Gift Bags!

Each February and September I stock up on my make up and skin care items and get to take advantage of two great gift bags.

Barney's always have their 'Love Yourself' event on the weekend before Valentine's day. I shop this for myself and stock my wonderful husband's bathroom with his favorite Kiehl's products. In addition to the actual bag Barney's also offer great step up gifts from many of the lines. 

Here's what I bought from Barney's...

Here are the fabulous step up gifts from Chantecaille and Kiehl's...

And here's the contents of the actual event gift bag... Isn't it great?!?

A few days later I hotfoot it over to Space NK for their Spring Beauty Event. This is always a fun day to shop as in addition to the bag there are various vendors giving mini facials and treatments, MUA's are available and there are snacks and drinks.

Here's what I purchased from Space NK...

And here are the contents of their rather amazing gift bag...

Whilst I love them both I have to say that Space NK always seem to really nail it with the contents of their gift bags. Their focus seems to be on skincare and skincare products are my thing. 

Barney's, however, always have a really nice luxe wash bag (this time a roomy pale blue and white floral print), and more body, hair, perfume and make up products. Really it's just impossible to choose, I just have to have them both!

Empties January 2014

In addition to all the sachets I managed to finish up all of these.

Things that rocked my world:

Royal Apothic Hand Cream (this one was fig scented - delish!).

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask

Nars Pro-Prime Eye Shadow Base (I'm a total believer and can't live without it now).

Burt's Bees Milk and Honey Body Lotion (Dupe for Kiehls Creme de la corps soy milk & honey body butter.)

Radical Youth Infusion Serum (I'm nuts for anything by Radical).

Costume National So Nude EDT (Sexy!).

GK Hair Taming System.

Things that didn't rock my world:

Beautannia Brideshead Shower Gel

Neutrogena Deep Moisture Night Cream

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Oil (I love all the other stuff I've tried by them...)

Verso Day Cream

 

Month of Foil.

I rarely buy a beauty product without there being a GWP attached to it (come on you know that's a fab idea right?) and after a while I accumulate a hoard of samples. The larger deluxe ones I have no problem using up, they are great for travel and generally last long enough for me to discover what they are really like. The sachets just seem to linger though... 

So starting a new year with good intentions I set to use up as many as possible. I was thrilled to count them up and find I'd used up 52. Now I have to admit that it was a lot of work to figure out what to  use with what and one of the coldest January's possibly ever wasn't the best time to do it but I do have to say that my skin isn't looking too bad for it, I don't feel guilty about having quite so much unused stuff hanging around and of course there will be plenty of sachets in the future to replace these.