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

 Hey Everyone, I hope you've all had a lovely start to the week. I've got to be honest and say that the heat in the UK over the last few days has knocked me for 6. Give me a sunny beach in the Med and I'm great but in the UK it's a whole different story! 

Despite the heat, and so called 'freedom day', I dragged my hot, masked and weary self to the Metro Centre for a couple of hours. A lot of people were still wearing masks but by the time I left it was getting just a bit too busy for me to feel truly comfortable. I mainly went for an eyebrow wax and tint, and although I did have little look on a few shops I didn't honestly buy that much, even in Primark, so alas no haul post but if you want to see what I did buy then take a look at my Instagram Stories today, or under the Instahaul 4 highlights tab x 

I really meant to upload this post yesterday but I was so zonked out after my few hours out of the house and the heat that I just spent the day trying to keep cool. Today is supposed to be a little bit cooler but I thought I'd make an early start anyways and get this post uploaded. Before I play Glossybox catch up later in the week again, I thought I'd play empties catch up and share my May beauty empties post with you x 

Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml
Gwidhw Goody Hoo Muscle Soother - 250ml**
The Body Shop Frosted Berries Shower Gel - 250ml
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula With Vitamin E Original Solid Formula - 30g
L'Occitane Shea Butter Frangipani Hand Cream - 30ml
Beauty Pro Avocado Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x 22ml Sheet Mask
The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask - 15ml

Total - 7 Items

Just like in April, in May I managed to finish another 7 beauty products. Unlike most of my 2021 empties posts so far, May's total contained no hair products, instead I finished a nice mix of body and skincare items. Again it's going to be one of those posts when you've probably seen fairly in depth reviews of most of the products before but as I say it can't be helped, and you never know there maybe a product or two that you've probably forgotten about x 

1. Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml

First up a hand cream, and it's something that I've talked about quite a few times on the blog. The Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream is crammed full of moisturising oils and butters, as well as honey and sweet orange oil, and has lovely warm, sweet, citrus scent. You can read a full review of it here, but I really love it, and it's something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. 

2. Gwidhw Goody Hoo Muscle Soother - 250ml**

The next product is the first of what will be several ancient, so old it's quite embarrassing products that I've recently rediscovered. A few years ago now we had our bath taken out, and our bathroom was converted into a wet room / shower room. That involved us having to pack the entire contents of the bathroom up into boxes, and guess who has just rediscovered a box of old skin and body bits? Well, me of course, and since I'm a bit stingy, I'm trying to finish everything that's still usable, and hasn't changed texture and that doesn't smell funky. Well this product looked, and smelled the same as it used to, so after a period of fibromyalgia related neck and shoulder pain, I decided to finish it off.

I was originally sent this to review from natural beauty site My Pure, and you can read a full review here. Whilst My Pure, and sites such as Ecco Verde, and Celtic Herbal still sell a range of Gwdihw balms, this camphor and menthol scented gel appears to have been discontinued which is a huge shame, as it was a nice, 'natural' alternative to some of the more mass market high street muscle ease products.

3. The Body Shop Frosted Berries Shower Gel - 250ml

It wouldn't be an empties post with a product from The Body Shop, and today I've got two for you, and the first one is a festive item.

From the 2016 (maybe?) Frosted Berries range, this berry, red shower gel, has a lovely fruity, slightly tart, raspberry, cranberry, and blackcurrant based scent. I love The Body Shop shower gel formulations , and this shower gel was a delight to use no matter what the season. Alas this was a Christmas limited edition so it's now long gone bar on eBay, thankfully though I still have a few products from the range to use up so I can enjoy some berry bliss for a bit longer.

4. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula With Vitamin E Original Solid Formula - 30g

The next product on May's list is something that came in the December 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, but it's a product that I didn't get round to both reviewing and using up until May, and it was one of those products that from the first minute that I tried it, I knew I would buy it again, and I already have. You can read a full review of the Palmers Cocoa Butter With Vitamin E Original Solid Formula here x 

This was just a little pot but I've gone on to buy the full big daddy, 100g size, and I still love it, and I'm still using it mainly as a hand and cuticle moisturiser, but every now and then I can't resist popping a bit on my lips to try and combat the chocolate cravings!

5. L'Occitane Shea Butter Frangipani Hand Cream - 30ml

Next, up another fairly old product, and it's something from French brand L'Occitane. I'm a huge fan of L'Occitane, and their hand creams are easily some of the best that I've ever used. As well as the original shea butter, they also come in a range of both core, and limited edition formulations and scents.

This frangipani fragranced hand cream was a limited edition product, and I believe that I got this particular one in a set from QVC UK. Containing 20% shea butter, this thick white cream was surprisingly easy to massage into the skin. It did take a little while to absorb though so I mainly used this one as an overnight hand cream with cotton gloves. It left the skin feeling really smooth, hydrated, and protected, making it and the other shea butter based hand creams in the L'Occitane range ideal for anyone with drier skin.

As I say all of the L'Occitane hand creams are amazing but this one was probably one of my all time favourites thanks to the beautiful summery, coconut, and white flower scent.

6. Beauty Pro Avocado Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x 22ml Sheet Mask

The next product on the list is the first of 2 skincare items on May's list and it's the first of 2 face masks. This was another Glossybox item, and it was something that came in the January 2021 box that I didn't get round to using until May.

You can read a full review of this mask here, but in brief it was a good one, it was soothing, cooling, and hydrating, and it was great for drier (or sun exposed!) skin. In fact I liked it so much that I went on to buy one for a friend.

7. The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask - 15ml

Finally another face mask, and it's another product from The Body Shop. I received this particular mask in the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar, and you can read a full review of it in this Sample Saturday post here x 

As I get older my skin is starting to dry out a little bit, and I definitely don't get as many spots as I used to (although I do have 2 at the moment - what the hell?), but for the occasional hormonal breakout I would definitely consider buying this mask again.

So there you have it, quite a few products that you've seen before, some recommendations, and a blast from the past. I already know that June was a better month than May trimming my stash wise, but fingers crossed I can end July on a high and beat that total.

As per usual if you have any questions then please let me know, and I will see you soon with another belated Glossybox unboxing and review x 

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

** Press Sample

Press Sample - Getting Rid Of Those Achy Bits With Gwdihw - A Review For My Pure*

A few weeks ago I reviewed a few products that I'd been sent to help with sore and achy muscles - I loved the products and I really felt that they did the job, but you know me I never rest on my laurels and I always like trying new things so for one this months My Pure reviews I decided to try out another muscle soothing product, this time from Welsh natural beauty brand Gwdihw - Goody Hoo.

I've tried a couple of the Gwdihw balms before and I was pretty impressed with them (read my reviews here and here), so I thought I'd try out one the newer editions to the line, the Muscle Soother. Unlike some of the products that I reviewed recently this product contains no medical or painkilling ingredients, it just contains four naturally occurring extracts - Arnica Oil, Menthol, Camphor and Witch Hazel.

The product comes boxed and is packed in a clear plastic pump action dispenser. I've said it before and I'll say it again I love these dispensers they keep the contents relatively airtight, and it's easy to dispense exactly the right amount. 

The product is a gorgeous ice blue / aqua in colour and it has a cream / gel like texture. Other than the colour the first thing you probably notice when you dispense the product is the smell. It has a really fresh, nose clearing even, smell which comes from the camphor and the menthol. The product immediately feel cooling on the skin and when you gently massage it in, it absorbs really quickly without any greasiness or tackiness.

Over the next 15 or so minutes the skin where you've applied will go through that strange ice cold / burning feeling. Both me and Mummy Lou really liked this product, it really did make a difference to the aches and some of the pains. It wasn't as effective as say the ibuprofen and levomenthol gel, but if your after a more natural product to help ease those aches and pains this could be the product for you. Unfortunately as of 2021 this product appears to have been discontinued. If you have any questions as per usual please leave me a comment xx

* Press Sample

Product Rave - SBC Arnica Gel

After my little tumble the other day so many of you both on here and on facebook and twitter said I should get some Arnica - thankfully Arnica is something that I already know and love. My Arnica product of choice is the SBC Arnica Gel. Used for centuries to treat bruising and aches and pains Arnica was something I first encountered many years ago from a friend. We were on holiday in Blackpool and we'd gone bowling and what happened, the ball came back up the shoot too quickly and my thumb was squished between two very heavy bowling balls. Back at the guest house my friend produced a tube of Arnica cream which I slathered on my throbbing thumb, and than applied a plaster -the next day there was no indication that anything was wrong, no swelling or bruising and my nail was still intact.
Anyways years later I was diagnosed with ME /CFS, for those of you that don't know as well as exhaustion and numerous other nasty symptoms, sufferers can also experience severe muscle and joint pain, and muscle spasms. Watching QVC as you do I listened to Alison Young talking about the SBC Arnica Gel, and how it could help with joint and muscle pain. Well me and my mum took the plunge and ordered some. I have to say I've found it a huge help, whether it's psychological I don't know but it certainly makes a difference.

As it comes in a light alcohol/ water based gel texture it's easily absorbed and it has a pleasant herbal smell. The gel texture means that it's more economical to use, and you can literally use it all over your whole body if you needed to. You also use it as often as you need to. Unlike the creams (which I've also found effective although they work out more expensive in the long run)it also comes in much larger containers - the pump action dispenser pictured contains 1 litre.
I would definitely recommend this product - it's one of QVC's top sellers and I can see why. I would always suggest you talk to you doctor if you have any pains, etc. - (I use this alongside prescribed and over the counter medication) but I certainly believe there is something to be said for herbal treatments such as this. You can also buy a bath soak, which I also use regularly, a shower gel and they have also recently introduced a Warming Arnica Gel which I really want to try. I bought my bottle here from QVC but I believe you can also buy it directly from SBC

(Oh, and you'll be pleased to hear my toe is feeling a lot better - thanks partially to liberal Arnica gel applications, the swelling has gone down and the bruise is already starting to fade - it would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all you well wishes x ;)