Silver Bay

Silver Bay is an older book by Jojo Moyes that has been reissued. I picked it from my library up on the strength of having enjoyed her other books.

 It tells the story of Silver Bay , a small Australian resort town famed for its marine life, it's inhabitants and what happens there when a resort development is proposed. 

Narrated by four main characters - who range in age from eleven to seventy six (!) -  there are several different threads to the story of Silver Bay.  The characters themselves are well drawn and believable and there's a mystery (or two) that gets explained/unravelled as the book progresses. 

Having said that it did  take me a while to get into the story, in fact I found the first 100 or so pages to be really rather dull but as it progressed it became more engaging and interesting.  Overall it was a fairly enjoyable, entertaining read but not one my favourites.

Walmart Beauty Box Winter 2014

I'd almost forgotten about the Walmart beauty box until I received the shipping notice! It works as a subscription and charges and ships automatically every three months. For just $5.00 a quarter you get a box of beauty products... I reckon that for little more than the price of a cup of coffe you can't go far wrong.

As with last months box this one contained a selection of full sized and generously sized samples of products, along with some standard sized samples and coupons.

First up was a full sized Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick. Mine was in the shade Maple Kiss which is a dark brownish/ nude. TBH it's a little dark for my winter palette, but I will use it in the summer when I wear bronzier colors. Having said that it feels nice and isn't drying, I like that you can wear it as either a sheer wash of color or can build it up. Oh, it also tastes great - kinda like maple in fact!

The other full sized product was a seven pack of Olay Fresh Effect Wipes. Wipes always come in handy for my trips and I really like these smaller packs as they are not only less bulky to carry, they also don't have chance to dry out once opened.

There were two very generously sized samples of L'Oreal OleoTherapy Shampoo and Conditioner.

I've not tried them as yet but not only are they paraben and sulphate free they claim to repair and moisturise hair without weighing it down. These are a great travel size as is the large sample of Jergens BB Body Cream. 

There's a sachet of Nivea Cocoa Butter Body Lotion - which let's face it will probably cover about an inch of thigh or a kneecap or something, but hey it's a freebie and there's a $1.00 coupon for Nivea Body Lotion which are my drugstore lotion of choice. 

There's also a swatch of Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder with a $1.00 coupon. I bought one of these recently and really like it, but it's not a product I use every day so I probably won't use this coupon...

So what do you think? Not bad for $5.00 right? Why not take a look at beautybox.walmart.com  and sign up for a Walmart Beauty Box Subscription.

The Children Act.

There are so many good books around at the moment - Ian McEwan is one of my favourite authors and The Children Act, his latest, is definitely one of them. 

This short book (just over 200 pages) tells the story of Fiona Maye, a High Court judge in England. At a time of personal crisis and questioning she is called upon to intervene in the life or death case of  seventeen year old Adam Henry, who is refusing critical medical treatment as it opposes the religious beliefs of himself and his parents. There is a mutual admiration and fascination between the two characters which in turn provokes unorthodox behavior on both parts...

As usual Mr McEwan has researched his subject brilliantly and there is not only an extremely well executed court scene, he also describes the day to day life of a Judge in Chambers in fascinating detail.

It is certainly a book that makes you think, there are lots of ideas slipped in here and there for you to ponder alongside the main plot and there's a very clever twist at the end.

The writing is very elegant, I don't think there is a wasted word or phrase. The characters are well drawn and there emotions are perfectly captured. I found it to be compelling and intense.

Recommended.

Samples Galore!

Recently there seem to have been samples galore up for grabs. As you may have noticed beauty samples are some of my favourite things, so I sneakily planned some of my Christmas shopping to take advantage of a couple of GWP's... 

Following on from their 'Season Sets' Sephora (www.sephora.com) offered a make up bag with 12 samples. Whilst they are all foils (except for a mini tube of YU-BE) there are another 3 that come as standard so that's 15 altogether! There was a nice mix of brands in this gift and a good mix of skincare, body care, make up and perfume - there was even something for the guys - and this time the bag itself wasn't terrible.

Blue Mercury (www.bluemercury.com) had this lovely GWP on cyber Monday. Isn't that a great selection of products? It's practically half a Barneys Love Yourself bag! Featuring skin, hair and body care it also has a mini Laura Mercier highlighting powder. 

I'm especially excited to try the M-61 and Skinceuticals samples, both of which are new brands to me and there's a Revive sample  which makes me very happy...

PENZEYS SPICES

One of the easiest and quickest ways to make your food interesting and flavoursome is to introduce some herbs and/or spices into the mix.

 I cook everyday and whilst TBH the only dried herbs  I ever use are good quality thyme and oregano I do use a lot of different spices. I buy almost all my seasonings from Penzeys Spices. 

At one time they had a small store here in Grand Central Market which I would frequently pop into. When it closed I switched to buying from them online as I love the quality and selection that they offer. Their prices are also great! Although I don't often buy pre-mixed spice blends I must say that theirs are pretty darn good. They also sell bulk sachets that work out very reasonably cost wise - cooking daily I tend to get through them quick enough to make the larger sizes worthwhile purchases.

Thirty dollars gets you free shipping and there's almost always a coupon code on line or in their catalogue for a free jar and they always seem to pop a small jar of something else in as a little extra treat - a great way to discover something new. 

If you are unsure what to get (they have such a great range it's a little easy to get overwhelmed...) they have some great gift boxes and starter kits available or you can choose your own selections to make custom gifts for people.

If you want to spice up your own dinners or need a gift for the cook in your family why not take a look at www.penzeys.com 

Shopaholic to the Stars.

Ditzy Becky Brandon is back in the latest installment in the Shopaholic series. Following her husband to L.A. Becky embarks on a hapless plan to befriend the stars and become a celebrity stylist.

This book is the seventh in the series and the rather up in the air, abrupt ending leaves the reader in no doubt that there will be a number eight. Even though it's over 400 pages it's a super quick read as it contains a lot of dialogue.

The characters are all quite absurd caricatures and most of the situations are really unrealistic but if you take it as a light hearted, easy to read amusing romp you'll find it to be an fairly enjoyable 'beach read' sort of book.

I am a kind of fan of this series but this one did leave me thinking that I was reading more of the same and I'm not sure that I'll read the next one...

US.

Honestly, I feel as if Christmas has come early! There are just so many new books out at the moment that I have been looking forward to and have enjoyed reading. I'm on a bit of a roll with my reading list which is why I have been posting tree times a week rather than the usual two.

So, on to David Nicholls' Us. 

This book was everywhere when I was in England at the end of September and I nearly bought it back with me but I already had some hefty books so decided to wait until I could get it stateside. 

It tells the story of Douglas Petersen whose wife, Connie tells him she wants to leave him after 25 years of marriage. They are about to embark on a previously planned month long 'grand tour' of Europe with their 17 year old son, Albie. The trip goes ahead and  Douglas tells the story of their relationship and their family in a series of bittersweet flashbacks interspersed with a modern day travelogue.

I really enjoyed this book. It didn't take long to read and there were some laugh out loud passages in it in spite of it being a poignant tale.

My only criticism is that maybe it could have been a little shorter with the plot a little tighter at the end. However, excepting this it's an enchanting book that's well written and captures the spirit of the cities visited.

Recommended.

Empties November 2014

After last months bumper crop empties were a bit thin on the ground this month. Still I did manage to finish off more than I was expecting to!

Good Stuff:

No surprises here as I give shout outs to Chantecaille Just Skin, Bumble +Bumble Surf Shampoo and Sunday Riley Artemis, all of which would be on my desert island product list. 

I'm also a big fan of Neutrogena's Oil Free Acne Wash. I like it as a morning cleanser, and have been mixing it with a dab of Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, I find it cleans and preps my skin without stripping it. 

A new addition to that list would be the Rodial Stem Cell Hand Cream. I loved this, it's very much a deluxe hand cream, soothing yet not greasy and I was impressed by the packaging which was both glam and practical. 

OK Stuff.

There was nothing I really hated this month but there are a few things that wouldn't make it onto my shopping list!
 I found the Verso Day Cream made my face feel a bit too greasy and shiny and whilst I did like the effects of the NIA24 Rapid Exfoliating Serum (this sample lasted a long, long time - another plus) it had a weird funky smell to it that I disliked.
The Clinique Chubby Stick (Curviest Caramel), had been in my lipstick pot for a while and I made a concentrated effort to finish it up this month. I have to say that it just didn't wow me - I found it hard to get good coverage and although it felt quite moisturizing it didn't last very long on me. I think it's just one of those products that I don't get along with as I know a lot of people who love 'em. I like the concept of them but the product underwhelmed me.

I was also underwhelmed by the Noble Isle Bath and Shower Gel. The scent of this one 'Fireside' was a lovely warm, spicy, winter scent but I was disappointed that something that's kind of pricey still had so much bad stuff in it and even though it contained sulphates it produced a really feeble lather so it just didn't feel that luxe.

Finally Mio Boob Tube+... it's a perfectly lovely rich body cream with a light citrus scent but I hate the name and the marketing of this. If it had been branded as a body cream I would have liked it but the whole idea of a 'boob lifting cream' is just really off putting...

Kate Spade Socks.

There are certain things about winter and the cold weather that I really love. Not only does it make me feel energized, there are so many things that are cozy and comforting - soups and stews, mugs of steaming hot drinks and sweaters, scarves and socks to keep you warm. 

I like to stock up on socks before it gets too cold each year. Previously I've been a bit of a classicist when it comes to socks sticking with white sport socks and black or grey ones to wear with boots. However just as a bright pedicure in winter gives you a bit of a lift I decided to jolly it up in the sock department, so when I went to Century21 (where I always buy my socks for some reason) I was beyond thrilled to find a range of colourful Kate Spade socks on sale. 

The two sports socks are thick with cushioning on the sole making them warm and comfortable. The long black and grey ones are particularly festive as they are shot through with silver lurex...real party socks! As for the others, well you can't go wrong with a splash of polka dot or animal print in my book but my favourites are the black and white stripes with a neon pink 'Ohlala'. Warm,cosy and whimsical, what more do you want from your socks?

Dancing By Myself.

There are a lot of good music biographies out at the moment it seems. This one had great reviews and I have to say it's an excellent book, interesting and well written. 

In it Billy describes his childhood, the early days of punk,  his move to America (first NYC then LA) and his career as hugely successful singer and musician. 

Amid the tales of rock n roll excess and debauchery we are given a real insight into how music is made and marketed as he describes how he writes songs and the inspiration behind them.

It's a lively and entertaining read told by a born story teller. It's also a very honest book, intelligently written. It doesn't gloss over the bad and he shows a humble side of himself which is admirable.

I think this is a great book about Billy and a great book about rock and roll. 

Recommended.

  

How to Build a Girl.

I suspect that Caitlin Moran is a bit of a 'Marmite Person' - you either love her or hate her and there's not much middle ground... Well, I have to admit that I love her and thoroughly enjoyed her first novel 'How to Build a Girl' which tells the story of Johanna Morrigan, the eldest daughter of a close knit working class family from Wolverhampton who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde and leaves school to become a successful rock journalist. Although there's  a disclaimer at the beginning of the book stressing that this is a work of pure fiction it obviously shadows Caitlin Moran's own life. Indeed if you have read her previous book 'How to be a Woman' you will recognise a lot of the material here but don't let that put you off. It's well written and it made me laugh out loud more than once. Johanna/Dolly is brilliantly portrayed as a feisty yet vulnerable girl whose situations and dilemmas force her to rethink her ideals and grow...

I can't wait for the further adventures of Dolly.

Recommended.

Sephora Season Set.

I do pretty much all of my Sephora shopping on line to take best advantage of their samples and the free weekly gifts offered to VIB customers. Towards the end of the year they offer their samples of the season sets - preselected samples in a make up bag. This year there were 3 sets, I opted for the Pampered Party Prep set.

First up the purchases:

I've had my eye on the Sephora Pro Angle Blush Brush #49 for a while so now was a good time to indulge. I have to say it's a great brush, super soft bristles and a long handle that's weighted just right. It's a dream to use and I'm already eyeing up the rest of the range. 

I was so impressed with the Murad Active Radiance Serum that I used last month I was keen to try more Murad products. I picked up The Gift of Murad, a boxed set of Murad minis, with a foaming pomegranate cleanser, a small gycolic peel, an eye cream and a moisturiser. With the exception of the cleanser, the products are really just sample sizes but they will come in handy for travel. I've only tried the cleanser and eye cream so far and I'm pretty pleased with them. 

The three regular samples I chose were Glamglow Powermud Dualcleanse, Shiseido Ibuki Moisturiser and Pharrell Wiliams Girl EDT. I love the Girl EDT - it's a gorgeous warm spicy woody scent with floral overtones. It's a unisex scent that's quite masculine so the name is a little inappropriate but its exactly the kind of scent that I like - very unusual. I was surprised how much I like this as it gets a lot of bad reviews online.

Now the Pampered Party Prep Bag... First off I have to say that the bag itself isn't great (in fact mine went straight in the charity shop bag) which is a pity as Sephora normally have great free bags. I'm pretty pleased with the samples though (with the exception of the last two they are all deluxe sizes).

. Benefit Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer - looks intriguing, a primer in a stick form. 

. Cover FX Calming Primer

. Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish

. Glamglow Powermud Treatment - I've been keen to try Glamglow for a while.

. Fresh Seaberry Face Oil - this is a lovely light oil that absorbs well.

. Living Proof Satin Hair Serum

. Nude Omega Cleansing Jelly 

. Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

                                                    

 There are two other sets available  'A Bright Night Out' and 'Flawless Refresh'. Why not take a look at sephora.com and see if any of them take your fancy... You could buy some holiday gifts and get a little treat for yourself at the same time!

The Rosie Project.

Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project is a light hearted love story. It's had rave reviews and a followup, The Rosie Effect has recently been published. 

The book tells the story of Don Tillman, an autistic genetics professor who sets out to find a wife ('The Wife Project') by means of a questionnaire... Then along comes Rosie who, although unsuitable according to the parameters of the questionnaire, may just be 'the one'.

It's well written and well structured, a quick easy read that I found mildly amusing. I liked it, but can't say that I loved it. 

If I see The Rosie Effect in the library I will read it but won't go out of my way to find it. Overall, it didn't live up to the expectations I had but it's not a bad book if you want something light to keep you amused for a few hours on a beach or a trip.

Ten Things I always buy in the UK.

Now I know that these days you can buy most things anywhere but there are some things that almost always seem to make it into my suitcase to bring back from England. I don't tend to buy clothing or large items as they are so much cheaper to buy here in the US. I always pick up some English magazines and I love buying books in England. The other things are small consumables such as these:

1. Teabags - I know, I know, you can get teabags everywhere but the imported English ones here are really pretty expensive. The ones above are Tetley (English Tetley, not American Tetley which is just not the same at all) but I also really love PG Tips and Yorkshire.

2. Cadbury's Fruit and Nut. All the Cadbury chocolate bars are delish but Fruit and Nut is my favourite.  Whilst they aren't always made in England (this one was made in Ireland) the ones sold in England are the ones to get. The US versions made by Hersheys taste, quite frankly, like vomit.

3. Some sort of chocolaty biscuit/ bar. Not as sweet as US chocs and biscuits these are just what you need with a cup of tea! This time I brought home Jacob's Clubs (I like the fruit ones best), but Tunnock's Wafers are great and so are Mcvitie's Digestive Slices.

4. Bovril. I love Marmite but I love Bovril even more and it's sometimes difficult to find here. On toast, lots of it, with butter...heaven.

5. Branston Small Chunk Pickle. It's really rare to get the 'small chunk' version here and you never get it in the plastic squeezy jars. This is just the best Branston for your sandwiches (the chunks in the regular are too large and rip the bread and I'm not a fan of the texture of them).

6. Maldon Sea Salt. So much cheaper in England. We have this on the table. It's so flavoursome that you end up using much less of it than normal table salt.

7. Berocca. I saw an ad for these on TV just the other day so it looks like you can finally get them here. I don't take these everyday but find that they really pep you up if you are feeling a little under the weather, hungover or less than 100 % in any way.

8. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. Not only is it cheap as chips it's a really good concealer. #2 Cool Medium is the perfect colour for me, it's easy to apply, lasts well and doesn't crease or go crepe-y on me.

9. No7 Men Soothing Post Shave Recovery Balm. I always end up with a fistful of those 'five pounds off a No7 item' tokens and Mr C&C is a fan of this. With the tokens this is just 3 pounds a tube (which is actually cheaper than chips!).

10. Fenjel Classic Cream Body Wash. You can't buy this Swiss brand here at all as far as I know. The smell of it is just amazing - the best smelling bath product ever in my book. I'd use this constantly if I could.

It's a varied bunch of stuff isn't it? But it's all stuff that I love that reinforces my British identity and makes me who I am in some small way! 

Autobiography - Morrissey

(I had to lose the dust cover from this as I found the photo of Morrissey on it a bit creepy...)

I'm not a Smiths fan and know next to nothing about Morrissey's solo career but I do love music and by extension biographies of musicians so this is why this made it onto my reading pile.

I have to say that whilst I'm never going to 'get' the Smiths, or Morrissey I thought it was a pretty good read.

For the most part it's a well written book but I do wish it had been edited into chapters. 

The beginning of the book deals with Morrissey's childhood and adolescence and this was by far the best part of the book for me. He wrote realistically about England and it's grimness in the 1970's. 

Then comes fame with the Smith's and his solo career (I didn't realise the extent of his success), a long drawn out court case and, finally, snapshots of 'life on the road'  that lifted the end of the book for me. 

He comes across as a much better person than I expected...although of course you are always going to present yourself in the best way... And he's definitely extreamly dedicated to his causes, especially animal rights. He also places a lot more importance on money than I would have expected him to. And he manages to write a book about himself without giving away too much of his personal life (although I did read the US version which I believe is quite heavily edited compared to the UK version).

Overall, the beginning and end were good whilst the middle was a little drawn out for me, but, I have to say, it's a pretty good read if you are a music and/or Morrissey fan.

OOPS!

After September's beauty splurges I did say that I wasn't going to buy any more beauty products for a while but then... 

Well, you know how it is... sometimes there are bargains that are just too good to refuse...

I popped into TJ Maxx for a browse (silly idea, right?) and was nearly out the door when I spotted some rather familiar purple packaging... Rodial Stem Cell Super Food Cleanser, one of my favourite cleansers and just $9.99 instead of $40.00! The Day Cream was just $14.99 so one of those went in my basket (I've tried it before and liked it) and in for a penny, in for a pound, I picked up the Facial Oil at $12.99, and the Hand Cream at $9.99.

I'd not tried either of these before and I've yet to try out the oil but I've made a start on the hand cream and it is rather lovely - non greasy with the same slightly rosy scent as the cleanser.

Then Space NK had their 'Discover20' promotion which I think runs twice a year, and is always worth taking advantage of. Any online order over $75.00 qualifies for $20.00 off and shipping is free which makes it the perfect opportunity to either discover new products or stock up on old faves. 

I'm currently using Sarah Chapman's Skineses Eye Recovery, which I'm loving  BTW. It does a fabulous job of moisturizing my under eye area but it comes in one of those annoying pumps where you can't tell how much is left.

 I'd recently tried a sample of Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes and really enjoyed it so I ordered a full sized one, because heaven forbid, I suddenly run out of eye cream! 

I also picked up a mini Diptyque Candle in Jasmine because you can never have enough Diptyque Candles IMO.

Space NK always throw in samples when you shop on line and I received a R+Co Shampoo, Conditioner and  Hair Cream, an Eve Lom TLC Cream and a Natura Bisse Essential Shock Gel Cream. 

Oh, and the best part was that I had $40.00 worth of ndulge points to redeem which brought the total price down to just $29.95 inc tax. AND this purchase earned me another $10.00 worth of ndulge points for a future purchase. 

All of the above for under $80.00 and $10.00 in hand... A fine example of girly maths if ever I saw one!

All Fall Down

I tend to think of Jennifer Weiner in the same light as Jane Green, best selling women's author, a book a year, easy to read escapism, someone whose latest I will always pick up from the library for some light entertainment. So of course the newest offering from Jennifer went into my book bag and sadly I have to admit that it really wasn't an enjoyable read for me. I almost gave up and struggled to finish it.

'All Fall Down' tells the story of Allison Weiss who lives a comfortable lifestyle in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Allison finds herself overwhelmed and quickly descends into serious prescription drug addiction, goes to rehab and restarts her life.

I found the story to be unrealistic and the principle character and her daughter were both so spoilt and annoying as to be unlikeable. There wasn't that much of a storyline and there were some parts that TBH were totally unbelievable.  Also the ending seemed rather contrived and 'up in the air'

Overall, I just don't think that it gave an authentic portrayal of what is a very serious problem that deserves to be written about in a much less superficial way.

I really hope Jennifer Weiner's next book gets back on track because this one was really not for me.

Empties October 2014

Seriously?!? 
I thought that September produced an impressive pile of empties but in October they just kept on coming. 

So many - 24 full sized and minis and 30 samples -  that this month I split them up into 'hair and body' and 'face, make up and perfume'.

Now of course I didn't use 3 full sized shower gels etc etc instead it was more of a concentrated effort to finally finish all of those things that were almost done. 

There were previously mentioned things I love (Bumble and Bumble Surf and Seaweed products, Carol's Daughter Hair Mask, Rituals Shower Gel), a couple of oldies but goodies that I haven't used for a while but finally finished (Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo, Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, Burt's Bees Hand Salve) and a new must-have, the Oribe Supershine Cream which is really lush, smells divine and does what it says without weighing down hair.

 The only things on the hair and body pile that I disliked were the Bayliss and Harding Body Balm and Bumble and Bumble's Invisible Oil Primer .

Skincare wise the Koh Gen Do Cleansing Wipes are the best if you really have to use a wipe and whilst I still love  Boots Botanic's Clay Mask for ease and convenience I really rate the Biore Self Heating One Minute Mask. I finally tried a nose strip, also by Biore and found it very uncomfortable and a little scary to remove - not for me!
The mini face washes that I used were all foaming ones that I used in the shower in the morning - easy to use but not my faves other than the convenience they afford when traveling. The Murad Active Radiance Serum felt surprisingly nice on my skin - a silky serum that left a nice glow - and I really like the Caudalie Vinosource Moisture Recovery Cream as an everyday (and night) moisturiser in warmer weather as it leaves me hydrated without being greasy. Goldfadden MD Bright Eyes Eye Cream was great and I have added one to my stash.

Make up wise three items bit the dust. No7 Instant Radiance Concealer is a constant in my bag, even though I use it more for highlighting rather than concealing. It's a cheapie that I really like but it always starts to get a little dry and smell a bit funky before its finished so it had to go. Likewise, the Pixie Eye Pencil wasn't totally finished but it was old - it's quite a hard pencil that I find doesn't last well on the waterline so it was time to let it go.  However, I did finish every last bit of Kevin Aucoin's Eye Shadow #104/soft clay. It's my everyday, go to, perfect nude shade and I have another  ready to crack open, although at the moment I'm enjoying playing around with my Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette. 

One last thing that's not strictly a beauty product but I included as it was in a  SpaceNK gift bag is  This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray. I'd heard lots about it and was very sceptical but it really does work! I went straight out and bought a full sized one as soon as the sample was done (I've also been using the Caudalie Beauty Elixir as a pillow spray and whilst it is relaxing it's nowhere near as sleep inducing).

After all these empties I'm expecting November's pile to be slim pickings but then again... you never know...

The Paying Guests

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Waters and her writing. 

I simply loved her first four books (although for some reason I didn't enjoy her last book 'The Little Stranger' quite as much). Nonetheless, I was greatly looking forward to her latest novel which I picked up on a trip to the UK earlier this month.

'The Paying Guests' is set in the aftermath of the First World War and tells the story of Frances Wray and her widowed Mother, who find it necessary to take in lodgers to finance the upkeep and running of their family home.  Not only is it the story of the Wrays and their lodgers, it offers great insight into the lives of ordinary people in England as they adapt to the changes in society brought about by the Great War. 

'The Paying Guests' has an intriguing plot that is much more than a domestic drama and love story at it's heart. Sarah Waters's writing is superb. She is masterful at creating suspense and her characters, whilst not always lovable, are totally believable.

 I loved reading this, it really captured my attention, I can't wait for her next book.

Highly recommended.   

Brand Love - James Perse.

I'm definitely a 'jeans and t-shirt ' type person - in fact that's what I pull out of my closet nine times out of ten.

 JCrew, Splendid and Everlane all make great t-shirts but my favourite ones are by James Perse. Whist I have a variety of James Perse t-shirt styles (and some of their shirts) my all time favourite t-shirt is their 'relaxed fit vneck'. I've purchased them multiple times and will continue to do so until they stop producing them... which I hope they never do. 

The cotton is oh so soft, they wash well and don't go baggy or saggy so they last really well. 

Each season sees them in a variety of different colours but the perfect fit remains the same (I wear a size 1). The sleeves are just the right length - neither too short or too long - the deep v neck is very flattering and they hit on the hip making them the perfect length. They look great with jeans or shorts but are smart enough to wear with dressier outfits.  (And they're made in America!).

For sure they're not the cheapest t-shirt out there at $55.00 a pop but they really are worth the investment. Why not have a look at jamesperse.com next time you need a new tee.

What I bought at CVS and Target.

Recently I had a slew of 'extrabucks' and a fistful of CVS and Target gift cards all with a few cents or dollars left on them that needed using up, so off I went to do a mini skincare and makeup restock. In the giddy excitement of recent GWP's I put this aside but now it's time to share...

I try to use a clay mask once a week and one of my favourites is the Boot's Botanics Ionic Clay Mask. It's cheap and cheerful and always leaves my face feeling clean and soothed. I'm so pleased that Target now have a decent range of Boot's products, including this, as it saves me hauling it back from the UK!

Everything else on my list came from CVS (and I made good use of tokens and special offers). 

I've tried and liked the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser (not pictured) and decided to buy the other product in their charcoal range - the Self Heating One Minute Mask. I'm curious to try out a self heating mask and I love that these come in single use sachets making them easy to travel with. I'll use this as an alternative to the Boot's mask.

I've never tried a nose strip! Can you believe it?  So I just had to have a packet of the Biore Pore Strips when I saw them. I've heard good things about them even though they sound a little yucky!

 I needed more facial sunscreen so popped a La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral 50 in my basket. I have to say I've been really pleased that I have finally incorporated an actual sunscreen into my daily routine and stuck to using it this year.

Lierac is a range that I've not tried but one that I've heard good things about. Their Hydra-Chrono+ Gentle Soothing Cream was on sale 75% off. It is a daytime cream that I will use over serums to hydrate and protect. 

Finally CVS had a 'buy one get one 50%' promo on Maybelline. I'm not really much of a powder fan but had tried a sample of their Dream Wonder Powder and been suitably impressed. It covers and lasts well, keeping shine at bay whilst looking natural and it doesn't oxidise and turn orange on me like certain drugstore products do. I've been brushing this over Clarins Beauty Flash Balm on 'no make up days'. I've been enjoying Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush so I picked another up in 'Rose Petal', a soft apricot pink that I'm looking forward to using with a pale make up palette. 

With this and all the promos I've partaken in of late, I really don't think I'll be buying anything in the way of beauty products for a while - I've quite the stash to work my way through!    

The Vacationers

Emma Straub's novel tells the story of Franny and Jim Post's vacation in a Mallorcan villa with their family and close friends. 

It was very favourably reviewed and I have to admit I was really looking forward to reading it. 

Whilst it was a quick, easy read that kept me entertained on a couple of short flights I found it to be rather disappointing -  I was expecting something that was more of a racy beach read and I was also looking forward to reading about Mallorca. 

I found the characters to be pretty one dimensional and I didn't really take a shine to any of them. There was little action in the book, just analysis of the characters and their interactions with each other, and it could have been set in a villa anywhere.

I didn't hate it, just found it dull and uninspiring. There are so many great books out there that I want to read  that I have to confess to being slightly annoyed when I read one such as this that fails to meet my expectations.   

Cheap Thrills.

After the excess of September's GWPs it seemed timely to include one of my cheap thrills!

I have to admit that I had never given much thought to cotton wool (beyond balls or pads) until I received some Cle De Peau cotton pads in a Barney's gift bag one year. Were they a game changer or what? Smooth and soft, they were  absorbant enough that they held the right amount of product without wasting it... The only snag was the price, $20.00 for 120 pieces, ouch!  

After searching around I found Shiseido had something similar for $10.00 but that was still more than I was willing to pay. Putting on my thinking cap I had an 'aha!' moment! It seemed that good quailty cosmetic cotton wool was something of a Japanese thing, so off to Muji I went where I found these. At just $2.25 for 120 pieces they really are a bargain and since using them I've not gone back to drugstore cotton wool.

Just like the more expensive alternatives they absorb just the right amount of liquids. They are wonderfully soft and feel lovely on your skin. They don't contain any harsh scratchy bits and don't shed or tear leaving white fluff on your face.

You can find them at muji.us (rather confusingly in the 'skin care tool' section!) along with a selection of other well priced cotton facial products. 

Why not give them a try? I'm sure you'll be a convert as well!

Walmart Beauty Box Autumn 2014

 

Did you know that Walmart has a beauty box?

Well they do! Whilst obviously the products in it aren't luxury items I subscribed because it really is a fabulous deal. 

There are just four boxes a year, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and once subscribed Walmart will send them out to you automatically. You only pay for the shipping which is $5.00 for each box, the contents are free!

My fall box arrived fairly promptly and here's what it contained:

. A swatch card and coupon for Neutrogena Long Wear Foundation.

. A sample of L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher.

. A sample of Nicki Minaj Pink Friday EDT.

. Delux samples of Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner.

. A generous sample of Dove Pure Care Hair Oil.

. A mini Covergirl Nail Polish. I recieved the shade 'AfterDark' which is a grey/green/turquoise colour.

. A full sized L'Oreal Glossy Balm in shade 220, 'Innocent Coral'.

. A full size Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Deodorant.

Now I don't know the total value of the box but it's def more than $5.00 lol! And while some of the things inside may not be too exciting, they are all things that I will use.

I have to admit to not being a fan of Walmart for many reasons but their beauty box is really a winner. Will you subscibe?

Empties September 2014

Well, well I'm patting myself on the back for a good job, well done as far as the September empties go! Ten - yes - ten full sizes and eighteen samples. 

There are a few old and new favourites here: Fenjal Body Wash, Rimmel Just Let It Go, REN Clarimatte Toner and Dr Dennis Gross All-in-One Cleanser and Toner all of which will be repurchased at some point or another.

I was sad to use the last drops of Diptyque's Eau Duelle. I'm not normally a fan of vanilla based scents but this is warm and spicy, not at all sweet or sickly and I love it for either summer or winter. (I also prefer these old classic square Diptyque bottles to the new oval ones, do you?).

Farmaesthetic's was a brand that I had not tried before but I fell in love with their Nourishing Lavender Milk which was a soothing night time moisturiser. I also enjoyed Rodial's Bee Venom Moisturiser, despite the scary name!

Revive's Intensite Volumizing Eye Serum is probably the most expensive eye product I have ever used. Whilst the sample I had lasted a long time I didn't find it outstanding, it was really just ok for me. Also on the 'meh' pile were Clinique's Laser Focus and Cle de Peau Brightening Serum Supreme. Again nothing wrong with them but they just failed to 'wow'.

The only thing that I disliked here was the REN TZone Balancing Gel Cream which was a huge surprise to me as I am a big fan of REN as a rule and love the Clarimatte Toner in the same range. This had an intense lavender aroma to it, which normally I'm ok with, but this made my eyes sting and smart  -  even though I didn't apply it to my eye area.

Finally a shout out to Bobbi Brown's Smoky Eye Mascara. If I ever manage to use up the eleven (!) mascaras that I have in my reserve make up bag I'm def buying this. It's the best mascara I've used in a long, long time.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage.

This is why I love real books! 

This novel was a delight to behold, smaller than the average hardback novel, it has a striking yet simple jacket that opens to reveal the Tokyo subway map which along with the colours on the cover have a relevance to the story - very clever. 

As is the story. 

Appearing at first to be a simple tale about reconnecting, Murakami explores both friendship and betrayal in this beautifully written book. The simple and compact style of his prose really drew me in and turned the seemingly mundane into a page turner, at times I felt like I was in a dream, it's a relaxing yet compelling read. 

This isn't the first Murakami I've read and it won't be the last. It's an easy, quick read compared to some of his other books and a great introduction to his work. If you've not read anything by him why not give this a go? 

Highly recommended.

Conscious Box August 2014

Conscious Box is  a monthly subscription that features natural food, home and beauty products. There are three options to choose from: Classic, Vegan and Gluten Free and two sizes of box. The larger box called Plus, which I received is $19.95 a month whilst the smaller Taster box is $9.95.  Just like other subscription boxes the Conscious Box website allows you to buy full sized items of the products if you wish and they have a points/rewards system.

I recently had the chance to try the Plus box for free, I chose the 'Classic' version. Here's what I thought.

My first impression when I saw the box in our mailroom was that it was very small but when I picked it up it was surprisingly heavy. 

The theme for August's box was 'wanderlust' but apart from a couple of luggage tags I found what seemed to be a rather random selection of things unrelated to travel.

Here's what I found in my box:

.The two previously mentioned travel tags. These were made of card so I thought they were really quite pointless as they would be of no use if you checked baggage.

. A selection of coupons for  some of the boxes items and a code to download some recipes, neither of which I foresee myself using.

. A $15 gift card for Urban Remedy which is an online juice delivery service. The minimum order is $50.00 though so I won't be using the gift card. 

. Fresh Dog Dog Shampoo. I don't have a dog. I'm sure I could use this but would rather not!

. Orgain Healthy Kids Chocolate Nutritional Shake. I don't have kids either and whilst I could drink this I won't because whilst it is organic it looks to be quite processed. It does contain 8 grams of protein though so maybe my husband will use this as a pre workout drink.

 . UP4 Kids Cubes. This is a vanilla flavoured probiotic supplement. I'll probably take this myself just so as not to waste it.

. Nordic Naturals Vitamin C Gummies. There are just two pieces of this but again I'll eat them, just so they are not wasted.

. Zen Blend Ground Coffee (2oz) from the Organic Coffee Co. Well I love coffee so finally here's something that I will enjoy, lol.

. A small bag of Lovely Caramels (that's the brand name not a description BTW). I don't eat candy so this is a bit of a bust for me.

.Two pieces of Glee Gum. Likewise I don't chew gum, so another bust. 

. Bioderived Disposable Cutlery. A plastic knife, fork and spoon, you know, like the ones you get free by the door in Wholefoods! I'll throw this into my knife roll and use it for tasting when cooking but I'm pretty unimpressed with this item. 

. Natralia Anti Itch Cream (sample sachet). I'll throw this in my washbag when I go away. It's a cortisone free cream that utilises oatmeal and menthol to soothe skin.

. OWN Skin Health Serum, Eye Cream and Night Cream (sample pods). I can always use a skincare sample and OWN is a brand I've not tried before.

.Weleda Skin Food (sample sachet). I find some Weleda products smell a bit funky but I'll try it out for sure. 

. Somerset's Shaving Oil (sample sachet). I'll give this to Mr C&C and he may or may not give it a go.

Verdict:

I know that I shouldn't complain as it was a free box but I found this to be a very disappointing. There was nothing in here that excited me and whilst I will drink the coffee and use the beauty samples the rest of the box seriously underwhelms me. TBH I found the selection of products odd and the fact that I didn't have to answer a questionnaire about my preferences, as you do with beauty boxes, meant I received some products of no relevance to me. 

If I had paid $19.95 for this I would be pretty pissed off so... Sorry Conscious Box, I won't be subscribing or recommending you but thanks for the trial anyway.  

GWP Autumn 2014

Oh my word! Wednesday was like an extra Christmas for me as Barney's started their 'Love Yourself' GWP event and Space NK had their Fall Beauty Event. I spent the afternoon on the Upper East Side, took in both the events and shopped till I dropped! Here's a quick look at what I bought at two of my favourite stores and what I was gifted.

First stop was Barney's where I restocked on Chantecaille Just Skin, picked up Mr C&C'S Kiehl's shopping list and after many, many samples finally picked up a full size of Sunday Riley Good Genes.

Barney's always has fabulous step-up gifts and generous SA's... This year's Chantecaille gift was a silver pouch with samples and from Kiehl's I received two full sized products from the Ultra Facial range, the toner and the cleanser.

I have to say that this season's bag was excellent. Full sized products were Rituals Foaming Shower Gel, aka the best shower gel in the world  (at least that's what it's known as in my bathroom), a Kevin Aucoin eyeliner and a Make eye shadow. 

I don't think that there is anything in this bag that I don't like or won't use and there's a great balance of make up, skincare and perfume/ bodycare. There's even a mini candle from Tizania Terenzi. And although there are no haircare products this year,  those are the samples that I probably get the least excited about.

...

Over at Space NK  my Sunday Riley obsession continued and I picked up the Artemis Facial Oil which suits my skin so well and does a great job of balancing it and two products from Sarah Chapman's Skinesis range - the Ultimate Cleanse and the Intense Hydrating Booster.

This years gift bag was huge, check it out!

Excepting the full sized Rahua Hair Wax all the products were samples -  although I hesitate to call them that as they are very generously sized samples. Skincare heavy I am overjoyed with this bag - it has so many things that I am looking forward to trying out - again, there's nothing that I won't use in here!

Although the Space NK event was for one day only, the Barney's event is still on today and tomorrow. If you need to buy any beauty products now's the time to do so! No excuses, even if you can't visit a Barney's store in person you can still participate in the Love Yourself event at barneys.com 

Go on, you know you want to!

Magazine Subscriptions.

I love magazines. In fact one of my favourite indulgences is a lazy morning with coffee and a stack of the latest mags to flick through. 

When I lived in France English and American magazines were so flippin' expensive that they really were a luxurious treat. Once I was living in America I was quick to subscibe to a number of weekly and monthly glossys - it's a seriously cheap way to get your mag fix!  Now, there have been a few that have come and gone but these are my constant subscriptions that are continuously renewed year to year:

• Vogue Surely this has to be the ultimate magazine? In addition to the sumptuous photography there are some amazing features. From politics to art to science Vogue covers a lot of ground in an educated, unfluffy way. This month there's fiction by Ian McEwan and I always enjoy the medical and food articles.
• Allure Have you seen the contents of the majority of my posts? 'Nuff said as to why this one is in the pile! With in depth analysis of beauty trends and launches, it's an enabler that's for sure.
• Vanity Fair I love the long articles in VF. It has great writers and wonderful photography.
• Bon Appetit I'm always on the lookout for new food news and ideas. BA isn't the most 'cheffy' of publications out there but it has a bright modern feel to it and a smattering of travel/restaurant articles and recommendations.
• US For my weekly fix of pop culture/ celebrity gossip. It's not as scurilous as the other weekly tabloid mags. Pure escapism!
• New York Magazine Now bi-monthly New York mag keeps me up to speed with what's happening in NYC and features interesting articles of relevance to the city.
• Time Out New York Because I'm old school and sometimes it's easier to browse cinema and other listings in a hard format rather than online. Having this in my mail box each week means that I go through it and don't miss out on shows, exhibitions etc.

Do you subscribe to any publications?

Empties August 2014

The final tally for August's empties wasn't bad at all, but frustratingly, there were quite a few things on the shelf with just a smidgen left... 

Of what I did finish there were a few old faves - Maybelline Babylips, Nivea Body Lotion, Nars Pro Prime and a Chantecaille Lip Gloss in Cocoa.

No new discoveries that I really loved this month, although I did like Clinique's new formulation Dramatically Different Moisturiser+ for nighttime. Natura Bisse Comfort Gel was a good hot weather moisturiser for me during day time and Evan Healy's Lavender Facial Tonic was great -  cooling and calming - once I got over the funky health shop product smell that came with it.

The Alterna CC Cream was a good leave in conditioning product that kept frizz at bay and smelt wonderful. In other hair news (!) Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner had an agreeably summery, fruity scent of pineapple and was thick enough and rich enough to do double duty as a hair mask without weighing down my hair.

The most disappointing product for me this month was the Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream. It really didn't appear to do anything for my eye area and left my under eye area looking and feeling dehydrated.

Okay, I'm off to finish up those smidgins to make room for September's purchases!

A Little Something From Kiehl's, Space NK and Sephora.

Kiehl's, Space NK and Sephora...it's the holy trinity of beauty stores and here's a little shop and restock that takes in all three!

First stop was Kiehl's where I dropped off empty bottles and tubes for their recycling program (which used to be excellent and now isn't great but that's a whole 'nother story). I needed to get a new hydrating toner and picked up the Ultra Facial Oil Free Toner. I've used the regular Ultra Facial Toner before and it's one of my faves so I thought I would give this one a go. I do like Kiehl's toners a lot - they aren't crazy expensive ($16.00 for 250ml) and this one is alcohol free which is something else I look for. Of course, this being Kiehl's I also walked away with a generous selection of samples.

From Space NK I finally picked up the full sized Bumble and Bumble Surf Shampoo and Creme Rinse that I keep banging on about. I also bought the ByTerry Ombre Blackstar in  'Brown Perfection'. Like all ByTerry products its beautifully packaged and this is going to be my replacement creamy eye shadow stick for the now discontinued Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier. (I used to love the Sue Devitt range, especially the eye shadows and pencils *sighs, makes sad and frowny face*)  I bought these all on line at spacenk.com so there was another fistful of samples... I can feel the second month of foil coming on!

Finally in Sephora I picked up the Bliss Lid and Lash Wash that I talked about in my last blog post. It's still hot and I'm enjoying the cooling feel of gel products.

Of course September is just around the corner and it's a good month for GWP'S so I'm saving my pennies for the SpaceNK Fall Beauty Event and Barney's Love Yourself, although I think I may just have to squeeze in a cheap and cheerful CVS restock before then...