Late to the Party

Phew! An enormous amount of empties this month as I work to finish products in my stash (and buy just a couple of cheeky newbies!). Everything else during this lock-down has gone absolute doolally - apart from my skincare and body care routines. It's nice to know that I can keep something together at least! Key WR   - Will repurchase or have already repurchased MR  - Might repurchase at a later date. WNR  - Will not repurchase. Either it didn't work for me, I didn't like it, it's too expensive or it had ingredients that didn't suit my skin. Skincare * Cerave - Foaming Cleanser ( WR ) I think this is probably mu number one 'go-to' everyday cleanser. It's perfect for daily use, low foan, soothing and non-drying and great value for money. No thrills or drama here - but you can't beat this as a basic but effective first cleanser. * Optimum - Bedtime Cleansing Balm ( WNR ) Now this would have been great if it weren't for one n...

After writing the post Shopping My Stash - Beauty Boxes Revisited Part One - it really gave me the kick up the bum I needed in prioritising products that I have in my stash that are now a year old. So I'm now moving on to beauty boxes received in March of last year to see where I'm at with these products. For me, this is a great visual inventory to take stock of what I have in my stash. March 2019 In March 2019, the Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box had the uplifting Spring theme of 'Awaken'. Let's see what became of these products: * Skin Alchemists - The Humble Warrior Complete Cleansing Oil Perhaps my singular most favourite item that I've ever received in any beauty box! This cleansing oil is so super special that I've done that thing of saving it because it's so nice! I have used it a few times, but at the moment, it's still being hoarded in my stash. Still about Unearthd - The Mane Attraction Organic Hair Serum I started usi...

My favourite part of my skincare routine is double-cleansing. And although I like to try and keep my routines consistent, I do have quite a lot of products in this category so I like to have a few on the go each month. This month's choices are a mixture of favourites, a new seasonal product I've just received and some that have been open for a while and need using up! First Cleansers Lime & Lilac - Passionflower Cleansing Oil* (PR Sample) My all-time favourite cleansing oil. Whilst I feel some urgency to finish off other products that have been open for far too long, I would feel a bit bereft in I didn't get to use this a few times a week. This cleansing oil is more than just a cleanser, it's a full-on sensory experience. From the gorgeous slick of applying and massaging the oil to either dry or slightly damp skin; the glorious emulsifying action that turns the oil into a silky, milky lotion, to the way that it clears up every last scrap of makeup, daily ...

I thought this was going to be a quiet month or empties but then came a flurry of finished products towards the end of the month! Key WR   - Will repurchase or have already repurchased MR  - Might repurchase at a later date. WNR  - Will not repurchase. Either it didn't work for me, I didn't like it, it's too expensive or it had ingredients that didn't suit my skin. Skincare * Ariul - 7 Days Vitamin Mist ( MR ) I picked this up in T.K Maxx, mainly excited by all the fruit and veggie extracts in this mist. Did I feel that they did anything for my skin? No, not really. But it was a nice daily mist, with a fine spray and I'd buy it again for that reason if I ever saw it on sale again. *  Cocorosa Beauty - Egyptian Neroli Cleansing Oil ( WR ) I fell in love with this after trying a sample i a Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box - rushing out to buy the full size as soon as I finished the sample. This cleansing oil is the epitome of skincare making great...

I absolutely love buying or receiving new skincare products! I love the thrill of receiving packages through the post and I love discovering new brands and new products. But tempered with that joy also comes a degree of angst and guilt about having far too many products in my stash and finding the time to use and enjoy them. Beauty Subscription boxes are the best way to discover new products. And because most of them are chosen for us, it's a great opportunity to try out new brands and products that you might not have otherwise known about, or decided to purchase. Although in some boxes, items chosen for us can mean items that don't suit us, are doubles or just not products we'd use. Over the years I've subscribed to quite a few different beauty boxes, but I've rarely lasted the course with many of them (usually when the picks just don't suit me or my skincare tastes). Amongst the boxes that I still love and receive regularly are the Latest in Beauty ...

Urgh! I've felt so lethargic in the past few weeks and I'm no fan of the New Year as it is. I need a good project to sink my teeth into and try and myself to gee up a bit at the start of a new decade. 20/20 Vision Project Results This was a mega 18 month long project that I took part in with a degree of success. What did I learn? That it takes  forever  to finish up makeup items! Of the twenty skincare products I chose, I managed to finish all of them. But of the twenty makeup products I chose, I only managed to finish 12 of them. I de-cluttered another four (Elf Highlighter, Nars Cream Highlighter Stick, Inglot Cream Blusher and MUA Loose Powder). Four remained from this project that I'll be rolling over into the next project (see below). Twenty Skincare Products - all finished! Twenty Makeup Products: 12 finished/4 de-cluttered/4 rolled over to new project Twenty in Twenty Panning Project My aim for 2020 is to use up twenty of the oldest prod...