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

I'm late again with one, so much so that we're now almost in the middle of April argh! I honestly don't know where this year has gone, Easter is next week, and then it's my birthday and then it summer arghhhhh! I'm sure time seemed to drag more when I was younger. Anyway because time is short I'm going to get straight down to it and talk about my March empties.

AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml
Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - 500ml**
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml
The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 200ml
Benefit Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara - Black - 3g
Benefit Gimme Brow - Light / Medium - 3g
Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel - 40ml - 1 x Pair Single Use Booties
Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml

Total - 8 Items

At last a decent month! It took 3 months but I finally achieved a monthly empties total that I can be proud of. Not only did I manage to finish 8 items, making it my best month of 2019 so far, but I also managed to finish a nice variety of items. I didn't manage to finish any skin care products but I did manage to finish a good assortment of body and hair items, and shock of horrors I managed to finish a couple of make up products, which almost never happens. Go me!

1. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml

I've already talked about this at length in quite a few posts, so I'm really going to try and not repeat myself much. What do I think about this product? well I love, love, love it and I can't be without it, so much so in fact that I've already got a couple of bottles of the shampoo and the matching conditioner in back up. I do switch things up a bit when it comes to shampoos and conditioners but I just keep coming back to this one and I probably use it at least once a week.

Containing keratin, bamboo extract, wheat protein and peppermint, it's especially designed to strengthen the hair and to reduce hair loss. It smells gorgeous and I think it's made a real difference to my hair, and unlike a lot of anti - hair fall shampoos it's really affordable, with a 250ml bottle retailing at around £2 directly from AVON or via your local AVON representative.

2. Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - 500ml**

Next up a product from the popular Yes To range. I was lucky enough to try a lot of their products when I wrote regular reviews for My Pure and this was one of them - You can read my original review here. x

If you've never tried anything from Yes To before than I'd highly recommend that you do. The entire range is petroleum, SLS, paraben and cruelty free, and this particular product is 98% natural, and contains both apple and grapefruit extracts, and coconut.

As you would expect from the name this is a very refreshing, and zingy shower gel, with a noticeable but not overpowering grapefruit scent. It's not drying on the skin and just a tiny, tiny amount creates a lovely creamy lather, making this huge bottle a very economical buy.

Alas My Pure no longer seem to sell the Yes To range range but this particular product is still available and retails at £7.99 for a 500ml bottle from various retailers including Look Fantastic, Feel Unique, and Fragrance Direct

3. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml

4. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 200ml

I don't know about anyone else but there is something very satisfying about finishing a beauty product, and seeing those empties stack up - I can honestly say that I normally relish finishing a product but in the the case of these two items though it made me feel a bit sad.

In pretty much every other empties post that I've ever written I've shared my love for The Body Shop's festive collections, I've loved so many over the years but the stand out for me have to be their Glazed Apple range from around 2014.

It's not the obvious apple scent that you'll ever smell but it's sweet, juicy, sugary and almost candyfloss inspired - for me it's simply mouthwatering. Add an amazing fragrance to The Body Shop signature shower gel and body butter formulations, and the combination of the two products left the skin clean, soft, and deliciously scented.

Unless I find another forgotten stash of beauty products hiding somewhere in my house, I'm nearing the end of my The Body Shop Glazed Apple stash. I think I have one full sized bottle of shower gel and that's it :( The range was obviously discontinued some time ago now so unless I succumb to some of the ridiculously priced pieces on ebay, I'm on the verge of saying goodbye to Glazed Apple for good - So you know what The Body Shop needs to do? Bring it back of course! 

5. Benefit Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara - Black - 3g

Now I'm going to try and keep this short, because I do intend on doing a full review of this mascara in the near future. I'm a huge fan of Benefit Cosmetics, and I do love their mascaras, this is their curling mascara, which aims to separate, lift and curl the lashes, it water resistant and long lasting.

I love using this alone but it also works really well with Benefit They're Real, you get the length and thickness from They're Real and the curl and separation from Roller Lash. This is a mini but it has the same size brush as the full size. As I say I have a full review coming soon but if you're interested Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara retails at around £22 for the 8.5g size, and at around £11 for the 4g travel sized mini.

6. Benefit Gimme Brow - Light / Medium - 3g

Next up another Benefit product and I'm not actually sure where this one came from, I think it got lost in my stash somewhere but in case you don't recognise it, it's an old Gimme Brow that I found and finished.

For years and years I didn't really bother about my brows, I plucked them without ever knowing really what I was doing, I lost my natural shape and  my brows ended up an over plucked skinny mess. Then a few years ago now I was offered the chance to try out the Benefit Cosmetics Brow Services and the rest as they say is history (read about my experience here).

I now have regular brow waxes, and occasional dye treatment, and I now have all sorts of different brow products in my collection. A product that I keep coming back to though is the original Gimme Brow and now Gimme Brow +.

It super quick and easy to use, and as well as adding a hint of colour, it add thickness and volume to the brow hairs, and it sets and tames all of those stray hairs. I've used every shade from light / medium in the early day, to everything now from 3.5 to 4.5 and it's something that I will continue to use. The full 3g size now retails at £21.50 with the 1.5g travel size retailing at £11.

7. Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel - 40ml - 1 x Pair Single Use Booties

If you are a regular reader of my Trimming My Stash posts then you'll know that I am a little bit obsessed with this type of foot peeling socks, they are gross but at the same time so, so satisfying.

Beauty Pro are mask specialists and whilst they are probably best known for their face masks, they also produce a range of hair, hand, and foot masks.

Containing 16 botanical and fruit extracts including sage, anise, kiwi, lemon and lime, vitamin E and both salicylic and glycolic acid, these foot masks are paraben free and they contain no mineral oil, lanolin or petroleum.

Inside the packet you get a pair of thin plastic socks, with a paper like lining, and an adhesive strip to keep them in place. They aren't the sturdiest socks so I ended up putting on a pair of slipper socks over the top to keep them in place. These socks contain a lot of liquid, these were very wet, and they had an astringent slightly fruity scent.

All you do it wash and dry the feet, and pop the socks on for around 90 minutes, before rinsing any remaining liquid off with plain water. Unlike some of the similar socks that I've tried there was no real tingling sensation just a cool feeling, and there was no redness. After about 6 days the skin started to peel off my feet, that lasted for about a week, afterwards my feet were a lot smoother with only a small amount of dry skin still visible on my heels. 

I've tried quite a few different brands of peeling socks now and I was pretty impressed with these ones and I would definitely consider buying them again in the future. You are advised to leave at least 6 weeks between these type of treatments, and next up I have some AVON ones to try. The Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel socks retail at around £7.95 directly from Beauty Pro, and also from various retailers including NEXT, Fabled, Feel Unique, and Fragrance Direct.

8. Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml

Last but not least, a discontinued product, that some may argue doesn't belong in a beauty empties post but hey I think it does. Brush cleaning is one of my least favourite beauty tasks, and I tend to avoid it for as long as I can, in fact I think that's probably one of the reasons why I own so many brushes, I just buy more instead of washing them.

As much as I hate it though this product definitely made it a bit easier, it basically a solid brush soap, wet your brush, swirl it in to the soap, squeeze, rinse and dry, simples! This had a gorgeous fresh fruity, floral scent, and it really made cleaning my brushes easier and a little less time consuming.

Unfortunately like the entire Freedom beauty line, it's been absorbed and re branded under the Revolution Beauty label, and it's being replaced by a product called the Revolution Pro Hygiene Sanitising Solid Brush Cleaner which is £5. It's a very similar product just with a slightly different rose based scent. and it's available direct from Revolution and from Superdrug.

As you may have gathered I'm pretty happy about March's total but I've got to keep at it and make April another successful month x If you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then don't forget to leave me a comment x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

**Press Sample

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

Where on earth does time go? The last few months especially seem to have flown by and blended into one. I'm behind and late again but hey that's the way life is for me at the moment. So no more waffle and contemplation, lets get straight to the point and talk about May's Trimming My Stash.

AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 200ml
Beautifully Scrumptious Deep Moisturising Foot Pack - Tea Tree And Peppermint - 1 x Pair Socks
Primark PS Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 x Wipes
Dawin Miller Joy White Jasmine And Cranberry Body Butter - 200ml
Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml
Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes
Berrisom Oops Soda Bubble Mask Pore Tox Fruit - 1 x Sheet Mask
Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel - 500ml
Superdrug Strawberry & Raspberry Shower Foam - 150ml
My Little Beauty Moonrise Make Up Remover Jelly - 100ml
Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara - Noir Glamour / Black - 9ml

Total - 11 Items

May was by far my best month of the year so far, I managed to finish 11 items. Alas no haircare this time round but I did manage to finish a nice combo of skincare, and body care products, and I even managed to finish a make up item, so all in all a pretty good result

1. AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 200ml

Micellar water really has been a game changer for me when it comes to skincare. As someone who suffers from chronic illness, I want something that's quick and easy, and micellar waters are exactly that, quick and easy but with more skincare benefits and better for your skin than the humble face wipe. There is a lot of choice on the market now when it comes to micellar waters but at the moment I'm loving two of AVON's offerings, their Anti Ageing 3 in 1 Cleansing Water, and this one from their Nutra Effects range. It contains micellar technology as well as an exclusive active seed complex with chia seed extract and vitamin E. It removes make up really easily without leaving it dry or irritated, and although it does struggle a little bit with long wear mascara, you can also use it to remove eye make up. I have quite sensitive eyes when it comes to eye make up removers, but I can use this with only minimal watering which isn't too bad. As you probably already know AVON always have a lot of offers on so it's worth keeping an eye out, but this size has an RRP of £4, and you can also get a double sized, 400ml bottle for only £6. 

2. Beautifully Scrumptious Deep Moisturising Foot Pack - Tea Tree And Peppermint - 1 x Pair Socks

I've already talked about these in a previous empties post (read it here) and I still love them. Moisturised, softer, smoother and better looking feet in less than 20 minutes and all for just a £1, what's not to love! Annoyingly these fabulous socks don't seem to be available in all Poundland stores, so when you see them take my advice and stock up!

3. Primark PS Micellar Facial Cleansing Wipes - 25 x Wipes

Okay I know I've just been talking about how micellar waters are now my go to for quick and easy cleansing but every once in a while I do use cleansing wipes on my face (I know, I know, feel free to slap my wrists if you ever meet me!). I bought these once when I couldn't find my favourite tea tree wipes, and I have to say that they're pretty decent. They don't feel drying or harsh, and they removed a light make up fairly easily, without too much rubbing. Obviously knowing a bit about skincare I would never advocate the use of cleansing wipes on a regular basis (ahem) but at just £1 for two packs of 25 wipes these are perfect for emergencies, and as Caroline Hirons says for fannies, flights and festivals x 

4. Dawin Miller Joy White Jasmine And Cranberry Body Butter - 200ml

I already mentioned the accompanying body wash in April's empties post, and whilst I loved that I loved this body butter even more. For me it was more of a thick body cream rather than a true body butter. Despite it's thickness it absorbed easily leaving the skin feeling silky soft, and smelling heavenly of heady white flowers with just a touch of tart fruit. Unfortunately as I said in my previous empties post this entire range appears to have discontinued which is a shame, but thankfully I still have a bottle of the hand and body lotion left so I can enjoy this intoxicating fragrance for just a little bit longer.

5. Soap & Glory The Scrub Of Your Life - 200ml

Now if you are a regular reader you'll know that when it comes to body scrubs, I'm a salt or sugar scrub gal! Scrubs like this one don't normally float my boat but after using a few tubes of this in the past I'm *very nearly* a convert. With the original Soap & Glory scent this scrub has a cream gel formula, which is crammed full of exfoliating particles. The grains are of a decent size so it's pretty scrubby, and it produces a creamy moisture rich foam on application. In my experience it takes a bit of rinsing but it leaves the skin feeling silky soft and smooth. When it comes to Soap & Glory scrubs I definitely prefer the gritty sugar ness of Sugar Crush but if you don't like things quite so rough then this one is a good alternative, particularly if you love the original Soap & Glory scent.

6. Primark PS Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Oily & Blemish Prone Skin - 25 x Wipes

Would it even be an empties post in LouLouLand if I didn't include a pack of these? No I don't think so! Now I'm not going to lie here, my mam probably used at least half of these when she was in hospital. With the high tea tree content, they are great for freshening up the skin and cleaning the hands. Don't just think of these particular wipes as just face wipes, they really are a multi purpose essential, even if you never even use them on your face.

7. Berrisom Oops Soda Bubble Mask Pore Tox Fruit - 1 x Sheet Mask

I'm really enjoying using face masks at the moment and I particularly enjoying trying out lots of new types and formulations. This one is a combination of both a sheet mask, and one of the Instagram phenomenons of the last year or so, the bubble mask. Designed to detoxify the skin and refine the pores, this fruity, bubblegum scented mask is basically a sheet mask specifically for the lower half of your face. Apply it to your face and after a minute of so the surface of the sheet mask starts to bubble and foam. It feels cool on the skin at first and as the bubbles start to appear you feel a fabulous almost tickly, popping sensation on the skin. Leave the mask on and enjoy the sensation for around 10 - 15 minutes, then take it off and then massage the excess bubbles and liquid into the skin. My skin initially felt a bit sticky but the excess slowly absorbs leaving the skin feeling smooth, clean and fresh. My pores also did look a little bit smaller and a little bit less obvious, in the short term. 

I literally loved every single thing about this mask, I loved the scent, and I loved how the mask felt on my skin, and I loved how my skin looked and felt after application. This mask would be great for a special event or for when you skin needs an extra boost, or if you just want to have a little bit of fun with your skincare. This mask is available from various retailers including Urban Outfitters, Beauty Bay and the Mask House.

I love the whole bubble mask idea and not just for Instagram picture potential ;). I'm definitely going to be trying a few more out and I recently managed to get my hands on the Insta famous Elizavecca Milk Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask (Check out my Instagram for some pics ;) It smells a bit weird and it is a touch messy, but I'm loving the bubbly sensation and how clean my skin feels when I've used it - bubble masks are definitely the way to go!

8. Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel - 500ml

If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you'll know that I'm a big fan of the whole Yes To range. Over the years I've been lucky enough to have reviewed quite a few of their products for natural beauty site My Pure, and whilst I've enjoyed using a lot of their skin and hair care items, my real love is their shower products. Not only are they very economical in this size but the range is also animal friendly, and free from parabens, SLS, and petroleum. With a light fresh, fruity powdery scent, this particular product is specifically designed for normal to dry skin, it's crammed full of beta carotene (from carrots don't you know!), dead sea water, and almond, olive and jojoba oils, making it perfect for summer. I really enjoyed using this product and I would definitely consider repurchasing it in the future. You can read a full review of this product here x 

9. Superdrug Strawberry & Raspberry Shower Foam - 150ml

Although it's been over three years now since I lost my bath tub, I still do miss it, but surviving on showers alone hasn't been as bad as I always thought it would be. Yes I miss the relaxation element of a bath, but I've really enjoyed trying out new and different types of shower products. I've really learnt to love the versatility of shower foams. As well as being super quick and easy to use they also seem to add a bit more of a luxurious element to the humble shower, and since you can also use them as a shaving foam they are also super versatile. This was basically a very creamy, and moisturising shower foam with a slightly sickly berry scent. The product itself was nice enough but the pump was a bit stiff so it was a little bit difficult to dispense. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this, or any of the other fragrances online any more so I think these shower foams may have been discontinued.

10. My Little Beauty Moonrise Make Up Remover Jelly - 100ml

I got this product some time ago in a My Little Box, and it was a product from their exclusive My Little Beauty range. It was basically a cleanser / make up remover, which was very similar in both application and results to the long discontinued Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel (read my product rave here). It has a thick, jelly like texture, and a fresh, fruity scent, simply massage it into dry skin, and slowly massage in some warm water, creating a slightly warm feeling and a creamy cleansing milk. This cleanser removed the majority of my make up without too much effort, and it left my oily, combination skin feeling smooth and clean. I really liked this product it's just a shame that we were never able to buy the My Little Beauty products in the UK.

11. Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara - Noir Glamour / Black - 9ml

Maybelline are famous for a lot of things in the make up world but look at any magazine's beauty awards and you'll normally find a Maybelline mascara. Personally I think that Maybelline Great Lash is an overrated clumpy mess but I love Colossal and I love the Falsies! It's easy to apply, it's pretty resilient, it defines and lengthens the lashes, and it adds just the right amount of volume. Although the packaging and shade names seem to have changed slightly since I last bought this one, if you're looking for a new mascara and you don't want to spend a fortune, then this could be one to try and it's definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

So they were my very late May empties, I've already finished a couple of items already this month but I don't think that month is going to be quite as successful as May, but you never know x Let me know if you have any questions on any of the items that I've talked about and if you have any bubble mask recommendations I'd love to hear them x 

The Perfect Summer Body Moisturiser Courtesy Of Yes To Coconut*

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll know that over the past few days it's been pretty warm in the UK. I love heat and I love the sunshine, but I'm not the biggest fan of the sticky, humid weather that we're having at the moment, give me dry, desert or Mediterranean heat any day!

When the weather is warmer it's more important than ever to keep your skin hydrated but there is nothing worse than trying to rub thick, sticky or heavy body products into damp, clammy skin. Not all body products are heavy and greasy though, there is now a wide range of lighter textured products available, from gels, to light gel creams, and body lotion sprays, that are ideal for keeping your skin hydrated in the summer months.

Personally I'm a huge fan of body lotion sprays. These light, moisturising mists are perfect for the summer months and dare I say it for when you're feeling lazy or in a rush. From something that was once quite difficult to get hold of, you can now find body lotion sprays in pretty much any chemist, supermarket or department store, at a wide variety of price points. I've got a couple in my collection already but since we're all feeling so summery at the moment for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try one from the very tropical, holiday sounding Yes To Coconut range.

From the popular Yes To stable, Yes To Coconut Dry Skin Ultra Light Body Lotion Spray, is paraben, petroleum, and SLS free, and contains 97% natural ingredients. It contains a variety of light, but potent moisturisers including virgin coconut oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and aloe vera. It is designed to help smooth and hydrate dry, cracked skin, without feeling greasy or heavy.

It comes packaged in 295ml plastic bottle with a pump action trigger dispenser. The spray is easy to operate and even works upside down, making it easy to use on hard to reach areas such as your back and the backs of your arms and legs. You can either spray the product directly onto the skin or you can spray it into your hand and massage it directly where you want it. A little goes a long way so you don't need a lot making this a very economical product.

One of the criticisms of products like this is that sometimes they just aren't moisturising enough if you have drier skin, and they can be quite watery. This one though is very different, the product that comes out is a thin, but substantial white cream. It feels quite light on the skin but at the same time, it feels quite creamy. It absorbs quickly with no greasiness or residue, leave the skin hydrated and subtly scented.

As you would expect from the brand name and the main ingredient, this product smells of coconuts. Sometime coconut fragrances can be quite overpowering and sickly, and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm not that keen on coconut as a fragrance, but this one has a subtle sweet and creamy coconut aroma, that reminds of tropical holidays, Bounty bars, and coconut ice.

In every way, shape and form, this product for me, is perfect for the summer months, It's easy to use and the lotion is light and creamy, but at the same time it's soothing and hydrating. As well as a daily body moisturiser I've also used it as an summery, coconut smelling after sun, without any stinging or irritation. The Yes To Coconut Dy Skin Ultra Light Body Lotion Spray normally retails at £11.99 for a 295ml bottle from My Pure but it's currently on special at just £10.43. Are you a coconut fan? Let me know in the comments x 

*Sample

Sweet Showers With Yes To Blueberries And My Pure*

Way, way back when I first started reviewing products from My Pure, one of the first brands that I fell in love with, was Yes To. The brand uses a high percentage of natural ingredients, and the entire range is both paraben and cruelty free.

The Yes To brand is divided into several sub brands depending on the skin or hair, type or concern, and the key active, natural ingredient. I'd already tried products from the Yes To Carrots, Grapefruit, Cumbers, and Tomatoes lines but I hadn't tried anything from one of the newer ranges Yes To Blueberries, so for one of April's My Pure items I decided to take the plunge and pick something out.

I'm going to hold my hands up and say that the Yes To Blueberries facial skincare line probably isn't for me - it's specifically geared towards people with a drier skin, and people who are concerned with lines and ageing. I may be in my mid to late 30's but oiliness is still much more of a problem for me so I decided to try a body product instead.

The Yes To Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash is paraben, SLS and petroleum free and contains a massive 95% natural ingredients. As you would expect from the name the key ingredient is the blueberry. Blueberries are a natural anti-oxidant that can help to support and that can help with skin renewal, add the other key ingredient of this product pure African Shea butter and you have a product that claims to moisturise and soften the skin.

First up the packaging none of your delicate little bottles here, all of the Yes To body washes and hair products, came in huge chunky 500ml bottles, so the bottles are easy to handle and you're getting a lot of product for your money.

I've tried most of the other body washes from Yes To and this one has the most distinctive texture by far. Whilst the majority of the others resemble a clear shower gel, this one has a milky almost, creamy appearance and much thicker texture- this is very much a shower cream as opposed to a gel.

I've read a couple of reviews where people have said that this didn't foam too well but that definitely wasn't my experience. A small amount of product onto a shower puff produced a lovely, creamy soft feel lather and it also passed my bath test - If you have dry skin and you want a creamy, bubble bath without SLS then I would definitely give this ago.

Because of my illness and medication my body skin can be prone to both itchiness and dryness but after using this product I didn't even feel as though I needed to use a body lotion. My arms especially felt smooth and supple and were left delicately scented.

Ah, the smell I haven't mentioned that up to now but it's definitely something that I need to talk about. Buy a blueberry scented product from the chemist or the supermarket and you normally get something with a sickly, sweet, berry aroma. I have to say I'm all for that and I really like it but more often than not, it will be a synthetic, created fragrance that's never even seen a blueberry in it's life.
In reality blueberries just don't really smell like that, they actually don't have a lot of fragrance. This product has a very distinctive scent, it is a bit fruity and maybe a bit citrussy but it's quite herbal and a has an  almost lavender aroma. It's actually really nice but it just wasn't what I was expecting given the name but what your getting is a 95%  natural product with real natural ingredients and scents.

I've thought about it and thought about it and I actually can't say anything negative about this product. Both me and Mummy Lou, who tested it with me loved both the feel and the result, and the all be it unexpected scent. My first love will always be the now discontinued Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel but this is definitely a very close second and a product that I will thoroughly enjoy using over the weeks and months to come. The Yes To Blueberries Dry Skin Ultra Hydrating Body Wash retails at £7.99 for a 500ml bottle from My Pure. Thanks for reading and if you would like to read some more of my Yes To reviews then either have a look in the search bar or click on the Beauty Product Directory tab above xx

(*Sample)

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel And Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel - A Review For My Pure*

Over the last week and a bit the warm weather's meant I've embraced the salad big style, I love salads all that fab crunchy fresh veg, raw carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes - yum...OK I know tomatoes are technically a fruit but you get the idea ;) We all know how important it is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, the vitamins and minerals that they provide are essential for our bones, our skin, our hair and our general well-being, but in this era of chemical, high tech ingredients we often forget that fruit and vegetables can work wonders in our skin, body, and hair care preparations.

US company Yes To Inc have used humble fruit and vegetables as the basis of their skin, haircare and body care lines. They have ranges of products based on blueberries, cucumbers, carrots, and tomatoes tailored towards different hair and skin concerns. My first foray into Yes To was with the Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tints (click here to read my review), I have to be honest and say it really didn't rock my world but I would never let one product put me off a brand, so last month I went for two products from the Yes To stable to try out for My Pure.

I really couldn't decided what to choose so in the end I went for two body washes, one from Yes To Carrots and one from Yes To Tomatoes. Both of the body washes are formulated for different skin types and skin concerns and contain different active ingredients, but they both stay true to the Yes To philosophy and are free from parabens, SLS, and petroleum.

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel

The first shower gel that I tried was from the Yes To Tomatoes brand - This product is described as a purifying shower gel which is ideal for combination skin. The key ingredient in this shower gel is obviously the humble tomato, tomatoes are really good for the skin, they contain huge amounts of lycopene which is an anti-oxidant which can help soothe, and smooth the skin. It also contains loads of other natural ingredients including watermelon extract which can help with clogged pores, green tea, red pepper extract, jojoba and sweet almond oils, and dead sea water.

The first thing you notice about this product is the size of the bottle, it is huge you get a massive 500ml of product - you can see the size of the bottle compared to my hand here!

The bottle has a flip top cap, so all you need to do it give it a little squeeze and the product dispenses quite easily. The gel itself is quite runny in texture and is a pale pearlised pink in colour.

You can use it in the shower where is produces a soft, gentle foam or in the bath where it produces loads of soft, silky SLS free bubbles.

This product feels great on the skin whether its used in the bath or the shower. I probably have normal skin on the majority of my body but my back is prone to a little bit of oiliness and I really think that this has helped. Don't think that if you have dry skin you wouldn't be able to use this, it's a brilliant, gentle shower gel for all skin types. I've really enjoying using this shower gel not only because of the feel but also because of the smell - OMG -  you not going to smell like tomato sauce, it actually has a beautiful soft fresh powdery smell, if you love Elemis Milk Bath or even the Ahava Salt Scrub I reviewed a while ago you will love this!!! - Great product, great smell!

Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel

Since we allegedly heading into summer I thought I'd try another shower product this time something to counteract summer dryness. Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel is marked towards people with normal to dry skin.

 As you would expect one of the key ingredients in this product is the humble carrot, carrots of full of beta carotene which is a great ingredient for drier summer skin. It also contains dead sea water to help lock in moisture, as well as moisturising ingredients such sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and olive oil

It comes in exactly the same packaging, and in the same massive size. The product itself is similar in texture, but this time it is pale orange in colour.

Again you can use it in the bath or shower, it produces the same soft foam when you use it in the bath, and again a lovely creamy lather when you use it in the shower.

This gel again has a light scent but this one is a tiny bit fruitier. This product, is a great cleanser and it's very gentle. I showered with this after a day in the sun and it caused no irritation or problems - another thumbs up from me x

I have to I loved both of these products - they were both super gentle and they left the skin clean and delicately scented but not dry or tight. If I was pushed I would probably say the Yes To Tomatoes Shower Gel is my favourite based on the scent but I would willing buy both products in the future. If your looking for great value SLS, paraben and petroleum free shower products then I would definitely recommend the Yes To Line - even Jasper approves - well they are cruelty free after all ;)

Yes To Tomatoes Purifying Shower Gel 500ml and Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel 500ml both normally retail at £7.99 each from My Pure but there currently on special offer at only £5.99 each :) If you have any questions please let me know xx

*Press Samples

*As of May 2018 Yes To is no longer stocked on the My Pure website and these particular products also appear to have been discontinued and very hard to find elsewhere