How to Save at Sephora and SpaceNK.

I love good quality skincare and cosmetics and tend to buy most of them at Space NK and Sephora. Not cheap, but with a bit of planning ahead I manage to get a lot of things discounted as well as free goodies.
Want to know how? Here's a list of do's and dont's that I apply to my beauty shopping sprees.

. Do take advantage of sales. Sephora and Space NK have some bargains to be found online whenever sales are on. (So do Cult Beauty, another of my favorite retailers).

. Don't buy things that you don't need just because they are on sale and take your fancy. Always ask yourself "Do I need this? will I use/wear it?"

. Do sign up for customer loyalty/rewards programs. Space NK's Ndulge program keeps track of your purchases and gives you back  5% or 10%  to spend in store. Sephora's Beauty Insider scheme allows you to collect points that you can exchange for samples and minis. Both programs award you with a small birthday gift each year and send you email updates about special events, offers and sales.

. Do consider investing $10.00 in the Sephora Flash 2 day Shipping program. $10.00 gives you free shipping within the US for a year and it's valid on any order - you don't have to spend a certain amount for it to apply (allowing you to order items individually which means you can get more samples and weekly offers!)

. Do plan your shopping ahead. Rather than buying things on a whim keep a wish list and shop when promotions are on.

. Do take advantage of online coupon codes, and offers such as free shipping.

. Do take advantage of Gift with Purchase events by stocking up when these events are running but...

. Don't buy things that you don't need or won't use solely to get a free gift/ use a discount code.

. Do consider buying larger sized products if it's something that you use regularly. Work out the price per gram/ml and you will find it is often cheaper.

. Do take a look at value for money sets. Sephora have a good range of these and they offer good savings if you will use all the products in the box.

. Do consider using a referral website when shopping online. I have an Ebates account that pays me 2.5% on my Space NK purchases and 8% on my Sephora purchases.

. Don't forget to ask for some samples in store or add them to your basket online. Trying a product out for a few days is one of the best ways to avoid expensive mistakes.

. Do cultivate a relationship with sales assistants if you shop in store. They will alert you to sales and events and often offer you extra samples or GWPs but...

. Don't let sales assistants talk you into buying something that you don't wasn't/can't afford - it's OK to say "no" (but equally don't waste their time).

. Don't spend more than you can afford or buy things you won't use - this applies to everything not just beauty products - don't waste money!

Happy shopping!
sephora.com us.spacenk.com

Who Do You Love.

Rachel and Andy meet when they are eight years old in a hospital emergency room. Despite their different background they meet time and time again by chance over the years.

I have read a lot of Jennifer Weiner's novels and whilst the early ones were amusing, light hearted beach reads I can't help but feel that there has been something missing from her work lately. (I truly disliked her previous book All Fall Down). Who Do You Love wasn't a great read for me either. Whilst the plot isn't original, it's one that holds promise but I feel that it has been handled much better by other writers (for example David Nicholls in One Day) and there was something clunky and awkward about this rendition. 

I totally failed to connect with the character of Rachel, she was annoying, spoilt and needy and while Andy was better drawn I found him to be weak - I failed to believe that his character would have had the gumption to become a world class athlete.

I found this a slow, uninspiring read. There were a lot of irrelevant anecdotes and descriptions in it and the ending was totally predictable. 

Sad to say I found that this was a waste of reading time....

Space NK and Sephora Sale Purchases.

I've been trying to be a little more frugal in January, shopping my stash and trying to use up products, as a result my January sales purchases have been rather minimal.

However I did make a small Sephora order and pick up a couple of discounted brushes from Space NK.

I have done such a stellar job at using up my stash of moisturizers that I did actually need to buy what I like to call a 'plain moisturizer' - one that I can use over serums to give my skin a boost of hydration or use at night over an oil to seal it in. 

Sephora still have the Nude Radiant Day Moisturiser on sale ($36.00 down from $52.00). I bought one of these last year and liked it enough to repurchase. It is a good basic moisturizer, not really rich - it's more of a liquid than a cream - but I find it does a pretty decent job of hydrating my skin. It feels comfortable, doesn't make me break out and sits well under make up. 

I chose two perfume vials, Prada Candy and Replica Lazy Sunday Morning along with a sachet of REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial as my standard samples. 

For my Weekly Special Sample I picked Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift with Retinol. This is a very generous 15ml sample that I am looking forward to trying out. (I'm currently using a retinol product twice a week and will crack this open when I have finished my ROC Retinol Correction Serum).

Space NK sales can be a bit hit or miss I find. They did have a few lovely candles on sale but I have plenty right now... what did catch my eye were their make up brushes. I was tempted when they were half price, when they were 75% off I caved in and ordered a couple. The Domed Smudge Brush was just $5.00 (from $22.00) and the Large Eye Make Up Brush was $6.00 (from $24.00). The handles on these are nicely weighted. The smudge brush is made of nylon and pony hair, the eye make up brush of nylon and goat hair and both are very soft. I'm really pleased with the quality of these brushes and kind of wish I had grabbed a few more...

Both sales are still running online. Why not take a look at sephora.com or us.spacenk.com for some deeply discounted beauty items?

NYX - The Hits and The Misses.

I don't buy a lot of drugstore make up but over the past year I have managed to accumulate a few things from NYX. They aren't a brand that I had much knowledge of but I'd heard good things about them and I noticed that their products tend to sell out pretty fast. After having tried out the above products I can see why they do - not everything is perfect but there's some darn good stuff by this brand. 

Which products are good, which are great and which not so? Read on...

NYX Butter Gloss

I have this in the shade 'Creme Brûlée'. Now the color doesn't really correspond to the color of the packaging (the tube is colored to what should be the product color rather than being clear so that you can see the actual product) or the name. I was expecting it to be a pinky, caramel nude but in reality it's a paler pink. Color issues aside it's pretty much everything I like in a gloss. As the name suggests it is smooth and buttery and it feels thick and moisturizing without being at all gloopy or sticky. The pigment is good and once it's on it hangs around for a long time. Not only is it cheap,  there's a great range of colors for all skin tones. 

($5.00 34 colors)

Verdict: Hit 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 

I tend to shy away from matte lip products as they can make your lips dry but this one really doesn't. It's easy to apply and once on it lasts (almost too well - you need a dab of eye make up remover to get rid of the last traces of it). This is another highly pigmented lip product and again the actual color is slightly different to the packaging. I have the color 'Antwerp' and it shows a little brighter than the tube suggests, but I liked it a lot. This is one of the nicer matte lip products that I have tried and again there is a great range of colors.

($6.00 34 colors)

Verdict: Big Hit

NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base

Now while this isn't quite as good as Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base it's almost a quarter of the price (and I prefer it to Urban DecayEyeshadow Primer Potion). It is a light cream/liquid formula that you apply with a doe foot and tap in - you don't need much of this - it smoothes out very well. It is a light pink color to correct and brighten the skin around the eyes and it does a good job of keeping your eye shadow where you put it. (I had a nap in this and my eye color didn't budge!)

($7.00 1color)

Verdict: Hit

NYX Dream Catcher Palette

I'm not crazy about palettes, even though I love the idea of them as I always end up using a couple of colors and wasting the rest but this one caught my eye. 'Golden Horizons' has five matte and five shimmery colors, there's a creamy white, an almost black and a good range of neutral brown and pink colors that are flattering and easy to wear. They have good color playoff, blend well and they also lasted well on me. I think that they offer exceptional value for money - there is a mirror under the shadows and a double ended foam applicator (although I suggest you throw that away and use a proper brush!).  

($15.00 3 color combinations)

Verdict: Big Hit

NYX High Definition Concealer

This is a concealer that you apply with a doe foot that I bought as a possible replacement for Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I found that the formula of this was much too thin to offer coverage and it was difficult to blend it without it spreading out over a bigger area than that I wanted  to use it on. The color range isn't great either. This one failed to win me over.

($5.00 11 colors)

Verdict: Miss

NYX Stick Blush

This blendable creamy blusher swipes on straight from the tube and has the consistency of a sheer lipstick. It's easy to blend, with quite a strong pigment and once in place it lasts. I have the shade 'Hibiscus' which is a fairly dark beige pink. These are a great 'on the go' product to carry in your bag.

($6.00 8 colors).

Verdict: Hit

NYX Rouge Cream Blusher

I picked up this in the shade 'Boho Chic', a light pink with blue undertones simply because it looked the least shimmery of the options. It gives a nice sheer wash that is extremely easy to blend and gives a very subtle natural color. Once on it isn't at all shimmery. It gives a fresh dewy finish and is great to use as a subtle highlighter as well as a blush. I'm very pleased with this and can see a few more of them making their way into my stash.

($6.00 9 colors)

Verdict: Big Hit

Overall I'm very impressed by NYX. Whilst the packaging may not be the nicest out there the products inside are mostly great and they are one of the cheapest drug store brands. The eye shadow palette, the matte lip cream and the cream blush are all wonderful and for me hold their own with much higher priced products.  I can see myself picking up a few more products by NYX!

You can find NYX in most US drugstores or at www.nyxcosmetics.com 

The Third Wife.

North London architect Adrian Wolfe seems to have his life in order. His two ex wives and five children all get along splendidly and they all love his young new wife Maya...Or do they?

When Maya is killed by a bus, is it an accident or something more sinister? Who is the mysterious woman called Jane who appears to be stalking the family? Does she have something to do with Maya's death? Or is it someone closer to home?

I have greatly enjoyed every book I have read by Lisa Jewell and The Third Wife was no exception. She writes very well, the plot is easy to follow and the story progresses swiftly. The characters are all highly believable, even if they aren't particularly nice (they really aren't a lovable bunch!). 

I do have a few gripes with The Third Wife though... The way that every one gets along so extraordinarily well seems a little far fetched - they all go on holidays together that have been organized by Maya, for example. Also far fetched is the way that Adrian ups and leaves his families for a new bride and does so without even considering that it may affect anyone adversely. However, I was willing to suspend my disbelief as I enjoyed this book so much. It's more than just a suspense novel, it's a story about families and their dynamics and a man coming to term with himself and his actions.

Recommended.   

  

Papier d'Armenie.

I do love scented candles and diffusers but I only like the expensive ones. I can't abide cheap perfumes and I have no desire for my house to smell like a pecan waffle/buttered popcorn/candy cane or whatever the latest seasonal scent offering from Yankee Candle happens to be. 

I have an expensive habit when it comes to home fragrances (I even have a Diptyque Room Spray) with one little exception - Papier d'Armenie. If you are French you will know what I am talking about, if not you will most likely not have heard of these. Paper d'Armenie has been in production since 1885 and one of the people who helped develop the product was Francis Kurkdjian whose name, nowadays, is best known for a range of luxury perfumes (Maison Francis Kurkdjian).

Papier d'Armenie is simply a little booklet of paper strips that you pull out, fold up like a fan, (on the packet it says to fold them like an accordion - see, so French!) place in an ashtray and burn. You can find them in almost any French pharmacy or hard wear store and a packet of 36 costs just a couple of euros. Oh, and can I just take a moment to bring your attention to the design of the packet - so retro, I think it's fabulous!

The strips of paper are infused with benzoin, a tree resin that is used in perfume manufacture as a fixative. When they burn they have a light, almost vanilla like scent but they also miraculously get rid of stale scents and bad odors, they are almost a 'deodorant' for a room. They are great to use in the winter when it's too chilly to open windows up for long enough to air a room. I also like to use them when I have been cooking something which has a smell that tends to linger - fish or fried food for example.

I've never seen them for sale here except for on Amazon but you can buy them direct from www.papierdarmenie.fr. or if you have French friends you could sweet talk them to send you some!

Big Little Lies.

Big Little Lies tells the stories of Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, mothers of young children who attend the same kindergarten in a seemingly perfect Australian seaside town.  But of course it isn't perfect... The book opens with a murder but we don't find out who is killed and by whom until the very end.

I don't want to say too much about the plot as it is hard to do so without giving away much of the story but it is a good 'domestic suspense' tale. It is a beach type read, easy to read and follow with the story made up of very short chapters. 

Although the murder is the main plot there are a lot of sub plots going on here and plenty of playground politics to keep you amused. The characters are well drawn and highly believable, the prose flows and the story progresses quickly. I wasn't blown away by the conclusion of the book - everything gets tied up almost a little too neatly but I did enjoy it thoroughly apart from that. 

If you are looking for a light read that will keep you guessing I think you will enjoy this.  

The Joy of Perfume Vials.

In keeping with January's theme of economy let me share my love of perfume vials as they are almost always free!

Now I wasn't always a fan of these, when I received them in GWP's or had to check boxes to select samples they weren't the ones that 'sparked joy' as it were. But ever since I purchased the Etat d'Orange Libre Sampler I've come to see them in a whole new light...

Not only are they are a great way of trying a new perfume (states obvious, I know...) and educating your nose, you can see how they develop over a lengthy period of time and also if they last on you (Shout out to Jo Malone - yes, you smell divine for all of ten minutes on me).

As I don't have a 'signature fragrance' they are an ideal way for me to chop and change my scent without having to invest $$$ in a full sized bottle. 

When I go to work I don't like to wear overpowering fragrances but softer/natural/clean scents aren't something I would choose to buy as they aren't what I would wear by choice. With vials I can get a variety of these types of scent for nothing. 

  They are also so handy for travel as you can pop a few in your make up bag and have a selection of scents to wear on a trip rather than risking packing a large bottle and having it leak (which has happened to me).

If there's something that I do like I can select it and stockpile a few vials. If I get something that I hate or that smells odd on me I can always use it as a room spray. 

I have a lot and I'm going to be using them rather than letting them languish unloved in my sample box.

  Perfume vials - you rock!

The Silkworm.

Cormoran Strike and his trusty sidekick Robin are back in the second detective novel by 'Robert Galbraith'.

This time Strike is called upon to investigate the disappearance of missing author Owen Quine. When Strike discovers the writer's body in grisly circumstances it becomes a murder investigation with Strike in a rush against time to find the true killer in order to prevent the wrong suspect being tried and jailed for murder.

 Just as in the previous book featuring Strike this is a classic Whoddunit/murder mystery with red herrings aplenty before the final reveal of the true murderer .

Again it's a bit of a page turner, well written with lots of everyday scenes and details that make the story and characters seem very realistic and believable. 

I really enjoyed this in spite of the similarities to the first novel (there's definitely a 'formula' at work here) and it kept me intrigued to the end. In fact I think that I enjoyed it a little more than 'The Cuckoo's Calling' and I'm very much looking forward to reading the latest book in the series.

Recommended if you are a fan of detective/mystery.

Cheap Thrills - Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel.

I was given my first bottle of Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel in a goody bag and it wasn't a case of love at first sight... There was that packaging for a start, MB's packaging isn't appealing, it looks and feels cheap with a somewhat home made (not in a good way) looking label and a top that looks as if it's going to clog up and leak at the same time. Then there's the colour, it's green, a disturbingly bright shade of green at that, that has a slight pearlescence to it. And then there's the scent, it's a strong almost overwhelming perfume that bears no relation to skincare but smells like something your Granny would wear if she were 'a bit out there'.

I tried it expecting to be seriously underwhelmed and use it once before demoting it to use as a hand soap but I have to admit I was totally wrong! It's seriously good stuff, a non foaming gel that does a great job of removing make up and rinses off easily leaving my skin feeling soft, clean and balanced without any tightness or dryness. 

I like to use this for a morning face wash or first cleanse anytime and a second cleanse in warmer weather. It has AHA's from grapefruit and papaya so there's a gentle exfoliation going on when you use it and it preps for skin for treatments brilliantly.

And it falls into the cheap as chips category as it's $14.00 for 8fl. oz. Yes $14.00 for a big bottle of a rather brilliant face wash - Insane!

Suitable for all skin types, you can order it online at mariobadescu.com or bluemercury.com Go on I think you will like it!

Humans of New York Stories.

Humans of New York Stories is the second book to evolve from Brandon Stratton's blog Humans of New York. I'm sure that you will have seen various posts from the blog even if you don't follow it. It is a simple yet clever idea: take photos of New Yorkers on the street and accompany their photograph with a few words that tell their story or give an insight into who they are or what they are doing.

Not only are the photos in here great - I love looking at people and people watching so it was bound to appeal to me - the  stories are thought provoking and the editing is very well done. 

Some people's stories are a page long, some are just a sentence or a few words but they are all very insightful. Some are mundane but the majority of them make you stop, think and re examine the picture so that you see it in a different light.

Originally I thought that I would dip into this and flick through it but I ended up reading it cover to cover - it really was a page turner. 

This is a great coffee table book and would make a splendid gift for almost anyone.

It is a quite a bit more than a mere book of photos.

Recommended.

Walmart Beauty Box Winter 2015

When I came back home from my trip on Christmas Eve my Winter Walmart Beauty Box was waiting for me.

(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).

If I'm being honest I was a little underwhelmed by this season's box - there wasn't even a full sized item in it. There were three generously sized samples/minis however.
The most useful of these to me was the Nspa Rich Body Cream in 'Coconut" which I will use but I will save it until the Summer when the coconut scent is more 'seasonally appropriate'.

There is a 1oz atomizer of Pantene 4 Hairspray and a 2.25oz tin of Pure Silk Shave Cream which are both not bad in themselves but I don't often use either shaving cream or hairspray...

There are sample sachets of Burt's Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum and Olay Regenerist Luminous Moisturiser and a sachet containing two Centrum Vitamints Multivitamins and that's it for actual products.This box does contains a lot of money off coupons, but the only one that I may use is one for $3.00 off a Roc anti-aging product.

I don't think that this box is totally bad (Indeed I feel churlish complaining about it as it is 'free') it's just unfortunate that it contains a selection of products that don't appeal to me. As ever with subscription boxes some are a hit and some are a miss... this one costs so little that I'm quite happy to accept that it won't always be my jam and it is always fun to get a package of goodies in the post. 

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

2015 - All the Empties!

And the final tally for 2015 Empties is 144 full sized and 272 samples and minis! 

Body Care.

Each year body care produces by far the greatest amount of empties. This year I used up two body scrubs and thirteen body washes. I'm an avid user of body lotions (fifteen) and hand creams (thirteen). I didn't use up any full sized bottles of perfume but I did finish plenty of sample vials.

Hair Care.

I'm always surprised how few shampoos I get through! This year it was six bottles and, as usual, I used almost double the amount of conditioner  - eleven bottles. Although I use hair serums/oils/leave in conditioners daily I only finished two.

Skincare.

Cleanser is the facial product that I use the most of. This year I finished seventeen of them: one oil, five solid balms and the other eleven a mix of gels, creams and milks. I have to confess to using four packets of wipes while traveling. This is less than last year and I'm hoping to not use any in 2016. I do like to remove my eye make up with a specific eye make up remover and used up five of these.

I used five toners, three of which were exfoliating ones and I also used seven facial spritzes/sprays for general refreshing/hydrating and setting purposes.  I didn't use up any full sized micellaire waters or scrubs this year.

Treatment wise I finished seven serums, four eye creams, ten moisturizers and two facial oils. I didn't finish any full sized masks as I had a lot of samples that I used up.

Oh, I also used three sunscreens up which doesn't sound like much but I only use them on my face as I don't sunbathe or sit in the sun.

Make Up.

Make up is always hard to finish as most things tend to last a long time.

No lipsticks were finished but there were three lip glosses emptied and three lip balms used.

I use primer and tinted moisturizer every day and finished two of each. Two concealers, one highlighter and one blusher were also used up on my face. 

Finally eye products: one eye primer, one eye shadow, one eye liner and one mascara (I use mostly mini mascaras) all hit the bin.

That is a satisfying amount of empties!