Month of Foil #2 is Imminent!

When I was tidying my stash to put away recent purchases I was flabbergasted to see just how many sample sachets I had accumulated. That's not even all of them pictured above - yes, there are even more!

So even though I've got a whole host of new products that I am keen to try I decided that October will be 'Month of Foil'.
I'm going to make a concentrated effort to use up as many sachets as possible - last time I did this was January '14. It probably wasn't the best idea to have it during an exceptionally cold month when my skin dearly needed targeted TLC but I did manage to use up 50 sachets then. I'm hoping that October will be more temperate and that I can use up as many or more sachets this time around.

Wish me luck! I'll check in at the end of October and let you know how I got on.

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2015.

Once again I had pretty much forgotten all about my Walmart Beauty Box!

(The Walmart Beauty Box is a subscription box that automatically ships  to you four times a year once you have signed up for it. Containing an assortment of full sized products, samples and money off coupons the box itself is free and you pay just $5.00 for shipping.)

The box I received this month didn't contain any make up but it had a pretty good selection of toiletries and a full sized Roc Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Serum that is obviously the big ticket item in this box. Whilst it's not something that I would normally purchase I'm happy to get a free retinol product that I can incorporate into my nightly routine a couple of times a week.

The Schick Hydro Silk Disposable Razor, travel sized Dove Deodorant and travel sized Act Mouthwash are definitely not the most exciting things to find in a subscription box but they're all practical and usable, as is the Curel Rough Skin Rescue sample.

There is also a generous sample of John Frieda 7 Day Volume Treatment that I'm keen to try. You use this after shampooing and conditioning and it contains polymers to plump each hair strand. I'm expecting that it is very similar to Garnier Fructis Full and Plush Treatment that I have used and been impressed with.

Finishing up there's a small sample of  Crest 3D White Toothpaste and Gel, a sachet of Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion and a coupon for a dollar off Dove Deodorant.

Overall, whilst it's not that exciting I think this is a pretty impressive box - especially as the Roc Serum retails for $15.98 alone.

If you would like to sign up for Walmart Beauty Boxes you can do so at www.walmart.com (The details and sign up link are to be found under 'special offers' in the Beauty department.) 

Saint Mazie.

Based on the life of a real person, Mazie Phillips, the 'Queen of the Bowery', Saint Mazie is an intriguing book that I really enjoyed. 

Mazie is the owner of a movie theatre in New York during the period between the First and Second World Wars. She's a feisty broad and a bit of a lush but has the biggest heart.

During the day Mazie sits in her ticket booth and observes the people and life on the streets. At night she wanders the streets helping people in need and the homeless.

Mazie is a complex, wonderful character. She gives up the love of her life to care for her mentally unstable sister, becomes best friends with a nun yet still makes the rounds of NYC's Prohibition era bars where she has a fine old time of it.

Mazie is a character who will remain with you long after you have finished reading the book and Jami Attenberg does a superb job of telling her story. I loved everything about this.

Recommended. 

A God in Ruins.

Kate Atkinson's previous book Life after Life told the story of Ursula Todd who dies many times but is reborn each time and thus continues living. Described as a companion novel A God in Ruins is presented as a rather more straightforward tale that tells the life story of Ursula's younger brother, Teddy.

The majority of the story concerns Teddy's exploits as an RAF pilot during WW2 but it tells the story of his whole life and portrays his relationship with his family.

I'm not a huge fan of WW2 fiction but this was very well researched and written, however I did prefer the parts of the story that were to do with his 'normal life' before and after the war.

(The story is told in a series of episodes that jump back and forth in time from Teddy's distant childhood until the present day.)

I did like this book but I didn't really enjoy it. It took me a while to get into the story and whilst I didn't find the swapping between different periods and episodes to be confusing I did find that it interrupted the flow of the tale somehow. The main problem with this book was that I found it to be a very depressing read - it took me a while to get through this as I found that I had to be in the right mood to read it. 

There's a big twist at the end of the story, that I won't reveal, that changes the nature of the whole book.

Overall whilst it's a superbly recounted story told by a talented writer for me there was something lacking. I'm usually bowled over by Kate Atkinson's work and although this is a very good book it was a disappointment for me.

Roloxin Lift -Younger Looking Skin in a Sachet?

I've managed to gather a fair few sachets of Roloxin Lift  from promos and goodie bags recently. It's a somewhat revolutionary skincare product that promises to improve the texture of skin, minimising the appearance of pores and wrinkles in just seven minutes. 

Last week I finally got around to using it and seeing if it lives up to the rave reviews it has been receiving...

What is it? 

It is a thick paste in a sachet that contains vitamins and silica among other things. When applied to skin it tightens and forms an invisible netting that lifts skin.

How do you use it?

It's a cinch to use! You simply queeze the unopened sachet for 10 seconds to mix and activate the ingredients then apply an even layer to a damp face. After  7-10 minutes it will dry to a powder which you gently rinse off using only warm water. Pat your skin dry and follow with your usual skincare and make up routine. The effects last 12-24 hours.

What did I find when I used Roloxin?

It was very easy to use and it didn't feel harsh or irritate my skin. When it was drying I could feel it's tightening effect which felt similar to when you use a clay mask, but once rinsed, my skin felt normal and not at all tight.

Does it Work?

OK, so whilst I didn't look 21 again (Ha!) it certainly did soften the appearance of wrinkles somewhat. I also noticed that my under eye bags were lessened and fine lines there were less visible. When I applied my make up my skin felt noticably different - it was very smooth. My make up was easy to apply and sat on top of the Roloxin well. My skin still looked bright and somehow perkier the next morning.

Overall Verdict.

This is an extraordinary product that gives great results. It put me in mind of a super effective face mask with long lasting results.
It's a little pricey - $110.00 for 10 sachets so it's not something that you would use daily and I don't believe that it has a cumulative effect but for special occasions, big nights out or before having photos taken I would highly recommend it.
I think that this would be something that would be great for a group of friends or family to purchase together before an event - $11.00 a treatment isn't too much for a special occasion, once in a while.

I liked not only the results this product gave but also the ease of use and the fact that something that made my skin so different felt gentle and had no side effects such as irritation or redness. If they sold this in single sachets I would be tempted to pick one up from time to time but in reality I'm not likely to purchase a whole box of them for myself as much as I like this product and it's results.

Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP September 2015.

Saturday was another great day to shop for beauty items as it was Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit.

This is one of my favourite events to shops as in addition to the amazing GWP pictured above - just look at it! - there are various vendors offering treatments in participating stores. This year I had a lovely mini facial with Tracie Martyn products and a hand and arm massage featuring MIO products.

Whilst the Barneys Love Yourself event sees me stocking up on make up items and things for Mr C&C I generally buy most of my skincare from Space NK. This year I bought two serums: Sunday Riley Good Genes which I've talked about a million times and Chantecaille Vital Essence, a wonderfully light serum that smells faintly of rose and plumps and hydrates skin whilst soothing redness.

I'm also just about out of texturing sprays for my hair so I picked up a large Oribe Apres Beach  Wave and Shine Spray. This gives the same results as a salt spray but leaves you with tousled locks without any 'crunch' and (like other Oribe products) it smells gorgeous.

I already had some NDulge points saved up and as I preordered my bag by the time Saturday rolled around the points for that day's purchases had already applied. I used them for the Surf Shampoo and Conditioner from Bumble and Bumble - more products that I love and have mentioned a million times before.

SpaceNK always have the best goodie bags as gifts and I think they really outdid themselves this time! Inside a large clear plastic toiletry bag there were thirty three products that were all either full sized, travel sized or very generously sized samples.

And there was a great selection of products...

Five for the body (although the James Read Tan Accelerator and Hampton Sun Hydrating Aloe Mist can also be used for the face) including a full sized Leif Hand Balm. Three lip products including a full sized Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Pencil in the shade 'Catalina' and two mascaras. 

There was only one perfume sample but it is a generous 12ml handbag sized spray of Diptyque Tam Dao which is a warm, woody perfume with spicy notes - perfect for the autumn and just the type of scent that I love. (There were a variety of different scents available).

There were also six haircare products and sixteen skincare items. As ever I'm thrilled by the skincare items - two cleansers, three eye creams, three serums, a couple of moisturizers and six targeted treatments.

It is a truly superb gift bag that I am overjoyed with.  There are a few products here that I'm familiar with alongside lots of new things to be experimented with. I'm sure I'm going to discover a few must haves to add to my shopping list in the future!

The Serum Duo That Works For Me.

There are a whole range of serums made to address myriad skin concerns. Whilst they are expensive they contain high concentrates of active ingredients and you only need to use a tiny amount - literally a drop or two. (They frequently are also where brands spend the most money research and development wise and are often innovative.)

Serums can be oil or liquid, you wear them both at night and during the day and they sit underneath your moisturizer. I tend to use a basic moisturizer or oil on top of my serums which allows me to invest more in the serum.

I've tried a vast range of serums and although I swap them around there are two that I favor and keep coming back to.

For daytime use I really like Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster. This is a clear unscented liquid that comes in a glass bottle with a pipette. Two drops of this on freshly cleansed skin not only calms my skin, it protects against pollutants increasing my skin's moisture levels and making it appear smoother and plumper. This is primarily a deluxe delivery of Hyaluronic acid for your skin but unlike other Hyaluronic products I find it to be very comfortable to wear and not at all sticky. 

At night Sunday Riley Good Genes is the serum that I always reach for. TBH the first time I tried it it didn't do much for me and left my skin looking angry but I persevered and am so thankful that I did! Good Genes is a gel like cream that smells like spicy lemon drops (I adore the smell but it is one that divides people...) It contains 'prescription strength' Lactic acid. It exfoliates and brightens the skin and preps it to better absorb whatever you put on top. This serum has not only made my skin more radiant, it has toned it. I especially love layering this under Sunday Riley Artemis and find that the combination of the two balances my skin perfectly.

Both of these serums can be found at www.us.spacenk.com

Barneys Love Yourself GWP September 2015.

Barney's Love Yourself event started on Wednesday 9th September and of course I hot footed it over there to pick up my purchases and bag of goodies... and then I was so frantically busy that its only now on Thursday evening that I've opened up my bag and had a good rummage around it. Madness I know!

There were a few bags a while ago that weren't too exciting for me but the last two years have seen more and more items stuffed into the Love Yourself bag and some exciting step up gifts from individual vendors. Plus this time, as last, saw the spend amount for the bag at $200.00 pre tax (down from $250.00). 

The verdict? 

A fabulous must have GWP!

I always use this event to stock up on some basics and indeed the items I bought aren't really that different from the last time. There's always a Chantecaille Just Skin in there and this year I also bought two Chantecaille lip glosses - a Brilliant Gloss in 'Modern' which is my go to MLBB gloss, and one that I highly recommend if you have never tried it, and a Luminous Lip Gloss in 'Framboise' which I discovered in a GlossyBox and added to my wish list.

 I always stock up on some Kiehl's products for Mr C&C. There's almost always something from the Facial Fuel range, either the wash or moisturizer, very often a huge tub of Ultra Facial Cream and usually an eye cream of some sort - this time it's the Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream.

Kiel's really outdid themselves with their step up gifts this year - 250ml of Grapefruit Body Cleanser and 250ml of Grapefruit Hand and Body Lotion.(There are different gifts depending on the amount that you spend).

Chantecaille had a 'Protect the Wolves' ecosack in place of their usual cosmetic bag along with deluxe samples of Rose de Mai Oil and Cream, a deluxe sample of their amazing Rose Eye Make Up Remover and a mini Faux Cils Mascara.

The Love Yourself Bag contained a whopping 30 samples most of which are deluxe along with two full sized items - Rituals Sakura Spring Foaming Shower Oil and Lipstick Queen Vesuvius Liquid Lips. (I received the shade 'Blush').

There are way too many samples to go into in detail but as usual there's a little bit of everything: seven make up samples, seven perfume samples, two for body, two for hair and twelve lovely skincare items.

The event runs until the end of Sunday (unless they run out of bags before then...) and if you can't make it to a Barneys store you can also shop online at www.barneys.com

Go on you know you want to!

Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty Box #2

Back in May Caroline Hirons and Cult Beauty collaborated to bring us a Beauty Box containing some skincare must haves at a great price. That box sold out pretty much immediately and was such a success that just three months later they got together again to produce Box #2.

Once again the box was heavily discounted - valued at 170 pounds it cost just 100 with free worldwide shipping.

Whilst the first box was simply a lovely selection of  diverse products, this box had a 'glow' theme to it. Containing eight products - six of which are full sized whilst the other two are very generous deluxe minis - I think that this box is wonderful value with a great selection of items, sure to please someone who is new to high end skincare as well as the already obsessed! Another thing that I really like about this is that the products make up a whole routine - cleanse, 'tone', eye cream, serum and moisturiser and they are suitable for all skin types.

There is a choice of two cleansers: RMS Beauty Raw Coconut  Cream which is not only great for removing make up (first cleanse) it's also a great multi tasking moisturizer, hair mask etc etc

The other cleanser is Skyn Pure Cloud Cleanser, a creamy cleanser suitable for any skin type but in particular stressed skin (that's me!).

Pixi Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner with 5% gycolic acid. I'm excited to try this as I love acid toners. FYI Target have finally got around to stocking this so I'm hoping that I love it as it will be easy for me to replenish.

There are two serums: REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil (longest product name ever?) and Odacite Hydration Serum. Personally, I would use the REN at night and the Odacite during the day purely as I'm not a fan of face oils during the day - love 'em at night though. The Odacite serum is highly concentrated which is why, although full sized, it's a tiny bottle - you only need a drop or two which you can either pat onto a damp face or add to your usual cream. I'm excited to try this as my skin gets very dehydrated.

Skin Owl Eye+ is a cucumber scented gel that feels so soothing and cooling. It has hyaluronic acid to moisturize and also depuffs and lifts the eye area. I really like this!

For moisturizing there is Alpha H Essential Hydration Cream. I already have and love the version of this with SPF50 - it is my summertime sunscreen go to -  so I know that I will love this.

Finally there is a huge pot of Pomade Divine which is a multi purpose balm for hydrating very dry areas, treating dry lips, cuticles etc as well as being a treatment for minor cuts and burns. It's been around since 1800, is formulated from natural ingredients and is one of those all round wonder products. 

This is a great selection of products and there are still some boxes available on www.cultbeauty.co.uk.

Why not treat yourself? It would also make a perfect gift for pretty much anyone!

A Decent Ride.

In A Decent Ride Irvine Welsh returns to the streets of Edinburgh for one of his trademark darkly humorous tales - if you are at all squeamish or prudish this isn't going to be one for you.

A Decent Ride tells the story of sex obsessed 'Juice' Terry Norton who manages to juggle taxi driving with his supplementary jobs of porn star and drug dealer. When something happens which means he can never have sex again Terry takes up golf and reading, as well as trying to be a better Father and trying to find out who his real Father is.

 Oh, and there's also the riddle of a dead girlfriend to contend with, a missing valuable bottle of rare vintage Scotch, a Donald Trump like reality TV star and a none too bright newly discovered 'half brother'.

There's a few familiar characters in this tale as well as some new ones and it's written in Welsh's trademark Edinburgh dialect. There are some momenets of real humour here along with some pages that make you think "I can't believe he wrote that!" You really shouldn't like Terry but he is a strangly lovable character and, yes, there's a happy ending. 

It's a novel in the vein of the older books by Irvine Welsh so if you enjoyed those I'm sure you will love this. Recommended if you're a fan, if not proceed with caution!

I

Empties August 2015.

August produced a bumper crop of empties - I managed to finish fifteen full sized products and thirteen samples! 

I finished two samples of Chloe EDT which is one of the scents I wear in summer, it's a feminine floral with a little depth to it that stops it from being too sweet.

I managed to use up three make up items - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Chantecaille Cheek Cream in the shade 'Demure' (a lovely blendable blush that I repeat purchase) and Shiseido Laquer Gloss (#304) which I adored - not only was this comfortable to wear, it lasted really well without drying my lips.

I finished three cleansers. Burt's Bee's Deep Cleansing Cream which was a little thick for my liking - I found it to be too firm to massage my face with and it wasn't the easiest product to rinse off. I did like Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm however as it made my face feel nice and soft and it's a good budget buy. Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk was a lightly scented make up remover that was really efficient and a great hot weather product as it wasn't at all thick or heavy.

 I loved Algenist Bi Phase Peel, a mix of gycolic and oil that tingled on application but rinsed off to leave silky soft skin. 

I also enjoyed refreshing spritzes of La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water when it got too hot or my skin started to feel tight from too much air conditioning.

Of course I loved all three Sunday Riley items I used up: Juno and Flora oils and Good Genes serum.

I was impressed with Kiehl's Super Corrective Cream and used it as a night time moisturiser. Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm was a good eye cream that felt light and sank in quickly to hydrate the eye area,

I didn't like Mario Badescu Cellufirm Drops serum as it didn't really seem to do anything for me except make my skin feel slightly tight and dry. Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot was another serum that I wasn't enamored with as it made my skin feel tight and didn't layer well with other products, disappointing as Ren is a brand that I usually love. I also disliked Lancer The Method Polish, an exfoliator that just felt way too harsh and had a very strong lavender scent that I found almost overpowering.

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask was revelation to me - a non-messy clay mask that really cleaned my skin without making it feel tight. It rinsed off easily and left me with a healthy glow! This was my favorite product of the month and a great new discovery for me. 

Hair wise all I finished was a little tube of Oribe Supershine Cream which I love - there's a whole load of shampoos and conditioners in my bathroom that all have just a smidgen left tho! 

Finally I finished my stash of Fenjel Cream Body Wash which is my favorite body wash ever. I really wish this was easier to get hold of here.

So, lots of empties and some room on my shelves for new products - result!

So Many GWP's - Clinique and others.

I don't usually post heads up on upcoming and current GWP's but it seems as if every time I checked my email at the weekend there was news of a new one! September is definitely a good time to replenish your beauty stash and take advantage of the great offers available. Beauty stash full to overflowing? How about making a very early start on your holiday shopping and scoping out some beauty gifts for friends and family?

My personal favorite promotions are Barney's Love Yourself event which is running 9-13 September and Space NK's Autumn Beauty Edit which is coming up on Sept 12th.

In addition:

Sephora has an online sale that is definitely worth a peek - there's a lot of good stuff  to be found here at up to 75% off. There are some particularly good Tarte palettes and sets, some heavily reduced Sephora brushes and even Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion for just $10.00 instead of $20.00. www.sephora.com

Kiehl's are currently offering 5 deluxe samples with any $65.00 purchase plus a full sized product if you spend over $100.( There are eight deluxe samples to choose from and a choice of three full sized products). There is also free shipping and three regular sized samples with each online order and the promotion runs until 14th September. www.kiehls.com

HauteLook have a Lorac sale starting on September 4th.www.hautelook.com

GiltCity are offering $20.00 off any $65.00 online Origins purchase that includes a free Fall Sampler Kit until Sunday 13th.www.giltcity.com/newyork

Macy's have a free 8 piece gift available online with any $35.00 Estee Lauder purchase.www.macys.com

Lord and Taylor are offering a 7 piece Lancome gift with any $39.50 purchase.www.lordandtaylor.com

Finally Bloomingdales have a 7 piece GWP with any $32.00 Clinique purchase. www.bloomingdales.com
Mr C&C swears by their Post Shave Soother and had conveniently just run out so I picked him up a couple of bottles and the gift.

I'm keen to try out the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask included in this gift (as I like the other products in this range) and I'm pleased with the Chubby Stick in 'Whole Lotta Honey' which is a flattering warm toned nude, I'm also happy to get another mini High Impact Mascara.

This is a nicely varied bag that I'm viewing as a little appetizer before next weeks double dose of larger GWP's that of course I'll be partaking in and reporting on!