Walmart Beauty Box Spring 2016.

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 saving coupons you pay just $5.00 for shipping.

I always feel that I receive my box rather late and whilst last season's box wasn't worth shouting about this time around it was definitely worth the wait. My first thought was that it was somewhat heavier than previous boxes and therefore that it would contain more products than the winter box. 

Let's take a look inside...

Coupons. 

Last month's box was heavy on the coupons and short on product. This month I only had three coupons. One was for a dollar off L'Oreal True Match Make Up which came on a card of color swatches. There was a dollar off Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Acne Correct and Cover Moisturizer which came with two small samples and finally a coupon for $3.00 off Burt's Bees BB Cream which also came with a sample. 

I won't use any of the coupons but I may try out the Burt's Bees sample.

Samples.

There are samples of L'Oreal Age Perfect Glow Renewal Oil, CeraVe Healing Ointment and Vera Wang Embrace EDT (Embrace smells of Violet, Periwinkle and Iris. I love the smell of violets and this is a lovely feminine scent, it isn't too sweet or sickly as violet can sometimes be). I will use all of these.

Minis.

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste. A generously sized tube. I won't use this myself as it isn't recommended for sensitive teeth.

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shampoo. Unfortunately as I'm blond I won't use this but it's a good sized sample of a quality product that I will pass onto someone... Maybe they will send out samples for blonds in a future box?

Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer. I will use this as it is for fair to medium skin tones. I have used it before and like it as it gives a very subtle color build up.

Biore Baking Soda Cleanser. I used to use Biore products but haven't since I stopped using SLS and foaming products on my face. This looks intriguing but I will use it as a body wash.

Curel Itch Defense Body Wash. This is a repeat product from a previous box but I don't mind as I like Curel Products and small shower gels are always great to have on hand for travel.

Full sized.

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Colour Stick in the shade 'Pink Grapefruit'. This is Neutrogena's version of a Chubby Stick. It is a pale mauve/pink that feels moisturizing but at the same time manages to pack quite a punch of color and it smells and tastes, not unpleasantly, of grapefruit. 

Overall, I think that Walmart have really stepped up their game with this box. There's a bundle of great products in here and the value far exceeds $5.00! Sure, there are a couple of things in here that I won't use but that's because of my personal preferences rather than them being bad products and I will pass them along to people who can make use of them. 

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).

Forty Rooms.

In Forty Rooms Olga Grushin tells the story of a woman's life by relating a chronological series of incidents that take place in forty different rooms that she has spent time in over the course of her life.  Born in Russia, the woman moves to America to attend college. From childhood she has dreamt of becoming a poet and living an unconventional life and although she continues to compose poetry for most of her adult life she is never a poet and settles into the life of a suburban wife and mother. We never get to know what the woman is called other than her married name of Mrs  Caldwell.

This book has had very favorable reviews and I was looking forward to reading it immensely. I was intrigued by the idea of telling a life story through the device of forty rooms and it was a very effective method of doing so. However I have very mixed feelings about the book... 

I really disliked the first one hundred or so pages of the book that dealt with the protagonist's childhood and adolescence. I found this part of the book to be very slow moving and there was a lot of dialogue with an imaginary friend and details of dreams and day dreams that didn't appeal to me. 

The second two thirds of the book were much better for me as the story moved at a faster pace and I found the story to be more interesting. 

Forty rooms is well written and there are a lot of different themes explored within it but for me it was a very uneven read whilst there are some very good parts I don't think that it lives up to the exceptional reviews that it has received...

Food Diary - What I Ate in a Week.

I'm a huge fan of New York Magazine's Grub Street Diet, a weekly posting where they ask people to record what they ate in a week - in fact it is one of my favorite things to read and I look forward to it each Friday (grubstreet.com).

I was at home for the whole of the week detailed below and there's more eating out than usual so here is my very own version of 'Grub Street Diet' or 'What I Ate in a Week'.

Sunday.

I never ever eat breakfast but I always have a hot drink (or three) first thing in the morning. I wake up in Florida, have a quick coffee and leave for the airport as I'm going home after a week working away.
At Palm Beach Airport after checking in I get a small skinny latte from Starbucks, it's very far from my favorite coffee but reliable. Inevitably, my flight is delayed. I'm going to be starving by the time I land in NYC mid afternoon and there's not much choice here food wise so I opt for what I think is one of the better options available, a Quizno's Tuna Sub. I load it up with pickle slices and banana peppers and it's OK, not hugely tasty but at least I won't get hangry...
I'm flying JetBlue so I have a packet of their blue potato chips on board and water - I always drink a ton of water throughout the day regardless of whether I'm flying or not.

As soon as I get home I have coffee (french press with milk and sugar) and then another cup around six o'clock.

We head out to our local pizza joint, Panello, (panellopizza.com) for dinner around eight-ish. They make excellent thin crust 'proper' pizzas and it's BYOB. Mr C&C and I split a pizza with ricotta and speck and another with kale and hot sausage and drink Mirrasou Pinot Noir that we brought from home.

Monday.

Today is an at home day for me and I fill it with errands and catching up on things I didn't do last week. My morning routine at home is a small tumbler of orange juice, a mug of PG Tips tea and then a mug of french press coffee. Sometimes mid-morning I have another french press - today is one of those days.
Around one o'clock I realise I'm starving and make a quesadilla with cheddar and plenty of hot sauce. I also have plain Greek yogurt with a dash of maple syrup.

Dinner is at home and I make some soba with spinach and sesame from the Wagamama book and bake some teriyaki salmon. I drink a Chubb Scottish Ale - it's a heavy beer and I'm not too keen on it but the salmon is excellent!

Tuesday. 

It's another at home day with errands so I start with the usual orange juice, PG Tips and french press coffee.
I have a voucher for a free entree at Chipotle (I love free things!) so I redeem that at lunchtime and have a bowl with rice, pinto beans, barbacoa, cheese, sour cream and pico di gallo. I load it up with hot sauce and it's not bad but it's also not really satisfying. (It's also pretty salty and this is from someone who loves salt!).

Dinner is at home. There's Parma ham and I make a pea and artichoke frittata, a Canelli bean salad and roast asparagus and aubergine. I top the aubergine with some gremolata and we finish up some odds and ends of cheese from the fridge with a baguette. I forgot to buy a different beer so I have another Chubb .

Wednesday.

After orange juice, PG Tips and coffee I go into the city.
I've been in the mood for a Pad Thai recently so I satisfy my craving by stopping by Rhong Taim (rhong-tiam.com) and having one with shrimp for lunch. It's been a while since I've had Thai out in NYC and I'm a little shocked that it's $16.00 for what is essentially a take out joint but when it comes it is a huge portion and it's really good - spicier than usual with a lot of prawns. I end up eating half and re wrapping half of it for lunch at home tomorrow.

Dinner is at home and I roast some Jerk Cornish Hens that I marinaded on Monday.  We have them with black beans and rice, lashings of Pickapeppa sauce and some KBC IPA that I remembered to grab at Trader Joe's on my way home.

Thursday.

OJ, tea, coffee and a second coffee at home mid morning.
Lunch is the rest of yesterday's Pad Thai and a pint of home made hot sour soup. I made a big pot of it sort of using the recipe from the Lucky Peach cook book and froze it in portions. It's good, nice and peppery and pretty sharp. I made it meat free but added lots of mushrooms. 

I'm a bit peckish early evening and have a hand full of Planter's chipotle peanuts and a few spears of roasted asparagus.

For dinner I make Moules Farci (grilled mussels stuffed with garlic and herb butter) and Shrimp Saganaki (shrimps and feta cheese with ouzo and tomato sauce). We eat them with a baguette and drink Pinot Grigio. It's an awesome dinner.

Friday

OJ, tea and coffee once more for 'breakfast'.
I have an early lunch of leftovers - frittata, bean salad and roasted asparagus and go into NYC. I go to the IFC (ifccenter.com)and watch City of Gold. I love the film and had a packet of m and m's in the cinema, the peanut ones, always the peanut ones.

I'm meeting my husband for dinner but he's running late so I hang out in Pret in Union Square and have a macchiato. We had planned on going to Manitobas (manitobas.com) for drinks and then G.G.'s (ggsnyc.com) for a Grandma Pie (see photo) but as we were delayed we ended up grabbing a drink in a non-descript Flatiron bar, you know the sort - traders, frat boys, chicken tenders etc. I had a pale ale of some sort and then we wandered over to the West Village for a late dinner as it is on the way home.
We had Via Carota (viacarota.com )in mind but they were super busy. Buvette (newyork.ilovebuvette.com) wasn't so we ended up there. We drank Cotes du Rhone and ate chicken liver mousse, pate de campagne and saucisson, then octopus and celery salad and steak tartare. We ended up with cheese, some Tome and an American creamy Camembert type whose name I don't recall.  The food was lovely but I felt like we were eating a doll's house, tiny plates and tables, undersized cutlery and my poor husband was perched on a stool. It was far from relaxing, so although we enjoyed everything we ate and drank we won't revisit...

Saturday.

OJ, tea and coffee. Then we went out for a walk and coffee at BWE Kafe (bwekafe.com) which isn't too far from us. I had a macchiato.

We have a dinner reservation at Bacaro (bacaronyc.com) tonight so lunch is at home. I make a quesadilla and a salad with left over bean salad, jerk chicken and the last of the roasted asparagus.

Early evening we are in Soho in need of a quick coffee so we go into Dean and Deluca (deananddeluca.com). I order another macchiato to have standing at the counter. I have one sip and throw it away - it is terrible! I'm pissed off at wasting money and not getting my coffee fix.

We head over to Bacaro and get to the neighborhood early so we sit in Beverly's and I have a Laguinita's IPA. The bar creeps me out a little but the beer is fine.

Over at Bacaro we weirdly get seated at the same table as the last time we visited which was probably five years ago. Dinner is wonderful. We share snails, a plate of salumi and cheese, then have some rice balls (the low point of the meal) and then a tagliata (sliced rib eye steak and salad). We drink a very nice Barbera. I'd forgotten how much I like this place. We will come back soon. Mr C&C has an espresso and sambuca just because it's Saturday night and we go home happy after a very good week of eating extremely well.

    

Eileen.

Set in 1964, but recounted from the present day, Eileen details a week in the life of 24 year old Eileen who lives a thoroughly dreary and depressing life in a small New England coastal town. She lives with her delusional alcoholic father, has a job at the local correction facility for young boys and fills her mind with dark fantasies. 

She is an oddball, a misfit, who has never had a friend until Rebecca, a glamorous teacher with an air of mystery, appears seemingly out of the blue to tutor boys at the detention center. Eileen is fascinated by Rebecca and readily accepts her offer of friendship However, things are not always as they seem...

Eileen is a book that I think you will either love or hate - I loved it. 

It is very dark, morbid even, but it is made clear from the beginning that Eileen has managed to change her life for what she feels is the better. Eileen isn't nice, she's complicated and disturbed but I couldn't help feeling concern about her awful life and hoping that she would escape it.

Although the book describes just a week in Eileen's life it does so in such a very detailed way you feel that you understand her whole life. The prose is concise and gripping, descriptions are beyond excellent - you can sense the poverty and squalor and feel the desperation of the lives of those involved. The characterizations in this are superb, every person in the story is flawed or damaged in some way but they are handled skillfully by the author.
Its not really a thriller but there is a final twist in this dark tale that sent shivers down my spine - it was so unexpected and so well executed that it shocked me completely.

Eileen is a truly original novel - macabre and spellbinding.

Recommended.

A Small Space NK Shop.

Here's a quick peek at what I bought during Space NK's recent 'Explore16' promotion where they offered $20.00 off on all online sales of over $100.00. Now it was pretty much hot on the heels of their Spring Beauty Edit event and there wasn't anything that I desperately needed but in addition to the $20.00 discount I had an Ndulge reward of $20.00 to redeem.

Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream is one of my favorite hair products. It is a leave in conditioner that protects hair from the sun and environment and prevents it from frizzing by giving it a boost of hydration. 

It makes hair soft and shiny without weighing it down and doesn't make hair sticky or crunchy. It also smells gorgeous. 

Exceptionally easy to use, you simply apply it to wet hair and then you can either blow dry or let hair dry naturally. I find that my hair is in much better condition when I use this product and I have far less breakage. (I also use a tiny dab on dry hair to smooth flyaway hairs into place.)

I have tried the 'light' version of this but prefer the original formulation as I end up using less product for the same result.

Sarah Chapman Rapid Radiance Cleanse is new to me, but I am forever on the lookout for great cleansers as they are one of my very favorite skin care items. 

I have loved everything that I have tried from the range produced by London based facialist Sarah Chapman - it is one of my very favorite ranges of skincare. 

Rapid Radiance Cleanse is a clay based, creamy, non foaming cleanser that you can also leave on for a couple of minutes as a brightening mask. 

My first impression is that it is very similar to Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip (albeit creamier.)  

It is very pleasant to use. It feels luxuriant yet is very gentle and it rinses easily leaving my skin clean and soft. 

There's really not much to choose between this and Ceramic Slip for me but I think that this would be a more suitable cold weather clay cleanser as it feels slightly more hydrating while Ceramic Slip would be my warmer weather choice as it feels so clean and refreshing.

I'm greatly enjoying having my favorite hair cream back in stock and am happy to have found another great cleanser to add to my shelf. And the best part? I earned another $20.00 worth of Ndulge points so I will have to pay another visit to Space NK!  

Wholefoods 'Hello Beauty' Promotion.

There are some beauty gems to be found in Wholefoods' Wholebody department and until the 22nd of March all facial skincare is 25% off and there are vendors from various brands in stores offering samples and advice. 

The promotion started on Friday and I nipped into my nearest branch to browse and pick up one of the limited edition Hello Beauty Bags. With contents valued at $80.00, the bags cost $15.00 and you don't need to make any additional purchases to get one (although supplies are very limited). I don't need any more mini products and samples but I love minis and this was too good a bargain to miss... I just had to have one!

The bag itself is made of soft organic cotton and brightly lined with sari fabric. Not only is it an exceptionally nice bag it is made by rijigreen.com an eco friendly company who are committed to ending human trafficking and slavery.

Inside the bag were generously sized samples from Acure, derma e, Dr Hauschka, Evanhealy, MyChelle, Trilogy and Weleda along with a full sized mascara from Mineral Fusion and a full sized Burt's Bees Lipstick in the shade 'Sunset Cruise which is a coral/ nude tone.

I am particularly excited to try Trilogy Rose Hip Oil and I'm delighted to receive the Evanhealy Rose Geranium HydroSoul as I have used it previously and loved it.

I also received a couple of mini HydroSoul sprays and a sample of their Green Tea Clay Mask from an Evanhealy rep.

This is not only a very well curated selection of samples it is a total bargain to boot - I am very happy with this selection!   

The Past.

Tessa Hadley is one of my favourite authors and I was greatly looking forward to reading The Past. It has had many positive reviews and has been called "her most accessible novel" (which TBH I find a little odd as I have found her other books to be easy reads).

In this, her latest family drama, four adult siblings along with assorted relatives and a friend arrive at their deceased grandparent's house for three week's summer holiday.  The old vicarage in the English countryside holds a host of memories for them all, but this is to be their last visit as they have decided to sell the house.

I have enjoyed Tessa Hadley's previous books for a number of reasons: her attention to small details have enchanted me and greatly added to the atmosphere of the stories being told; her characters have been highly credible (although they have a tendency to live rather old fashioned high brow lifestyles) and her prose has flowed elegantly.

Whilst there is no doubting that the author is a highly skilled writer The Past was not a book that I could enjoy. I found the storyline to be slow and plodding with long overtly descriptive passages throughout which gave nothing to the story. Not a lot happened in this book and I failed to connect with the characters at all - they simply weren't believable. They all seemed to be very old fashioned and, indeed, I think that the book may have fared better if it were set in the past rather than the modern day, as the whole tale felt like it was set in a different era.

The ending of the book wasn't bad, things came full circle and it concluded nicely but honestly I was relieved to finally finish this dull book. The Past was a big let down for me.

Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP March 2016.

The Barneys New York Love Yourself  GWP event happens twice a year (in March and September) and it is an event that I always participate in. When you spend $200.00 in their beauty department you receive a toiletries bag containing a generous about of samples (and even regular sized items) from premium brands for the duration of the promotion. 

In addition to the main goody bag various brands offer step up gifts when you spend a certain amount on their products (these gifts and the amount that you need to spend vary greatly from brand to brand).

I always use this event to stock up on products that I use regularly and also ones that Mr C&C uses as Barneys have a great selection of skin care and fragrance for men.

This years Love Yourself bag was a bright Ikat print with a neon zipper. The bags themselves are always high quality with fashionable designs as you would expect from Barneys. I have collected many, many of them over the years and have a whole (deep) drawer full of them...

Inside the bag were the pictured above selection of generously sized samples and minis. As ever with this event there is a good mix of skin care, haircare, body care, fragrances and make up.

Standout items for me are BellaTorra Cellular Renewal Cream (this was a generously sized 12ml sample worth $70.00) and Tatcha Radiant Deep Brightening Serum (again generously sized, 10ml and worth $37.00).

As usual I purchased the majority of items from Chantecaille and Kiehls and above are the generous step up items from these brands.  Kiehl's outdid themselves by offering full sizes of their Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish and Body Butter. The body polish is lovely to use and I have a smaller tube of this in my shower right at this moment. The body butter is really sumptuous,  thick and nourishing with a delicious scent - I would use this all the time if money where no object and am thrilled with these generous gifts!

Chantecaille's extra gift was a generously sized wine colored make up pouch along with samples of their Bamboo and Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream, Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion (this is an amazing cream to use after a treatment or if your skin is feeling stressed or fragile, it is so soothing) and Retinol Intense+ which I am excited to try as I am stepping up my retinol game and am on the lookout for one that I can use a couple of times a week.

And on to what I bought... For myself I restocked Chantecaille Just Skin and Chantecaille Brilliant Lip Gloss in the shade 'Modern' these are both in my go-to everyday make up kit and I seem to always buy these at this event. I also bought my favorite bargain toner,  Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner. All the other products are for Mr C&C. As usual there's a bunch of manly Kiehl's items and also a couple of items from Menscience. He swears by Menscience Post Shave Repair Spray and whilst I was picking it up their Advanced Face Lotion caught my eye. Ultra light and oil free it contains Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids, Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin and Vitamins A,C and E - how good does that sound? I may try it myself!

And finally, just because I can, here's a shot of the whole lot together...

Quite an impressive amount of products wouldn't you say?  Right, I'm off to find somewhere to put them all away...

Cheap Thrills - Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion.

I'm a big fan of Nivea body care products. Sure, they're nothing fancy, but they are reliable, effective and offer great value for money. I am particularly fond of Nivea body lotions and the Express Hydrating Body Lotion is my favorite of the bunch.

It has a very light formulation - an almost a gel like liquid -  that is intensely hydrating and it's not heavy or sticky feeling. This lotion absorbs into my skin immediately leaving it feeling softened and it feels cooling and soothing.

 I use this year round but it is a very good product for warmer weather because of it's lightness. Although it isn't an after sun product, it's a great product to use when your skin feels a little tight from being in the sun or wind.

Fragrance wise, it has a light scent that lingers on the skin without being overpowering. There is definitely a base of that classic Nivea smell here but there is also a spa like freshness that feels very summery. It is a little powdery but isn't particularly feminine, it just smells clean so both men and women can use it.

And it is cheap! A 500ml bottle is around $8.00 (depending on where you purchase it obvs) but you can always find these on special offer, buy one get one, with cash back etc and there are very often coupons for them available. Finally it is paraben free (if that is something that concerns you).

Do yourself a favor and next time you are at the drugstore or in the supermarket throw one of these in your basket, you won't regret it!

White Line Fever.

I love biographies of rock stars and Lemmy was certainly one of the worlds biggest rock stars. White Line Fever was a relatively quick read and one that I greatly enjoyed.

It's not so much that there are fewer tales of rock and roll excess here its more a case that they are slipped into the story so casually you take them all in your stride -  there are plenty of hilarious over the top tales and incidents - but the books main focus is music making recording and touring. 

Lemmy doesn't focus much on his personal life, aside from his childhood years so I didn't feel that I learned much about him - but I did learn a lot about Motorhead!

This was a great book written in a very relatable style. It was almost like sitting down and having someone talk to you over a drink (or should I say drinks?) 

It is written in a very sardonic humorous way and there were lots of genuinely LOL moments. I enjoyed  immensely  the very unique perspective that Lemmy had on life and his vision of various things.

I absolutely loved reading this. They don't make rockstars like they used to that's for sure...

Recommended.

Product Love: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner.

I know that non exfoliating toners aren't essential but they are a quick and easy part of my routine and one that I take pleasure in. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner is one of my very favorites and  

it isn't often that there's not a bottle of this on my bathroom shelf being put to daily use. 

I simply soak a cotton pad with this and swipe it over my face in the morning after washing and use it in the same way at night after acid toning.

It feels very, very nice on my skin, cooling and soothing and it gives a little boost of hydration before I go in with the big guns - serums, oils and creams - as there is apricot, avocado and sweet almond oils in it along with glycerin. There's also sodium hyaluronate, which is a hyaluronic acid to help plump things out.

What sets this apart from other 'refreshing toners' is that it's very gentle as it doesn't have any drying alcohol in it (in fact it is alcohol free) and unlike other toners it is slightly viscous with a milk-like consistency.

It's also a bit of a bargain, a 250ml (8.4oz) bottle lasts for ages and costs just $16.00.

You can find it online at kiehls.com 

M Train

I adored Patti Smith's last book Just Kids in which she told the story of her early life, her moving to NYC and her emergence and growth as an artist. M Train isn't exactly a 'part two' of her tale but it makes a very good companion book to Just Kids.

Patti describes M Train as a 'roadmap to my life'. 

It contains her reflections on life, art and writing and touches on many varied things - travel, people, cafes, possessions, inspirations and dreams included. It also details (to great effect) memories of her personal life and family. 

It showcases her skills as a writer and is beautifully written. With just a few carefully chosen words she can portray great emotions and craft perfectly believable scenarios... You can lose yourself in her words...

Although the chapters don't follow a theme or a chronological order they feel connected somehow. You could read the book either as a whole or dip in and out of it.

The dream sequences she recounts didn't appeal to me (I much preferred the minutiae of her everyday life that she describes so well) but this is the only real criticism I had.

If you liked Just Kids you will certainly like this.

Recommended and a must read if you are a Patti Smith fan!

Cult Beauty and Barney's GWP and More...

I don't often do these kind of posts (and I hate to be an enabler) but there are some rather good beauty offers around right now. If you need to restock anything now may well be a good time to do so. 

Cult Beauty are offering all of the goodies pictured above (worth over 150GBP) when you spend 100GBP. Worldwide shipping is free and if you are shopping from outside the E.U. orders of less than 200GBP are also tax free.  If this tempts you have a look at cultbeauty.co.uk

Barneys are offering an even bigger goody bag GWP in their Love Yourself promotion! One of Barneys famous toiletry bags filled with 21 deluxe samples and full sized products is free when you spend $200.00 or more. The event runs from March 8-12 but you can pre-order at a Barneys store now. Oh, there are step up gifts available from various brands as well! If you are a U.S. shopper why not check out barneys.com and make a shopping list?

As if that wasn't enough Space NK are offering $20.00 off online orders over $100.00 from now until March 9th. Simply add the promo code EXPLORE16 at checkout. This offer excludes sale items and gift cards but you can redeem and collect Ndulge points. www.us.spacenk.com

Will you be shopping this weekend? 

I have my Barneys list ordered and I also have Ndulge points to redeem so I think I will partake in that event. I am seriously tempted by the Cult Beauty bag but a girl can have too much of a good thing so I think I will sit that one out for now...

Cleansers - Winter 2016.

It's time to check what is on my cleansing shelf!

I do this three times a year as I find that the cleansers I use change with the seasons.

Winter time calls for something that is nourishing and amps up my skin's moisture levels. NYC gets pretty darn cold, the air is dry and windy and indoor heating is excessive, all of which make my skin dry and dehydrated - it's time to get that hydration back!

Dr Dennis Gross All-in-one Cleanser with Toner is an old fave that I recently repurchased after not having used it for some time. I often reach for this in the morning. A  couple of pumps applied to a dry face, a quick massage, rinse off - that's it. Simply leave it on a little longer if you are oilier and a little less if you are dry. You don't even need to use a toner with this as it's 'all-in-one' (but I do just because I like them). I find this balances my skin very well and sorts out any congested/about to break out areas. I like the silky texture of this and it's slightly medicinal scent.

Oskia Perfect Cleanser is my balm of choice at the moment. It removes make up effectively and I often use it for my first and second cleanse. I have also been using it in the mornings when I feel that I need a bit of pampering. It has quite a thick consistency and you need to rinse well but it leaves you with baby soft skin that's hydrated and it has a dreamy spa type fragrance.

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is as cheap as chips and is a great morning face wash for me. There's a little gentle fruit acid exfoliation going on and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and cleaned but not tight or stripped. I'm always banging on about the one but it's just so good!

RMS Raw Beauty Coconut Cream is great for make up removal/ first cleanse. There definitely is a huge difference between this and the large jars of coconut oil to be found at the supermarket. If you enjoy using coconut oils you should certainly try this. It is much more refined and feels 'cleaner' and more of a beauty item somehow.  (Full disclosure time - I have recently given this to Mr C&C who is using it to moisturize and heal a post op scar -he is smitten with it.)

MV 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic smells amazing and feels wonderful but it is something that I have had trouble fitting into my routine as you don't wash it off, simply compress it into your skin. However, I have recently been using this a couple of times a week in the morning. I apply it before hopping in the shower where I find the steam helps it absorb into my face leaving it noticeably plumped. It's almost more of a treatment than a cleanser but it is lush.

Eve Lom Cleanser (in the small white pot) really isn't my cup of tea but I have a few of these from goody bags hanging around so I'm trying to use them up. I know a lot of people swear by Eve Lom but among other things I hate the smell of it. I only use this to remove make up as I find it is too heavy for cleansing my skin (as well as being difficult to rinse off completely) and I only use it a couple of times a week as it makes my skin feel clogged up with daily use.  

 Rodial Stem Cell Superfood Cleanser is something that I always pick up in the cold weather. It is a  lightly textured cream cleanser that feels very indulgent and does a great job of removing make up. I like this for removing make up and second cleansing. I find it to be very soothing and hydrating and I love that it smells delicately of roses. 

That's my selection of winter cleansing products, I will update them in June when I switch to a few lighter formulas.

Empties February 2016.

I finished nine full sized products and thirty three samples in February. I'm not sure why there were so many samples as I have plenty of full sized products on the go, I guess I just wanted to switch things up a little!

Bodycare:

Scottish Fine Soap Company Au Lait Body Butter. Even though this has mineral oil as the second ingredient I liked it a lot. It is thick but absorbs well without being greasy and has a comforting, old fashioned powdery fragrance. 

Ole Henriksen Body Sleek Hydrating Lotion. On the other hand this was something for which I had high hopes but was disappointing. I liked it's fresh light summery scent and it hydrated my skin well but it took an age to sink in. I found that I couldn't actually rub this in, I just had to smear it on and leave it to absorb - very odd.

Haircare:

Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volumizing Spray is a great texturizing spray. In fact I may actually prefer it to Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray although obviously it doesn't have that gorgeous signature Oribe fragrance.

KMS HairStay is a light spray that did what it says on the tin and kept my hair frizz free, I liked it a lot.

Skincare:

Skin Owl Eye+ came in a very generously sized pot which I found wasn't that practical or hygienic. As for the formula itself,  it had an instant lifting effect but it made my eye area feeI sticky which was uncomfortable. I wasn't a fan of this.

Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex was a perfectly good skin oil but it didn't wow me. I did love the way this was packaged with a rollerball which made applying it a breeze and meant I didn't waste a drop. 

Odacite Pure Elements Po+R (Pomegranate and Rose Geranium) was effective and felt very luxurious and indulgent - a very, very nice oil indeed. It was a fairly thick oil that smelt fabulous. I found that it did a great job of hydrating and plumping my skin and it absorbed so well that I could use it under make up. This was a skin savior in the extreme cold. I am very impressed by the Odacite oils that I have tried and think that they would be great to use as targeted treatments rather than everyday oils (purely because of their price).

Caudalie Grape Water is one of my favorite hydrating spritzes. It is an unfussy product that is very calming and refreshing.

Kiehl's Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence left my skin feeling slightly tacky. Honestly, it didn't make a big enough difference to warrant adding another step to my skin care routine.

Radical Extreme Repair Cream was a dreamy night time cream. It was silky and rich and plumping.

Make Up:

Clinique Chubby Stick in 'Whole Lotta Honey' was a brown toned nude that was a flattering color match for me. I prefer these 'regular' Chubby Sticks to the 'Intense' ones as they are quite moisturizing, almost a cross between a balm and a lipstick.

Dr Jart+ Premium BB Cream failed to convert me to the BB cream phenomena. It felt quite nice on application but left my skin looking flat without any radiance or glow and made my pores look prominent.

Perfume:

Byredo Rose of No Man's Land was a rose fragrance that was green and spiky. I found it refreshing and would recommend it as a Summer scent.

Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamom had a lovely warm base with a lighter floral on top. I liked this a lot but it lasted next to no time on me unfortunately.

I don't think I did too badly at finishing things up in February and it's always good to use up samples. I have a feeling that March is going to see an even bigger Empties pile though...