Life Lately - Illness, And Fatigue With A Couple Of Sparks Of Normality - St. James Stack, Sephora, Shopping And A Few Outfits*

When I published my last post on the 26th August  I was really hopeful that I'd turned the corner both illness and life wise and that I ready to get my blog on and return to regular posting but since this post is going live on 27th October, it's pretty obvious that things went belly up again, so to restart my blogging journey again, I thought I'd do a little life lately post to update you all on where I've been and what I've been up to.

I've got to say that the week following my last post was a good one, I'd been feeling drained and fatigued but I'd be a good girl and tried to conserve my spoons the best I could because I had something exciting to do that I just couldn't miss - a trip to Newcastle!

Now for the majority of people an hours bus journey to the nearest big city is probably a pretty regular occurrence and whilst it's something that I used to do at least every other week, my ailing body now says no, and my trips into town are a lot less frequent than I would like, so as I was doing something a bit more interesting than usual I decided to document my trip with some outfit pics.

What I Wore

Indigo Denim Jeggings - Pep & Co

Blue Blazer / Suit Jacket - SHEIN Curve 

Short Sleeve Navy Blue Striped T-Shirt - SHEIN Curve 

Chunky Labradorite Stone Necklace - SHEIN

Adidas Court 2.0 Trainers - Navy / White 

Michael Kors Mercer Pebbled Leather Accordion Tote Bag - Admiral

Yes, it's the usual jeans and a top look that I'm so well known for but with the addition of some fabulous navy and white stripes, and a lightweight blazer - it definitely gave out some continental vibes, teamed up with some all be it new retro style trainers (note to self break your trainers in a bit before you wear them for a long period of time!) and a coordinating tote bag for all my junk - I created an easy, practical and comfortable outfit that was ideal for a warm early September day.

So I went to Newcastle for a mooch around the shops and for something to eat, but the real purpose of my visit was to meet up with one of my oldest friends Helen - she's lived in Stoke on Trent for a long time now and I don't see her anywhere nearly enough, but she came up north for a few days, and come hell or high water I was going to spend some time with her.

After a little look around the shops we headed up towards the cathedral on the hill, St. James' Park of course, home of Newcastle United as Helen wanted to get a few bits from the club shop and the we went for some lunch.

There are so many great places to eat in Newcastle but one if the newest venues opening in mid August is St. James' Stack Presented By Sela, that stands right opposite St. James' Park, next to the Metro station.

If your unfamiliar with the concept of the Stack it's basically a whole load of shipping containers combined to create a haven for bars and street food stall - there are a couple throughout the north east with another couple to come including one in the new Pilgrims Place development in Newcastle city centre.

What makes St' James' Stack special though is that it's Newcastle United themed from the toilets, to the signage to the planters, everything is black white and the lasses haven't been forgotten either. Whilst it's exclusively for Newcastle United fans on a home match day, everyone and their dog is welcome at any other times. There are big screens for the football, quiz nights, karaoke, and live music (there was a fabulous guitarist and singer performing when we were there), so whether you're a football fan or not it's a great asset to the city.

Whilst the entertainment is a nice touch the big selling point for The Stack is obviously the food and drink, there are loads of street food stalls selling everything from burgers and pizzas, to Greek food and Korean corn dogs, to Mexican food, BBQ, bao buns, Indian food, and even duck fries, and theres even a coffee shop if you want a pastry fix. There really is something for everyone, and what I really like is that everyone you're with can have something different so you don't need to worry about finding one restaurant to please everyone.

There is loads of shared seating both upstairs and downstairs but we went upstairs where it was a little bit quieter (it was pretty busy for a Tuesday afternoon) and after having a little look around we decided to try some Indian street food at Ok Please! which is owned by the same people who own Dabbawal in Jesmond and in city centre. We both went for the lunch menu which was a main, a side and drink, so I went for the Indian Vegan Burger, with the Masala Fries, and the Mango Lassi which was £14. There was some proper spice to the burger which came with spicy chutney, but the real star was the Masala Fries, crispy french fries topped with crispy onions, and the most amazing spicy garlic sauce, my tongue was definitely tingling and the mango lassi hit the spot perfectly - fruity and super creamy.

After we'd eaten we were in no hurry to leave, it was a lovely afternoon, we were enjoying the music, the vibes, and dog spotting so we decided to get a drink from one of the numerous bars that the stack has to offer. There are 6 different bars in the Stack complex offering everything from draught beers, and spririts to specially created cocktails, we went to Crowd Cantina a Brazilian themed bar and got this fabulous cocktail which I believe was a limited edition which contained lots of citrus and fruit flavours and Absolut Hunni vodka, think amped up Lockets throat sweets - it was pricy but it was pretty strong and it was a decent serving.

I don't think it's the cheapest place to eat or drink in Newcastle but the vibes are good, and if you want food, drink and entertainment all under one roof, then I think it's a great place to go with friends or family, and if you're a Newcastle fan especially on a match day it's a must with guests and former players all adding to the pre match build up. All in all a good day, good food, a good look around the shops, and most importantly time spent with a good friend that I really don't see enough of.

By the time I got home though that's when everything predictably started to go wrong, my feet wore sore thanks to my new trainers, and I just felt as though my body was seizing up. The saying no pain, no gain certainly applies in my case and it's so frustrating that doing something that I enjoy leads to so much pain and discomfort, it was 100% worth it but  I literally suffered from exacerbated joint and muscle pain for about the next week, thankfully I rallied a bit for my mams birthday, before falling victim to a horrid, horrid flu like cold that literally lasted for about a fortnight. I even did a few covid tests to be sure but it was just a late summer cold / flu thing that again lead me to miss on things that I wanted to do.

September saw the opening of two brand spanking new Sephora stores in the north east, one in Newcastle and one in the Metro Centre - whilst I would have loved to have gone on opening weekend, there was no way that I could queue up overnight, or deal with huge crows, so I tried to go the week after and since the cold still wasn't budging I didn't end up going until the 7th October.

Again in celebration of me properly leaving the house I decided to take a couple of outfit pictures, again similar vibes to the previous look, but with some different jeans (I do love skinnys but I'm trying something new), a splash of animal print, a smaller more lightweight bag, and the same now broken in trainers

What I Wore

Navy Blue Blazer / Suit Jacket - SHEIN Curve 

Navy Blue Animal Print Raglan Sleeve Top - SHEIN Curve 

 YOURS Curve Ruby Indigo Blue Straight Leg Jeans - YOURS Clothing

Labradorite Heart Necklace - SHEIN

Adidas Court 2.0 Trainers - Navy / White

Kate Spade New York Cameron Street Lucie Crossbody Bag - Blazer Blue 

So after my earlier trip I decided to go to the Metro Centre store, partially for convenience (I could get a lift and my mam could wait in the car) but mainly because the new Metro Centre Sephora is apparently a bit bigger and stocks more brands than the Newcastle one.

There were a couple of things that I wanted but to be honest the shop had already been well ravaged some of tester eyeshadows etc. were wrecked and there were quite a few bits out of stock. So I ended up just getting a few lip bits. I've wanted to try the Laneige Lip Sleeping mask for a while now so I grabbed one of those and the matching lip balm, and I also got another one of the Glossier Balm Dotcom salves this time in Mango, which tastes incredible. I also had a little look at the well ravaged Sephora Collection eyeshadows and picked up Silverstorm which a gorgeous sparkly silver / grey perfect for the party season

What I Bought 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - Sweet Candy - 20g - £19

Laneige Lip Glowy Balm - Sweet Candy - 10g - £16

Glossier Mango Balm Dotcom Universal Salve- 15ml - £14

Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow - Shimmer - 601 Silverstorm - 1g - £7.99

I really wanted one of the Rare Beauty Melting Blushers but shade I wanted was out of stock - so I may have ordered it online from the My Sephora Sale alongside my free reward product - every cloud as they say. There was a lot of stuff in store that I fancied trying but I'm finding it really hard to justify spending money on make up and skincare especially at the moment when I have so much. I'm going to have a bit of a clear out and get rid of a few bits that I don't use anymore then maybe a can justify another purchase or two. We really are spoilt for choice in the north east now when it comes to beauty what with two Sephoras, Flannels Beauty, H Beauty, and the new look Fenwick Beauty Haul, it's a great time to be a beauty junkie.

After my Sephora visit  I popped into Primark for but again I didn't really get too much, a top for Mummy Lou and some winter boots, I just can't find my size in anything I like lately, it's so frustrating - I managed to get a Hello Kitty & Friends sweatshirt when I was in Newcastle, but the same jumper in the Metro Centre, wasn't available in anything above a medium, it so frustrating going in there at the moment as a curvier girl. Even though I was only in the Metro Centre for about an hour and a half my body rebelled again and I spent another few days in pain and hobbling around but again I'll still say it was worth it for allowing me to feel like a 'normal' person for even a small amount of time.

Although I didn't buy much in Primark I have been doing a little bit of online shopping lately, including some Christmas shopping - where on earth has this year gone? I have bought a few bits from SHEIN, in some peoples eyes not ideal I know but they have my size and its really affordable - yes some items can be hitty missy but I've certainly had more better quality items (including some bits in my OOTD's) than rubbish ones, the Yours jeans that you can see above, and I've bought a few beauty bits including this recent package from Lush.

I don't honestly buy that much from Lush now I just can't really justify the prices most of the time now but I couldn't resist ordering these two blast from the past items. I would say IYKYK but if not I'll explain anyway. First up the white tub, Lush Cocoa Butter Hand & Body, a nod to time the Lush founders, spent with The Body Shop founder, the late Anita Roddick, and a almost exact interpretation of The Body Shop's original Cocoa Butter Hand & Body Lotion - one sniff of this and I was taken back to the 80's, Kiwi Lip Balm, Japanese Washing Grains, Dewberry, Fuzzy Peach, Green Apple and Cocoa Butter. The smell is nothing like anything else cocoa butter scented that you've ever tried and that's why it's so nostalgic.

Talking of nostalgia if you remember the very early days of Lush and even as far back as the Cosmetics To Go days then you'll be familiar with Skinny Dip Shower Gel. Originally released in 1995 was originally marketed as a white chocolate shower gel but it's actually so much more than that. The scent is perfect for the colder months, with a slight white chocolate undertone, it contains spicy cloves, cedarwood and exotic ylang ylang, it creamy warming, and again it takes my back to a different place - At £16 for the shower gel and £20 for the body lotion, this wasn't a cheap haul but it was well worth it for the memories.

So I've done a bit of online shopping, I've picked up the odd thing, mainly beauty dupes in Home Bargains, B&M and Aldi, and I've spent a lot of time indoors again. My flu jab knocked me for 6 and it's fair to say that I'm not looking forward to my covid booster next month but when you're clinically vulnerable it has to be done. My mam has had flu too and thankfully it didn't bother her at all which is just as well as to be honest she's had enough going on. She had a slight fall, nothing major at the start of September, the odd bruise here and there but nothing to worry about, then earlier this month she started having some pain in back and hip, so she went to see her GP who sent her for an X-Ray, she ended up having to go the main hospital in Durham which was obviously a bit of a faff, but she's been told that she has a tiny fracture in her hip / femur, it's just where a ligament has pulled off a little bit of bone. So now we wait - she's going to have to see someone in orthopaedics at the fracture clinic when they decided what to do. Since she has a hip replacement if it's minor enough they may decide to just leave it as is, and maybe give her a brace, and painkillers, or worse case scenario they may need to go in and operate. So we are really playing the waiting game, it's awful seeing her in pain, but I know she doesn't want surgery so what will be, will be.

It always seem to be the way in this house if it's not one thing it's another, my mam is convinced we or the house is curserd! So that's where I am and that's where I've been I've probably left loads out but this post is already way too wordy as it is. I'm back and I'm online for now at least I've got a couple of posts planned over the next week including a little nails of the day and the next instalment of my empties catch up, so if you're still here thanks for sticking around and don't forget to follow me elsewhere on social media via the links in my sidebar x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

PR / UNPAID AD - Sleepy Showers And Scrubs With The Lush Co-Mingle Body Scrub*

Unlike a lot of bloggers with disabilities and chronic illness I don't actually talk about my health that much - my blog has always been a place to escape rather than dwell on my limitations but every now and then I throw the odd thing into the conversation and today I'm talking again about my issues with sleep! 

As you would probably expect from a condition named 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', some of the main symptoms are tiredness, and exhaustion. Even if I've had a real 'lazy' day, I can go to bed and sleep solidly for 12 hours plus, and still wake up feeling just as shattered as I did when I went to bed! It's both annoying and debilitating, but what a lot of people don't realise though is that ME, CFS, or whatever it called this week, can also cause chronic insomnia! If you've ever suffered from the inability to sleep, even if it was just a one off, then you'll know just how frustrating it can be. I regularly have nights when despite being almost delirious with exhaustion, I just don't sleep! If I'm having one of those nights, there isn't always a lot that I can do about it, but I can at least try and prevent it by adopting a good sleep routine.

I've talked quite a lot on the blog in the past about establishing a good sleep routine, so you should know the drill by now - establish a regular bedtime, have a comfortable bed and bedding, cut out the caffeine and have a warm drink, say goodbye to electronic devices, and have a warm but not too hot bath or shower.

I love having a shower just before bed, I don't know whether it's the warmth or the sound of the water, but it really helps me switch off and wind down. Sometimes I'll just grab the first shower product that I come across, but most of the time I'll trigger 'operation sleep' and use something lavender scented. At the moment I'm using the shower gel and the body lotion from the Lush Sleepy range, which has a beautiful relaxing lavender scent. When I'm having a late night, pre bed shower I normally just foam up, rinse, dry and then moisturise - no treatments, extra products or anything that takes too much time or effort, recently though I was sent a product from Lush that works perfectly with the Sleepy range, and amps up your nighttime routine, without too much extra effort, and yes it's one of my favourite ever things, a body scrub!

As much as I love my body exfoliators when you're feeling tired, adding in that extra step is often a bit of a chore, that you could probably do without, but if you love the idea of a body exfoliator without the effort then Lush Co-Mingle could be the answer to your prayers!

Designed to be quick and easy to use, Co-Mingle is the perfect product for that late night shower. It's basically a 3 in 1 product - a gentle body scrub, and a body wash with built in moisturisers, so you can just scrub, wash and go!

Crammed full of shea butter, cupuaco butter, cocoa butter and argan oil, as well as natural exfoliators bamboo stem extract and tagua nut powder, this scrub is pale pink in colour, and has a creamy, almost whipped mousse like texture, permeated with very fine but noticeable exfoliating particles.

Just apply it as you would any other body scrub to damp skin, and massage it on to the skin. In seconds it goes from a creamy exfoliator, to a creamy, milky foam, cleansing and gently exfoliating your skin. Even though the particles are quite small they still rinse away fairly easily and the skin is left feeling clean, smooth and smelling heavenly.

Oh yes, the smell! As you've probably already guessed this scrub has the same beautiful lavender scent as the Sleepy range. This isn't your old fashioned powdery lavender it's has a gorgeous, relaxing aromatherapy like lavender scent that makes this product perfect for those nighttime baths and showers. 

It obviously works perfectly as an accompanying product to the similarly scented Sleepy Shower Gel, or Showder, or even the Sleepy Bubble Bar, or the Deep Sleep Bath Bomb, but if you're extra sleepy then you could just use this use this over your whole body, I'd probably avoid "ahem' certain areas but the particles are fine enough, that it shouldn't cause too many issues elsewhere. So all you really need to do is take this one tub into the shower, and then because of the moisturising ingredients, you can either dry yourself off and pop your PJs straight on, or you can do what I do and team it up either with the Sleepy Body Lotion, or Lush's fabulous Dream Cream, and then you'll be in the land of nod before you know it!

You should know by now that I do love a full on scratchy scrub, and whilst this one is never going to win any awards for its scrubbiness, it should win an award for its convenience, and for it's fabulous scent. When used alone or with some other similarly scented products, it really helps you get in to that bedtime mind set whilst at the same time giving your skin a much needed treat.

Lush Co-Mingle Body Scrub comes in a 225g tub and retails at £20. It's available direct from Lush and from your local Lush store x 

I'd love to know if you have a specific nighttime routine and what products you use to help you get a good nights sleep, so please let me know in the comments and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions x 

*Press Sample / Unpaid Advertisement / Non Affiliate Link

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 

Trimming My Stash - May 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

I know time seems to be flying by generally, for me at the moment, but May seemed to go particularly quickly, admittedly I had a pretty busy, as well as welcoming our new kitten Max into the family, I also spent a lot of time with my family and friends, and I celebrated my birthday - all I seemed to do was blink and it was all over, and scarily June seems to be heading in the same direction!

Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Pink Peppercorn Hydrating Hand Therapy - 25ml
Soap & Glory Clean On Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel - 500ml
Vitamasques Tea Tree Face Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 20ml
Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g

Total - 4 Items

When it comes to trimming my stash, May wasn't the best of months, it seemed as though it was over before started and every product that I thought that I would finish seemed to miraculously go on and on, a bit like my own personal beauty version of The Magic Porridge Pot. I was a touch disappointed that I only managed to finish four items but I did manage to finish something that I was actually sick to death of seeing in the bathroom, so maybe it isn't all bad.

1. Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Pink Peppercorn Hydrating Hand Therapy - 25ml

The first product is one of two items in this post that I'm quite sad to see the back of. This hand cream was behind door number 19 of the 2018 Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar, and it's something that I put into use straight away. You can read a full review here but this hand cream was crammed full of moisturising ingredients including ceramides, Shea butter, glycerin and macadamia seed oil, and whilst it was really rich and creamy it absorbed really easily into the skin and left them feeling silky smooth. It was a really nice hand cream texture wise, and results wise, but for me the big selling point was the scent. Containing rosewater, it had a gentle, real rose scent, combined with warm and spiciness of pepper. 

I really enjoyed using it and even though I can't justify a repurchase at the moment, when I've used up some of the many hand products in my collection I'll definitely buy it again and maybe some of the other products in the Rosewater and Pink Peppercorn range. This 25ml travel size retails at around £8, and the full 100ml size retails at around £18. You can pick it up from various retailers including Crabtree & Evelyn direct, Look Fantastic, Escentual, and Fragrance Direct.

2. Soap & Glory Clean On Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel - 500ml

I'm going to start talking about this product with an apology, this is probably one of the grossest empties that I will probably ever show you, but this is what happens when a bottle seems to live in your shower caddy for what seems like a life time. An almost constant stream of water had faded the label, and done goodness what else so I apologise!

I don't honestly know why it's been there so long, I actually really like the product, for some reason though I just haven't reached for it in a while. To be honest I got a bit sick of seeing at there so last month I made a concerted effort to try and finish it. 

This is a gorgeous, creamy moisturising shower gel with that familiar Soap & Glory fragrance, you any need a tiny amount so this half litre size lasts for ages. I do like it and it's something that I'll happily use but it's not something that I would actually go out and purchase on it's own. I'm a huge fan of the Boots Soap & Glory Star Gifts at Christmas, and that, bar the odd purchase, tends to be how I get my Soap & Glory fix. If you are interested in giving this a go though then Boots is the place to go,  this 500ml size retails at £6.50, with a handy 75ml travel size retailing at £3.


3. Vitamasques Tea Tree Face Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 20ml

Most of the sheet masks that I seemed to have tried over the years have came in beauty subscription boxes, and I think this one may have came in either a Glossybox or a Pink Parcel. I'm normally a fan of Vitamasques face masks but this didn't wow me. Containing antibacterial, pure tea tree oil, this vegan friendly mask is designed to help balance oily, and acne prone skin. I used to have very oily skin, but the older I get the drier my skin gets, so maybe that's why this didn't really do it for me.

The mask itself wasn't the thickest and it tore quite easily, it was very, very wet though, and the liquid had a tendency to run down my face and into my eyes, which was a bit stingy. It had a slight tea tree scent but nothing to harsh or too strong. When it was on my face it felt nice and cooling, after around 20 minutes I removed the mask and there was still a lot of liquid on my face. As per the instructions I massaged the excess in. It felt a bit tacky and sticky but it did eventually absorb into my face and neck. There was no redness on my skin, it just looked a bit fresher, but other than that I didn't notice any real change. If you have more problematic skin then I would give this a try but on my skin at the moment, it didn't really do very much. This mask retails at around £3.99 direct from Vitamasques and Look Fantastic.

4. Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g

Although it doesn't have the most Christmas scent and the colour isn't really very Christmassy (unless your Barbie that is!), this is probably the quintessential festive shower product. Every year its arrival is eagerly awaited by thousands of Lush devotees, and I'm one of them.

Bright pink in colour and crammed full of iridescent sparkles, it basically smells like a sugar overload, think bubblegum, candy floss, and pick 'n' mix, all rolled into one. A small amount produces beautiful creamy bubbles and a bathroom that smells like a sweet shop!

I don't know if it's just me but I am finding Lush's shower gels and shower products a little bit drying at the moment, but to be honest I can live with that because nothing beats the scent of Snow Fairy drifting through the house even in June. I'm hoping that I have another bottle hiding away somewhere but if not, roll on Christmas 2019!

After two good months in March, and April I was a little bit disappointed to only 4 items in May but it was better than nothing, and hopefully June will be a more successful month. Let me know your thoughts on the items that I finished, and I'd love to know you tips for using up beauty products x Let me know in the comments if you have x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links 

Trimming My Stash - December 2018 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, A 2018 Round Up And A Life Update

Since this is my first post of 2019, I'd like to start it off by wishing you all a very Happy New Year x I had originally intended to keep on posting right through the Christmas and New Year holiday, but I changed my plans slightly and decided to take a bit of extra time out, for me and mine, and do you know what? I'm glad I did! Coping with chronic illness at the best of times is a struggle, but at Christmas time, that struggle seems to be amped right up, and even though I didn't do a lot of extra work or socialising by some peoples standards, by Boxing Day all I wanted was my bed, so I took a few unplanned days off to recharge my batteries enough to enjoy a bit of extra rest and a bit of extra family time.

I'm not a fan of going out on New Years Eve, it's hard when you can't drink much, and you don't have the energy to stand or dance all night, so I saw 2019 in, in front of the TV, in my PJ's with Mummy Lou, some fizz and some nibbles - simple pleasures! Despite the usual optimism at midnight, 2019 hasn't actually started off that well if I'm being honest - case in point, 2 days into the new year, and thanks to a jar of marmalade I managed to shatter my iPhone screen in several dozen pieces! My poor phone didn't look pretty at all and within a couple of seconds it became pretty much useless. The obvious option was to get it fixed but after being blessed with some Christmas money, and being able to upgrade my mobile phone contract, I took the plunge and got myself a shiny new iPhone X. It has a few quirks that I'm not quite used to yet but I'm getting there and I'm slowly falling in love with an inanimate object! Is that wrong? LOL probably but the battery lasts longer, everything seems quicker, and the camera is well on point, oh and I even managed to sell on my poor little 6S, so bar my bank balance being a little depleted, and a couple of stressful moments, I dealt with it and moved on.

I wish I could say the same thing about my poor little tooth though - For a change I had a really productive day on Friday I took some photos, did some editing, and sorted out the music on my new phone, by the time it got to 4pm though I was a bit tired so in true spoonie style I went for a quick Nana nap, or should that be a spoonie siesta? You know the story though my hours rest turned into a six and a half hour, full on sleep, I woke up about quarter to 12 at night, and I was hungry. I'd missed dinner, no problem though, we have still have plenty of food leftover from the holidays so I made myself a cheese sandwich and had a few posh crisps on the side. All good, good sandwich, good crisps, but then suddenly it all went wrong! I put a couple of crisps in my mouth and crunch I bit down on something hard, it felt like cat litter, it gets everywhere, but how did it get in my crisps? - I'll spare you the graphic details but it wasn't actually cat litter it was much worse than that, I'd taken a chunk out of one of my bottom teeth - sob - I care for my teeth, I do everything I'm supposed to, and then this happens - one of the perils of taking medication that leaves your eyes and mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert, can be dental problems - woohoo! Thankfully at the moment it doesn't really hurt bar a bit of irritation where the jagged edge is scraping my cheek and tongue, but obviously I'm going to have to be really careful about what I eat until I can see my dentist on Wednesday, so no nuts or toffees for me, and lots of gentle brushing, water flossing, and antibacterial mouthwash - oh the joys! -

So there we go, two things that have gone wrong already in 2019; They say that things come in 3's so can the third thing, if and when it comes, be equally minor and relatively easy to deal with, and then please can the year get better from then? I certainly hope so! 2018 wasn't the best of years for me for a lot of reasons but I came out of it a stronger, and hopefully a better person, and hopefully that will put me in good stead for whatever 2019 has to offer. I'm not big on resolutions, maybe because I'm not big on failing, but probably more so, I don't always feel that you should change who you are. Like my new diary suggest I don't really want to change the essence of who I am because the date on a calendar changes, I just want to be the best person that I can and do things for me and not for anyone else. What does that mean? well it basically means that you aren't going to get any life changing or world changing new years resolutions from me in 2019, I'm just going to try and make a few small changes to make my life easier, and hopefully even better. I am going to talk about a few changes that I'm going to make that may impact the blog in my next post, but other than that it's just the usual aims, and goals - to try and concentrate on the important things and the important people, try to save a bit of money and think about what I buy a bit more, and of course to try and be a bit more organised.

I seem to say the same thing pretty much every year but I'm hoping that 2019 will be the year that I wear more, and use more, and buy less. I'm already planning a huge clothing and accessory purge, and I am of course going to keep on tackling a significantly reduced beauty mountain. I didn't make a what I got for Christmas video this year but I was really blessed and received some lovely things (check out my Instagram if you want to see some of the things that I got x). Compared to previous years though I didn't get that many beauty products, I got quite a few nail polishes, and a few make up kits, but I didn't get a lot of skin care or body care bits, and since I've avoided the sales, I haven't added to my stash too much over the festive period, and since I'm only going to try and buy what I need in 2019, I don't intend to add too much more to it over the next 12 months or so. It therefore goes without saying that Trimming My Stash will be an ongoing thing in 2019, but before we get started and focus on the here and now, lets take a little look back and see what I managed to finish in December 2018..

Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - 100g
Skin Republic X Olivia Buckland Prep + Glow Face Mask Sheet - 25ml - 1 x Sheet Mask
Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml
The Body Shop Merry Cranberry Bath & Shower Gel - 250ml
NIVEA Caring Shower Gel Love Sunshine - 250ml
Primark PS Cuticle Oil
Primark PS... Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Total - 7 Items 

Well I ended the year by finishing a pretty solid 7 items, which seems to be a little bit better than my average monthly performance. I finished a nice assortment of items including lots of body care, products and a few skincare items, a couple of new things, and a couple of old favourites. In fact the only thing that would have made it better would have been to finish a make up item or two - pretty much the story of my year - I've managed to finish loads of everything else but hardly any make up, so that's definitely an area I need to focus on in 2019.

1. Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - 100g

Ah Snow Fairy, would Christmas really be Christmas without that sweet bubblegum, candy floss like scent - I don't think so. Now you're probably familiar with the original Snow Fairy shower cream but have you tried this? Originally released in 2016, Snow Fairy Body Conditioner almost resembles pink blancmange, it's has a creamy buttery texture, and it contains organic cocoa, mango and avocado butters, and almond and jojoba oils as well as a smattering of iridescent shimmer.

Now despite the suggestion that this is a body moisturiser, Lush actually promote this as a shower product and they advise that you smooth a layer of the cream all over your body before rinsing it off in the bath or shower. As well as cleansing the skin it gives it a much bigger moisture boost than just using a conventional shower product, and because it's so creamy it's also brilliant to shave with. It is a really indulgent shower product but it does seem a bit of a waste to just wash it off, so what I and a lot of other Lushies tend to do it to use a small amount either as a body moisturiser, or to add a bit of shimmer to the skin. It takes a little while to absorb but it leaves the skin feel really smooth and deliciously scented.

I think that this is a lovely product but I think you have a tendency to overuse it so it doesn't seem to last that long. That said if you love Snow Fairy and you want a really indulgent and pampering product, and you want to fully immerse yourself in that sugary sweet scent then this is the product for you. Alas I did manage to get any more of this, this Christmas but I do have a large bottle of Snow Fairy to indulge all of my pick 'n' mix and candy floss fantasies in 2019 without all of the calories and the sugar.

2. Skin Republic X Olivia Buckland Prep + Glow Face Mask Sheet - 25ml - 1 x Sheet Mask

Now when I received this in November's Pink Parcel I openly admitted that I had no idea who Olivia Buckland is - what can I say I'm not a fan of Love Island or reality TV in general, and whilst I still don't know much about her what I can say is that this is without a doubt one of the nicest sheet masks that I've ever used!



High praise from moi! but just why did I like this so much well, for a start it did exactly what it promised - it promised me bright, hydrated and flawless skin and that's exactly what I got! This spun lace / paper feel mask contains plumping collagen, pomegranate extract and hydrating hyaluronic acid.

The first thing I noticed when I took the mask out of the packet was just how wet it was, it wasn't watery wet though, it felt thicker then that and almost slightly gel like. After doing my best Phantom Of The Opera impression for around 15 minute I removed the mask to find a layer of almost serum like liquid on my face. It was pretty easy to massage into the skin though and it didn't take too long to absorb. In fact there was so much extra liquid left over both on the mask itself and in the packet that I massaged the excess over my neck, decolletage, and even on my hands. Once it had absorbed my skin looked brighter, and felt smoother, plumper, and crammed full of moisture without feeling oily. I've tried quite a few sheet masks now and this is before the best I've tried in terms of feel and in terms of noticeable results. It may be a coincidence but in the days after I'd used it a few people commented on just how clear my skin looked, and how well rested I looked, despite the fact that I certainly didn't feel it! It's not the cheapest mask at £5.49 for one application but I was so pleased with the results that I'm definitely considering buying this one again, if you fancy giving it ago yourself, you can get it in Superdrug.

3. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml

Now nail polish remover isn't the most exciting of beauty products, but if you love your nail polish as much as I do it's an essential x It's acetone free, it's not drying on the nails, it doesn't smell horrible, it's cheap and it works, in fact I love it so much that I actually class it as one of my holy grail products - you can find out exactly why I love it so much in this post from 2011! The product is still exactly the same and it's still just £1.39 for 250ml - what is not to love?
4. The Body Shop Merry Cranberry Bath & Shower Gel - 250ml

Right I have no idea how old this product is but I'm sad to have finished - Every year I look forward to the Christmas collections from The Body Shop, and every year I pray that there will be something apple scented and something cranberry scented - in 2018 none of the scents made an appearance so for the first time in many, many years I didn't buy anything festive from The Body Shop. To be fair I didn't need anything but still it was a slightly strange feeling. Merry Cranberry was one of my favourite festive scents in recent (or maybe not so recent) years, the sweet, tart fruity scent was a delight to the senses and this was a shower gel that I really enjoyed using - Something makes me thing I have a few more cranberry inspired bottles tucked away so I'm going to dig those out and enjoy using them, and again I live in hope that 2019 will see the return of some of my favourite festive scents from The Body Shop 

5. NIVEA Caring Shower Gel Love Sunshine - 250ml*

From something old to something a lot more recent, and this summer scented shower gel from NIVEA. I was sent this product last summer to try and it really was summer in a bottle x You can read my full review here x 

6. Primark PS Cuticle Oil - 10ml

Yawn, you're probably sick of hearing about this stuff - I seem to have talked about in pretty much every other Trimming My Stash post in 2017 and 2018. Briefly it's cheap, and it works wonders, for just £1 a bottle it's a skin and nail saviour at this time of year buy it you will not be disappointed!!

7. Primark PS... Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Since I bought these Primark's face wipe range has been completely overhauled and repackaged so I honestly don't know if these wipes are still in existence. I think I picked these up once when I couldn't get the tea tree ones, and I have to say they weren't half bad - Yes I know cleansing wipes aren't good for you but in an emergency, be that a real one or laziness these were decent, they weren't quite wet enough for me but they removed make up, and grime without leaving the skin red or dry or irritated - you can't ask for anymore than that.
So all in all, not too bad an end to 2018, but how did I do over the course of the whole year? and just how many beauty products did I manage to finish? Well let's see...

January - 4 Items
February - 6 Items
March - 6 Items
April - 5 Items
May - 11 Items
June - 4 Items
July - 3 Items
August - 6 Items
September - 7 Items
October - 10 Items
November - 3 Items
December - 7 Items
Total - 72 Items 

Over the course of 2018, I managed to finish 72 beauty products, which isn't too bad. Although I'm a long way off matching 2016's total of 91, I managed to finish 2 items more than I did in 2017, so any improvement has to be seen as a win. I'm not resting on my laurels though, this is an ongoing thing, and like everything else I'm learning a few lessons on the way. The first one of course being, why on earth did I buy so much stuff in the first place!!! Whether I was trying to keeping up with Jones's or other bloggers, or I thought that I was getting a bargain, or was it because I needed a little treat to cheer myself up? Who knows? It's taken a while but I've definitely realised that I either need to be a little bit more selective in my shopping, or I need to cut down on the shopping thing altogether - hmmm a tough one that but as needs and bathroom cupboards must I guess - so for 2019 my mantra is buy less, and wear and use more x Again I'll be documenting all my trimming my stash ups and downs for you right here on my blog and if you're doing something similar I'd love to hear why, what your motivations are ? and any hints, tips or suggestions that you have for making 2019 the best year yet. I'd also love to hear from you if you're are doing Project 10 Pan this year, I've been debating for quite some time over whether or not to do it again, and I'm starting to think that this that it may be time x Let me know your thoughts, and I will see you soon with a video and a little announcement,  and a very late post sharing days 13 - 25 of the Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar x 

*Press Sample

Lush Gateshead Re-Opening Party And Some New Holiday Releases*

Now I'm not the most social of creatures by any means, but last week I went to a party! Alas there was no jelly and ice cream or pass the parcel, but there was enough glitter to shake a stick it and that certainly makes it a party in my eyes.

Myself, and a small group of my fellow North East bloggers were invited along to celebrate the re-opening of the Lush Gateshead store in Intu Metrocentre, alongside the Lush staff and their families.

Since I became bathless, I've got to be honest and say that I don't go into Lush as often as I used to, the pain that I can't buy bath ballistics anymore is real! When I go into store though, the Metrocentre store is my local, and although the staff have changed over the years, I can never praise the staff enough they are always super friendly and helpful and they always have a smile on their face.

The Intu Metrocentre store staff though, now have even more reason to be happy than most, why? well they have a shiny new and renovated store to work in. Still located in Upper Red Mall, the store has undergone a real transformation, the layout has completely changed, and it seems more spacious than it used but of course you can still buy all of your old favourites including haircare, skincare, fragrance, make up and of course bath and body products.

One new addition that is bound to make life easier for both the customers and the staff, is the introduction of new demonstration stations, which are fully equipped with sinks and hot and cold running water. Instead of having to grab a bowl of water, staff can now demonstrate how products work in a real setting, so you can try ballistics, and rinse off cleansers, body conditioners and shower foams until your heart is content, and your senses are tingling.

To celebrate the re-opening Lush, have made Lush Gateshead one of the first stores in the UK to launch their new Christmas and Halloween products, and we were given a sneaky peek as to what is on offer.

With every year that passes, Halloween in the UK gets bigger and bigger, When I was wee, Halloween involved a carved turnip, a black bin liner, and a witches hat but now there are decorations, costumes, cakes, sweets and even Lush goodies. You can buy pumpkin gift sets, black cat knot wraps, and a wide variety of soaps, bubble bars, bath ballistics, and even lip products (more on that later) to help you celebrate the witching hour. The bath envy is real with this one and if I had one I would definitely have picked a black cat shaped, Bewitched Bubble Bar.

At the risk of offending half of the population, I'm actually not that fussed about Halloween, it means one thing to me and that is Christmas is getting nearer, and you can't argue that the one thing that Lush do incredibly well is Christmas.

Think of Lush and Christmas and I can guarantee that one product will spring to mind and that is Snow Fairy, and the good news is that it is back for Christmas 2017. The original sweet, and fruity shower gel makes a reappearance this year but it isn't the only way to get your Snow Fairy fix. This year there are more Snow Fairy fragranced products than ever before, you can try out the new Jelly Bombs or you could pick up a Cold Pressed Soap, or even a versatile bar of Fun for the bath or shower. If body moisturising is more your thing, or if you want to layer all of that Snow Fairy sweetness, then you can try the new Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar, which is a combination of body shimmer, and a moisturising massage bar or you can try the Snow Fairy Body Conditioner which comes in both in a pot and as a naked product, which you can either use in the shower for a super moisturising treat or you can use a small amount as a body moisturiser.

Lush have always been one of the most innovative brands on the high street, and it goes without saying that they operate under a strong ethical standpoint. More of their products than ever before are suitable for vegans and a lot of their products are becoming more and more eco friendly in fact you can now buy a lot of products in their naked form. It sounds strange but cutting down on unnecessary packaging has always been the Lush way, and following on from the success of their solid shampoos, now they've introduced a wide range of products without packaging. You can now buy solid lip tints, solid lip scrubs, solid body lotions, solid shower gels and solid body conditioners, so say you want to buy some Snow Fairy Shower Gel, you can now buy it as you always did in a plastic bottle or you can buy the Naked version, which is a solid block that lathers up in the shower.

If Snow Fairy isn't for you (if it isn't, what is wrong with you?) then Lush have plenty of other festive products to tickle your fancy including Shower Gels and Jelly's, Soaps, Body Conditioners, and Body Creams, Bubble Bars and Bath Ballistics, and even lip products, with some new Lip Scrubs and Lip Tints, and the new Glittery Lip Block which is perfect for the party season.

I've already made myself a list of the shower things that I want and I'm definitely going to pick up my favourite Santa's Belly Shower Jelly, some Bubbly Shower Gel, the Bucks Fizz Body Conditioner and of course some more Snow Fairy but I couldn't resist buying a few thing on the night

I I ended up buying a couple of lip things I got the yummy tasting Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub which retails at £5.95 and I also ended up getting the fabulous Black Rose Lipstick / Lip Tint from the Halloween range which retails at £6.50; it looks pretty scary, aka black in the tube but it alters with the PH of your skin and it lasts for ages on the lips.

I also picked up one of the new(ish) Jelly Face Masks in Just To Clarify (I'll be reviewing in a future post) which was £6.95 it wouldn't be a seasonal  Lush haul without Snow Fairy so I picked up the also newish, Snow Fairy Body Conditioner which you can use as both a luxurious shower cream or as a light and sparkly body moisturiser and it retails at £8.50 for the 100g size.

The people at Lush Gateshead were also kind enough to gift us a few of the Christmas products to try, and our goodies came beautifully packaged in one of Lush's signature, eco friendly Knot Wraps. I am a bit in love with knot wraps and they make any product look gift worthy in minutes. This is one of the many Christmas designs that they have on offer, but each store also has a wide variety of different designs to choose from and sometimes they even have vintage scarves which they can use as well.

My knot wrap contained two bath products, which I'm passing on to my bestie, a Christmas Sweater Bath Ballistic which contains a warming blend of mustard, clove, ginger, coriander, and Sicilian Lemon, and retails at £4.50, and a My Two Front Teeth Bubble Bar which contains lavender, vanilla, tonka bean and neroli and retails at £3.95.

It also contained a Berry Berry Christmas Naked Shower Gel which retails at £11.75 and contains a combination of cranberry, blueberry, bergamot, sweet wild orange oil, and olive leaf absolute and a piece of Shooting Stars Soap, which contains a fresh citrus mix of lemon, lime and bergamot and retails at £4.95. Make sure your following me on all of my social media channel to find out what I think about these two products.

I filmed a little video on the night, to showcase some of new releases and of course the re-opening party and the newly refurbished Gateshead store that you can see below or via this link.



If you are from the North East I can't recommend heading down to the new Gateshead store enough, the staff are really helpful and there are loads of new things to look at, and try. If you aren't lucky enough to live up North then the Halloween and Christmas ranges will be in all stores soon and of course you can have a look online x There really is something for everyone at Lush, there are loads of individual products for every skin type and every need, and there are plenty of gift sets to choose from for both Halloween and Christmas. Are you a fan of Lush's Christmas products? Let me know in the comments

*Press / Blogger Event