Sandwiches of New York #5.

Time to share another NYC sandwich!

What is it? Mushroom and egg sandwich.

Where is it from? C&B, 178 E 7th Street btw Ave A and Ave B candbnyc.com

How much does it cost? $9.00 + tax

What's in it? Scrambled eggs with fried mushrooms and wilted watercress dressed with a sherry vinegar vinaigrette. 

C&B is a small cafe on the side of Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. This small casual cafe sells hot sandwiches, soups, salads and fashionable bowls as well as teas and coffees. It's a small space, but it's unobtrusive frontage means that it is easy to pass by so you should be able to find a seat. If not they have a bench out front and of course it's slap bang next to the park which has plenty of benches. 

The sourdough bread is light and airy, smothered in butter it is cooked on the flat top griddle until crisp and toasty. 

Then those eggs! I find that eggs are so often disappointing when you eat them in cafes. So often they aren't cooked correctly or the eggs aren't great quality but the eggs at C&B are cooked to perfection, light and fluffy and very tasty. 

The addition of a little sharp vinaigrette to the mushrooms and watercress cuts through the richness of the eggs and butter providing the perfect balance of flavours.

I must admit that when I saw this I had my reservations... I thought it would fall apart when I tried to eat it but it didn't. Not only does it taste great, it's correctly constructed for ease of eating something that is so often overlooked in the city of the over stuffed sandwich!

I love eggs in any shape or form but especially in a sandwich and this was an amazing egg sandwich.

$9.00 is perhaps a little on the high side for a breakfast sandwich but it is certainly worth it. The ingredients are all of high quality and C&B is a charming friendly spot. 

One of the best sandwiches I have had of late, if you find yourself in the East Village looking for a tasty breakfast you should stop by C&B. I don't think you will be disappointed! 

Product Love: SKYN ICELAND Pure Cloud Cleanser.

Oh I do love a good cleanser and let me tell you that SKYN ICELAND Pure Cloud Cleanser is a very good cleanser indeed. I first received a tube of this in one of the Cult Beauty Caroline Hirons Beauty Boxes and TBH it wasn't something that I was overly excited about until I tried it... And once I had, it became one of my most reached for cleansers. A repurchase was in order and now here I am racing my way through my second tube still enamoured and yes, I will be buying a third tube before too long.

Pure Cloud Cleanser is a creamy (yet not oily feeling) cleanser that you apply to dry skin and remove with a wet cloth. I use this in the shower in the morning and as a first or second cleanse at night. I find that it effectively removes make up and leaves my skin feeling soothed and nourished. It is also the perfect consistency for facial massage and very easy to rinse away.

SKYN ICELAND products harness the powers of mineral rich glacial water and arctic fruits to calm and nourish dehydrated, stressed skin and this cleanser also contains:

Cocoa and shea butters that do an excellent job of dissolving dirt and make up.

Cloudberries which contain high levels of Vitamin C and anti-oxident rich Polyphenol.

JoJoba and Aloe to smooth, soften and hydrate.

 Moisturising glycerine and kaolin to help balance skin.

Vegan and cruelty free, containing no mineral oils, sulfates or phthalates.

Pure Cloudberry Cleanser costs $30.00/£22.50 for a 5oz tube and is available at cultbeauty.com or direct from skyniceland.com

The Girls.

Set in Northern California in the late 1960's The Girls tells the story of 14 year old Evie who is something of a  loner. One day in a local park Evie spots a group of older girls and becomes fascinated with them. A chance encounter leads to one of them taking Evie under her wing and soon she is spending time at The Ranch where the girls live with cult leader, Russell, and other cult members.

The story is based on the true events concerning the Manson family and members of Charles Manson's sect. I'm not wholly familiar with the true version but from what I know this mirrors the real events quite closely with Evie being an extra character thrown into the story.

The Girls is one of those 'Book of the Summer' type books. I had heard so much about it before it was even published and it has it has had an overwhelming amount of publicity. I'm always a little wary of reading these books that have been overhyped as I am so often let down by them and this was something of the case with this one.

The Girls is a quick read but it was a very slow starter for me, I read about a third of it before I started to get into the story. Overall, I found that the the story was lacking in depth and I never really got to grips with a lot of the characters in it. This along with the way that the book opened and followed the true story meant that the tale was very predictable. 

I didn't dislike it outright, but I honestly don't think that it deserved all the hype that it received.

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2016.

Walmart Beauty Box is a subscription box that automatically ships four times a year once you have signed up for it. Containing an assortment of full sized products, samples and money saving coupons the box is 'free' but you pay $5.00 for shipping.

This time the Fall 2016 box didn't contain any full sized products but there was a good selection of minis and samples. Let's take a look inside:

Minis.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (1.6 fl oz). I have quite a few dry shampoos already from various GWP's and boxes - they seem to be a staple giveaway.
I wash my hair everyday but even so they are something that I use either to make my hair feel fresh or to boost volume. Batiste Dry Shampoo is an English drugstore brand that has been around for years. I received the 'Original Clean and Classic' version. There are definitely better smelling dry shampoos out there - this smells very chemically to me but it is something that I will use. 

Dove Nourishing Body Wash (1.8 fl oz in the fragrance ' Sweet Cream and Peony'). Mini body washes always come in handy for travel. This creamy formula has a light floral scent and promises to soften skin. Although I don't tend to buy them I have used samples of Dove bath products in the past and enjoyed them.

Hello Toothpaste (.85 oz 'Pure Mint flavour'). I'm not thrilled to get toothpaste samples in boxes but I do use up these mini tubes. Hello make dental products out of  'natural' ingredients which sounds an interesting concept.

Clean&Clear Deep Action 60 Second Shower Mask (1 oz). This oil free mask works with the steam in your shower to deeply clean and exfoliate your skin. It contains glycolic acid and micro crystalline wax beads for exfoliation.
I thought that this would be too harsh and drying for me to use initially but after a quick read of the ingredients the only thing that gives me pause for thought is the inclusion of menthol, however it's a long way down the list so I will try this out after patch testing. 

Samples.

Village Naturals Therapy Concentrated Mineral Bath Soak (2oz). Formulated to ease aches and pains this sachet of bath salts contains enough for one bath or two foot baths. Scented with eucalyptus, spearmint and menthol they certainly sound as if they will be very relaxing. I'm not much of a one for baths but Mr C&C will really enjoy these I think.

Cetaphil Moisturising Body Cream (.5oz). I'm not fussy when it comes to body creams and lotions. This is a basic formula containing petroleum that I will use.

Biore Charcoal Pore Strip (1 x strip). I used one of these once and found that it was so difficult to remove that I was worried about breaking my skin. I guess a lot of people like these, I don't, so I will pass this along to someone.

Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nail Gummies (2 x gummies). These strawberry flavoured gummies contain Biotin for healthier hair, skin and nails along with Vitamins C and E which are beneficial to skin.
I have bought these gummies before and they are delicious! I have to say that I didn't notice any real difference in my hair skin or nails when I took them before so I won't be tempted to purchase these but I will eat this sample. 

Ecotools Make Up Brush Cleansing Cloths (1 x cloth). I've not seen these before but think they are really clever, they are like a face wipe but for your brushes! I think these are a great idea for easily cleaning your brushes when traveling and the single sachet packaging of them make them perfect for carrying in your make up bag.

Coupons.

There is only one coupon in this box. It is for $1.00 off Hello Toothpaste. I won't use this as I only buy Colgate as a rule.

Overall.

I think this is a very nice box with a good selection of practical products. I know that some people will be disappointed that there isn't a full sized item but I'm always happy to have a useful selection of samples and minis. I will use everything in this box with the exception of the pore strip and I'm excited to try out the mask and the brush cleaner. I think this is a great value box for only $5.00.
I'm a happy customer this season!

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

The Girls in the Garden.

Following a family catastrophe Clare along with her daughters, Pip and Grace, move into a London flat that backs onto a communal residents' garden. Once settled in they become part of the  local community and Clare has no qualms about letting her children roam unsupervised in the park with other local teenagers. Then the unthinkable happens, after a party Grace is apparently assaulted and is found lying unconscious in the private garden...

The book opens with the discovery of Grace and is then divided into two parts: the 'before' which sets the scene and the 'after' which slowly reveals what happened on the night in question.

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's books and I loved The Girls in the Garden. It's not a fast paced book and I don't know that I would call it a thriller - for me it is more of a domestic novel that meanders a little and slowly reveals what has happened. Although I didn't love the ending (I felt that it was a little too neat) it's an intriguing book that is skillfully written. There are a lot of characters in the book and the author not only does a great job of developing them so that they are all totally believable, she handles them and their place in the narrative extremely well.

This was a highly enjoyable read that I immersed myself in - I wanted to read it quickly but held back so that I could savour each page.

Recommended.

Barneys Love Yourself Sept 2016 - Chantecaille Step Up Gift.

Chantecaille always have a nice step up gift during the Barneys New York Love Yourself event and the latest one was no exception. However, due to some distribution problems they received them after the event so I went by the store last week to pick mine up. As ever it didn't fail to please!

Chantecaille always include a bag of some sort with their step up gifts and it is usually a small pouch. They are always very high quality, so much so that I think their bags are some of the best to be found. 

This time the bag was especially nice, made of woven raffia with an attractive pattern it was lined with cotton and zippered. It also had a fabulous tassel pull. I have a fondness for tassels but honestly, take a look, how beautiful a bag is it? 

It feels very summery and it would be ideal to throw in your beach bag so it's not exactly seasonally appropriate (unless you are planning a winter beach holiday) but I like it so much! 

These little pouches are so useful. I always have a few of them inside my handbag holding various items. Not only do they make changing over handbags that much easier, when you carry a cavernous bag around (as I do) it makes it so much easier to find and grab items as you need them.

Inside the bag were three skincare samples, Bio Lifting Neck Cream, Bio Lifting Cream+ for the face and Stress Repair Concentrate, which is an eye cream. 

They may not look like much but the combined value of these three is over $95.00. 

Chantecaille skincare contains a high level of natural plant derived ingredients and these luxurious products always feel very indulgent. I find that they are always very gentle on my skin and that a little goes a long way. These three are all new products to me and I am looking forward to trying them. 

Thank you Chantecaille for another wonderful gift!

You Sent Me a Letter.

On the eve of her 40th birthday Sophie awakes in the middle of the night to find a strange man in her bedroom. He hands her a letter and instructs her to read it aloud to the guests present at her birthday party the following day. If she doesn't something terrible will happen to her family and dearest friends...

You Sent Me a Letter starts off promisingly and I thought that the basic plot line held promise but unfortunately it failed to deliver and was not an enjoyable book for me. 

I found the style in which it was written did not match the plot, Sophie is ditsy and the story was told in a manner that felt as if I was reading a rom-com rather than a thriller. The book contained lots of light hearted humorous conversations and the majority of the book detailed the preparations being made for the party. (There is a whole chapter where Sophie is getting her hair done, another where she gets beauty treatments etc etc).

Aside from this fluffy writing style I found that the plot was simply too far fetched to be believable, there were so many elements to it that I can only describe as being silly.

I expect a thriller to be somewhat dark and menacing and to draw me in. You Sent Me a Letter felt like a fluffy read and the plot failed to engross me. I only finished it because I was away from home and had nothing else to read. It's a quick unchallenging read but it was the most disappointing thing that I have read so far this year...  

Falling.

 

British banker Emma is tired of her high pressure career in finance so she leaves New York City and her career behind to move to suburban Connecticut where she moves into a dilapidated (if potentially idyllic) beach cottage and starts to work as a freelance interior designer. Emma soon falls in love with Dominic, a handyman and barman, who is her landlord and also a single parent to six year old Jesse. Adapting to her new lifestyle and relationship presents a few challenges but all is going well for Emma until there is a  melodramatic tear jerking twist towards the end of the story.

I generally love the novels of Jane Green, they are well written and absorbing and are the type of light and easy read that I like, so it pains me to say that I did not enjoy Falling at all.  

There's not much of a plot here and the characters all felt a bit flat. I found the story to be rather unrealistic and it felt very contrived at times (the English wedding scenario in particular). There was nothing at all about this book that captivated me.

It all felt rather slapdash, almost as if the author had to bash out another story to fulfill a contractual obligation. Falling was a huge disappointment for me.      

Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP September 2016.

The Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP event happens twice a year (usually in March and September) and it is a shopping event that I always participate in. With any $200.00 purchase (pre tax) in their beauty department you receive a toiletries bag containing a generous amount of regular and deluxe samples (and even full sized items from time to time) from premium beauty brands for the duration of the promotion.

In addition to the main gift bag, most brands in the beauty hall offer step up gifts when you spend a certain amount on their lines (the gifts and the amount that you need to spend vary from brand to brand). Barneys  also carry a great selection of fragrances and skincare for men so I use this event to stock up on products that both myself and Mr C&C use regularly.

There are two versions of the main gift bag available this year, one aimed at men and one for women (I opted for the female version).

The actual bag is always very high quality with an on trend design as you would expect from Barneys. I have collected many of them over the years and they come in handy for many things aside from use as a travel wash bag. This time around the bag was a faded denim printed with the mantra of skincare lovers everywhere... 

'Glowing'.

Inside the bag were all the goodies pictured in the top photo. Love Yourself bags always include a good mix of perfume, make up, hair care, body care and skin care - something for everyone, there's even a mini Marvis Toothpaste! This bag has twenty five samples and minis and there isn't anything that is a repeat of an item in the Space NK  gift bag.
 I am particularly looking forward to trying out Hourglass Ambient Primer, Rodin Olio Lusso and Sisleya Essential Skin Care Lotion. I'm also excited to discover Davines Oi All in One Milk, and a small jar of By Terry Baume de Rose is always appreciated. This is another well curated bag and I will use every item in it.

As usual, I purchased items from Chantecaille and Kiehl's.
Kiehl's gave me a generous step up gift of three skincare samples, two deluxe skincare samples and a full sized tub of their luscious Creme de Corps Body Butter.

Onto the purchases themselves...

From Chantecaille I repurchased/restocked Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser in the shade 'Nude'. I have raved about this so many times and use it every day, it is incredibly good. I also bought a Brilliant Lip Gloss in the shade 'Classic', Chantecaille glosses are my favourites, the colours are always flattering, they are comfortable to wear and they last once on. (I had wanted to buy their Luminous Lip Gloss in 'Guava' but it appears to have been discontinued it and 'Classic' was the closest in colour)

From Kiehl's I bought  facial moisturisers for Mr C&C: a huge pot of Ultra Facial Moisturising Cream along with a jar of Rosa Arctica Cream. I also bought a large bottle of their refreshingly zingy Grapefruit Bath and Shower. Liquid Body Cleanser.

Today is the last day of the Love Yourself event. It's well worth popping into your nearest Barneys or taking a look at www.barneys.com if you need to replenish your beauty stash don't you think? 

Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP September 2016.

Tomorrow Friday 9th is Space NK's  Autumn Beauty Edit shopping event in stores and online at us.spacenk.com

It is always a great opportunity to stock up on your beauty essentials and score a very generous GWP at the same time with vendors in store offering previews of new looks and free mini treatments. Such a fun day to shop!

Members of SpaceNK's NDulge program could stop by stores yesterday and today to shop and collect their GWP - a bag containing over $400.00 worth of deluxe samples and full sized products free with any purchase of $250.00. (Space NK always do an outstanding job with their gift bags and I always plan my beauty shopping around these events).

This time the bag is brimming with deluxe samples - twenty nine in total. As usual the emphasis is on luxury skincare and there are sixteen skincare samples along with five hair care, five make up, a body cream, and a perfume and mini candle both from Diptyque. I was also given a selection of samples by a rep of Dr Dennis Gross.

I love everything in this bag and cannot wait to try out all of these goodies. There is nothing here that I won't use, it is a brilliantly curated bag!

To qualify I repurchased some of my favourite Sunday Riley items: Good Genes, Ceramic Slip Cleanser and Effortless Tinted Primer. Still on my quest to find the perfect eye cream and having been somewhat enamored with Darphin of late I also bought their Wrinkle Corrective Eye Contour Cream to try out. Who knows it may be 'the one'...

 I am thrilled with both my purchases and the gift! 

Space NK you have outdone yourselves with this bag!!

CDG Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 70's Low.

It's been some time since I have talked about shoes and while I have spent most of the summer in either flip flops or Birkenstocks I have had a couple of sneaker moments such as these playful beauties!

I had my eye on these Comme des Garcons Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 70's Low Tops for some time. 

They come in either black or white and it was the black ones that I originally coveted until I saw someone wearing a really, really beaten up white pair that looked incredibly cool. Instantly converted, I bought the first pair of white sneakers I have had since they were compulsory in school...

And do you know what? I am so pleased with them, they add a summery pop to jeans and make my outfit look fresh and crisp. I like them so much that I'm doing my best to keep them looking box fresh even though I know they look fab when they are beaten up.

Now for the design details... 

From Comme des Garcons there is the 'Play' heart emblem on the sides which is fun and eye catching,  along with a contrasting black vertical band on the heel. 

All Star 70's differ from regular Chucks in a couple of other ways (they are a modern remake of the original design produced in the, you've guessed it, 1970's). The canvas used is thicker than in the regular Converse sneaks so they feel more structured and supportive, the soles and the rubber that goes around it are also thicker and heavier. The rubber toe cap is also a little more heavy duty and in the CDG Play versions it is very shiny, all in all, they feel a lot more substantial and hard wearing than regular Chucks.

                                    

I'm very happy with these fancy sneakers. You can find them at Dover Street Market which if you find yourself in the vicinity of one are well worth exploring,whether you are sneaker shopping or not. Dover Street Market stores offer a whole new type of retail experience with items displayed almost as if in an exhibition, they are truly unique!

Play Converse All Star 70's come in Black and white (both with red hearts) and are available in both high and low tops for both men and women. They cost $125.00. You can find them here: doverstreetmarket.com

Empties August 2016.

August's empties pile ended up being a pretty decent size. I managed to finish eleven full sized products and sixteen samples. I already have a few things that have just a dab or two of product left so hopefully September's pile will be somewhat sizable as next Wednesday sees the start of not one, but two, beauty shopping events. 

Space NK hold their Autumn Beauty Edit event from Wednesday 7th until Friday 9th, where as well as in store vendors offering complimentary treatments they have an amazing GWP when you spend $250.00.  

Meanwhile Barney's will be holding their Love Yourself event from Wednesday 7th until Sunday 11th. This event offers a fab GWP when you spend $200.00 in their beauty department. For further details see us.spacenk.com and barneys.com)

And so onto the empties... 

Skincare.

I used up two cleansers. Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is one of my favourite cleansers (that is often featured here), simply a great product at a great price. 

Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser was something I bought quite a while ago after trying a sample but I found it to be very drying for me with repeated use so I re purposed it as a hand wash. (I'm also a lot more fussy about what I put on my face ingredients wise of late and I don't like things that are too foamy.)

I love Radical Age Defying Exfoliating Pads, which are pre soaked with glycolic acid and other ingredients for easy toning and exfoliating. These pads were saturated with liquid and the packaging made them perfect for travel. I did find them a little tingly so used them once a day only, rather than the twice a day they recommend. 

Simple Nourishing 24 hour Day/Night Cream is a lightly textured basic moisurising cream that was good to use at night time cream, layering over the top of serums etc to seal them. It also worked well as a day cream under make up. Although this contains mineral oils, it worked well for me and was super cheap.

Sunday Riley Good Genes, Chantecaille Rose de Mai Face Oil and their Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion are all products that I have used before and loved.

Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot has featured pretty heavily in GWP'S of late, it seems to have taken over from the Ren Gycol Lactic Mask that was in almost every giveaway bag previously. I don't love this I'm afraid. It is a watery gel like serum containing hyaluronic acid that feels tacky on my skin, I feel as if this just sits on my skins surface and I have had problems with this piling when I apply sunscreen on top.

On the other hand Darphin Stimulskin Plus Serum was divine. It felt smooth and velvety and left my skin prepped and softened. The only disadvantage to this one is it's price, it is seriously expensive.

Kat Burki Intense Recovery Eye Serum isn't as rich as the Eye Cream Complex I used a couple of months ago but it is a good, if again pricey, day time option.

I used up three masks and a sheet mask in August. 

Wei Ginko Leaf Repairing Face Treatment Pad was intensely hydrating and left my skin looking plumped, my skin tone was bright and even, and lines were softened. I

 have a fair few sheet masks and I must use them more often. 

I used the Derma/e Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask instead of a clay mask. It did make my skin feel clean but it also made me a little red so I will go back to using a weekly clay mask.

Ren Flash 1 Minute Facial is one of the newer Ren formulas that I like. It feels more like a wash than a mask, is fast and easy to use, and it  noticeably perks up my complexion. 

La Mer Lifting and Firming Mask felt like an oily cream. I didn't like its scent it didn't do much in terms of hydrating or lifting for me although it did cause a big spot to appear...

Body Care.

I finished two SpaceNK Life Body Lotions. I liked the fragrance of both of these. 'Jump Start' manages to successfully combine citrus and mint and is bright and uplifting while 'Float Away' is a floral patchouli that feels warm and sensuous. 

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Polish is a basic body scrub that smells like a delicious confection, it's very sweet, but in a good way. It leaves my skin feeling softened and smoothed but I do find that I need to apply a lot of lotion after I use it to avoid feeling itchy.

James Read Tan Accelerator saved me when I got a little too much sun on my chest and arms. I kept slathering this on and it prevented me from peeling.

3W Clinic Collagen Hand Cream felt very lightweight but it gave my hands a lot of moisture, they looked plumped and brightened when I used this (it's another one that you can keep slathering on as it absorbs very well). 

Haircare.

I'm sorry to see another Oribe Supershine Cream get emptied. It is good stuff - maybe my favourite hair finishing cream. It doesn't weigh hair down yet it keeps frizzes at bay and, of course, that smell!

L'Oreal OleoTherapy Shampoo and Conditioner were both okay, nothing to dislike or rave about here. 

 Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo had a surprisingly spicy ginger like scent and was very thin and runny, sure it cleaned my hair fine, but the scent and consistency was a bit off putting to me.

Make Up and Perfume.

 In the tube Kevin Aucoin The LipGloss  in the shade 'Passiflora' looks very bright and shimmery but the colour when worn is subtle and not at all sparkly. It's a great formula, feels nourishing, isn't gloopy, and lasts a very long time.  

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen Gloss is still about two thirds full but I have annoyingly lost the top so it has to be thrown away. I love the colour and formula but am not a fan of the tube it comes in that you need to squeeze hard to dispense.

I used up three perfume samples and liked them all. 

Atelier Cologne Figier Ardent was a green spiky fig. 

Replica Beach Walk is quite floral but it has a mineral note that makes it unusual. 

Etat d'Orange Libre Malaise of the 1970's is very masculine and aftershave like, a green scented patchouli that develops a little sweetness over time, there's a touch of amber here as well that keeps ,things interesting. 

All in all August was a good month for empties, leaving some room in my cupboard for next weeks purchases and gifts.  

CVS Beauty Day Giveaway #3.

I popped into a CVS store to grab a tube of toothpaste last week and there was a Beauty Day Giveaway going on. These spontaneous events aren't an event as such anymore it seems, it's just a random day when CVS have some free samples and coupons packaged up for you to grab either with or without purchase.

It's always worn while to pick up one of these bags - after all they are free, you don't even have to buy anything to get one for Pete's sake!

The latest one had $14.00 worth of coupons, a bunch of samples and a travel sized item.

Coupons.

$2.00 off any Maybelline face product.

$2.00 off any MUA product.

$4.00 off Centrum Vitamints.

$4.00 off Amlactin Body Lotion.

Samples.

Two samples of Vitamints in the flavours 'Cool' and 'Wintergreen'. I have sampled these before and although I'm not one for mints they are a great idea - a daily multivitamin that comes as a mint!

I

Maybelline Dream Velvet Gel Whipped Foundation in the shade 'Classic Ivory #20'. I'm not a fan of a matte skin finish as I think they can look rather flat in daylight but I am generally impressed by Maybelline products so am interested to try this out. It promises to be hydrating and the fact that it is whipped makes me think that it will be lightly textured...

From Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula there are two face and one body samples.

For the face there is a sample of their Cleansing Oil and a sample of their Facial Oil. Both are rose hip scented ( they don't contain rose hip oil however) and the facial oil contains retinal and Vitamin C.There is also a sample of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Lotion, an old classic that I have never tried!

Another lotion I haven't tried is Amlactin Body Lotion.  I have to confess I haven't even heard of this, but it says it is for very dry skin and contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid.

I recently tried to make a dent in my stash of haircare samples and I did a pretty good job so I'm happy to get more shampoo and conditioner samples.

From Carol's Daughter there is Black Vanilla Sulphate Free Shampoo and Hydrating Conditioner. I have used hair masks by Carols Daughter before and they are highly fragranced and smell wonderful so I am keen use these and see if they smell delicious also.

There is also shampoo and conditioner from Shea Moisture, Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo and Creme Rinse that I recently received in a Target box. These also smell lovely - fresh, fruity and summery. I also very much like the fact that Shea Moisture samples always offer twice as much conditioner as shampoo, as I always use more conditioner than shampoo. 

Travel Sized.

I'm not a huge fan of in shower moisturisers but will give them another chance with this 2oz travel sized Jergen's Wet Skin Moisturiser. This is another beachy smelling product scented with Monoi Oil.

I'm always pleased to get some new brands and products to try out especially if they are free, aren't you?