A Quick Overview Of The Glossybox 2021 Advent Calendar - Surprise Me - Days 13 - 25*

Hey Guys x I hope you're all having a good weekend so far, Today I'm spoiling you with not one but two blog posts and first up I'm sharing a quick overview of days 13 to 25 of the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar x (You can catch up on days 1 - 12 here x).

Day 13 - Laura Geller Touch Up All Over Face Brush - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £13

First up another beauty tool, and it's a make up brush from one of my favourite brands, Laura Geller. It's a small synthetic fibre face brush. It feels lovely and soft and it's a real multipurpose face brush, meaning you can use it for blush, highlighter, setting powder, and even for Laura Geller's famous Balance-n-Brighten base product. You can buy the odd Laura Geller product from a few online retailers now including Simply Be, and QVC UK, as direct from Laura Geller herself but I can't find this specific brush anywhere, Glossybox however give it an RRP of £13.

Day 14 - Ecooking Peeling Mask - 15ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £11.10

Next up a skincare product, and it was a product from Danish based beauty brand, Ecooking. Crammed full of AHA's including glycolic and salicylic acids, this mask is specially designed to remove dead skin cells, in order to tighten and smooth the skin. As someone with very visible pores, and unevenly textured skin, who loves acids this mask sounds ideal for me. I haven't tried it yet but I'll let you what I think about it when I do. 

Glossybox place a value of £11.10 on this 15ml size, but it doesn't same to be available anywhere on its own. The full 50ml size retails at around £37 and it available from various retailers including direct from Ecooking, and from Feel Unique.

Day 15 - Magnitone Swipes Eco Friendly Microfibre Cleansing Pads  - 2 x Pack - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £7

The next product or should I say products come from cleansing specialist Magnitone. I was first introduced to Magnitone via their Pulsar cleansing system, and whilst they still do produce a variety of electronic beauty tools, they also sell a range of microfibre cleansing products called Wipeout. I've already tried the cloths which you can use with cleanser or even just with water to remove make up, and these pads work pretty much the same way.They feel lovely and soft and fluffy, and as well as for general cleansing and eye make up removal, I think I'll also be using them with toners and skin fresheners. 

Glossybox place an estimated price of £7 on this pack of two pads, online I can only find a pack of 6 that retails at £15 direct from Magnitone and from Feel Unique.

Day 16 - Steve Laurant Lip Liner - Uptown - 1g - Full Size - RRP $15 / £10.70

It wouldn't be a Glossybox product if it didn't feature a product from one of their favourite make up brands Steve Laurant, and the 2020 calendar contains a nude brown lip pencil in the shade Uptown. I've already tried a lip pencil from Steve Laurant in the shade Vogue, and you can read my full review here. 

I'll do a full review of this pencil in due course but if you fancy trying it, it's available direct from Steve Laurant for around $15 x Glossybox placed a value of £10.70 on it.

Day 17 - Boucleme Scalp Massager - Full Size - RRP £12

I said in my last advent calendar post that were a lot of beauty tools in this calendar and here is another one, and this time it's a hair care product from curly hair specialist, Boucleme. The ergnomically shaped masssager has an easy grip, easy hold design, and soft rubber nodules. It's  perfect for using dry as a head and scalp massager, or for applying shampoo and conditioner. Even though I only have wavy, not curly hair I can't wait to give this a try to try and stimulate my scalp and a bit of hair growth.

Although a lot of retailers such as Feel Unique, and even Boots sell Boucleme products, the only place that I can find this particular product is direct from Boucleme, where it retails at £12.

Day 18 - Zoeva Infinite Potential Mascara - Full Volume - Black - 9ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £15

From the hair on your head to the hair on your eye lids (I'm sure that sounded better in my head ;), and your eyelashes, and the product in box number 18 was a mascara from Zoeva. Originally known for their make up brushes, Zoeva now produce a very successful make up line, I've only tried one other make up product from them but I was pretty impressed with it and I can't wait to share my thoughts on this volumising, defining and lengthening mascara in a future post x

This full size mascara retails at anywhere between  £15 - £17.50 and is available direct from Zoeva as well from various other retailers including Feel Unique, Flannels Beauty, and Cloud 10 Beauty.

Day 19 - This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - 5ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £6 

Next up something that I've talked about a few times before, and it's a product that I love. If you're having trouble sleeping as I said in the previous advent calendar post there are lots of things you can do to help, including sleep masks, calming tea blends, changing your pillows (more on that to come in a future post;) and by using a product like this. Containing lavender, camomile and vetivert, spray this gorgeous smelling blend onto your bedding, take a few deep breaths and feel the stresses drain away! 

I've actually found a similar product that I like slightly more, but I would still throughly recommend this one if you're having trouble switching off at night x I can't find this size on it's own but it is available in a few kits, and sets and various sizes are available direct from This Works as well as from Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, and Marks and Spencers.

Day 20 - Laritzy Cosmetics Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Nude Peach - 3.1g - Full Size - RRP £14 / $20

Like Steve Laurant, Laritzy are another popular subscription box brand, and in box number 20 of the 2021 calendar, beauty lovers received a full size Laritzy Liquid Lipstick. The calendar contained one of 5 shades and the one that I received was in the shade Nude Peach, which more of a nude, peachy brown shade. I will be featuring this product in the depth in and upcoming post but if you want an idea of the performance and texture then you can read my review of a different shade Tidal here x  This product is available exclusively from Laritzy where it has a retail price of $20 / £14

Day 21 - Bubble T Cosmetics Bath Crumble in Pink Grapefruit - 100g - Full Size - RRP £4.99 - £5

The next item in the calendar was something that I couldn't use so I will be passing it on to one of my friends who is lucky enough to have a bath. From fruit and tea inspired brand Bubble T, this is a bag of pink grapefruit scented bath crumble, which basically looks like broken pieces of bath bomb. The only place that I can find this is direct from Bubble T where it retails at £5.

Day 22 Verso Skincare Nourishing Cream With Niacinamide - 15ml - Deluxe Mini- Est. RRP £23.20

From body to face, and the next product is a skincare item from a new brand to me, Verso. Hailing from Sweden, this is a hydrating moisturiser, thats crammed full of niacinamide to protect the skin. I haven't tried it yet but I will probably show you this one is a future empties post.

I've done a bit of research and this one is also not available on it's own in this size, it is available in a few try me sets though, and the full 50ml size retails at around £80 from various retailers including Space NK, Feel Unique, and Cult Beauty as well as direct from Verso.

Day 23 - Illamasqua Antimatter Lipstick - Bang - 2g - Mini - RRP £12

Next up another make up item, and it's another lip product this time from Illamasqua. From their Antimatter line, this is a mini lipstick in the shade Bang, which is officially described as a muted pink, although for me in the bullet it's looks more like a nude, peachy pink. Again I will be featuring this in a future luscious lips post x 

I can't find this mini size on it's own but the full size has an RRP of around £17 direct from Illamasqua.

Day 24 - Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops Illuminating Ultimate Glow Primer - 31ml - Full Size - RRP £50

Now when I first opened this next box I initially thought that this was a liquid highlighter. Pale shimmery pink in colour though this product from Rodial is actually an illuminating primer, that you can either underneath your make up, mixed with your foundation, or on its own for a glowy, fresher looking complexion. If you would like to see a full review of this one then please let me know in the comments x 

This product has a retail price of around £50 and it available direct from Rodial as well as from Look Fantastic, Feel Unique and Harvey Nichols.

Day 25 - HUDA Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette - Full Size - RRP £58

Now, I would be honestly be lying if I said that the item on Day 25 wasn't the main reason why I decided to get this calendar. Unlike in previous years, I wanted to know what I was getting before I decided which to calendar and thankfully in 2021 there seemed to be a lot of spoilers floating around, and since I'd wanted this palette for the longest time, the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar was the perfect choice.

From cult brand HUDA Beauty, box number 25 contained a full size Mercury Retrograde eyeshadow palette and isn't she an absolute beauty! Nudes, brights, mattes, shimmer, foils and glitters, this palette would be perfect for anyone that loves eyeshadow, and that wants to play it safe on some days and go all out and experiment on others!

Not only does it look beautiful but the quality is immense, again I have a full review coming soon but if don't want to wait and you fancy splashing out purely based on two pictures, this palette has a recommended retail price of £58 and is available from more HUDA Beauty stockists including Boots, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Net-a-Porter, ASOS, and of course directly from HUDA Beauty.

So there you have it the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar in full, obviously you can make you're own conclusions on whether it was worth it or not, but for me it most certainly was - like with all beauty advent calendars there were a few minis, and deluxe minis, but I don't honestly mind that especially when some of the full sizes have such a high retail value. Speaking of expensive products there were actually quite a few in this calendar, the retail price of the Avant product alone was more than the entire calendar, and the HUDA palette was 3/4 of the value so I don't think you can really complain about the cost of the products v the calendar price. There is always a risk with calendars, and it is very much a case of you'll like it or you won't, personally though I love the surprise element and I love trying things new things and new brands.

Just a quick word on the packaging as well, I love the drawer style so I can definitely reuse that but I do wish that there was a way of cutting down the individual boxes, I try to use them the best I can for storing Christmas decorations and for packaging mini gifts, but there is still a lot of excess cardboard but I'm not sure there is another solution .

Again let me know your thoughts on this calendar in the comments, and as I say I will try to review as many of the products as I can in the either individual review posts or in future empties posts but if there is anything in particular you'd like a full review of then please let me know below x Thanks for reading and I will see you later today with another lifestyle post x

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

A Quick Overview Of The Glossybox 2021 Advent Calendar - Surprise Me - Days 1 - 12*

Hey all x I hope that you've all had a good long weekend, and a fabulous Christmas if you were celebrating. It was a really weird one this year, with just me and Mummy Lou. She still wasn't feeling too great so I cooked and cleaned, and we spent the day in each others company watching films and opening pressies. It actually went better than I thought it would and I guess this year really made it obvious to me what Christmas is really all about.

Thankfully, fingers crossed, my mam seems to be feeling a lot better now, so we've just had a lazy few days, losing track of time, and date, and enjoying each others company.Today though I thought I'd give her a little bit of space and I thought I'd try and stick a blog post up for you guys.

In the past I've done a variety of different types of advent calendar posts for you, ranging from full products reviews, to just sharing the contents of whatever calendar that I was lucky enough to receive that year. This year I guess it's going to be quite similar to that, I haven't a chance to try anything in this years calendar yet, so this year I'm just going to share two basic unboxing posts with you - showing you what I got, and giving you some sort of idea of the value of the items in the calendar, and then later on whether in stand alone posts, or in empties posts I can share my thoughts and reviews with you x 

First up the calendar itself, and I have to say I really wasn't sure whether or not I was going to get one this year, but after seeing a few sneak peaks from some of this years offerings for the fourth year in a row, Mummy Lou treat me to the Glossybox calendar.

With a subscriber price of £85 and a regular retail price of £105, this was their most expensive calendar to date, but with an apparent value of over £465 it still seemed like decent value for money.

Like 2020's calendar, I was pleased to see that the 2021 calendar took the same reusable format. In a gorgeous marble like print, in shades of white, pink, grey and gold, this calendar comprised of a sturdy cardboard outer box, with magnetic fastening doors, that opened to reveal four deep, strong cardboard drawers with pink ribbon handles.

Each drawer contained several numbered boxes, again in the pink, white, gold, grey, and a taupe like colour way.

Every numbered box contained a small amount of black paper shred and a lovely beauty product,

Day 1 - Elemis Pro-Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser - 30ml - Deluxe Mini - RRP £9.70

First up a deluxe mini size product from one of my favourite skincare brands, Elemis. For their famous Pro Collagen Marine range, this is one of their newest products, the Pro Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser, and it's something that I've been wanting to try for sometime. 

Glossybox placed a price of £16 on this 30ml size but the only place that I can find this particular size is direct from Elemis where it retails at £9.70.

Day 2 - Wander Beauty - Trip For Two Blush And Bronzer Duo - Bellini And Costa Rei - 8g - Full Size - Est. RRP £25.50 

In box number 2, there was the first of several make up items in this years calendar, and it was a blush and bronzer duo from 'clean' beauty brand Wander Beauty. Now I've only tried an eye mask from the brand before (read my post here) so it's nice to get the opportunity to try something else. The sturdy cardboard palette contains a pale peach matte blusher, and a light toned matter bronzer.

Glossybox placed a value of around £25.50 on this palette but I could only find this particular shade paring at the slightly higher price of £35 from Net-A-Porter, and for $36 direct from Wander Beauty.

Day 3 - GLOV Satin Sleeping Mask - Full Size - Est. RRP £6.90

Now as you know I do love my sleep, and if you aren't getting the quality of sleep that you need there are a few different things that you can try, I've got a post coming up the in the new year that might help you, but in the meantime have you ever tried a sleeping masks? I know they do give you some classic movie glamour, Breakfast At Tiffany's vibes, but they really can help especially if you are disturbed by bright lights, or if for whatever reason you need to sleep during the day.

Box number 3 contained a super soft satin sleeping mask from Polish brand GLOV. With a comfortable elastic band, and a padded, silky smooth finish, this mask is so light you barely feel like you're wearing anything at all. I personally have a love hate relationship with sleep masks, but this one is dream to wear, it isn't tight or uncomfortable and it's isn't scratchy or uncomfortable.

Although I have found a couple of retailers of GLOV's beauty tools in the UK, none of them seem to stock this specific item, so the only place where you might find it is on the secondary market.

Day 4 - Sarah Chapman The Facialift Sculpting Facial Massager - Full Size - Est. RRP £30 

Next up is something that I actually already owned after receiving it in a NEXT beauty box, so this particular one was passed on to a friend. Basically what this is, is a sculpting facial massager from top facialist Sarah Chapman. With 8 rubberised head, this roller designed to brighten, lift, drain toxins, and get rid of puffiness on the face and neck. Bar a basic roller, I tend to find a lot of facial massage tools a little bit uncomfortable but I've read a lot of good things about it so i'm going to try and keep using it 

Glossybox place a value of £30 on this particular tool and it's available at that price from Space NK, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, NEXT Beauty and Beauty Expert, and for around £32 direct from Sarah Chapman and from John Lewis,

Day 5 - Avant Skincare Eight-Hour Retexturing & Anti-Oxidising Hyaluronic Facial Serum - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £89

Something that I'm eternally grateful to Glossybox for is for introducing me to Avant Skincare  - the range is just so expensive that I would never have tried it otherwise and I was super excited to get a chance to try another product from the range on day 5. Something that I've discovered and loved over the last year and a half or so, is the miracle of hyaluronic acid! I used it as least once a day under my moisturiser, and I've really noticed a difference in the feel and texture of my skin. I've been using and loving one from The Ordinary but it's going to be nice to try a higher priced product to compare.

Glossybox placed a price of £89 on this full, 30ml size. It's available at that price in the same packaging direct from Avant Skincare, as well as in the same size, but in slightly different packaging direct from Avant Skincare as well as from Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

Day 6 - Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10

In box number 6, I received a 100ml, deluxe mini size shower gel from one of my favourite shower brands, Molton Brown, and it was actually one of the first shower gels I ever used from them, Heavenly Gingerlily! Despite the name I think that this is definitely a unisex product, it warm and spicy and just a little bit floral. Molton Brown make great shower gels and I'm definitely going to enjoy using this one.

I can only find this particular size in gifts and sets but the full 300ml size retails at around £22 direct from Molton Brown, and from various other retailers including Feel Unique, and Look Fantastic.

Day 7 - Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening And Scalp Mask - 30ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £9

From the body to the hair, and on day 7 I received a 30ml tube of the Grow Gorgeous Intense Thickening Hair and Scalp Mask. I don't know whether it's down to stress or the weather, or diet, but my hair is going though one of it's regular falling out phases, and believe me I'll try anything to hang on to it - so this mask which claims to increase hair thickness, and nourish the scalp is going straight into my shower!

I can't find this particular size on its own online but the full 200ml size has an RRP of £25 and its available direct from Grow Gorgeous, as well as from Look Fantastic, and Boots.

Day 8 - W7 Cosmetics Super Brows Super Definition Eyebrow Pencil - Brown - 1.5g - Full Size - RRP £2.95

Next up more make up and this time it's eyebrows. Although I didn't manage to get my hair done before Christmas I did manage to get my brows waxed and dyed, and instead of going to a Benefit counter - I decided to try someone local and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results, so I'll be saving my cash and keeping it local! 

To be honest my own brows have been so good since I got them done that I haven't reached for anything rather than a bit of clear gel but a good brow pencil never comes in one, and this is a nice dark brown which I think should look pretty natural on me.

This is definitely one of the more budget friendly products in this years calendar with a retail price of £2.95, look hard enough though and you might be able to find it for even less than that. 

You can buy W7 direct from their own website, as well as from various other discount cosmetic retailers including some B&M Stores, and you can even now find W7 stands in some larger Tesco stores.

Day 9 - Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner - 0.4ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £16

From eyebrows to eyeliner, and it wouldn't be an advent calendar without an eyeliner, and this one is a full size felt tip style liner from Eyeko. I've got a few liners from Eyeko in my collection but as you can probably guess I don't really get one with them. I don't think it's particularly the fault of the liners, more my shaky hands, and lack of talent. I think my relationship with eyeliner will go one of two ways in 2022, I'll either master it, or I'll give up on it completely - what will it be?

This pink packaging appears to be exclusive to Glossybox or this calendar but this eyeliner is available in the normal black packing for £16 from Marks and Spencers, Look Fantastic and direct from Eyeko.

Day 10 - James Read Gradual Tan Sleep Mask Face Retinol - 25ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £15

Now I don't know about you but thanks to the season and life in general, and I look as pale and peaky as they come. I guess this was product was included to help you get ready for the party season, but even if the furthest you going is from the sofa to the fridge, I'm sure this product will make you look a little bit healthier. From celebrity tan specialist James Read, this is an overnight facial gradual tan with anti-aging and skincare benefits.

I can't find this particular retinol sleep mask tanner formulation anywhere but this size of the original sleep mask retails at £15 directly from James Read.

Day 11 - Pixi Glow Tonic - 100ml - Full Size - RRP £10

On day number 11, I received a product that I love, the Pixi Glow Tonic, I love acid toners like this for clearing up blemishes and for improving the texture of my skin. You can read a full review of it here x 

This particular size retails at £10, and is available from a variety of retailers including Look Fantastic, Marks and Spencers, Boots, Cult Beauty and direct from Pixi Beauty.

Day 12 - Vitamasques Lip Mask Plump And Repair - 1 Mask - Full Size - RRP £4.99

The final item I'm going to share with you in this post was in box number 12 and it was another skincare item, this time from Vitamasques, and it was a lip plumping and moisture mask. My lips are as dry as sticks at the moment, so I will be using this one sooner rather than later.

The Vitamasques Lip Mask - Plump and Repair has a retail price of around £4.99 and it available direct from Vitamasques.

So that was days 1 - 12 of the 2021 Glossybox advent calendar and so far so good, a few bargain buys and a few really good, high end products, and a lot of things that I'm eager to try. As I say I will feature as many items as I can in future posts, and I will see you soon with either another general unboxing or days 13 - 25, so in the meantime if you have questions on any of the products so far then please leave me a comment and I'll try and get back to you xx

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

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

Before I start playing catch up again and posting some other reviews and hauls, I thought that I'd at least try and get my empties posts back on track with my June Trimming My Stash post.
 
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 250ml
Avant Skincare Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream - 50ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Body Yogurt - 200ml
Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Mask - 1 x 8g Mask
Patchology Mood Mask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Mask
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
Cussons Carex Moisture Derma Care Antibacterial Hand Wash - 250ml
Elysium Spa Epsom Salts Bath & Shower Gel - Lavender - 300ml
Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

Total - 10 Items

After a couple of decent months, June was the standout month of 2021 so far, at least empties wise, and I managed to finish 10 items! No make up yet again (I definitely need to try a little bit harder on that one), but lots of skincare, and body products, a few much loved items, and a few bargain buys.

1. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 250ml

I'm starting June's list I guess on a bit of a sad note, and unless a miracle happens, I'm saying goodbye to my last product from The Body Shop's Glazed Apple range.

From circa 2014, Glazed Apple is probably my favourite ever festive collection from The Body Shop. With just a slight hint of apple, this had a lovely sweet and sugary fruity scent, reminiscent of candy apples, or even candy floss. I absolutely loved it, it lingered on the skin, and it was one of those fragrances that you could smell all over the house, after you'd used it in the shower.

Whilst I do have a couple of apple and pear based products from different Christmas collections from The Body Shop to use up, I believe that this was the last Glazed Apple product that I has, I'm probably over egging the pudding a bit here but farewell and I'll miss you :(

2. Avant Skincare Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream - 50ml

When it comes to skincare, I don't always use the same products everyday, I tend to switch it up depending on how my skin feels, what I think it needs, and what I'm trying out at that moment in time.

I normally have a few different moisturisers on the go at once and that's probably why I don't seem to finish them that often. For example at bedtime I tend to alternate between a night cream, a night oil, and a sleep mask, with the occasional application of Alpha H Liquid Gold thrown in for good measure. Lately though my skin has needed a bit of a boost, and this particular product has made a real difference. 

I received this product in the January 2019 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read a full review of it here. 

I really enjoyed using this moisturiser, I loved the fact that it doubled up as an eye cream, and I loved how smooth and even it left my combination skin, without leaving it oily or greasy or causing breakouts.

I would definitely have considered buying this again but with an RRP of £98 it is just a bit too price prohibitive.

3. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

4. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Body Yogurt - 200ml

Next up another product from The Body Shop, and it's the first of two products in this post from the 2019 Juicy Pear festive range.

I do love a good body scrub and I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop's sugar based scrubs. They have just the right amount of scrubbiness, and the sugar dissolves away leaving no mess behind in the bath or the shower.

Made of community trade organic sugar from Paraguay and Italian pear extract, this scrub had a gorgeous sweet, yet tart, fruity pear scent which complemented the next product on June's list perfectly.

Yes, item number 4, is another product from The Body Shop's Juicy Pear range, and this time it's a body moisturiser.

Now I'm sure you are already familiar with The Body Shop body butters but have you heard of their body yogurts? I love my body butters but if I am being honest they do take a little while to sink in. If you're hot or if you're in a rush then body yogurts are the answer to your prayers. Whilst they aren't quite as moisturising as body butters, they have a lovely cooling, cream gel texture that melts almost immediately on contact with the skin. They are really quick to absorb and although they can leave the skin just a touch sticky at first, especially if you use too much, the leave the skin hydrated and beautifully scented.

With the same sweet, tart, fruity pear scent, again this product contains Italian pear extract, as well as community trade organic almond milk from Spain.

Alas like the Glazed Apple range, Juicy Pear is no more, but a little birdie has told me that there will be a pear based scent in the 2021 Christmas range, and I can't wait to see what it smells like, but in the meantime I'll happily use up the remaining products that I have from the Juicy Pear range.

5. Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Mask - 1 x 8g Mask

The next item on the list is something that you've seen quite recently on the blog, the Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Care Mask, and you can read a full review of it here x 

6. Patchology Mood Mask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Mask

From a lip mask to a face mask, and a sheet mask from a brand called Patchology. If you aren't familiar with them, Patchology are a skin and body care brand that started off initially by developing patches and stick on dressings for the medical profession, before moving on to produce a range of patches, and masks for the body and face as well as some more conventional moisturiser and eye products.

From a subscription box (possibly Pink Parcel) this mask contains a whole host of antibacterial and good for you ingredients including Tea Tree, Willow Bark, Peppermint, amino acids, and allantoin. It is specially designed for younger skin, and skin that is more problematic and blemish prone. Patchology claim that this mask will help to destroy skin clogging bacteria, whilst at the same time soothing inflammation and slowing down oil production.

The sheet mask itself felt very wet, and a touch slimy, and it was coated an almost a clear gel like serum. It was a nice, good quality mask though so it was pretty easy to unfold despite it being so wet. To be honest I was expecting it to have a stronger tea tree or mint scent but instead it had a more subtle almost disinfectant like, slightly herbal scent.

Before

It felt quite cool and wet on application but like most sheet masks it gradually warmed up to body temperature on contact with the skin.

On Application

I left it on for the recommended 10 minutes before peeling it off. There was a lot of excess serum left on my face so it felt very wet. I massaged as much as I could of it into my skin but it still felt pretty wet, and it took a good 10 minutes or so for it to absorb, and even then my skin still felt slightly tacky, and I felt as though I had product on my skin, but overall I think my skin looked cleaner and a touch clearer.

After 

Now apart from the odd hormonal spot, large pores, and an oily t-zone, my skin really isn't that problematic any more, but I tried this mask out around the time that my mum was rushed into hospital - the weather warm, and I was pretty stressed out, so I ended up with a few spots on my chin, my cheeks and on my nose.

To be honest I expected this mask to tingle, and to cause a bit of redness, but bar a tiny bit of barely noticeable extra pinkness, this mask caused no irritation whatsoever, and it may be a coincidence but the spots that I did have definitely seemed to disappear more quickly that usual.

Whilst I'm not sure I would personally buy this mask again, purely because my skin just doesn't really need it at the moment, if you have a more blemish prone skin then this could be something to try.

The Patchology Moodmask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask retails at around £5 for 1 x 20ml sheet mask both direct from Patchology and from Cult Beauty.

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

From the moment that I started posting on forums, going on social media, reading blogs and ultimately starting my own blog, I started buying into something called hype! The minute I saw someone raving about a product, or anytime that something new came out, I wanted it! Yes, I am weak, and I am an advertisers dream, or at least I used to be! I honestly have gotten better, I still love trying new products, and I always have a wish list of products that I want to try, but at least now I try and be a bit more discerning, and a bit more selective over what I do buy.

Something that I did buy recently that was hyped up from all corners was the L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water! If you haven't already heard about this stuff, where have you been??

I can't say I really understand the technology that well (have a look at the L'Oreal website for an explanation) but this rinse out liquid conditioner claims to work in just 8 second, and it claims to give you 10 x smoother hair, with a silky touch and a glossy shine.

Designed for dry, frizzy, longer hair (yup, that's me!) you apply it to the lengths of your hair after shampooing, then you leave it for 8 second before rinsing it out and applying your usual condition (tbh I just apply it and then stick my conditioner on top before rinsing it all off at once). For best result you then need to blow dry your hair, and then voila!

I admit I was cynical, it looks and feels like water, all be it lovely fresh, fruity, floral smelling water (the scent of which lingers on your hair even after rinsing) but immediately when you apply it you feel a slight warming sensation, so you know that it is doing something!

So did it make a difference? well despite my cynicism yes, yes it did! My hair looked smoother, less frizzy, a lot shinier and it smelled fantastic! For something that looks so innocuous, and that's so quick, I was so surprised to be able to see the difference. I have seen the odd bad review but for me the hype is justified, and I'm already half way through another bottle, and I've just bought another bottle.

You can buy this product from most larger L'Oreal Paris stockists including Superdrug, Look Fantastic, Boots and Amazon, where it has a recommended retail price of £9.99 but my advice is to shop around because you can usually find it on offer for around £4.99.

8. Cussons Carex Moisture Derma Care Antibacterial Hand Wash - 250ml

The next item on the list isn't the most exciting thing ever but it's an essential. I've talked about this particular product before, but thanks to COVID, its lovely fruity scent, and the fact that it isn't drying, it's something that I will continue to buy and use.

9. Elysium Spa Epsom Salts Bath & Shower Gel - Lavender - 300ml

You should hopefully know by now that I love a bargain, and the final two products on this list are some super cheap beauty buys that I picked up on one of my frequent trips to Poundland.

I'm a member of a few Poundland fan groups on Facebook, and this first product was something that I'd seen recommended quite a few times.

I've talked about it quite a few times on the blog but I have quite an interesting relationship with sleep, I can either sleep for 14 hours straight, or I can experience severe insomnia and not sleep properly for days. As as result I am always on the lookout for things to get me in the right mindset for sleep.

I saw a few good reviews of this, and since I usually respond well to lavender I thought I'd give it a try. It's basically a lavender and epsom salt based shower gel which aims to cleanse, soothe, and relax the body and mind.

Clear in appearance and with a runny gel like consistency, you didn't need a lot to produce a good amount of foam. It had a nice but maybe slightly old fashioned, lavender scent, which whilst not the astringent lavender scent that I usually prefer, was gentle and perfect for getting you in the mood for bedtime. It was really easy to rinse off and whilst I wasn't really expecting that much from it, my skin felt really soft and not at all tight or dry.

For just £1, I was actually really impressed with this product, and it's something that I would definitely consider buying again, and I am also now on the hunt for the elusive Eucalyptus version. As I say you can pick this up for just £1 from various stores including Poundland, B&M, and The Range.

10. Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

Like all parents and grandparents my mam has some funny sayings in her repertoire, and one of her favourites and something that she said many times to me when I was younger is "you can't have hair in one place, and not the other", and although it's a touch weird she is actually right. Dark, thick hair on your head, means that you'll usually have dark thick hair everywhere else!

I know it's a social construct, and hair on your face and body is 100% normal, but for me personally the tache has to go. I'll happily grow out my body hair at times, but my upper lip and chin hairs, are just a step too far.

Over the years I've used lots of different products to trim my tache so to speak, including bleaching, epilating and hair removal creams, but I've never really been a facial waxer. I don't know whether it's down to age or changes in my skin but lately even my usual brands of hair removal cream have left my upper lip looking super red and sore, so I came to the conclusion that I needed to try something different.

I don't wax my legs that often anymore (I normally use something that I really should have shared with you ages ago - me bad!), but when I do I just pick up a packet of Nair wax strips in Poundland, so when I saw these facial strips, I thought I'd give them a go, and do you know what? I am super pleased that I did.

For just £1 you get 12 facial wax strips, and they actually work. Wax strips have come such a long way since I first started using them, and for the price these ones are excellent, they stick and they remove even the most stubborn, thick, dark hairs by the root! Yes it stings a but, and your face is left a bit red but instead of having to use creams at least once a week. My dark tache hairs are gone for around 3 weeks, and even better still after using these for nearly 3 months now, they are already getting finer and less bristle like.

I'm now kicking myself and wondering just why I didn't persevere with wax in the beginning. I've learnt my lesson now though and you can buy fancier and more expensive Nair facial wax strips, I'll be sticking to these Poundland beauties!

So that was a bit of an epic one, but they were my June empties, all 10 of them, and as you can see in the side bar --> July was just as successful (post coming soon!), and hopefully I'll end up there or thereabouts in August as well.

If you have any questions on any of the products on June's list, then let me know, and please also let me know if you've spotted the Elysium Spa Epsom Salt Bath & Shower Gel in Eucalyptus on your travels, I can't find it anywhere near me and I am desperate to track it down in a bricks and mortar store.

Thanks as per usual for your support and I will see you soon with another post which will either be a Glossybox catch up, or a beauty review x 

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

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

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend, I'd set myself a to do list, and I can safely say that I only managed to complete 2 of the 6 things on the list! Frustrating, but sometimes we just need to celebrate what we do achieve, rather than dwelling on what we don't, so I'm not going to worry about it, things will get done when, they get done!

I've got a bit of a busy week ahead, with an eyebrow appointment, a planned shopping trip, and my second COVID vaccine, and it's my birthday on Saturday but I am going to try and get a couple of posts up this week for you, but first of all I'm going to share a late March empties post with you.
 
AVON Care Nourishing With Cocoa Butter Hand Cream - 75ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Hand Cream - 30ml
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml
Land Of Nod Salt Body Scrub Relaxing & Calming Lavender - 100g
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - Elderflower & Rhubarb - 150ml
Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask - 100ml
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask - 1 x Pair - 4g
AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Conditioner - 250ml

Total - 8 Items 

Okay, I know that March is only the third month of the year but trimming my stash wise March was my best month of the year so far. I managed to finish a very respectable 8 items including a nice mixture of skincare, hair care, and body care items.

1. AVON Care Nourishing With Cocoa Butter Hand Cream - 75ml

Following my recent Palmer's Cocoa Butter love in, I've become re obsessed with that sweet and creamy scent. Whilst operation nail growth continues in earnest (although not very successfully at the moment) I'm going through hand cream like it's going out of fashion, and this particular one from AVON was one of my most recent buys.

My mam is already a huge fan of the AVON Care Nourishing Cocoa Butter Multi Purpose Cream, and in my quest for a sweeter cocoa butter scented life, it made sense to try this hand cream.

Designed for dry to extra dry skin this hand cream contains both cocoa seed butter, and vitamin E, It has a creamy texture, without being too heavy, and it absorbs into the skin fairly quickly, leaving my hands soft and hydrated for a good few hours. Scent wise it's lovely and sweet, and creamy with both vanilla and surprisingly coconut notes.

The one drawback is that I did seem to use it up quite quickly, it isn't the thickest hand cream that I've ever used, and I think that I had a tendency for some reason to overuse it.

I would potentially buy it again, but I think I might heed the wisdom of Mummy Lou and buy my own pot of the multipurpose cream to use on my hands - it seems to be a little bit thicker, and I think it would probably be better value for money x 

AVON Care Nourishing With Cocoa Butter Hand Cream comes in a 75ml tube and has an RRP of £2.

2. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up another hand cream, and this time it's a festive one from The Body Shop 2019 Juicy Pear range. From one of their sack gift sets, this hand cream contains Italian pear extract, sweet almond oil and shea butter. Light green in colour, it had a dense almost cream gel like appearance and texture.

It was surprisingly hydrating and it absorbed into the skin quickly leaving my hands feeling super smooth and smelling like sweet, yet tart, fresh juicy pears.

Juicy Pear is definitely one of my favourite ever festive scents from The Body Shop, and I really wish that they would bring it back, because the scent of the Pear Bath Blend just isn't the same!

3. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml

From Christmas to Autumn, and my next March empty was another seasonal item from The Body Shop. Like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte you can always tell that Autumn is on its way, when The Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin range makes it's hopefully annual appearance in store.

Thankfully I'd stocked up in 2019, but what with COVID and whatever else, the Vanilla Pumpkin range seemed to be in pretty short supply in 2020, and I only managed to get my hands on one body butter.

Containing Madagascan vanilla, honey, anise, and pumpkin fragrance, this was a gorgeous creamy shower gel, with a lovely nutty, vanilla, slightly fruity and spicy scent - delicious!

Alas this was my last bottle of Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel, so until Autumn comes around again I'll be teaming up my remaining body butter, with a variety and sweet and spicy shower products.

4. Land Of Nod Salt Body Scrub Relaxing & Calming Lavender - 100g

Now I've never made any secret of the fact that I love a bargain, and as a result one of my favourite shops to go to is Poundland. I don't think I've ever been into a Poundland store without buying something. As well as selling a varying range of branded beauty products, they've also recently started selling their own one off ranges of products including some Lush dupes.

Packaged in a Lush alike little black pot, this product is from their much talked about Land Of Nod range, that's designed to relax and calm, and to help you to sleep. I picked up 2 products from the range a shower gel, and this body scrub which contains walnut shells, sea salt, sugar, and lavender oil. It had quite an olde world smell, I personally prefer the cleaner, fresher, more astringent scent of French lavender, but this had quite a strong but powdery, slightly old fashion English lavender type scent.

The tub contained what initially looked like a pale blue / lilac liquidy gel. It was only when you looked more closely that you could actually see a mixture of very fine, dark and light particles. It was very, very runny and if I'm completely honest I could barely feel the grains. Admittedly I like a quite aggressive, gritty scrub, but the grains in this scrub was just too fine to make any real difference, they should have just altered the packaging and labelled this as a shower gel. I love you Poundland but even at just £1 this wasn't for me x

5. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - Elderflower & Rhubarb - 150ml

Next up, the first of two hair care products in this post, and this one is one of favourite ever hair products from trichology based hair care range, Philip Kingsley.

Although I don't use it all the time, it's one of those products that makes a huge difference to your hair, whether you use it once, or whether you use it every week.

Containing olive oil, glycerine and castor seed oil, Elasticizer is basically a pre wash, intensive conditioning treatment, that's designed to condition, repair, hydrate and strengthen the hair. All you do is apply the rich cream to damp hair, and then leave it to do it's thing for anywhere between 20 or so minutes to overnight before shampooing and conditioning the hair as normal.

It leaves my hair feeling smoother, and more manageable and it's something that I'll continue to use. I've used quite a few different scents of Elasticizer over the years (just search Elasticizer to see just a few of them) but this super fresh and fruity, Rhubarb and Elderflower version from around 2016 or so is probably one of my favourites. Alas this particular scent has now been discontinued but there are always new limited edition scents been released and the original, which was originally created for Audrey Hepburn is still widely available. A 150ml tub of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer retails at around £35 from various retailers including direct from Philip Kingsley, as well as from Look Fantastic, Feel Unique, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Boots.

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

The next product on the list has a little bit of a cult reputation, and it's something that I bought on a whim a few years ago, after spending too long on social media! Apparently now huge on Tik Tok, there was a time that you couldn't go on You Tube or Instagram without seeing people with cloud like faces after using this mask.

From South Korean brand Elizavecca this mask contains charcoal, clay, collagen, green tea, plant extracts, and carbonated water. It's designed to clean out the pores, and get rid of blackheads as well as leaving the skin smooth and moist.

Open the box and inside you'll find a tub of face mask with a super cute cartoon like design on the label, and a tiny little plastic application scoop. 

The mask itself is grey in colour, and it has a creamy, clay like texture. Despite all of the plant ingredients I still found that it has a sort of clay like, strange slightly plastic scent.

I personally didn't use the spatula to apply it because it was a bit small, instead I used a face mask brush, you could obviously use your fingers but it is a bit gloopy, and it's one of those masks that you seem to almost wipe off as you're applying it. 

As tempting as it is to over apply it from the full cloud like, comedic effect that you often see online, it's probably best to try and apply a thin even layer.

It immediately feels cool on the skin, with just a slight tingle but almost as soon as you apply it you start to experience a tickly, tingly, popping feeling as the mask begins to bubble and foam. It's not uncomfortable but it is quite a strange sensation.

On Application

After A Couple Of Minutes 

It takes about 5 or so minutes to full foam up, and to create that cloud like effect, then all you do is just wet your hands and massage the bubbles over your face before rinsing off the mask with warm water.

After Removal

It doesn't set solid so it's quite easy to rinse off. After rinsing my skin did look a touch pink, but it felt super smooth and it looked really clean, clear and fresh.

I really did buy this mask on a bit of a whim but apart from the funny selfie opportunities, and the cute packaging, I can really see why this mask is so popular, my skin felt smoother and it looked clearer even after one application, and it really did improve the appearance of my pores.

Despite its popularity it isn't the easiest mask to find, so eBay and Amazon are probably your best options, but have a little search online before you commit. Prices do vary but you should expect to pay around £8.99 for your own cloud like selfie opportunity, and you can look forward to a few from me because I have another tub currently on route from eBay.

7. Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask - 1 x Pair - 4g

From a face mask to an eye mask and the next product in March's list is this set of eye mask patches from Wander Beauty.

I don't think I've really got too much else to say about these so you can read my full review in my last post here x 

8. AVON Advance Techniques Reconstruction Conditioner - 250ml

Finally another hair product and it's another favourite, and again it's something that you've seen before. From their Reconstruction range, this conditioner contains AVON's unique Keratin Panthenol Complex and is designed to help reduce split ends and breakages. It leaves my hair feeling soft, smooth, and healthy and it has a delicious fruity scent.

Although I'm currently alternating the John Frieda Radiant Red Conditioner with another AVON product, I've already repurchased this conditioner, and I'm going to keep using all of the products in the Reconstruction range.

AVON seem to have had another revamp of their Advance Techniques range, and whilst the packaging has changed on this one it seems to have escaped the cull - the 250ml size retails at around £3 either from the AVON website or via your local AVON representative. 

So there you have it, a slightly late March empties post. All in all a very successful month, alas as you'll see in a week or so April wasn't quite as successful, but I'm going at it with all guns blazing in May. In the meantime though if you have any questions on any of the products that I finished in March then please leave me a comment below, and I'll try and get back to you. Thank you as per usual for all of your support and I will see you later this week with a make up review x 

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