damage your hair, I'm not saying you have to end your shower with a cold rinse, just turn that heat down a bit for your hair wash at least!

Eat a More Balanced Diet

Another obvious one but you are what you eat and if you eat a healthy diet, then you should feel the benefits in all kinds of ways. Your body and your hair will certainly thank you and you’ll get the nutrients you require into your system as well. It’s as simple as that. So make sure that you’re always doing what you can to keep your diet as healthy and balanced as it can be with all of the major food groups, vitamins and nutrients covered. I'm not saying count calories, or deny yourself the food or drink that you love, just try to cover your food groups, and make sure your getting all your vitamins, and don't forget there are loads of specialised hair vitamins out there and multivitamins out there if you fancy giving them a try.

Leave Time for Hair Masks

I've reviewed a lot of hair products over the years, and as well as finishing products, shampoos and conditioners, I've also talked about and loved a lot of hair masks and deep conditioning treatments.

Washing and conditioning your hair is obviously something that’s very important but if your hair needs a bit of extra help then trying to integrate an intensive treatment or hair mask into your routine. Hair masks and the like can really help to repair and moisturise your hair in a way that regular shampooing and conditioning can't. There are loads of products out there that address all different types of concerns so have a little look at my Beauty Product Directory and all of my Trimming My Stash posts to find out more about some of my favourites, and some of the products that I've tried x

Explore the Benefits of Hair Transplants

I must admit I do tend to neglect the boys a bit on this blog, but this tip is especially for you. I think now more than ever, probably with the emergence of social media, and reality tv, men are now under the same pressure as women to look good, and they have their own set of insecurities, be that abs, or that perfectly natural thing, hair loss. If you’re a man who’s experienced male pattern balding there isn't a quick fix - obviously you can embrace it, there are loads of hot male celebs with little are no hair so there are some amazing role models out there but if you want to do something about it then that's fine too. and there are several things out there that you can look into . Hair transplants are more successful than ever before and the results can be very impressive. Be sure to check out these before and after pictures of hair transplants if it’s something you’re interested in and what to learn more about

Shield it From the Sun

Over the last couple of years, or so, most of us have probably haven't seen the sun that much, but with things hopefully getting back to 'normal', we can now start dreaming again of sunny beaches, and city breaks. Yes we probably all need that Vitamin D again but the sun can cause serious damage to your hair, especially if it's already coloured or over processed The more steps you take to keep your hair covered when the sun is out the better, so grab yourself a funky bandana, or a big straw hat, and a UV hair protector spray before you hit that beach or even that beer garden. It might not seem as important as protecting your skin, but your hair can get damaged as well over time if it’s exposed to UV rays so if you really want your hair to be your crowning glory then you should keep your sun exposure to minimum.

Hopefully putting some of these tips into practise will help bring back those good hair days, but if you're still struggling than maybe have a word with your GP, as some illnesses can lead to problems with your hair, and of course have a chat with your hairdresser, sometimes all you might need is a good cut and a pamper session to get you back on track x Wishing you many Happy Hair Days ! Now where's my Elasticizer...

*Collaborative / Partnered Post