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

Trimming My Stash - August 2020 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A Life Update*

I've been reading a few bits online lately about how to write a blog post, well if you're me start with an apology! I've been trying to practise a little bit more self care recently and cut down on the apologies and the guilt trips, but again I'm sorry for the lack of posts but I've been taking a little bit of time out to work on that self care thing.

Seeing as though another lockdown seems to be increasing likely, I decided to bite the bullet and go and get my eyebrows done, and do a little bit of shopping. Despite the inability of some people  to wear a face mask correctly (COVER YOUR NOSE!!!) I felt pretty safe, but I've got to say that some of the joy that I usually experience when I head to somewhere like Intu Metrocentre seemed to be pretty much non existent, hence I didn't got too crazy and I only bought a few treats and a few essentials (check out the highlights section on my Instagram page, and click into Instahaul 3 and scroll through to see some of the bits that I bought x)

The fun aspect though just wasn't there, and I very much doubt that the carefree experience is going to return in the near future. With local restriction in Co Durham increasing on almost a daily basis, and a ban on meeting people outside of your household, it's a stressful and scary time. My beloved godmother is 90 next month and the thought of not being able to help her celebrate, or even not being able to spend Christmas with her, fills me full of so many emotions that I really don't want to think about it. My fingers are tightly crossed that people stick to the new rules and that things will hopefully get better.

So my eyebrows look great, but like so many people I'm worried about the future, and the what if's, cue lots of self care, and some distraction techniques, including plenty of cat cuddles, some sorting, some decorating, and some blogging.

Before I continue on with my late Glossybox unboxing's and reviews, I thought that I would share a couple of other posts with you including a really interesting nail polish brand discovery, and my August beauty empties.

Cuccio Naturale White Limetta & Aloe Vera Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml
Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream - 50ml
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml
Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque -125ml
Kocostar Slice Mask Sheet - Watermelon - 12 Slices - 20ml

Total - 5 Items 

After the highs of June and July, August's total of 5 items was a bit of a disappointment, but with only 4 months of 2020 left, I'm still in with a chance of equalling or even bettering last years total of 67 items. No make up yet again (I haven't been wearing it that often) but I still managed to finish a good assortment of skin, body, and hair care items.

1. Cuccio Naturale White Limetta & Aloe Vera Cuticle Revitalising Oil - 3.7ml

As the mini glut of nail posts will probably tell you (including another one scheduled for tomorrow), my nails are actually pretty decent at the moment. To combat all of that washing and sanitising, I've been applying OPI Nail Envy regularly, as well as copious amounts of cuticle oil and hand cream.

Like I mentioned in my July empties post, I've been trying out a few different cuticle oils from US born, professional nail brand, Cuccio. In July I finished a mini bottle of their Pomegranate and Fig Cuticle Revitalising Oil, and in August I finished a mini bottle of their White Limetta & Aloe Cuticle Revitalising Oil.

In the same mini glass bottle with a brush applicator, this runny green / yellow oil contains a variety of natural plant oils including safflower, sunflower seed, cotton seed and vegetable oils, as well as aloe vera, lime, lemon peel, and bergamot extract.

It has a lovely green, slightly citrus scent that reminds me a bit of a mojito! It's a really nice oil to use, it's lovely and hydrating, without sticky, heavy or overtly greasy. I really enjoyed using both of the oils that I tried from Cuccio, but this one was my favourite, so I actually went out and bought it in the 75ml salon size. If this scent isn't for you Cuccio produce a wide variety of scents in this formulation, and they also come in several different sizes from various retailers including direct from Cuccio, and Nail Polish Direct. This particular size is great for both the product and the scent, it comes in a few different sets but you can also buy it on it's own for between £2.95 - £3.95.

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

Next up another product that I mentioned in my July empties posts, and as well as being another hand and nail product, it's also fitting in National Honey Month to talk about the Neals Yard Remedies Bee Lovely To Your Hands Hand Cream.

As I've said before I'm not the biggest fan of the smell of honey, but if you feel the same as I do, don't let that stop you trying out this honey hand cream. Containing around 76% organic ingredients, including sunflower seed oil, Brazil nut oil, sweet orange oil, vitamin E, camellia extract, propolis extract and honey, this hand cream is also paraben, and GMO free. It also contains synthetic fragrances or colour, and it's both cruelty free and vegan.

Slightly off white in colour, it has a thick and creamy but slightly greasy texture. It has a nice workable texture and it's easy to apply and to massage into the skin.

It takes a little while to absorb though, so it's great for overnight use. I've been slathering it all over my hands and popping a pair of gloves on for a really intense treatment, but if you only apply a small amount you could use it during the day if your hands are especially dry. After it's completely absorbed, the skin feels silky smooth and the hands look noticeably more hydrated.

As I say if you're not a fan of honey based scents then don't worry, I doesn't smell at all sickly, there is warm background sweetness to it, but the more noticeable scent for me is a citrus, sweet orange juice scent.

Not only is this a really nice hand cream to use, but with every purchase you're also helping to protect the humble bee. Without the bee it would be almost impossible for humans to survive, so for every purchase from Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely range, they will donate 3% of all of their sales to various bee charities who help protect bee populations across the world, including Bees For Development which is based in Ghana.

The packaging has changed slightly since I acquired this particular tube but it's still the same product inside, and a 50ml tube retails at around £10. The hand cream and all of the other products in the Bee Lovely range are available from a variety of retailers including direct from Neals Yard Remedies, John Lewis, Waitrose, and Look Fantastic.

3. John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml

Now would you believe that the next product is yet another item that's related to something that appeared in July's list? Well it is, and it did - it's the matching conditioner to the John Frieda shampoo that appears in July's countdown.

Designed to enhance the appearance and prolong the life of red tones in the hair, the shampoo was nice but it's the conditioner that really makes the difference. Again containing pomegranate extract and Vitamin E, as well as European plum extract, the conditioner is designed to infuse red tones into the hair and hold in moisture.

After washing with the Radiant Red shampoo, you apply the dark, pinky red cream to wet hair. My hair is a few inches longer than shoulder length, so I've been using a good sized glob (technical term ;). All you do is massage it through the hair and then you leave it for anywhere between 3 and 10 minuted depending on the desired affect before rinsing it out.

It has the same fruity, floral scent as the shampoo, and it has a lovely creamy, easy to apply texture. It takes a little bit of rinsing but it leaves the hair smooth and shiny. It doesn't make a huge difference to the red tones in my hair as it's currently quite a dark red, but I definitely think that it's helped my colour to last a little bit longer, especially when my full head of hair was coloured in a red tone.

I've already repurchased both the shampoo and conditioner and I'll continue to do so as long as I have red tones in my hair. Like the shampoo it's not that widely available but the best places to find it seem to be Boots, Amazon and in larger Tesco stores where it retails between £6 - £6.99.

4. Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque -125ml

This next item was a recent rediscovery - I was sorting out some of the bathroom drawers, and I found this tube of face mask at the back, and I decided to create some space by using up the dregs in the bottom.

I first purchased this face mask in 2016, after being invited along for a complimentary Kiehl's skin consultation and facial treatment, after an Intu Metrocentre Style Garden event. I subsequently bought a few of the products that were used during my treatment and this was one them.

I've had a real issue with visible pores and an oily t-zone, and this mask really helped to control my oily patches and to make my skin look smoother and my pores less visible. You can read a full review of it here but it's something I would definitely consider repurchasing. Understandably since 2016, the price has gone up, by nearly £6 in fact, and a 125ml tub now retails at £27.50 from various retailers including Kiehls, House Of Fraser, Feel Unique, Debenhams, and Space NK.

5. Kocostar Slice Mask Sheet - Watermelon - 12 Slices - 20ml

Finally another mask, and this time it was a more recent acquisition, and it was a sheet mask from Kocostar. This quirky mini watermelon mask came in the July 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here.

It was a fun mask, and it had a lovely fruity scent but I just don't think my skin liked it that much so I probably wouldn't repurchased.

So there you have it, a very late August empties post. With only a few days left of September I've already beaten August's total but fingers crossed I can maybe add another couple of items before Wednesday ends. As per usual if you have any comments on any of the products that I finished then please let me know xx

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

Marks And Spencer - The Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar - Days 1-12

For me it wouldn't be Christmas without an advent calendar. I don't think it matters how old you are, opening those little doors and counting down the days to the 25th December never loses it magic. I always remember having an advent calendar when I was a child, there was no chocolate or treats behind each door, just a little festive picture, with a sprinkling of glitter if you were lucky, that made you even more excited for the big day.

Although you can still get plain paper and card advent calendars, nowadays we're more accustomed to finding a little piece of chocolate or a sweetie behind each door. I can't remember when the chocolate advent calendar trend started but I know I never needed an excuse to eat chocolate before breakfast!

I suppose it was a natural progression to start putting other things behind the doors and this year alone I've seen advent calendars filled with LEGO, candles, treats for your pets and of course beauty products. I've had a few beauty calendars over the years and as a total beauty junkie I love the excitement of finding and trying new products. As a household we have four advent calendars this year, a chocolate filled one each for me and Mummy Lou, a one filled with cat treats for my furry friends and I was also lucky enough to get my hands on The Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar from Marks And Spencer.

Value wise this one was probably one of the best when it came to beauty calendars. With a contents value of around £200, this calendar was just £25, when you spent £25 on beauty at M&S. Marks and Spencer have really upped their beauty game lately selling brands such as L'Occitane, Pixi,and Leighton Denny so believe me it wasn't hard to spend £25.

When you think about advent calendars you normally think of trying to pry open that perforated door to see what's inside, this one is a bit different though; Instead of opening doors, you get a beautiful clear topped cardboard box which contains 24 mini numbered boxes. Although opening doors is more traditional I love this idea and if your really sneaky, you could potentially use it again next year and fill the boxes yourself.

The calendar contains a variety of both full size and sample size beauty treats from both Marks And Spencer's own label brands, and some of the brands that they now stock in their new look beauty departments.

I'm a couple of days late with this one but I thought you might like to see the goodies that I've found in my calendar so far,,

Days 1 - 3

  Day 1 - Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - Geranium & Neroli - 40ml

     Day 2 - Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - 15g - Full Size

Day 3 - Cowshed Grumpy Cow Uplifting Body Lotion - 100ml

Days 4 - 6

Day 4 - Pur Volume Vixen 4 In 1 Mascara - 4.8ml

Day 5 - Leighton Denny Renovate Nail Repair Cream - 10ml - Full Size

Day 6 - Rosie For Autograph Nuit Parfum EDP - 15ml

Days 7 - 9

Day 7 - Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk And Cherry Blossom Foaming Gel Sensation - 50ml

Day 8 - Pure Super Grape Day Cream - 30ml

Day 9 - Laboratoires Filorga Time Filler Absolute Wrinkle Correction Cream - 15ml

Days 10 - 12

Day 10 - Neals Yard Remedies Frankincense Nourishing Cream - 25g

Day 11 - Josh Wood Colour Full Bodied Shampoo - 50ml

Day 12 - Diego Dalla Palma Il RossettoThe Lipstick No.46 - 4.7g - Full Size

I'm really pleased with the contents so far, there are a couple of things that I might not use but they can easily be passed on, or gifted. My highlights of the first 12 days are definitely the Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick which is a beauitful pink / mauve shade, and the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer which smells amazing, but I'm looking forward to trying some new things and revisiting a couple of things that I've used in the past. I'm definitely going to be reviewing the lipstick and the Elasticizer but if you would like to see  reviews of anything else please let me know. I will be posting Days 13 -24 on Christmas Eve but if you want to know what goodies were behind the doors before then, then make sure your following me on Instagram x If you have any questions please leave me a comment and I'll see you soon xx

A Sensory Explosion Courtesy Of Neals Yard Remedies

I'm going to start this post with an apology for being a bad blogger - this post really should have been up a little bit sooner but some how, yet again, life and bad light got in the way.

I've already told you a little bit about my Black Friday adventures - transport problems, crowds and stress, but it wasn't all like that. I had a busy day that's true but there were a couple of occasions where I had a chance to chill and to breathe more slowly.

My last port of call on Black Friday was a blogger event at the Neals Yard Remedies store, in Newcastle's iconic, Central Arcade. The arcade was closed but the staff and the PR company made the small store feel both warm and welcoming on a cold drizzly night, with glasses of bubbly, mince pies, cookies, dips and festive tunes.

I have to be honest and say that I wasn't that familiar with Neals Yard Remedies, I'd tried a couple of products, mainly picked up from magazine cover mounts but I wasn't that familiar with their ethics, or their history, but the staff were on hand to fill us in and I have to say I was impressed.

The brand produces a wide range of award winning natural and organic skincare, hair care, body care and make up products. They also have their own baby care range, as well as a range of aromatherapy based home fragrancing products. They were one of the first health and beauty companies to be certified organic by the Soil Association, and they are also approved by BUAV for their cruelty free policies and practises.

From the opening of their flagship store in Covent Garden in 1981, the brand have gone from strength to strength and now retail in countries such as Australia, Mexico and Israel, whilst maintaining the same ethical stance that they always did

After a short talk and some refreshments we we're given free rein to explore the all be it small store and to try out some of the products for ourselves. I have to say it was a real sensory experience, all of their scents are pure and natural and there are no synthetics involved. It makes such a difference - there really is no comparison between natural and synthetic fragrances of say something like lavender. 

The staff were on hand for any questions that we had, and they were also passing round plates of some of their super food selection to try. Neals Yard as a company are firm believers that beauty comes from the inside as well as the outside, so they sell a wide range of super fruits, tinctures and supplements including goji berries, mulberries and all manner of dried herbs and spices.

I have to say I fell in love with quite a few of their products and I couldn't resist making a little purchase.

Spending as much time in Cyprus as I have over the years I've came to love the heady smell of Jasmine, but it's a fragrance that's easy to get wrong, some of the synthetic versions are so heady there almost sickly. The true fragrance of the plant has more to it than that and it almost has a bit of spiciness to it.

Neals Yard Remedies Sensual Jasmine Shower Gel blends real jasmine essential oil with ylang ylang to produce a beautiful floral fragrance which lingers but at the same time doesn't blow your head off. It's SLS free and it also contains fair trade honey which adds a bit of sweetness. It's £14 for a 200ml bottle but a little goes a long way.

Any one of their iconic dark blue jars or bottles would make a lovely gift and you can build your own gift sets in store or online but if you want something quick and dare I say it in some cases better value, they have a lot of pre packaged gift sets to cater for all budgets from £14 to well over £100.

As we were leaving we were kindly given one of their beautifully packaged gifts to take a home. There are three different one to choose from in this size and the one I chose was the Neals Yard Remedies Balance Rose And Geranium Organic Body Collection*

This beautiful, fold out pouch with a ribbon handle, contains a 100ml Rose And Geranium Shower Gel, and a 50ml Rose And Geranium Body Lotion.

Both of these products have a beautiful, floral scent, as well as containing real rose otto and geranium both items also again contain ylang ylang essential oil. This scent is a big hit with both me, and Mummy Lou, which is probably just as well because I bought a 200ml bottle to pop in her Christmas stocking :)

At £14 This is a lovely little kit that would make with a lovely stocking filler or a small present in its own right. As well as the Balance variant, it also comes in Revive, which is a very festive blend of frankincense and mandarin, and Unwind, which contains a bubble bath instead of shower gel in a lavender, geranium and marjoram fragrance.

I really enjoyed my time with Neals Yard Remedies, and I'd like to thank everyone involved with the event. It was a nice intimate and informative event, that succeeded in overtaking my senses and calming me down before I went back out into the cold and faced the Black Friday traffic. I will definitely be trying a few more items from the brand in the future, and top of my list are the English Lavender Bath And Shower Gel and the Wild Rose Beauty Balm. If you have any Neals Yard Remedies recommendations I'd love to hear them so please leave me a comment and let me know your favourites x You can find out more about Neals Yard Remedies by having a look at their very informative and pleasing on the eye website x 

(*Sample)

Magazine Freebie Of The Month

I am lead to believe that magazine freebies are very much a European thing and that you lovely American and Canadian ladies miss out of these little incentives :( Over the last year or so I have to say they are getting much better, with branded make up and nail polish now being common place.

This month is no exception, the March issue of one of my favourite magazines ELLE with Keira Knightly on the cover, includes an eye pencil from the newly launched Neals Yard Remedies make up line.

One of the first eyeliners to certified by the soil association, they contain vitamins, natural mineral pigments and antioxidant's, and are free from mineral oils, talcs and parabens.

The shade I got with my mag was Midnight - a rich black -  you can get a nice sharp line with it or you can blend it our for a smokey look. It has a nice texture, and you get a smooth line with no dragging.

I think this is a decent freebie especially if you are interested in trying out some "natural" cosmetics, and after all when does a black eyeliner pencil ever come in wrong. The magazine is a pretty hefty £3.80, but the pencil retails at £9.50 so it's pretty good value

Not only that but inside the magazine to celebrate Neals Yards 30% anniversary there is a 20% off coupon to use in any Neals Yard Remedies store , alas there isn't one near me but if your based down south it's definitely worth a look.

I haven't been asked to write this post but I love a freebie and can't wait till next month for the Glamour / Clinique freebies xx