Trimming My Stash - July 2021 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

 Hey, everyone, I hope that you all had a good weekend, apart from prepping this post, and doing a bit of house stuff, I had quite a chilled weekend, I made a yummy stir fry on Saturday, and I geeked out and watched a few documentaries that I'd Sky plussed, so apart from another dodgy result for Newcastle United, a good weekend was had.

After a return to pretty sporadic posting recently, you're in for a real treat this week, because I have 3 posts planned for you, including the return of my Foodie Friday series. First up though it's Trimming My Stash time, with a look back at July's beauty empties.

Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml
The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml
The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml
Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml
Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes
SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml
Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g
Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Total - 10 Items

So like in June, in July I managed to finish another 10 items. Again I managed to finish a nice mix of products including one skincare product, a couple of haircare items, and a lot of body and hand care bits. In those 10 items I finished a couple of new discoveries, a few favourites, and another one of those been around forever items, and even though I didn't manage to finish any make items (yet again!) I'm still pretty pleased with myself.

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

First up, the first of 4 hand and nail care items, and the only product of the month. I bought a few of these at the end of 2019 in a huge Primark haul, and having recently rediscovered it I decided to get it used, and you can read a full review of it here x 

I have only been to Primark a couple of times this year, but on my last trip I was really pleased to see that they still had this so I bought another bottle. The outer box has changed, as has the scent (it smells a bit more like marzipan than it used to - not my favourite scent but it isn't too strong, so I can just about tolerate it!), but it's still £2 and the oil itself feels and looks the same as it used to.

2. The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up the first of 3 hand creams in this post. Slightly excessive for one month? Maybe, but my hands and nails have been so dry lately, and I am so desperate to make my nails grow that I'm slathering the stuff on about 3 times a day!

Anyway the first one is from The Body Shop, and it's a hand cream in one of their classic scents - mango. I think that Mango is probably my favourite core scent from The Body Shop, obviously it used to be cocoa butter, but since its disappearance (WHY THOUGH???), it has to be mango.

Containing fair trade shea butter from Ghana, and mango seed oil from India, this hand cream which is peach in colour, has an almost cream / gel texture. A little goes a long way and whilst it is a touch tacky at first, it absorbs really quickly making it an ideal daytime hand cream. My hands instantly felt and looked, smoother and more hydrated.

The big selling point of this hand cream is of course the smell, and boy is it good! Fresh, fruity, tropical mango! If you love fruity scents, then this hand cream and the entire mango range is the one for you.

My one complaint with this hand cream though is the size of the tube! It only comes in this tiny 30ml travel size which retails at £5.50. Great for travel, and great for sticking in your handbag, but come on The Body Shop, please make it in a bigger size!

3. The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml

From one product from The Body Shop to another, and this next item is one of those products that's been hanging around in my bathroom for ages. You know what it's like when a product you love has been discontinued, so you just use a tiny amount, and try to eek it out for as long as possible, well that's what I've been doing with this one, and that's why I've had it for so long!

Originally realised at around the same time as my favourite ever festive scent from The Body Shop, Glazed Apple in around 2014, this was just one of numerous spicy vanilla scents that The Body Shop have released over the years.

Made from community fair trade cocoa butter from Ghana and vanilla extract, this body butter had a lovely buttery, creamy texture, and a rich almost dessert like, sweet but not too sickly vanilla scent. As well as moisturising even the driest skin, the gorgeous scent also lingered on the skin in a warming and comforting way. In fact I finished this way back in July. and even though I've washed the tub out, I can still smell the same warm, spicy vanilla scent emanating from it.

Alas this particular product and scent are long gone, and no vanilla based scents appear in this years Christmas offerings from The Body Shop, but if your willing to pay an extortionate amount of for 'old' products then can still find the odd product from the Vanilla Brulee range on eBay.

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

This next item is something that you have seen many times before, the anti hair fall conditioner! With arginine, keratin complex, and peppermint extract, this was a lovely lightweight but nourishing conditioner that made your scalp feel revitalised and your hair feeling super soft and smooth.

Alas this range, and you probably already know has now been discontinued but thankfully I love all of the other products that I've tried from various Advance Techniques ranges, so I can just about deal with the fact that I only have one bottle of this left.
 

5. Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml

Time for another hand cream, and this time one from tea inspired beauty brand, Bubble T. I received this particular product in the February 2021 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here x 

I think that this particular hand cream must have been a limited edition as I can't find it anywhere. I did however recently buy a smaller Bubble T hand cream in Peach, and it's pretty much identical in appearance, texture and scent. It comes in a smaller 60ml tube and it retails at around £1.99 direct from Bubble T, and from Beauty Expert, and at around £4 from NEXT Beauty.

6. Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes

Next up it's something for your bits, and this is a product that I was first introduced to thanks to disgraced subscription box Pink Parcel, and you can read my initial thoughts here x 

Like a lot of women I sometimes despair at the feminine hygiene industry, and the way that they constantly try to tell us that we look bad and smell bad, so whilst I do used products like this at times, you do you and don't feel that you need to use products downstairs to make yourself smell good! Anyways to be honest I only normally use products like this when I'm on my period, and out of all of them that I've tried in the past these are by far the best.

Woo Woo are a really fun and modern brand that produce a wide range of products including everything from hair removal products, to condoms and lube, and intimate washes and wipes. These particular wipes are pH balanced, vegan, biodegradable and flushable.

Containing aloe vera and cranberry extract, these wipes have a light fresh, fruity scent, and they super gentle on the skin, they aren't too wet, and they don't cause any dryness or irritation.

As I say I don't use them everyday by any means but they are really good for keeping you fresh and clean when you're on the go or when you can't make it to the shower.

You can buy a packet of 12 wipes direct from Woo Woo or from Superdrug for around £2.25. Feel Unique and Woo Woo also sell a pack of 20 wipes for around £3.75.

7. SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml

I only managed to finish one skincare item in July and it was a face mask. As you should know if you follow me on any of my other social media accounts, I'm a tiny bit addicted to Poundland, and a little while ago I picked up a different sheet masks from a brand called SUGU Beauty.

If I remember rightly I used this mask when we were having a bit of a heatwave in the UK, as I thought hope upon hope that it might cool me down!

Containing cucumber juice, centella asiatica, gingko biloba, honeysuckle and chamomile, this mask is specifically designed to calm and cool the skin - perfect for the warm weather!

The first thing that I noticed about this mask was just how wet it was, it was literally dripping with  a water like liquid. Despite the wetness it was a decent quality mask so it was fairly easy to unfold. It was a typical fibre like mask with a slightly fibre textured appearance and feel.

Before

With a subtle, fresh, clean scent, because it was so wet, it initially felt quite cool on the skin. The mask as I say was quite good quality, and it fit my face really well.

Being so wet, the liquid did actually start to run down my neck, but to be honest because it was so warm, it was actually a welcome part of the overall cooling myself down process!

On Application

I left it on for about 20 minutes, and as often is, the packet said to massage the excess liquid into my skin using circular motions until it absorbed. Whether it was down to the heat, I don't know but it actually absorbed into the skin quite quickly. It left my skin feeling a tiny bit tacky but it certainly wasn't the stickiest mask that I've ever used.

Appearance wise I don't really think you can see a lot of difference in the before and after pictures, but my skin generally felt cooler and more refreshed, which was a good thing on such a warm, sticky day - I only wish that I'd stuck it in the fridge for a bit beforehand for even more cooling benefits!

After

Unfortunately I have't seen this range in my nearest Poundland since, but you can find it online from various retailers where it tends to be priced between £3 - £3.50.

8. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml

I've already mentioned the conditioner in this post but in July I also managed to finish the 400ml supersize of the AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo.

Again I've talked about this shampoo at length in several previous posts, but in brief my hair really seemed to like it. Like the conditioner it contained arginine and keratin complex, it had a lovely fruity and slightly minty fresh scent and it left my hair and scalp feeling clean, and revitalised.

Like with the conditioner I have one bottle of this left to use, and whilst I will miss it, I'm pleased to say that my hair really likes quite a few of the products in various advance techniques ranges, so providing AVON don't start changing things again, I'm sorted with my hair care basics for the foreseeable future.

9. Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g

Now as a regular Poundland shopper, I love hunting out a bargain, and this is one of my most recent finds. Loose coffee and tea scrubs are currently all the rage, and despite the mess I couldn't resist pulling my pound out and giving this one a try.

Opening the pouch though I was quite surprised to see a predominantly salt based scrub. Containing arabica coffee seed powder, walnut shell powder, and salt, this scrub consisted of almost table salt like grains, with tiny black and brown specks mixed into it, a bit like Chinese salt and pepper seasoning with the chilli and garlic. Rather than smelling like out and out coffee it had a subtle, almost perfumed coffee, vanilla scent.

To use it, like any loose scrub, all you need to do is grab a handful and massage it onto damp skin. The grains were quite fine but it definitely rated quite highly on my scrubby scale, without being too harsh. Obviously being a salt based scrub it was a bit stingy and scratches and so on, and I certainly wouldn't use it straight after hair removal.

Being a salt based scrub it was really easy to rinse away, and it was pretty much mess free as the salt dissolved and the coffee and walnut particles where so fine they just washed down the drain. It left my skin feeling really, really smooth and soft, and I would definitely consider buying it again, and you probably should too. My one gripe is that my resealable pouch wouldn't seal back up again, so due to it potentially spilling and getting wet I couldn't store it in the shower, but for just £1 I don't really have any reason to complain.

The product was still available in my nearest Poundland (Consett) as of last week, so you should probably be able to still your hands on it, but if not and you fancy spending a little bit over the odds I have seen it on eBay.

10. Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Finally we're finishing where we started with a hand and nail care product, and this hand cream came in box number 14 of the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar!

From Danish skincare brand Ecooking, this vegan friendly hand cream contains organic almond oil, apricot seed oil, and organic olive oil, as well as natural squalane.

Packaged in a paint style, metal tube this hand cream is white in colour, and it has a really thick, and creamy texture.

On Application

Despite Ecooking's claim that it's quick to absorb, I found that it took quite a bit of rubbing in, it felt a touch sticky, and it took a good few minutes to completely absorb into the skin.

Slightly Rubbed In 

Once it had absorbed though, I could actually see the difference in my skin, it had a lovely healthy sheen, and even though it had by and large all absorbed, my hands felt almost as though they had a protective barrier on them making this hand cream ideal for night time, or for those colder months of the year.

After 

The odd thing about this hand cream for me though was the smell! Officially described as jasmine, grape, and orange flowers, to me it smelled slightly strange not in bad way I just found it really unusual. I'm useless at describing scents but for me it smelled like a mixture of white flowers, nuts, almonds, and traditional furniture polish!

Where as The Body Shop Mango hand cream is definitely more of a daytime / everyday product, this one is much more of either an overnight intensive product or if you're clearing snow or even building a snowman, then this would perfect for protecting your hands on a freezing cold day.

This 30ml size is available for around £9 direct from Ecooking and  from The Fragrance Shop, and for around £8 from Look Fantastic. The full 75ml size is also available for around £15.50.

So there you have it, my July empties, and for the second month in a row I finished 10 beauty products. Could I make it a hat trick in August - well I would say that you'll have to wait a few weeks for my post to find out, but there may be a little clue on the right hand side of your screen → ;)

As per usual if you have any questions on any of the items in the post then leave me a comment, and if you've found any fabulous bargain beauty buys, I'd love to hear your recommendations x Thanks for reading and I'll see you later in the week with a couple of posts x 

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

Trimming My Stash - October 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

Right, only two catch up posts to go and then we can finally say goodbye to October x First up October's beauty empties

Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 105g
Kueshi Double Effect Make Up Remover - 100ml
Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balance For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes
Natura Potato & Parsley Infused Under Eye Mask - 1 x 3g Pair
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml

Total - 5 Items 

To be fair after the highs of finishing 11 items in September (read my post here), October was nearly always going to be a disappointing month, but I've got to say that I'm actually not that disappointed. 5 items is still a pretty respectable total, and even if you ignore a few recent buys,  I still have 5 less skincare, and body care items to use up, so I guess it still counts as a win.

1. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 105g

First up one of my favourite cleansers of all time, from one of my favourite British brands of all time. I am a huge fan of British brand Elemis, and this award winning product is without a doubt one of the best products that they, and believe me they make a lot of fabulous things so that's a pretty high accolade.

This semi solid balm contains a whole load of good for your skin ingredients including mimosa, and rose waxes, starflower oil, elderberry, coconut oil, Shea butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, as well as the key ingredient in Elemis Pro Collagen range, Padina Pavonica which is a type of seaweed. It also contains some gorgeous botanicals including orange, clove, eucalyptus, lavandin, mint, and chamomile, which give it a beautiful, if slightly strong, spa like, aromatherapy based scent. 

Massage a tiny bit into dry skin, and the balm melts down into a oil, add a touch of water, and it turns into a milky cream, remove your make up with a warm muslin cloth, or flannel, rinse and dry and your skin is left feeling clean, soft and hydrated.

If you have an oily or combination skin like I do, don't worry this will still work for you, it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily or greasy, in fact it almost seems to help balance the oil production, and help with dry patches. I only use it at night, as I prefer something a bit lighter in the morning, and with the texture, ritual and scent, I think it makes a lovely pre bedtime treat.

As I say the scent can sometimes be a little bit strong for me and I because of the aromatherapy oils I don't use it on my eyes, but other than that it's a fabulous product that I will continue to use, and I already have a pot or two in back up.

This particular size retails at around £44 direct from Elemis, but it's also available on it's own and in sets from various other retailers including Look Fantastic. Feel Unique, Debenhams, John Lewis, and from where I get most of my Elemis products from, QVC UK.

2. Kueshi Double Effect Make Up Remover - 100ml

This was the first of three items, that I received in subscription boxes. It was so long ago now that I can't really remember but I think that this came in a Glossybox.

I can't find too much online about them but I believe that Kueshi are / were a Spanish brand. Containing Aloe Vera and Chamomile this was a dual phase eye make remover comprising of a blue, and a clear liquid. The blue liquid was a gentle, refreshing lotion, and the clear liquid contained oils that were designed to remove even the toughest eye make up. All you do is give the bottle a good shake to combine the two phases, then as usual you apply it to a cotton pad.

I have quite sensitive dry, but watery eyes, and I'm wary about trying new eye make up removers but this actually wasn't bad. It removed everything that I threw at it from notoriously hard to remove mascara and water resistant liner, with no irritation and no rubbing. My one issue was that despite non greasy claim I did find that it left a slightly oily residue on the eyes, that you had to rinse away, other than though it was decent and it did the job.

I can't find this particular product on any UK based websites, and I can only find it on a few European sites such as ekosmetik all be it in a slightly larger size, and slightly different packaging for around €15.99.

3. Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balance For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes

Next up another subscription box item, and something that I received the July 2019 edition of Pink Parcel. You can read my initial thoughts here, but basically what they were, were intimate wipes, containing Aloe Vera, and cranberry extract. With a lovely fresh, fruity scent they weren't the thickest wipes that I've ever used but I don't particularly mind that because they are biodegradable and flushable.

As I've said before I can take or leave specific intimate products, I wouldn't buy these all the time but these wipes are good for that time of the month, or for when you're on holiday or on the go, and you went to freshen up a bit. This pack of 12 retails at around £2.25 from Superdrug

4. Natura Potato & Parsley Infused Under Eye Mask - 1 x 3g Pair

We've reached product number 4, and that was another product that I received in a Pink Parcel. This cooling mask came in the September 2019 edition of Pink Parcel, and you can read my full review here. They did what they promised and cooled and soothed the eye area, my skin felt refreshed, and looked less puffy, and felt more hydrated, and moisturised. A pack of 3 pairs retails at around £5.95 direct from Beauty Pro and from various retailers including Feel Unique.

5. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel - 250ml

Finally an autumnal limited edition from The Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin range. Containing Madagascan vanilla extract and pumpkin fragrance, this is a rich and creamy shower gel, that I would personally describe as a shower cream. You only need a tiny amount to produce loads and loads of soft creamy, moisturising bubbles. It leaves my skin feeling soft with a light warm, sweet, vanilla based scent that smells good enough to eat.

I absolutely love this scent and I was fully intending to stock up on it this year but by the time I made it into The Body Shop, a couple of weeks ago, they only had the new festive scents and Vanilla Pumpkin was long gone. A sensible person would have left the shop but old habits die hard, and I ended up picking up a few Juicy Pear products instead, which after such high hopes is the only Christmas limited edition that I actually like this year ho hum! Anyways I have a scraping of Vanilla Pumpkin Body Butter left, and about 2/3 bottle of shower gel remaining which I'm going to really enjoy using, before moving onto some of the older festive limited editions from The Body Shop that I still have in my stash.

So they were my 5 items, despite a couple of beauty buys this month so far, I've already finished a couple of items already in November, so here's hoping that I can punish on over the next two months and finish 2019 Trimming My Stash on a high! Any questions as per usual, leave me a comment and let me know xx 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - July 2019 Edition - Turn Up The Heat Edit*

After all of the hassle and palaver that I had with the June edition of Pink Parcel, I'm pleased to say that July's both arrived on time and without incident.

It seems as though Pink Parcel are still trying to use up their old style packaging, so like in June, in July I received an original pink and grey box, which contained 3 boxes and the familiar fabric pouch.

I was a little bit short on night time pads so again I went for a sanitary pad box, like pretty much every box I've had recently I received a mixture of different brands rather than what I'd requested, as I've said before though I don't really mind different brands, I'm more concerned about the amount products in the box, and again despite reverting back to the old style, larger box, I still only got 23 items  and at the risk of repeating myself that's fine for me but not necessarily for anyone with a longer or heavier period.

Anyways I'm sure you've heard me complain about that before, so lets move quickly on to the most exciting part of the box, the treats! The theme of July's box is Turn Up The Heat, so it's all about the sun, summer and the heat, and it contains a variety of products to treat and pamper the skin.

As I said in the review of June's box I normally ignore the flyer's and adverts that tend to come in my subscription boxes and shopping orders, but like in last months box, the July edition of Pink Parcel also contained something that was worth saving from the recycling bin.

It was a fragrance card from Ted Baker featuring samples of 3 scents from their Ted's Sweet Treats range. The first scent Polly contains a mixture of mandarin, red berries, peach, amber, and vanilla.  Mia is another fruity scent and contains lemon, raspberries, and blackcurrants mixed with patchouli and golden amber, and the final scent Ella again contains fruity notes including bergamot, and cassis, but it also contains floral notes of orange blossom, jasmine and rose.

I wasn't expecting a lot but I actually liked all of the scents, they were surprisingly complex and not as sweet as I'd anticipated. My favourite was definitely Polly, which reminded me a little bit of Victoria's Secret Tease, which I got for my birthday and I love.

STYLondon Banana Setting Powder - 4.5g - Full Size - RRP £14.99

After receiving the lovely marble packaged lipstick in June's box, July's box contained another product from cruelty free, and paraben free, British company STYLondon, and this time it was their Banana Setting Powder. 

Now although it contains vitamin E, and natural minerals, despite the name it doesn't actually contain bananas. The banana refers to the slight yellow colour of this super fine face powder. It sounds strange I know but yellow powder has a been a make up artists secret for the longest time, and it's something that I've used on and off for over 15 years now. The yellow tint is designed to brighten the complexion and to eliminate redness as well as doing all of the other things a loose powder should do like mattifying the skin and setting make up.

As you can see from the picture below it's not a bright, bright yellow so you won't end up looking like a minion! Just dust it sparingly over your foundation with a puff or with what I prefer, a big fluffy brush, and on the majority of skin tones, you won't really see any yellowness, (apart from on your eyebrows so make sure you give them a brush through, just a more even, matte complexion.

In the before picture below I'm just wearing a very lightweight foundation. It evened my skin out but you can still see a bit of redness coming through especially on my cheeks.

]

Before

After

Apply a dusting of this banana powder over the top though, and although it doesn't make a huge difference, my skin tone is more even, the skin looks smooth and matte, and the redness isn't anywhere near as obvious. Over the last week or so I've given this powder a good work out in what have been some pretty extreme conditions, and I'm actually pretty impressed with it. It wasn't the greatest powder that I've ever used for keeping the shine down, and it did need to keep reapplying it but given the temperatures I tested it in, I'm not going to hold that against it. I loved the slight baby powder scent, and I have to say it's one of the best powders that I've used for reducing redness and evening out my skin tone. It has a very fine texture, and as long as you apply it sparingly it makes a great finishing powder, for anyone with redness or an uneven skin tone. The STYLondon Banana Setting Powder retails at £14.99 for a 4.5g tub and it's available directly from the STYLondon website.

Patchology Moodmask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask - Full Size - RRP £5

I love a good face mask and you pretty much guarantee that every Pink Parcel will contain at least one mask. July's box actually contained 2 masks and the first one comes from a new brand to me Patchology. Using their medical background the team at Patchology create products with the whole philosophy of "beauty at the speed of you". They want their products to do more, work faster and to deliver better results.

I haven't had the chance to try this mask yet, I've been a bit masked out lately but this one is specially designed for problematic skin, oily skin and skin with breakouts. It's designed to soothe the skin, and to both minimise imperfections and to prevent new ones forming. It contains antibacterial willow bark and tea tree, and peppermint to reduce inflammation and to slow down oil production. I will definitely be giving this a go in the next week or so, so I'll let you know my thoughts in a future Trimming My Stash post. This full size mask retails at £5 and is available direct from Patchology, and various other retailers including Cult Beauty and Space NK

Dr Botanicals Po Pomegranate Superfood Regenerating Sleeping Mask - 30ml - Travel Size - RRP £12 - 14

I guess you could call the next item in the box another face mask, but it's actually so much more than that. The eagle eyed readers amongst will probably remember this product from my review of the April 2019 Glossybox (read my post here if you haven't already). Normally I would be a little bit disappointed to receive a product that I already own but I'm a bit of fan of this one so I'm happy to have another one in back up.

As you would expect from the Dr Botanicals range this product is cruelty free, vegan, and certified by PETA. Whilst it is technically a face mask it's actually more of a night treatment in the form of a face mask. Containing pomegranate, sweet almond oil, grapeseed and shea butter, you simply apply a thin layer of this creamy textured product to your face, before bed two or three times a week and they you just go to bed as normal, no rinsing or cleansing required, and then in theory you wake up bright, smooth and hydrated skin.

Now I've been using this for about a month and a half now and as I say I'm a fan. Although my skin is changing as I age, I still quite an oily complexion so I'm actually a bit scared of a lot of night creams and night treatments, because I always think that they will be a bit too heavy for my skin and that they'll actually make the oiliness worse. The first time I used this I was a bit concerned as it felt quite thick, and creamy but it actually doesn't feel too heavy on the skin, and after apply a thin layer to my I was actually surprised at how quick it actually absorbed. I had images of my pillows been smeared with face mask, but that didn't happen, and pretty much all of the mask had absorbed within about 15-20 minutes leaving quite a matte finish. It has a slight fruity scent but nothing to strong or distracting.

On Application

10 Minutes After Application 

Next Morning 

My skin did feel a little bit tight whilst it was sinking in but when I woke up the next morning my skin just feel smoother to the touch and it looked fresher and cleaner and surprisingly more awake and alive then it normally does in the morning. As I say I've been using it a couple of times a week for about a month and a half and I definitely haven't noticed an increase in oiliness or breakouts, my skin just looks better. I'm really pleased to have another tube in my skincare stash, and I would definitely recommend it if your skin needs some TLC, or just a boost.  This is the 30ml travel size which retails at various prices between £12 and £14 and is available from both Beauty Expert and directly from Dr Botanicals. You can also buy the full 50ml size from retailers including Look Fantastic

Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balanced For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes - Full Size - RRP £2.25

Now I've got a bit of a love / hate thing going on with intimate washes and wipes, on one hand they aren't always that good for you, and I don't think women should be paranoid and worries about how they naturally smell, but on the other hand, I have a bit of a need to be clean down their complex, especially at that time of the month, so I do tend to use feminine washes especially during my period, and I've used various brands of feminine wipes in the past.

These wipes from Woo Woo, though have a much more modern feel than the ones that I've used in the past. Woo Woo are a brand that are focused on vaginal health, beauty and pleasure, and these intimate wipes are pH balanced to prevent irritation and other problems. They are designed to clean and soothe delicate skin and they contain both aloe vera and cranberry extract; they are also dermatologically tested, vegan and paraben free. Importantly for wipes they are also biodegradable, and flushable.

I haven't had a chance to try these properly yet, as I only just got my period this morning, but I have opened the packet and they have a lovely fruity scent. As per usual I'll let you know my  thoughts in a future empties posts. If you fancy trying them for yourself, you can pick up a pack of 12 wipes for £2.25 from Superdrug.

May Beauty The Incredible Pore Strip With Charcoal - 2 Pore Strips

I first became aware of May Beauty way back in 2015 when I was sent their The Incredible Face Mask to try. You can read my full post here but they are basically those super painful but super effective charcoal peel off masks.

Their products seem to be all about the pore, and this is their version of the pore strip. I don't think there are many teens, or beauty obsessives that haven't tried at least a version of these at some point, I certainly know I have and I remember the huge buzz when Biore first brought them to their UK.

These is something slightly gross, but slightly addictive about pore strips. All you do is dampen your skin and apply the strip sticky side down to your nose, I normally find that dampening it down helps it stick better. Then you just wait about 15 or so minutes until it dries. these particular ones are infused with charcoal so the white topside ends up going black when it gets wet, and do your fingers if you touch it.

When the strip feels dry to the touch you just pull it off, I didn't find this one too painful but depending on how sensitive your skin is, and how well it's stuck it can be a bit ouchy! Then all you do is wash your face and marvel at the blackheads and impurities that the strip has removed. I've actually had way worse ones that this in the past but look carefully and you can see the tiny little white specks that were once in my nose!

I can definitely see myself getting addicted to these things again, and thankfully I have another strip in this pack to use. I can't find a price online for this 2 pack but Pink Parcel give a recommended retail price of £10 which sounds a touch steep. If you go direct to May Beauty though you can buy a pack of 12 for £17.

Joe & Seph's Toffee Apple & Cinnamon Popcorn - 7g Bag 

I love popcorn, be it hot and buttery from the cinema, from packets I've popped in the microwave and hot and fresh from my popcorn maker. You can buy bags of sweet and savoury popcorn pretty much anywhere now but in my opinion their aren't many brands that come close to Joe & Seph's - in their case, you really do get what you pay for. 

They do a huge range of amazing flavours, using good quality ingredients and you don't get any of those little bits floating around in the bottom of the bag. Some of their caramel flavours in particular have really stole my heart but the apple and cinnamon is a nice change. It really is a taste sensation combining toffee, apples and cinnamon, basically apple pie and toffee in one bite. I can't find a price for this particular size but the 80g size retails at around £4 directly from Joe & Seph's.

Teapigs Snooze Sleepy Tea - 1 x 3g Tea Temple

Finally the customary hot drink, and July's box included a tea bag from one of my favourite artisan tea, and infusion brands Teapigs.

Packed in a biodegradable mesh tea temple, instead of a conventional tea bag, you don't get any dust with Teapigs you only get whole pieces of fruit and spices, and leaves. and this particular bag just contains apple pieces, chamomile flowers, and lavender flowers. This caffeine brand is designed to be drank before bed and it's designed to encourage and aid sleep. I'm a bit scared of lavender in food but as someone who struggles with their sleep I'm definitely going to give this a try. Teapigs teas and infusions are available from various retailers, and this particular product is also available directly from Teapigs, where 2 tea temples have a recommended retail price of £1.75, so this bag essentially retails at 88p. You can also pay a packet of 15 bags from £3.99.

Now as per usual I've seen a bit of criticism about this box, but personally I can't find any real problem with it. The value is definitely there and the products inside are all decent, and as you've probably already realised I'm a bit of a fan of both the STYLondon Banana Setting Powder and the Dr Botanicals mask. I definitely think the boxes are more beauty orientated than they used to be but I'm okay with that - if you aren't don't subscribe or cancel it really is that simple. The majority of subscription boxes are a risk, and thankfully for my July's Pink Parcel was a risk that paid off. Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments and don't forget to check out Pink Parcel to find out more and don't forget to use my referral code PPLT2153 if you subscribe.

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