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

Before I start playing catch up again and posting some other reviews and hauls, I thought that I'd at least try and get my empties posts back on track with my June Trimming My Stash post.
 
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 250ml
Avant Skincare Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream - 50ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Body Yogurt - 200ml
Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Mask - 1 x 8g Mask
Patchology Mood Mask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Mask
L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
Cussons Carex Moisture Derma Care Antibacterial Hand Wash - 250ml
Elysium Spa Epsom Salts Bath & Shower Gel - Lavender - 300ml
Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

Total - 10 Items

After a couple of decent months, June was the standout month of 2021 so far, at least empties wise, and I managed to finish 10 items! No make up yet again (I definitely need to try a little bit harder on that one), but lots of skincare, and body products, a few much loved items, and a few bargain buys.

1. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 250ml

I'm starting June's list I guess on a bit of a sad note, and unless a miracle happens, I'm saying goodbye to my last product from The Body Shop's Glazed Apple range.

From circa 2014, Glazed Apple is probably my favourite ever festive collection from The Body Shop. With just a slight hint of apple, this had a lovely sweet and sugary fruity scent, reminiscent of candy apples, or even candy floss. I absolutely loved it, it lingered on the skin, and it was one of those fragrances that you could smell all over the house, after you'd used it in the shower.

Whilst I do have a couple of apple and pear based products from different Christmas collections from The Body Shop to use up, I believe that this was the last Glazed Apple product that I has, I'm probably over egging the pudding a bit here but farewell and I'll miss you :(

2. Avant Skincare Deluxe Hyaluronic Acid Vivifying Face & Eye Night Cream - 50ml

When it comes to skincare, I don't always use the same products everyday, I tend to switch it up depending on how my skin feels, what I think it needs, and what I'm trying out at that moment in time.

I normally have a few different moisturisers on the go at once and that's probably why I don't seem to finish them that often. For example at bedtime I tend to alternate between a night cream, a night oil, and a sleep mask, with the occasional application of Alpha H Liquid Gold thrown in for good measure. Lately though my skin has needed a bit of a boost, and this particular product has made a real difference. 

I received this product in the January 2019 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read a full review of it here. 

I really enjoyed using this moisturiser, I loved the fact that it doubled up as an eye cream, and I loved how smooth and even it left my combination skin, without leaving it oily or greasy or causing breakouts.

I would definitely have considered buying this again but with an RRP of £98 it is just a bit too price prohibitive.

3. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

4. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Body Yogurt - 200ml

Next up another product from The Body Shop, and it's the first of two products in this post from the 2019 Juicy Pear festive range.

I do love a good body scrub and I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop's sugar based scrubs. They have just the right amount of scrubbiness, and the sugar dissolves away leaving no mess behind in the bath or the shower.

Made of community trade organic sugar from Paraguay and Italian pear extract, this scrub had a gorgeous sweet, yet tart, fruity pear scent which complemented the next product on June's list perfectly.

Yes, item number 4, is another product from The Body Shop's Juicy Pear range, and this time it's a body moisturiser.

Now I'm sure you are already familiar with The Body Shop body butters but have you heard of their body yogurts? I love my body butters but if I am being honest they do take a little while to sink in. If you're hot or if you're in a rush then body yogurts are the answer to your prayers. Whilst they aren't quite as moisturising as body butters, they have a lovely cooling, cream gel texture that melts almost immediately on contact with the skin. They are really quick to absorb and although they can leave the skin just a touch sticky at first, especially if you use too much, the leave the skin hydrated and beautifully scented.

With the same sweet, tart, fruity pear scent, again this product contains Italian pear extract, as well as community trade organic almond milk from Spain.

Alas like the Glazed Apple range, Juicy Pear is no more, but a little birdie has told me that there will be a pear based scent in the 2021 Christmas range, and I can't wait to see what it smells like, but in the meantime I'll happily use up the remaining products that I have from the Juicy Pear range.

5. Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Mask - 1 x 8g Mask

The next item on the list is something that you've seen quite recently on the blog, the Steve Laurant Total Repair Lip Care Mask, and you can read a full review of it here x 

6. Patchology Mood Mask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Mask

From a lip mask to a face mask, and a sheet mask from a brand called Patchology. If you aren't familiar with them, Patchology are a skin and body care brand that started off initially by developing patches and stick on dressings for the medical profession, before moving on to produce a range of patches, and masks for the body and face as well as some more conventional moisturiser and eye products.

From a subscription box (possibly Pink Parcel) this mask contains a whole host of antibacterial and good for you ingredients including Tea Tree, Willow Bark, Peppermint, amino acids, and allantoin. It is specially designed for younger skin, and skin that is more problematic and blemish prone. Patchology claim that this mask will help to destroy skin clogging bacteria, whilst at the same time soothing inflammation and slowing down oil production.

The sheet mask itself felt very wet, and a touch slimy, and it was coated an almost a clear gel like serum. It was a nice, good quality mask though so it was pretty easy to unfold despite it being so wet. To be honest I was expecting it to have a stronger tea tree or mint scent but instead it had a more subtle almost disinfectant like, slightly herbal scent.

Before

It felt quite cool and wet on application but like most sheet masks it gradually warmed up to body temperature on contact with the skin.

On Application

I left it on for the recommended 10 minutes before peeling it off. There was a lot of excess serum left on my face so it felt very wet. I massaged as much as I could of it into my skin but it still felt pretty wet, and it took a good 10 minutes or so for it to absorb, and even then my skin still felt slightly tacky, and I felt as though I had product on my skin, but overall I think my skin looked cleaner and a touch clearer.

After 

Now apart from the odd hormonal spot, large pores, and an oily t-zone, my skin really isn't that problematic any more, but I tried this mask out around the time that my mum was rushed into hospital - the weather warm, and I was pretty stressed out, so I ended up with a few spots on my chin, my cheeks and on my nose.

To be honest I expected this mask to tingle, and to cause a bit of redness, but bar a tiny bit of barely noticeable extra pinkness, this mask caused no irritation whatsoever, and it may be a coincidence but the spots that I did have definitely seemed to disappear more quickly that usual.

Whilst I'm not sure I would personally buy this mask again, purely because my skin just doesn't really need it at the moment, if you have a more blemish prone skin then this could be something to try.

The Patchology Moodmask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask retails at around £5 for 1 x 20ml sheet mask both direct from Patchology and from Cult Beauty.

7. L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

From the moment that I started posting on forums, going on social media, reading blogs and ultimately starting my own blog, I started buying into something called hype! The minute I saw someone raving about a product, or anytime that something new came out, I wanted it! Yes, I am weak, and I am an advertisers dream, or at least I used to be! I honestly have gotten better, I still love trying new products, and I always have a wish list of products that I want to try, but at least now I try and be a bit more discerning, and a bit more selective over what I do buy.

Something that I did buy recently that was hyped up from all corners was the L'Oreal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water! If you haven't already heard about this stuff, where have you been??

I can't say I really understand the technology that well (have a look at the L'Oreal website for an explanation) but this rinse out liquid conditioner claims to work in just 8 second, and it claims to give you 10 x smoother hair, with a silky touch and a glossy shine.

Designed for dry, frizzy, longer hair (yup, that's me!) you apply it to the lengths of your hair after shampooing, then you leave it for 8 second before rinsing it out and applying your usual condition (tbh I just apply it and then stick my conditioner on top before rinsing it all off at once). For best result you then need to blow dry your hair, and then voila!

I admit I was cynical, it looks and feels like water, all be it lovely fresh, fruity, floral smelling water (the scent of which lingers on your hair even after rinsing) but immediately when you apply it you feel a slight warming sensation, so you know that it is doing something!

So did it make a difference? well despite my cynicism yes, yes it did! My hair looked smoother, less frizzy, a lot shinier and it smelled fantastic! For something that looks so innocuous, and that's so quick, I was so surprised to be able to see the difference. I have seen the odd bad review but for me the hype is justified, and I'm already half way through another bottle, and I've just bought another bottle.

You can buy this product from most larger L'Oreal Paris stockists including Superdrug, Look Fantastic, Boots and Amazon, where it has a recommended retail price of £9.99 but my advice is to shop around because you can usually find it on offer for around £4.99.

8. Cussons Carex Moisture Derma Care Antibacterial Hand Wash - 250ml

The next item on the list isn't the most exciting thing ever but it's an essential. I've talked about this particular product before, but thanks to COVID, its lovely fruity scent, and the fact that it isn't drying, it's something that I will continue to buy and use.

9. Elysium Spa Epsom Salts Bath & Shower Gel - Lavender - 300ml

You should hopefully know by now that I love a bargain, and the final two products on this list are some super cheap beauty buys that I picked up on one of my frequent trips to Poundland.

I'm a member of a few Poundland fan groups on Facebook, and this first product was something that I'd seen recommended quite a few times.

I've talked about it quite a few times on the blog but I have quite an interesting relationship with sleep, I can either sleep for 14 hours straight, or I can experience severe insomnia and not sleep properly for days. As as result I am always on the lookout for things to get me in the right mindset for sleep.

I saw a few good reviews of this, and since I usually respond well to lavender I thought I'd give it a try. It's basically a lavender and epsom salt based shower gel which aims to cleanse, soothe, and relax the body and mind.

Clear in appearance and with a runny gel like consistency, you didn't need a lot to produce a good amount of foam. It had a nice but maybe slightly old fashioned, lavender scent, which whilst not the astringent lavender scent that I usually prefer, was gentle and perfect for getting you in the mood for bedtime. It was really easy to rinse off and whilst I wasn't really expecting that much from it, my skin felt really soft and not at all tight or dry.

For just £1, I was actually really impressed with this product, and it's something that I would definitely consider buying again, and I am also now on the hunt for the elusive Eucalyptus version. As I say you can pick this up for just £1 from various stores including Poundland, B&M, and The Range.

10. Nair Wax Strips - Face - 12 Wax Strips

Like all parents and grandparents my mam has some funny sayings in her repertoire, and one of her favourites and something that she said many times to me when I was younger is "you can't have hair in one place, and not the other", and although it's a touch weird she is actually right. Dark, thick hair on your head, means that you'll usually have dark thick hair everywhere else!

I know it's a social construct, and hair on your face and body is 100% normal, but for me personally the tache has to go. I'll happily grow out my body hair at times, but my upper lip and chin hairs, are just a step too far.

Over the years I've used lots of different products to trim my tache so to speak, including bleaching, epilating and hair removal creams, but I've never really been a facial waxer. I don't know whether it's down to age or changes in my skin but lately even my usual brands of hair removal cream have left my upper lip looking super red and sore, so I came to the conclusion that I needed to try something different.

I don't wax my legs that often anymore (I normally use something that I really should have shared with you ages ago - me bad!), but when I do I just pick up a packet of Nair wax strips in Poundland, so when I saw these facial strips, I thought I'd give them a go, and do you know what? I am super pleased that I did.

For just £1 you get 12 facial wax strips, and they actually work. Wax strips have come such a long way since I first started using them, and for the price these ones are excellent, they stick and they remove even the most stubborn, thick, dark hairs by the root! Yes it stings a but, and your face is left a bit red but instead of having to use creams at least once a week. My dark tache hairs are gone for around 3 weeks, and even better still after using these for nearly 3 months now, they are already getting finer and less bristle like.

I'm now kicking myself and wondering just why I didn't persevere with wax in the beginning. I've learnt my lesson now though and you can buy fancier and more expensive Nair facial wax strips, I'll be sticking to these Poundland beauties!

So that was a bit of an epic one, but they were my June empties, all 10 of them, and as you can see in the side bar --> July was just as successful (post coming soon!), and hopefully I'll end up there or thereabouts in August as well.

If you have any questions on any of the products on June's list, then let me know, and please also let me know if you've spotted the Elysium Spa Epsom Salt Bath & Shower Gel in Eucalyptus on your travels, I can't find it anywhere near me and I am desperate to track it down in a bricks and mortar store.

Thanks as per usual for your support and I will see you soon with another post which will either be a Glossybox catch up, or a beauty review x 

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

Nair Argan Oil Salon Divine Body Wax* - Pain Free Waxing?

You should know by now that I'm not the type of blogger that shies away from less glamorous side of beauty. Over the years I've covered all sorts of topics from dental health, to products that you can use when you have aches and pains, and cold cures, one of the less attractive topics that I keep coming back to though, is hair removal.

I know I keep saying it but body hair is really one of those taboo subjects and to be honest I don't know why - body hair is completely normal, and we all have it, some of us have more of it, and some of us have less of it, and that's just the way it is. When it comes to hair removal I firmly believe that it should be down to personal choice - if you don't like it get shot of it, if you're happy to have body hair then that's fine as well, it's up to you and nobody should judge you for what you choose to do with your own body!

I've said it so many times before but I am pretty lazy when it comes to hair removal, it's a chore, and an energy sapper that I can quite frankly do without. Whilst getting busy with a razor is probably the easiest and laziest option, I've got to be honest and say that I'd rather spend a little bit longer on a method that's going to give me a longer term result. Shaving my legs every day or every other day just doesn't make sense to me, I'd rather take a little bit of time and wax or epilate them and have hair free legs for about a month instead.

I was 17 when I first waxed my legs, and to be honest I have no idea why I kept going back for more, it was torture! I just didn't understand why people could put themselves through that - but as the years have gone by, my leg hairs are patchier and finer, and I can honestly say that the sensations is barely more than a little bit of stinging now. I'm sure both mine and my mam's waxing technique has come on a long way since then but I definitely think that there has been a big improvement in home waxing products.

Pain is probably one of the biggest reasons why some people shy away from waxing, and whilst it can smart a little, a lot of products are now promising a relatively painless waxing experience. I've got to say I'm pretty sceptical about that whole claim but I was recently sent one such product to try out and see for myself.

When you think of home hair removal brands, I can pretty much guarantee that one of the first brands that you would think of would be Nair. After many years of focusing purely on hair removal creams, they've successfully moved into the home waxing market with a wide range of strip waxes. Recently though they branched into the scary world of hot wax and released the Nair Argan Oil Salon Divine Body Wax.

Crammed full of nourishing and moisturising Argan Oil and Vitamin E, and fragrant Orange Blossom, this formulation has been dermatologically tested and especially created to be as pain free as possible, in fact they even use the tag line "Bye Bye Pain", and by and large they seem to be able to back that claim up with 93% of participants in a consumer test reporting a relatively painless hair removal experience.

So what did I think, well lets start at the beginning and talk about what you actually get in the box. Obviously the most important thing is the instruction leaflet, and if you're messing around with something that's very hot then you need to be safe, so you need to read the leaflet thoroughly. The box also contains a wooden spatula, some aftercare wipes, and a large plastic pot which contains solid creamy white, slightly pearlescent wax.

Surely there is something missing I hear you cry? Well no, not in this case, the majority of home, hot waxing kits come with either paper or cloth strips to remove the wax, but this one is a little bit different, it's basically a peel off formulation which may be one of the reasons for the relatively pain free claims? It's definitely more professional and a lot of salons now use similar products but how suitable is it for home use?

Like most home hot waxes, you need to use a microwave to heat up the wax, but in this case there is no other option, no microwave no can use! The instructions give full timings depending on the power of your microwave but basically you want a smooth, easy to stir consistency with no lumps. Once you've reached the ideal consistency I found that the wax was way, way too hot to even patch test so I left it cool for a little while before testing the temperature on the inside of my wrist.

Then you can probably guess what happens next, apply an even layer with the spatula to clean, dry legs, in the direction of the hair growth. It takes a little bit of practise to the strip thickness even and to work out how thick it actually needs to be but once you get into the swing of it isn't that difficult to do. Then you leave your strip to set for a few seconds, before pulling it off against the direction of the growth, then repeat, repeat and repeat till you are done.

Although I've tried a lot of different waxing products over the years, I've never tried using a strip free wax before, and after giving it a go and I can see both positives and negatives. The wax in this case doesn't feel particularly like wax, in fact it almost feels slightly rubbery or plasticy, which I guess is what makes so easy to peel off. It also smelled way nicer then some of the waxes I've used you could really smell the orange blossom, and almost a white flower like aroma, and believe it or not it wasn't that painful. Admittedly I'm a waxing aficionado and my legs are probably used to be assaulted now but all I felt was a bit of warmth and a bit of stinging. My legs did look red and a bit like a plucked chicken but aftercare wipes, calmed them down, and removed the excess blobs of wax. I didn't find the wax that drying thanks to the high concentration of moisturising and nourishing ingredients but the wipes, which had a pleasant fresh scent and a slightly oily feel definitely added an extra hit of moisture.

Before 

After

So it worked, it removed pretty much all of my leg hair without too much pain but I still don't feel as though I can recommend this product, why? Well this was probably the messiest hot wax product that I've ever used. Hot wax can be messy but this went above and beyond as you can see from the finished state of the pot. It was impossible not to get dribbles down the side of the tub, on other parts of your legs and in my case all over my sheets. It was easy enough to get off the tray, other hard surfaces and my legs but the wax that went on my sheets was another story entirely, you could pick the hard bits of when they cooled but even after washing you could still see and feel the odd sticky patch. If you have any leftover wax it can be reheated but my poor spatula was just a massive blob of rock solid wax and ended up in the bin :(

I've read a few reviews of this product since I tried it and quite a few them have basically said that this product just doesn't remove hair that well, that wasn't my experience though. I had no problems with it's hair removal ability, it smelled nice, and it removed all of my hair in a relatively pain free way, so in theory it did exactly what it promised but I just couldn't deal with the mess! If you're one of those people that loved peeling glue off your hands then you might enjoy this but in future I think I'll stick to Nair's cold wax strips. To find out more about Nair's hair removal solutions then please check out their official website. Nair Salon Divine Body Wax retails at around £12.59 and is available from various retailers including Boots. Are you a hot wax fan or are the cold strips more your thing? or do you just leave it to the professionals? Let me know in the comments x 

*Press Sample

Hair Removal For Scaredy Cats - Nair Argan Oil Shower Power Cream*

Although the weather over the last few days feels more like January than July, it is officially summer time. It hasn't all been bad though, we have had some nice days, and hopefully there are some more to come, and whether your staying at home in the UK or your lucky enough to be heading off for some guaranteed sunshine, you can pretty much guarantee that most of us will at some point be revealing a little bit more skin than normal.

Like most things, whether or not you remove your body hair has now become a big issue, and whilst I'm very much in favour of people doing what they want to do with their own bodies, personally I'm not a fan. In the winter I must admit that I'm a bit lazy but in the summer I want smooth and silky skin, so off it comes.

Of all the steps in my beauty routine hair removal is probably the biggest chore of all time. It takes forever but thankfully times are changing and modern hair removal methods are quicker and easier than ever. Whilst I swear by waxing and epilation for my legs, I do have a bit of a soft spot for hair removal creams when it comes to my more sensitive bits.

Okay using a hair removal cream doesn't offer any long term solutions, and yes they can be a bit smelly and a bit messy but they're ideal for sensitive areas, and for people who just don't like the idea of pain.

If you haven't used a depilatory cream for a while, maybe it's time to give them another try. Modern day hair removal creams are a world away from the smelly, eye watering, drying products from yesteryear.

Nair are one of the best known names around when it comes to home hair removal, and their range includes everything from wax strips, to shaving products and of course depilatory creams. They recently launched their Argan Oil Collection which is a range of products which harness the powerful skin care benefit of this cult Moroccan oil.

I was sent a few of the products to try and the first one that I tried is the Nair Argan Oil Shower Power Cream. Formulated for the legs, bikini line, and underarms, it contains extracts of Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Cocoa Butter and Orange Blossom. It also contain an exclusive patented "odour control technology" to cut down on the nasty smells that we normal associate with hair removal creams. It's designed for dry and sensitive skin and it's both clinically and dermatologically tested.

The 200ml tube is boxed and comes complete with full instructions and a plastic spatula. The cream itself is slightly, off white in colour and has a thick creamy texture. It has a subtle almost face cream type aroma with virtually no hint of the familiar rotten egg smell that you traditionally associate with products like this.

It's recommend that you do a small patch test 24 hours before you use the cream just to make sure that it doesn't cause any allergies or irritation. My patch test was fine so I decided to try it out on my legs. Whilst the hair on my legs is dark, thanks to years of waxing and epiliation, it's quite fine and I do actually have a few bald patches, this though is probably a couple of months growth (blushes).

The cream is quite simple to use, you just spread an even layer of cream over the areas that you want to treat, avoiding any broken, sunburned or inflamed skin.

You can either use your fingers, or for larger areas it's much easier to use the spatula, as it makes it easier to achieve an even layer. Although it's quite a thick cream it does still drip a little bit so I would either do it in the bath or shower cubicle or I would cover the floor with an old towel.

Then you just leave it for a few minutes, after that what you can do is actually get into the shower, hence the name shower power, and you can have a shower as normal providing you don't direct the shower head at the area your treating, Then after 3 minutes use the spatula to remove a little bit of the cream, and then you can either wash the cream away or do what I did, I actually preferred to gently remove the cream with the spatula. The shape of the spatula means that it fits the contours of your
body perfectly and it also helps to remove the final stubborn hairs. Then you just finish your shower and you're left with hair free skin. I would recommend you give the shower or bath a good rinse when you're done though, as well as all of those nasty hairs, the cream itself can leave it a bit slippery under foot.

My legs were left a tiny little bit pink after I'd removed the cream but that could have been down to the heat of the shower. They felt smooth and almost as though I'd used a body lotion. There was no dryness and no irritation whatsoever. Nair claim that the effects of this cream can last up to 7 days but I think that very much depends on your own hair growth cycle, for me it was about 4 days before I noticed any real regrowth.

This product certainly doesn't offer a long term hair removal solution but unlike a lot of similar products in the past it's much easier to use, it smells nicer, and it leaves the skin feeling soft, smooth and comfortable. I'll definitely use this product again and I would thoroughly recommend it for anyone who doesn't want to shave or use any of the more painful methods, or for treating more sensitive areas such as the bikini line. Nair Argan Oil Shower Power Cream has a RRP of £6.69, and is available from Boots, Superdrug, and Tesco. If you have any questions on this review please let me know x

*Sample

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

Hi Everyone - Welcome To November - It's so hard to believe that there are only two months of the the year left, and it's scarier still when you think that there are only about 8 weekends till Christmas!-Where on earth has this year gone?

Like every month of 2014, in October I counted my empties and tried to trim my stash, and use up as many beauty products as I could. I already know that I'll be way down on last years figure but I'm still pretty happy with how October went.

MAC Blot Powder - Medium - 12g
Cien Nail Polish Remover Classic - 200ml
Bentley Organic Handwash With Cinnamon, Sweet Orange & Clove Bud - 250ml
Elemis Jasmine And Rose Milk Bath - 290ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash - 125ml
Nair Hair Removal Cream - 100ml
Total - 7 Items

Yes I finished 7 items in October which is one more than I did in September. I also finished a nice mix of products including body care, skin care and make up.

1. MAC Blot Powder - Medium - 12g

Yeah a Back To MAC ! Although MAC MSF Natural gets all the love and the plaudits, I prefer MAC Blot Powder. For me MSF Natural is just a bit too powdery. Blot Powder in my opinion is way better for finishing make up and taking down shine, without adding an awful lot of colour, or chalkiness. The shades are a little bit odd and medium would easily be classed as a light in most other brands but the finish is nice, it can be applied with a puff or a brush and it lasts quite a long time. Would I repurchase? To be honest at the minute the price of £20.50 is a bit prohibitive, so I'm going to be trying out some cheaper alternatives, but I would definitely consider repurchasing.

2. Cien Nail Polish Remover Classic - 200ml

A budget buy courtesy of Lidl - Although admittedly it did cost slightly more than my usual Superdrug remover ;) There are two different variants of this product this one that contains acetone, and an acetone free version which I also have. I meant to review these for you but for some reason I never got round to it. For a product containing acetone I actually found this product quite moisturising, and it certainly didn't leave the nails, white or chalky. I also love the push down, salon style dispenser. It was easy to use, and a lot safer spillage wise. Whilst I'm going to try to reuse the bottle, and the polish remover worked pretty well I don't think I'll repurchase - the reason? the smell! Described as a having a light almond fragrance, this product to me, reeks of marzipan and I hate marzipan!! It scented my nails, my hands and the bathroom, and it lingered it. Nice product, brilliant bottle, shame about the smell.

3. Bentley Organic Handwash With Cinnamon, Sweet Orange & Clove Bud - 250ml

This was a product that I reviewed for My Pure x You can read my full review here x

4. Elemis Jasmine And Rose Milk Bath - 290ml

A product from one of the Elemis sets that I always get (wahoo!) for my birthday and  for Christmas. I love the original Skin Nourishing Milk Bath formulation, and whilst this one isn't quite as versatile, the smell is to die for and it leaves your skin feeling super soft. It was a QVC exclusive for quite while and this size and a smaller one are still available in some all be it pricey sets but a larger 400ml size is also now available from Debenhams from a pretty scary £40! It a lovely product for a really pampering bathing, experience but for the price, it's pretty hard to justify, although if Santa's listening - Pretty please!

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

Need I say anything else about there? Look them up, they contain tea tree oil, and their great for emergency, cleansing and refreshing, and for cleaning up swatches.

6. Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash - 125ml

This was either a magazine freebie or a beauty box product. Although the range can be quite highly scented I really like Balance Me products and this was no different. It was a really nice body wash, it smelled nice and it wasn't drying. My only gripe is that smell was more rose geranium, rather than pure rose, but it was still nice and I would potentially repurchase x

7. Nair Hair Removal Cream - 100ml

The most basic one they do courtesy of my local branch of Poundland, and a real essential for me. I don't get on with shaving at all, and depending on my spoonie status, I don't always have the energy or can't stand the pain of waxing or epilating. The does the job and I don't find it too drying. I also quite naughtily use it on my face, because in my experience the facial versions just don't cut it on my thick, dark hair. I've already repurchased and will continue to do so x

So they were my October empties x I'm hoping I can do equally well in November and finish a similar variety of products. I already have a couple of skincare products and a mascara that I know I'll finish, so who knows what else.

Do you have a blog or a You Tube channel, where you do regular empties posts or videos? If you do leave me the link below x  Thanks for reading x