Trimming My Stash - August 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a lovely Monday x If you're in England at least, you may have been lucky enough to have a day off work - scarily it's the last Bank Holiday before Christmas and looking out the window today it's certainly looking more like autumn /winter than summer :( As per usual summer in the UK has been a bit of a damp squib - we've had a few nice days but to be honest I think that's going to be our lot.

Never mind, a new month equals a new start and instead of bemoaning the lack of sunshine in my life, I'm going to start dreaming about Pumpkin Spice Lattes and cosy jumpers. First of all though lets have a look back over the past few weeks and have a look at my August empties.

Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage With Dead Sea Salt And Aloe Vera - 250ml

elf Brush Shampoo - 120ml

Rolanjona Tendering Feet Mask Milk And Bamboo Vinegar Peeling - 1 Pair

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml

Palmolive Mediterranean Moments Shower Milk - 250ml

Total - 6 Items 

I only managed to finish 6 items which is 3 down on last month but I'm still pretty pleased. The two shower gels that I finished were rediscoveries thanks to the bathroom renovations and I have few more stash items that are just about done. I'm still missing my bath but the disruption and the tidying have definitely give me a better idea of what I actually I have and what needs to be used up.

1. Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage With Dead Sea Salt And Aloe Vera - 250ml

This is one of those shower products that I mentioned and this was something that I was sent to review quite a while ago now x You can read my full review here x To be honest I've been using this more as a body scrub rather than an all over body wash and I have to say as someone who isn't normally a fan of aquatic, fresh fragrances I did quite like this one. I think this product has been discontinued now but Palmolive have recently introduced a product called Aroma Sensations Feel The Massage which sounds quite similar.

2. elf Brush Shampoo - 120ml

Washing my make up brushes is one of those thing that I put off for as long as possible. Last week I eventually got round to doing it and as a result I finished this product. It did the job and that was about it. I probably would have repurchased if elf had still been in the UK  but now I'm not really sure what I'm go to use. I sometimes use either an antibacterial tea tree wash or a baby shampoo so they are an option but I'd love to know what you use, so if you could leave me a comment and let me know I'd be really grateful x

3. Rolanjona Tendering Feet Mask Milk And Bamboo Vinegar Peeling - 1 Pair

Feet You either love them or you hate them x I have to say though I'm not particularly bothered either way but mine and so dry at the moment that it's driving me batty! Instead of forking out for some of the more expensive foot peeling socks I decided to try some cheap ones from ebay. Unlike the socks that I've used in the past these ones with just made of the sort of thin, papery fabric, with no plastic outer so you needed to wear them with socks. The socks themselves were drenched with a pleasant, coconut smelling liquid, so you just left them on for an hour, then you rinsed your feet. I used them a week past Friday and as yet I haven't seen any noticeable difference to my feet and as yet they haven't started to peel but there is still time so I'll keep you posted via twitter if you're interested x 

4. May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml

After months of playing ball and behaving itself, my skin has had a major flare this month. It's mainly around my chin and jawline so it is probably hormonal but I'm not a happy bunny! I was sent some of these masks to review a little while ago (read my review here) and I really liked them so I bought another set. They really deep cleanse the pores, and I'm hoping that they will stop this breakout in it's tracks.

5. Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml

As I've told you on many occasions I have an obsession with scrubs and exfoliators, but when it comes to body scrubs I can be a little bit picky. I love a nice salt or sugar scrub that dissolves in the water, and I hate gritty bits that just don't dissolve. Whilst this one does have particles that dissolve, it does also have a few of those grainy bits but since I got rid of the bath, this scrub has come into it's own. The grains wash easily away under the power shower, and they don't get into places where you don't want them ;) Throw in that familiar Soap&Glory smell and this is pretty decent product x

6. Palmolive Mediterranean Moments Shower Milk - 250ml

Another shower gel, another rediscovery, another product from Palmolive and another sample x You can read my review here but this is a lovely product that's perfect for summer or even when you want to evoke memories of balmy summer days. It's a lovely moisturising creamy milk, that smells of apricots and summer fruits. You can still get this one in Boots and it's well worth a sniff x

I'm way down on last years empties target so far so I'm really hoping that I can do a little bit better in September, my focus again will be some of those half finished products and I'm really hoping that I can add at least one make up item to my total x I hope this post was useful and if you have any questions please leave me a comment, and again I'd love to hear your brush cleaner recommendations x

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

I'm a little bit all over the place this week, this post was supposed to be up yesterday but thanks to a mouth ulcer and a throbbing wisdom tooth, I spent most of yesterday clutching a wheat bag to my face whilst resembling a member of Alvin And The Chipmunks! Never mind the show must go on as they say, so it's time for my August empties post.

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel - 60g

Palmolive Thermal Spa Ocean Vitality Shower Gel - 250ml

Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml

FCUK Signature Body Polish - 200ml

Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo - 50ml

Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara - Very Black - 13.1ml

Gorgeous By Gok Body Wash With Rose Oil - 200ml

Total - 7 Items

After a pretty impressive performance in July the mediocrity of 2014 returned and I only managed to finish 7 beauty products. Yet again I managed to finish quite a few bath and body products but I also managed to finish one make up item and one much loved skin care item.

1. Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel - 60g 

This is one of those products that I was convinced that I'd reviewed for you but I haven't. I promise I will do a full review of this at some point. I absolutely love it it's an exfoliating but it's not like any other exfoliator  that you've probably ever used. It makes your skin feel smooth and silk and look as fresh as a daisy in less than 2 minutes. It isn't cheap but I will definitely repurchase and this time I will do a proper review for you.

2. Palmolive Thermal Spa Ocean Vitality Shower Gel - 250ml

A lovely summer, shower gel from Palmolive. This was sent to me to review and you can read all about it here x 

3. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml

This is one of my favourite ever nail polish removers ever, it cheap and it does the job. You can read a full review of it here.

4. FCUK Signature Body Polish - 200ml

Another product from my beloved FCUK Signature range, and to be honest probably my least favourite. It has the same smell that I love but I'm not a fan of the texture. It's one of those nut / apricot shell scrubs. The particles are very fine and are suspended in a very runny, slightly sticky cream. I prefer my scrubs to be salt or sugar based, and despite the nature of the grains this one just wasn't scrubby enough for me.

5. Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo - 50ml

Another product that I was sent for review. I loved this product and I especially loved the eucalyptus and rosemary scent. I later found out that you could use it as a shower gel as well so I will definitely consider purchasing. You can read my review here x 

6. Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara - Very Black - 13.1ml

This is one of my favourite mascaras of all time and it's reputation is well deserved. It makes the lashes look thicker and longer in just one sweep. Alas we can't get Covergirl in the UK but ebay usually comes up trumps and Max Factor False Lash Effect is very, very similar.

7.Gorgeous By Gok Body Wash With Rose Oil - 200ml

Like the FCUK Body Polish, this is another item from a Boots Christmas set. This came with quite a number of other products in a gorgeous purple patent, vanity case . I was a nice body wash which had quite a heady scent. It didn't smell as rose based as I expected it to but it was nice and quite moisturising.

So they were my 7 empties from August  If you have any questions on anything in this post please let me know x and if you've written a recent empties post on your blog please leave me a link and I'll check it out x Thanks for reading x 

Summer Showers Courtesy Of Palmolive*

Although the sun hasn't been shining all weekend, I guess we can now officially say that we're slap bang in the middle of that fabled season called summer. In my little corner of the UK we haven't had any really sweltering hot days yet but the temperatures definitely appear to be on the up.

I don't know about you but in the summer I tend to mix my beauty routine up a bit. I increase my SPF application, fake tan a little bit more often, switch to lighter formulations and strange as it sounds I start having more showers. Don't get me wrong I still use the shower regularly but personally I'm more of a bath person. As I've said many times a bath soothes my aching muscles like no shower ever will. Sometimes though it's just too hot to enclose yourself in warm water, and the refreshing nature of the shower wins hands down. 

There really is nothing like a refreshing shower on a hot and sticky day, and recently I've been trying out some products from the new Palmolive Thermal Spa range that are perfect for summer.

Designed to evoke memories of walking along the seashore, and gentle see breezes, the range comprises of two shower gels, each packed full of sea minerals that are designed to give you that spa experience in your own bathroom.

Palmolive Thermal Spa Ocean Vitality

Packaged in a easy to hold, chunky bottle, this shower just screams summer. The beautiful turquoise shade is reminiscent of tropical oceans, and the smell is fresh, and clean with almost a hint of salty air and tropical fruit.

Given the scent and the colour, it's no surprise really that this product is crammed full of blue algae and marine minerals, which help to smooth and revitalise the skin and relieve stress.

This shower gel produces a super gentle foam, with a fresh but not overpowering scent. This one also works equally well poured under running water, if the lure of the bath is too strong. When it's rinsed off the skin is left soft and clean, with no dryness or discomfort. 

I've really enjoyed using this one, and it is probably my favourite of the two. It left me feeling fresh, clean and more awake which is just what you need when the weather is a hot and sticky.

Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage

Initially it didn't make much sense to me that this range comprised of two shower gels and I assumed that all that would be different was the smell, but I was wrong. Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage is as the name would probably suggest an exfoliating shower gel.

It has a slightly different fresh scent -  If you remember the Boots The Spa range from several years then this shower gel smells most identical to that. The ocean blue coloured gel is crammed full of sea minerals, dead sea salt and aloe very. I don't know how well you can see it in this picture, but there are tiny sea mineral and salt particles suspended in the gel.

It's not the most exfoliating product on the market but it's really good for everyday use. It produces a creamy foam and gives the skin a gentle but through scrub. It's easy and convenient to use, and it rinses off easily under running water leaving the skin soft and smooth. As you know I actually prefer more abrasive scrubs but I'm still pretty impressed with the 2 in 1 aspect of this product, and I'm actually liking the less abrasive action of this product on my upper arms and more sensitive areas

I have to say I liked both of these products. They both did the job and left the skin feeling soft and clean. The fragrances were also pleasant. The fresh aromas weren't too overpowering or too girly, so I think that both of these products would be ideal for men or women. The only negative could possibly be the inclusion of sulphates but if that doesn't bother you then this budget range is a must have in your bathroom this summer. Palmolive Thermal Spa Mineral Massage and Palmolive Thermal Spa Ocean Vitality each come in 250 ml bottles and retail at around £2.49 each from selected Tesco and Waitrose stores. Are you a bath or a shower person? Leave me a comment and let me know x

(*PR Sample)