Trimming My Stash - June 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

The one constant so far in operation Trimming My Stash 2019, has to be inconsistency! After a slow start, I managed a few good months, but then it all seems to have gone down hill again.

Boots Ingredients Sheet Face Mask Charcoal & Willow Bark - Cleansing & Purifying - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Softening Body Gel-Lotion - 250ml
Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g

Total - 3 Items

June was officially my worst month of the year so far, I only managed to finish 3 items, 1 single use skin care product, and two Christmas themed products that I'm pretty sad to have finished..

1. Boots Ingredients Sheet Face Mask Charcoal & Willow Bark - Cleansing & Purifying - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask

First up a face mask, and even though I still have lots of masks in pots and tube, at the moment I'm making an effort to try and use up some of the sachets and sheet masks that I have in my skincare crate.

I think this mask probably came in a subscription box, and apparently it's an award winner. Containing charcoal and willow bark, juniper, grapefruit and orange it's designed to cleanse, purify and revitalise the skin. 

The sachet contains a strong but very wet paper sheet mask, with a slightly astringent scent. Initially it felt quite cooling on the skin but I then experienced a slight tingling sensation, which quickly subsided. After 15 minutes the mask was still very wet so I massaged the remaining liquid into my face and neck. At first my skin felt quite tacky but the excess liquid gradually absorbed into the skin.

There was a slight pinkness to my skin immediately after removal but apart from a slight tightness my skin felt fine, it looked and felt less oily, and it felt refreshed and almost squeaky clean

This mask isn't the most hydrating treatment that I've ever used so I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a drier skin. If your skin is oilier though, then this a perfect mask for you - it combats oiliness and it leaves your skin looking clean and clear. This sheet retails at £2.50 and available from Boots stores and online.

2. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Softening Body Gel-Lotion - 250ml

Whilst my love for The Body Shop's Spiced Apple, will never quite come close to my love for their Glazed Apple range, it's still a mouthwatering scent with hint of sweet, yet tart apple, combined with Christmassy apple pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.

This product in whatever scent that you choose is perfect for lazy body lotion users. As much as I love my body butters you don't always have time to wait for it to sink in, and in the summer you don't always want anything that's too heavy or sticky, that's why this cream - gel formulation is perfect. It feels slightly cooling on the skin, and whilst it absorbs really quickly, it actually really hydrating. It was a little bit difficult to get the last bits out of the bottom because the pump wasn't quite long enough but I still loved it, I love the ease, and convenience and of course I loved the scent. Alas Spiced Apple is long gone from The Body Shop shelves but I can always live in hope that The Body Shop bring back another apple based scent from Christmas 2019.

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

My final empty from June, is another festive product and this time it's something from Lush. When I first lost my bath it meant that I have to say goodbye to a lot of Lush products, and whilst I still miss my bubble bars and bath ballistics, their loss has being slightly tempered by fun shower products like this.

Containing seaweed, apple juice, star anise, red grape juice, orange flower, neroli, bergamot and rose, this fab jelly has a lovely spicy, fruity apple based scent. You only need a tiny bit of this squidgy, translucent red jelly mixed with warm water on a sponge, or shower scrunchie to produce a mountain of creamy bubbles. Although it tempting to use a lot, you really don't need to so this little pot lasts for ages. It seems to be a pretty regular item so fingers crossed that it makes a reappearance this festive season.

So there you go, a short and sweet June empties post. I was slightly disappointed to only finish 3 items last month but things can only get better from here on it, and hopefully I'll managed to finish a few more items this month. If you have any comments or questions on any of the product that I talked about in this post, then please let me know below x 

Life Lately And Trimming My Stash - June 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hi everyone x It's been a couple of days but I'm back with my June empties post. I'm glad to see the back of June if I'm honest, it's being a very stressful, rubbishy, up and down sort of a month. A slight case of the sniffles developed into a full on chest and lung infection that I'm still trying to get rid of, and that I've have subsequently passed on to my mum. Throw in the fact that the bathroom fitters turned up pretty much unannounced last week and left us without a bath or shower for over a week and you'll get some idea of where I'm coming from.

It's been a tough couple of weeks, and circumstances have not only affected my blog but they've also affected June's Trimming My Stash.

Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

Total - 6 Items

Although I managed to finish 6 items, if things had gone my way it could have been a lot more. Illness meant that I just couldn't be bothered to carry out a full face, body and hair care routine, let alone wear a make up so I've still got a few nearly finished, products teetering on the edge 

I did manage to finish two bath products and a few Lush and Bomb Cosmetics pieces, but due to the bathroom fitters turning up at least a week ahead of schedule, I ran out of time to finish all my bath things and I've been left with a few bottles of bubble bath. I should be able to use the majority of them as shower products though so hopefully nothing will go to waste. 

So what were the products that I finished in June and what did I think of them?

1. Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

I'm a huge fan of these Avon Bubble Baths, they are really affordable, and they come in a variety of permanent and limited edition fragrances. This one was a full litre size of the Violet Bubble Bath. When I first used it I was a bit disappointed as it wasn't the strong Parma Violet fragrance that I'd anticipated but on reflection it was still a nice product with a pleasant violet aroma, without being too strong or too sweet. I think this was one of the limited edition fragrances but it's always worth taking a look at these when you see them in the brochure no matter what the fragrance. They are great value for money and they do exactly what you'd expect from a bubble bath.

2. Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

I'm not sure how big this was but it was a tiny little sample that I got with an online purchase. This is one of MAC's best selling mascaras and I got around 2 weeks use from this size. I've used the full sized version and whilst I don't think it's anything special or exciting, it's a decent mascara that separated and seem to lengthen the lashes. I'm not sure I would repurchase but it's isn't bad.

3. Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

This is a pre wash, hair mask that I love, and that Mummy Lou loves. I've used this for a few years now on and off and it's something that I will continue to use. I think Mummy Lou bought this one but I was recently sent a batch of Ojon goodies which included another pot of this magical substance so I'll do a full review for you soon.

4. Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

Another bubble bath from Avon and another limited edition. This one had quite a runny formulation and the blackberry and vanilla fragrance to me smelled quite fruity, and almost creamy and coconut like. Like all of the products I've used in the this range, a small amount of product goes a long way and produces a mass of bubbles, so these large bottles last a long time, and are good value for money. I think I only have one of these left, a strawberry fragrance, so I'll be using that one as a summer shower product.

5.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

6.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

This is one of the reviews that I should posted a week or so ago. I was sent these masks to review and the review will definitely by live on the blog this weekend so if you have blemish prone skin, then stay tuned x 

So they were my June empties, if you have questions on anything I've used up please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x 

Our new new shower room should hopefully be finished tomorrow and do you know what? I can't wait to give my new shower a try and to get some products used up x It's been a festival like existence in my own home and believe me it hasn't been fun especially since we've all been so poorly.

Speaking of which I just want to thank you again for your patience and good wishes during my poorly patch x I'm hoping to start posting regularly again from today and I'm going to try and get things back to normal. I've got a few overdue press sample, PR and brand reviews so they will probably go up first, but after it will be the usual mix of hauls, reviews and recipes x Thanks for reading and following and I'll see you soon x 

Foodie Friday - What I Ate In June

Last month was the month when I started to take my weight loss seriously again. I'd had about a month off but June was the month when I tried to get back on track. I still had the odd treat - my life isn't about denial after all, but by and large I think I ate pretty healthily. Probably down to the weather my salad intake increased, my fruit consumption went up, I snacked better and I cooked a lot of the recipes, that helped me at the start of my journey.

Although I'm not doing Slimming World, I have found myself cooking a lot of recipes that feature on the plan. One recipe which I fell in love with is curry or chickpea dahl loaf. The original ingredients are curried rice, and chickpea dahl. I had neither and didn't fancy a trip to Tesco, so I made a variation. First of all I made a sort of baked bean dahl, I fried some garlic, and chopped onion in Fry Light, and then I added some jalapenos, some cumin, coriander and curry powder, and a can of baked beans. I then cooked it down till it was quite thick. I didn't have any curry rice, so instead I made do with a packed of golden vegetable rice, to which I added some more jalapenos and some curry powder. It was really nice and just as good as the original and dare I say it slightly cheaper to make.

I served it with some mixed vegetables and potato salad which I made with low fat salad cream, and I also served a portion with baked sweet potato, Slimming World type chips and homemade coleslaw. There really is nothing like homemade coleslaw, it's fresh and you know exactly whats gone in it. You really need a food processor or a slicer to make it but it's well worth it.

I also served some homemade coleslaw with some crustless cottage cheese quiche and some boiled Jersey potatoes.

My mums obsession with burgers also continued in June, so on a few occasions this month I tucked into a lovely veggie burger. This one was crammed full of salad, ketchup and low fat salad cream, with just a sneaky piece of Stilton.

For someone who never used to like blue cheese, I'm now a bit of a fan. My mum always seems to pick up a bit in the reduced section when she goes shopping and I can't resist. Like me my mum is a huge bargain hunter so she regularly scans the reduced sections in the supermarket for cut priced fresh food. As well as the Stilton so also spied a bag full of courgettes for less than 50p! I wasn't sure what to do but after having a little look at this website from one of QVC UK's food demonstrators, Home Economist, Simon Brown, I decided to try and make a courgette and Stilton soup. I just used my basic broccoli and Stilton recipe, and replaced the broccoli with courgette. It was really good, and it's made me wonder what other vegetables I can try, I'm definitely thinking kale or cauliflower but I'm not sure what else would work. If you have any suggestions please leave me a comment x 

It's always worth having a look in reduced sections in supermarkets especially when it comes to fruit and veg. June also saw us pick up a large ripe pineapple for less than £1. I love fresh pineapple but it's such a bind to peel and chop, so I cut the leaves off, and chopped it into large chunks and put it skin and all into my juicer. OMMMGG it was so good and so much nicer than any bought pineapple juice, you could really taste the freshness of the fruit.

I don't know whether it's down to the warmer weather or not but I seem to have put my juicing head back on and this month I've also made several Juicemaster Homemade Sherbet Lemonades. In case you don't remember it, it's just lemons, and green apples. It is so refreshing on the palette and it's really quite filling.

Despite the fact that weather is nice today and it has been for a few days now, for a lot of June , it was rainy, miserable and anything but summery, so I made a few meals to ahem warm the cockles of my heart so to speak, starting off with some more Slimming World inspired meals, including Diet Coke Quorn,

and Mushy Pea Quorn Curry.

I also made an old favourite, my Indonesian Rice With Tofu, which is a meal that I always find super quick, filling, and comforting in equal measure.

In order to get back on track, I've had to improve my snacking a bit. Obviously I've cut down on the picking and so on but when I have snacked I've tried to make better choices.

Fruit is the big one, I'm not the biggest fruit eater out there but juicing helps and so does the availability of good fresh produce and  British strawberries. I had some with a bit of Easi Yo Green Yogurt and some with a cheeky bit of evaporated milk but no sugar because they really were sweet enough.

Instead of reaching for chocolate bars  and the like, I've tried to go for slightly healthier options to help combat cravings and my sweet tooth. Poundland has proved invaluable and I've gotten slightly addicted to these yogurt covered fruit pieces and raisins

and these compressed real fruit sticks and mini raisin packs are great when your on the go or just need something sweet in a hurry. Obviously they still have a bit of sugar in them but it's definitely better than reaching for a bar of chocolate.

I've also been pretty obsessed with rice cakes, and these yogurt covered beauties from Aldi really are the one. For less than 100 calories each you getting something that tastes a lot naughtier. 

Something that I've also loved in June are these Udi's Toaster Pastries. 

Basically they're pop tarts but for those gluten and wheat free minions like me. They come in just the two flavours strawberry, and apple and cinnamon but they are really nice and filling, whether for breakfast or as a snack. They're normally about £3 a box but they are currently just £1 in Tesco.

Life isn't worth living if you cant treat yourself though and in June I did have the odd treat though including my Mum's Gluten Free Lemon Sponge Cake 

and some lovely gluten free flapjacks also made by Mummy Lou x 

The only other area where I've been bad is with my passion for coffee shops. As much as I love my coffees I June and so far in July I've been a bit obsessed with the cooler coffee shop options. I've had a couple of Starbucks Frappuccinos including the new Coconut Mocha which I loved despite not being the biggest fan of coconut, and I've also had a couple of Costa's Creamy Coolers.

Yes I know there are healthier Costa options but at times only the whipped cream will do. That said the Sticky Toffee one doesn't come with whipped cream but my favourite Raspberry and White Chocolate Creamy is back and it's totally divine. In fact I may have had another one today!

I do want to try the new Starbucks Yogurt Frappuccinos, and I also want to try some more of the Costa Ice drinks so I will definitely be making several more trips and earning my loyalty points before the summer is out.

I haven't had the best of healthy eating weeks this week in fact it's been lousy, partly down to something I will be showing you next Friday, but I've had my fun, and I've proved to myself that it is possible to have treats and eat well and still lose weight so who knows what I'll be showing you next month :)  Thanks for reading and happy cooking, and happy scoffing xx

June Japes

Well June was a bit of a disaster for me  - the spending diet was an abject fail, having to pay for half a camera, and just throwing caution to the wind meant I was way, way above my limit booo bad LouLou

Perfume and Lip Polish - Charlotte's Blog Sale - £5.50
2 Issues of Glamour - £4.00
Revlon Lipstain and Rimmel Foundation - Boots - £10.98
Coloured Pencils and Notebook - Boyes - £2.48
Superdrug Haul - £11.46
LA Colors Nail Polish Radiation - Boyes - 99p
Elle Magazine - £3.80
Red Magazine - £3.80
Total So Far - £43.01 + - Way Over - eek
 
I must try harder next month but I have to say I'm not hopeful I am in love with MAC's Fashion Flower collection - my first MAC love in such a while so I don't know how restrained I am going to be - at the moment I am thinking two lipsticks and a beauty powder, but we'll see. My decluttering took several steps forward in June, although I'm pretty much done with blog sales for the moment, my ebaying has started in earnest, and I have loads and I mean loads more to list so keep an eye on my sidebar for the latest additions. I did slightly better trimming my stash this month
 

The Body Shop Earth Lovers Apricot and Basil Shower Gel 250ml
GOSH Intensite Irresistible Mascara 12ml
Leighton Denny Essential Remover 50ml
Herbalife Body Contouring Creme 200ml
Philosophy The Gingerbread Man Hot Salt Body Scrub 652g
Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel 100g
Boots Botanics Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes x 30
Ecover Lavender and Aloe Vera Hand Soap 250ml
Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak 125ml
No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser 200ml
Tresemme Heat Defence Spray 300ml
n-spa Indulgent Gingerbread Latte Bath Syrup 100ml
Total So Far - 12 Items

12 items and a nice combination of things, lots of body care, some hair things, and some face care. I also finished one make up item which was a bit of cheat I did promise to review the GOSH mascara for you but every time I used it my eyes itched like crazy :( so to the bin its gone - sorry!
My monthly mission was also a bit of a fail I was going to attack my coming soon list but I didn't really manage it so this is my July mission too I am determined to tackle my list, starting with a few long promised reviews. Thanks to all my new followers for joining my insane world in June I really do appreciate all of you lovely people and your input and I hope you'll keep on supporting my blog xx

Report Says Much Better

Well here we are again the start of another month - it's time to look back at June - well I have to say I've done much better in both my spending diet and in trimming my stash this month

Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite 10 Day Serum 75ml
L'Oreal Lash Renewal Serum 7.5ml
Panama Jack Peaches and Screen SPF 8 240ml
Liz Earle Eyebright 50ml
Mavala Nail Shield Phase 1 10ml
Lancome Palette Mix Complexion Concealer Kit 01
Boots The Spa Hydrating and Conditioning Body Moisturiser 125ml
Boots The Spa Mineral Bath Soak 125ml
Lacura Face Care 3 in 1 Facial Cleansing Wipes
GOSH Show Me Volume Mascara 12ml
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish 100ml
Lush Cupcake Mask 75g
Mavala Nail Shield Phase 2 10ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover 150ml
Lush Marilyn Hair Moisturiser 225g
Butter London Powder Room Nail Polish Remover 2fl oz
The Body Shop Cranberry Body Butter 200ml
The Body Shop Cranberry Bubble Bath 400ml
BioSilk Silk Therapy 0.5 fl.oz

I finishes 19 items :)this month which is a huge increase on last months 6. I even managed a make up item too. I am nearly finished another few things too a couple that could even be finished by tomorrow - woohoo
I also did lot better in my monthly spends this month and managed to stay under my limit :)

No17 Lipsticks and Botanics Eye Make Up Remover - Boots - £11.97
Superdrug Goodies - £10.59
Avon Super Extend Mascara - £5.00
Magazines - £9.50
Vantage Cotton Buds - 69p
Total So Far - £37.75

It was tough and I have to admit I was bought a few things this month but I've proved to myself I can do it :) I've already made a purchase this month but my mum has bought me the one thing I wanted from the new MAC collections - expect a couple of posts on some MAC bits :)
This month I read a book by Avis Cardella called Spent in it she discusses the term Oniomania - no it's not about root vegetables, Oniomania is the clinical name for someone who has a compulsive desire to shop i.e. me but I've proved to myself I can show restraint I just need to keep at it x I CAN DO THIS!!!

Goodbye June - Trimming My Stash and Spending Diet Update

Well there we go, the first month of my self set challenge has gone already so it's time to look at how I've done.

First of all my spending diet - this month I have purchased the following treats for myself

Beauty UK Eyeshadow Palette No. 2 - ebay - £3.79
MAC P&P - £2.95
MAC E/S Tempting (Style Warriors) - £9.79
MAC Brave New Bronze Lipstick (Style Warriors) - £11.26
Red Magazine £2.00 (Special Offer in Tesco)
June Total £29.79

So huge thumbs up - I've managed to stick to my £30 budget this month with 21p to carry over to next month - I swear I have bought nothing else but I have to admit though my family have been particularly generous buying me bits and pieces but that's my family dynamics and that isn't likely to change. I must admit it has been tough I have done some serious online drooling but the fact that I haven't managed to go out properly myself probably means it was slightly easier to stick to it. This month may be a little harder especially with my proposed shopping trip tomorrow but I am getting a little bit of funding so I just have to set myself a limit of how much I can feasibly afford to spend bearing in mind I will still have nearly 4 weeks of the month to go- hmm some careful thought needed me thinks. Anyways I have already spent £1.50 of it but I haven't counted it yet because it hasn't came yet ;) - I took advantage of an ELF free delivery code last week to order 1 thing - so here's hopin that it comes soon and that can be my first July purchase :)

Right Trimming My Stash - I think I have done really well on this, this month I have finished 17 items - impressive huh - here is my final list for June -

Bath Bubble and Beyond Dewberry Bath Salts
AVON Naturals Plum and Nectarine Shower Gel
AVON Skin So Soft Targeted Firming Treatment
Rescue Oil
The Body Shop Ginger Body Scrub
Johnsons 24 Hour Moisture Extra-Rich Bodywash
Boots Botanics Eye Make Up Remover
Lush Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Cream
Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Citrus Scent Shampoo
Mark Hill Ultimate Gloss Mist
Aquolina Peach and Apricot Body Milk <3
Segreti Mediterranei Elasticizing Dry Body Oil Spray
Clarins Radiance Plus Self Tannning Cream Gel (Face)
Soap & Glory Endless Glove Hand Mask
Laura Geller Black Mascara
Pro Strong Pro Advanced Fluoride Nail Strengthener
AVON Footworks Winter Spice Moisturising Cream

I am a bit disappointed that I only managed one make up item but I have another that isn't far off so it isn't so bad- I am concentrating first on all the half finished bottles of product that I've opened and then moved on to something else without finishing - I have loads of these I think this is one of my bad habits -note to self finish one bottle before moving onto the next.

Anyways all in all I am pretty pleased with how the month has gone - I'll update my sidebar -> with my monthly totals, and with my new purchases and trims as the month goes on - don't forget to keep checking my progress your support is pushing me on - thanks peeps xx

(P.S. You may think this is an odd time to be blogging (half past midnight)but it is so sticky and humid tonight I think sleep is going to be nigh on impossible - I'm English I don't do heat! - Oh also nearly forgot if you have any questions on anything I've used up or bought don't hesitate to ask x)