If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know that I've always considered myself to be 100% a bath girl, and whilst I don't half miss lounging in a tub full of bubbles, I'm definitely becoming more of a convert to the power of the shower, and it seems as though I'm not alone.
According to research carried out on behalf of heritage UK bath and shower brand Radox, whilst we're predominantly still a nation of bath lovers, over 56% of people that they surveyed are new showering more than now than ever before, with some people showering up to 10 times a week! Showering definitely has it's advantages, having a shower takes less time, and you use way less water than you would if you were filling a bath, so it's no wonder that in such a time poor, more environmentally conscious, and cash strapped society, that the popularity of the shower is increasing.
Whilst a shower is at its heart a practical experience, a shower very much like a bath can also be used to alter your mood, calm you down, clear your head and lift your spirits, it all depends on your set up, and what products and fragrances you use.
With over 100 years of bath, and shower experience, the UK's number one shower brand Radox, recently relaunches it's entire shower range, with new and improved formulations, and a range of 12 core products which are contain fragrances which are specially formulated to to boost your mood in various different ways.
As well as introducing new fragrances and new formulations, the entire Radox shower range has also now been repackaged, and each bottle is now made of 50% recycled plastic (excluding the label and cap), and as you would expect 100% of the bottle is now recyclable, potentially saving 450 tons of virgin plastic in the UK every year!. Not only that but the new flip up, sit up, twist off design of the cap also allows easy refilling. Yes you read right, Radox have also recently introduced 500ml refill pouches in 3 of their most popular scents, 'Feel Awake', 'Feel Refreshed', and 'Feel Uplifted' with fingers crossed, more varieties to come in the future.
Whilst some of the scents have just been repackaged, reformulated, and improves, there have also been of couple of brand new introductions including the one that Radox were lucky enough to send me, the Radox Feel Radiant Strawberry and Raspberry Shower Gel.
Designed to leave you feeling refreshed and radiant, the Radox Feel Radiant Shower Gel contains Radox's signature 4 mineral, and secret herb blend which has helped ease bodies and minds for decades, alongside blackberry, sour cherry, strawberry, bilberry, and raspberry juices and extracts.
Packaged in a simple but chunky east to hold bottle, with a flip top cap, this bright berry pink, slightly pearlised shower gel has a slightly runny consistency, if you tip the bottle upside down it will either collect inside the lid or if the caps open it will spill out - just something to bear in mind.
You don't need a lot and it foams up easily with water, producing a soft creamy foam, which rinses away easily and leaves the skin comfortable and not tight or dry.
Although it's described as a strawberry and raspberry shower gel, as you can see from the ingredients list, it probably has more of a tart, natural berry scent. If you don't like sweet or artificial strawberry scents, don't worry, this has much more of a 'green' berry scent, almost like freshly picked berries with a few of the leaves mixed in.
As well as boosting your mood on a scent level, for me these shower also appeal to another sense and are also visually appealing. I love the rainbow look of all 12 core bottles all lined up together, and whilst I haven't managed to replicate that display in my own bathroom, I couldn't resist buying another scent to try. I am a huge fan of fruity scents, and there was something about the bright and vibrant colour of this one that just drew me in.
The Radox Feel Revived Mandarin & Apricot Scent Shower Gel just ticked all the boxes for me - the same environmental credentials and the same trusted Radox blend of 4 minerals and 13 herbs, teamed up with fabulous sweet, fruity slightly citrus scent, and a brilliant orange colour. Okay, this one doesn't contain quite as many natural extracts as 'Feel Radiant' but I kind of like it more, it's zingy, fruity and the colour which my photo definitely doesn't do justice to, just screams sunshine!
If you don't fancy either of these fragrances, or if you want your shower to induce a different kind of mindset, there are 10 other scents to experience in the Radox core range, including 'Feel Refreshes' with a eucalyptus and citrus scent, 'Feel Awake' with fennel and sea minerals, and 'Feel Energised' with a key lime and peppermint fragrance. Although I really fancy trying them all and having my own rainbow shower gel display, next of my list to try are 'Feel Relaxed' which contains lavender and waterlily, and given my love of fruity scents, it goes without saying that I want to try 'Feel Ready' which has a sweet pomegranate and apple scent.
Whatever fragrance and formulation it is that you go for, or whatever feeling or mood you want to achieve or even dispel, these dermatologically tested shower gel are a real budget beauty must have that will take even the quickest shower to the next level.
Like with so many products at the moment, if you've got the time or if you're watching the pounds and pennies, it pays you to shop around a bit. I've seen these 225ml shower gels for as little as £1 and for as much as £2.75 each, with the 500ml refill pouches retailing at around £1.75 each. The shower gels and refills are available from a variety of retailers including Superdrug, Boots, Wilko, Asda, Tesco, Poundland, B&M, and Savers, and you can also by multipacks from Sephora. You can find out more about the full range on the Radox website x
Are you a bath or shower person? Let me know in the comments x
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*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, And Added Non Affiliate Links
Unlike a lot of bloggers with disabilities and chronic illness I don't actually talk about my health that much - my blog has always been a place to escape rather than dwell on my limitations but every now and then I throw the odd thing into the conversation and today I'm talking again about my issues with sleep!
As you would probably expect from a condition named 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', some of the main symptoms are tiredness, and exhaustion. Even if I've had a real 'lazy' day, I can go to bed and sleep solidly for 12 hours plus, and still wake up feeling just as shattered as I did when I went to bed! It's both annoying and debilitating, but what a lot of people don't realise though is that ME, CFS, or whatever it called this week, can also cause chronic insomnia! If you've ever suffered from the inability to sleep, even if it was just a one off, then you'll know just how frustrating it can be. I regularly have nights when despite being almost delirious with exhaustion, I just don't sleep! If I'm having one of those nights, there isn't always a lot that I can do about it, but I can at least try and prevent it by adopting a good sleep routine.
I've talked quite a lot on the blog in the past about establishing a good sleep routine, so you should know the drill by now - establish a regular bedtime, have a comfortable bed and bedding, cut out the caffeine and have a warm drink, say goodbye to electronic devices, and have a warm but not too hot bath or shower.
I love having a shower just before bed, I don't know whether it's the warmth or the sound of the water, but it really helps me switch off and wind down. Sometimes I'll just grab the first shower product that I come across, but most of the time I'll trigger 'operation sleep' and use something lavender scented. At the moment I'm using the shower gel and the body lotion from the Lush Sleepy range, which has a beautiful relaxing lavender scent. When I'm having a late night, pre bed shower I normally just foam up, rinse, dry and then moisturise - no treatments, extra products or anything that takes too much time or effort, recently though I was sent a product from Lush that works perfectly with the Sleepy range, and amps up your nighttime routine, without too much extra effort, and yes it's one of my favourite ever things, a body scrub!
As much as I love my body exfoliators when you're feeling tired, adding in that extra step is often a bit of a chore, that you could probably do without, but if you love the idea of a body exfoliator without the effort then Lush Co-Mingle could be the answer to your prayers!
Designed to be quick and easy to use, Co-Mingle is the perfect product for that late night shower. It's basically a 3 in 1 product - a gentle body scrub, and a body wash with built in moisturisers, so you can just scrub, wash and go!
Crammed full of shea butter, cupuaco butter, cocoa butter and argan oil, as well as natural exfoliators bamboo stem extract and tagua nut powder, this scrub is pale pink in colour, and has a creamy, almost whipped mousse like texture, permeated with very fine but noticeable exfoliating particles.
Just apply it as you would any other body scrub to damp skin, and massage it on to the skin. In seconds it goes from a creamy exfoliator, to a creamy, milky foam, cleansing and gently exfoliating your skin. Even though the particles are quite small they still rinse away fairly easily and the skin is left feeling clean, smooth and smelling heavenly.
Oh yes, the smell! As you've probably already guessed this scrub has the same beautiful lavender scent as the Sleepy range. This isn't your old fashioned powdery lavender it's has a gorgeous, relaxing aromatherapy like lavender scent that makes this product perfect for those nighttime baths and showers.
It obviously works perfectly as an accompanying product to the similarly scented Sleepy Shower Gel, or Showder, or even the Sleepy Bubble Bar, or the Deep Sleep Bath Bomb, but if you're extra sleepy then you could just use this use this over your whole body, I'd probably avoid "ahem' certain areas but the particles are fine enough, that it shouldn't cause too many issues elsewhere. So all you really need to do is take this one tub into the shower, and then because of the moisturising ingredients, you can either dry yourself off and pop your PJs straight on, or you can do what I do and team it up either with the Sleepy Body Lotion, or Lush's fabulous Dream Cream, and then you'll be in the land of nod before you know it!
You should know by now that I do love a full on scratchy scrub, and whilst this one is never going to win any awards for its scrubbiness, it should win an award for its convenience, and for it's fabulous scent. When used alone or with some other similarly scented products, it really helps you get in to that bedtime mind set whilst at the same time giving your skin a much needed treat.
Lush Co-Mingle Body Scrub comes in a 225g tub and retails at £20. It's available direct from Lush and from your local Lush store x
I'd love to know if you have a specific nighttime routine and what products you use to help you get a good nights sleep, so please let me know in the comments and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions x
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The one constant so far in operation Trimming My Stash 2019, has to be inconsistency! After a slow start, I managed a few good months, but then it all seems to have gone down hill again.
Boots Ingredients Sheet Face Mask Charcoal & Willow Bark - Cleansing & Purifying - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask The Body Shop Spiced Apple Softening Body Gel-Lotion - 250ml Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g
Total - 3 Items
June was officially my worst month of the year so far, I only managed to finish 3 items, 1 single use skin care product, and two Christmas themed products that I'm pretty sad to have finished..
1. Boots Ingredients Sheet Face Mask Charcoal & Willow Bark - Cleansing & Purifying - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask
First up a face mask, and even though I still have lots of masks in pots and tube, at the moment I'm making an effort to try and use up some of the sachets and sheet masks that I have in my skincare crate.
I think this mask probably came in a subscription box, and apparently it's an award winner. Containing charcoal and willow bark, juniper, grapefruit and orange it's designed to cleanse, purify and revitalise the skin.
The sachet contains a strong but very wet paper sheet mask, with a slightly astringent scent. Initially it felt quite cooling on the skin but I then experienced a slight tingling sensation, which quickly subsided. After 15 minutes the mask was still very wet so I massaged the remaining liquid into my face and neck. At first my skin felt quite tacky but the excess liquid gradually absorbed into the skin.
There was a slight pinkness to my skin immediately after removal but apart from a slight tightness my skin felt fine, it looked and felt less oily, and it felt refreshed and almost squeaky clean
This mask isn't the most hydrating treatment that I've ever used so I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a drier skin. If your skin is oilier though, then this a perfect mask for you - it combats oiliness and it leaves your skin looking clean and clear. This sheet retails at £2.50 and available from Boots stores and online.
2. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Softening Body Gel-Lotion - 250ml
Whilst my love for The Body Shop's Spiced Apple, will never quite come close to my love for their Glazed Apple range, it's still a mouthwatering scent with hint of sweet, yet tart apple, combined with Christmassy apple pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
This product in whatever scent that you choose is perfect for lazy body lotion users. As much as I love my body butters you don't always have time to wait for it to sink in, and in the summer you don't always want anything that's too heavy or sticky, that's why this cream - gel formulation is perfect. It feels slightly cooling on the skin, and whilst it absorbs really quickly, it actually really hydrating. It was a little bit difficult to get the last bits out of the bottom because the pump wasn't quite long enough but I still loved it, I love the ease, and convenience and of course I loved the scent. Alas Spiced Apple is long gone from The Body Shop shelves but I can always live in hope that The Body Shop bring back another apple based scent from Christmas 2019.
3. Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly - 100g
My final empty from June, is another festive product and this time it's something from Lush. When I first lost my bath it meant that I have to say goodbye to a lot of Lush products, and whilst I still miss my bubble bars and bath ballistics, their loss has being slightly tempered by fun shower products like this.
Containing seaweed, apple juice, star anise, red grape juice, orange flower, neroli, bergamot and rose, this fab jelly has a lovely spicy, fruity apple based scent. You only need a tiny bit of this squidgy, translucent red jelly mixed with warm water on a sponge, or shower scrunchie to produce a mountain of creamy bubbles. Although it tempting to use a lot, you really don't need to so this little pot lasts for ages. It seems to be a pretty regular item so fingers crossed that it makes a reappearance this festive season.
So there you go, a short and sweet June empties post. I was slightly disappointed to only finish 3 items last month but things can only get better from here on it, and hopefully I'll managed to finish a few more items this month. If you have any comments or questions on any of the product that I talked about in this post, then please let me know below x
I know time seems to be flying by generally, for me at the moment, but May seemed to go particularly quickly, admittedly I had a pretty busy, as well as welcoming our new kitten Max into the family, I also spent a lot of time with my family and friends, and I celebrated my birthday - all I seemed to do was blink and it was all over, and scarily June seems to be heading in the same direction!
Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Pink Peppercorn Hydrating Hand Therapy - 25ml Soap & Glory Clean On Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel - 500ml Vitamasques Tea Tree Face Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 20ml Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g
Total - 4 Items When it comes to trimming my stash, May wasn't the best of months, it seemed as though it was over before started and every product that I thought that I would finish seemed to miraculously go on and on, a bit like my own personal beauty version of The Magic Porridge Pot. I was a touch disappointed that I only managed to finish four items but I did manage to finish something that I was actually sick to death of seeing in the bathroom, so maybe it isn't all bad.
The first product is one of two items in this post that I'm quite sad to see the back of. This hand cream was behind door number 19 of the 2018 Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar, and it's something that I put into use straight away. You can read a full review here but this hand cream was crammed full of moisturising ingredients including ceramides, Shea butter, glycerin and macadamia seed oil, and whilst it was really rich and creamy it absorbed really easily into the skin and left them feeling silky smooth. It was a really nice hand cream texture wise, and results wise, but for me the big selling point was the scent. Containing rosewater, it had a gentle, real rose scent, combined with warm and spiciness of pepper.
I really enjoyed using it and even though I can't justify a repurchase at the moment, when I've used up some of the many hand products in my collection I'll definitely buy it again and maybe some of the other products in the Rosewater and Pink Peppercorn range. This 25ml travel size retails at around £8, and the full 100ml size retails at around £18. You can pick it up from various retailers including Crabtree & Evelyn direct, Look Fantastic, Escentual, and Fragrance Direct. 2. Soap & Glory Clean On Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel - 500ml
I'm going to start talking about this product with an apology, this is probably one of the grossest empties that I will probably ever show you, but this is what happens when a bottle seems to live in your shower caddy for what seems like a life time. An almost constant stream of water had faded the label, and done goodness what else so I apologise! I don't honestly know why it's been there so long, I actually really like the product, for some reason though I just haven't reached for it in a while. To be honest I got a bit sick of seeing at there so last month I made a concerted effort to try and finish it. This is a gorgeous, creamy moisturising shower gel with that familiar Soap & Glory fragrance, you any need a tiny amount so this half litre size lasts for ages. I do like it and it's something that I'll happily use but it's not something that I would actually go out and purchase on it's own. I'm a huge fan of the Boots Soap & Glory Star Gifts at Christmas, and that, bar the odd purchase, tends to be how I get my Soap & Glory fix. If you are interested in giving this a go though then Boots is the place to go, this 500ml size retails at £6.50, with a handy 75ml travel size retailing at £3.
3. Vitamasques Tea Tree Face Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 20ml
Most of the sheet masks that I seemed to have tried over the years have came in beauty subscription boxes, and I think this one may have came in either a Glossybox or a Pink Parcel. I'm normally a fan of Vitamasques face masks but this didn't wow me. Containing antibacterial, pure tea tree oil, this vegan friendly mask is designed to help balance oily, and acne prone skin. I used to have very oily skin, but the older I get the drier my skin gets, so maybe that's why this didn't really do it for me. The mask itself wasn't the thickest and it tore quite easily, it was very, very wet though, and the liquid had a tendency to run down my face and into my eyes, which was a bit stingy. It had a slight tea tree scent but nothing to harsh or too strong. When it was on my face it felt nice and cooling, after around 20 minutes I removed the mask and there was still a lot of liquid on my face. As per the instructions I massaged the excess in. It felt a bit tacky and sticky but it did eventually absorb into my face and neck. There was no redness on my skin, it just looked a bit fresher, but other than that I didn't notice any real change. If you have more problematic skin then I would give this a try but on my skin at the moment, it didn't really do very much. This mask retails at around £3.99 direct from Vitamasques and Look Fantastic.
4. Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel - 100g
Although it doesn't have the most Christmas scent and the colour isn't really very Christmassy (unless your Barbie that is!), this is probably the quintessential festive shower product. Every year its arrival is eagerly awaited by thousands of Lush devotees, and I'm one of them. Bright pink in colour and crammed full of iridescent sparkles, it basically smells like a sugar overload, think bubblegum, candy floss, and pick 'n' mix, all rolled into one. A small amount produces beautiful creamy bubbles and a bathroom that smells like a sweet shop! I don't know if it's just me but I am finding Lush's shower gels and shower products a little bit drying at the moment, but to be honest I can live with that because nothing beats the scent of Snow Fairy drifting through the house even in June. I'm hoping that I have another bottle hiding away somewhere but if not, roll on Christmas 2019! After two good months in March, and April I was a little bit disappointed to only 4 items in May but it was better than nothing, and hopefully June will be a more successful month. Let me know your thoughts on the items that I finished, and I'd love to know you tips for using up beauty products x Let me know in the comments if you have x *This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
Long time no speak guys, I'm sorry for the mini hiatus but things have been a little bit hectic in LouLouLand over the last week or so, with a new addition (post coming soon x ), and a huge fatigue flare but I'm back and raring to go with a very late unboxing of April's Pink Parcel.
I know I seem to say this every month but changes are again a foot at Pink Parcel, in the last few weeks I've received 3 or 4 emails from Pink Parcel, and from the CEO of Pink Parcels talking about up and coming changes to the service. The biggest change seems to be a change in the price, from June not only will the price of the box increase but there will also be an additional charge for post and packaging. I'm not 100% sure about what the price changes on all plans will be and what the P&P options will be so I'll let you know when I get June's parcel and then hopefully all will be revealed.
I can't say that I'm that impressed with the whole price increase thing especially since the box has been so hitty missy lately but hopefully it will be a guarantee that things will get better. A new revamped website is due to launch on the 20th May and hopefully that will be just the start of a few positive changes.
As well emails about the price rise, and the new website, I also recently received an email from Pink Parcel about the box design, well it seems as though that is changing as well. In a bid to go more eco friendly, over the new few months Pink Parcel will be using up all of their old style Cosmopolitan and Betty Boxes before the launch of a new, both eco and user friendly box later this year. Again we'll have to wait and see what happens but as I've said on many occasions I would love a box that i can reuse so here's hoping Pink Parcel are listening|!
Anyways on to April's box - again this was an all pads box and again I only received 23 items in total. They've definitely cut back on the amount of sanitary products in the box but as I've said before I usually have a lot of stuff in back up so it isn't really a big deal for me but if you have heavier or longer periods then I don't think you can rely on just your Pink Parcel any more. I really hope that this is a concern that Pink Parcel take on board. As nice as the Wants box is, the majority of people probably subscribe to Pink Parcel because of the sanitary protection and if you still need to go out and buy some then it kind of defeats the purpose the box. I've ordered a mixed tampon and pads box for May's delivery so I'm curious as to how many items that I'll get this month.
As much as I probably get Pink Parcel for the convenience of getting sanitary protection delivered to my door, it is the Wants box that I really look forward to, and thankfully April's was a good one. The theme of April's box was City Breaks, and all of the products inside were perfect for either when you're on the go, or for a bit of me time before you go away.
Laritzy Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Tidal - 3.1g - Full Size - RRP $20 / £20
First up an item from a company that seem to be a bit of a subscription box staple, Laritzy. I've tried a dew now including the fab Dew Pot from the March 2019 edition of Glossybox (read my post here) and some pencils but I can't recall trying any of their lip products before.
To the best of my knowledge Laritzy are either a US or a Canadian brand, that are vegan. a 100% cruelty free, and paraben free.
April's Pink Parcel contained one of two shades of Laritzy's Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, which is a long wear, highly pigmented, matte liquid lip colour. It's water resistant, non drying, and all of the shades adapt to your own individual skin tone. The shade that I received is Tidal, which is described as a Deep Mauve, but I definitely think it has more than a little hint of berry to it.
The first thing you notice is the taste and scent, it has a very coconut, vanilla type scent. The texture itself is very creamy, and because of the slanted sponge doe foot applicator it's quite easy to apply, because of the colour and the texture though you need to be a bit careful when you apply it avoid a smeared, bleeding jammy doughnut type finish.
After a moment or two though the creamy glossy finish gradually disappears leaving at first a semi matte, and eventually a true matte finish. As it dries you can feel a slightly tightening of the lips, but it isn't uncomfortable. Once it dries down there is hardly any risk of smearing or transfer - the colour stays put.
Despite the long wear and the matte finish I didn't find this that drying. Like all matte lip products it emphasised my lip lines, and the odd dry patch but it certainly didn't make my lips any drier. As I say the wear time was excellent and it faded fairly evenly - Even after countless cold drinks and salad with an oil based dressing, the outline was still strong and my lips were still covered in colour.
It comes across as quite a deep berry shade on me, and it's a shade that I wouldn't normally wear but I do think that it works, not so much now if your a stickler for brights for the spring and summer, but come autumn and winter I think that this shade would be simply perfect. This product comes in loads of colours though so even if this shade isn't for you then I'm sure you would find something that would work for you on the Laritzy website.
INC.redible Be Shore To Shine Nourishing Sheet Mask - 1 Sheet Mask - 20ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £5
Next up a face mask, and every Pink Parcel in April contained 1 of 3 sheet masks from Nails Inc's beauty brand INC.redible. The mask I received in my box was crystal mermaid themed, and is specifically designed for tired skin. Containing seaweed, soy bean, and hyaluronate, this mask aims to nourish, energise, rejuvenate and soften the skin. I haven't had a chance to try this yet . but you can read my thoughts on another of the INC.redible masks here, and of course I'll let you know in due course what I think about this one. I can't find this specific mask online but the rest of the sheet masks in the INC.redible range retail at around £5.
Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber - Full Size - Est. RRP £5.17 - £5.19
Now I used to be a bath person, and to be honest if I still had a bath in my house I probably still would be, but now finally I get showers, they aren't really about relaxing their designed to get you clean as whistle in a matter of minutes. When it comes to showers I switch my products up all of the time but something that remains constant it my shower scrunchie, or body puff or dougal or whatever else you choose to call that ball of scrunched up net. It does exactly what I want it to and it's easy to clean just stick it in the washer every now and then and if it falls apart they're cheap enough to replace. Thing is though they probably aren't the most eco friendly of items, so that's why I was pretty pleased to receive something just that bit different in April's Pink Parcel.
Made in North America the Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber is clinically allergy and dermatologist tested, and it's environmentally friendly. The foam inside the scrubber is soy based which helps increase the foaming and effectiveness of any shower product.
The scrubber itself features a slightly more abrasive side which features a cotton base layer, and nylon exfoliating loops, and a slightly gentler side with a cotton handle, and a cotton based towelling finish. The scrubber also features smart technology which lets you know when you need to replace you scrubber. In the picture below you can see a label which says "It's Me Time" - the writing on the label will gradually fade as you use the product until it completely disappears after around 90 days of use so you now when it needs replacing x
I haven't had a chance to use this yet but I do like the whole more eco friendly concept, and the quicker and simpler way of exfoliating. If you fancy trying one of these for yourself then you can buy one direct from Daily Concepts or from Amazon UK
Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £3
Now I've had a few of these Merci Handy gels in the Flower Power fragrance already from various subscription boxes mainly the new defunct My Little Box UK, but I've never tried this particular fragrance before.
When I see the word cherry on a beauty product, it normally turns me right off, I hate bitter almond and a lot of cherry scents so I normally avoid them like the plague but thankfully this scent is more inspired by cherry blossom, so it is in fact a pleasant but quite strong floral, perfume type scent.
Just a small amount of this alcohol based gel, which contains eco friendly emollient pearls, cleanses and freshens hands, without leaving them too wet, dry, or sticky. The scent does linger with this particular one so it probably isn't ideal if your going to eating or preparing food but it does the job and cleanses your hands without water.
The Merci Handy Love & Hand Cleansing Gel - Cherie Cherry comes in a pocket friendly 30ml bottle, and retails at £3. It's available from various retailers including direct from Merci Handy and Skinnydip London.
Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes - Full Size - RRP £2.99
There are two things that I normally keep in my handbag - hand sanitising gel, and some form of face or wet wipes, and April's Pink Parcel included both.
Dr Organic are a UK natural based beauty brand, none of their products are tested on animals and they are all free from parabens, SLS, synthetic colours, DEA, phthalates, petroleum, glycols, mineral oil, silicones, and GM ingredients, and this particular product is also vegan.
Contains bioactive and organic, tea tree and aloe vera, these wipes are designed to cleanse, revitalise and refresh the face and hands.
Officially described as fragrance free they do have a slight tea tree scent combined with that slightly strange aroma that fragrance free products often have. These are a thick decent quality wipe and they are very wet to the touch. I haven't used these on my face but I have been using them to freshen up my hands and to clean make up swatches and as you can see the results even on a long wear product like the Laritzy lip colour, are pretty impressive.
These wipes retail at around £2.99 a packet and are available from various retailers including Holland and Barrett
Fiat 500 For Her Eau De Toilette - 2ml
The final beauty product in April's Pink Parcel was a fragrance, and as I've said on many occasions I love trying out new scents so receiving a little perfume vial in a subscription box in my opinion is as good a way as any to try something new with very little risk.
Now we all know that Fiat are a famous Italian car manufacturer but did you know that they've now branched out into fragrance? Well they have, and I believe that Fiat 500 is their first female scent. The full size fragrance comes in a striking car bumper design bottle but here we just have a mini spray vial.
I don't know about you but I can normally tell within a few sniffs whether or not I'm going to like a fragrance, and I liked this one straight away. There was something that drew me to it and there was something that smelled quite familiar but what was it? I used it a couple of times and then I realised what it was - the Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater & Peppercorn Hand Therapy cream that I received on Day 19 of last years Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar (read my review here).
It doesn't smell exactly the same but every time I've sprayed it or worn it, the first thing that I can smell is one of the key top notes of pink pepper, combined with the fruitiness of mandarin and lychee, then throw in two of my other favourite scents gardenia and jasmine, and it's no surprise that this one was a winner. It's fresh, yet warm, floral and spicy all at the same time.
My one complaint is that it didn't seem to last that long on me but never the less I would still consider buying the full size in the future. It comes in both a 50ml size which retails at around £29 and a 100ml which has an RRP of around £39, and it's available from various retailers including Debenhams.
Seed And Bean Organic Fine Dark Chocolate Sweet Orange And Thyme - The Little One - 25g - RRP £1.20
Ah Chocolate! No matter how much chocolate that I consumed over Easter there is always room for more, and this bar was a nice contrast to all of the sickly milk and white chocolate that I consumed over Easter. Seed and Bean are a 100% organic, British brand who produced a fabulous range of high quality chocolate, with some unusual flavourings.
This particular bar is vegan and contains 58% cocoa, it's also palm oil free and the packaging including the foil is full compostable. This was a gorgeous rich dark chocolate with a nice citrus kick, and herbal green notes of thyme. I don't think this flavour will be for everybody but if you like the taste of Earl Grey and more adult citrus tastes then this could be something to try. This sized bar retails at around £1.20 and is available directly from Seed and Bean, and from various other retailers including Amazon UK
t+ Multea Lemon & Peach Green Tea + Vitamins - 1 x Tea Bag - 2g
Finally the drink and another regular brand for Pink Parcel t+. From the same stable as Vitabiotics, I've had a few different tea bags from this brand now and thanks to Mummy Lou I still haven't managed to try any of them yet, maybe this will be the one! It's basically a lemon and peach flavoured green tea bag that contains vitamins B12, C and Folic Acid. It retails at around £3.49 for 15 tea bags, and it's available from various retailers including Tea Plus direct and Amazon UK
So that was April's Pink Parcel, and despite the promise of change and the usual gripes, this was a pretty decent box, the value was certainly there and I'll use all of the products inside. What will May's box bring we'll well see x Let me know your thoughts in this box in the comments x
*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
Since this is my first post of 2019, I'd like to start it off by wishing you all a very Happy New Year x I had originally intended to keep on posting right through the Christmas and New Year holiday, but I changed my plans slightly and decided to take a bit of extra time out, for me and mine, and do you know what? I'm glad I did! Coping with chronic illness at the best of times is a struggle, but at Christmas time, that struggle seems to be amped right up, and even though I didn't do a lot of extra work or socialising by some peoples standards, by Boxing Day all I wanted was my bed, so I took a few unplanned days off to recharge my batteries enough to enjoy a bit of extra rest and a bit of extra family time.
I'm not a fan of going out on New Years Eve, it's hard when you can't drink much, and you don't have the energy to stand or dance all night, so I saw 2019 in, in front of the TV, in my PJ's with Mummy Lou, some fizz and some nibbles - simple pleasures! Despite the usual optimism at midnight, 2019 hasn't actually started off that well if I'm being honest - case in point, 2 days into the new year, and thanks to a jar of marmalade I managed to shatter my iPhone screen in several dozen pieces! My poor phone didn't look pretty at all and within a couple of seconds it became pretty much useless. The obvious option was to get it fixed but after being blessed with some Christmas money, and being able to upgrade my mobile phone contract, I took the plunge and got myself a shiny new iPhone X. It has a few quirks that I'm not quite used to yet but I'm getting there and I'm slowly falling in love with an inanimate object! Is that wrong? LOL probably but the battery lasts longer, everything seems quicker, and the camera is well on point, oh and I even managed to sell on my poor little 6S, so bar my bank balance being a little depleted, and a couple of stressful moments, I dealt with it and moved on.
I wish I could say the same thing about my poor little tooth though - For a change I had a really productive day on Friday I took some photos, did some editing, and sorted out the music on my new phone, by the time it got to 4pm though I was a bit tired so in true spoonie style I went for a quick Nana nap, or should that be a spoonie siesta? You know the story though my hours rest turned into a six and a half hour, full on sleep, I woke up about quarter to 12 at night, and I was hungry. I'd missed dinner, no problem though, we have still have plenty of food leftover from the holidays so I made myself a cheese sandwich and had a few posh crisps on the side. All good, good sandwich, good crisps, but then suddenly it all went wrong! I put a couple of crisps in my mouth and crunch I bit down on something hard, it felt like cat litter, it gets everywhere, but how did it get in my crisps? - I'll spare you the graphic details but it wasn't actually cat litter it was much worse than that, I'd taken a chunk out of one of my bottom teeth - sob - I care for my teeth, I do everything I'm supposed to, and then this happens - one of the perils of taking medication that leaves your eyes and mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert, can be dental problems - woohoo! Thankfully at the moment it doesn't really hurt bar a bit of irritation where the jagged edge is scraping my cheek and tongue, but obviously I'm going to have to be really careful about what I eat until I can see my dentist on Wednesday, so no nuts or toffees for me, and lots of gentle brushing, water flossing, and antibacterial mouthwash - oh the joys! -
So there we go, two things that have gone wrong already in 2019; They say that things come in 3's so can the third thing, if and when it comes, be equally minor and relatively easy to deal with, and then please can the year get better from then? I certainly hope so! 2018 wasn't the best of years for me for a lot of reasons but I came out of it a stronger, and hopefully a better person, and hopefully that will put me in good stead for whatever 2019 has to offer. I'm not big on resolutions, maybe because I'm not big on failing, but probably more so, I don't always feel that you should change who you are. Like my new diary suggest I don't really want to change the essence of who I am because the date on a calendar changes, I just want to be the best person that I can and do things for me and not for anyone else. What does that mean? well it basically means that you aren't going to get any life changing or world changing new years resolutions from me in 2019, I'm just going to try and make a few small changes to make my life easier, and hopefully even better. I am going to talk about a few changes that I'm going to make that may impact the blog in my next post, but other than that it's just the usual aims, and goals - to try and concentrate on the important things and the important people, try to save a bit of money and think about what I buy a bit more, and of course to try and be a bit more organised.
I seem to say the same thing pretty much every year but I'm hoping that 2019 will be the year that I wear more, and use more, and buy less. I'm already planning a huge clothing and accessory purge, and I am of course going to keep on tackling a significantly reduced beauty mountain. I didn't make a what I got for Christmas video this year but I was really blessed and received some lovely things (check out my Instagram if you want to see some of the things that I got x). Compared to previous years though I didn't get that many beauty products, I got quite a few nail polishes, and a few make up kits, but I didn't get a lot of skin care or body care bits, and since I've avoided the sales, I haven't added to my stash too much over the festive period, and since I'm only going to try and buy what I need in 2019, I don't intend to add too much more to it over the next 12 months or so. It therefore goes without saying that Trimming My Stash will be an ongoing thing in 2019, but before we get started and focus on the here and now, lets take a little look back and see what I managed to finish in December 2018..
Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - 100g Skin Republic X Olivia Buckland Prep + Glow Face Mask Sheet - 25ml - 1 x Sheet Mask Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml The Body Shop Merry Cranberry Bath & Shower Gel - 250ml NIVEA Caring Shower Gel Love Sunshine - 250ml Primark PS Cuticle Oil Primark PS... Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Total - 7 Items Well I ended the year by finishing a pretty solid 7 items, which seems to be a little bit better than my average monthly performance. I finished a nice assortment of items including lots of body care, products and a few skincare items, a couple of new things, and a couple of old favourites. In fact the only thing that would have made it better would have been to finish a make up item or two - pretty much the story of my year - I've managed to finish loads of everything else but hardly any make up, so that's definitely an area I need to focus on in 2019.
1. Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - 100g
Ah Snow Fairy, would Christmas really be Christmas without that sweet bubblegum, candy floss like scent - I don't think so. Now you're probably familiar with the original Snow Fairy shower cream but have you tried this? Originally released in 2016, Snow Fairy Body Conditioner almost resembles pink blancmange, it's has a creamy buttery texture, and it contains organic cocoa, mango and avocado butters, and almond and jojoba oils as well as a smattering of iridescent shimmer.
Now despite the suggestion that this is a body moisturiser, Lush actually promote this as a shower product and they advise that you smooth a layer of the cream all over your body before rinsing it off in the bath or shower. As well as cleansing the skin it gives it a much bigger moisture boost than just using a conventional shower product, and because it's so creamy it's also brilliant to shave with. It is a really indulgent shower product but it does seem a bit of a waste to just wash it off, so what I and a lot of other Lushies tend to do it to use a small amount either as a body moisturiser, or to add a bit of shimmer to the skin. It takes a little while to absorb but it leaves the skin feel really smooth and deliciously scented.
I think that this is a lovely product but I think you have a tendency to overuse it so it doesn't seem to last that long. That said if you love Snow Fairy and you want a really indulgent and pampering product, and you want to fully immerse yourself in that sugary sweet scent then this is the product for you. Alas I did manage to get any more of this, this Christmas but I do have a large bottle of Snow Fairy to indulge all of my pick 'n' mix and candy floss fantasies in 2019 without all of the calories and the sugar.
2. Skin Republic X Olivia Buckland Prep + Glow Face Mask Sheet - 25ml - 1 x Sheet Mask
Now when I received this in November's Pink Parcel I openly admitted that I had no idea who Olivia Buckland is - what can I say I'm not a fan of Love Island or reality TV in general, and whilst I still don't know much about her what I can say is that this is without a doubt one of the nicest sheet masks that I've ever used!
High praise from moi! but just why did I like this so much well, for a start it did exactly what it promised - it promised me bright, hydrated and flawless skin and that's exactly what I got! This spun lace / paper feel mask contains plumping collagen, pomegranate extract and hydrating hyaluronic acid.
The first thing I noticed when I took the mask out of the packet was just how wet it was, it wasn't watery wet though, it felt thicker then that and almost slightly gel like. After doing my best Phantom Of The Opera impression for around 15 minute I removed the mask to find a layer of almost serum like liquid on my face. It was pretty easy to massage into the skin though and it didn't take too long to absorb. In fact there was so much extra liquid left over both on the mask itself and in the packet that I massaged the excess over my neck, decolletage, and even on my hands. Once it had absorbed my skin looked brighter, and felt smoother, plumper, and crammed full of moisture without feeling oily. I've tried quite a few sheet masks now and this is before the best I've tried in terms of feel and in terms of noticeable results. It may be a coincidence but in the days after I'd used it a few people commented on just how clear my skin looked, and how well rested I looked, despite the fact that I certainly didn't feel it! It's not the cheapest mask at £5.49 for one application but I was so pleased with the results that I'm definitely considering buying this one again, if you fancy giving it ago yourself, you can get it in Superdrug.
3. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - 250ml
Now nail polish remover isn't the most exciting of beauty products, but if you love your nail polish as much as I do it's an essential x It's acetone free, it's not drying on the nails, it doesn't smell horrible, it's cheap and it works, in fact I love it so much that I actually class it as one of my holy grail products - you can find out exactly why I love it so much in this post from 2011! The product is still exactly the same and it's still just £1.39 for 250ml - what is not to love? 4. The Body Shop Merry Cranberry Bath & Shower Gel - 250ml
Right I have no idea how old this product is but I'm sad to have finished - Every year I look forward to the Christmas collections from The Body Shop, and every year I pray that there will be something apple scented and something cranberry scented - in 2018 none of the scents made an appearance so for the first time in many, many years I didn't buy anything festive from The Body Shop. To be fair I didn't need anything but still it was a slightly strange feeling. Merry Cranberry was one of my favourite festive scents in recent (or maybe not so recent) years, the sweet, tart fruity scent was a delight to the senses and this was a shower gel that I really enjoyed using - Something makes me thing I have a few more cranberry inspired bottles tucked away so I'm going to dig those out and enjoy using them, and again I live in hope that 2019 will see the return of some of my favourite festive scents from The Body Shop 5. NIVEA Caring Shower Gel Love Sunshine - 250ml*
From something old to something a lot more recent, and this summer scented shower gel from NIVEA. I was sent this product last summer to try and it really was summer in a bottle x You can read my full review here x 6. Primark PS Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Yawn, you're probably sick of hearing about this stuff - I seem to have talked about in pretty much every other Trimming My Stash post in 2017 and 2018. Briefly it's cheap, and it works wonders, for just £1 a bottle it's a skin and nail saviour at this time of year buy it you will not be disappointed!!
7. Primark PS... Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Since I bought these Primark's face wipe range has been completely overhauled and repackaged so I honestly don't know if these wipes are still in existence. I think I picked these up once when I couldn't get the tea tree ones, and I have to say they weren't half bad - Yes I know cleansing wipes aren't good for you but in an emergency, be that a real one or laziness these were decent, they weren't quite wet enough for me but they removed make up, and grime without leaving the skin red or dry or irritated - you can't ask for anymore than that. So all in all, not too bad an end to 2018, but how did I do over the course of the whole year? and just how many beauty products did I manage to finish? Well let's see...
January - 4 Items February - 6 Items March - 6 Items April - 5 Items May - 11 Items June - 4 Items July - 3 Items August - 6 Items September - 7 Items October - 10 Items November - 3 Items December - 7 Items Total - 72 Items
Over the course of 2018, I managed to finish 72 beauty products, which isn't too bad. Although I'm a long way off matching 2016's total of 91, I managed to finish 2 items more than I did in 2017, so any improvement has to be seen as a win. I'm not resting on my laurels though, this is an ongoing thing, and like everything else I'm learning a few lessons on the way. The first one of course being, why on earth did I buy so much stuff in the first place!!! Whether I was trying to keeping up with Jones's or other bloggers, or I thought that I was getting a bargain, or was it because I needed a little treat to cheer myself up? Who knows? It's taken a while but I've definitely realised that I either need to be a little bit more selective in my shopping, or I need to cut down on the shopping thing altogether - hmmm a tough one that but as needs and bathroom cupboards must I guess - so for 2019 my mantra is buy less, and wear and use more x Again I'll be documenting all my trimming my stash ups and downs for you right here on my blog and if you're doing something similar I'd love to hear why, what your motivations are ? and any hints, tips or suggestions that you have for making 2019 the best year yet. I'd also love to hear from you if you're are doing Project 10 Pan this year, I've been debating for quite some time over whether or not to do it again, and I'm starting to think that this that it may be time x Let me know your thoughts, and I will see you soon with a video and a little announcement, and a very late post sharing days 13 - 25 of the Glossybox All I Want Advent Calendar x
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