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

So here we are, we're now more than half way through 2020, and I can safely say that for the majority of us, it's been a weird one.

Although changes are still afoot with face masks becoming compulsory in shops in England this week (why wait so long? surely we should have been wearing masks from the beginning, very odd!), at last things are starting to look and feel a bit more normal. 

I had my hair done on Thursday (you cans see some before and after pics below) and I also managed to have a long overdue eye test on Saturday, and whilst I still don't feel like going to a city or busy shopping centre, the whole concept of going outside again is starting to feel normal again and I am starting to get out and about a bit more.

Before

After 

Even when everything else goes belly up though you can still rely on me for my regular empties posts, even if they haven't exactly been posted on time so far this year.

Marks and Spencer M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**
Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml
Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml
Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g
L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml
Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Total - 9 Items 

After a slight blip in May, I managed to pull it around in June, to have my most successful month of 2020 so far. I managed to finish 9 beauty products, unfortunately it was another make up free month, but I did manage to finish a nice mix of products including a couple of skincare items, lots of hand and nail bits, a body product and a haircare product, so all in all a pretty decent month.

1. M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml

First up a hand wash, and this is the first of two hand washes, and numerous hand and nail products that I managed to finish in June. This hand wash is from Marks and Spencer Floral Collection, and it something that I received in a gift set a couple of years ago now. There isn't a lot of information on the packaging but according to the Marks and Spencer website, this product is both cruelty free and suitable for vegans, and it contains both shea butter and rosa centifolia extract.

It had a thin, gel like formulation that turned into a non drying, gentle foam when it was mixed with water. Due to the inclusion of real rose extract, it had a subtle green based, true to life rose scent. The scent was a touch old fashioned but it was still a very nice product to use. The packaging on this one does appear to have changed slightly but the product inside appears to be the same. Marks and Spencer still sell the same set that I got which contains a 50ml hand wash and a 50ml hand lotion for £5, and they also sell a larger 250ml size of the hand wash which retails at £3.50.

2. Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**

This next item was a skin product that I was sent for review from natural beauty site My Pure. You can read my original review from August 2014 here. I recently rediscovered this product in a forgotten toiletry bag and since it still smelled okay, and since there was so little left in the bottle I decided to finish it off. 

Trilogy are a New Zealand based ethical, natural, and organic skin care company. Containing aloe vera, geranium, lavender, and other rare flower waters, this product is deiced to hydrate, tone and revitalise the skin. There are so many reasons why I love this product from the gentle floral scent, to the brown frosted glass bottle to the fresh cooling and soothing effect it has on the skin. It's perfect for all year round skin toning and refreshening but thanks to the aloe vera content it's perfect after a day in the sun and it's even okay to use after hair removal. I have a lot of toners to use up but it is something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. As well as My Pure, it's also available for around £18.50 from various other retailers including direct from Trilogy, Feel Unique, and Look Fantastic.

3. Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask

The next item is a skincare product and it's something that you might have seen in my previous post. This sheet mask from Oh K! came in the May 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, it's in a Dalmatian print design and it contained white tea, tea tree, gingko biloba and charcoal powder.

It looked a little bit scary on and not as cute as I'd hoped but it was nice and cooling and refreshing on the skin and it's something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. Price varies on this one between £2.50 and around £5, and it's available for a quite a number of retailers including direct from Oh K! and also from Feel Unique, Beauty Bay, and Look Fantastic.

4. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml

It isn't exactly the season for all things pumpkin at the moment, but can you tell the weather that? You talk about changeable - one day it's warm and the next day it's freezing, I'm a typical Brit but you really can't win with the weather at the moment. Something that is always a winner though is a body butter from The Body Shop. I've been a huge fan of them since they were launched, and this one just so happens to be one of newest favourites.

Alas it's only usually in store from around September to October / November time but if it comes back this year I'm definitely going to be picking up a few for my stash.

Containing shea butter, sesame seed oil, cocoa butter, madagascan vanilla extract and pumpkin, this body butter has a lovely creamy texture, that does take a little while to sink in but it leaves the skin feeling silky soft, and smelling delicious. If you aren't a fan of traditional pumpkin spice fragrances that can often be too cinnamon, ginger and clove heavy, then this is a nice alternative with a sweet, and creamy vanilla scent, with just a hint of fruit and spice (Have a read of this post to find out more about it x). I love, love, love this fragrance, I have a little bit of shower gel left and then I am officially out of my vanilla pumpkin fix - fingers crossed it makes another appearance this year x

5. AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml

Next up another hand product, and this time it's something from AVON. Designed to smooth, and hydrate the hands, and to help prevent a build up of rough and dry skin, this cream contained cocoa, shea and mango butters.

This was basically a lilac coloured, hand cream, with a fresh almost aquatic, cucumber like scent. The instructions said just to massage into the hands and nails and to apply cotton gloves and leave them on overnight for the best results. I found that it took around 20 minutes to soak in, at first it felt slightly tacky but that feeling gradually went away leaving the skin soft, and smooth.

I've got to say that I expected a little bit more from this product. The texture wasn't as thick as I was expecting, and it was definitely had more of a hand cream like feel rather than something hard working, intensive and mask like. It was okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase. I'm not sure whether or not this this product has actually been discontinued - I can't find it online, and it isn't in the latest AVON brochure that I have either (Campaign 11 July 2020). If you fancy giving it a go though, there are a few floating around on eBay UK and who knows it may appear in a future catalogue.

6. Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml

I've tried quite a few of the hand washes from the Cussons Carex Fun range now, including Love Hearts, and Mr Tickle Sherbet Lemon and whilst I've liked them all, this Mr Bump Tutti Frutti one is by far my favourite, and that isn't just because I used to be so clumsy that my mam used to call me Miss Bump!

It has all of the antibacterial properties that you'd expect from Carex, all bundled up in a lovely fruity scented, pale pearlised blue gel. As well as its mouthwatering aroma, it also produced a lovely gentle foam that left the hands feeling squeaky clean but not dry or stripped.

I originally bought this particular hand wash quite a while ago now in Poundland. Finding specific hand washes still seems to be nigh on impossible at the moment but last time I checked this particular one was available on Superdrug online.

7. Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g

The next product was another Glossybox item, and I received this on in the April 2020 box. You can read a full review of this Hask mask here, but in short I liked it, the smell was quite strong, but it left my hair feeling detangled, soft and sleek. Unfortunately it isn't the easiest of products to get hold of but in my opinion it's one worth tracking down if you can x

8. L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml

I try not to use the word hate too often, but I really, really don't like honey! I suffered from a lot of sore throats as a child, and since one of my uncles used to keep bees, my mam always had a ready supply of honey to add to hot orange squash to soothe my throat.

It is really good for you but I just can't stand the sickly sweet scent and taste. I can just about manage it in salad dressings, and in Toblerone's but I'm never going to be one of those people that can eat it by the spoonful. You'll probably find it a bit strange then that 2 of my favourite hand creams of all time contain honey!

Originally released in 2007, this shea butter based hand cream contains honey from Provence, and real fresh lemon extract. It had a lovely thick and creamy texture, and with it's slight yellow colour it was almost custard like. It took a little while to absorb but it left my hands feeling silky smooth and protected. From what I gather when it comes to the scent this product had one of those love it or loathe it type fragrances, but despite my hatred for honey it was a scent that I fell in love with.

It was quite a strong scent but in my opinion it wasn't an out and out honey scent, instead for me it had a warm and comforting, slightly sweet scent with just a touch of zesty lemon. My grandma always used to have a packet of honey and lemon Lockets on her bedside table, and this scent in someways reminded me of her.

Alas the entire honey and lemon range was discontinued a few years ago now, I stocked up on this hand cream before it disappeared, and I think I might have another one somewhere - fingers crossed anyways! If you like the idea of the honey and citrus mix though, then just a quick heads up to keep an eye out for next months trimming my stash post because I'm on the verge of finishing something you just might like ;)

9. Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Finally another hand and nail based product, and it's a cuticle oil from Primark. I posted a full review of this product way back in December 2019 which you can read here. Basically for the price it's a pretty decent product, it moisturising, it soaks in and it has a pleasant vanilla / coconut based scent.

I haven't been to Primark since December and as much as I'd love to go, as I said before the idea of going to a big city or an enclosed shopping centre doesn't really appeal at the moment. Despite that, and the fact that I have a few different cuticle products to use up, I would definitely consider repurchasing this particular product on my next Primark trip, whenever that may be!

So they were my June empties, it was my best month of the year so far, and I finished a few nice products so overall I'm pretty happy. Fingers crossed though that I can equal or even better June's total in July. If you have any questions on any of the products that I mentioned in this post then please leave me a comment and let me know, and I'll see you soon with my thoughts on the June edition of Glossybox UK.

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
**Press Sample

A Winter Skin Saviour? - Trilogy Everything Balm*

Despite a lot of wind, heavy rain and a little bit of snow, this winter so far hasn't been too bad, When you consider though that we're more likely to get snow in February and March than on Christmas Day, we still have quite a bit of winter still to go.

I know I've talked about it a gazillion times but the cold and wintry weather can play havoc with your skin. The cold temperatures and the howling winds, can cause dry skin, chapped lips, and sore and flaky hands. As well as covering up and wearing gloves, the most obvious solution is to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Not only does moisturising help to soften and soothe the skin, but a good moisturiser can also help protect the skin from further damage. So for one of December's My Pure reviews I decided to try an all in one moisturiser that's perfect for this time of year

Trilogy Everything Balm is an all in one moisturising balm that's designed to be used on all parts of the face and body.

It's crammed full of natural ingredients and extracts including rose hip, coconut and jojoba oils to help nourish the skin, and ingredients such as vitamin E, Manuka Honey, calendula and paw paw which help to protect and heal the skin.

This balm comes boxed and in packaged in a screw top, white metal tin which is beautifully decorated in a bright, autumnal flower and leaf design.

This product is a solid waxy balm, that melts on contact with the skin to produce a light, moisturising oil. Because it's a plant based balm it isn't as oily or greasy as some similar mineral oil based products, and it seems to sink into the skin as opposed to just sitting on the surface.

To be honest there is hardly anywhere that you can't use this, if you've got a dry or a sore patch then

pop a bit on. I've mainly been using this as a cuticle treatment on both my fingers and toes, and on some dry patches on my legs, hands and feet.

I've also been using it on my left  hand on a pretty nasty burn that I sustained after a fight with an oven shelf, and I have to say I think it's made a difference. This balm contains both rose hip oil and vitamin E which are fabulous for scarring so that's why I think it's helped take away the flakiness and tame the redness.

This balm has a gentle, rose geranium type scent, it isn't too strong, or too overpowering so you can actually also use it as a lip balm. Again because of the natural plant oils and waxes it seems to absorb into the lips, providing instant relief and moisture.

These are just some of the ways to use this product, there are probably hundreds of different ways and places to use is, which is the reason why it's so economical and versatile. Obviously if your melting it in your hands to use it as a massage oil you'll use quite a bit but in my experience a little goes a long way. The picture above shows my pot after around 4 weeks worth of daily use, and as you can see it looks virtually untouched.

I can't recommend this product highly enough, in fact I'm hard pressed to think of any negatives. It does what it says it does and more, and a little goes a long way. This isn't just a winter saviour I think it's a fabulous all year round product that deserves it's place in any bathroom cabinet. Trilogy Everything Balm comes in two sizes, the 45ml which you can see here, that retails at £12.50 and the 95ml which retails at £20.50, both of which are available from My Pure x If you have any questions please leave me a comment x 

(*Sample)

Press Sample / AD - My Thoughts On Toners And The Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - A Review For My Pure*

Lately I've been doing a lot of work on my Beauty Product Directory and that's lead to me re-reading a lot of my older posts argh! not good in some cases, but what I have learnt from it is that I tend to repeat myself quite a lot, not with specific posts but more so with the phrases and the language that I use in my posts. I'm useless at starting blog posts, so quite often I start off by talking about my obsession with a certain product or group of products., and today's post in no different.

My name is Louise and I am obsessed with facial sprays and facial toners! I know that toners have had a bit of a bad press over the years but their really is nothing better for refreshing your skin and leaving your face smooth, cool and hydrated. Years ago the only toners and face sprays you could get were either pressurised water - nice but it doesn't do too much, or filled with alcohol which more often than not left the skin dry and stripped. You can still get the water sprays, which I swear by on the beach, and you can still get some toners with alcohol in with are more geared towards people with an oilier skin, but thankfully for most of us toners have moved on, or should I say backwards.

Even in the most high end skincare these days, you'll still find some element of natural ingredients. Yes even in this technological day and  age we can still see the skin benefits  of plant and natural extracts. Whilst I am partial to a real in your face brightening and exfoliating toner that makes my pores dance, for everyday use I tend to lean towards  gentler,  more natural skin tonics. Having just squeezed out the last drops of my favourite Liz Earle Skin Tonic, I took the opportunity to try out something new as part of my August My Pure Reviews.

Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner is only the second product that I've tried from New Zealand based company Trilogy, although I've heard an awful lot of good things about their Rosehip Oil. They pride themselves on producing an ethical, natural and organic skin care line, full of natural plant and  flower extracts.

This product is designed for all skin types and is designed to hydrate, tone and revitalise the skin. It's alcohol free and contains Aloe Vera, and flower waters including Geranium, Lavender, and Rose, to calm, and balance the skin.

It comes beautifully packaged in a brown, frosted, pump action glass bottle, which is especially designed  to protect the precious floral waters. I love spray toners because they are so versatile, they're quick and easy to use, and they're great for setting make up and for cooling the skin down, with out using any faffy cotton wool.

Another Lou cliche here,  but the first thing you honestly do notice is the smell. The rose and geranium aromas dominate leaving a fresh, refreshing floral scent on the skin. The smell is quite strong but it's pleasant and it doesn't last very long on the skin, so it doesn't interfere with your perfume or any other skin care aromas.

The mist immediately feels fresh and cooling on the skin, probably down to the Aloe Vera content. The mist is quite fine so your skin never feels too wet and it's fine enough to use it over make up. As well as using it to set make up, I've also used it over bare skin on the rare warm days we've had over the last month and as a general toner after cleansing.

I definitely think that the Aloe Vera adds to the moisture content, and this toner leaves my skin feeling not only cool and fresh but also feeling as though it's as had a drink of water. This toner is about as far away from those stripping drying skin tonics of the past as you'll get. Not a hint of drying, stinging or redness occurred, even when I accidentally used it after a bit of hair removal, and a brow shape.

This toner is definitely something that I would consider repurchasing, it felt nice and gentle on  my skin, smelled lovely and it's so easy and economical to use. It is pricey, but I've been using it for about 3 weeks now and I've used such a tiny amount that it really would last for a long time. The Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner usually retails at £18.50 on My Pure, for 100ml Have you used any Trilogy products before? Please let me know, I'd love to hear your recommendations x Thanks for reading x

*Press Sample

Just Beauty Direct Haul

Just received an order from Just Beauty Direct. For those who don't know they are a super UK based online retailer who deal in hard to find products like Smashbox, Trilogy and Beauty Blender. The packaging is always super cute and they always offer free samples and free gifts :) I ordered a few Smashbox and Christopher Drummond foundation samples, and a few Smashbox Primer samples. I also ordered two Smashbox lip pencils for their new
The Nude Liners collection - I got light and fair :). I also got a Smashbox O-Plump lipgloss - it goes a lovely pale baby pink on me and it does seem to increase fullness but it doesn't half sting :( I also got a free gift -a mini Smashbox O-Gloss Lip Gloss which will be great for travel :) Finally I ordered a Trilogy Smooth Shine Shampoo which I have heard great things about :)