Trimming My Stash February 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

I'm late again but it's February empties time x It wasn't a vintage performance by any means but I still managed to finish two more products than I did in January

Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Hair Treatment - 100ml
Steam Cream - Jane - 75g
Skin Blossom Therapeutic Bath Soak - 300ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift And Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm - 100ml
I Love...Cranberry Celebration Nourishing Body Butter - 50ml
Total - 6 Items

Again it was a nice variety of items, with some skin care, some body care and some hair care. I didn't manage to finish any make up in February but I'm just about done with two items so hopefully I'll finish them this month.

1. Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Hair Treatment - 100ml*

This was something that I was sent for review and it was something that I loved but something Mummy Lou nearly worshipped. The smell was amazing and it left my hair feeling like silk. You can read a full review of this fabulous stuff here.

2. Steam Cream - Jane - 75g

This is the second pot of Steam Cream that I've had a whilst I like it I'm still a bit on the fence and I just don't get the hype. The beautiful tins for me are the major selling point and probably the reason why this product has such a cult following. The cream has a nice texture and nice lavender aroma but it just doesn't wow me - I didn't particularly like it on my face so I've been using this as a body cream. I will be reusing the tin for storage but I can't see myself repurchasing another tin unless that is I find the elusive LouLou tin x

3. Skin Blossom Therapeutic Bath Soak - 300ml*

If you watched my January favourites video the you'll probably already know how much I loved this product. The lavender scent was soothing yet intoxicating and it was the perfect product to use before bedtime. You can read a full review of this product here x If I wasn't losing my bath next month then I would definitely repurchase this one.

4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes - 25 Wipes

I've lose count of how many packets of these I've used. Containing tea tree I predominantly use these wipes for swatch clean up and for freshening and emergency cleansing

5. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift And Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm - 100ml

This is one of my favourite cleansers of all time x Packed full of moringa oil, and plant waxes and essential oils, Emma Hardie Moringa Balm smells fabulous and removes literally any type or brand of make up that you can think of. With a melting, balm texture I initially thought that this would be too oily for my skin, but the ingredients are both balancing and moisturising making it suitable for all skin types. It left my skin clean, smooth and radiant. If you have this and you have a stray spot or pimple, pop a little bit of the balm on and it will gradually take away the redness and inflammation. Love, love, love this stuff and although it's pricey I will definitely be repurchasing this once I've used up my cleanser stash.

6. I Love...Cranberry Celebration Nourishing Body Butter - 50ml

Another festive, limited edition product from the I Love line from the year before last. This had a thick creamy texture but it absorbed into the skin quite quickly leaving the skin soft and deliciously scented. The smell of this cream was the real selling point for me - it didn't smell like any of the other cranberry products that I've tried, instead it had a really mouthwatering fruity scent that reminded me a bit of rhubarb. I loved the smell and I'm disappointed that it was a limited edition. I'm now on the lookout for toiletries that smell of rhubarb, so if you know of any please let me know x

So they were my February items but what about March ? Well as I say I'm nearly done with a couple of make up items but for me March will about bath products. The bathroom renovation is getting closer and I still have a bagful of products still to use up. I guess most things can still be used in the shower so I'll be concentrating on things that are specifically for the bath like aromatherapy based products, bath salts, and of course bubble bars and ballistics - sod the water rates - I'll be enjoying my bath while I still have it ha ha. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions on any of the items that I finished please leave me a comment x

(*Samples)

A Review Of The Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Hair Treatment*

I think I mentioned it in a recent blog post but over the last five or six months or so the condition of my hair has literally gone down the drain. Health related I assume and whilst probably unavoidable that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. The texture's changed from straight-ish to so wavy it's almost curly, it looks dry and frizzy, yet lank at the same time, and every wash it I pretty much lose a small handful. It's got me down at times, I've always had lovely thick glossy hair and I want it back!

I've washed and conditioned religiously, and I've tried to cut down on the heat tools and the styling products and I've only seen minimal improvement :( 

Something had to change and touch lots of wood over the last couple of months I've found a few things that seem to be helping - one is a vitamin supplement, and the other is a hair product. Quite a few product that I've tried have made a bit of a difference but nothing has made as big a difference as this product.

I'm a firm believer that the biggest companies don't always produce the best results and in this case I've been proven right. A little while ago know I was contacted by a natural hair care company called Old Wives Tail.  Based in the UK but with South African and Portuguese roots, this company produces a range of natural, chemical free, and environmentally friendly hair care, with Mediterranean olive oil at its heart. As well as being a 100% organic brand, they're also a very animal friendly company -they don't test their products on animals, or deal with suppliers that do, and 10% of their profits are donated to charities that campaign against animal testing. The very kindly allowed me to chose one of their products to review and after a lot of humming and haaing I eventually decided to try the Old Wives Tail Jojoba and Clove Organic Oil Treatment.

Containing just 4 ingredients, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, clove flower oil and olive oil, the description of this product just screamed to me. It is specifically designed for dull, thinning, brittle or broken hair - that's me! The jojoba oil helps add strength, volume and texture to the hair, and the other ingredients are stimulating and anti bacterial, and can help to encourage hair growth.

The product comes packaged in a jar, and appearance wise it resembles almost a thick custard. The appearance is nothing though compared to the smell. Think Christmas, Pumpkin Spice Latte and your about there wow the smell is amazing, so autumnal and wintery and perfect for this time of year.

It's a pre shampoo treatment so to use the mask all you do is apply a dollop to damp hair, and comb it through. You don't need a lot and a little does go along way as it's quite creamy. I combed it right the way from root to tip, concentrating on my tangled, lengths and ends. You can leave it as it is, but since my hair was a bit drippy I rolled it up and popped a shower cap on. Then leave it for at least an hour to soak in. You can also leave it on overnight if your feel your hair needs it x

After an hour or so all you do is just rinse and shampoo. It was really simple to wash out and almost instantly, my hair felt a lot smoother. I'm must admit I'm lazy and more often than not I leave my hair to dry naturally, hence the waves and curls, but after using this my hair was definitely calmer, and less tangled and wild. It also felt much, much softer and looked shinier. The amazing clove scent also lingered on the hair, the towels and anything else that touched so there was no need for scented candles !

I'm not going to say that my hair is perfect now, far from it but I can definitely see a big difference from using this treatment just once a week. It's easier to style, I don't seem to be losing quite as much as I was and it definitely feels nicer and looks shinier, and smells yummy! In fact I've been so impressed with the improvement that I'm actually braving the hairdressers tomorrow, for the first time in a long while!

Like most homes everything in my bathroom is fair game for anyone else, and Mummy Lou has also being trying this out with me, and I have to say I've never heard her rave so much about a product. Her hair like a lot of peoples with grey hair, is coarse and a bit dry, and she says that this product has improved the condition and feel of her feel no end, and she loves the smell too.

This isn't the cheapest product out there but you really do get what you pay for, This brand, it's products and the ingredients they use have real integrity, and it's great to know that by buying this product your supporting a environmental and animal friendly brand. The pot isn't huge either at 100 ml but believe me you don't need a lot, this pot has easily lasted both me and Mummy Lou, four weeks plus. Will I buy this product again? Definitely we both would, it did exactly what it promised and the results we've seen speak for themselves.

Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Treatment retails at £13.99 for 100ml from the Old Wives Tail website. Please have a look at their website to find out more about their philosophy and to see their full product range x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

(*Sample)