Trimming My Stash - October 2021 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, And An Update*

Bonjour mes amis! I disappeared again didn't I! Sorry! My COVID booster knocked me for 6 for a few days, and then I came down with a stinking cold! Urgh! Never mind though, although I haven't been that visible on social media, and on the blog lately, I have been busy prepping blog posts for you, so fingers crossed you'll have lots of content to keep you busy in the run up to Christmas and beyond! 

Today I've got a little empties post for you, and after a pretty amazing 4 months, in October I came back down to earth with a bit of a bump!

The Body Shop Drops Of Youth - Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask - 1 x 21ml Sheet Mask
Sunday Rain Rejuvenating Body Scrub Acai Berry - 265g
Primark Alex Steinherr Pore Balance Blemish Rescue Stickers - 22 Stickers
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml

Total - 4 Items

Yes, after four months of finishing 10 or more items in a month, in October I only managed to finish a pretty measly 4 products, but hey they all count don't they. Not a very exciting mix this time round but a few nice bits, and some things that I will definitely repurchase.

1. The Body Shop Drops Of Youth - Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask - 1 x 21ml Sheet Mask

First up a face mask, and this one was a free gift that came with my autumnal Vanilla Pumpkin haul from The Body Shop.

From their popular Drops Of Youth range, this biodegradable sheet mask contains a high concentration of their trademarked Drops of Youth ingredient. 99% of the ingredients in this mask are of natural origin, and include edelweiss, criste marine, and sea holly plant stem cells, as well as community fair trade moringa oil from Rwanda.

Designed to fresh, smooth, awaken and plump the skin, this was a really good quality mask, it was nice and thick and as a result it was really easy to unfold.

It felt really wet, but instead of a thin water like texture it felt more like a slightly oily serum, with a sweet, green herbal scent, that reminded me a bit of geranium or rose geranium essential oil.

Before

On application the mask immediately felt quite cooling on the skin, but like most sheet masks it warmed up on contact with the skin and it gradually seemed to dry out as my skin started to absorb the serum. I did feel a slight tingling sensation at first but it wasn't extreme or uncomfortable.

On Application

My skin really seemed to like this mask, and it seemed to really absorb the serum, so when I took it off there wasn't too much excess product left on my face, but as per the instructions I massaged the odd patch of leftover serum into my skin. My face felt a touch sticky but that quickly subsided leaving my skin just a touch softer and smoother.

To be fair though this mask isn't really about changing the texture of your skin, this mask is really about changing how it looks, and although you can't really see much in these pictures, in real life my skin definitely looked more hydrated and refreshed, which was exactly what that mask promised to do.

After

I have to say I really liked this mask, although I don't think it's something that I would use all the time, I would definitely use it again if I felt my skin needed a boost.

The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask retails at around £5

2. Sunday Rain Rejuvenating Body Scrub Acai Berry - 265g

Next up a body scrub, and it's another one from Sunday Rain. I've used a few different scrubs from vegan body care brand Sunday Rain now and so far so good. Their body exfoliators seem to fall into two categories, their exfoliating cubes (You can read my thoughts on the charcoal ones here), and their more traditional style scrubs like the Mango + Coconut Polishing Scrub.

This Rejuvenating Acai Berry Body Scrub falls into the second category. Containing acai berry extract which is rich in Vitamin C, and natural sugar, this pale pink scrub is very similar texture wise to the Mango + Coconut scrub. It felt quite damp, and it contained small but present grains of sugar. It wasn't the scrubbiest or strongest of scrubs, but it did the job, it was easy to massage into the skin, and even though it's pretty gentle, you can really feel it working.

What I liked most about this scrub thought, was the fact that it turns into almost a creamy milk on contact with water, it was really easy to rinse away, mess free and it left my skin feeling lovely and soft and smooth.

As much as I liked the Mango + Coconut scrub, I think I actually like this one more, I loved the subtle, sweet fruity scent and who doesn't love a bit of pink in their bathroom! I will definitely consider buying this one again. If you fancy trying it for yourself then you can buy if from a variety of retailers including ASOS, Superdrug and Beauty Bay for around £6.

3. Primark Alex Steinherr Pore Balance Blemish Rescue Stickers - 22 Stickers

When it comes to Primark hauls this year has been a pretty barren one. Thanks to lockdown and ill health, I can count the number of times that I've been to Primark this year on one hand!

Have I missed it? Well yes and no! I've missed the freedom of real shops, and hunting for gems amongst the racks, but again it's really showed me that I can live without buying so much stuff. I have more than enough shoes and clothes, and more than enough beauty and make up products to last me a life time!

My buying and spending habits have got to change, and in 2022, they're going to with the return of Project 10 Pan, and the introduction of a spending diet or two. Obviously more on that to come, but before that I actually have a Primark visit planned for this week, so it's going to be one last hurrah, and whilst I'm there I'm definitely going to see if I can find another packet of these.

It's been so long since I've been to Primark that I don't even know whether or not they still stock the Alex Steinherr beauty collaboration, but if they do these are well worth picking up. Yes, you can get cuter shaped ones, but since you wear that overnight who really sees you wearing them? These were basically circular, velum like stickers that were infused with tea tree and salicylic acid, and were designed to help clear redness, reduce inflammation, and fight blemishes.

Perfect for individual and one off spots, making sure your skin is clean and dry, you stick a patch to the offending spot, head to bed and let it do its thing overnight. The next morning it will have gone one of two ways, your spot will be less red, and less obvious, or in some cases it may actually by bigger, and I'm sorry if this is too much information, it may have already burst or it may be ready to burst or to pop. You might need to apply them a couple of nights in a row for really stubborn spots, but either way my spots definitely didn't last as long and didn't look as angry when I used these patches. They really did what they promised and unlike some other similar patches that I've tried they didn't sting and they actually stayed put over night.

Obviously these patches aren't really for you if you have a lot of spots or acne, but if like me you get the odd hormonal spot, these patches can really help clear them up more quickly.

For just £3 for 22 patches I would definitely buy these ones again if I could, in the meantime though I have some similar patches from Korean inspired skincare brand Oh K! to use, so I'll keep you posted as to how I get one with those ones.

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

First up an apology, I'm sorry that you can only see half of an empty tube here but Mummy Lou got to it first, and I only just managed to retrieve half of it from the recycling bin!

A couple of months ago now I changed my hair colour again, going for a slightly more natural looking brown shade at the roots, and going from a redder shade from the mid lengths to the ends.

I love red on my hair but it fades so quickly that you really need to use some specialist products to give it a fighting chance of sticking around. One of my favourite specialist red hair ranges is the John Frieda Radiant Red range, and you can read my thoughts on this particular product here. I really like this conditioner and I will definitely repurchase it again in the future, even though I'm currently loving the TREsemme Colour Enhancing Hair Mask in Warm Red, which in my opinion is even better for enhancing red hair.

The John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner has an RRP of around £6.99 for 250ml tube, and is available from various retailers including Boots, Feel Unique, Tesco and ASDA.

So they were my October empties, there weren't many of them but November's total as you can see 👉 (post coming soon!) was a little bit better, and here's hoping I can end 2021 on a high and boost my yearly total in December. Again if you have any questions please leave me a comment below, and if you've left me a comment in the last month, all comments (not spam though!) will be approved and responded to later this week x 

Thanks for reading and I'll see you later this week with a Glossybox unboxing x 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total - 5 Items 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well. well, well the last few weeks have been fun in my world haven't they! Thankfully it eventually appears as though we're starting to turn the corner. On Tuesday I celebrated my 40th birthday, obviously given the events of the last few weeks, the celebrations were majorly scaled back but I had a fabulous day, and I was well and truly spoilt as per usual by my amazing family and some very special friends x I got some lovely pressies some of which I'll be sharing with you on Instagram but the biggest and best pressie of all was having my mam home. She was discharged on Tuesday afternoon and whilst she has an outpatient appointment next week, hopefully she's well on the way to a full recovery.

This year seems to have been very stop, start when it comes to blogging but hopefully with things returning back to normal at home, and a change in my own mindset and outlook I'm hopefully going to able to get some of those posts and videos up that I've been planning and promising for what feels like an eternity. First though I'm going to take a very late look back at April's beauty empties.

Primark PS Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner - 20ml
Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder - Transparent - 8g
Dawin Miller Joy White Jasmine And Cranberry Body Wash - 120ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml

Total - 5 Items 

Well despite all of the trials and tribulations that April had to offer I still managed to finish 5 beauty products. Although I didn't manage to finish any facial skincare items this time round, I did manage to finish a make up item, so I'm classing April as a trimming my stash win!

1. Primark PS Cuticle Oil - 10ml

I've talked about this product a few times now, and to be honest I can't praise it enough. I've used a lot of cuticle oils over the years, and this is without a doubt one of the best that I've used and it's also the cheapest. Crammed full of avocado oil, this oil is easy to apply, and it absorbs super quickly, and at just £1 a bottle you can afford to slather it on. This is now one of my beauty must haves and it's something that I'm going to continue to stock up on and use regularly.

2. Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner - 20ml*

This travel sized product came in a set that I was sent to review way back in 2015 (You can read my review here). I've no idea why I didn't finish this sooner but here we are. I'm a big fan of the Philip Kingsley brand and this was another nice product. It was a nice lightweight conditioner that was ideal of fine hair, or if you wash your hair on a daily basis. If your hair is very dry this might not be enough for you, but you could team it up with Philip Kingsley's famous Elasticizer if your needs a bit of extra boost.

3. Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder - Transparent - 8g*

At last a make up item! and this one was another press sample, and this time one from natural beauty store My Pure. Having quite an oil prone skin I love face powder, and I'm a particular fan of loose powder and if you are as well, this one was a good one. Yes, like all loose powders it was a touch messy, and you did get a bit of fallout, but it wasn't too chalky, and it really did take down the shine especially on my t-zone. If you're looking for a cruelty free, loose powder from a natural and eco friendly brand then this could be a one to try. You can read a full review here. 

4.  Dawin Miller Joy White Jasmine And Cranberry Body Wash - 120ml

While sorting through my beauty stash a few months ago now I discovered a Christmas gift set from a toiletry brand that I hadn't heard of, Dawin Miller. Joy definitely isn't a festive type fragrance in the traditional sense and it's something that you could easily use all year around, it's definitely more of a floral, than a fruity scent, and the heady scent of the jasmine really did dominate with just a hint of the tart berries. I love the scent of jasmine and white flowers so I really enjoyed using this lovely foaming shower gel. I can't find any trace of this brand or any information about it so I don't honestly think that it's something that I'm going to be able to repurchase it but I do have a hand and body lotion, and some body cream to use up, so I can go on enjoying the scent for a little bit longer.

5. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml

Argh ! I have no idea what happened the picture here but I can assure you that I definitely did finish this bottle of conditioner. This is without a doubt one of the nicest hair conditioners that I have used in a long, long time. With a very similar scent to the accompanying shampoo that I talked about in March's trimming my stash post (read my thoughts here), this creamy condition probably has a touch more of the peppermint scent to it, which gives a cooling and refreshing hit. Also containing bamboo, keratin and arginine, this stuff leaves my hair feeling silky, smooth and very hydrated and shiny. Like with the shampoo I'm not sure it made too much different to my hair loss but since I've started using both the shampoo and the conditioner from this range I've noticed a definite improvement in the condition and the appearance of my hair. I've already repurchased this product and it something that I'm going to keep buying

So they were my very late April empties, if you have any questions on any of the products that I've mentioned than please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below, or contact me via email or twitter, Thanks for reading and thanks again for keeping me sane over the last few weeks xx

*Press Samples

Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Shampoo And Conditioner*

Whether you're a new reader or whether you've been with me since the start. or even since somewhere in the middle, then you'll probably have already established how much I love beauty products. I'm a real beauty junkie and I love trying out new products and new brands.

Although I do repurchase certain things (mainly skincare) you could never describe me as loyal. I don't repurchase a lot of products now and I'm always on the look out for the next miracle product or the next big thing. You may have already realised that one of my weaknesses is hair care. When it comes to beauty products I'm not a snob, and over the years I've probably tried hundreds of different hair care products at all different price points, and I'm a firm believer that price and quality doesn't always go hand in hand.

When it comes to haircare I've loved products at both ends of the price spectrum, and I've disliked as many expensive products as I have cheap ones. In most cases I'm of the opinion that you don't always get what you pay for, it really is horses for courses and sometimes it's worth giving things a go especially if they are at a more affordable price point.

Over the next few months I have a lot of hair care reviews coming up on the blog, and in an attempt to provide something for everyone, I will be reviewing some high end products and some more budget friendly options. I know a lot of people love their high end and salon hair care products but in this day and age, high end hair care can often be an expense that some people just can't justify so today I'm start off by talking about two products, that definitely won't put a dent in your wallet.

Being a proud Brit, I love supporting British brands and one such brand is Creightons. Even if you have haven't heard of them I can pretty much guarantee that you will have seen at least a few of their products in both bricks and mortar stores and online. They produce a wide range of skin, body and hair care products that are all manufactured here in England. Their haircare line is particularly impressive when you consider that the majority of products in the line start at just £1. A lot of their haircare products also remind me a lot of some of the more mid range, salon and stylist driven brands all be it at a much lower price point. Creightons hair care line contains a variety of different products including shampoos and conditioners for both blondes and brunettes, as well as products for frizzy hair, curly hair, and for hair that is lacking in volume; They also have an Argan oil based range and a Coconut based range for people with drier or coarser hair

Quite a while ago now I was sent a couple of different shampoos and conditioners to try, I will be reviewing two products from the Beautiful Brunette range in a future post but today I'm going to talk about two products from the Creme de Coconut & Keratin range.

Both the shampoo and the conditioner come packaged in basic but practical, easy to squeeze plastic tubes, with a secure flip top lid. The shampoo comes in a brown tube and the conditioner comes in a creamy white tube, so it's easy to see exactly which one you're picking up and using when you're in the shower

This range is specifically designed for drier hair types, and both products contain a blend of 3 specially selected ingredients, coconut, keratin proteins, and vitamin E. The products are designed to hydrate, indulge and nourish the hair, whilst at the same time leaving it stronger, smoother and more manageable. The ingredients sound good as do the claims but just how good can a shampoo and conditioner that cost just a £1 a bottle be?

Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Moisturising Shampoo - 250ml

First up the shampoo, and this particularly shampoo, contains a blend of coconut milk and keratin, alongside all of the other ingredients that you normally find in a shampoo such as water, and foaming agents (in this case SLS).

The shampoo itself has a slightly runny, gel like texture, and clear and slightly opalescent in colour. It took a little bit more shampoo than what I would usually use, but thanks to the SLS it lathers up into a really nice creamy foam, that rinses out easily and left the hair surprisingly smooth, and not as dry as I'd expected. If you had an oilier hair type then you could probably get away with just using the shampoo, but I felt that I needed a little bit more hydration so I generally used it alongside the accompanying conditioner

Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Nourishing Conditioner - 250ml

Like the shampoo the conditioner also contains a blend of coconut milk, and keratin (the protein naturally found in both hair and nails) as well as Vitamin E, for that extra conditioning, nourishing boost.

The conditioner itself is a slightly pearlised, off white in colour, and it has a rich, creamy texture. It's thick and creamy but it's still easy to apply and it's easy to massage in and comb through freshly washed, damp hair.

The packaging doesn't really tell you how long to leave it on, so normally I just left it on for a few minutes, before rinsing. Despite it's creaminess it was easy to rinse out in the shower, and almost instantaneously I could feel the difference in my hair, it feel smoother and less tangled even when it was wet. When I left it to dry naturally it was definitely less frizzy, and it definitely felt softer, more controlled and more manageable.

I think that these two products just scream summer, not only are they perfect for when your hair might be feeling a bit dry and parched, but the creamy coconut scent also make you think of summer and tropical beaches even when it's dark and rainy outside. I have a love / hate relationship with coconut fragrances and flavours thanks to a bad experience with a certain coconut and rum based beverage, but I was okay with this fragrance, it was creamy coconutty and sweet but it wasn't too sickly.

Despite my opinion that paying more money doesn't always mean a better product I've got to be honest I was pretty sceptical as to whether these two £1 products would do their thing, but these products actually really surprised me.

As well as smelling great they also left my hair feeling clean, and well conditioned, and looking smoother and less frizzy. If you're not a fan of SLS and sulfates in your products then obviously these two products won't be for you, but personally I didn't notice any irritation or dryness, on either my hair or on my scalp.

The only real difference that I noticed with these products compared to say some similar, higher priced products was the amount that I needed to use. I think I'm in a minority but I'm one of those people that normally uses way more shampoo than conditioner, but with these products I actually finished both of the product at the same time, which is very unusual for me.

Whilst I can't guarantee that I'll repurchase either of these products, I definitely wouldn't be adverse to using them again. For the price I think that these products are pretty decent and they prove, at least to me, that you really don't need to spend a fortune on shampoo and conditioner. Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Moisturising Shampoo and Creightons Creme de Coconut & Keratin Nourishing Conditioner both come in 250ml tubes and retail at around £1 a tube from various retailers including Asda, Primark, Wilko and Poundland. Are you a fan of budget haircare ? or is there such a thing as too cheap? Let me know in the comments x

*Press Samples 

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

Late again I'm afraid, I think you can guess from my previous post why I've been AWOL this week but  I can type again and I'm back with my November 2016 empties

Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml
Benefit They're Real Mascara - Jet Black - 8.5g
Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Body Smoothing Polish - 200ml
Elemis Smart Cleanse Micellar Water - 50ml
AVON ANEW Clean Anti Ageing 3-In-1 Cleansing Water - 200ml
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Hydrating Conditioner - 250ml

Total - 6 Items 

Last month I managed to finish 6 items. It's not as many as I would have hoped but some of these items have been floating around my bathroom and my bedroom for a little while now and I managed to finish item, and a couple of skincare items so it's all good.

1. Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make Up Remover - 125ml

From the very first moment that Boots started messing around with their Botanics Eye Make Up Remover. My quest for a new product to remove my eye make up started. I know I have a couple of old favourites from Gatineau and Lancome that I can fall back but I desperately wanted to find something a more purse friendly price point. I've bought a few so far without much success but seeing as a have really sensitive eyes I thought I'd try a product from a brand that specialises in sensitive skin. I actually really liked this product, a clear liquid, it removed even the most long wear make up without making my eyes burn, run or sting. It retails at around £3.45 for a 125ml bottle and I definitely liked it enough to consider a repurchase. The one drawback is that you did quite a bit of product so if you wear a lot of eye make up, it probably wouldn't last long.

2. Benefit They're Real Mascara - Jet Black - 8.5g

I'm going to be honest and say that I've been using another mascara so I'd actually forgotten about this one hence it was probably open for way longer than the 3 months shelf life - whoops. What can I say about this one? Some days I love it, some days it drives my round the bend, on a good day it gives that perfect false lash effect or bad days it turns into a clumpy mess. Funnily enough the longer I had the better it got. Despite my frustrations with it the good days do outnumber the bad and it's definitely a mascara that I would and already have bought again. You can read a full review here x 

3. Baylis & Harding Skin Spa Rose Ylang Ylang & Patchouli Body Smoothing Polish - 200ml*

This was a product that I was sent to review many many moons ago (2014!), it was a recent rediscovery and it still smelled and looked fine so I finished it off. You can read a full review here x Although I still prefer a more grainy,  sugar or salt scrub the real winner here was the scent. It had a pleasant oldie worldly rose scent with just a hint of the heady other ingredients. Unfortunately the Skin Spa range appears to have been discontinued but they still do a wide variety of fragrances especially at this time of year, including a new rose scent, and an amazing Blackberry and Apple scent that I'm obsessed with.

4. Elemis Smart Cleanse Micellar Water - 50ml

5. AVON ANEW Clean Anti Ageing 3-In-1 Cleansing Water - 200ml

Next up not one but two micellar / cleansing waters. I think micellar waters are the new cleansing wipes but thankfully most of them are a lot kinder to the skin. You can either use them on their own or as I've been doing as part of a double cleanser. These are two products at opposite end of the price spectrum and I've really enjoyed using both of them. I will be reviewing both of them in the future so that's all you're getting for now x

6. John Frieda Frizz Ease Smooth Start Hydrating Conditioner - 250ml*

The final product that I'm going to share with you today is another one that's be lingering around in the bathroom since the year dot. This product was something that I received as part of a trio of press samples from the John Frieda Frizz Ease range. As one of the first haircare lines on the market for girls with frizzy and curly the entire Frizz Ease range is truly revolutionary. Although this particular product has now been discontinued, and the full line has been reformulated and repackaged I can't praise this hair care line enough. From coarse and unmanageable hair, to a silky smooth, easy to comb main, this range of product is an affordable must have if you have hair that doesn't behave. You can read my original review here x

So that was my November empties post x After another rough month I'm hoping to be a lot more productive on all fronts in December, so lets hope that I manage to finish the year with a bang and use up some more products, and that I manage to get my blogging hat back on x If you have any questions please leave me a comment and I'll get back, I'm a bit behind with blog comments, but I should be up to date within the next day or so, so please bear with me xx

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

Believe it or not it's that time again, it time again for my monthly empties post! Yet another month has flown by and tomorrow is the first of June. It's really hard to believe that we're nearly half way through the year already!

Although I'm not a one for making new years resolutions, every year I try and set myself a few goals and a few things that I want to achieve, and this year one of my major aims was to get myself organised and have a big clear out. I've done the odd thing but May was the month where I really got started and put my plans into practise. I've managed to fill a couple of charity bags with stuff, and I've made a start on sorting through my beauty products, binning things, and deciding in what order I need to use things up.

Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 125ml
Elemis Pro Radiance Hand And Nail Cream - 100ml
Bentley Organic Body Wash With Olive, Tea Tree And Eucalyptus - 250ml
Leighton Denny Slick Tips Nail And Cuticle Oil - 12ml
RESEED Wheatbran Ultra Volume Conditioner For Women - 250ml
Total - 7 Items

Although I didn't manage to finish as many items as I did in April I'm still pretty pleased with May's total of 7 items. I managed to finish a nice variety of things as well as a few half finished products and a few rediscovered items.

1. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
2. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes

Yet again I managed to finish some of my favourite Primark Tea Tree face wipes. As I've said a few times before I don't use these that often on my face but I do tend to use them for cleaning up swatches, and cleaning up my make up palettes. I've got quite a few make up reviews coming soon so I've been using these to clean up in between photographs.I also used quite a few to clean some of my NARS shadows and blushers - After a while the rubberised covering can got a little bit sticky and horrible, all you need to do is take a couple of these wipes and give the packaging a good scrub - after a while the coating will break down leaving you with a clean, non tacky palette - result! For just a £1 for 2 packs of 25 these are a really versatile edition to anyone's beauty stash

3, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 125ml

This is probably the best micellar water that I've tried to date - it removes literally everything, without stinging my eyes or drying out my skin. It's affordable and it does the job. This is just a small bottle but this is a product that I will continue to repurchase unless that it I find something I like better. I'm always willing to try new products and I have a couple of new ones to try already so we'll see.

4. Elemis Pro Radiance Hand And Nail Cream - 100ml

I don't know why or what I've been doing or using but my hands and nails are so dry at the moment. I use a lot of hand cream and this month I'm quite sad to have finished one of my favourites. This hand cream from one of my favourite brands Elemis is the perfect indulgence - with a thick and creamy textures, it has an amazing white flower scent, and absorbs quickly into the skin leaving your hands silky soft. My favourite treat with this one is to use it at night, I put on a thick layer and put on a pair of cotton gloves to help it sink in. I really love this hand cream and if you watched my March / April Favourites video, you can find out a little bit more about why I love it x It's something I would definitely consider repurchasing when I've used up my current hand cream collection but at £26 for a 100ml tube, it is quite price prohibitive.

5. Bentley Organic Body Wash With Olive, Tea Tree And Eucalyptus - 250ml

Over the last few months I've had a couple of nasty colds and chest infection, and when you feel a bit poorly and under the weather, nothing lifts your spirits like a nice bath or shower, and this shower gel with eucalyptus and tea tree definitely hit the spot. Don't think that your showering in Olbas Oil or Vicks vapour rub, instead this had a gentle scent, that made you feel super, duper clean and fresh, and that helps you breath just a little bit more easily. This was one of my monthly My Pure products so I was sent it for review and you can read a full review here.

6. Leighton Denny Slick Tips Nail And Cuticle Oil - 12ml

Like hand creams, I have cuticle oils all over the house and this month I found this half finished one in my office, I've been layering on this lemongrass scented oil and a few others two, or three times a day for the past few weeks, and at last the hangnails and peeling cuticles seem to be disappearing. This isn't my favourite cuticle oil by any means but it does the job.

7. RESEED Wheatbran Ultra Volume Conditioner For Women - 250ml

It's always the way, you don't know what till you've got till its gone - I was sent nearly the full RESEED line quite a while ago now and over the 3 months or so that I use - my hair completely changed, it grew, the condition improved and I lost a lot less hair. I've now finished both the shampoo and conditioner from the range, and I'm just about out of the two serums, and already I can see my hair going back to the way it was. The range is pricey but in my experience it's worth every penny, and I'll definitely be repurchasing at least the shampoo and conditioner from the range. You can read my full review here x

So they were my May empties, next month I'm hoping that I can do a little bit better - I've got a few boxes and drawers left to sort, so hopefully I can find some more things to use up. If you have any comments on any of this months empties then please leave me a comment x Thanks for reading x

Sample Saturday - Philip Kingsley Body And Shine Try Me Kit*

My name is Louise and my hair is driving me mad :( Thanks to illness and a great deal of medication I've been having problems on and off with my hair for a few years now, and at the moment I just so happen to be having a bad spell. I wouldn't say it was particularly dry but it's definitely lacking in life and volume, and it seems to thin and break at the drop of the hat, particularly around my hair line.

I'm forever trying new hair products and trying different things to try and boost my lowly locks, and over the past couple of weeks I've been trying out a few products that I was sent from Philip Kingsley. Philip Kingsley is a top salon brand, but he isn't a hairdresser, he's actually a trichologist, with over 50 years of experience in dealing with serious hair and scalp problems. As well as having his own well respected trichology clinics both here and in the USA, he also produces a range of products that are designed to deal with some of the most common hair and scalp problems.

I've been using the Body and Shine Try Me Kit for the last couple of weeks now. This kit contains 3, mini 20ml, products that are specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair with heat or chemical processing.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo - 20ml

The first product in the kit is a 20ml shampoo, and this one is the Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo. Specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair, this gentle, frequent use shampoo contains both natural cellulose and keratin proteins which help to improve the hair texture and to strengthen the hair and add shine

This shampoo has a clear gel formulation and a pleasant almost floral, parma violet like aroma. It's quite a thick gel and you only need a small amount to produce a  creamy, soft foam. Ir rinses away easily, and the hair almost instantly seems smoother and fuller. It isn't the most moisturising shampoo that I've ever used, so if you have dry hair you'll definitely need to follow it with a conditioner, but my hair definitely looked a felt more silky when I used it and it didn't look quite as frizzy.

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner - 20ml

The next product in the kit is a hair conditioner. I did try the shampoo on it own a couple of times to review it in it's own right but more often than not I followed it with a blob of this conditioner. This is the Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner. Designed for medium, textured wavy hair or fine processed hair, this conditioner is specifically designed to deliver moisture at the end and the mid lengths without adding an extra weight.It contains both elastin, which is designed to leave the hair shinier, smoother, and tangle free, and wheat proteins which have natural anti-static properties.

The conditioner is off white in colour, and has a milky, lotion type texture -  it wasn't quite as thick as I was expecting but it still felt quite creamy. It spread through the hair quite easily, and it rinsed away quickly, leaving the hair with a clean, but subtle, almost musky, herbal, aromatherapy type scent. The hair felt smoother and less tangled almost instantly, this isn't the most intense conditioner that I've used but it definitely gave my hair a god moisture hit, and tamed my frizz and fly aways without leaving my hair, heavy, weighed down or overloaded. If your hair is really dry, this might not be enough for some people, but it's perfect for frequent use, and people with finer hair.

Philip Kinglesy - Elasticizer - 20ml

The final product in this kit is probably the product that Philip Kingsley is most famous for Elasticizer! Originally created by Philip Kingsley in the 1970's Elasticizer was created for one of Philip's most famous clients, actress and all round icon, Audrey Hepburn. Elasticizer was the world's first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment and it's designed to improve hair manageability, bounce, strength, shine and elasticity, without coating or weighing down the hair.

I'm going to be honest and say that this I've used this product on and off for a few years now, and it's one of two intensive hair treatments that I swear by. Its easy to use and I genuinely think that it makes a difference in just one use.

It's unscented, white in colour and has a lovely thick creamy texture, that spreads easily through the hair. This is a pre-shampoo conditioner, so all you do is apply it to wet hair. You don't need to have a shower or shampoo your hair, you just need to wet your hair down before you apply it. Then just leave it for at least 20 minutes to give it a chance to work - You can leave it for as long as you like though, I've even left it on overnight, and if you're using a sauna or you're on holiday then you can use it to both protect and condition your hair.

As it soaks in to your hair, your hair can start to feel a little bit sticky, but don't worry about it, it's just doing it's thing. It takes a little bit of rinsing, but just rinse it out with warm water,  and work it through your hair, then shampoo and condition as normal.

Even after just one use Elasticizer, which contains castor and olive oils, elastin and glycerine, makes a difference to my hair. Every time I use it my hair feels smoother, and stronger, I seem to lose less hair and it seems to give my hair a huge boost. This particular product has an almost iconic status in the beauty industry and for me it thoroughly deserves it.

I've only managed about 4 uses out of each tube but it's easy to see why both Philip Kingsley and his products are held in such high regard. I've only used them a few times but they definitely seem to do what they promise. My hair looks smoother, and I've definitely noticed an improvement in  the manageability and the texture of my hair

Although you only get a small amount of product, a little goes a long way,  and kits like this give you a good opportunity to try out a more expensive product before shelling out for the full size items. This Philip Kingley Body And Shine Try Me Kit retails at £6 and it comes in various versions depending on your hair type or concern. I think that these kits would make an ideal small gift or a stocking filler for anyone who is new to the brand or for anyone that spends a lot of time travelling and uses a lot of minis. If you're already a Philip Kingsley devotee though, there are lots of other Philip Kingsley gift sets available this Christmas containing an assortment of his most popular products.

You can buy Philip Kingsley products directly from the Philip Kingsley website and various other retailers including Feel Unique, John Lewis, QVC and Look Fantastic.

Even though my hair product game is already strong I have my eye on quite  a few of the Philip Kingsley products and I would especially love to receive some of the new Geranium and Neroli Elasticizer in my stocking, so if your listening  Santa you know where I am ;) Have you get any Philip Kingsley products on your festive wishlist this year? Let me know x

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