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

I think am at the stage in my life when I should just stop making plans. I've talked so much lately about about getting back on track when it comes to blogging, and what happens? A fibromyalgia  / CFS flare / weird virus puts every single thing that I've tried to do in the last fortnight on the back burner. It seems like I've spent most of the last week or so in bed, and whilst I'm still feeling way less than 100%, touch wood, I'm feeling well enough at the moment to do a little bit of work so I thought I'd take you back a month, to look at September's beauty empties.

Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Raspberry & Rose Water Shower Gel - 250ml
Primark PS...Cuticle Oil - 10ml
Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Hand And Nail Balm - 30ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml
Philip Kingsley Elderflower And Rhubarb Body Building Shampoo - 500ml
AVON K Beauty Sugar Maple Glass Effect Hydrogel Face Mask - 1 x Mask
Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make Up Corrector Pen
Primark PS...It's Oil Good Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid - 010 - Ivory - 30ml
Boots Botanics All Bright Micellar 3 In 1 Cleansing Solution - 250ml
XBC XPEL Body Care Olive Exfoliating Foot Pack - 1 x Treatment

Total - 11 Items 

Even despite the fact that I've been so poorly this post seems to have taken forever to write. It's taken a lot of planning and lot of research, because I managed to finish a whopping 11 beauty products in September, which is by far my best performance of 2019 so far. It wasn't just the number of items that I finished though it was also the variety of items that I finished. I finished a really nice assortment of skincare, hair care and body care items, and I even managed to finish a make up product -go me!

1. Original Source Hydrating Water Infusions Raspberry & Rose Water Shower Gel - 250ml

The first product was a shower gel that I received in the April 2019 Fruity Or Floral edition of Glossybox UK. You can read a full review here and even though it didn't smell quite like I expected it to, it had a nice fresh, almost green scent, it foamed well and it didn't leave my skin tight or dry. It was also really economical to use, but if you're interested in trying it for yourself then I would definitely shop around, I've seen this particular scent in a variety of stores, including Asda, Boots, Superdrug and Poundland, at various price points ranging from £1 - £2.29.

2. Primark PS...Cuticle Oil - 10ml

Yes I finished another bottle of my go to cuticle oil. At around £1 a bottle it's probably cheaper than a bag of chips and it works. I've got about 1/4 of a bottle of this , and about 1/3 of a bottle of OPI Avoplex remaining so I think I'm going to need to purchase a couple of back up bottles sooner rather than later.

3. Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Hand And Nail Balm - 30ml

Next up another hand product and this was a product that I received in the 2015 Marks and Spencer Beauty Advent Calendar (You can read my unboxing posts here and here). I think that this was the first ever product that I've tried from heritage French fragrance brand Roger & Gallet, and it was a nice introduction.

Containing Shea butter, apricot kernel oil, and aloe vera, and fragranced with fig leaves, fig milk, and cedar wood, this formulation is free from colouring, parabens and silicone's. Despite the fact that it had a very rich and creamy texture it actually absorbed into the skin really quickly, leaving an almost protective but non sticky matte finish, I loved how moisturised and hydrated it made my skin feel and I loved the fruity floral, almost expensive fragrance type scent. I would definitely consider repurchasing this particular product. It's available on it's own for around £6.50 from various retailers including Escentual and Look Fantastic, and in a variety of gift sets from stores including John Lewis and Marks and Spencer.

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

I'm a big fan of AVON as a brand but seriously they are probably the worst brand out there for discontinuing products! So many good products have been and gone over the years and now you can throw my favourite shampoo and conditioner into the mix!

I've been using their Anti Hair Fall range for a few years now and despite their relatively small price tag this range has made a real difference to my hair, so much so in fact that I can actually tell when I haven't been using it. Containing keratin, argan and bamboo extract, this shampoo smells gorgeous, and it works. Alas it seems to be no more, and it's started to appear in their sale supplements, so if you want to try then grab it while you can. From what I can gather it has two potential replacements, the new Loss Control range, and the new Reconstruction range. I've bought a few bottles to try but I've also stocked up on the Anti Hair Fall range just in case. Why AVON? Why?

5. Philip Kingsley Elderflower And Rhubarb Body Building Shampoo - 500ml

Now despite my loyalty to the Anti Hair Fall range, I do tend to switch hair care brands quite a lot, I love trying new things, and I'm always on the look out for the next wonder product. Another brand that I keep coming back to is trichology brand Philip Kingsley. Whilst Elasticizer is my real love,  I'm more than happy to use whatever comes my way.

I reviewed the original Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo back in November 2015, after receiving a pack of goodies from the lovely people at Philip Kingsley (read my review here) and whilst this product is basically the same it's just that little bit extra special.

It has the same volumising and lifting properties as the original only with a gorgeous fresh, and fruity rhubarb and elderflower scent. It was a lovely shampoo, you need such a small amount this huge salon size lasted for ages, and the gorgeous scent lingered on the hair for at least a day or two. Alas this particular scent is no longer available but every now and then Philip Kingsley do limited edition scents like this one, that are either QVC UK exclusives, or that launch first on their regular beauty shows. This years exclusive scent seems to be Rose & Lychee and the range is still available on QVC UK.

6. AVON K Beauty Sugar Maple Glass Effect Hydrogel Face Mask - 1 x Mask

Next up another product up from AVON and another one that now seems relegated to the sale brochure. From AVON's K Beauty range, this clear hydrogel mask contains coconut extract, coconut oil, Shea butter and aloe vera, it also contains sugar maple extract, which contains natural source AHA's to help remove dead skin, and to leave the skin dewy, hydrated, and with a luminous glow.

This is a two piece mask - one half for the top of the face, and the other half for the bottom of your face. All you have to do is peel the sticky gel masks from the plastic backing, and apply them to clean, dry skin for around 10 minutes.

Unlike a lot of paper and fabric masks, you don't get any drips but even though these masks adhere to the skin quite well, it's better to lie down during the treatment to not only keep the mask in place but also to take some out to relax and enjoy the treatment.

This mask had quite a sweet, almost coconut and vanilla scent. It felt slightly cool on application but it warmed up slightly on contact with the skin. and the gel almost seemed to dry out as time passed.

Like all hydrogel masks it was really easy to remove, there was quite a bit of moisture left on the skin but it massaged into the skin quite easily, and it absorbed pretty quickly, although it left a slightly sticky residue. My skin looks slightly pink in the picture but it felt really refreshed and hydrated, and it looked a bit plumper and as if I'd just applied a moisturiser. The regular price for this mask is £3.50 but as I say I spotted it in the latest sale supplement for £1.75.

7. Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make Up Corrector Pen

Now I found this a few months ago whilst I was searching through my skincare stash, and since I'm so bad at applying eyeliner I thought I'd dig it out and give it a try. Basically what it is is a felt tip pen filled with, or soaked in eye make up remover. The double ended pointy nib was perfect for removing mascara smudges and for correcting wobbly liner. Unfortunately it dried out quite quickly and as you can see it got quite dirty. Yes you can use a cotton bud or even a make up brush soaked in make up remover, but the point and the portable nature of this pen made it a really useful item, all be it one that didn't last that long. Unfortunately this pen appears to have been discontinued but I'm sure I have something similar, somewhere in my beauty stash.

8. Primark PS...It's Oil Good Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25 Wipes

I've been shooting an awful lot of make up swatches over the last month or so, for some long promised and long overdue blog posts, and these tea tree based wipes have proved invaluable.  That said as devoted as I am to these wipes I'm really trying to get out of this "wipe" habit, so whilst I will definitely be picking up some more on my next Primark trip I feel that my love affair with these bargain wipes is nearing its end.

9. Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid - 010 - Ivory - 30ml

At last a make up item! Although I think I received this particular Italian branded bottle in a swap, this is a foundation that I've actually used on and off for a few years now, and it's one that I quite like. It has a nice texture, and it almost seems to even out my complexion, my pores don't look quite so obvious and the general texture and tone of my skin seems to look and feel smoother and more even. Apparently it's ideal for drier skin but I still like the finish and it wore pretty well on my oilier skin, all be it underneath several dustings of loose power. This particular colour was a touch warm for my skin tone, but it worked pretty well in the summer months, and with a bit of fake tan. I've got lots of foundations to use up including a few real loves so I won't be repurchasing in the the near future but that's not to say that I wouldn't buy it again.

10. Boots Botanics All Bright Micellar 3 In 1 Cleansing Solution - 250ml

Now I've had a mixed relationship with the Boots Botanics range over the years, and I still haven't quite forgiven them for meddling with one of my all time favourite eye make up removers (read my posts here  and here). Recently they've redeemed themselves slightly with their Cleansing Toner but when it comes to my eyes I'm still a little bit wary but giving them the benefit of the doubt I gave this a try.

I think I got it in a subscription box, and apparently it's one of the best sellers from the Botanics range. It's alcohol free, and it contains hibiscus and AHA's . It cleansed my skin with no problem, it was fine at removing make up, and it left my skin clean, fresh and bright. It did make my eyes sting a bit though so as I tend to use micellar waters all over my face, I probably wouldn't repurchase but it wasn't bad. If you're interested in trying it for yourself it retails at around £5.49 in Boots.

11. XBC XPEL Body Care Olive Exfoliating Foot Pack - 1 x Treatment

Finally a foot product, and I think I originally bought this in Bargain Buys, but apparently it's also available from various other retailers including Savers, Poundstretcher, and ebay. I can't remember how much I paid for it but I don't think it will have been much more than a pound or so. I originally bought this as a moisturising foot pack but even though it actually says the word exfoliating on the packet I didn't realise it was an actual foot peel!

"Formulated to moisturise and reduce callus build up, and cracked heels" the pouch contains a pair of plastic socks with a paper /  fibre lining, and adhesive  fastening strips for a secure fit. Containing mulberry extract, olive extract, rose flower oil and pomegranate oil, these socks had a lovely, slightly astringent apple like, fruity scent. The inside of the socks was very wet. After putting them onto clean, dry feet, my skin immediately felt slightly warm, and tingly, which should have been the first clue that these weren't moisturising socks!

After 20 minutes, which is quite a short amount of time for peeling socks, you take off the stocks, and also quite strangely for peeling socks, you don't need to rinse your feet. My feel looked slightly pink, and whilst my heels definitely looked less dry, they was no real difference moisture wise. I was pretty non plussed at this point because it still hadn't clicked that this was a foot peel, and then less a week later, this happened!

Apologies for the gross foot pack, but yes less than a week later all of the dry skin started peeling off the soles of my feet. The peeling process lasted for about a week. My notoriously dry heels, were still slightly cracked but my feet were generally a lot smoother, and the other calloused areas had all but disappeared.

Despite my initial confusion when buying and using this product, I am so, so happy with it. I used quite a few of these peeling products now and a lot of the more expensive ones haven't worked any where near as well as this one did. For the price, the performance, and the scent I really can't recommend these enough and I will definitely be making a repurchase.

So they were my very late September empties. I hope they were worth waiting for, as I said I finished a nice amount, and a nice variety of items. With only a few days left of October I don't think it's been anywhere near as successful a month as September was, but I can at least promise you that the post will be up a bit quicker than this one was x If you have any questions or comments let me know and I'll try and get back to you as quickly as I can, and I will see you soon with another post x

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