Sweet Blackberry Memories Courtesy Of Treacle Moon

Although it isn't really the season for blackberries I love them, in fact I love all berries (bar cherries!) but there really is a special place in my heart devoted to the humble blackberry

I know you can get cultivated ones all year round now but I have so many good memories of going out either with my parents, or with my friends and their parents, with a bowl ,or an old ice cream tub and picking them fresh from the hedgerows every autumn.

It's funny how scents can transport you to a different place and time, and the smell of Treacle Moon Sweet Blackberry Memories Bath And Shower Gel took me right back to those crisp autumn days of my childhood.

I'm a huge fan of those sweet berry scents but this is really quite different. You can smell the fruit but at the same time you can almost smell the tartness and sourness  of the berries combined with a warm, almost spicy cinnamon scent - This product is basically blackberry and apple crumble in a bottle!

I've been using this product in both the bath and the shower but again this product comes into its own when you use it in the shower - the aroma is intensified and you get lots and lots of bubbles from just a small amount of product. Although it does contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate, it is paraben free and it isn't tested on animals.

I absolutely adore the Treacle Moon range and although this isn't the sweet burst of berries that I imagined it would be I still love it from evoking such happy memories from my childhood. Treacle Moon Sweet Blackberry Memories Bath And Shower Gel retails at just £2.99 for a 500ml bottle from Tesco. It does say on the bottle that it's a limited edition so if you want it I'd move fast just in case x Next on my list to try is Honeycomb Secret but I also the Apple Pie, Lemonade Days and Raspberry Kiss, decisions, decisions x 

Easter Indulgence Without The Calories Courtesy Of Treacle Moon

My name is Louise and I have a confession to make, well it's not really a confession, it's more a well known fact - I am a chocoholic! There are two foods that I couldn't live without - chocolate and cheese. and over the long Easter weekend I aim to ignore my calorie intake and eat plenty of both.

I have no willpower but if you know someone that does, or someone that can't eat chocolate or doesn't celebrate Easter then there are a few calorie free options for those Easter and spring time gifts.

The most obvious one is a bunch of flowers, I love flowers and we currently have two vases crammed full, but like chocolate eggs they can be expensive and they don't last more than a few days. Nothing lasts forever but if you want an affordable and guilt free, gift option then it might be worth having a look at the Treacle Moon range at Tesco.

I'm a huge fan of this range of food and fruit scented bath and body products and some of their spring additions are perfect for the person that likes something a little bit sweet but without the guilt.

The new additions include bath and shower gels in Sugared Almond Tart, Marshmallow Hearts and Honeycomb Secret, and a matching Honeycomb Body Butter. The Sugared Almond Tart has a big marzipan scent so it's not for me.I personally found Marshmallow a little bit sweet, but I can definitely see myself picking up Honeycomb Secret, which has a gorgeous Crunchie, cinder toffee scent to either use on it's or to mix with one of their other new additions - Dusted Cocoa.

These new additions aren't available in my nearest little Tesco, but on a recent trip to a Tesco Express I managed to have a proper look and a sneaky sniff.  Treacle Moon Dusted Cocoa Heaven Bath and Shower Gel was by far my favourite, so it went in my trolley.

The thick formula works equally as a bath foam or as a shower gel, but if you use it as a shower gel you get the full on chocolate scent. To me this doesn't smell like say a bar of chocolate, instead I think it smells more like chocolate cake or brownie mix, or even a rich, chocolate butter cream

I guess the only problem with this is that it makes me want to bake, and therefore eat chocolate cake - not great if you're watching your weight but I guess it could work as a substitute for some, strong willed people :)

The best thing about this product is the price and size of the bottle. The majority of shower gels in the Treacle Moon line retail at just £2.99 each and come in 500ml bottles. A small amount of gel goes a long way making this product great value for money.

If none of these fragrances are for you, you can also get various fragrances including Raspberry, Blackberry, Apple Pie, Coconut, and Vanilla. Sweet Blackberry Memories and Honeycomb Secret are next on my list to try but if you've tried any of Treacle Moon products I'd love to know what you think x 

Oh and if you're lacking in willpower like me or if you like chocolate as much as I do ,then you might want to check back on Saturday for an Easter recipe to make your mouth water xx Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow xx

Trimming My Stash - June 2014 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x I know I say this every month but where on earth is this year going - It's July, we're more than half way through the year arghhhhh. Anyways it's monthly empties time again and yet again I've proved I'm consistent if nothing else!

Rituals Yogi Flow Indian Rose And Sweet Almond Foaming Shower Gel Sensation - 200ml
Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil -15ml
This Works Daily Boost Body Scrub - 50ml
Treacle Moon The Candy Jar Original Toffee Bon Bon Bath And Shower Gel - 500ml
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - 200ml
Boots The Spa Conditioning Body Moisturiser - 125ml
SBC Arnica Bath Soak - 250ml
Total - 7 Items

6 or 7 items really seems to be the norm for me so far this year and in June I finished 7 items. I didn't manage to finish any make up items in June but I managed to finish quite a few body care items, and one skincare item, so I'm not feeling as despondent as I did last month despite managing to finish only one product more. So what did I think about the products I finished in June, well for once my mini reviews are largely positive with at least 3 potential repurchases.

1. Rituals Yogi Flow Indian Rose And Sweet Almond Foaming Shower Gel Sensation - 200ml

This is the first product from Rituals that I'd ever tried and I'm certain that it won't be the last. This was one of those amazing shaving foam esq shower gel /creams. As you'll see in the next week or so I'm a huge fan of this type of formulation. This product had a gentle fragrance and left this skin feeling super soft and clean - loved it x

2. Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil -15ml

Another one of my obsessions are cuticle oils - I have really dry cuticles and I love using oils and creams to nourish them and keep them smooth. This is one of Essie's best and has a gorgeous fruity, peach / apricot scent. It's not too greasy or oily and it sinks in really quickly. I will definitely consider repurchasing this when I've finished the 3 or so that I have my collection - 2 of which I'll be reviewing for you in the near future.

3. This Works Daily Boost Body Scrub - 50ml

The only mehhhh item on June's list is this body scrub from This Works. This was a magazine freebie from quite a while ago now, hence the small size. This scrub had a nice aromatherapy based scent but for me it just wasn't scrubby enough, the grains were just too small and fine. If you have a more sensitive skin or you like to exfoliate everyday in the shower then this might be for you but it wasn't for me :(

4. Treacle Moon The Candy Jar Original Toffee Bon Bon Bath And Shower Gel - 500ml

This was a product that was sent to me for review purposes, you can read a full review of it here x

5. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - 200ml

This is one of my favourite toners of all time. It smells fabulous and it's great on sensitive skin. I particularly use mine at this time of year to cool and refresh my skin, and I tend to use it decanted into a spritzer. I love this toner with a passion but to be honest it's getting more and more expensive so I'm on the look out for something cheaper. If you have any toner recommendation for normal to oily skin please let me know x

6. Boots The Spa Conditioning Body Moisturiser - 125ml

I'm not sure how long it it since Boots have sold this but I found it in a long forgotten toiletry bag. I'm not always the biggest fan of fresh and aquatic aromas but I always loved this range, and I'm kind of gutted after rediscovering this, that it isn't made any more :( I recently review some Palmolive shower gels that smell similar but I think that's as close as I'm going to get.

7. SBC Arnica Bath Soak - 250ml

I'm a huge, huge fan of SBC products. They produce a range of easily absorbed gels, creams and bath and shower product based on natural and herbal ingredients. My CFS / Fibromyalgia causes a lot of muscle pain and stiffness and I'm a huge lover of the SBC Arnica Gel. There is no burning or freezing sensation but it just seems to help ease my poorly muscles. You can read a little review of the gel here x I hope you can excuse the awful pictures but 4 years ago I didn't haven't the best camera :) This however is the bath soak, it produces a gentle foam with a pleasant but not overpowering herbal smell. The packaging is quite utilitarian but the product really makes a difference when used in a warm bath. I already have a one of these in back up and it's something that I will continue to repurchase.

So they were my June empties x I'm hoping to do a little bit better in July and I've already finished two products already - go me! and I've also got two make up items just about done, so I'm pretty hopeful. Do your post your empties on your blog? Leave me a comment and a link and let me know x

Trimming My Stash - March 2014 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

I've had one of those months where illness has affected everything that done, from what I've eaten, to where I've been, and strangely enough it's also affected my monthly empties.

FCUK Signature Body Spray - 150 ml

Botanical Choice Exfoliating Foot Mask - 1 Pair

Treacle Moon The Candy Jar Sweet Lime Sherbet Bath And Shower Gel - 500 ml

Primark Beauty Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes With Tea Tree x 25 Wipes

Primark Beauty Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes With Tea Tree x 25 Wipes

Lush Angels On Bare Skin Fresh Facial Cleanser

Total - 6 Items 

Yes, I finished just 6 products in March :( I said confidently in February's post that next month would be better but it wasn't. Quite simply for the majority of the month I stuck the most basic of routines and I barely wore any make up for the entire month - better for my skin maybe but not for my Trimming My Stash challenge. What can I say these things can't be helped, and I'm sure I'll finish a lot more in April - in fact I've already finished two items and we're only 7 days in - go me :)

So what about the measly 6 items that I did finish, well most of them I've talked about before so here are some very truncated mini reviews x

1. FCUK Signature Body Spray - 150ml

Cries - I finished another FCUK Signature item and probably my favourite of the lot, the body spray. As I said in my previous empties post I love the oriental, sweet floral notes of this range and I adore the body spray, in fact I've even been known to forgo perfume when I've worn this. Thankfully I still have a few of these left but I'm going to start using it sparingly to make it last.

2. Botanical Choice Exfoliating Foot Mask - 1 Pair

I first talked about these way back in September last year. Basically what they are is a foot peel, plastic socks, with a fibre lining soaked in a mixture of fruit acids, you wear them for about an hour to an hour and a half then rinse your feet. Over the next 3-4 weeks the dry skin will gradually peel of your feet leaving super soft skin with no dry, crusty heels. I did mine about two weeks ago now so I'm still in the middle of the peeling stage, they sound and look completely gross but they make a real difference to the softness of your feet. I bought these in Primark - I don't know if they're still available but I will definitely try and get some more or something similar to use in about 6 months time x 

3. Treacle Moon The Candy Jar Sweet Lime Sherbet Bath And Shower Gel - 500ml

Ah I loved this, you can use it in the bath or the shower and it smells almost like chocolate limes x You can read a full review of it here x 

4. Primark Beauty Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes With Tea Tree x 25 Wipes

5. Primark Beauty Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes With Tea Tree x 25 Wipes

Not feeling well means a super pared back skincare routine x I have done a lot of swatch pictures which required some clean up but at least a full of packet of these was probably used for morning and occasionally evening cleansing - please forgive me ;)

6. Lush Angels On Bare Skin Fresh Facial Cleanser

I have to be honest and say that I lost this x My mum tidied the bathroom and lots of my things "disappeared" Last month though I managed to find some of the missing items, including this. I made this at a Lush bloggers event and when I felt okay I finished this off by using it as a nighttime cleanser, and I really felt it made a difference with the radiance of my skin. You can read a full review of this here x 

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So they were my March empties, I'm really hoping I do better this month, I still have way too many beauty products :) Are you doing something similar ? leave me your links to your empties posts and vids x Thanks for reading xx