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.