Trimming My Stash - November And December 2022 Edition - Empties, Mini Reviews And A 2022 Round Up*

Hey everyone, I hope you are all having a good week - it's nearly the weekend! I don't know what it is at the moment but we seem to be lurching from one drama to the next! I've been knocked for six with a virus culminating in an out of hours doctors visit on Saturday afternoon; all 3 cats have been poorly and have ended up at the vets, my mam had a hospital appointment last Friday, and believe you me all of that is only the tip of the iceberg, so fingers crossed you've had a better few weeks than I have!

Anyways apart that I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes on the blog, including working on some exciting new collaborations, and prepping a long awaited giveaway post. Before all of the excitement of that though, it's empties catch up time, and today we're travelling back nearly a whole year to November and December 2022, to take a look at all of the products that I used up way back then, and just what I though about them.

Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
Bath & Body Works White Barn Cactus Blossom Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g
Eclat Acne Cream - 50g

Total - 4 Items 

Ah November, that transitional month from autumn into winter, the month of bonfire night, Christmas light switch ons, and Black Friday, and seemingly sub par trimming my stash performances. Like in October I only managed to finish 4 items, including a few things that you've seen before as well a couple of new bits.

1. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips

I guess it's no real surprise that these babies make another appearance in an empties post. Since I was first sent these facial wax strips to review in early 2022 they've become a permanent fixture in my beauty routine and I probably been using about 1/2 to a full packet every month.

You can read a full review of them here (including some lovely hairy themed pictures ;), I really can't recommend them enough. They're good quality, they remove even the shortest hairs, and they're really affordable. My hairs are finer and are less dense, and honest I couldn't be with them now.

I've been buying these for around a £1 in both Savers and B&M, but I recently picked up a few packets in B&M for just 89p each. I'm also lead to believe that they are available in some Poundland stores, even though I've personally seen them there. If you fancy buying them in bulk, or you want them delivered to your door and you don't mind paying a little bit more, you can also find them on Amazon, o them on eBay and on Ocado.

2. Bath & Body Works White Barn Cactus Blossom Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

As much as I love a bargain something that I've really loved splurging on over the last year or so, are Bath & Body Works hand washes and hand soaps. They aren't cheap but thankfully I have managed to pick a few up bottles in various NEXT sales and this particular one was one of these bargains.

In my favourite 'gentle foaming' formulation, Cactus Blossom is one of their most popular permanent fragrances. The scent is officially described as 'the scent of a sweet tropical oasis with notes of cactus flower petal, sun-kissed coconut and sparkling lemon'. For me though, as someone who is rubbish at describing scents, it has a real heady tropical floral scent, with just a hint of fruity sweetness and freshness. I'm a huge fan of the Victorias Secret fragrance 'Tease' and this definitely has some similarities.

Couple an amazing scent with Bath & Body Works amazing shea butter, aloe vera, vitamin E, and essential oil formulation, and you have a luxurious, non drying foaming hand wash that's perfect for a powder room or an upstairs bathroom.

These hand soaps retail at around £10 each but a little goes a long way, and you're feeling savvy, then when you get to around half way down the bottle fill it up with water, give it a shake and continue using your now full bottle of hand wash. The product is really concentrated so adding some water honestly doesn't make that much of a difference bar it making the bottle last twice as long ;).

Officially only available from NEXT Beauty online, and in selected NEXT stores with Bath & Body Works concessions, there are loads of other Cactus Flower products to choose from including a fabulous candle which I would throughly recommend. You can also buy a whole range of different Cactus Flower products including some exclusives, rare and discontinued products on eBay.

3. Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g

From something that can be a bit spendy, to something super affordable, and it's a product I first showed you way back in the  summer of 2021. Costing just £1 from Poundland, the predominantly salt based body scrub also contained arabica coffee seed powder and walnut shell powder, and it did the job perfectly; it was scrubby enough for me and it also won praise from Mummy Lou for not clogging up the shower drain, and not leaving everything gritty and brown! You can see some pics and read a full review here.

Unfortunately I haven't seen this in store for quite some time, and I can't find it anywhere on the new Poundland website! Yes, you heard me, you can now buy all of your favourite Poundland goodies and some very interesting special buys (including PIXI, Elemis and L'Occcitane!) online. Alas no chilled, frozen or PEP & Co products yet but I can imagine it being a real godsend for anyone who can't make it to a store. As I say I can't find this particular item on there but I would recommend their Sooo Cocoa Cocoa Butter Salt Scrub which is only £1.50 for 270g - I will be featuring it in a future empties post but it's pretty similar at least texture wise to this one.

4. Eclat Acne Cream - 50g

I've mentioned it in a few posts now, but if you don't already know last year I was diagnosed with a skin condition called Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), which causes nasty almost boil like spots and scarring, in areas such as the under arms and inner thighs. 

I'm quite lucky that so far my case is relatively milk, but it doesn't look very nice, and the lesions can be quite painful. Treatment options are varied, but there doesn't seem to really be one definitive cure or answer. One of the options I was given was just to treat like acne and to use products like spot creams and products containing salicylic acid to try and keep it under control.

I did a little search online and I've bought a few products that other people recommended, and I've made a few other changes to me everyday routine, but this particular item was something that I just randomly came across. You know what it's like, it's late at night and you're just randomly scrolling through Amazon, just searching for random stuff, I think I was searching for spot or acne treatments and I came across this.

From 'nature powered' beauty brand Eclat Natural Skincare, this is as the name suggests an acne treatment cream. Designed to prevent and treat breakouts, and reduce oiliness, pores and blackheads, this cream contains salicylic acid, vitamin C, olive oil, safflower seed oil, and allantoin.

It has a dense but lightweight texture, and it absorbs into the skin really quickly. It has a very slight menthol type scent, and whilst it initially feels cool and slightly tingly on the skin, that feeling quickly subsides.

What I like about this product compared to some other acne and spot treatments, it that it doesn't seem to dry out the skin. Obviously underarms are quite a sensitive area and this cream definitely doesn't cause anymore irritation, the skin feels almost moisturised and in my case it does seem to calm down active ares, and prevent the spots from getting any worse.

The pot is pretty tiny but a small amount goes along way, especially if your just treating individual areas, with an RRP of £9.99 it's also pretty affordable , cruelty free and vegan. I bought my initial pot and the one I'm currently using from Amazon but it's actually out of stock on there and on the Eclat website, but I'm lead to believe it should be restocked shortly. In the meantime though you can also find it on eBay.

So they were my empties from November 2022, not an amazing total but they all count and hopefully you'll agree there were a couple of interesting items in the all be it very short list. I did say that this was a double header, so it's time now to move on to the last month of 2022 and to find out whether or I ended the year with a bang or more of a whimper?

NeilMed Neil Cleanse Piercing Aftercare Fine Mist Wound Wash - 177.6g
Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Cupcake Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml
Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips
L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
If The Shoe Fits Little Miss Princess Twinkle Toes' Moisturising Foot Mask Socks - 2 x Foot Mask Socks

Total - 5 Items 

Okay, it wasn't the spectacular ending to the year that I would have liked, but I did go one better than in November and in December I managed to finish 5 items. Again there are a few both old and new staples on the list, and a few newer random things, all in all not a bad mix to end the year on.

1. NeilMed Neil Cleanse Piercing Aftercare Fine Mist Wound Wash - 177.6g

2022 was the year when I caught the piercing bug again. In September of last year, I added a daith piercing to my left ear, and then in December I added two new helix piercings to the same ear.

To be honest I can't really remember getting any real aftercare instructions with any of my previous 8 ear piercings, bar being sold bottles of aftercare solution, but nowadays the best advice for a new piercing is to keep it clean with sterile saline solution. I must admit at the time I got slightly addicted to piercing videos on Tik Tok, and this particular product kept being recommended by both professional piercers and piercing fans alike.

It's just sterile saline solution, and nothing else, no preservatives, alcohol, tea tree or anything. The can is pressurised so the mist is actually really fine, and the slightly longer nozzle means that you can get right into those awkward areas meaning you can just spray and go, so there is no excuse not to keep your piercings clean. 

I love the spray on this one, the size of the can, and just how long it lasts. Alas I had a couple of faulty cans in a row which meant I did try a few, all be it cheaper, products, but I keep coming back to this particular product, and it's one that I will continue to repurchase, especially when I get round to getting my daith hoop switched out, and fingers crossed my right conch pierced before the year is out!

This particular size retails at around £13.99 from Amazon but it's also available both in this size and in a smaller size at several different price points from eBay.

2. Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Cupcake Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - 259ml

I'm sensing a bit of deja vu in these next 2 products at least - that's what happens sometimes though, you finish the same or similar products over and over again, so next up it another gentle foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works, this time in one of their fall and festive fragrances.

As much as Bath & Body Works have some really nice core fragrances, I really think that their seasonal scents are where it's at, even if it annoys me when my favourites don't reappear year after year.

So from fall 2022 comes Pumpkin Cupcake - again with aloe vera, vitamin E, and shea extract, this scent has notes of 'baked pumpkin, whipped vanilla frosting and golden honey.' If you like foodie based, spicy and sweet scents then this is / was the fragrance for you - it was sweet, warm and cakey - if you're a fan of The Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin then you'll love Pumpkin Cupcake. 

Whilst there are a few pumpkin based things from Bath & Body Works on the NEXT website, this particular scent doesn't appear to have returned in 2023, you can however get the Pumpkin Apple hand soap which I would 100% recommend. If you have a concession near you it might be worth having a look in store, if not these are loads of pumpkin themed Bath & Body Works products on eBay including a few Pumpkin Cupcake bit, and some US exclusives.

3. Jolen Face Wax Strips - 16 Wax Strips

I hope you appreciate the fact that I have gone to the trouble of taking and editing another photo of these for you LOL ;) You'll probably be pleased to know that I won't be waffling on and repeating myself again, singing the praises of this product - just scroll up to see what I think ;)

4. L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

Next up another items that you've already seen quite a lot of on this blog so again I'm not going to go into too much detail about it. I love this stuff, I've used numerous bottles of it now, I don't know how it works, but what I do know is that it makes my hair less frizzy and easier to control. I've tried a few similar products now but I keep coming back to this one. If you want to find out more about what this product does and a bit more on how it works then have a little search on the blog to find out more x 

5. If The Shoe Fits Little Miss Princess Twinkle Toes' Moisturising Foot Mask Socks - 2 x Foot Mask Socks

New Years Eve - a night of celebration and wild partying, or if you're more like me a night of pampering, cosy PJ's, nibbles, fizz and a good film! Since I'm very much a home bird on New Years Eve - I'm definitely on the fun, relaxation and self care train - it therefore makes sense that the very last product that I finished in 2022 was a pampering product and it was this foot mask.

I think I actually bought this set maybe a year earlier as a gift for someone but I completely forgot about it, and when I rediscovered it I decided to keep it for myself! If you're around my age then you'll probably remember a period of time when the Little Miss characters were everywhere! I know I ended up with a whole load of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and nightwear with the Little Miss Naughty character on from the likes of Debenhams, Miss Selfridge, and if you know you know, La Senza, in fact I think I still have a dressing gown somewhere, and it's safe to say I still have a bit of nostalgic love from the characters.

This cute set contained 3 Little Miss themed beauty and pamper products - a lip mask, an eye mask and this foot mask.

The packet contained a pair of alas not Little Miss designed, plain plastic socks. They were definitely shorter and smaller than some similar products that I've tried, and on my size 8 feet they ended up being a bit more like a trainer sock, so I was pretty pleased that they still fit!

The plastic socks had a thin fibre lining and contained a runny liquid containing vitamin E and rose extract, which had a slightly astringent fruity floral scent.

When I first put the socks on the liquid almost seemed to bubble up. The socks obviously felt cool and soggy but they did sting a little bit on the odd cat scratch!

As instructed I removed the socks after 20 minutes and there was quite a bit of froth on my skin. This was a rinse off mask, so I rinsed it off with warm water and dried them off with a towel. After drying then looked a bit wrinkled and a bit red, and whilst they felt more relaxed there was no real difference in the smoothness of my skin, and later that night I did notice that they got a bit itchy, but that could have been down to the bubbly and the cheese overload!!

I think that these were a fun gift or stocking filler but don't expect any skincare miracles. I bought this gift set in the local north east institution that is Boyes Stores, but it is available from anywhere in between £8.99 - £10.99 on eBay who also sell a whole load of other Little Miss themed beauty items.

There you have it then, my empties for the last two months for 2022, and another 9 items were added to my Trimming My Stash 2022 total, which you can see in all its glory below...

January - 3 Items
February - 7 Items
March - 7 Items
April - 8 Items
May - 7 Items
June - 4 Items
July - 6 Items
August - 7 Items
September - 5 Items
October - 4 Items
November - 4 Items
December - 5 Items

2022 Total - 67 Items

Well, if you look at it statistically at least, 2022 was a little bit of a disappointment when it comes to trimming my stash, never mind with anything else. In 2022 I managed to finish just 67 items, which was way down on both 2021's total of 94, and on 2020's total of 75, and I actually managed to equal 2019's total, making 2022 my joint worst performance since I started logging and blogging my beauty empties.

There is no doubt that I could have done better, but overall I'm still pretty pleased with my total. That's 67 less products cluttering up my office, my bathroom and my bedroom, and since I've been both buying less, and I've been starting to clear out some expired and unwanted products, I'm definitely starting to create some spaces here and there.

Obviously trimming my stash is a regular thing both for me personally and for the blog, so I'm doing it again this year. I've been updating the items in my side bar but I'll be updating it properly with the totals and so on over the weekend, and in the next week or so I'll be starting to play catch up with monthly total and mini review posts. Be warned they are probably going to be pretty epic posts covering around 3 months worth of products each, at least until I get back up to date anyways x 

Thanks again for your patience with all of the catch up stuff, I really appreciate it - If you're doing something similar then let me know how you're doing in the comment, and I will see you soon either with an autumnal nails of the day or my long awaited giveaway ;) x

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

A Very Late Trimming My Stash - September And October 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

When life gets in the way dear reader, you just need to accept that some blog posts will go live nearly a year later than they should have done LOL, so let's cut out the waffle and take a little trip down memory lane with my September and October 2022 beauty empties.

L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml
Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml
Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml
This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

Total - 5 Items

After a pretty decent performance in August 2022 when I finished 7 items, on reflection I think I would have been a little bit disappointed with how the remaining months of 2022 panned out, at least trimming my stash wise, but as I've said before they all count, and in September 2022 I managed to add another 5 items to my yearly total. It certainly isn't planned but again I managed to finish a a good mix of products including shower, and body products, a haircare item and a skincare product.

1. L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

First up the singular hair product, and it was a new items for me, all be it one in a familiar format! I've spoken at length on the blog in the past about my love for the L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water, and whilst it's something that I've continued to buy and to use, you know how much I love to try new things, so when I saw a new version of wonder water that was specially designed for colour treated hair, then you've probably already realised that I had to give it a whirl!

With the same 'lamellar water technology', moisturising ingredients and amino acids, this version is designed specifically for coloured or highlighted hair, and claims to combat the damage colour can cause, leaving the hair shinier, and more hydrated.

I've got to say that despite the similarities, my hair didn't seem to like this one quite as much, the smell whilst still pleasant was different and wasn't as fresh or fruity, it made my scalp tingle and sting a little bit more than the original, and my hair just felt a little bit coarser, and it seemed a lot more untamed, and it felt nowhere near as smooth.

Whilst I'm still keen on trying the new Hydra Hyaluronic version, I definitely think I'll be sticking with the original Dream Lengths version in the future. If you fancy trying the Colour Protect version for yourself thought, then you can buy it from most major retailers including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco for around £9.99, or if you shop around a bit you might find online for less - it's currently for sale on both Amazon and Look Fantastic for just £5 and for around £6.50 on eBay UK.

2. AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml

Now even though September usually signals the end of summer with pumpkins and selection boxes already filling the shelves, you should still be looking after those tootsies just in case, like this week hopefully, the sun decided to make an appearance. I've just started a new tube of foot cream and looking back to 2022 I'd just finished this product from AVON.

Despite the fact that I scrub my feet and slather them in cream on a regular basis, possibly thanks to a thyroid condition, my heels remain resolutely scaly! so sometimes only intensive products like this one do the trick.

Especially designed for hard calluses this thick and sticky cream contains a mixture of glycerine, lactic acid, aloe, rice bran oil, menthol and vitamin E. With a minty, menthol scent it wasn't the most pleasant of feeling creams, it took an age to absorb and it seemed to almost coat your feet in a sticky protective layer, but I kept persevering with it and popped a pair of thick socks on, and after a few hours whilst my feet still felt a touch sticky, overall they felt smooth, and my heels looked less dry and white.

I'm not 100% sure whether or not I would purchase this particular cream but if you're in need of some serious hydration it could be something worth trying. Whilst this particular product in the same packaging is still available on reseller sites such as eBay UK, AVON currently have a product called the AVON Foot Works Intensive Callus And Corn Foot Cream, which contains the same ingredients and just appears to be the same product under a different name which retails at around £4 online or from your local representative. 

3. Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml

Next up a product that I talked about way back in 2020, and it probably highlights just how crazy my beauty stash really is. Yes, it took me 2 years to finish a bottle of shower gel! Embarrassing, but in fairness I really liked this product, so I may have tried to eek it out for as long as possible!

This lovely Molton Brown shower gel originally came in the August 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my review here x It really was a lovely product with the perfect combination of fruity and floral notes, and a lovely gentle formulation. If I wasn't currently digging my way through a mountain of shower products I would definitely consider making a repurchase.

The full 300ml size retails at around £25 and it available direct from Molton Brown, from Amazon, John Lewis, Cult Beauty, and Sephora. This smaller 100ml size is available in various gift sets, as well as in Molton Brown stores, and online as part of their pick and mix selection, as well as on eBay.

5. Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml

For someone who used to claim to be a beauty junkie and I guess still does, I have quite a scary confession to make - whispers - I haven't been to Boos since before Christmas!!! I know, I know but as I've said on several occasions not only do I get out and about less than I used to, I've also been feeling pretty overwhelmed with the amount of stuff and in particular beauty products that I own, so I haven't really wanted to buy anything new and instead I have been and am continuing to shop my stash, hence the appearance of this old Boots Botanics product.

This product was probably one of my first forays into the world of acids and AHA's, and whilst it's nowhere near the levels of PIXI Glow Tonic or some of the other products that I've moved on to, it brightened my skin, helped to control the oily patches, it tingled just enough to make you feel like it was doing something, and compared to a lot of the other glycolics and the likes on the market it's still fairly reasonably priced.

Although now given the alternatives I probably wouldn't buy this now, it used to be a bit of a skincare staple for me and I would happily use it again. In all new packaging the Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Facial Toner With Natural AHA's is available exclusively from Boots and retails at around £5.49.

6. This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

For as long as I can remember I've always loved and been suckered in the by the concept of a free gift - yes I was that child that always wanted the cereal with the free stickers or the pencil topper, I really was a marketers dream and I think that I probably still am. Either last year or the year before I took advantage of free gift offer and placed an order with Simply Be, and this product was part of the free gift that I received alongside a matching hand cream.

From skin, body and sleep specialist, This Works comes a cruelty free, vegan, paraben, phthalate and sulphate free, calming hand and body wash, that contains vitamin B5, ylang ylang, lavender, neroli and patchouli.

I predominantly used it as a hand wash which on reflection was probably a mistake, it was quite thick and a small amount went a long way, it produced a good foam, and it didn't dry out the skin, but the scent from me was just a bit too overpowering especially since it tended to linger on the skin for quite a while afterwards.

If you love aromatherapy based, natural essential oil scents then you might love this but since I can take or leave patchouli oil in particular, so having it linger on my hands was just a little bit too much. I think using it as a shower product would probably have made it a little bit less concentrated and intense but sadly this scent wasn't for me and it therefore goes without saying that I passed the matching hand cream onto my mam.

If you love this type of scent though, or if you're a fan of the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray then this would make a very economical body wash or a pretty intense bathroom hand wash. The This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash comes in a 250ml pump action bottle and retails at around £15 direct from This Works, as well as from Amazon, John Lewis, and NEXT Beauty.

So they were my beauty empties from September 2022, admittedly 2 down on the previous month but probably on reflection not a bad month, it's just a shame that I suffered another drop off in October!

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g
AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

Total - 4 Items

Yes, in October 2022 I managed to finish just 4 items, 1 less than in September, not great but not awful either, and again I finished a nice mix of products including some new products and one old favourite.

1. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

When it comes to skincare, I've always been one for a lazier, or should I say simpler routine. Given my so called and self confessed beauty junkie status that probably sounds odd, but I used to, and still do to some extent try to cut corners when I can, and up until last year or maybe the year before I got away with it, bit as I've gotten older my skin has changed and it's needed a little bit of extra help, or should I say a different kind of help, so I've had change my routine up and I've had to add a few new products to my regime.

Despite all of the beauty and product knowledge that I've gained in my years of blogging, as someone with an oilier skin type, I was always pretty scared of adding any more 'moisturising' product to my routine, but you're probably already well aware of the fact the oil doesn't always equal moisture, and oily skin can often be a symptom of skin lacking in hydration, so your skin can look like an oil slick, and still be lacking in moisture - so when my skin started to look a little dull and feel a little tighter, I decided to have a play around and introduce a serum into my routine.

Not wanting to spend a fortune in case it wasn't quite what my skin needed, I picked up a product from budget friendly, yet high tech skincare brand The Ordinary. If your skin is dry, thirsty and just a little bit upset one of the best ways to make it happy again is to give it a drink of water, or a nice little shot of hyaluronic acid, to keep that moisture locked in. With hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this water based super serum has been specially designed to enhance both short and long term hydration, as well as to smooth and plump the skin, and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

To be honest if appearances are anything to go by this stuff doesn't look that exciting, just a clear, unscented, watery like serum, packaged in a utilitarian dropper bottle, but as the saying goes looks really can be deceiving! Just apply a few drops to damp cleansed and toned skin, and massage into the skin before applying your usual moisturiser, and you've given your skin an extra boost of moisture with very little effort.

Despite reading some pretty good reviews, I wasn't really expecting very much from this serum, but I could see and feel a difference in just a couple of days. With just this one addition to my regime my skin felt smoother, more supple, less tight, and thankfully it didn't my skin oily or greasy, in fact it actually seemed to control the oil on my t-zone!

I've tried a few different hyaluronic based serums since I first tried this one, but so fair this is one of the best that I've tried, and one of the cheapest. Whilst the results have often been pretty similar, the texture of this one from The Ordinary puts it straight at the top of my list. It's more water like, less oily and way less sticky, it absorbs pretty quickly and it doesn't make your moisturiser pill or roll off! I'm now a total hyaluronic convert, it's so easy to add into even the most basic of routines, a little bit seems to go a long way and it's made a real difference to my skin.

As you would expect from The Ordinary it's also really competitively priced with this 30ml size retails at around £7.90 direct from The Ordinary, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, John Lewis, Boots, and Space NK, and if you really this stuff, and you can't be without it it also comes in both a 60ml bottle and a 120ml supersize! I have a few different hyaluronic based serums, that I've both picked up and that I've got in various beauty boxes and advent calendars to use up but I will definitely be buying this one again.

2. Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g

Next up another skincare products, and this was something that came in the April 2022 edition of Glossybox UK.

When you hear the name Sand & Sky at least beauty wise, the first product that you probably think of is the Australian brand's iconic, and much copied Australian Pink Clay Mask (which I still need to try by the way!), but that isn't the only mask in their extensive skincare range.

April 2022's box contained a tiny, 3 application max, 10g tube of their Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask. From their Glow Berries range, this mask contains the antioxidant glow berries, emu apples, to combat ageing and boost brightness, hyaluronic acid complex, kakadu plum, a source of vitamin C to boost brightness and break down pigmentation, and jojoba oil to hydrate and aid water retention; This mask is also sulphate, paraben, silicone, and phthalate free, and it's also cruelty free and approved by PETA.

Created to hydrate, protect and brighten the skin, this mask is almost an ashy pink in colour, and it had an unusual light and fluffy, almost bouncy yet dense texture, and sadly given all the fruity ingredients, very little scent.

As instructed I applied a thick layer to clean skin, and since it was a cream mask it was really easy to apply. On application it felt ever so slightly tingly and warm on the skin.

Before

The instructions said to leave the mask on for 10 minutes, and whilst in some places the mask had absorbed completely into the skin, in other places there was still product sitting on the skin, and whilst it was drier than it was on application, it hadn't dried our completely or set hard, so it was pretty easy to wash it off with warm water and a muslin cloth.

On Application 

I'm not sure how obvious it is from these pictures, but after rinsing it off my skin looked a touch pink in patches, and my face felt a little bit tingly for a moment or two, but it wasn't uncomfortable, and I think that feeling was worth it for the results that I saw - my skin was definitely brighter and it definitely had a glow to it, I looked more awake and it felt smoother. It's recommended that you use this mask 2-3 times a week for maximum benefit, but I since an improvement after just one use, and further improvement after another 2 weekly applications, it's down to personal choice.

After Rinsing 

I know it tingled a little bit but as long as it isn't too uncomfortable I don't actually mind that

feeling from a product. I like things that feel as though they're doing something, and I definitely think that this mask did that, so I would definitely consider using it, and trying some more products from the Sand & Sky range in the future. 

The full 100g size comes with an application brush and has an RRP of around £34. It's available direct from Sand & Sky, as well as from Beauty Bay, ASOS, and Amazon. The full size as well as this 10g tube are also available from Look Fantastic and eBay UK.

3. AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml

From skincare to hair care, and whilst I'm trying to take more care of my hair, and I'm trying to lay off the heat a bit, I'm sorry I have very wavy / curly / wild / uncontrollable hair, and it often needs a set of straighteners or a blow dry to bully it into submission. It therefore goes without saying that I spend a fortune on conditioners, hair treatments, and heat protectors, and I never allow a straightener, a curler or a dryer near my hair without a squirt or two of heat protector spray.

Whilst I'm ever faithful to the Tresemme Heat Defence Care & Protect Spray, I do occasionally stray, usually because of a recommendation or a special offer, and I think I picked up this AVON heat protector up when it was on offer.

Containing moisturisers and protective ingredients, it had a nice fresh almost fruity scent, and it didn't leave the hair sticky or hard. Not badly priced at just £3 I would definitely use it again, but the one drawback is the small, although ideal for travel, 100ml size of the bottle, and that's why I'll be sticking to my beloved Tresemme spray in the future. 

4. Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

The final item on this long awaited September and October 2022 countdown is another product that you've seen before on several occasions and it's something that you're more than likely going to see again in the future.

Yes, it's the fabulous Beauty Pie Re- Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub. You can read a full review of it here, but if you are in any doubt I absolutely love everything about this stuff from the scent, to the texture, and to how it makes my skin feel. Although I'm currently using a good budget alternative that I will definitely repurchase, when I'm feeling a bit flusher I'll definitely be picking up this Beauty Pie scrub again.

As you probably know Beauty Pie works on a subscription model, so if you pay either a monthly or annual subscription fee, you can get discount prices on a whole range of high quality beauty products. This particular product retails at £16 for members and £55 for non members.

If you've made it to the end, congratulations! that was a long one, and it's probably going to set the scene for every up and coming empties post at least until i get myself up to date again, so be prepared for an epic amount fo beauty reviews coming soon, but in the meantime if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in this post or anything else you fancy then please leave me a message below, and I'll see you soon with a new post x 

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

When Life Gets In The Way - Family Illness, Covid, Mould, Guttering And A Poorly Cat*

I once made a pledge on this blog to stop apologising for disappearing, repetition and lack of posting, and whilst i guess this is a bit of an apology (what can I say I'm one of those people who always says sorry even when it's not my fault!), it's more of an update and explanation as to what's been going on in my life over the last month or so and why I've been neglecting the blog.

With several bereavements and my own health struggles, it's safe to say that I'd already ranked 2023 pretty highly on the shitty year index, but throw in what's been going on over the last couple of month and it's probably at the top of the pile!

If you follow me elsewhere on social media (updated links in the sidebar if you don't), then you'll know that my mam has been pretty poorly. She was admitted into hospital towards the end of July with the same old, same old, some sort of infection, that course through her body leaving her with a raging fever and unable to walk. They did the usual, blasted her with antibiotics only this time she suffered a reaction to one of them so they had to switch it and start again, after a couple of days she was heading in the right direction, and I was preparing to go in and see her and then everything went wrong.

As is common with especially elderly people she suffered a spell of infection related delirium and confusion. To say I wouldn't wish that 24 hours or so on anyone would be an understatement. She called me and various family members multiple times alternating between crying and ranting, from seeing things that weren't there, to having no idea of where she was, to refusing treatment and not letting the hospital staff touch her - it was horrible and utterly heartbreaking  I really can't thank the staff and University Hospital Of North Durham, and my family and friends enough, and of course everyone who replied to my Instagram stories on the day. I spoke to several nurses and one doctor over the course of the day and they assured me that once they got a handle on the infection she would improve, and thankfully that's what happened. I didn't speak to her again until the next lunch time and whilst she was still confused she had much more of a grip on reality, and was cooperating with staff again, and by the time I spoke to her again that night she was nearly back to normal, although completely mortified with how she'd behaved. 

Thankfully she continued to get better, well at least until she caught covid! They weren't 100% sure if that was the cause of the original infection or whether she caught it whilst she was in hospital but thankfully bar a hacking cough, distorted taste and smell, her oxygen levels remained good, and after 11 days in hospital she was allowed home. It took her another week to test negative, and about another 3 to get back up to speed but she's doing well, she's been given some more medication for bone strength, and the hospital have been in touch with social services to get some hand rails put up outside to help with her mobility and access to the drive, and the car.

Obviously this was a major mental screw up for me, it's bad enough having one relative in hospital at once but at my godmother was also admitted in the same week, and whilst she was released after a few days it was really tough for me. On that Sunday I really felt as though I'd lost my mum, to be scared to speak to her because at that moment in time she was as far away from her normal self as it was possible to be was terrifying - thankfully as I stay I had some support at the time but dealing with it afterwards in my own head has been tough and I'm not going to lie I've struggled - but as my mam says I'm a lot stronger than I think I am, and at last I think I'm beginning to realise that.

With my mum being poorly and getting some much needed rest, I've obviously had to step it up and take on all of the tasks that need to be done on a daily basis in order to keep a house running smoothly, so given that my physical and mental health sap so much of my energy as it is, I've pretty much been running on empty, but you know why not kick someone when there down!

For a little while I'm been smelling a sort of musty smell in my bedroom, sort of like damp, so eventually admitted defeat and investigated only to find a patch of mould on the wall - arghhhhhh! so everything to be moved to I could treat it and if you have any mould in your house be it on the walls, or bathroom tiles then you need to get this stuff from Amazon, it makes your house smell like a swimming pool but it was gone without any scrubbing or effort in less than an hour, and my shower tiles are now gleaming as well! We knew we had an issue with the guttering so we got someone out to have a look at it and it's much worse than we anticipated - it's leaked under the fascia and into the cavity wall, and the roof joists hence the patches of mould in various other rooms in the house - it never rains but it pours literally! Bye bye several grand grrrr!

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the title of this post also mentioned a poorly cat, well if all of that wasn't enough, Charlie developed some sort of infection in his gums, so after a few days of hiding, hissing, and not eating, a antibiotic jab, and a course of oral anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics, and some special dental food, and a pretty little vet bill, he's thankfully eating and back to his fluffy self - phew!

So hopefully that explains my absence, I've been so mentally and physically drained that I just wasn't up to blogging, or doing pretty much anything else come to think about it, but (touches every bit of wood in the house and crosses my fingers very tightly!) hopefully the stars are realigning and things are returning to normal or whatever normal is, so I should be able to start getting a few more posts up, starting with an empties catch up later this week x 

Again a huge thank you to all of you who've contacted me on social media over the last month or so and thanks again for sticking with me x 

*This Post Contains An Affiliate And A Non Affiliate Link

PR / UNPAID AD - Leave No Trace With The Festival Bag From Paper Bag Co.* **

Whilst I'm not trying to sound too morbid, I'm wondering if any of you guys out there have a bucket list? You know, a list of things that you want to do or achieve before you depart from this crazy world that we all call home. 

Since my life seems to have been pretty much on hold for the last few years, I have a huge list of things that I still want to do and places that I want to go to. I'd love to go to Japan, to do my doctorate, to write a book, to see a volcanic eruption,  and I'd also like to do something that's probably a bit more achievable and go to a proper music festival.

I love music, and live music in particular, and seeing a whole load of different musicians, and artists of different genres sounds perfect! The UK especially is literally music heaven when it comes to festivals, with Glastonbury last weekend, and the Isle Of Wight the week before that, and with other large festivals such as Wireless, Latitude, Kendal Calling, and of course Reading and Leeds still to come, as well as numerous smaller, more niche festivals. the UK really is the place to be if you love live music!

So come on Lou, why don't you just bite the bullet and grab your tent and go to one? Well apart from the obvious health reasons at the moment, I love music but I think I love my comfort more. I think I'd be okay hanging with the VIP's in an RV, but I don't think that I'm really built for festival life, or even camping when I come to think about it. I need good toilets, hot showers, and a clean, comfortable bed. I've heard far too many horror stories about gross toilets, mud, horrendous traffic jams, my fellow human beings, and of course the mountains of rubbish to put me right off!

On the rubbish front though, despite the pictures that you may have seen this week about the aftermath of Glastonbury, things are changing. Whilst piles of rubbish aren't really a great look, Glastonbury has a longstanding with environmental campaign group Greenpeace, and caring for the environment has always been at the forefront of any planning or decision making. They have a full 'Reuse Reduce, Respect' policy which includes a focus on renewable energy, use of electric vehicles onsite, and an onsite recycling plant, and has the tagline 'Love The Farm Leave No Trace', and thankfully in festival and environmental terms they're not alone, with Kendal Calling's 'Leave Nothing But Memories' pledge, and the 'Green National Sustainability Charter' which is in place at all Live Nation festivals including Reading and Leeds.

It isn't just down to other people though, whether you're heading to a music festival or for just a quiet weekend of camping, we all need to do our bit as well, by reducing waste, and environmental damage , and recycling and also by thinking a bit more careful about exactly what we take with us on our trip, and no I don't mean what flavours of vodka to pack!

With an impressive CV when it comes to producing high quality retail and promotional paper bags, including working with brands such as Audi, Christian Dior Parfums and Converse, British brand Paper Bag Co. and their sister company Cotton Bag Co might not be at the top of your list when it comes to packing for a festival, but if you care about the environment then they probably should be.

First introduced in 2022, the Festival Bag from the Paper Bag Co. is the perfect accessory for the festival goer that wants to be a bit more eco conscious. With UK festivals alone generating over 23,000 tonne of rubbish every year, the Festival Bag and it's eco-friendly contents are all specially designed to leave no trace, even if everything get trashed and ends up being left in a muddy field when the festivities are over, oh and that also includes the bag itself! 

Unlike the majority of other rucksacks that you've probably seen on your travels this one isn't made from vinyl or plastic, believe it or not it's actually derived from paper! If you've ever had one of the large paper, or fibre filled padded envelopes, then that a bit like what this bag feels like. Don't worry I can hear what you're all saying, 'paper surely that can't be very durable', well that's where you'd be wrong! This backpack actually feels really strong and sturdy, and as if it could take a real battering, not only that but believe it or not, it's also waterproof. 

The Festival Bag comes into 2 eye catching modern designs, the 'No Trace' hand design and the bright pink, and black 'Festival' design which is the one that I was very kindly sent.

So it looks great, it's better for the environment, and it's sturdy but what else does it have going for it? Well sticking with the construction the bag features two strong webbed fabric and paper derived straps, that are fully adjustable, so it will fit all heights, sizes and wearers, comfortably and securely.

The backpack features a secure, side zipped pocket ideal for your phone or wallet, and it fastens with both a velcro tab and with full top zip for double the security. The main compartment of the bag is super spacious and would easily hold a change of clothes, a towel and a swimsuit or even a couple of folders. It also has a little loop inside the bag so you can attach your keys to keep them safe and secure.

Can you see what I did here? I shot a lovely picture, with a nice clear shot of the bag to give you an indication of the size, and I completely forgot to get a picture of it on my actual back! Seriously I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached - anyways once I realised I quickly remedied it and shot some pics all be it in a different location, and I can safely say that it felt both secure and comfortable and as I say there was plenty of room for adjustment, 

I don't know if your childhood was anything like mine but I always used to, and still do tend to carry backpacks slung over just one shoulder rather than wearing it properly. I always just found it more comfortable that way and this one was no different. I always used to get wrong off my mam for carrying rucksacks like this when I was younger, she kept telling me that it would ruin my posture and I guess it comes as no surprise that my posture now is indeed terrible - it only goes to show that you should always listen to your mam!

If you can get past my strange facial expressions, my awkward modelling poses, and the sight of me in shorts then you might have already noticed my snazzy t-shirt which is the first item that comes inside the Festival Bag. Made of 100% organic cotton, and printed with water based inks, this t-shirt features a really vibrant, modern, 'Leave No Trace' design. It's a really good quality shirt, made of a nice thick cotton, it's comfortable to wear and it also washes really well with no fading or cracking on the design - it's great for everyday wear, and it will make a great cover up it you've caught the sun ;)

As well as the t-shirt, as I said earlier, the Festival Bag also contains a selection of festival, camping or even just travel essentials, all of which are eco-friendly and biodegradable, and that will leave no trace.

The first thing in the backpack is attached to the little loop inside the bag via a metal carabiner clip, and it's a foldable cup! All you do is just pop off the cap / cover, and pop out the cup, and you have a small but sturdy drinking vessel that's perfect for those shots, a sneaky glass of wine, or if your being good a glass of water!

To be honest I have seen cups like this before, but I've never seen one quite like this before. Although it feels like the plastic cups that I've seen in various camping, garden and outdoor retailers, this cup is actually made from wheat fibres! Like the bag it feels surprisingly strong, and it's obviously reusable, just give it a rinse and you're good to go again, but if it ever does break then you are safe in the knowledge that the cup itself and the lid are both fully biodegradable, and of course you could use the carabiner clip for something else.

The next item in the bag, or should I say items, is a paper bag which contains a variety of eco friendly, not trace hygiene items including a good quality bamboo toothbrush, and of course some tooth paste. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, there is indeed some toothpaste in the picture that you can see below, I can see why you would be confused after all there are plastic or metal tubes to be seen anywhere in my photo, and that's because instead of a conventional tube of toothpaste the festival bag instead includes some packaging free toothpaste tabs. You can find these in a few places now, and they are really simple to use, just pop one in your mouth, give it a quick chew, wet your toothbrush and brush away! They feel a touch chalky in your mouth, but they were nice and minty and they left my teeth both feeling and looking clean.

All of the items in this bag are super innovative in both their use and their construction but the next two items in the bag will really blow your mind! My bag contained two body wash sachets, one was unscented, and the other was scented with coconut, sea salt and jasmine. I've only tried the unscented one, and on opening it (with dry hands as instructed) I was a little bit confused, instead of being greeted by a liquid shower, instead the sachet contained a a flat, white square that felt a bit like really thin foam. After getting wet in the shower and the rubbing the square over my skin, it actually started to dissolve and foam up! For something so small and unpromising looking I actually got a really decent shower out of it, oh and don't worry about the paper sachet that it comes in, just drop it on the floor of the shower and it will safely and quickly dissolve away, and disappear down the plughole, again leaving no trace. In case you haven't realised I'm completely blown away by this vegan and cruelty free product, and I'm definitely going to be hunting some of these down for travel, and overnight stays, they weigh next to nothing and there are no liquids to worry about.

Sticking with the whole idea of keeping clean, the 'wash bag' element of the Festival Bag also contains some compressed bamboo based face and body towels. Again they look pretty innocuous but just pop one of these natural coloured tablets into some water, and they will expand to create a biodegradable cloth perfect for washing your face or body, or just freshening up.

One thing that festivals aren't known for is peace, and quiet, and as much as you'll probably enjoy the noise, and the hustle and bustle, we all need to sleep at some point, and that's why the Festival Bag also contains a pair of cotton and natural beeswax ear plugs, so even if your campmates are throwing an all-nighter you should still be able to catch up on your beauty sleep.

Now as nice as the weather in the UK has been over the last few weeks, and even though weather forecasters are predicting a few more heatwaves before summers out, never forget that this is the UK and what does it do here? It rains! and that's why no festival survival kit is complete without a rain poncho! The one that comes in the Festival Bag isn't just your typical plastic bag style poncho though, instead this adult sized, hooded poncho is made of biodegradable cornstarch so it will keep you dry, and when you've finished with it, you can bin it or compost it and it will rot safely away.

For a festival virgin such as myself, something that has always put me off seeing some of my favourite artists in the festival environment is the horror of the portaloo! Whilst I have heard good things about at least some of the toilets at Glastonbury, I've also heard some pretty ahem.. interesting stories about festival and camping toilets, and whilst alas this backpack doesn't contain and clean and fully functioning bathroom, it does contain a 100% recycled, full size loo roll from the fabulously named 'Who Gives A Crap'.

Whether you're a fan of his music or not, I've got to say that Sir Elton's Glastonbury set was something else, both me and my mum thoroughly enjoyed watching his performance last Sunday night, and if the majority of the crowd watching him were to be believed then you can't have a festival without a bit of sparkle. You're probably well aware though that the majority of glitter is still made out of plastic, not the glitter in this bag though! The final item in the Festival Bag is a little packet of super sparkly, fully biodegradable glitter that is actually made from plants!

Whether you're heading to a festival this summer or not this bag is fabulous for any camping trip or weekend away, and even if like me you're planning on staying at home this summer, you could still find a lot of uses for both the Festival Bag and its contents.

As well as being eco friendly the bag is really spacious and good quality, and everything inside is both useful and innovative. I'll definitely be popping both the cup and the poncho in the car for both hydration and rain emergencies, and I'm also going to be on the hunt for some more of those body wash sachets,

No matter what your plans are this summer, if you want to be a bit more eco friendly and be prepared for all eventualities when you're out and about and beyond then I would definitely recommend picking up the Festival Bag. The Festival Bag retails at around £39.95 and is available exclusively from Paper Bag Co. 

If the Festival Bag isn't your thing though then don't forget to check out the Cotton Bag Co and of course their sister company Paper Bag Co, which offer other eco friendly products that can benefit you or your business. Their printed tissue paper is sustainable, eco friendly and branded which is a great way to personalise and add value to your packaging and branding.

Are you a festival fan? Let me know in the comments and make me jealous and let me know what you're up to this summer, and of course if you have any questions let me know below x 

*Press Sample / Unpaid Advertisement 

**This Post Contains Non Affiliate Links