Empties December 2015

It's the final Empties post of the year and it's a good one with twelve full sized and sixteen samples hitting the bin. I'm on a bit of a mission to finish things up before a big beauty shop in February so I'm very pleased with the way that December shaped up.

 There are two great cleansers here that I hadn't used before: Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser (my new favorite face wash) and Skyn Pure Cloud Cleanser.  I also enjoyed two generous samples of expensive eye creams from Royal Fern and 111Skin, both of which were very hydrating. In fact all of the skincare that I used up this month was lovely with the sole exception being the sample of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Booster Facial Cleanser which was very drying - so much so that I re purposed it as a hand wash.

Makeup wise I was impressed with Fiberwig Mascara. It was a wetter formula which I don't normally enjoy but I really liked it. Once I had got used to it's oddly curved brush it wore very well and did all the things that mascara is supposed to do without any clumping or flaking. Of course I'm devastated (I'm exaggerating slightly) to finish my tube of Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and am now on the search for a stateside replacement. Any ideas? Oh, and the sample of Eve Lom Flawless Radiance Primer was much much better than I was expecting it to be. It felt a tad oily on application but it did a good job of keeping my make up in place and it kept shine at bay in humid weather for a good part of the day.

Philip B Chai Latte Body Wash was lovely but I'm in two minds about smelling like chai... More to my liking were Crabtree & Evelyn Caribbean Island Wild Flowers Body Wash and Body Lotion - their beachy floral scent was suited to the mild weather we have been having and they made my bathroom smell amazing. Finally, Fresh Sugar Lychee Body Lotion is just about my favorite lotion ever. I was sorry to finish this up and I will certainly be replacing it at some point in the future.

Next up a look at everything that I finished up in 2015...   

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015 - Completed!

I don't really make resolutions but at the beginning of 2015 I did decide that I wanted to read more books. I enrolled myself in the Goodreads Reading Challenge and set myself the goal of reading 52 books in 2015. 

I do most of my reading whilst commuting and traveling for work and over the course of the year I managed to read 57 books. I actually finished reading my 52nd book on November 4th and since then I have been working my way through a heap of saved blog posts and the huge pile of backdated magazines next to my bed!

General Fiction was the most popular category of book that I read, I finished 23 but I also read plenty of Women's Fiction (10) and Biographies (8). This year I also discovered thrillers and really got into reading them (I read seven). I read a lot of good books but the best book I read all year was Viv Albertine's Clothes, Music, Boys. 

I'm going to sign myself up for another challenge next year. I'm happy to have completed last year's challenge and will set the target at  52 again, I think it is attainable and I do love reading but don't want to turn it into a chore!

Why not join in the challenge yourself? Take a look at goodreads.com and sign up if you are interested, I found it to be a great motivator.

Barracuda.

Barracuda tells the story of Danny Kelly, a young Australian who aspires to becoming an Olympic swimmer. Danny dedicates himself to training but what if he isn't good enough to realise his dreams?

Barracuda is a book about success and failure and about growing up and growing into your skin. It alternates between Dan's present day life and his boyhood and details the relationships that he has with school friends, family members, his swim coach and his boyfriend. It is interesting to see how Dan develops as he grows and to see how his relationships with the people around him shift and develop.

Dan is a sympathetic if flawed character who I liked a lot. I really wanted him to succeed in his life.

Barracuda is a fairly long book but it is well written and well paced with believable characters. At times it is quite raw but it is true to life and it was an absorbing read. I liked this book a lot.

Recommended. 

Happy Christmas!*

Happy Christmas!*

This isn't my usual sort of post but I've been working away and am traveling back home today. I hope to be back in NYC in time for a Christmas Eve lunch with Mr C&C and then I can finish off my preparations for the big day. (I am very thankful to be at home for Christmas as I know that not everyone can be).

Before the end of the year I plan on there being a few roundup posts. 

Next year I intend to do my best to keep posting three times a week. I enjoy the challenge blogging gives me - coming up with new ideas and trying to improve the way I write - and I love that I get to be a little creative somewhere in my busy life.

January is going to be something of a 'Cheap Thrills' month but as crisps are to champagne February will be a luxury GWP month.

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Finally the tree photo...It may not be the biggest or the brightest tree but as I was wandering past the Highline Hotel it caught my eye. It's a big old tree, grand and dazzling but there is something very homely about it  at the same time. I love it. It's my favorite NYC tree by far this year!

*I'm using the standard English festive salutation because whilst I realize that not everybody 'does'. Christmas I am English and saying Happy Christmas is what I do. Happy Holidays is a terrible Hallmark-ism that makes me feel fake I'm afraid... 

Emma Bridgewater Plates.

                   

For the longest time we have had plain white dinner plates. They go with everything and display food  brilliantly but they are just a little... boring.

I'd been looking for new main course dinner plates for a long time but couldn't find any that I really liked - actually that's a lie - I could but they were ridiculously expensive. 

I knew what I didn't want... I didn't want anything that was too arty, crafty, pottery looking but also I didn't want something that looked like it would be at home at a sit down wedding reception i.e. fine china trimmed in gold/silver.

I wanted plates that were 10 or 11 inches with an indentation so they could hold sauces. I wanted something that wasn't too formal but that I could use for guests as well as everyday and they had to go in the dishwasher. 

Finally I found plates that ticked all my boxes. A selection of Emma Bridgewater designs and I am really pleased with them. They are fun with colorful designs that pep up the dinner table. (I bought a selection of designs that I could mix and match.)They are very good quality and are sturdy without being too thick. 

I bought them direct from emmabridgewater.co.uk 

Most of the dinner plates are around  $30.00 full price depending on the design but there is also an outlet section that has 'seconds' for around $20.00 (I bought some regularly priced plates and some seconds). Also, I hunted around and found an online discount code that gave me free shipping and a discount on the full priced plates.

If you are in the market for new tableware or want a housewarming or hostess gift why not take a look? There are plenty of items and designs to choose from - I'm sure there's something that will tempt you!

Submission.

 Set in 2022 this short satirical novel tells of the changes that occur in French society when the Muslim Brotherhood Party form a coalition government with the Socialists and Conservatives.

The central character, Francois, is a single, middle aged lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris. He is also bored, depressed and living an empty life. Forced into early retirement by the new regime Francois travels to areas of rural France to see if he can find meaning in his life. Returning to Paris having failed to do so he is offered the chance to change his circumstances for the better by accepting an elevated position at the university that is offered to him in exchange for converting to Islam. The novel ends with his contemplation of this change.

I'm a huge fan of Houllebeque and I loved Submission. The scenario he describes is one of those that is unlikely to occur but one that could quite possibly come to pass. 

While it is a short book it isn't a quick read as it presents many ideas and questions that you want to think about in more depth. Having said that it's not at all dull, in fact it is a very funny book that amused me greatly and is very well written.

Recommended.

Cleansing with Oskia.

I'm sure by now that if you are into skincare you will have heard of, if not used, Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. I recently finished a bottle of this and I have to say that it was very lovely indeed - it is a product that lives up to the hype and I can see why it gets the rave reviews it does.

Oskia have a couple of other cleansing options and as I have used all three I thought I would take a look at them all together...

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

This gel cleanser melts to an oil on application, turns milky with the addition of water and rinses off leaving your skin not only clean but softened. It smells of chamomile and roses and it's pink but it's not just a girly face wash. It is very gentle and soothing yet it is rich in vitamins and enzymes. It doesn't strip your skin but leaves it looking healthy and, yes, glowing! I found it did a great job of dissolving make up (FYI I always use a separate eye make up remover) and it rinsed off easily. You can use it as both a first and second cleanse although I tended to use it mostly in the morning.  

Suitable for all skin types.

Oskia Perfect Cleanser

This thick oil based balm was formulated for drier, more mature skin but it can be used by anyone. It contains vitamins and Omegas 3 and 6 to soothe skin and boost collagen production. It feels very nourishing and does a fabulous job of removing make up. I like to rub this over my face - the consistency softens as it warms up - and massage it to dissolve my make up before removing it with a face cloth and warm water. (It goes milky with the addition of water and rinses off fairly easily - not the easiest though). I use this as first cleanse. It's great for facial massage and especially nice in the winter when your skin needs a little extra pampering.

Osaka Micro Exfoliating Balm

I received this in a Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty Box and it is the best facial exfoliator that I have ever used! 

It has a creamy, balm like base that contains minute grains of silica and Oskia's wonder ingredient MSM, which is a type of sulphur, to gently buff your skin. There's also glycerin to hydrate, zinc and chamomile to soothe, peptides, minerals, Omegas - honestly, this has all the good stuff! It smells like sweet confectionery and is extremely gentle, not at all harsh or aggressive as exfoliators sometimes can be and the grains dissolve fully with the addition of water so that it rinses clean off.  

It feels like a luxury product, is a real treat to use and leaves your skin feeling clean, softened and moisturised.

So far, I think it's safe to say that I've never met an Oskia product I didn't like and I highly recommend them if you're in the market for a new cleanser!

 I purchase mine from Cult Beauty www.cultbeauty.co.uk who offer free international shipping on purchases over 50GBP.

If you are in the UK you can also purchase directly from www.oskiaskincare.com

Porter Magazine GWP.

I do love a glossy mag! 

I know e-mags are convenient and environmentally friendly and all that but a real magazine feels like a proper indulgence and injects a relaxing dose of 'me time' into my day.

Porter magazine is produced by luxury shopping site Net-A-Porter and there are six issues a year. While I realize that a lot of it's content is produced to sell it's items, it really is a very nice magazine indeed.

Oversized with thick glossy pages and sumptuous fashion spreads it is one of the most luxe magazines out there. It has interesting articles about inspirational women, a lengthy beauty section and a travel section. One issue into my subscription and I'm impressed.

I'm also very impressed with the amazing GWP's that they offer to new subscribers. They tend to change seasonally and the price of the subscription seems to vary a little depending on the GWP being offered (I paid $18.00). When I signed up they were offering $86.00 worth of Phillip Kingsley hair care as the GWP made up of the following:

Elasticizer (75ml). A conditioning hair mask that you apply to wet hair before shampooing.

 Swim cap (75ml). A protective cream for use when sunbathing and swimming.

Daily Damage Defense (60ml). A leave in conditioning spray that protects and strengthens.

Maximizer (125ml).  A volumising spray that protects and adds shine.

Currently the Porter subscription is $25.00 and the GWP is a set of T3 SinglePass 2  Hair Straighteners (that normally retail for $180.00!) and once you are a Porter subscriber there are various free shipping deals on Net-A-Porter purchases offered to you.

Tempted?

 If you are and you are a US resident you can subscribe here portersubs.com/T3 

Magazine subscriptions always offer good value for money. Porter offers great value for money! 

I'll Never Write My Memoirs.

Grace Jones is larger than life and has led quite a life. 

She has had successful careers as a model, an actress and, of course, a singer. She is also famed for her partying, most notably at Studio54, her outrageous antics and she was an inspiration and muse to a host of contemporary artists.

Often imitated, often copied, there are many entertainers today who have been influenced by Miss Jones but she is truly an original!

I'll Never Write My Memoirs promised to be a scandalous read with shocking tales of excess but there was a lot less controversy and gossip to be found here than I expected. Many times in the book I felt that the author was holding back and that she could have gone into more detail about certain events.

While I did enjoy this autobiography I felt that it should have been better edited. The story didn't exactly flow and would go off on a tangent - it actually felt pretty disorganized at times. 

Also whilst there were some great photographs in this book I wish that there had been more as some of the classic images were missing.

I'm a Grace Jones fan and the insights into her art and life were great but the disjointed editing of this book spoilt it for me. 

If you are a fan I would recommend it, otherwise probably not...

A Small Sephora Shop.

I have been quite good recently and manage to resist  a lot of Black Friday sales and discounts - I even skipped a Cult Beauty GWP and passed on the latest Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty Box as I want to use up what beauty products I have in stock. (Because honestly, although I hate to say it, it isn't going to be long until February which means goody bags from Barney's and Space NK...)

What did catch my fancy (coupled with the fact that I really did need a non creamy/balm cleanser) was a gift card for $15 off $50 from Sephora that I found in my letterbox the other day that I could combine with their Mystery Sample Bag promotion.

The cleanser that I bought was an old favorite (albeit one that I haven't purchased in a while) Dr Dennis Gross All-in-One Cleanser with Toner. I really like this as a morning cleanser. It is a gel like cleanser that you apply to a dry face and rinse off. It has a mild medicinal smell that I like and it makes my skin feel clean yet not dry or stripped (and yes I do use a toner as well when I use this - even though you don't need to - just because I like them).

I have been keen try more Peter Thomas Roth masks after getting the Cucumber Gel Mask in a previous Sephora GWP and hearing so much good about their Pumpkin Enzyme Mask so when I saw the Mini Mask Magic set I had to have it. The three mini jars of masks are so cute (there is also a Rose Stem Cell Mask) that if you didn't want these for yourself they would make ideal stocking fillers either as a set or individual pots.

The Mystery Sample Bag was a whimsical (Oh what fun!) draw string bag containing a sheet mask and seven mystery samples.

My mask was a Sephora Rose Mask which hydrates and brightens. 

The mystery samples were made up of three deluxe make up samples - Clinique Even Better Make Up (in shade 05, my color!), Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil in 'Timeless Coral' and a Buxom Lush Mascara. There were two skincare samples - Origins Ginzing Eye Cream and Josie Maran Argan Oil along with two perfume vials -  Clean Cashmere and Atelier Cologne Magnolia Sud.

There were also the standard 3 free samples. I chose samples of Dr Brandt Needles No More, F.A.B. Ultra Repair  Cream and Sephora Eye Make Up Remover Wipes.

This was such a nice little pre-Christmas treat, $15.00 off, a free sheet mask (that retails for $6.00), a fun bag and ten samples... and it was one that didn't break the bank!

The Cuckoo's Calling.

Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of J.K.Rowling and whilst I haven't read (or had any inclination to read) any of the Harry Potter novels I did read The Casual Vacancy which was her first 'adult' novel and did enjoy it.

 I came to reading The Cuckoo's Calling in a roundabout way. It is the first in a series of novels featuring the oddly named character Cormoran Strike who is a private detective. I wanted to read the latest in the series but wasn't sure if it was something that I could read as a stand alone novel so decided to start with the first book in the series.

The Cuckoo's Calling opens with supermodel of the moment Lula Landry falling to her death from her apartment window in central London one snowy night. The police rule it as a suicide but her adopted brother isn't so sure and enlists the services of Cormoran Strike to research her death further.

What follows is a classic 'Whodunnit?' tale as Strike and his secretary Robin retrace Lula's last days in order to piece together what really happened.

I thought that it was very well written and that the characters in it were very real, the situations and dialogue were all very believable. It is not a fast paced book yet it is written in such a way that it manages to keep your attention without becoming a bore, in fact I really liked he way that this was written, it was absorbing and relaxing with a plot that was very well planned and thought out. 

Altogether this was a very clever book and I am looking forward to reading the two other books in the series.

Empties November 2015.

It's hard to believe that it's already time for another Empties post (and even harder to  believe that it's November's empties!) but indeed it is and once again there's a fair amount of products that I managed to get through - twenty two samples and eight full sized products.

Full sized old favorites on the pile were Sunday Riley Good Genes and Ceramic Slip, Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and Nia24 UVA/UVB Sunscreen (I don't like Nia24 Mineral Sunscreen at all but this one is rather good.)  I also really liked the full sized Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel that I used up and I'm sure I will repurchase this at some point.

Sample wise I was impressed by Natura Bisse Essential Shock Intense Cream which was very hydrating without being at all greasy. Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum and Fresh Rose Face Mask both smelled heavenly and both were intensely hydrating.

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Serum and Eye Lifting Balm were lovely products, they were effective yet gentle. 

Once again I enjoyed a generous sample of Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream. Another haircare mini that impressed me was Malin+Goetz Cilantro Hair Conditioner which left my hair feeling very soft and smelt fresh and uplifting (but not like cilantro!).

I had been looking forward to trying something by The Organic Pharmacy but was sadly disappointed by their Honey & Jasmine Mask. Although it did moisturize my face it was very thick and emollient and didn't feel comfortable to apply. Also, it irritated my skin when I first put it on and the jasmine scent of this was so strong and sickly that altogether I found using it an unpleasant experience.

Caress Body Wash in 'Love Forever' was another product that I disliked. I didn't like the scent or the cheap looking packaging and the product was a weird dark magenta color which I found very off-putting.

Finally, Givenchy Phenomen' Eyes Mascara looked amazing when applied but it had a strange round wand that wasn't the easiest to use. It really clung to my lashes, making an awful scratchy sound and pulling up my eyelid as I dragged it through the lashes and it was time consuming to apply - a very odd concept all in all...

I think this was a pretty diverse selection of empties made up of both old and new products with some good, some bad and some just average.  What do you think? 

Five Favorite Cookbooks - General.

I'm a Chef so I have a ton of cookbooks. The other day I was thinking about the most loved/used books in my collection and thought I would share them with you.

I have many, many books and they all serve different purposes - some provide basic recipes, some  provide ideas for menus and plating, some inspire me to create new dishes and some are just a joy to browse and read.

I use all my books in different ways and have books that fall into different categories. I've classified this particular selection of books as 'general' as they each contain a little of everything - a selection of cuisines from different countries as well as both sweet and savory items. Of course I couldn't pick just one so here are five of my favorite general books.

Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson.

Not only does this book contain a great selection of recipes it is a delight to read. Each chapter is named after an ingredient (Cilantro, Eggs, Scallops etc)  and starts with a little essay about that ingredient or an anecdote related to it followed by a handful of excellent recipes. No photos in this one (although there are some pretty illustrations) but it is amazingly instructive.

It feels like a very personal collection of recipes and there is an equally wonderful follow up called Second Helpings of Roast Chicken.

A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider.

This isn't a health or diet cookbook but one that looks at healthier ways of preparing flavorsome foods. There is an emphasis on vegetables and grains but there are also plenty of recipes for meat and even desserts. What I really like about this book is the lengthy section on rubs, sauces, marinades and dressings. And there is a stellar recipe for Gravlax in here that's a cinch to make - it's so good it's worth getting the book just for that.

Keep it Simple by Alastair Little.

This has a great introductory section on basics and then four seasonal sections each divided into starters, main courses, sides and desserts. For the most parts the recipes take their cue from France and Italy, but there are a few Asian inspired ones also.  There are some great dessert recipes here as well. 

Although this is just over twenty years old the recipes still look fresh and modern.  I have cooked many many recipes from this book and they always please.

The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.

When I moved here from Europe I wanted to get a comprehensive American recipe book. One that would work with American ingredients as well as provide me with recipes for traditional American foods.  This big fat cook book was the one I bought and it's a great resource. It has recipes for almost anything and as well as having all the American classics it has a good selection of dishes from all around the world.

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.

Plenty is a collection of vegetable, grain and pasta recipes that can be served as either a main dish or a side. The photos in it are stunning and they makes me want to cook something that's fresh and interesting. It is one of those books that I reach for when I want to be inspired, I don't cook the recipes exactly as they are here but use them as a basic idea and adapt them as I wish.