Trimming My Stash And A Life Update - September 2016 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Well September was a month that I would love to forget but in reality, the events of last month will probably be imprinted on my brain for the rest of my life. It's safe to say that September was pretty horrid in LouLouLand, as well as losing my Godfather, as an individual and as a family we went through mini crisis after mini crisis, talk about kicking someone when they're down! Like most things though you just have to battle on, and deal with what ever comes you way. Although I feel as though I'm been pulled in a lot of directions at the moment I know that I need to take some time out for me and do the things that I want to do, and what do I want to do ? well at the moment I want to organise my life,  I want blog, I want to take photographs and I want to make You Tube videos!

I'm back, I'm eventually getting to grips with my Mac book and I'm determined to get myself back on track, and get all of those overdue posts written and those videos uploaded so only a day or two late I'm starting with my September empties post.

Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
FCUK Signature Body Polish - 50ml
Imperial Leather Mouthwatering Fruit Salad Shower Cream - 250ml

Total - 3 Items 

I bet you're wondering why I bothered? It's safe to say that September's Trimming My Stash was like the rest of the month, a bit of a fail! What can I say? I opened a lot of new products, and I didn't manage to finish the majority of the ones that were nearly done. I guess that 3 products is better than none though so lets take a closer look at the items that I did manage to finish.

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

Yawn, yawn, yawn - you're probably sick to death of seeing these, in pretty much every months empties posts but I really do use that many of them. I've got to admit that I probably used these on my face more times than I probably should have done over the last month but hey that's how life is at times. Normally I just use them for swatch clean up, and general freshening up but in an emergency the tea tree oil in these wipes really works well on my oily skin. I always have a pack or two of these in my skincare drawer or in handbag, and at just £1 for two packets of 25 they're a beauty and lifestyle essential.

2. FCUK Signature Body Polish - 50ml

We're coming up to gifting season, and every year I look on the Boots website or in the gift guide and hope upon hope that they've brought this fragrance back but I really do think that it's gone for good. Thankfully I still have a nice little stash of products in the FCUK Signature fragrance to get my fix but after finishing this I now have one less product to use. This was probably my least favourite product in the range, the scrub had the scent that I love, but it wasn't scrubby enough for me. It was a nut shell based scrub with the grains suspended in a slightly watery, cream. The particle for me were few and far between and the cream was just a bit too runny to do a proper job.

3. Imperial Leather Mouthwatering Fruit Salad Shower Cream - 250ml

What can I say about this that hasn't already been said? An inexpensive super fruity fragranced shower cream, that makes you think of sweeties. It doesn't the have quite the same tang as Fruit Salad  chewed do but nevertheless it was still pretty yummy. I think it's now been renamed Fruit Chew for some reason, maybe copyright but according to Imperial Leather, it is still the same product. I would definitely buy this again but next on my list to try is the Imperial Leather Sherbet Lemon Shower Cream - yum!

Well that was quick wasn't it! I'm definitely going to try and finish a few more bits in October and try and improve on September's woeful total. In case you haven't already realised Project 10 Pan is on hold again. I'm not planning on buying anymore make up what with the run up to Christmas and the need to spend money on other people but we'll see. Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with a long-awaited skin care review xx 

Trimming My Stash October 2015 Edition - Empties, Updates And Mini Reviews

A nip and a punch for the first of the month and welcome to November! It's quite a scary thought but there are only about 8 weeks left of 2015 - argh where has this year gone! My life is passing me by Never mind the start of November means that we're one step closer to my favourite holiday - Christmas! 

I'm trying not to get too excited just yet - there is a lot of water under the bridge between now and then, and I'm just trying to focus on the here and now with my imminent oral surgery (sobs) and a few home renovations. It seems as though we've been changing decor and furniture for nearly all of 2015 and it looks as though it's going to continue to the very last moment, so it's going to be a mad dash to get everything tidy and organised ahead of the big day.

I'm trying to focus on a couple of rooms, my bedroom and my office / craft room and just when I think I've made a dent in my beauty stash I find another box of goodies. I'm doing my best to use things up as quickly as possible but sometimes it seems like such a slow process.

Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette -30ml
Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 Green Apple
Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes
Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g
Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml
Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara -001 Black - 7ml
Total - 10 Items

That said in October I did manage to finish 10 beauty products, equalling my best monthly performance of the year. I still have a long way to go to get my stash at an even vaguely manageable level but every little helps, and over the last month I've managed to finish a good variety of products.

1. Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette - 30ml

When Prada first started making perfumes, I have to say I was disappointed. Fragrance is such a personal thing and up until this one, nothing appealed. Prada Candy Florale is the most recent additions to the popular Prada Candy line, and whilst it has some of the caramel, candy sweetness of the original, it has something else that made it more me -both fresh and floral notes. I'm useless at describing fragrance but I'm lead to believe that the notes that are appealing to me are peonies and limoncello :) My sense of smell is a little awry at the minute so this is smelling a little strange to me but this is easily in my top 3 fragrances now. I love it and since I have a 50ml bottle and a roller ball to use up, so happily this fragrance is going to remain in my collection for quite some time to come.

2. Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 - Green Apple

This pocket money friendly lip balm was originally released as a Limited Edition but it's now being integrated into the permanent collection line, all be it though in different packaging. This is a traditional, twist up, stick style lip balm, with an apple, melon, like fruity taste. It's very moisturising, on the lips, and seems to absorb without being too sticky or tacky. This lip balm comes in a few different flavours and it retails at a very budget friendly £1.99.

3. Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml

This was a product that I received in a goodie bag quite a while ago now, at the Newcastle Meet Up At The Mal event (read my post here). The body wash is one of the complimentary products that you will find in your bathroom if your lucky enough to stay in a Malmaison hotel. Sometimes the products that you find in hotel bathrooms aren't up to much but this was decent. A little went a long way and it had a pleasant warming woody, fruity aroma. If you stay in a Malmaison hotel make sure that you take this one home with you x

4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes

You must be sick to death of seeing pictures of these on my blog but I really do buy them and use them up. As I've said about 100 times now I don't tend to use wipes on my face so these are really just for emergency or lazy person use but I do use them to freshen up my hands and for cleaning up swatches. They have a light tea tree aroma and of course they have the antibacterial properties that tea brings. I buy these pretty much every time I'm in Primark, and for the price, they are a really useful item to have have in your beauty stash. These wipes retail at just £1 for 2 packs so they are definitely worth a try.

5. Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml

This was a produce that I was sent for review purposes and you can read my full review here x I really enjoyed using this, I'm a huge lover of shower foams, as they seem to add a bit of indulgence to the pretty basic showering experience. This one had a lovely fresh, slightly floral scent, and it lasted for ages. There are a few different fragrances to try, so your bound to find something that you like.

6. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g

This is something that I'm planning to review in the future for you so I'll try and keep this one brief. This is a melting, balm cleanser, that's packed full of essential oils and good skincare ingredients, add a bit of water to it and it transforms to a creamy milk that dissolves the heaviest make up in an instant, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. I like this but I don't love it, but I have a super size which I'll happily use up, and if it came in a kit I would use it again, It's good but I personally prefer the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm.

7. Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml

This wasn't the hugest bottle of body lotion but it was something that I found in one of my long forgotten and ignored beauty piles. From French brand Decelor this is described as a body milk but that makes me think of something runny and watering, this has more of a thick, lotion consistency. It has a nice gentle, neutral fragrance, and it leaves the skin, silky soft and hydrates. This isn't the cheapest of products but a little goes along way and I would definitely consider a repurchase, if I didn't already own the worlds body lotion mountain.

8. Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml

This product was one of my regular My Pure and it was something I only reviewed a couple of months ago (read my review here). After finishing the bottle the same thing still applies, I'm still not sure about the smell, but it does the job and removes make up, and even eye make up, without drying or stinging. My only issue is the size of the bottle and the price, and that's what puts me off making a repurchase.

9. Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml

Get the violins ready, the tissues and the sad music! It's not often that finishing a product makes me sad but this one has. The original Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover was my holy grail eye make up remover. I bought bottle after bottle of it, it removed my eye make up in a couple of swipes, and it didn't sting. The new reformulated version however did sting my eyes like crazy so I bought it once and never again. I've found a couple of replacements but this original product still holds a special place in this beauty lovers heart x  You can read a full review of this here x

10. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 001 Black - 7ml

Yeah a make up item! I know mascaras are normally the quickest thing that we finish but I normally have about 3 on the go at once so it can take a while. This was a pretty decent, drugstore brand mascara, I personally found it a bit fluid, and it did have a tendency to gloop and to travel but it made the lashes look long and pretty decent. As well as being a lengthening mascara this one also contains lash conditioners, and claims to help the lashes to grow longer, unfortunately I didn't see any real difference in the length of my lashes in the the long term but this was still an okay mascara but I probably wouldn't repurchase.

I'm pretty pleased with this little last, I tried really hard and it definitely paid off. Another 10 items will be a hard target to reach in November but I'm going to do the best that I can to up my yearly total. I'm aiming for a few hair products, maybe a skincare item, some shower products, and maybe a make up product or two but who knows - Make sure your following my blog to see how I get on and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

A Small Shower Haul And A Mini Lush Shower Smoothie Review

It's been nearly four months now since my bathtub was replaced with a wet room, and despite the fact that I'm willing embracing this showering thing, I still miss my bath at times. Showering just doesn't feel as relaxing or as luxurious as wallowing in a bubble bath but I'm having to make the best of it so I decided to pick up a few products to make my showering experience a bit more special.

First up I placed a little Lush order, it was so strange making a Lush purchase without ordering a ballistic but they have plenty of shower products so it was pretty easy to find an alternative. There was no question what the first product would be - The Comforter Shower Cream. This is exactly what I thought it would be - moisturising, full of berry fruits, citrus and shimmer. The smell is amazing and it feels really nice and creamy on the skin.

The second thing that I've got I have to admit didn't wow me at all. I'd tried the Shower Jellies but I'd never tried the Shower Smoothie's before so I decided to try the yummy sounding Blueberry Roulade Shower Smoothie. These are basically solid bars of shower product - they are a softer than soap and the idea is that you massage them over the body, add water and they produce a foam.

Well where do we start, first of all the smell - From the description I expected something fruity and berry like, but this actually had a very strong, floral aroma that I wasn't particularly keen on - It's one of the perils of ordering online I guess that you can't smell something before you buy it! I decided to try it out never the less and I have to say I was even more disappointed - I found it really hard to produce any sort of foam with it and after I'd used it my skin felt really dry and tight :( I'm normally a huge fan of Lush so I'm really hoping that this is a one off. If you've tried any of the other Shower Smoothies I'd love to hear what you think and if you have any recommendations x

This haul has a bit of fruity theme and the next two items that I picked up were some budget buys from Superdrugs own brand.

I think shower foams are one of the best ways to make a shower, a more indulgent and luxurious experience. I love the Imperial Leather ones that I've reviewed and I saw these budget offerings from Superdrug I thought I'd give them a try. There are 4 varieties to choose from and they retail at £1.99 for 150ml can, but they are currently on special at 2 for £3, so I went to two scents Orange and Satsuma, and Strawberry and Raspberry. I'm going to do a full review of these in a week or so, so fingers crossed that they're nice x

The final shower product that I got is something that a lot of bloggers seem to have picked up - the Imperial Leather Mouthwatering Fruit Salad Shower Creme.

I can really see why this one is proving so popular, to me it doesn't smell exactly like the Fruit Salad sweets of my childhood but has a gorgeous sweet, yet tart, fruity scent. It's not the most moisturising product that I've used but the smell certainly make up for it. I'm also thinking of getting the Sherbet Lemon variety so let me know if you've tried it x I got mine from Boots where it's on offer at just £1 for 250ml compared to £1.80 in Superdrug, so get it while you can if your interested

I'm really trying to embrace this whole shower thing so if you have any shower product recommendations I'd love to hear them x

Trimming My Stash - July 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x  I hope you all had a nice weekend, mine was quiet thankfully after a very hectic few weeks, sometimes you just need to kick back and chill. The working week resumes though and since it's the start of a new month it's time for my regular monthly empties post.

L'Occitane Cooling Hand Cream Gel With Organic Verbena Extract - 15ml

La Riche Directions Semi Permanent Conditioning Hair Colour - Pastel Pink - 88ml

SBC Cotton Mild And Moisturising Shower Gel - 250ml

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo - 250ml

"OPI" Cuticle Revitalize Oil Pen - Rose

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom - 200ml

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

Soap & Glory Off Your Face 3 in 1 Daily Purifying Cloths - 25 Clothes

Molton Brown Skincare Creole Grass Anti-Ageing Hydra Creme - 50ml

Total - 9 Items 

In July I finished 9 items and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with that. I finished a nice assortment of items including few things that had there or there about for a long time.

1. L'Occitane Cooling Hand Cream Gel With Organic Verbena Extract - 15ml

I've lost count of how many tubes of L'Occitane hand cream I've gone through over the years and they've never, ever, let me down. The thick, and creamy original is my favourite, but I love trying out the wide variety of different fragrances and textures that they have on offer. This is one of the lighter textures products in the range, it has a gorgeous fresh almost lemon fragrance, and a light almost cream, gel texture. It feels lovely and cooling on the skin and it absorbs really quickly. Although it isn't as moisturising as some of the hand products in the range, it's perfect for summer, and for touch screen users. This was a little mini tube but I would consider repurchasing this one for daily use in the warmer months.

2. La Riche Directions Semi Permanent Conditioning Hair Colour - Pastel Pink - 88ml

I've never seen you with pink hair I hear you cry? Well no you haven't but it wasn't for the want of trying - I'm currently growing out my blond streaks and since I had a tub of this left over from my mum's daring pink phase, I decided to cover my streaks in pastel pink dye. Did it work? well nor really, it barely took on even the most white blonde section of my hair :( Gutted :(

3. SBC Cotton Mild And Moisturising Shower Gel - 250ml

If you're a fan of Yankee Candles Clean Cotton, Soft Blanket or Fluffy Towels fragrances. Then you need this shower gel in your life. Designed specifically for sensitive skin, this creamy textured shower gel smells of pure freshness, clean sheets, and fresh air. It won't be to every ones taste and whilst I don't think that I would repurchase it's a nice product that leave you feeling fresh and clean.

4. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo - 250ml

This was a product that I was sent for review purposes many, many moons ago, and due to the sheer amount of shampoos in my bathroom I've just got down to finishing it. You can read my full review here but I actually really liked this. It wasn't the most moisturising shampoo that I've ever used but it definitely left the hair looking much shinier and healthier.

5."OPI" Cuticle Revitalize Oil Pen - Rose

This was an ebay purchase from a few years ago, and I'm going to be honest I don't think it's a genuine OPI product. I've never seen cuticle oils like this in any OPI collection so I think it just might be an ebay fake. That aside though this was actually pretty decent, the pen was ideal for travel, and the oil itself had a gentle rose fragrance, and it felt really hydrating on the skin. I've actually ordered another one in a lavender fragrance from this ebay seller for a pretty bargainous 99p including postage.

6. Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom - 200ml

This is something else that I was sent to review and another product that I love. You can read my full review here x but in my opinion these products make shower a much more luxurious and pampering experience.

7. May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

This was something else that I was sent for review and yet again it was something else that I loved You can read my full review here but I've already bought some more x Don't forget if you're interested in trying these masks you can get 30% off any face mask package using the link and code louloufacemask30 before the end of August.

8. Soap & Glory Off Your Face 3 in 1 Daily Purifying Cloths - 25 Clothes

Although I don't use face wipes on my face that often, I always like to have a packet on standby for emergency cleansing and for cleaning up swatches. These were a nice thick, good quality wipe with that traditional Soap & Glory fragrance. They were nice but for what I use face wipes for I can't justify the extra expenditure so I'll be sticking to my cheapy Primark wipes.

9. Molton Brown Skincare Creole Grass Anti-Ageing Hydra Creme - 50ml

My final empty from July is something else that I was sent for review. This was a nice, although pricey moisturiser, that was intended for dry skin. It had quite a matte finish though so it worked pretty well on my oily / combination skin. Mummy Lou also liked this one on her drier, mature skin. Unfortunately Molton Brown appear to have discontinued their skincare line but you can read a full review here x 

As I say I'm quite pleased with this lot mainly because I've managed to use up a lot of lingering and older products. With any luck, you can expect to see a few more in the weeks and months to come as I plough my way through a mountain of half finished products and things that I've rediscovered because of the bathroom renovations - every cloud as they say x I love reading empties post so if you've written one lately leave me a link below, so I can have a read x

AD - Making Showering More Luxurious With Imperial Leather Foamburst*

My name is Louise and I'm a bath person. Although the ultimate aim of both a bath and a shower is to get you clean, I can't help but think that a bath is a much more pampering and pleasurable experience than a shower. Just think about it, when you lie in a bath full of warm water, and bubbles, you can't help but relax, yes you're getting clean but you're also having serious me time. Compare that to a shower, where you're just getting clean, in a practical and utilitarian way, and hopefully you'll see where I'm coming from.

Part of the reason why I believe that showers as an essential rather than pleasurable experience I think comes down the products that you use. The majority of shower gels, and body washes, are quite, well boring! Yes they smell nice and the majority do the job, but they're just not exciting or luxurious in any way shape or form.

Things are changing though, and more and more brand are introducing products to try and change the showering experience from something mundane to something a bit more pampering. One of the pioneers in making showers more exciting is Imperial Leather. Way back when they introduced a revolutionary new concept when it came to shower products - Foamburst! Ah the memories, alas the original cocoa butter / vanilla variant that I remember using is no more, but recently they've launched 7 new varieties of  fruity and floral Foambursts all containing real plant, floral, and fruit extracts, and I was lucky enough to be sent two cans to try out. 

The ones that I received were the Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash in Rebalancing Green Tea and Jasmine**, and the Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash in Sweet Vanilla and Cherry Blossom**.

The Rebalancing Green Tea and Jasmine has quite a fresh clean scent, I'm a huge jasmine lover but I can't really pick any individual notes, it's just a soft, fresh clean scent that I think could easily be unisex. The Sweet Vanilla And Cherry Blossom on the hand is definitely a female fragrance. There is a bit of sweetness to it and a lot of warmth. It's a tiny bit fruity and a tiny bit floral, and to my sensitive nose it has a tiny touch of maybe almond to it. Both of the scents are quite gentle, and soft and although they linger in the bathroom and on the skin they don't interfere with fragrance or body lotion. 

What are Foambursts though? Yes, they re body washes but what makes them so special? Well first up the packaging, unlike a normal shower gel or body wash, they come in pressurised can, a bit like a can of shaving foam or hair mousse. Why? well this is pretty much what they are, each can contains a thick shower gel, which when dispensed under pressure produces an almost shaving gel consistency.

Within a few seconds, and with a little bit of activation, you get a soft but dense super creamy shower foam. You don't need a lot as it can expand quite a long way.

You can use the foam in a number of ways, you can apply it to dry skin before you get in the shower, or you apply directly to damp skin with your hands or you can apply it to a sponge of a shower scrunchie. The foam rinses away easily and your skin and left feeling silky soft and delicately scented

Not only does this product make showering fun, the sheer amount of bubbles and lather that you get makes it in to quite an indulgent experience. I'm personally a huge fan of this type of product and these two items were no exception. The only downside is that they contains SLS so if that's something that you avoid, then these aren't for you. If you want to take showering to the next level though and give yourself a quick pamper every morning or evening then this range is definitely worth trying. They currently retail for between £2 and £3.99  depending on where you buy them. For that you get a 200ml can which will last for  ages as you need so little. There are a wide variety of scents to try as well as these including Grapefruit and Lime and Ginger and Orange, and Honey and Almond, so there really is something for everyone. In fact I've already picked up another bottle to try which I'll show you in my July haul which will be either tomorrow or on Saturday x Have you tried Imperial Leather Foambursts before? Leave me a comment and let me know x I love hearing what you have to say x

*Press Sample

**As Of November 2020 These Particular Scents Appear To Have Been Discontinued But There Are Lots Of Other New Fragrances Available