Trimming My Stash - April 2017 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

After a bit of an iffy start to the year, over the last few weeks, I'm finally starting to feel as though I'm starting to turn the corner and leave some of the negativity that's clouded the first part of the year behind.

It's not to say that April's been all sweetness and light, it hasn't but maybe I'm starting to deals with life's hurdles a little bit better than what I have been doing. I'm feeling more comfortable in my own skin, and I'm feeling more positive about the blog and about life in general. May is my birthday month and I have lots to look forward to this month, so I'm going to grab the bull by the horns (I am a Taurus after all) and go for it, life is too short to worry about pointless things, life really is for living and that's what I intend to do from now on.

Before I start afresh though it's time to take one last look back at April, and take a look back at my April beauty empties. 

Soap & Glory Peaches And Clean 3 In 1 Deep Purifying Cleanser - 200ml
Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipe Out Mask Dual Sided Pore Clarifying Mask x 1
OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil - 15ml
L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml
RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active Hair Serum For Women - 30ml

Total - 5 Items

So I managed to finish 5 beauty products in April, not the best total ever but I'm going to embrace the positive, 5 items are certainly better than 1 and I finished a few things that I thought would never end.

1. Soap & Glory Peaches And Clean 3 In 1 Deep Purifying Cleanser - 200ml

I've got to be honest and say that Ive never actually bought a Soap & Glory skincare item on it's own. All of the Soap & Glory skincare products that I've tried have come from the Boots Soap & Glory Star Gifts. Buying a big gift set of products can be a bit hit or miss, but in this case I've been introduced to a gem. This is just a basic cream cleanser with a slightly weird - peach, menthol, mint smell. It's perfect on my oily skin and it's really easy to use, just massage a small amount over your face, then wipe away with either a damp flannel or muslin cloth or splash off with warm water, and all of your make up just wipes away, leaving your skin silky soft. I really like this cleanser and it's definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

2. Benefit The Porefessional Instant Wipe Out Mask Dual Sided Pore Clarifying Mask x 1

This pore mask from Benefit Cosmetics is part of their ever expanding Porefessional range. It's basically a combination of a pore strip and sheet mask. All of the masks are packaged individually and to use them all you do is press the plastic bubble, to release the pore tightening liquid into the fabric like mask. Then you just open the packet and apply the damp mask, smooth side down to either your chin, your forehead or your nose, they you leave it for ten minutes before rubbing the remaining liquid all over your face with the rougher side of the mask. It smells slightly of menthol, and as you would expect it tingles ever so slightly on the skin. To be honest I haven't noticed any long term effects but I do have a few more of these masks to use up so I might notice a difference then but we'll see. What I can say though is after you've used the mask your skin certainly feels tighter and less oily. I definitely think that these masks would be great before an event or a party, or an occasion where you would want your make up to stay in place and for your skin to look more even and less oily. 

3. OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil - 15ml

My nails at the moment are really unpredictable, in the space of a week, they can go from long, hydrated and healthy, to dry, rough and broken. I'm persevering with the strengtheners and perhaps more importantly I'm trying to keep my hands and nails hydrated. OPI Avoplex is probably my favourite cuticle oil of all time, crammed full of avocado oil, it smells lovely, it absorbs quickly and it makes an immediate difference to the appearance of my nails. I love it and I will continue to buy it when I can justify it but at the moment I'm loving the Primark PS Cuticle Oil, which is nearly as good and retails at just £1 a bottle. Spend or save it's up to you, but they are both great products that can a real difference with just one use

4. L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml

Be it summer or winter, this product really is an all year round skin saviour. If you have dry skin, or itchy skin, or even if you feel that the skin or your body just needs a little bit of love, then this is the product that you need. The shower oil concept is quite a new one and L'Occitane one of the genres innovators, the product feels oily on the skin but add water to it and it turns into a creamy, lightly foaming body cleanser. You can also add to the bath for pampering, and moisturising soak. Oh and if you think that almond means marzipan, it doesn't - I hate anything that smells or tastes of bitter almond, and I love this, instead of the bitter almond scent you might expect instead this smells of slightly of apple, and warm vanilla with just a hint of nuttiness. This product isn't cheap but a little goes a long way, and I guarantee that once you try it you will never want to be without it x I've recently repurchased this from QVC UK thanks to a special price, and an easy pay offer that made it a bit more affordable, so I would definitely recommend shopping around if you do decide that you want this in your life x You can read a review of this product here x

5. RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active Hair Serum For Women - 30ml*

I was sent this product quite a while ago, as part of the full RESEED line which is specifically designed for women with thinning hair. This is the serum that you massaged into the hair to encourage hair growth. I've tried to eek this product for as long as possible because this is the one product in the range that really makes the difference. Unfortunately i do think that you need to use all of the products in the system together and consistently to see a real difference. You can read my review of the full system including this product here x

So they were my April empties x My aim as always for this month is to do better, and I hopefully want to try and finish at least one make up item in May x Are you doing something similar link me to your posts and channels below and of course if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in this post, then please leave me a comment x

*Sample 

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

Trimming My Stash - April 2015 Empties And Mini Reviews

Hi Everyone x I hope you all had a fabulous April, I can't believe that it's May already x May is my favourite month of the year, why? well it's my birthday month. Ha, Ha I'm a big kid really I love birthdays and of course I love pressies :) I've asked for a few skin and cosmetic bits but I don't really know what I'm getting but I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get a few beauty bits so I better get using some more product up

Tesco Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser - 150ml
L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 40ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination - 25 x Wipes
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml
The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Shampoo For Coloured Hair - 400ml
Elemis Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir - 300ml
Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - 400ml
Liz Earle Vital Oils For The Bath - Bliss - 10ml
Boots The Sweet Treat Boutique Toffee Apple Bath Crystals - 50g
Total - 10 Item

I've been making a real effort to use some of those bits and half bottles and tubes up and in April I did pretty well and finished 10 items. No make up unfortunately but I still managed to finish a nice mix of skincare, body care, bath and hair products.

1. Tesco Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser - 150ml

I was sent this Tesco product sometime ago to review, and you can read my full review here. My opinion on this hasn't changed too much but lately I have noticed a bit of  a tingling sensation around my eyes and lips when I've used it. My skin has changed over the last few months and it's been a bit more irritable and sensitive  so for that reason I probably wouldn't repurchase.

2. L'Occitane Cleansing And Soothing Shower Oil With Almond Oil - 250ml

I love, love, love this product, if you have dry or irritated skin you need this oil in your life. It smells like apple blossom and leaves your skin feeling like silk. It pricey but it's so worth it x You can read my product rave here x

3. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 40ml

From what I can gather this is one of those products that you either love or hate, and I very much in the first camp. If something was good enough for Audrey Hepburn it's good enough for me. This is a pre wash conditioner that strengthens and softens the hair. When I use this regularly I seem to lose less hair and my hair doesn't seem as brittle and fragile. The only thing that I don't particularly like is the scent. I've used up a couple of these mini tubes and one day I will pluck up the courage to invest the full size. It isn't cheap at around £28 for 150ml tub but if you have damaged hair it's well worth it.

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

I'm serious losing count of how many packs of these tea tress wipes I've finished, I've been swatching like a demon over the past month and I've been using these for clean up, well worth it at £1 for 2 packs of 25 wipes.

5. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml

I'm not going to say too much about this one because I intend to review it properly for you at some point but for me it's one of the best micellar waters I've tried.

6. The Body Shop Rainforest Radiance Shampoo For Coloured Hair - 400ml

This is really decent shampoo, it's light weight and it smells gorgeous and fruity, you can read a full review of this product from The Body Shop  here.

7. Elemis Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir - 300ml

At last a bath product, I didn't do as well as I would have liked in April when it came to using up bath products but I did manage to finish this one. I'm one of the biggest Elemis fans there is and this is beauty, heady, foam bath that's gentle on the skin. It contains patchouli, cedar wood and vetivert and cocoa butter. I've had a look and I can't seem to find this so I think it's been discontinued but if you're interested I have found a seller on Amazon it isn't cheap but it's really unusual and very relaxing.

8. Gatineau Floracil Gentle Eye Make Up Remover - 400ml

This is another product that I'm not going to say too much about. A review will be coming soon but despite the fact that it's quite spendy, this is one of my favourite ever eye make up removers ever.

9. Liz Earle Vital Oils For The Bath - Bliss - 10ml

Another product and something else that's discontinued. This tiny little bottle contained a beautiful essential oil mix of jasmine, ylang ylang, rosewood, and black pepper. Just a few drops in the bath and your left with a beautifully scented milky bath. This was a gorgeous, heady and dare I say it sensual bath product that I'm sorry I can't repurchase.

10. Boots The Sweet Treat Boutique Toffee Apple Bath Crystals - 50g

My final product was another bath product, and it was some bath salts from one of those random Boots gift sets that you only ever see at Christmas. These crystals had a really sickly, sweet fragrance, they turned the water green and that was about it. Not amazing and I wouldn't repurchase even if I could.

So they were my April empties x If you have any questions on any of the items that I finished then please let me know xx

Trimming My Stash - April 2014 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Happy May Day Everyone xx I can't believe were into the 5th month of the year already. I think I say this every month but time really does seem to fly by the older you get. Speaking of getting older, May is my birthday month :) I have no idea what I want this year but I know that I'll always, without question get some beauty bits. I love beauty things but it always means that I need to make a bit of space in my current stash. I've haven't been doing too well, when it comes to using things up this year and whilst April was better it still wasn't amazing.

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Body Scrub - 250ml
Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin & Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g
Soap & Glory Clean, Girls Skin Softening Creamy Body Wash - 75ml
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener - 7.1 ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Deep Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow / Liner - 4.5g - Skinny Jeans
L'Occitane Desert Rose Hand Cream - 30ml
Total - 7 Items

Yes, I finished 7 items, I guess I should be happy with that especially since I finished a couple of make up bits but I still think I could have done a little bit better. There are still a few products that just seem to be going on and on and that I can't seem to finish no matter what I do but hopefully I'll manage to break the cycle in May . What about the items that I did finish though? well as I say I finished pretty much a bit of everything in April including two make up items which is always good or is it?

1. Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Body Scrub - 250ml

This was from one of the big Soap & Glory Christmas, 2012's I think and I've only just got round to using it up. I have to say I really liked this it gave quite an abrasive scrub but at the same time it felt very creamy and moisturising. I loved the fruity smell and the smoothing effect it had particularly on my upper arms. Mummy Lou wasn't a fan though, as I've probably told you before she detests gritty body scrubs, that leave scratchy particles on the bottom of the bath. So either I don't repurchase or I religiously clean the bath and shower out PROPERLY after every use, decisions, decisions.

2. Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin And Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g

This was a pressie from my bestie a little while go now and I have to say I'm quite devastated that it's finished. I really liked this a lot. The smell was lovely and zesty and citrus based. It's basically a semi solid creamy butter that you massage over your self and rinse off in the shower or you can pop a little bit under a running top for gorgeous soft creamy bubbles. I really loved this and I'll definitely look into repurchasing .

3. Soap & Glory Clean, Girls Skin Softening Creamy Body Wash - 75ml

This was a mini bottle that came in my Boots Advent Calendar. I was expecting to smell like the rest of the Soap & Glory but it was actually quite different. It had a softer more musky based scent. It was okay but I definitely prefer the original fragrance

4. Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener - 7.1 ml

I used to be quite into Smashbox as a brand but when they left QVC I kind of left them and I haven't purchased anything from them since. I still love the bits that I have especially their cream liners but I just don't find the brand as affordable as what it was. This under eye concealer and brightener retails at £16 in the UK, admittedly it's cheaper than the much hyped YSL number (I'm not a fan personally) but whilst I think it's decent, all be it though a little liquidy, the high street, and budget brands seem to have got this category pretty much covered for a fraction of the price.


5. Primark PS Love Your Skin Deep Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes

I mentioned these in my recent beauty post and it hasn't taken me very long to polish off the first packet. These are from Primark's newly revamped beauty range, and you two packets for a pretty bargainous £1. There okay they do the job, I'm not keen on the smell (reminds me a bit of bathroom cleaner) but they are cheap and there certainly no worse then any of the more expensive wipes on the market. I'm probably going to stick to my old faithful Primark tea tree ones but these are fine in an emergency or a quick fix x

6. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow / Liner - 4.5g - Skinny Jeans

Using something up is always good in my eyes but sometimes you feel a little bit sad about finishing something. It sounds totally dramatic but I was devastated that this little pot reached the end of it's usable life. This has been one of my go to products for nearly 2 years now. It gives a smokey eye look in seconds, it's that perfect silver, blue, grey taupe colour that just works for day or night. I've used it and used it, and used it and up until recently it was fine but that last few millimetres has turned into a dry, clumpy mess, so it's time for the bin and it's time that I got a new one - I'm only thankful that it hasn't been discontinued.

7. L'Occitane Desert Rose Hand Cream - 30ml

I think I will always buy L'Occitane hand creams, you're pretty much guarantee that they will do the job, no matter what the fragrance and how dry your hands are, and this one was no different. This was one of their rose scents - a  fragrance that they do very, very well. It wasn't as thick as some of the hand creams in their range but it was really nice and it left the skin feeling soft and smelling gorgeous.

So they were April's empties, if your doing something similar I'd love to see your posts so please link me up x Thanks for reading