Trimming My Stash - February 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews* **

 Hi Guys x  I hope you all had a good long weekend and I hope that you haven't eaten too much chocolate ;) As well as chilling, spending time with friends and family, watching football and obviously gorging myself on chocolate and cheesecake, over the last few days I've managed to do quite a bit of blog prep, so I've got lots of content coming up for you including some beauty and lifestyle reviews, and the return of my Luscious Lips series! First up though it's time to take a trip back to February for the 2022 edition of Trimming My Stash.

Derma V10 Exfoliating Foot Peel Tea Tree & Peppermint - 1 x Treatment
MAD Beauty Ginger Snap Cranberry Hand Cream - 30ml
AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo - 250ml
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g
Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - Acetone Free - 200ml
Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Apple Shea Butter Hand Cream - 29ml
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips*

Total - 7 Items

After the disappointment of January's miserly total of 3 products, February was a much more successful month and I managed to finish a pretty respectable 7 items. I didn't really finish anything that exciting though just a few much loved and holy grail products, and a few festive thing, one of which really confused, but more on that later..

1. Derma V10 Exfoliating Foot Peel Tea Tree & Peppermint - 1 x Treatment

Strangely enough the first product in February's countdown was something that I also used and finished in February 2021. Total coincidence and not planned at all, but maybe February is the month when you first look down and see the state of feet that have been incased in socks and boots all winter - bleurgh!

My feet were pretty gross if I'm being honest, very dry, with flaky bits and cracked heels, and whilst my heels still need a bit of extra work, this foot pack has really improved the feel and appearance of my feet without a great deal of effort.

You can read a full review of them here if you're interested x Something to keep in mind though - don't use this immediately before a holiday, an event, or any occasion where you need to have your feet on show, because the dead skin will literally peel off them for WEEKS! This time around the peeling phase lasted for around 6 weeks! It looks disgusting with bits of skin flaking off with every step (sorry if that's a bit TMI), but if you have dry skin on your feet and a bit of spare time to flake and peel, then these socks are a really easy way of getting rid of it.

I've just actually bought a new packet, and the packaging has recently changed but you can usually pick these up for about a £1 from various retailers including Poundland, Savers, Wilko, The Range and Home Bargains.

2. MAD Beauty Ginger Snap Cranberry Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up the product that confused me ! I received this hand cream, and a lovely candy cane shaped nail file from my friend Helen for Christmas, and give the words 'Ginger Snap' printed in large type on the front of the tube, and the pictures of a gingerbread house, I expected this hand cream to smell like gingerbread, but look a bit further down the tube and in smaller type it says "Cranberry Hand Cream". If I'm being honest it doesn't take a lot to confuse me at time but mind blown! LOL!

Anyways despite my initial surprise that it didn't smell of cookies or baking, it did indeed have a lovely, tart, fruity cranberry type scent that reminded of some of The Body Shop's old festive cranberry scents.

Containing shea butter, this slightly off white cream, had a lovely rich and creamy texture. A little went a long way, and it absorbed pretty quickly leaving the hand feeling smooth and hydrated, with a slightly matte finish.

Whilst there are other hand creams in the MAD Beauty range, this one appears to have been a limited edition Christmas product, which is a shame because I love the scent and the texture.

3. AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo - 250ml

One of my biggest gripes with the beauty industry and with AVON in particular is that they keep discontinuing things! There really is nothing worse than when you fall in love with a product or 
a shade and then with no warning the brand or the product that you love disappears into the ether! 

Well I was recently looking for something in my unopened beauty stash, and I discovered several products from the AVON Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil range - a line that surprisingly now been discontinued.

The first product that I finished from the range was the shampoo. Designed for all hair types but especially for dry hair, this shampoo contained Argan oil, Pro Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E, and was designed to moisturise the hair and leave it feeling smooth, silky and detangled.

With a gorgeous fresh, fruity scent, this shampoo was pearlised white in colour and had quite a thick rich texture. It foamed up really well, rinsed away easily, and left my hair feeling smoother, and less dry.

Thankfully I love all of the shampoos that I've tried from the AVON Advance Techniques range, and this one was no different. I really can't recommend the Advance Techniques range enough for quality, performance and for value for money and whilst it's great that I like the new products in the range I just wish they would stop discontinuing things.

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

Next up a product that you've seen before and that you'll more than likely continue to keep seeing on this blog! I don't think that I'll ever stop buying and trying new body scrubs, but whilst this one is still available and I can afford it, I'll continue to buy it. It might be a little bit scratchy for some people but for me it's perfect - you can read my full review here. If you're a bit wary about trying Beauty Pie, honestly give it a try, you have nothing to lose. I've been really impressed with most of the stuff that I've tried. I'll be sharing a few reviews with you soon but in the meantime if you're interested in finding out more about Beauty Pie for yourself then please click on my link to find out more x 

5. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - Acetone Free - 200ml

Although the packaging has changed several times in the intervening years this next product itself hasn't really changed at all and it's probably been on my most bought beauty products over the last 10 years or so.

It's acetone free, it contains Vitamin E, and aloe vera, it's cruelty free, and for a nail polish remover it actually doesn't smell too bad, on and it works on even the most stubborn of polishes. You can read a full review here.

For a decent nail polish remover it's also really affordable retailing at just £1.99 for a 200ml bottle, and if you know anything about Superdrug you'll know that they love a special offer, and this particular polish remover is currently on a buy one, get one half price offer. I've already got a couple of bottles on standby and it's another product that I'll continue to use for as long as it's available, even though I seem to spend more time removing nail strengthener, and toe nail polish, than I do the polish on my finger nails.

6. Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Apple Shea Butter Hand Cream - 29ml

Next up another hand and nail related product, and it's another hand cream, this time from Bath & Body Works. From their fall / holiday range, I bought this hand cream, and the matching hand soap from NEXT Beauty and had I known better I would definitely have bought some back ups!

The smell of this hand cream was just so damn mouthwatering, it had a gorgeous spicy fruity scent. With apple and vanilla, and the warm spicy notes and cinnamon and clove , it took all of my willpower not to taste it! 

Containing shea butter, this ivory coloured cream, had a gorgeous thick and buttery texture. Despite the richness and thick feel it actually absorbed into the skin really quickly and left my hands feeling smooth, protected and moisturised, but not sticky or tacky, making it a perfect hand cream for the colder months.

I've only tried a few of the Bath & Body Works hand creams (My Mam loves the Rose one), but I'm so impressed with texture, the moisturising benefits, and the scents. The one drawback is the UK pricing with an average 29ml hand cream retailing at around £8. Alas this fragrance I believe was a limited edition but my fingers are tightly crossed that it will make a triumphant return later on in 2022, and believe me I will be buying a few back ups this time ;)

7. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips**

Finally another product that you've seen before, and whilst this one is quite a new one to me it's something that I will definitely be repurchasing.

For the last 12 months or so I've came to rely on the cheap as chips Nair Facial Wax Strips that I used to pick up on every Poundland trip, but then I was kindly sent 2 boxes of these babies, and it was love at first rip! You can read my full review here x I think fate really has played its part here though as my local Poundland no longer seems to stock the Nair strips, so I now have a ready replacement, and since these ones are the same price I have no complaints.

February was a definite improvement on January's pretty dismal total of 3 products, so overall I'm pretty pleased to have finish 7 items in February and maybe in March as well ;) My March empties posts will be up soon, but in the meantime you can keep track of how I'm doing in the sidebar and if you have any questions or any of the products that I've mentioned in this post then please leave me your thoughts in the comments section below x

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

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Trimming My Stash - April 2021 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, And A Life Update*

Well, I'm playing some serious catch up now aren't I? When you're already ridiculously behind with something though, in the wider scheme of things, does another week or so really matter? In all seriousness though I had throughly prepped this post, and I'd planned to get it up last week, but if you follow me on any of my other social media channels, then you'll already know that my mam was rushed into hospital a week past Monday with an infection. Thankfully she was discharged on Saturday, but she took a turn for the worst again yesterday, she's feeling a little bit brighter today but all I can say is thank heavens for the NHS.

So that's where I'm at at the moment, I'm tired and more than a little bit stressed, and whilst I obviously have more important things on my mind than blogging - I need a distraction, I've already eaten pretty the contents of the fridge, and I may have placed a few online orders, so in order to protect my wallet and my waistline, I thought I'd try and play catch up, and share my April beauty empties post with you x 
 

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream - 30ml
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic -100ml
The Body Shop Juicy Pear Shower Gel - 250ml
Rituals The Ritual Of Ayurveda Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Soothing Hand Balm - 70ml
Essence Instant Matt Make-Up Setting Spray - 50ml
Balance Me Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash - 125ml**
Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalising Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

Total - 7 Items

All is all, al least empties wise, 2021 hasn't started off too badly. In January, February, and March I finished a combined total of 18 items, and whilst it wasn't my best month of the year so far, in April I managed to add another 7 items to that total. Like so many of my empties posts lately this one is a bit of a cop out, as I seem to have talked about most of the products on it on the blog before. That's just the way it is sometimes though when you've been blogging as long as I have, and I still pretty happy to have finished another 7 skin and body care products

1. The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream - 30ml

Whilst operation nail growth is still ongoing, I've suffered a bit of setback in my attempt to restore my natural nails to their former glory, but it was entirely my own fault. I decided that I wanted to have nice nails for my birthday back in May, so I bought a set of false nails from Poundland, and if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that they looked pretty fantastic. The only trouble with any type of fake nail is that you need to stick on them, and whilst these Poundland ones were pretty amazing and lasted nearly 3 weeks, the glue and the removal process didn't really do my natural nails any favours.

Despite that and a few cleaning related breakages I'm keeping at it, and I'm still going through hand creams and cuticle oils like they are going out of fashion, and way back in April I finished this hand cream from The Body Shop's popular Wild Argan range.

I originally got this product in the 2019 Glossybox Advent Calendar and you can read a full review of it here x I really enjoyed using this hand cream, and I loved the surprisingly floral scent, and I would definitely consider buying it again. This full 30ml sized cream now retails at £5.50.

2. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic -100ml

Next, on this list is a skincare product, and it goes without saying that it's another product that I've talked about before. Although it's never achieved the glory of having a post all to itself, it has appeared in numerous empties posts over the last few years.

Containing glycolic acid, and kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts, this slightly masculine / aftershave scented toner is perfect for smoothing the skin, drying out blemishes, and adding a bit of a glow to the skin. 

I've used countless bottles of this stuff (have a little search if you don't believe me ;) and it's something that I will continue to use and buy x 

The Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner comes in a 100ml bottle which retails at £6.99. It also comes in a 300ml bottle that retails at around £11.99. As with so many products in Superdrug though it tends to be on offer quite a lot so it worth stocking up when you can - at the time of writing the products in the range are on buy one, get one free.

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

Now, although I'm not sure that I've talked about this next product before, I have talked at length about The Body Shop's Juicy Pear festive range in the past. I'm already a huge fan of The Body Shop's shower gel formulation, and teamed up with the sweet, yet tart, fruity scent which contained real Italian pear extract, it was another winner.

I have another couple of bottles to use up, but I'm really hoping that this scent makes another appearance in 2021's Christmas range.

4. Rituals The Ritual Of Ayurveda Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Soothing Hand Balm - 70ml

Next up another hand cream, and it's something else that you've seen before back in 2019. This gorgeous hand balm from Rituals, came in the November 2019 edition of Glossybox UK. You can read a full review here, but it is safe to say that I really liked this product. It was lovely and rich, yet it absorbed really quickly into the skin, leaving the hands super smooth and protected. The smell was a bit strong and it did linger quite a bit, but personally I loved it. This full sized hand balm retails at around £9.90 direct from Rituals, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, NEXT Beauty and John Lewis.

5. Essence Instant Matt Make-Up Setting Spray - 50ml

Is it a skincare product or is it a make up item - I have no idea really but since it's something I only use when I'm wearing a full face of make up, I'm checking this product off as a make up item :)

Whatever you term it as, I received this particular product in the March 2019 edition of, you've guessed it Glossybox UK. What it is, is basically a mattifying and setting spray, that's designed to eradicate shine, and to help your make up last longer, and look better for longer.

I often question whether these sprays actually do anything, but as someone with a very shiny t-zone, who has trouble keeping make up in place, this certainly seemed to do something. Like all facial / setting sprays, it initially felt quite cool on the skin. It felt quite wet but the spray quickly absorbed or evaporated? leaving a visible matte finish.

I don't think that I am ever going to find a product that helps my make up stay completely put, and shine free but this certainly made a difference all be it in the short term. Despite a couple of drawbacks (the plasticy scent and the small sized bottle) I would definitely consider buying this again.

The Essence Instant Matt Make Up Setting Spray comes in 50ml bottle and retails between £2.99 - £3 from various retails including Feel Unique, Just My Look, and Wilko.

6. Balance Me Daily Essentials Pure Skin Face Wash - 125ml **

I'm almost embarrassed to talk about this next product because it's so old! I first used this back in 2014 when I was sent it to review from natural beauty store My Pure. I used the majority of it and then it got pushed to the back of the drawer, until I rediscovered it early this year and decided to finish up the dregs in the bottom of the tube.

You can read a full review of it here x Alas My Pure don't seem to stock this particular product any more, and it no longer seems to exist in this format and in this packaging. Balance Me still produce a Pure Skin Face Wash that sounds very similar and retails at around £16 for a 125ml tube from various retailers including direct from Balance Me, NEXT Beauty, and Look Fantastic. 

7. Cuccio Naturale Professional Manicure Cuticle Revitalising Oil With White Limetta & Aloe Vera - 75ml

The final item on April's list is another hand and nail based product, and it's a cuticle oil from Cuccio. I've already talked about this product in the wee 3.7ml baby size in my August 2020 empties, but this is the big daddy, 75ml salon size, which comes in an angled glass bottle, so you can get ever last drop out with the rubber and glass dropper.

It is a really nice cuticle oil and I love the almost mojito like mint, and citrus scent. I'm currently using this particular oil, and size in another scent but I will definitely buy this particular scent again.

So there you have it, my late April empties post! Apologies again for the delay and as per usual if you have any questions please leave me a comment below x Next up, I've got a little Primark haul for you, and then I'll be playing catch up again, with my May empties post and some more Glossybox unboxings, so don't forget to follow and keep subscribing x 

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

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Trimming My Stash - October 2020 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

So, i'm playing super duper catch again, not just with Glossybox but also now with empties posts. I honestly don't know what I've been doing over the last month or so two to fall so behind on my posting (well actually I do) but I'm going to try and get as many posts as I can up before the end of 2020. So as the first snow of the seasons hits for a lot of us in the UK, let's take a look back to October.
 

Naobay Orange Juice Hand Cream - 100ml
MineTan Body. Skin Exfoliating Coffee Scrub - 30g
Beauty Pro Pumpkin Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x 22ml Sheet Mask
Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 200ml
Beuti Skincare Anti-Inflammatory Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir - 30ml**
Sunday Rain Scrub Away Exfoliating Cubes Charcoal - 8 Cubes - 150g

Total - 6 Items

I didn't quite manage to read September's total of 8 beauty products, but I still managed to finish a fairly respectable 6 items. This post as you will see is a tiny bit of a cop out because I have talked about all of the items in it in the post, but that's just the way it goes sometimes, and as per usual I'm just happy to have finished a good amount of items and created a little bit of space.

1. Naobay Orange Juice Hand Cream - 100ml

First up something that I reviewed back in September. This lovely citrus hand cream from Spanish natural beauty and skincare brand Naobay, came in the July 2020 edition of Glossybox UK and you can read a full review of it here x 

I really love my hand creams and this was a nice one, it was really hydrating without being too greasy or sticky, and I love the slightly bitter orange scent. 

I would definitely consider repurchasing this one again, especially if it was a little bit easier to find x 

2. MineTan Body. Skin Exfoliating Coffee Scrub - 30g

Next up another Glossybox item and something that came in the September 2020 edition, which scarily I only talked about on the blog about a week ago!

From an Australian owned self-tanning brand, this was a coffee ground based body scrub that also contained salt and sugar grains, and loads of other nourishing and moisturising ingredients.

You can read a full review here, but I actually really like, it was scrubby enough without being scratchy, it left the skin feeling really smooth, and looking more even in tone, and the strong coffee aroma was perfect for creating that get up and go feeling first thing in the morning.

3. Beauty Pro Pumpkin Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x 22ml Sheet Mask

After a couple of Glossybox items, the next couple of items are actually things that I've actually chosen to buy. First up something that I bought to try and get myself into the Halloween spirit, whilst treating my skin at the same time to an infusion of pumpkin, ivy, bergamot, and chia extracts.

Again you can read my full review here but as far as Beauty Pro are concerned it was another winner, and vegan friendly to boot.

4. Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free - 200ml

From a little treat, to something that I buy and use on a regular basis, the Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover. 

I've used a lot of nail polish removers over the years but I keep coming back to this one. Despite being acetone free, it removes everything that you can throw at it, it smell okay (to my nose at least, Mummy Lou isn't keen though), and it's really affordable.

Although the packaging (and the price) has changed since I wrote this product rave post, the product inside is pretty much the same. Alas after a few months of decent nails, they all started to break, and I now have my little shorty nails again, and whilst I still have a few nails of the day posts to share with you, I will mainly be using this product to remove strengthener rather than pretty polish - ho hum :(

The Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover now retails at around £1.49 for a 200ml bottle, but you can usually get it on a buy one, get one half price offer, so I usually end up buying a couple at a time.

5. Beuti Skincare Anti-Inflammatory Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir - 30ml**

Next up something that I rediscovered the dregs of back in September, and it's something that I fell in love with all over again.

This was a press sample and it was something that I talked about way back in 2016. This product made me fall in love with facial oils, and it made me realise that it isn't just dry skin that can benefit from the application a good quality facial oil.

It smells amazing and whilst you can use it during the day, it's has a perfect aromatherapy scent, that just screams bedtime. You also such a tiny amount it lasts for ages and it leaves the skin no matter what your skin type feeling super soft. You can read my full review here. 

Again the packaging has changed, as unfortunately has the price but it still seem to be the same product. A 30ml bottle of Beuti Skincare Beauty Sleep Elixir retails at £47 and is available direct from Beuti Skincare and also from selected Harvey Nichols stores.

6. Sunday Rain Scrub Away Exfoliating Cubes Charcoal - 8 Cubes - 150g

The final item in this post is the only one that I haven't actually written a full review of but I have mentioned it in depth here if that still counts.

I don't think that sugary, salty, charcoal based cubes are the most economical way to buy a body exfoliator, but they are fun to use, again they are nice and scrubby without feeling scratchy, and they leave the skin feeling super soft.

I think I will probably buy these again, but I want to try the normal charcoal scrub and the watermelon cubes first. The Sunday Rain Scrub Away Exfoliating Cubes - Charcoal retail at around £6 - £7 from various retailers including NEXT Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS. 

So there we have it a solid amount of empties with a slightly cop out ridden blog post - never mind! My aim with these countdowns is always to do better the following month, and if you take a little look in my sidebar then you'll know that November was a pretty decent month. Obviously I'll talk about that more in the next week or so but my focus has now shifted to December's total, and finishing the year with a bang rather than a whimper ;) Thanks for reading as always and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions, and I will see you in a day or so with another post xx

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

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Happy Birthday LouLouLand And Trimming My Stash - January 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Surely there is no doubt in anybodies mind what a cake with candles means? A birthday of course! and whilst my own birthday is still a few months away, today is my blog's 12th birthday!

I can't quite believe that I've been sharing my thoughts with you for that long, as much as I love writing and blogging, I wouldn't still be here 12 years later if it wasn't for you guys. I haven't been the best or most consistent blogger over the years, but I've kept at  it and I'm still here rambling on and sharing my life and loves with you all, so I want to thank you all for all of your support and interactions over the years. I know that your time is precious, and that there are so many blogs out there that you could read, yet you choose to read mine, thank you x I really do appreciate every view, like, comment and share x 

As I've said before in 2019 , I'm going to try and pay back all of that support by trying to be a better and more consistent blogger. I have lots of posts planned, including  lots of reviews and a few giveaways, so I hope that you'll stick around for the foreseeable future, and maybe even for another 12 years ;)

Despite a promise to be a little bit more consistent, this post is a little late but does it really matter? I don't think so, so let's just get on with it x Now something that I've done for quite a few of those 12 years now, are my monthly Trimming My Stash posts. If you're a new reader, basically I have too many beauty products, and whilst my spending, and hauling has definitely slowed down of late, a few years ago now I decided to try and finish as many products as I could every month, and to keep a running total of just how many beauty products I could finish in a year. In the early days I just used to post a list but nowadays I go into a little more depth and share some mini reviews of all of my finished products

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads - 60 Pads
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 250ml
Primark PS... It's Oil Good! Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

Total - 4 Items 

Looking back at last months total, I've got to say that January 2019 wasn't the best of months. I only managed to finish a paltry 4 items, including a couple of shower and body products, and a couple of skincare items, but 4 products is sill better than nothing, and in all the years that I've been doing this I've definitely had worse months x 

1. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Acid Daily Cleansing Pads - 60 Pads

First up a skin care product from Superdrug's hugely popular Naturally Radiant range. The screw top jar contains 60 fabric cleansing / toning pads. The pads are quite small and thin but they are double sided, and each side has a slightly different textures. The pads are soaked in a mixture of glycolic acid, fruit AHA's, aloe vera, and pro vitamin B5 and are designed to remove dead skin cells, and leave the skin brighter and fresher, all you do is wipe over the pads over cleansed skin, using the slightly rougher side, and then the smoother side.

Now I'd never tried these before, but I'm a firm fan of the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner (read my thoughts here) and the solution that these pads are soaked in is pretty much identical. It has the same herbal / aftershave type scent, and they produce the same slight tingling sensations on the skin. My results after using these were also pretty similar, my skin looked clearer, my pores were less obvious and any hormonal spots that I had dried up really quickly.

So in theory I should love these as much as the toner, well despite having pretty much identical results I don't love these quite as much. The pads themselves are quite small and then, and although I love the different textures, I ended up using several pads to do my face and neck where as with the toner I only needed to use one cotton pad. I also found that no matter how tight the jar lid was, the pads still seemed to dry out, so much so in fact that the last couple of pads were pretty much bone dry.

I think these are great for travel but I definitely prefer the liquid version. If you fancy trying these though they have an RRP of £5.99 but Superdrug often have offers on their own brand skincare, so you can usually get them either a bit cheaper are are part of a multi buy offer x

2. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Shower Gel - 250ml

Next up the first of two items from The Body Shop Spiced Apple festive collection from 2016 / 2017. Whilst my heart really belongs to their Glazed Apple range from 2014 / 2015, Spiced Apple also went down in history as one of my favourite ever holiday scents from The Body Shop.

It's just so mouthwateringly, edible, and combines the sweet, yet fruity tartness of apple, with cinnamon, and warming spices - it really is American style apple pie in a bottle! It does smell slightly strong in the bottle, but mix a small amount with water and the scent really comes to life as the gel produces a mountain of creamy bubbles.

Alas there were no apple based scents in The Body Shop 2018 festive inventory but fingers crossed they make another appearance in 2019, till then though I have a few bottles and tubs remaining to keep me clean and apple scented throughout 2019.

3. Primark PS... It's Oil Good! Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

Now if you are a new reader, be prepared to see these quite regularly in my monthly empties post, I buy them in multiples, and they are a regular fixture in my beauty and hygiene routine. i don't tend to use them on my face that often but I do use them for general freshening up, cleaning make up packaging, and for cleaning up swatches after photographing make up swatches.

Containing lots of antibacterial tea tree, you can get these wipes in Primark at just £1 for 2 packs of 25 wipes.

4. The Body Shop Spiced Apple Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 250ml

Finally another item from The Body Shop Spiced Apple range, and I feeling particularly sad about this because this was my last tub and this was probably my favourite product in the whole range :(

With that warming, cinnamon spiced apple scent, this scrub is perfect for those cold nights. It's crammed full of exfoliating sugar grains. It's nice and gritty but it's not too harsh, or scratchy, it gives you a nice thorough scrub, and it rinses away easily and dissolves when you add warm water, and it leaves the skin feeling super smooth. I don't really have anything else to say apart from please, please bring this back in 2019 The Body Shop !!!

So they were my January 2019 empties, not the best of starts to the year, but hopefully I can do a lot better from here on in x If you have any questions on any of the items that I finished then please leave me a comment below xx 

Trimming My Stash - December 2018 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews, A 2018 Round Up And A Life Update

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 

*Press Sample

Trimming My Stash - August 2018 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

So should I apologise again for the lateness of a blog post or should I just get on with it? You decide! Well you don't I do and I'm going to offer a fleeting but non specific apology - things happen, life gets in the way and all that jazz. I've had another pretty up and down few weeks but I'm still here, I'm still shopping and I'm still desperately trying to finish a few beauty products along the way.

Courreges La Fille De' L Air Eau De Parfum - 8.5ml
Scrub Love Hydrating Coconut Oil Body Scrub - Coconut Cranberry - 100g
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml
My Little Beauty Coco Sunrise Hair And Body Oil - 75ml
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml
Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin & Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g

Total - 6 Items 

August was a much better month than July, I managed to finish 6 items, including a few long time favourites and a few beauty box items, although I didn't manage to add any make up items to my August I did manage to finish a fragrance, and some skin and body care products, all in all not a bad month empties wise!

1. Courreges La Fille De' L Air Eau De Parfum - 8.5ml

If you follow any of my other social media channels or if you're a regular watcher of my You Tube unboxing videos, then you'll know that I love fragrance but like most people I'm not always a fan of random perfumes in beauty boxes. Scent is such a personal thing that it can be really hard to give a 100 or so people the same fragrance and for them all to love it, but it really can give you the chance to try something new, and every now and then, you hit the jackpot. When I received this in a My Little Box, well over a year ago now I was hesitant but it really was love at first sniff! 

This fragrance from iconic French designer brand Courreges is the perfect scent for summer. It's a perfect combination of citrus and floral, and contains bergamot, neroli, orange blossom, musk, ozone scents and rubber! Yeah ignore the concept of the rubber that's just weird, instead embrace the white flowers and the orange blossom and you'll be transported to the Mediterranean before you know it, quite literally as it turns it, the name actually translates to The Girl In The Air, and for a while when it was first released in 2015, it was an Air France exclusive. Thankfully now it's readily available worldwide, well apart from in the UK that is! For some reason Courreges don't officially retail their scents in the UK so this is definitely something to try if your heading to sunnier or not so sunnier climes in the near future. If you're like me though and you have no exotic jaunts planned than you could always try reseller sites such as ebay and Amazon, I've had a look today and this fragrance is still available from both UK and European sellers. Thankfully I have a couple of bottles to keep me going, when I first talked about this scent, and about how much that I loved it, the lovely team at My Little Box, very kindly sent me another purse spray free of charge, and this year my lovely mummy managed to get her hands on a full size bottle that she gave me for my birthday. I love a lot of different fragrances but this is definitely now one of my go to's. 

2. Scrub Love Hydrating Coconut Oil Body Scrub - Coconut Cranberry - 100g

Ah the last of my Scrub Love sachets, and Mummy Lou breathes, well a sigh of relief. Don't get me wrong I do like these an awful lot it's just that they are so messy! This one though was way, way better than the Charcoal one that I talked about last month (read my post here if you haven't already). The texture and the scent was way better and this one was a little bit more like some of the other Scrub Love products that I'd tried. With a fruit, slight coconut scent, this one was much squidgier, and a result much, much easier to apply and use. Containing ground coconut shells and flakes, as well as coconut oil, vitamin E, and cranberry seed oil, this one had a decent scrubby texture, and whilst it wasn't any wear near or scratchy as the charcoal variant it still did the job, and thanks all of the natural oils (which also helped hold it together) it felt slightly oily on the the skin. It rinsed off fairly easily in the shower, and the skin was left feeling both smooth and hydrated. Like all of the other scrubs that I've tried from this brand it did leave a bit of gunk in the bottom of the shower, so whilst this product maybe isn't for my mam or clean freaks, if you're looking for a natural scrub with no nasties or micro beads, and that's full biodegradable then this range could be something worth trying. I personally would be happy to use some of these again but I don't wish to incur the wraith of Mummy Lou so all I can do is hope that they pop up in another subscription box sometime soon.

3. Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Toner - 100ml

Now if you've spent as long online as I have then you might have already seen a lot of buzz and hype about this purse friendly skincare product range from Superdrug, with many people hailing as a fabulous budget alternative to products such as Alpha H Liquid Gold, PIXI Glow Tonic, and NIP + FAB's Glycolic range.

Containing kiwi and mulberry extracts, AHA's and Glycolic Acid, this product is designed to even out the complexion, refine pores, smooth out fine lines, fade pigmentation, clear dead skin, and add radiance to the compexion.

Simply use it as you would any other toner, apply it to a cotton pad and then wipe it over the skin. You can use this toner both morning and night, but I prefer to use it at night, and to let it do it's thing whilst I sleep. Immediately after application it starts to feel as though it's doing something, and my skin starts to feel slightly warm and tingly. I've been using this for over a month now, alongside another product from the same range, and my skin definitely feels smoother, and looks brighter and clearer, I also noticed that those annoying hormonal breakouts on my chin cleared up more quickly whilst I was using this product.

This stuff is good, and it's definitely something that I intend to buy again, the only bad thing for me (other than remembering to wear SPF - I know, I know - slaps wrists), is the smell. It has a very green, woody, herbal scent that reminds me a bit of aftershave! Never mind I guess I can live the scent of a hunky man purely for the results that I've had from this little bottle of magic. It normally retails at £5.99 for 100ml bottle but Superdrug nearly always has some sort of offer on this range, the current offer is buy one get one free so it's well worth trying.

4. My Little Beauty Coco Sunrise Hair And Body Oil - 75ml

Another product from the now defunct My Little Box UK, and it one of the products from their own line that was sadly never available to buy separately in the UK. 

Thanks to too much Malibu once upon a time I have a love / hate relationship with coconut. I really can appreciate the yumminess of the scent but sometimes it can be a little bit too much for me. I can usually deal with a little bit though and this product was both within my limits and perfect for the summer months.

This was basically a multi purpose oil both containing and smelling of coconut. I do love an oil and I mainly used this oil in two ways, on my hair as both a pre-wash treatment, and a styling product to tone down the frizz and add shine, and as a body oil to add extra nourishment to drier areas and to help treat some stretchmarks. It was a nice easy to apply oil, that absorbed pretty quickly and it made an instant difference hydration wise to both the skin and the hair. 

5. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml

I love, love, love this stuff, it's one of my most used and repurchased body scrubs and it's something that I will continue to use and repurchase. As the name would suggest it's a gritty brown sugar based scrub, with just a touch of sea salt and macadamia grains, with add sweet lime oil, to give it its zesty citrus scent, and added almond oil, and glycerin for hydration.

Sugar and salt scrubs are without a doubt my favourite kind, apply a small amount (a little goes a long way)  to damp skin and you get a decent friction scrub with none of the mess. The oil content also gives the skin a nice moisture boost, and the scent is a real mood booster, honestly what's not to love.

6. Bomb Cosmetics Mandarin & Orange Cleansing Shower Butter - 320g

Now Bomb Cosmetics definitely don't get as much publicity as Lush does but there products are equally fun and quirky - no they don't just make bath bombs, they also make everything from candles, to soaps, to hair masks and shower butters!

Shower butters I hear you cry, what is a shower butter? well shower butters are probably my favourite product from Bomb Cosmetics, Think tubs of squidgy butter, that foams up equally well in the bath or the shower. Simply scoop a small amount and pop it under running water or onto a shower scrunchie and it lathers up like a dream.

Crammed full of nourishing shea butter, this mandarin orange scented citrus fabulousness has been a mainstay in my bathroom for a few years now. It's such an economical product you only needs a tiny little bit so you £7.99 investment goes a long way. They are also super easy to use, they feel gentle on the skin and this one in particular smells amazing.

The name and the packaging seems to have changed now to just Mandarin Shower Butter but I'm hoping that the product inside is still the same. Since I don't have easy access to a bath tub now I'm always on the lookout for fun and different shower products and these fit the bill perfectly. I'll definitely be picking up another tub in the near future, and I'm also fancying trying one of the scents maybe Blackcurrant hmm decisions, decisions!

So they were my August empties, I've already finished a few bits already in September so fingers crossed that I'll do even better this month x Let me know if you have any questions on any of the items that I finished and I'll do my best to get back to you x