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.

Trimming My Stash - March And April 2022 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A Little Personal Update* **

I can hardly believe that it's been nearly two months since I last posted anything on here, and I have to say that even for me that's a pretty long disappearing act, and for that I'm truly sorry!

So, what have I been up to? Well quite a bit, and at the same time not a lot! As well as celebrating my birthday by spending a little bit of quality time with my friends and family, I've also been lost in the hell that is PIP renewal, and yet more unpleasant health stuff! The gist of it is that I have another couple of diagnoses to add to my already long list of medical concerns; Thankfully nothing immediately life threatening, but there is one that I'm actually going to talk about in more detail later in this post, that can be pretty painful, and unpleasant, and the other one is something that my GP is going to have to keep a close eye on. As the old saying goes, it never rains but it pours, but as they also say knowledge is power, and thanks to knowing just exactly what's wrong now, I'm definitely in a much better place at least in my mind than I was say a month ago.

So here I am again, back with a renewed since of purpose and a slightly less messy brain, ready to talk about some fun, escapist stuff. Today I've got an empties post for you, and in the spirit of playing catch up again, I'm doubling up and today you've got a two for one, with both my March and April Trimming My Stash posts all condensed into one beauty filled bundle just for you.

Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Apple Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
Vitamasques Pearl Sheet Mask - 1 x Face Mask
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - Geranium & Neroli - 75ml
L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml
Moksha Beauty Advanced Salicylic Acid & Sulphur Scrub Soap Bar - 100g
Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes

Total - 7 Items 

After a pretty poor start to the year, like in February in March I managed to finish another 7 beauty products. It was quite a hair product focused list this time around, with a couple of other little bits including something which is now one of my bathroom staples, and a product that literally made my mouth water!

1. Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Apple Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

Although I still wish that we had stand alone Bath & Body Works stores here in the UK, I'm really enjoying having slightly easier access to at least some of their products in their range via both NEXT online, and my local NEXT Beauty store in the Metrocentre, although I'm not sure my bank manager would agree!

I've bought a couple of things in the last few months from them but my huge Bath & Body Works hauls happened primarily during the latter part of 2021, and I went mad for all of their fall and festive scents!

This particular fragrance, was I believe one of their fall scents, and I literally had to do everything in my power to stop myself from having a taste, it literally smelled so good! As you would probably expect Pumpkin Apple had a gorgeous sweet fruity scent, with just a hint of tartness and warming apple pie spices - mouthwatering!

To the best of my knowledge Bath & Body Works do two different types of hand wash / hand soap, and this is the Gentle Foaming version, so instead of dispensing a gel or liquid soap, this pump action bottle dispense a blob of creamy feeling, dense, whipped foam.

Unlike some hand washes on the market this one was all about luxury and it was surprisingly moisturising. A little went a long way, and it was easy to rinse away leaving the hands clean, soft, smooth and smelling amazing, Not the cheapest hand wash out there but in this case I think you get what you pay for and this one for me was well worth the money.

I don't know if this particular scent was available in anything other than hand care products (I talked about the matching hand cream in my February 2022 empties post x) but I'm really hoping that Bath & Body Works bring back this scent for autumn / winter 2022.

2. Vitamasques Pearl Sheet Mask - 1 x Face Mask

Next up a skincare product that I received in the September 2021 edition of Glossybox UK. Since last year (and maybe even this year - eek!) was a bit of a fail when it came to Glossybox unboxings I'm trying to dig out and use as many of the products as I can and review them for you, and since this one was a nice, quick and easy one to use and review, way back in March I thought I'd give it a try.

From Korean style mask specialist Vitamasques, come their Pearl Sheet Mask. Containing real pearl powder, chamomile, peony, and centella asiatica extract, this is an anti-inflammatory mask that is designed to brighten dull and tired skin, and to protect against redness .

The shell shaped packet contained a good quality, thick, white fibre sheet mask. The mask itself was very wet and despite how wet it was the quality meant that it was pretty easy to unfold. Over the years I've used a lot of sheet masks and let's be honest sometimes they don't always fit that well, sometimes the eye holes, etc. are just too big or small, or they're in the wrong place, but I have to say that for me the fit of this one was pretty much spot on, and I think I have quite a large head, so read into that one what you will ;)

Before 

Like most sheet masks, this one initially felt quite cool on application, but it slowly warmed up to body temperature. As I say it was quite wet in the packet, soaked with a water like, liquid serum, but thankfully my skin seemed to absorb quite a lot of the liquid, so there were very few drips.

On Application

As per the instructions I left it on for about 20 minutes before removing it. Despite how much liquid my skin seemed to absorb there was still quite a bit of fluid left on my skin so it took quite a while to massage it in and for my skin to take it all in so my face remained quite sticky and damp for a good 10 to 15 minutes.

Immediately After Removal

After about 10 - 15 minutes my skin felt a touch smoother, and it also looked and felt more hydrated, less red, and it also seemed to have a slight sheen / glow to it. As time progressed my skin did feel a little bit oilier than usual but I love how it felt on my skin and how my skin looked afterwards. Throw in the biggest selling point for me which was the beautiful almost jasmine like white flower scent, and I would definitely consider buying this cruelty free mask again.

About 10 Minutes After Removal 

The Vitamasques Pearl Sheet Mask retails at around £4.99 and is available direct from Vitamasques. 

3. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - Geranium & Neroli - 75ml

 
From something new to something that you've seen me talk about in several posts, Philip Kingsley's famous Elasticizer, and if you either haven't read my previous posts or you haven't heard of this stuff, where have you been?

Originally developed for the goddess that was Audrey Hepburn, Elasticizer to put it simply is an intensive hair conditioner that strengthens and revitalises the hair in just one use.

Apply a generous amount to damp hair, and leave it for at least 20 minutes but you can leave it on for pretty much as long as you want. My mam often leaves it on overnight, and at this time of year you can even pop it on before a beach trip for all day treatment and protection. Then all you do is just shampoo and condition your hair as normal and then voila! instantly softer, stronger better hair! Have a little search on the blog for Philip Kingsley Elasticizer and you'll find loads of posts where I sing its praises, it really is that good, and it's something that I will continue to buy and use.

This particular tube was a limited edition, and had a gorgeous aromatherapy like geranium scent, so it will probably be pretty difficult to find this particular one, but there are loads of other scents and sizes out there both on the high street and online from various retailers including direct from Philip Kingsley, Marks and Spencers, Feel Unique, Boots, Look Fantastic, John Lewis, and QVC UK.

4. L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

Next up, the second of 3 hair care products in March's countdown and again it's something that you've seen before, and it's something else that you will no doubt get tired of seeing again and again in future posts.

I'm still at a bit of a loss as to how exactly this water like substance works but I know that it does something that my hair appreciates. You can read my thoughts on this one in a bit more detail here, but again it's something that I'll continue to buy and use, in fact I've just finished another bottle. I will definitely continue to buy this one, but I've actually just bought the new Colour Protect version to try, so I've you've already tried it I'd love to hear your thoughts.

5. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml

Well I always knew that this day would come, and in mid March it finally arrived, and I finished my last product from the AVON Anti Hair Fall range!

Admittedly I still have a finishing product left, but still sad times - I've really enjoyed using both the shampoo and conditioner from this range, and whilst I do love the product that AVON replaced it with, I'll never forget that fruity, minty scent.

6. Moksha Beauty Advanced Salicylic Acid & Sulphur Scrub Soap Bar - 100g

Suffering from as many ailments as I do, you reach a point where you actually dread going to see a doctor or nurse about a new symptom or problem for fear of what it may lead to, so you put it to the back of your mind, and try to deal with it the best you can, until it either gets too much or like me in this case you have a few spare minutes at the end of an appointment.

For a few years now I've been getting the very painful spot like lumps mainly on my underarms and on the tops of my legs and thighs. They don't always behave like normal spots in that they don't always burst or come to a head, but they can be really uncomfortable, and embarrassing and they leave behind horrid dark, pigmented type scars when they eventually disappear.

I vaguely remember asking a doctor about them, only to be told it was either down to shaving or ingrown hairs, recently though I mentioned it to my new doctor, and at last I have a proper diagnosis - Hidradenitis Suppurativa. I've linked to the Wikipedia page so you can read a bit more about but it's basically caused by blocked sweat glands / hair follicles.

Alas there is no real cure for it, but there are things that you can do to reduce the lesions and lessen the discomfort. At the moment I have quite a mild case so my GP recommend that I use an acne type wash on the affected areas, and after a little bit of online research a few people talked about salicylic acid soaps.

From a UK based company Moksha Beauty, this cruelty free, vegetable based bar contains sulphur, salicylic acid, vitamin E and exfoliating poppy seeds. It's antibacterial and is designed for use both on the face and body.

It has a herbal like scent mixed up with the scent of freshly struck matches - not amazing but I do think it's helping. It leaves the skin quite taut when you first rinse it off but touch wood I haven't had quite as many spots since I started using it, and the lumps that I have had don't seem to have gotten quite so large or uncomfortable.

As I say nothing can cure it but if I can keep on top of it, without going the antibiotic, steroid or surgery route, that will do me just fine. If anyone has the condition and has any other tips or product recommendations though I'd love to hear them, especially if you've found anything that helps with the pigmentation and scarring!

The Moksha Beauty Advanced Salicylic Acid & Sulphur Scrub Soap Bar 100g retails at around £8.99 on Amazon UK and around £7.97 direct from Moksha Beauty.

7. Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes

The final item that I finished in March, was another one that you've seen before, the Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes. You can read my thoughts on these here and here. I do like these for that yucky time of the month, but they aren't something that I use everyday. They retail at around £2.25 a pack from Superdrug if you fancy trying them for yourself. I actually haven't been to Superdrug for anything in what seems like an age (or a proper shopping centre come to think of it), so I'm actually trying another brand of intimate wipes at the moment, and of course I'll let you know my thoughts on those ones in a future empties post x 

So they were the 7 items that I finished in March, but I said this was a double header, so just how did I do in April...

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Shower Gel - 250ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Softening Body Butter - 50ml
Berry Nice Body Scrub - 150ml
Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Shea Butter Hand Cream - 29ml
Derma V10 Gonk Printed Foot Pack - 1 x Treatment
Derma V10 Gonk Printed Sheet Mask - 1 x Treatment
The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel - 250ml

Total - 8 Items 

Well in April, I managed to go one better and I managed to finish 8 beauty products, making April my best month of 2022 so far. Again I managed to use up a good assortment of products including some fun things, and a couple of gold standard items.

1. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips *

First up on April's list is new ish product to me that's quickly achieved holy grail status in LouLouLand, and it's the second pack of Jolen Face Wax Strips that I was sent a little while ago to review. You can read my full review here, and whilst this was the last packet that I was sent, you will definitely see these again in a future post, because I loved them so much that I went out and bought another 4 boxes! That's commit and dedication for you ;)!

2. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Shower Gel - 250ml

3. The Body Shop Juicy Pear Softening Body Butter - 50ml

Next up a double header, with 2 products from one of my favourite festive ranges from The Body Shop in recent years, Juicy Pear. 

These two products really were the perfect combo, a non drying, gently foaming shower gel, and a lovely creamy, nourishing body butter with an amazing sweet yet tart sugary pear scent - In my opinion this scent wasn't just for Christmas, it was a scent that worked equally well in the summer months. I think I might have a couple of Juicy Pear bits left here and there but I'm not too worried about using them up, because I have a whole load of products from the Christmas 2021 Kindness & Pears range which smells exactly the same and it might be a little bit easier for you to track down either in  The Body Shop outlet stores, or on the secondary market.

4. Berry Nice Body Scrub - 150ml

If you're a regular reader of this blog then you'll know that there are 2 things that I particularly love - body scrubs and bargains, and this next product combines both of those things.

I can't remember exactly how much this particular scrub was but I know it was reduced and I know that I picked it up in Poundland.

Officially described as a blueberry body scrub, this densely packed scrub had a sort of blue raspberry scent. If you've ever had a blue slush puppy then that's exactly what this smelled like, slightly synthetically sweet, with a touch of pleasant sourness to it. I really wish I'd taken a picture of the scrub itself for you because the colour was something else, it was a deep, cool almost turquoise blue colour.

I'm not sure if it was a salt or sugar based or even a combination of the two but it had a nice scrubby feel to it, with the added bonus, that it temporarily made you look like a smurf! Thankfully the scrub and the blue colour rinsed away pretty easily leaving no residue behind just soft and smooth skin. For the price whatever it was, I actually really liked this scrub, I loved the slightly retro scent, it was fun to use, and it did everything that you'd want it to.

Given the high turnover of products in Poundland, I would suspect that this particular product will now be quite difficult to find, but if I did see it again, I'd definitely pick up another pot or two.

5. Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple Shea Butter Hand Cream - 29ml

Next up a slightly more expensive product and it's another item from one of Bath & Body Works fall and festive ranges. I've been buying (all be it with difficulty!) products from Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple range for well over 15 years now, and there is a reason why this scent keeps coming back year after year.

This scent for me is something special - a spicy, sweet fruity combination of red apples, winter rose, candied orange, cinnamon and maple - it's perfect for the festive season and beyond.

Team that beautiful scent with Bath & Body Works signature shea butter filled hand cream formula, that sinks in really quickly for such a rich product, and leaves the hands super soft and protected, and for me it's a winner.

Seeing as this is a seasonal scent it's probably only available on the secondary market at the moment, but fingers crossed it comes back into stores for the 2022 holiday season.

6. Derma V10 Gonk Printed Foot Pack - 1 x Treatment

Something else that I missed on the blog this year is Easter. I ate way too much chocolate, I made my Creme Egg Cheesecake, and I tried out a couple of Easter themed pampering treats. Both come from Derma V10 and both were bargain £1 from Poundland. First up feet and I tried this pair of Easter themed gonk moisturising socks.

Containing passion flower, sugar cane, pineapple, red grape, lemon and olive oil extracts, these were basically fibre lined plastic bootees, that were filled with a slightly sweet smelling, milky water like serum.

Really simple to use, all you do is pop them onto your feet and chill for around 20 minutes or so, before removing them and massaging the copious amounts of leftover serum into your feet.

Like the Christmas themed socks that I tried way back in December I was pretty impressed with these socks for the price. My feet looked noticeably less dry and they felt really soft and smooth. It's a shame these ones were a limited edition but there are some similar foot packs in the permanent or at least more widely available Derma V10 range so I might give one of those a try in the future.

7. Derma V10 Gonk Printed Sheet Mask - 1 x Treatment

Just like at Christmas Derma V10, and Poundland also did a matching Easter themed sheet mask. Featuring an orange and pink Easter bunny gonk design, this mask contained hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and prickly pear extract, as well as liquorice root, rosemary and aloe vera, this 20 minute mask was designed to moisturise the skin and to leave it smooth and hydrated.

Immediately on opening the packet you could smell a sweet, but subtle watermelon scent. The mask itself was damp but it wasn't the wettest mask that I've ever used but it was of a decent quality so it was pretty easy to unfold.

Like most sheet masks it initially felt quite cool on the skin but it quickly warmed up to body temperature. The instructions said to leave it on for 20 minutes but I only ended up leaving it on for about 15 minutes, as it started to feel quite dry to the touch.

There was a little bit of excess serum left on my skin, which as per the instructions I massaged into my face. My skin felt a touch tacky at first but after a few minutes my skin felt dewy and hydrated, and it looked fresher and as though I'd just applied some moisturiser. It seemed to be just what my skin needed after copious amounts of chocolate! Alas like the foot mask this one was also a limited edition but as I say I'll definitely be taking a closer look at some of the other products in the Derma V10 range.

8. The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel - 250ml

Finally another product from The Body Shop, and I've got to say that I'm a little bit embarrassed to show you this one, because this product has to be be from at least 7 years ago!

Originally released as part of their Christmas 2014 offerings The Body Shop Vanilla Brulee collection was another one of my all time favourite festive ranges. With fair trade vanilla extract and honey, this gorgeous custard like, creamy, foaming shower gel, had a lovely warm, spicy, almost caramel like sugary vanilla scent, that stayed the same right up to the very last drop in the bottle.

This range is obviously long gone now but I'd love to see a similar scent again this year, fingers crossed.

So all in all 2 pretty good months, and a good mixture of products to boot. Obviously May's already been and gone now (My May empties post will be up soon!) so fingers crossed I can finish June on a high. As per usual if you have any questions or comments please let me know, and thank you again for your patience and your continued support. In my absence I hit 1.8 million all time page views which is totally insane. Thank you so much, you don't know how much it means to me knowing that people still take time out of their day to visit my little spot on the internet, it's still crazy to me and I'm forever grateful xx

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