A Very Late Trimming My Stash - September And October 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

When life gets in the way dear reader, you just need to accept that some blog posts will go live nearly a year later than they should have done LOL, so let's cut out the waffle and take a little trip down memory lane with my September and October 2022 beauty empties.

L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml
Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml
Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml
This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

Total - 5 Items

After a pretty decent performance in August 2022 when I finished 7 items, on reflection I think I would have been a little bit disappointed with how the remaining months of 2022 panned out, at least trimming my stash wise, but as I've said before they all count, and in September 2022 I managed to add another 5 items to my yearly total. It certainly isn't planned but again I managed to finish a a good mix of products including shower, and body products, a haircare item and a skincare product.

1. L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

First up the singular hair product, and it was a new items for me, all be it one in a familiar format! I've spoken at length on the blog in the past about my love for the L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water, and whilst it's something that I've continued to buy and to use, you know how much I love to try new things, so when I saw a new version of wonder water that was specially designed for colour treated hair, then you've probably already realised that I had to give it a whirl!

With the same 'lamellar water technology', moisturising ingredients and amino acids, this version is designed specifically for coloured or highlighted hair, and claims to combat the damage colour can cause, leaving the hair shinier, and more hydrated.

I've got to say that despite the similarities, my hair didn't seem to like this one quite as much, the smell whilst still pleasant was different and wasn't as fresh or fruity, it made my scalp tingle and sting a little bit more than the original, and my hair just felt a little bit coarser, and it seemed a lot more untamed, and it felt nowhere near as smooth.

Whilst I'm still keen on trying the new Hydra Hyaluronic version, I definitely think I'll be sticking with the original Dream Lengths version in the future. If you fancy trying the Colour Protect version for yourself thought, then you can buy it from most major retailers including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco for around £9.99, or if you shop around a bit you might find online for less - it's currently for sale on both Amazon and Look Fantastic for just £5 and for around £6.50 on eBay UK.

2. AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml

Now even though September usually signals the end of summer with pumpkins and selection boxes already filling the shelves, you should still be looking after those tootsies just in case, like this week hopefully, the sun decided to make an appearance. I've just started a new tube of foot cream and looking back to 2022 I'd just finished this product from AVON.

Despite the fact that I scrub my feet and slather them in cream on a regular basis, possibly thanks to a thyroid condition, my heels remain resolutely scaly! so sometimes only intensive products like this one do the trick.

Especially designed for hard calluses this thick and sticky cream contains a mixture of glycerine, lactic acid, aloe, rice bran oil, menthol and vitamin E. With a minty, menthol scent it wasn't the most pleasant of feeling creams, it took an age to absorb and it seemed to almost coat your feet in a sticky protective layer, but I kept persevering with it and popped a pair of thick socks on, and after a few hours whilst my feet still felt a touch sticky, overall they felt smooth, and my heels looked less dry and white.

I'm not 100% sure whether or not I would purchase this particular cream but if you're in need of some serious hydration it could be something worth trying. Whilst this particular product in the same packaging is still available on reseller sites such as eBay UK, AVON currently have a product called the AVON Foot Works Intensive Callus And Corn Foot Cream, which contains the same ingredients and just appears to be the same product under a different name which retails at around £4 online or from your local representative. 

3. Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml

Next up a product that I talked about way back in 2020, and it probably highlights just how crazy my beauty stash really is. Yes, it took me 2 years to finish a bottle of shower gel! Embarrassing, but in fairness I really liked this product, so I may have tried to eek it out for as long as possible!

This lovely Molton Brown shower gel originally came in the August 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my review here x It really was a lovely product with the perfect combination of fruity and floral notes, and a lovely gentle formulation. If I wasn't currently digging my way through a mountain of shower products I would definitely consider making a repurchase.

The full 300ml size retails at around £25 and it available direct from Molton Brown, from Amazon, John Lewis, Cult Beauty, and Sephora. This smaller 100ml size is available in various gift sets, as well as in Molton Brown stores, and online as part of their pick and mix selection, as well as on eBay.

5. Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml

For someone who used to claim to be a beauty junkie and I guess still does, I have quite a scary confession to make - whispers - I haven't been to Boos since before Christmas!!! I know, I know but as I've said on several occasions not only do I get out and about less than I used to, I've also been feeling pretty overwhelmed with the amount of stuff and in particular beauty products that I own, so I haven't really wanted to buy anything new and instead I have been and am continuing to shop my stash, hence the appearance of this old Boots Botanics product.

This product was probably one of my first forays into the world of acids and AHA's, and whilst it's nowhere near the levels of PIXI Glow Tonic or some of the other products that I've moved on to, it brightened my skin, helped to control the oily patches, it tingled just enough to make you feel like it was doing something, and compared to a lot of the other glycolics and the likes on the market it's still fairly reasonably priced.

Although now given the alternatives I probably wouldn't buy this now, it used to be a bit of a skincare staple for me and I would happily use it again. In all new packaging the Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Facial Toner With Natural AHA's is available exclusively from Boots and retails at around £5.49.

6. This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

For as long as I can remember I've always loved and been suckered in the by the concept of a free gift - yes I was that child that always wanted the cereal with the free stickers or the pencil topper, I really was a marketers dream and I think that I probably still am. Either last year or the year before I took advantage of free gift offer and placed an order with Simply Be, and this product was part of the free gift that I received alongside a matching hand cream.

From skin, body and sleep specialist, This Works comes a cruelty free, vegan, paraben, phthalate and sulphate free, calming hand and body wash, that contains vitamin B5, ylang ylang, lavender, neroli and patchouli.

I predominantly used it as a hand wash which on reflection was probably a mistake, it was quite thick and a small amount went a long way, it produced a good foam, and it didn't dry out the skin, but the scent from me was just a bit too overpowering especially since it tended to linger on the skin for quite a while afterwards.

If you love aromatherapy based, natural essential oil scents then you might love this but since I can take or leave patchouli oil in particular, so having it linger on my hands was just a little bit too much. I think using it as a shower product would probably have made it a little bit less concentrated and intense but sadly this scent wasn't for me and it therefore goes without saying that I passed the matching hand cream onto my mam.

If you love this type of scent though, or if you're a fan of the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray then this would make a very economical body wash or a pretty intense bathroom hand wash. The This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash comes in a 250ml pump action bottle and retails at around £15 direct from This Works, as well as from Amazon, John Lewis, and NEXT Beauty.

So they were my beauty empties from September 2022, admittedly 2 down on the previous month but probably on reflection not a bad month, it's just a shame that I suffered another drop off in October!

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g
AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

Total - 4 Items

Yes, in October 2022 I managed to finish just 4 items, 1 less than in September, not great but not awful either, and again I finished a nice mix of products including some new products and one old favourite.

1. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

When it comes to skincare, I've always been one for a lazier, or should I say simpler routine. Given my so called and self confessed beauty junkie status that probably sounds odd, but I used to, and still do to some extent try to cut corners when I can, and up until last year or maybe the year before I got away with it, bit as I've gotten older my skin has changed and it's needed a little bit of extra help, or should I say a different kind of help, so I've had change my routine up and I've had to add a few new products to my regime.

Despite all of the beauty and product knowledge that I've gained in my years of blogging, as someone with an oilier skin type, I was always pretty scared of adding any more 'moisturising' product to my routine, but you're probably already well aware of the fact the oil doesn't always equal moisture, and oily skin can often be a symptom of skin lacking in hydration, so your skin can look like an oil slick, and still be lacking in moisture - so when my skin started to look a little dull and feel a little tighter, I decided to have a play around and introduce a serum into my routine.

Not wanting to spend a fortune in case it wasn't quite what my skin needed, I picked up a product from budget friendly, yet high tech skincare brand The Ordinary. If your skin is dry, thirsty and just a little bit upset one of the best ways to make it happy again is to give it a drink of water, or a nice little shot of hyaluronic acid, to keep that moisture locked in. With hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this water based super serum has been specially designed to enhance both short and long term hydration, as well as to smooth and plump the skin, and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

To be honest if appearances are anything to go by this stuff doesn't look that exciting, just a clear, unscented, watery like serum, packaged in a utilitarian dropper bottle, but as the saying goes looks really can be deceiving! Just apply a few drops to damp cleansed and toned skin, and massage into the skin before applying your usual moisturiser, and you've given your skin an extra boost of moisture with very little effort.

Despite reading some pretty good reviews, I wasn't really expecting very much from this serum, but I could see and feel a difference in just a couple of days. With just this one addition to my regime my skin felt smoother, more supple, less tight, and thankfully it didn't my skin oily or greasy, in fact it actually seemed to control the oil on my t-zone!

I've tried a few different hyaluronic based serums since I first tried this one, but so fair this is one of the best that I've tried, and one of the cheapest. Whilst the results have often been pretty similar, the texture of this one from The Ordinary puts it straight at the top of my list. It's more water like, less oily and way less sticky, it absorbs pretty quickly and it doesn't make your moisturiser pill or roll off! I'm now a total hyaluronic convert, it's so easy to add into even the most basic of routines, a little bit seems to go a long way and it's made a real difference to my skin.

As you would expect from The Ordinary it's also really competitively priced with this 30ml size retails at around £7.90 direct from The Ordinary, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, John Lewis, Boots, and Space NK, and if you really this stuff, and you can't be without it it also comes in both a 60ml bottle and a 120ml supersize! I have a few different hyaluronic based serums, that I've both picked up and that I've got in various beauty boxes and advent calendars to use up but I will definitely be buying this one again.

2. Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g

Next up another skincare products, and this was something that came in the April 2022 edition of Glossybox UK.

When you hear the name Sand & Sky at least beauty wise, the first product that you probably think of is the Australian brand's iconic, and much copied Australian Pink Clay Mask (which I still need to try by the way!), but that isn't the only mask in their extensive skincare range.

April 2022's box contained a tiny, 3 application max, 10g tube of their Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask. From their Glow Berries range, this mask contains the antioxidant glow berries, emu apples, to combat ageing and boost brightness, hyaluronic acid complex, kakadu plum, a source of vitamin C to boost brightness and break down pigmentation, and jojoba oil to hydrate and aid water retention; This mask is also sulphate, paraben, silicone, and phthalate free, and it's also cruelty free and approved by PETA.

Created to hydrate, protect and brighten the skin, this mask is almost an ashy pink in colour, and it had an unusual light and fluffy, almost bouncy yet dense texture, and sadly given all the fruity ingredients, very little scent.

As instructed I applied a thick layer to clean skin, and since it was a cream mask it was really easy to apply. On application it felt ever so slightly tingly and warm on the skin.

Before

The instructions said to leave the mask on for 10 minutes, and whilst in some places the mask had absorbed completely into the skin, in other places there was still product sitting on the skin, and whilst it was drier than it was on application, it hadn't dried our completely or set hard, so it was pretty easy to wash it off with warm water and a muslin cloth.

On Application 

I'm not sure how obvious it is from these pictures, but after rinsing it off my skin looked a touch pink in patches, and my face felt a little bit tingly for a moment or two, but it wasn't uncomfortable, and I think that feeling was worth it for the results that I saw - my skin was definitely brighter and it definitely had a glow to it, I looked more awake and it felt smoother. It's recommended that you use this mask 2-3 times a week for maximum benefit, but I since an improvement after just one use, and further improvement after another 2 weekly applications, it's down to personal choice.

After Rinsing 

I know it tingled a little bit but as long as it isn't too uncomfortable I don't actually mind that

feeling from a product. I like things that feel as though they're doing something, and I definitely think that this mask did that, so I would definitely consider using it, and trying some more products from the Sand & Sky range in the future. 

The full 100g size comes with an application brush and has an RRP of around £34. It's available direct from Sand & Sky, as well as from Beauty Bay, ASOS, and Amazon. The full size as well as this 10g tube are also available from Look Fantastic and eBay UK.

3. AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml

From skincare to hair care, and whilst I'm trying to take more care of my hair, and I'm trying to lay off the heat a bit, I'm sorry I have very wavy / curly / wild / uncontrollable hair, and it often needs a set of straighteners or a blow dry to bully it into submission. It therefore goes without saying that I spend a fortune on conditioners, hair treatments, and heat protectors, and I never allow a straightener, a curler or a dryer near my hair without a squirt or two of heat protector spray.

Whilst I'm ever faithful to the Tresemme Heat Defence Care & Protect Spray, I do occasionally stray, usually because of a recommendation or a special offer, and I think I picked up this AVON heat protector up when it was on offer.

Containing moisturisers and protective ingredients, it had a nice fresh almost fruity scent, and it didn't leave the hair sticky or hard. Not badly priced at just £3 I would definitely use it again, but the one drawback is the small, although ideal for travel, 100ml size of the bottle, and that's why I'll be sticking to my beloved Tresemme spray in the future. 

4. Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

The final item on this long awaited September and October 2022 countdown is another product that you've seen before on several occasions and it's something that you're more than likely going to see again in the future.

Yes, it's the fabulous Beauty Pie Re- Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub. You can read a full review of it here, but if you are in any doubt I absolutely love everything about this stuff from the scent, to the texture, and to how it makes my skin feel. Although I'm currently using a good budget alternative that I will definitely repurchase, when I'm feeling a bit flusher I'll definitely be picking up this Beauty Pie scrub again.

As you probably know Beauty Pie works on a subscription model, so if you pay either a monthly or annual subscription fee, you can get discount prices on a whole range of high quality beauty products. This particular product retails at £16 for members and £55 for non members.

If you've made it to the end, congratulations! that was a long one, and it's probably going to set the scene for every up and coming empties post at least until i get myself up to date again, so be prepared for an epic amount fo beauty reviews coming soon, but in the meantime if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in this post or anything else you fancy then please leave me a message below, and I'll see you soon with a new post x 

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

A Very Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - January 2021 Edition - The Power Of Beauty*

I hope you'll excuse the mini absence but summer appears to have arrived quite early in my little corner of County Durham, and I've been taking full advantage of the sunshine! Today though as rain is forecast, I'm going to take a little bit of a step back to one of the coldest months of the year, January, to share my thoughts on the products inside the January edition of Glossybox UK.

Packaged in the familiar black and pink colour way and style, the theme of January's box was 'The Power Of Beauty', and it was specially curated to help us start 2021 by bringing us range of powerful yet gentle products.

Daily Concepts Daily Reusable Rounds - 2 Pack - Full Size - Est. RRP £6.80

The first item in the box was I guess, a beauty tool. that perfectly sums up the gentle, yet powerful theme. I've had a couple of things from cruelty free beauty care brand Daily Concepts now (you can read my thoughts here and here), and so far so good, I've been impressed with both the brands innovation and the product quality.

I'm already a big fan of reusable cotton / make up remover pads, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to add to my collection with this pack of 2 pads.

The majority of the pads that I already own are made of either towelling, or a short pile microfibre, these Daily Concepts pads however are made of 100% polyester, and are a little bit bigger, softer and fluffier then any of the other pads that I'd previously used.

I usually find that I use less product with reusable pads and these ones were no different. As they aren't quite as absorbent as regular cotton wool I tend to fold the pads in half to stop either my toner or my eye make up remover dripping everywhere.

I've used these particular pads with toner, eye make up remover, and micellar water, and they work exactly how you'd expect them too. Given the softness and fluffiness of these pads they are particularly good for removing eye make up.

I know it isn't that clear in the picture what I'm wearing on my eyes, but here I've used these pads and a micellar water to remove a combination of foundation, concealer, face powder, eye shadow, mascara and a brow product. I used one pad per eye and whilst the micellar water did its thing the rounds really played their part.

Obviously their big selling point is that they are reusable so what I tend to do is give them an initial rinse through under the tap, before leaving them to dry before popping them into a lingerie bag. Then when I have enough pads to wash I stick them into the washing machine (don't use fabric conditioner if you're washing anything made of microfibre!), and then I leave them to air dry, before popping them into a glass jar, until I'm ready to use them again.

There are lots of different textures of reusable rounds out there, but the softness of these ones in particular makes them ideal for the eye area or for more sensitive skins. Yes they are a little bit more expensive than a bog standard pack of cotton wool, but they are so much more eco friendly, and they last for ages and ages and just get softer, the more you use and wash them.

Alas these particular rounds aren't that widely available; Glossybox place a price of around £6.80 on this 2 pack. You can be them direct from the Daily Concepts EU store for around €5.95, and from a website called Time For Beauty for around £9.99.

Ecooking Moisturizing Serum - 10ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £22.50

From cleansing and toning to moisturiser, and the next product in this New Years edition was a skincare product from a relatively new brand to me Ecooking. Founded in Denmark in 2015, Ecooking have a range of around 40 products, that have been specifically designed to simplify skincare, and to tackle a large range of real concerns.

All of the products are ethical and transparent, the packaging is recyclable and the products are all cruelty free, and a lot of them are also suitable for vegans. They are also paraben free and they are made of 100% organic oils.

The product that Glossybox subscribers received was a half, 10ml size of their Moisturizing Serum, which was useful in the cold of January as it is now!

Both vegan and dermatologically tested, this hyaluronic acid based serum is designed for all ages, and all skin types, and it has been created to give the skin a huge moisture boost without leaving it feeling greasy.

Packaged in a brown glass, pump action bottle, the serum itself is clear in colour, and it has a thin, slightly sticky, gel like texture. It is labelled as fragrance free, but it has a slight 'product' scent.

Like with most hyaluronic acid based products I've been applying this onto damp skin, straight after cleansing and toning. It spreads quite easily onto the skin, and it absorbs quite quickly. I did find that it felt quite sticky at first, but I quickly realised that I was actually applying too much product -Applying it to damp skin means that you really don't need to be quite as generous with it. 

I think with central heating and just being indoors more, my skin has been a bit drier than usual, and the skin on my cheeks and forehead especially just seemed to suck this serum in.

As tempting as it is just to apply a serum if your skin is more oily, or if you're pushed for time, serums are really designed to be used as booster underneath your moisturiser, so I tried using this during the day and at the night, underneath various different moisturisers and overall it performed pretty well. There was no pulling or pilling, and more skin didn't feel overloaded or greasy. 

There wasn't a huge difference visually after adding this serum into my skincare regime but my skin felt a bit smoother, and plumper and it didn't feel quite as tight, and strangely enough it doesn't seem quite oily, which I guess feeds into the belief that oily skin can actually be caused by dehydration.

Over the last 12 months or so, I've tried to tackle my oiliness by adding more hydration to my skin, both through drinking more water, and by embracing hyaluronic acid based skincare products, and I've really seen a difference, so I'm definitely going to keep doing what I'm doing. Whilst this was a little bit stickier that some of the other hyaluronic acid based products that I've used, once I worked out the right amount to use, I did end up really liking it and I'll definitely use it up, that said though, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, is my current lover, and it's going to take a lot to drag me away from it.

Glossybox place a value of around £22.50 on this 10ml Deluxe Mini 1/2 size. The full 20ml size is available for around €52 direct from Ecooking, and for around £43 from Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, The Fragrance Shop and Beauty Expert.

Saint Luxe Beauty Brow Gel - 5.8ml - Full Size - RRP £16/  $16

Whilst all of the other products in the box were skin and I guess body care related, this next item is more of make up / cosmetic product.

Although my first experience of black female owned, luxury beauty brand Saint Luxe was a little bit hit and miss (read my thoughts here), I was really pleased to get the opportunity to try something else from the range.

Known for their sleek packaging, and catering for all skin types, and tones, this cruelty free brow gel is designed to leave brows looking fuller, and perfect without leaving any residue.

The gel comes boxed and is packaged in a sleek, black, mascara style, tube with clear white text.

The wand inside is quite short and stubby but that makes application precise and easy. It took a few pumps and wiggles to actually see any gel on the brush. It was clear, and it didn't feel too wet, or sticky. It was really easy to brush through my very fluffy lockdown brows, and unlike a lot of thicker brow gels there was no pilling, or gel or white residue, and they didn't feel sticky or stiff.

Before

After 

In a way though the soft feel was a little bit of a double edged sword, if your brow hairs are relatively tame, and tend to stay put, then this product is great for you for just a little bit of grooming and extra security, if you have wild brows though with a lot of flyaways, and thicker hairs, or if you haven't had a brow was for around 4 months then this may not have quite the hold that you need.

Glossybox placed a value of around £16 on this full sized tube. If you fancy trying it for yourself the only stockist that I can find is direct from Saint Luxe, who ship worldwide, where it retails at around $16.

Mudmasky Serum-Infused Eye Mask - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £42

Now, according to the information booklet that came in January's box, I should now be sharing my thoughts on the Glow On 5th Rose Gua Sha facial tool with you, but apparently thanks to COVID and Brexit, the stock hadn't arrived with Glossybox in time for January's box, so instead subscription box favourite brand Mudmasky stepped in with one of their newest products.

Given my recent complaints over the amount of eye products in recent editions of Glossybox, you would think that I wouldn't have been that excited over this particular product - well you'd be wrong because this particular product was quite unlike anything that I'd used before. Famous for their face masks, this particular mask from Mudmasky as you may have guess is specially designed for the eye area.

Cruelty free, PETA certified, paraben and sulfate free, this mask contains golden kiwi seeds, premium Japanese Matcha tea, blueberries, carrot root, fig extract and goji berries, and is designed to to firm the skin, as well as reducing dark circles, puffiness, swelling, dry skin and fine lines.

When I first squeezed a little bit out I was pretty apprehensive, this khaki, brown gel filled with various sizes of brown and black particles, looked a little bit scary for something that is meant to go so close to the eyes, but in for a penny in for a pound, I gave it a go and do you know what? I'm glad that I did.

    

All you do is apply a thin layer on to clean, dry skin, on your under eye area. It felt a little bit gloopy but it was fairly easy to spread out. It felt slightly cool at first and I experienced a slight, very subtle tingling sensation, but that quickly disappeared as the mask warmed up to body temperature.

Before

Although I'd expected the mask to feel tighter the longer it was on, it just themed to thicken up slightly but it didn't really set or feel tight.

On Application

After about 7 to 8 minutes you wash off the mask with cool water before gently patting the skin dry. My under eye are initially felt a little bit tacky but that quickly disappeared leaving my skin feeling a touch smoother, brighter and more refreshed, and some of the finer lines under my eyes didn't look quite as obvious.

After 

You can used this mask once or twice a week, leaving at least 2 days between each application, and in my experience with every use the results just keep getting better.

Despite all of the eye creams, gels and serums that I own, I'm still pretty lazy when it comes to eye products, luckily I don't have a lot of issues at the moment with my eye area, but this mask really is a quick fix and leaves my eyes like more hydrated and alive with just 1 use.

It isn't cheap but at this moment in time I would definitely consider buying this again. Oh and don't listen to Mudmasky's warning that this doesn't smell great, I got slight hints of greenness, and milk, but I could barely smell a thing.

The Mudmasky Serum - Infused Eye Mask comes in a 30ml tube and retails at around £42 direct from Mudmasky.

Beauty Pro Avocado Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x 22ml Sheet Mask - Full Size - RRP £4.95

From an eye mask to a face mask, and the next product in January's box was a sheet mask from one of my favourite mask brands Beauty Pro. I've tried quite a few of their masks now (check out which ones via my Beauty Product Directory) but this one was a new one.

Perfect for combating the effects of the January cold, and for drier skin types, this mask is from their Plant Based Range, which is vegan, 100% plant based and water free. Containing New Zealand avocado, chia and wild yam, this mask is designed to hydrate and nourish the skin, leaving a healthy and glowing complexion.

Before

Made of biodegradable bamboo fibre, this was a very wet mask that was a little bit awkward to unfold. It was saturated in a fresh smelling, slightly oily serum like liquid. Like most sheet masks it initially felt cool on the skin, but it quickly warmed up to body temperature

On Application

I removed it after around 15 minutes and it was still very wet, and there was still a lot of the serum left upon my skin, so alongside the excess liquid that was in the packet I massaged it into my face, neck and chest.

Obviously my face felt a little bit tacky at first but the excess liquid quickly absorbed into my skin leaving it noticeably softer, smoother and more hydrated. I'm not sure how well it's showing up on screen but in the before picture my skin was actually pretty red, where as in the after picture and more so in real life, the redness had definitely subsided slightly after using this mask. I also felt that my skin looked a little bit plumper.

After 

I'm a huge fan of all of the Beauty Pro masks that I've tried and this one is no exception, I would definitely consider buying it again and in fact I've just bought one for a friend.

The price can vary but these masks usually retail at around £4.95 from various retailers including Look Fantastic, NEXT Beauty, Feel Unique, Fragrance Direct, Superdrug and of course direct from Beauty Pro.

Your Sanitiser Hand Sanitiser Gel - 60ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £2.72

Now, normally this would be where I would sum up my thoughts on this box, well that's coming , but whether it was because this was the first box of 2021 or because of the pandemic, instead of the usual 5 items all subscribers in January received a 6th product.

Like most of us I can safely say that over the last 15 months or so I've probably used more hand sanitiser than I've ever used before, I was already a regular used but thanks to COVID I literally have tubes and bottles everywhere!

From a specialist company called Your Sanitiser, this is a luxurious, moisturising hand sanitiser that's dermatologically tested, and suitable for sensitive skin. Containing 75% ethanol, aloe vera, vitamin E, and natural chamomile fragrance, as well as eliminating viruses and bacteria, it also apparently improves hands moisturiser by 34%.

Taking the form of a clear, translucent, gel, it quickly melts on contact with the skin, and turns into a cooling water like like that disappears quite quickly without the leaving the skin sticky, dry or sore.

When it comes to scent, hand sanitisers seem to go one of 2 ways - they either leave your skin reeking of alcohol, or they have a really strong lingering scent to try and hide the alcohol, but here Your Sanitiser have got it pretty much spot on, at first you get the strong alcohol hit but that quickly evaporates leaving  gentle, clean, green, bearable floral scent.

As I say I have so many bottle of sanitiser floating around but I have to say that this is one of the best that I've used. It's effective without being too strong, harsh, drying or overpowering.

Glossybox place a value of around £2.72 on this full 60ml sized tube, however it only appears to be available in a bulk 12 tube pack direct from Your Sanitiser that retails at around £24, that makes it around £2 a tube.

Whilst on paper, the January 2021 edition of Glossybox wasn't the most exciting box that you'll ever see, it actually ended up being one of the most useful boxes that I've had. All of the products were really hard workers, and they all did exactly what they promised. The stand out for me was a product that really surprised me, the Mudmasky Serum-Infused Eye Mask - it looked scary but I was really impressed with the results.

Don't forget to let me know your thoughts on the products that I've talked about in the comments, and don't forget to check out Glossybox for yourself x Thanks as always for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post x 

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