Trimming My Stash - October 2021 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, And An Update*

Bonjour mes amis! I disappeared again didn't I! Sorry! My COVID booster knocked me for 6 for a few days, and then I came down with a stinking cold! Urgh! Never mind though, although I haven't been that visible on social media, and on the blog lately, I have been busy prepping blog posts for you, so fingers crossed you'll have lots of content to keep you busy in the run up to Christmas and beyond! 

Today I've got a little empties post for you, and after a pretty amazing 4 months, in October I came back down to earth with a bit of a bump!

The Body Shop Drops Of Youth - Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask - 1 x 21ml Sheet Mask
Sunday Rain Rejuvenating Body Scrub Acai Berry - 265g
Primark Alex Steinherr Pore Balance Blemish Rescue Stickers - 22 Stickers
John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml

Total - 4 Items

Yes, after four months of finishing 10 or more items in a month, in October I only managed to finish a pretty measly 4 products, but hey they all count don't they. Not a very exciting mix this time round but a few nice bits, and some things that I will definitely repurchase.

1. The Body Shop Drops Of Youth - Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask - 1 x 21ml Sheet Mask

First up a face mask, and this one was a free gift that came with my autumnal Vanilla Pumpkin haul from The Body Shop.

From their popular Drops Of Youth range, this biodegradable sheet mask contains a high concentration of their trademarked Drops of Youth ingredient. 99% of the ingredients in this mask are of natural origin, and include edelweiss, criste marine, and sea holly plant stem cells, as well as community fair trade moringa oil from Rwanda.

Designed to fresh, smooth, awaken and plump the skin, this was a really good quality mask, it was nice and thick and as a result it was really easy to unfold.

It felt really wet, but instead of a thin water like texture it felt more like a slightly oily serum, with a sweet, green herbal scent, that reminded me a bit of geranium or rose geranium essential oil.

Before

On application the mask immediately felt quite cooling on the skin, but like most sheet masks it warmed up on contact with the skin and it gradually seemed to dry out as my skin started to absorb the serum. I did feel a slight tingling sensation at first but it wasn't extreme or uncomfortable.

On Application

My skin really seemed to like this mask, and it seemed to really absorb the serum, so when I took it off there wasn't too much excess product left on my face, but as per the instructions I massaged the odd patch of leftover serum into my skin. My face felt a touch sticky but that quickly subsided leaving my skin just a touch softer and smoother.

To be fair though this mask isn't really about changing the texture of your skin, this mask is really about changing how it looks, and although you can't really see much in these pictures, in real life my skin definitely looked more hydrated and refreshed, which was exactly what that mask promised to do.

After

I have to say I really liked this mask, although I don't think it's something that I would use all the time, I would definitely use it again if I felt my skin needed a boost.

The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask retails at around £5

2. Sunday Rain Rejuvenating Body Scrub Acai Berry - 265g

Next up a body scrub, and it's another one from Sunday Rain. I've used a few different scrubs from vegan body care brand Sunday Rain now and so far so good. Their body exfoliators seem to fall into two categories, their exfoliating cubes (You can read my thoughts on the charcoal ones here), and their more traditional style scrubs like the Mango + Coconut Polishing Scrub.

This Rejuvenating Acai Berry Body Scrub falls into the second category. Containing acai berry extract which is rich in Vitamin C, and natural sugar, this pale pink scrub is very similar texture wise to the Mango + Coconut scrub. It felt quite damp, and it contained small but present grains of sugar. It wasn't the scrubbiest or strongest of scrubs, but it did the job, it was easy to massage into the skin, and even though it's pretty gentle, you can really feel it working.

What I liked most about this scrub thought, was the fact that it turns into almost a creamy milk on contact with water, it was really easy to rinse away, mess free and it left my skin feeling lovely and soft and smooth.

As much as I liked the Mango + Coconut scrub, I think I actually like this one more, I loved the subtle, sweet fruity scent and who doesn't love a bit of pink in their bathroom! I will definitely consider buying this one again. If you fancy trying it for yourself then you can buy if from a variety of retailers including ASOS, Superdrug and Beauty Bay for around £6.

3. Primark Alex Steinherr Pore Balance Blemish Rescue Stickers - 22 Stickers

When it comes to Primark hauls this year has been a pretty barren one. Thanks to lockdown and ill health, I can count the number of times that I've been to Primark this year on one hand!

Have I missed it? Well yes and no! I've missed the freedom of real shops, and hunting for gems amongst the racks, but again it's really showed me that I can live without buying so much stuff. I have more than enough shoes and clothes, and more than enough beauty and make up products to last me a life time!

My buying and spending habits have got to change, and in 2022, they're going to with the return of Project 10 Pan, and the introduction of a spending diet or two. Obviously more on that to come, but before that I actually have a Primark visit planned for this week, so it's going to be one last hurrah, and whilst I'm there I'm definitely going to see if I can find another packet of these.

It's been so long since I've been to Primark that I don't even know whether or not they still stock the Alex Steinherr beauty collaboration, but if they do these are well worth picking up. Yes, you can get cuter shaped ones, but since you wear that overnight who really sees you wearing them? These were basically circular, velum like stickers that were infused with tea tree and salicylic acid, and were designed to help clear redness, reduce inflammation, and fight blemishes.

Perfect for individual and one off spots, making sure your skin is clean and dry, you stick a patch to the offending spot, head to bed and let it do its thing overnight. The next morning it will have gone one of two ways, your spot will be less red, and less obvious, or in some cases it may actually by bigger, and I'm sorry if this is too much information, it may have already burst or it may be ready to burst or to pop. You might need to apply them a couple of nights in a row for really stubborn spots, but either way my spots definitely didn't last as long and didn't look as angry when I used these patches. They really did what they promised and unlike some other similar patches that I've tried they didn't sting and they actually stayed put over night.

Obviously these patches aren't really for you if you have a lot of spots or acne, but if like me you get the odd hormonal spot, these patches can really help clear them up more quickly.

For just £3 for 22 patches I would definitely buy these ones again if I could, in the meantime though I have some similar patches from Korean inspired skincare brand Oh K! to use, so I'll keep you posted as to how I get one with those ones.

4. John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner - 250ml

First up an apology, I'm sorry that you can only see half of an empty tube here but Mummy Lou got to it first, and I only just managed to retrieve half of it from the recycling bin!

A couple of months ago now I changed my hair colour again, going for a slightly more natural looking brown shade at the roots, and going from a redder shade from the mid lengths to the ends.

I love red on my hair but it fades so quickly that you really need to use some specialist products to give it a fighting chance of sticking around. One of my favourite specialist red hair ranges is the John Frieda Radiant Red range, and you can read my thoughts on this particular product here. I really like this conditioner and I will definitely repurchase it again in the future, even though I'm currently loving the TREsemme Colour Enhancing Hair Mask in Warm Red, which in my opinion is even better for enhancing red hair.

The John Frieda Radiant Red Red Boosting Conditioner has an RRP of around £6.99 for 250ml tube, and is available from various retailers including Boots, Feel Unique, Tesco and ASDA.

So they were my October empties, there weren't many of them but November's total as you can see 👉 (post coming soon!) was a little bit better, and here's hoping I can end 2021 on a high and boost my yearly total in December. Again if you have any questions please leave me a comment below, and if you've left me a comment in the last month, all comments (not spam though!) will be approved and responded to later this week x 

Thanks for reading and I'll see you later this week with a Glossybox unboxing x 

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

AD / Press Sample - Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir - A True Skin Saviour!* **

When it comes to my skin, I have to say that I think I'm fairly lucky. Yes, I had a bit of acne when I was in my teens, and I still bemoan my oily t-zone skin and large pores, and the occasional dry flaky patch, but overall I think I'm pretty luck to have escaped the major skin issues that so many people face on a daily basis. My mum is her seventies now and her skin is amazingly smooth and supple for her age so I'm hoping upon hope, that I've inherited her good skin genes.

Skin isn't just about genetics though, so many things can affect how our skin behaves from diet, to health, to lifestyle, to skin care products and of course that old chestnut, hormones. For many years my skins been pretty stable, but earlier this year I made the decision to stop taking the contraceptive pill. Within a matter of months, the hormonal breakouts of my teenage years returned with a vengeance, and my chin was scattered with a horrible, sore spots and bumps.

Concealer became my best friend, and spot killing and drawing products again became part of my skincare regime, and at that point I was willing to try anything to get my skin back to normal. Around that time I was given the opportunity to try out a new skincare product, that already counts the Duchess Of Cambridge, Emma Watson, Rita Ora, and Iggy Azalea as fans, I was hesitant at first for reasons that I'll come on to but when I read a little bit more about it I decided to give it a go.

Beauty Sleep Elixir is the first product to be released from new British company Beuti Skincare, whose aim is to provide effective, natural, animal friendly skincare products without any irritants or unnecessary chemicals. All of their ingredients are natural and organic where possible. The Beauty Sleep Elixir is in essence a multi functional product that acts as both a complexion booster and as an anti inflammatory and anti ageing facial oil.

In case you haven't guessed already the oil factor was what I was initially scared of. When you have oily skin like I do the whole oil thing can be quite scary, I always used to think that adding oil to oily skin would make it more oily but in reality that isn't how it works, oils can actually help to hydrate and balance an oily skin.

There are facial oils though and there are facial oils, and this 100% natural Beauty Sleep Elixir definitely falls into the latter category. Beuti carefully blend together a mixture of 14, yes 14! plant based oils, including camellia, chia seed, bitter cherry seed, strawberry seed, pomegranate seed, blueberry seed, cranberry seed, raspberry seed, sea buckthorn, sandalwood, lavender, geranium, neroli, and coconut.

This combination of oils was carefully chosen after years of research to tackle the very technical sounding inflammaging. In it's simplest terms this is inflammation of the skin due to pollution, sun exposure, general stresses and using the wrong skincare products, that can lead to the ageing of the skin. 

The Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir provides the skin which a huge vitamin and mineral boost, that can help to reduce any inflammation on the skin and improve general skin tone, and ultimately help the skin to renew and repair itself while you sleep. 

Once I'd got over my initial hesitancy because of the oil texture I couldn't wait to give this a try. At the time I was looking for a solution to my uncomfortable, irritated, and inflamed skin, and I really wanted this little bottle to do it's thing and save my skin...

This oil comes boxed and packaged in beautifully, shaped frosted glass style bottle. and unlike a lot of facial oils that tend to have a dropper type application, this Beuti Sleep Elixir has a nice and easy to use pump action dispenser.

You can use this oil in two ways but be far the best way and way it was intended to be used, is as a night treatment. All you need to do is apply a couple of drops onto clean, dry skin just before you go to bed. The oil is a beautiful deep amber in colour, and although it's quite runny, it has quite a viscous texture, and a little definitely goes a long way, 1 or 2 pumps, are more than enough for both my face, my neck and the backs of my hands! You can also use a couple of pumps during the day either on bare skin as I've been doing or if you have a drier skin you can also use it under your make up.

As soon as you dispense this oil and start patting it into the skin, the fragrance hits you! Given the list of plant oils, you would expect this oil to smell amazing and it does. I don't personally smell any of the fruitier notes, instead I can smell the lavender and geranium essential oils, which makes this oil perfect for bedtime, and perfect for getting you into a more restful frame of mind.

Immediately after application the skin does look very shiny, and it does feel quite oily especially on my t-zone, but give it about 5 minutes and it starts to absorb into the skin, immediately leaving the skin feeling softer and more comfortable. The name of this product is the Beauty Sleep Elixir and after you've had a good nights sleep, after using this product your skin also looks and feels as though it's had a good nights sleep as well.

I found that my skin felt a lot softer, the texture and tone had improved and my skin was actually left with a bit of a glow. I've been using this product for nearly 4 months now and during that time despite the trials and tribulations of life I've noticed a real difference in my skin, it looks brighter and more even, and touch lots of wood, the blemishes and spots seems to be under control. It could be down to changes in hormones, but this oils seemed to instantly calm and soothe the sore spots on my chin, and since I've started using it the spots don't seem to last as long or look as red and inflamed as they did before.

So what can I say about this product, well if you have skin of any type or texture you need to try it! My mum used for about a week on her drier, more mature skin and she loved the feel of the oil and the scent, and I've loved the effect on my oiler skin. For so many years I've avoided facial oils like the plague, but if they're done well like this one is then they really can make all the difference. The careful blend of natural ingredients and extracts meant that this oil has not only been able to hydrate and balance my skin but it's also been able to calm and soothe my breakouts and sore patches. I can't recommend this product highly enough and in this case if it's good enough for celebrities and royalty then it's certainly good enough for me too. To find out more about Beuti please check out their official website. The Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir retails at £47 for a 30ml bottle. It's available from their own website and from Harvey Nichols stores. It's currently showing as out of stock on Look Fantastic but they're expecting to restock later this week, get in there quick though if you can, as this oil usually sells out pretty quickly x If you have any questions please leave me a comment, and I'd love to know your thoughts on facial oils, are you a fan? let me know below x

*AD / Press Sample / Non Affiliate Links

** As Of 2020 The Packaging Has Changed

A Review Of The Incredible Face Mask By May Beauty*

Although I stressed constantly about my skin when I was younger, looking back on it I think I was pretty lucky. Yes, +I suffered from breakouts, an oily t-zone, and huge pores, but by and large I managed to escape the curse that is severe acne.

When you have spots and acne it affects every single aspect of your life, and although my skin wasn't that bad it did get me down at times and hamper my self confidence. One of the good things about getting older is that your skin changes and my skin now is probably the best it's ever been. That said, I do still get the odd breakout especially at the time of the month, and my pores? well they're still there and they're still obvious.

I don't think we're ever happy, are we? but if your skin is getting you down the are some things you can do to make it, and yourself feel a little bit better. A little while ago now I was given the opportunity to review a new face mask, you should know by now that I love face masks so I jumped at the chance to try something new.

The Incredible Face Mask from MayBeauty is a peel off mud mask that is designed especially for skin that is prone to spots, acne, blackheads and oiliness. This dermatologically tested, and animal friendly mask, contains dead sea mud, and glycerin, and claims to rejuvenate and deep cleanse the skin by removing the dead skin cells, and dirt particles, that clog the pores and cause spots.

Unusually for a skin care brand though MayBeauty are firm believers that skincare alone doesn't have all the answers. With every starter pack of the masks that you buy you also get a copy of their booklet, The Incredible Skin Guide which helps you to tackle some of the root causes of acne.

As well as giving you comprehensive instructions on how to use the masks and their benefits, the booklet also offers general skincare advice and advice on dietary changes that can work in conjunction with the masks to reduce spots, acne and breakouts. It features sections on foods that cause acne and foods that cure acne, as well as advice on useful supplements, and a section on sugar addiction.

It all makes sense really if you eat badly, and don't drink enough water, it's bound to show in your skin. I'm going to level with you here though, I haven't really stuck to the dietary advice, over the past few weeks I have been trying to eat more healthily but my experience here is going to be purely based on the mask, and what a mask it is!

You always know it's going to be a messy one when you get a mask brush with it, and that's exactly what comes in your starter pack. You get a lovely soft, white branded mask brush which is the complete opposite of the jet black mask!

Tear open your mask sachet and you're greeted with a pleasant, fresh smelling, sticky black liquid that resembles Marmite, all you do is apply it evenly over clean dry skin, avoiding the lips, eyes and eyebrows. I would also keep it away from your hairline, and if you're a guy I would shave before using this mask and I would avoid any areas of facial hair if you can - this stuff sticks! You also need to avoid any damaged, broken or inflamed skin and any areas of severe open acne.

I personally found it easier and a lot less messy to use the mask brush but you can use your fingers if you like. The brush washes out really easily in warm water, so just let it dry and your good to go next time you want to use it. You can also use warm water to wash away any of the mask that's gone astray.

Before

Then all you do is sit back for 30-45 minutes and relax. Because of the nature of the mask you can't use it in the bath but I used the opportunity to lie back, relax and take some time out. You can gradually feel the mask tightening and in time it will look less shiny and will feel drier to the touch. It does take a while but you need to wait until the mask is completely dry and set.

After 

I'm not going to lie with this mask the adhesion is strong, so this best way I've found to remove it is to wiggle you nose, and move your face around till it loosens a bit like you can see below.

Then like a wax strip peel the mask off. I going to be honest here and say that this did make my skin tingle - the mask clings to every little facial hair, so the best thing to do is just to pull it off as quickly as possible. As you can see my mask came off in one piece but if you have any residue or any mask that didn't come loose than you can just remove it with water

As you can see from these photos, when you first remove the mask your skin does look a little bit pink, and it feels a little bit tingly, but splash your face with cool water and this dies off quite quickly. Afterwards your skin is left feeling very fresh, very clean and very smooth, and if you look closely at the mask you've removed it's a bit like those pore strips that everyone used to go mad over, you can actually see some of the gunk that the mask's removed.

I've been using this mask once a week for the last 5 weeks and I have to say I have noticed a difference in my skin. After my first use my skin did actually break out but with continued use my skin looks a lot clearer especially around my nose and chin, and my usual time of the month breakout was almost non existent.

If you have severe acne or really sensitive skin than I probably wouldn't recommend this mask but if you have skin like me and suffer from visible pores, congestion, oiliness, and breakouts, or you just feel as though your skin needs a deep clean, than this could be the mask for you, and it's definitely something that I'll buy x You can purchase The Incredible Face Mask directly from MayBeauty in a variety of configurations starting at just £19. Please let me know if you try it x I'd love to hear your thoughts x 

*Press Samples