Nails Of The Day - OPI Infinite Shine 2 Gel Lacquer - Show Us Your Tips

To break a few samey type of catch up posts, I thought I'd throw in a little nails of the day post for you. A lot of my nails of the day post so far this year have been re shoots, and have a featured a few polishes that you may have seen before, this one is a relatively new one, I'm not sure how long I've had but it's definitely one of my newer additions.

When it comes to nail polish, OPI are definitely one of my favourite brand, they move with the trends, they're always introducing new formula's, and I don't know how they don't but always seem to create new and fresh colours. Now this polish is the first OPI lacquer that I've tried in their Infinite Shine formulation. Basically this is OPI's gel effect nail polish line. They promise an HD gel like formulation, that lasts up to 10 days, but without the fuss of an LED or UV light, or with all of that soaking and time that it takes to remove a real manicure.

The shade is the quirky named, slightly double entendre ridden "Show Us Your Tips" and it's a shade that was originally release as part of 2016 New Orleans collection. Officially described as a periwinkle shimmer, it's a gorgeous, blue, lilac shade, packed full of silver sparkle, it was actually quite a hard colour to capture, in real life it's a touch less blue and bit more lilac, but like any polish with sparkle, there is a slight amount of colour shift.

Despite the fact that the formulation is slightly different the iconic, and much copied OPI bottle remains the same, only instead of the traditional black textured cap, you have a smooth, mirrored silver top. The bottle contains the familiar Pro Wide blush - I'm a huge fan of this brush, it's so easy to paint with, if you have thin nails like I do, one stripe is usually enough.

I was expecting this polish to be a bit thicker than normal but that wasn't the case. The first coat was quite patchy, as was the second on some nails so I needed 3 coats to achieve the finish that you can see here. The formulation dried fairly quickly so I had no problem with applying multiple coats.

Even though it includes a lot of sparkle, it has a super smooth feel, and an ultra glossy finish. Normal OPI's are usually pretty glossy but this seemed to have a bit of extra shine. Unfortunately the up to10 day wear claim didn't really pan out. Admittedly I am pretty harsh on my polishes, but I only managed around 3 to 4 days without a top coat, which about the same a regular OPI colour.

Despite that though I'm still pretty pleased with this polish, although I didn't experience much of a difference in way wear time, I definitely saw a slight difference in the shine and the finish. I'm not sure I'd buy this formulation ahead of OPI's original and iconic polish but I would definitely consider trying it again. As I say this shade was part of the 2016 New Orleans collection but it's still widely available in both the original formulation (which I also own in a mini), and in the Infinite Shine formula. The full 15ml size of OPI Infinite Shine Show Us Your Tips retails at £14.50 direct from OPI but it's worth shopping around as I have seen it cheaper elsewhere x Are you a fan of this shade? Let me know in the comments x

Unboxing Glossybox UK - September 2019 Edition - Delicious Beauty*

After all of the excitement of August's birthday box, the September edition of Glossybox UK, was always going to be a little bit of a letdown. This post is pretty late but it's given me the opportunity to read a lot of other posts, and comments on September's box, and I've got to be honest and say that a lot them won't have made very pleasant reading for the team at Glossybox.

As much as I enjoy reading other peoples opinions though I always try to make my own mind up, and I always try to be as objective, and as open minded as possible, and I know that's why people like you keep on reading my blog, so without further ado I'm going to get right on with my review.

After all of the sparkles and gloss of August's birthday edit, Septembers box saw a return to the traditional Glossybox packaging of a pale pink and black box, pink tissue paper, a black ribbon, and black shred.

As per usual the box contained a little leaflet telling you a little bit about the theme of the box and about the products inside. The theme of September's box was "Delicious Beauty" and all of the products inside were in some way connected to food

Now normally you only get 5 products in every Glossybox but September's box officially contained 6 items, but from the pictures and reviews that I've seen, most boxes actually contained 7 things.

After looking more closely at the contents though I think that the extra items are in there purely to push up the value. There were a couple of more budget friendly products in this box, and I think that Glossybox probably added the extra items, to give us more value for money- Did they succeed though?

Mayy Banana Setting Powder - 4.5g - Full Size - RRP £15

The first item in the box, is the most expensive item, and it's a product from a brand that I haven't heard of before, Mayy Beauty / Mayy Cosmetics. I can't find out too much about the brand, but from what I can gather they are based in the UK and this is the only product that they appear to sell.

As the name would suggest Banana Setting Powder, is a yellow toned face powder. It's hypoallergenic, paraben free, cruelty free, mineral based and vegan and it contains added hyaluronic acid, and it's also suitable for all skin types.

It's designed to set make up and to mattify the skin, and to diffuse redness and skin imperfections. Mayy also claim that it's smudge proof, water resistant and it extends the life of your make up.

Like the STYLondon Banana Setting Powder, that I received in July's Pink Parcel, it has a slight baby powder scent. It's a nice fine, textured powder which is super easy to blend. Although it looks quite yellow in the the tub, on my skin tone it doesn't look yellow at all, it just blends in to my foundation and my skin tone. If your skin is darker than mine it could potentially look a little bit chalky.


I swear by face powder to tone down oil on my t-zone, and to make my foundation last longer, and this definitely did that, I'm not sure about their water resistance claim though, after a bracing walk along the seafront I'd sweated off a lot of my make up, and I needed to reapply it especially on my t-zone.

In the before pictures I'm just wearing my new favourite foundation (The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.1P), and the only difference in the second picture is an added layer of the Mayy Banana Setting Powder. You can't see too much of a difference but my skin does a little bit more even, and even a bit glowy in the after picture.

Before 

After 

I've had a little look online and the only place I've found this powder is on the Mayy website where it retails at £15.

Palmers Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack - 60g - Full Size RRP £2.09

I think I'm probably the only person on this planet that doesn't love the scent of coconut. Don't get me wrong I don't hate it but it can often be too much, too sweet, too sickly or too synthetic. There is no denying though, that for the majority people coconut definitely falls into the delicious category, and coconut is one the main ingredients in the next item.

Designed especially for dry, damaged, and colour treated hair, this hair mask contains ethically, and sustainably sourced coconut oil, and coconut milk, as well as Tahitian monoi (coconut oil infused with tiare flower petals), and silk and keratin proteins.

It's a conditioning mask that you apply after shampooing, for 10-15 minutes or even overnight before rinsing. It claims to help repair weak, fragile, and damaged hair, giving it incredible shine, and condition.

I'm actually in the middle of testing out some new hair products for the blog at the moment, so I haven't tried this yet but I'll let you know my thoughts in a future empties post. The product is available from various retailers including Superdrug, Boots, and Tesco.

Colgate Max White Charcoal Toothpaste - 75ml - Full Size - Est. Price £2 - £3.99

In the last year or so one of the biggest ingredients in just about everything from cheese and crackers, to ice cream, and to skincare, has been charcoal.

From their whitening "Max White" range, this toothpaste from iconic dental care brand Colgate contains activated charcoal and gentle mineral scrubbing particles. It is clinically proven to remove 100% of surface stains as well as fighting cavities, and cleansing your whole mouth.

I'd always been a bit scared of charcoal toothpastes, how can something that looks so dirty, clean your teeth, but I bit the bullet so to speak, and gave this a go, and wow I have to say I am really impressed! 

Once you get over the colour, and the fact that your mouth goes temporarily grey / black, you realise that this is actually a pretty decent toothpaste. I don't know how well you can see the texture from the picture below but it actually has a slightly grainy, slightly abrasive mouth / tooth feel which definitely helps your teeth to feel super clean, and since I've been using it I've definitely seen a improvement in the colour. I don't have the whitest teeth naturally but I'm going to persevere with this and fingers crossed my teeth will get a little bit whiter. Oh and it also has a lovely strong mint flavour so it helps keep your breath and your mouth nice and fresh.

This seems to be quite a new edition to the Colgate Max White range, so it only seems to available in a few retailers including Superdrug and Morrisons. Prices do seem to vary between retailers, so I would definitely shop around if you're interested in trying this.

Cussons Carex Fun Edition Love Heart Cleansing Hand Gel - 50ml - RRP £1.55

In September, Glossybox subscribers received one of two Carex Hand Gels, Strawberry Laces, or the one I got Love Hearts. I'm not a huge public transport user now, so I don't use as much hand sanitiser as I used to, but it's still one of my handbag essentials, so this was a useful addition.

Claiming to clean, care for and protect hands, this pale pink gel, has a lovely fruity, slightly sherbet scent. Due to the alcohol content it immediately feels cooling on the skin, and you have just enough time to rub yours hands together before it starts to absorb. it dries really quickly, and your hands just feel clean and dry, without any stickiness or tackiness. 

Hand sanitisers are a real must have product, and this one smells nice and I like how it feels on my skin. Again if you're interested in trying this one I'd shop around, it's currently available from various retailers including Boots, Superdrug, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons, but the price varies quite a bit and you don't want to pay more than you have to x 

Mitchell And Peach Flora No. 1 Fine Edition Eau de Parfum - 15ml

I said in my rather lengthy introduction to this post that the September edition of Glossybox received a lot of criticism, and unfortunately this was the products that bore the brunt of that criticism. 

Fragrance is such a personal thing, ask 100 different people what their favourite fragrance is and you'll probably get 100 different answers. It's such an individual thing that I always think that it's a bit of a risk to put perfume in a subscription box. Personally though I don't mind getting a fragrance in a subscription box, I love trying new things and I've discovered quite a few favourites in various boxes over the years, but it's a dodgy one.

I'm sure I've tried something from this brand before, but if you haven't heard of them, Mitchell and Peach are an English based perfume and toiletry company that not only make all of their products in the UK, but they also grow all of the plants and flowers that they use in their products on their own country estate.

Now I know your probably wondering how a fragrance falls into the delicious theme, well one of the key ingredients in this fragrance is the aniseed scented sweet fennel. It also contains lots of floral notes including rose, lavender, ylang ylang, peony and larkspur.

I'm not good at describing fragrances so with this one I'm not even going to try other than to say that it's a green, floral, with a hint of warmth. I found it a very complex scent, every time I smelled it I smelled something different within it. On first sniff I liked it, second sniff I hated it, and then I loved it! Yup it's one of those x 

It it horrible? Is it gross? No not to me it isn't. It's not something I would go out and buy but I can definitely appreciate just how unusual it is. If you like sweet, bubblegum, generic florals, then this won't be for you but if you want something that's just that little bit different, natural yet long lasting, then this could be worth trying. I'm sure you'll be able to find a bottle or 2 on ebay if you're interested. I can't find a price for this particular size but Glossybox quote a price of £29.75 for 17.5ml deluxe mini size, and the full 50ml size retails at £85 direct from Mitchell and Peach.

Delhicious Hello Beau-Tea-Ful Exfoliate & Glow Original Black Tea Body Scrub - 100g - Full Size - RRP £7.95

This final official product couldn't have arrived at a better time - I'd just finished the last body scrub in my stash when this baby turned up. From a UK based company this 100% natural, vegan and cruelty free scrub is designed to get rid of dry skin, and flush away toxins.

The key ingredient in this scrub is black Assam tea, which contains caffeine and natural antioxidants, to perk up the skin and to reduce cellulite. It also contains brown sugar, and Himalayan Pink Salt which is rich in minerals and deep cleansing. Other ingredients include sweet almond oil, essential oils, and Vitamin E.

The pouch contains a relatively dry scrub mix, look closely and you can see the tea leaves, and even the salt and sugar grains. You massage it into damp skin, and it you have time you can leave it for a couple of minutes to let the ingredients do their thing. You only need a tiny amount and the citrus and tea scent is mouthwatering. It's pretty easy to rinse off and even when your skin is still wet you can feel a difference to the skin. Even after just one use my skin felt firmer and super smooth. 

I'm so happy with this product I love both the smell and the results but I'm going to be honest with you it is a bit messy, the grains get everywhere, and when they're added to water, the liquid does go a little tea like, so make sure that you give your bath tub or your shower cubicle a good rinse.

Alas this product failed Mummy Lou's mess test but despite that I would still consider using this product again. It's available directly from Delhicious where 10% of all of their profits go to Stop The Traffic, a charity that is committed to ending human trafficking, and from Fragrance Direct.

As I said earlier the September box contained 6 items instead of the usual 5 but most people were lucky enough to get a 7th item in their box, and it certainly was delicious x 

Godiva Masterpieces Ganache Heart With Belgian Dark Chocolate 

Yes, the final item was a bar of chocolate from internationally renowned Belgian chocolate company Godiva. Whilst milk chocolate is always my go to, when I need a real chocolate hit or an energy boost, dark chocolate is the one.

This was a lovely bar with heart shaped segments. It was a really rich, dark chocolate, with a creamy chocolate ganache filling. Even Mummy Lou who isn't a plain chocolate fan enjoyed the little piece that I gave her. 

Stupidly I threw the packaging away without noting down the size but this is a small, regular sized bar. The larger 83g bar retails between £1.50 and £2 and is available from most major supermarkets. This was a my first Godiva experience and it certainly won't be my last x

Okay final thoughts! Was this the best Glossybox ever? I'll hold my hands up no in my opinion it wasn't - a lot of the items were at a lower price point which as I say was probably the reason for the extra items but the products weren't bad products. A lot of the things weren't very exciting but they are products that the majority of people will use after all who doesn't need toothpaste, hand sanitiser or hair conditioner? If you don't like an item aka the perfume, find someone who does, gift it or even sell it, and don't forget that the Banana Setting Powder is worth more than the cost of the box, so whether you like the items or not the box is definitely value for money.

Subscription boxes like Glossybox are a risk and if you can't accept the fact that you might not always get products that you love in every box, then maybe the concept isn't for you. Am I being fair? or am I being too generous? Let me know your thoughts in the comments x 

If you fancy trying Glossybox for yourself then sign up now via this link to get October's Angel or Devil themed box, which contains one of 2 STYLondon eye shadows palettes. According to my Glossybox account I'm getting the Angel box, which I think means that I'm getting the pink toned palette. It shouldn't be too long before I get it now so I'll hopefully try and get that post up a bit quicker than this one x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Papergang Box - No. 43 - September 2019 Edition - Autumn Harvest*

Although I said in a previous Papergang post that I was a bit on the fence on whether or not to continue my subscription, I just don't have to heart to cancel it - the designs really are just too cute and September's box is particularly sweet

Whilst I'm still clinging on to the idea of an Indian summer, there definitely seems to be a bit of an Autumnal feel on the air. The leaves are starting to turn, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, and the shops are full of pumpkins, black cats, skulls, and witches.

If Autumn is the season for you then the September Papergang box will be right up your street. The theme of Septembers box rather fittingly is 'Autumn Harvest'. The now traditional, cut out design, outer sleeve features a whimsical, nature themed harvest design featuring people, fruit, foliage and flowers, birds and toadstools.

As per usual the reverse of the sleeve features something to cut out and use, or something to make, and September's box is no different - you can cut out and make your own toadstool!

Remove the bright and cheery outer sleeve and you're greeted by the usual brown, letterbox friendly cardboard box, and inside of that is your contents all securely wrapped in a large sheet of bright green tissue paper.

The first item in the box as per usual, is a little information booklet, that lists the box content, and it includes an interview with the designer of the box and it's contents, Romanian born illustrator and artist, Oana Befort, who specialises in ornate designs depicting folk art style patterns and nature, where she talks about her work, and her inspirations.

A4 ish Notebook 

The first item in the box is a lovely notebook, which is only slightly smaller than A4 in size. It features a slightly larger version of the outer sleeve design featuring a bright but at the same time muted print, featuring fruits, nuts, flowers, people, and a giant toadstool. The word 'notes' is also embossed on the front in gold foil. The inside of the notebook features lined pages, and like so many other  Papergang / Ohh Deer products it's printed with eco friendly or vegetable based inks 

As per usual the quality is excellent, and it's a nice size. I normally use an A4 sized pad for my bog notes, and post planning, and even though this a tiny bit smaller than A4 it's perfect for note taking or even journaling. Since all of the products are exclusive to this box at the moment I can't give you a 100% accurate price comparison, but similar A4 ish pads retail at around £5.50 on Ohh Deer.

A5 Notepad

Now despite what the description in the information booklet says, this isn't strictly a notepad - Papergang seem to have a bit of a fixation with getting people organised and September's box contains another desk pad / to do list. Both May's and August's boxes both contained versions of a To Do list, so I'm really starting to wonder if this is Papergang's way of telling me to get me life together! Never mind there all quite different in design, layout and format, and this is a particularly nice one so I guess I'll let them away with it this time ;)

This may be a To Do list but it has an almost writing paper like design. It features a lovely floral design, which is picked out from the original outer sleeve design. It features the words 'To Do' in the middle, and lined paper, surrounding by a plain border, which does remind me a bit of all the writing sets that I used to hoard when I was younger.

Again the quality is superb, and whilst I'm not sure how many sheets the pad contains, it is quite thick so it should last a long while. I have a lot of things like this to try and help me get organised I just need to start using them, and sticking to them. Similar pads retail at around £5.95 on Ohh Deer.

Greetings Card

Do you know something? I think I've said this before but I really don't think that we say thank you enough. If you think about it there is probably someone in your life that you need to say thank you to right now. It's lovely to say it in person but sometimes a text, or a message can be just a touch impersonal. Putting something in writing makes just a simple thank you just that little bit more special and meaningful. 

This is a lovely card which picks out just one of the floral illustrations from the 'Autumn Harvest' print, I'm not great on flowers but I think it's a chrysanthemum. The card features a pink and green flower, on a cream background and the words 'THANK YOU' again embossed in a gold foil. The card is blank inside and it includes a brown envelope.

This card came with no outer packaging bar a small sticker to keep the card and envelope together, so there is no plastic waste, and the card is also produced using environmentally conscious materials and working practises. 

Full priced greetings cards on Ohh Deer, retail at various price points between £2.75 and £2.95.

Scissors

Next probably the stand out item of the box, a nice pair of metal scissors. These are nice sturdy scissors, with unusually shaped handles and short, very sharp blades. They are easy enough to hold but they are a little bit awkward to manoeuvre so they probably aren't the best scissors for small, detailed work, but for general cutting, and paper crafting, they are a pretty decent pair of snips. I can't find anything similar on Ohh Deer so I can't make a price comparison.

Universal Calendar Card

The final item in the official box, is the customary universal calendar card. Normally the cards share the same design as the outer sleeve, only slightly blurry and in slightly more muted tones, but September's box, whilst sticking to the floral and garden theme, features a completely different design. The design of the calendar card features a super cute snail, and daisy (or is it a sunflower?) illustration in slightly blurred yellow and orangey red tones.

Free Gifts

Now the eagle eyed readers amongst you may have noticed a little red parcel in my box - well a month or so ago Papergang sent out an email to subscribers to get them to sign up to the Ohh Deer newsletter, and as a thank you for signing up, they promised to include a free gift in Septembers box.

The little red parcel was my free gift, and it contained 6 greeting cards. All of the cards are blank inside, and whilst I did receive one obvious thank you card, the rest of them could be used for a variety of different occasions, or even just to say hello. All of the cards came with brown envelopes bar my favourite card, a child like interpretation of Mr. Tickle, which came with a yellow envelope.

I've had a little look on the Ohh Deer website and all of these cards bar the 'Into The Wild' are available and are currently on sale for 50p a card. Even at the sale price the cards are still a decent free gift, they're environmentally conscious, good quality, and above all else they're useful.

Even taking out the free gift, this is still another decent box from Papergang, and I'll definitely find a use for everything in it. I love the illustrations and the design of the notebooks but the obvious stand out are the scissors. A decent pair of scissors could easily cost the whole price of the box on their own, so this box in my opinion represents pretty decent value for money. Let me know your thoughts and comments, and don't forget to check out the Papergang website to find out more and of course to subscribe x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Self Care And Self Healing - How To Deal With Stress And Trauma*

Coping with the negative emotions that come after experiencing some kind of stress or trauma can be really difficult. Whilst physical pain can often be controlled quite quickly, dealing with your emotions takes time, and whilst some feelings, especially those you experience after bereavement, never truly go away, the first step towards any sort of healing is to properly acknowledge and deal with what's happened. If you’ve recently found yourself in a distressing or stressful situation and are looking for ways to achieve a more confident and positive outlook, here are a few tips and ideas to help you deal with what ever the world throws at you.

Image Source - Pexels

Professional Support Through Therapy

One of the biggest ways I've always found to deal with stressful and traumatic events is to talk about it -  I'm lucky to have supportive family and friend but sometimes that either isn't possible or it isn't appropriate. If the stress and emotion that you feel is getting out of hand and you feel as though you simply cannot deal with it alone, then it may be an idea to seek professional support through therapy with a counsellor or psychologist. There is so much stigma around seeking medical help for mental health issues, but there shouldn't be. Don't be frightened to consider seeking professional help - I've had CBT, and bereavement counselling in the past and for me it really was a lifesaver. Talking to a someone openly and without judgement can really help you to deal with any problems that you may have - it really helped me put things into perspective and it helped me to find way to manage and deal with my issues. Even if you do have family and peer support around you having a therapist will also add another friendly, helpful and unbiased face to your support network, and even things like attending appointments can play an important role in establishing a routine, which is something that can often go out the window after a bereavement or any other traumatic incident .

Try Your Hand At Meditation

Life is so busy now, and so stressful that it's important that we all take a bit of time out and do something to help us switch off from the world. From having a nap, to having a nice long bath, to even going to the gym there are so many ways in which individuals distress, but probably the most popular worldwide has to be the practise of meditation. Meditation can help you to pull yourself away from the past and live more in the present moment, which can improve the way you deal with your trauma and stress dramatically. It can also really help just to take your mind off things, as the main point of the experience is to clear your head of all thoughts to focus on calm and tranquillity. Though mastering the practise may be a little difficult, having something else that's so positive to focus on and put your efforts into can lift your mood noticeably. There are lots of apps and so on to help you meditate now, so it's worth having a look around to see what you can find. Many years ago now, when I was fit and healthy I used to practise yoga, and a key part of that was meditation. Meditation can be as simple as emptying your mind and staring into a candle flame (one of my favourite methods), or using your mind to take you to your happy place - control your breathing, imagine yourself on that tropical island and you can literally feel the tension melt away.

Research Alternative Ideas

When you stressed out or hurting emotionally there are lots of different methods and things that you can try, just to make life that little bit better. Depending on the kind of stress or trauma you experienced and the emotions that you feel, there are many different alternative methods that you can try. From psychic readings to guide you spiritually and to try and set your mind at rest, to special diets that are said to eliminate ‘negative’ foods that may cause more emotional pain, the possibilities are endless when it comes to seeking out something less traditional to help you deal with your troubles.  If something helps, then it’s worth doing, and that’s really the bottom line. If you find you are more stressed after reading, and shop for new glasses online, then if it works it is a good thing. Some of it might sound a little bit cranky or a bit left field but it's all about what works for you and what makes you feel better x From crystal healing, to yoga, to art therapy, and aromatherapy, whatever method you choose, just make sure that you are completely comfortable throughout the process, if you find something too distressing then try something else, the aim of whatever you do is to make you feel better not worse.

Whilst some things and emotions never truly go way, there are ways and means to make them more manageable, and to help you cope better with what lies ahead. Believe me I've been in some pretty dark places throughout my life, and I just want all of you to know that things can get better, they don't get better overnight but lots of self care, and lots of talking can certainly help you along the way. If you don’t think you can handle it all on your own don't worry, there is no shame in talking to a stranger and asking for help, there are lots of people out there who can offer you all of the support that you need, no matter what the issue x Always remember that you are not alone x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

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

I'm late again but it's empties time! The never ending house sort out continues, and as result I've found a few bags and boxes of beauty things that I'd forgotten about. I've found some press samples, so I've got lots of new reviews coming up, and I also found another box of shower and body products, so I've got more products to use up than I thought - argh!

The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Scrub - 250ml
Femfresh Ultimate Care Soothing Wash - 250ml**
Superdrug Shower Foam - Orange & Satsuma - 150ml
Patisserie De Bain Caramel Whip Hand Cream - 50ml
Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes
AVON Naturals Kids Bursting Berry Body Wash & Bubble Bath - 250ml
Primark PS... Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Mask - 10ml

Total - 8 Items

Never mind, I've found a few interesting products, and I had my joint best month of the year so far, when it comes to trimming my stash. In August I managed to finish 8 items, which puts August on par, with both March and April. Although I didn't manage any nail or make up products again, I did manage to finish quite a few body products and a couple of skincare items, and a few things that had been hanging around in the bathroom for some time.

1. The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Scrub - 250ml

First up a long gone, Christmas edition from The Body Shop, and would you believe the last body scrub in my beauty stash bar something that you'll see in an upcoming Glossybox unboxing. I can't believe it, I've actually used up every single scrub in my collection, and considering I had about 7 or 8 at some point, I think I've done bloody well, the only problem is I'm now going to have to go out and buy a body scrub too, so if you have any recommendations for something then please let me know x

I'm quite sorry to say goodbye to this one actually, The Body Shop Exfoliating Sugar Scrub is probably one of my favourite formulations when it comes to body scrub. If I'm being really picky, I prefer a slightly grittier formulation but I still like it, I'll definitely repurchase this particular products in either a permanent scent, or in a limited edition scent.

Frosted Berry, as I say was a festive scent from a few years ago. It had a lovely, slightly tart, fruity, berry scent. It won't be long now before we find out what the 2019 festive scents from The Body Shop are going to be. I'm hoping beyond hope that we're going to get another apple based scent, but I've heard whispers that there might be a pear based scent that I'm already super excited to smell, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

2. Femfresh Ultimate Care Soothing Wash - 250ml**

Talking of rediscovered press samples, I've just discovered a few more products from Femfresh in a box I'd forgotten about - me bad! Quite a while ago now I was sent a package of washes and wipes including this one.

Now as you know I can take or leave, specific feminine washes, and wipes, but at certain times of the month they can be really useful especially when you've got some highly scented or sparkly products in the shower.

This pH balanced product is both dermatologically and gynaecologically tested, and contains probiotics, and cranberry extract, and is designed to soothe and cleanse the intimate area.

Texture wise it's a cross between a lotion, and a cream wash, it doesn't have any really scent, and it doesn't really foam that much. It felt comfortable, and non drying, and it's something that I would feel comfortable using all over the body.

The packaging seems to have changed slightly since I received mine but the product and the ingredients seem to be the same. This product retails at around £3.65 from various retailers including Superdrug and Boots.

3. Superdrug Shower Foam - Orange & Satsuma - 150ml

When I first lost my bathtub I went on a quest to find products that made showering a more pleasant, and pampering experience, and one of the products that I've come to love is a shower foam. It doesn't matter what the brand is, loads of foam and bubbles just makes showering a more pleasurable experience.

This one was from Superdrug's fruity range. The dispenser was a little bit stiff so it wasn't the easiest product to dispense but a little bit of pressure produced a lovely moisturising, creamy foam, with a lovely citrus scent that transported back to eating orange ice lollies, when I was a child. It was nice and easy to rinse off, and since you could also use it as a shaving foam it's a real time saver.

Alas this product appears to have been discontinued but Superdrug still seem to do a Fruity Orange & Satsuma Shower Gel that has an RRP of 99p for 250ml. So I'm assuming and hoping, that it smells the same, and it's something that I'm definitely going to pick up in the near future.

4. Patisserie De Bain Caramel Whip Hand Cream - 50ml

Apologies for the photo, but in between finishing this product and photographing it, I lost the other half of the tube! Now I've had a little look through the blog, and I can't find any previous reference to this hand cream, so whilst I originally thought that I got this in an advent calendar, I must have received it in a subscription box.

If I'm honest I'm not quite sure what's going on with Patisserie De Bain as a brand at the moment. It's the little sister brand of Yorkshire based beauty company Rose & Co but recently it seems to have disappeared from their website, and with products from Patisserie De Bain recently appearing in Poundland, it does make you wonder if at least some of the range has been discontinued .You can still find the odd thing on various websites including Superdrug and Fragrance Direct but I can't find anything in the Caramel Whip scent.

This was a really good night time hand cream, it had a slightly sticky, thick, rich and creamy texture, that took a while to absorb and as a result worked perfectly with cotton gloves as an overnight treatment. It had a lovely sweet, slightly sickly, burnt caramel, sugar scent.

As I say I've had a quick look online and I can't find this particular product anywhere, so if you fancy trying it, ebay might be your best bet.

5. Dr.Organic Bioactive Skincare Tea Tree Wet Wipes x 20 Wipes

Next up an item that I received in the April 2019 edition of Pink Parcel. You can read my full review here x They were decent wipes, all be it with a slightly odd tea tree, and fragrance free scent but for what I use wipes for I probably wouldn't repurchase. I'm actually trying to cut down on the amount of wipes that I use anyways so I will just stick to my favourite Primark wipes for now.

6. AVON Naturals Kids Bursting Berry Body Wash & Bubble Bath - 250ml

Even though I'm in my forties now I can't resist cute, and I also can't resist anything fruity or berry scented, so no I don't have a secret child I just occasionally use products from the AVON kids range.

This was a thin translucent, blue purple gel, that you could use either as a bubble bath or as a shower gel. I don't have a bath so I just used this as a shower gel, and it produces loads of creamy bubbles. I'm not sure what berry it was supposed to smell of but it definitely had more of a grape like scent that reminded me a bit of grape bubblegum!

AVON are always discontinuing products and scents so it's not really that surprising that I can't find this particular scent in the latest brochure or online. There are still plenty of other fragrances available though including Playful Pear, Groovy Grape, and Swirling Strawberry. They are retail at a very pocket friendly £1.50 for 250ml so you can afford to treat the little ones or yourself.

7. Primark PS... Cuticle Oil - 10ml

I think that this cuticle oil is probably one of my most finished beauty products over the last couple of years. It's super cheap (£1 a bottle!) and it does the same job as some of the more expensive brands. It's a product that I will definitely continue to repurchase - I've only got about half a bottle left so I think I'm due a Primark trip to stock up - watch this space!

8. Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Mask - 10ml

Finally another product from a subscription box, and this time a face mask from the July 2019 'Holiday Haul' edition of Glossybox. I've already written a full review of this mask which you can read here x It was a nice mask and it's definitely something that I would consider repurchasing.

So there we have it my August empties x If you have any questions on any of the products that I've finished please let me know in the comments x August was a good month for empties so here's hoping that I can do even better in September x

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