Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries.

There's quite a simple plot to this one (which you will be familiar with if you have already seen the recent film). Our heroine Bridget finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. The problem is that she does so after brief flings with her two old flames, Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver. Bridget's dilemma? Which one of them is the Father?

This is a witty simple story and it is a very quick read indeed. It contains all the usual chaos and panic that is in a trademark Bridget Jones book and a whole host of supporting characters who are all familiar characters. It's Bridget so I can't say that I disliked it but never the less Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries did feel dated and formulated.

I think I'm correct in saying that this was written after the recent Bridget Jones's Baby film so I feel that it is merely a money spinner for the author that was pushed out as a film tie in. I'm fine with that, but perhaps this is a book best left to die hard Bridget fans.

A Small BeautyRestock #2.

I feel that I have written a lot of posts of late about freebies and samples but not shown what I have actually bought. Here are the things that I have actually parted with cold hard cash for...

Unusually for me there are quite a few bits of make up. 

Firstly YSL Touche Eclat Neutraliser in the shade 'Bisque'. This is one of the newish range of colour correcting Touche Eclat pens which in addition to highlighting also neutralises colour imperfections. This peachy one is perfect for disguising dark under eyes circles and blends perfectly without settling into fine lines and creases. (There is also a green toned one to help correct redness and a violet one to counteract dullness and yellow tones). 

Once a year CVS  have a very good promo on NYX lip colours. This year they were 99 cents each! I bought a Butter Gloss in 'Fortune Cookie', a nude gloss that indeed does feel buttery and moisturising along with another nude that has slightly more slightly more shimmer from their Pump It Up range (the shade is 'Kim') . They both show a little paler than their packaging would indicate, but they are both very wearable. Kim has a slight tingle on application but apart from that is almost a dupe for my all time favourite gloss, Chantecaille Brilliant Lip Gloss in 'Modern'.

Four eye shadows (and yes they are almost all the same colour!). I'm trying to replace one colour from a NYX Dream Catcher Palette and three separate trips to Union Square's pop up NYX store have resulted in three different nude matte shadow purchases none of which is the one (although at least they are, rather miraculously, different shades). If you want a nude taupey brown I can recommend all three of these colours: #10 Underneath it all, #27 Happy Hour and #4 3S.O.S.

The final eye shadow I bought was a Kevin Aucoin Single Powder Eye Shadow, shade #105 'Taupey Grey' at the Space NK store opening in Brooklyn. It is more pigmented and much finer than the NYX shadows and it errs on the greyish side - very easy to blend and flattering when worn - perfect for a smoky eye( but still not quite what I was after!) 

I've been wanting a fancy face mask for some time and had been considering splurging on one from Sisley but when I was at the Space NK opening I finally caved in and bought another that I had been coveting: Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask. I've used this before and although pricey it is well worth the expense. It is a clay mask that is gentle and non drying, you can use it very sparingly and it is so easy to flannel off (I am over messy clay masks!) When you take it off you are left with clean evenly toned and brightened skin that feels softened and looks glowing. It really is incredibly good - now I just need a super fancy hydrating mask as well...

And then two gift cards arrived for me, one from Space NK, and one from Sephora. 

I used the Sephora one on the Dr Dennis Gross Hydration Heroes Skincare Set. 

Dr Dennis Gross is one of my favourite skincare. This set represents contains four Medi Spa Peel Treatments which is a weekly clinical strength peel with a firming peptide rich moisturising milk to apply after, along with a full sized jar of Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion, a hyaluronic acid rich moisturising gel especially suitable for dehydrated skin and a sample of Hydration Booster which is an intense moisturising serum that you can use either by itself or add to other products.

There wasn't anything that I was desperate for from Space NK so I decided to use the gift card and my Ndulge points on some luxury haircare products. I picked out another value set, from OUAI. This set contains full sized bottles of Repairing Shampoo, Repairing Conditioner and Hair Oil along with a handbag sized Dry Shampoo. 

I don't often indulge in luxury hair care so when I do it is a special treat and I can't wait to start using these.

And that's it, I'm all stocked up and hoping to not get tempted by any more products too soon!

Happy Holidays!

Today I will eat drink and be merry but I will be back as usual on Tuesday! 

Enjoy!

Sephora Weekly Specials #2.

No sooner had I sent off a Sephora order when a $15.00 gift card arrived in my inbox! As it was only valid for a limited time on it I went ahead and ordered something that I sorta needed simply so I didn't miss out.

I did want to grab another of their Very Merry Mini bags for my weekly special gift but that promo is one per customer unfortunately so I chose another special that was a pouch containing twelve samples (This promo is no longer available).

Make up wise there was a sample card of Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Cream and a blister pack of Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation both of which contained four different shades.

There was also a sachet of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (which is my favourite primer) and a sachet of Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer which I look forward to trying. The final make up item was a blister pack of The Estee Edit Pore Vanishing Stick which I assume is a silicon based blurring/smoothing primer that will be fun to play with.

Skincare samples are sachets of Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask and Josie Maran Pure Argan Oil along with a couple of Sephora Express Eye Make Up Remover Wipes which I have had before and find to be very effective and convenient.

For hair there is a sample of Living Proof Prime Stye Extender, a leave in cream that smooths hair, repels dirt and keeps oil under control and for the body a sachet of L'Occitane Almond Body Milk.

There are also two vials of perfume. Versace Bright Crystal, a fruity floral which I find to be a little too sweet and generic for my tastes and Mark Jacobs Decadence which is much more my kind of scent, a warm sexy amber that is very sultry.

Of course I picked out three standard samples:Yves Saint Laurent Forever CC Primer and Sunscreen, Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale EDT and finally a vial of Dior Sauvage EDT for Mr C&C.

That's quite a healthy haul of samples to play around with isn't it? Do I sense a month of foil in the future perhaps?

Nutshell.

In a dilapidated London townhouse an eight and a half month old fetus bears witness as his Mother and her lover plot to kill his Father. Can the unborn baby will himself to be born in time to foil the deadly scheme and escape of the killers?

That in a nutshell is the plot of Nutshell the latest book by Ian McEwan. On paper it sounds too bizarre a concept to pull off, but this is Ian McEwan, so of course it all somehow magically manages to work and it is a credible read. This is a shortish novel so it is a quick read but nonetheless, despite being somewhat quirky, it is an entertaining and engaging story. 

I like all of McEwan's books so, if like me, you are a fan I am sure you will enjoy this. The plot is intricate and the writing is stylish and sparse. (My only criticism is that it took me some time to stop voicing the extremely erudite fetus in a Stewie from Family Guy accent...)

That aside I loved everything about this unusual book.

Recommended.    

The Couple Next Door.

When their babysitter cancels Anne and Marco decide to go ahead with their planned evening out. After all they are only going to dinner at their next door neighbours and they are going to take the baby alarm and check on their sleeping baby every 30 minutes. What could possibly go wrong?

I don't think I'm giving too much away if I let you know that, of course, the baby is taken by someone, as this is revealed very early on in the book. The question is: who has taken the baby and why?
After this dramatic start the rest of the book deals with the who and why - police procedure, family speculation and the suspicions of Detective Rasbach who is in charge of the case.

I had seen a lot about this book before I read it and was looking forward to it. Potentially it is a great plot, but I found it to be somewhat disappointing.
The story was very slow and everything was relayed in a great amount of detail, so much that it almost felt like padding. I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters here and the overall tone of the book simply wasn't dark enough for such an unnerving subject. And the ending? Well, after the big reveal it just became a little too far fetched.

I also found the style in which The Couple Next Door was written to be odd. All the sentences were very short, it was such a strange style of writing which jarred as I read, making the story seem very choppy rather than flowing effortlessly.

It's not the worst book I have read this year but overall I wasn't a fan of this one.

Surprise! A Free Allure Beauty Box!

The other day I received an email telling me to look in my mail for a free beauty box from Allure. 

I subscribe to Allure magazine and I know some other people have had a free box so I'm guessing that they are trying to get either more subscribers for the box or to keep magazine subscribers subscribing. I am a tad mystified as to why Allure sent out free beauty boxes but I'm not complaining...

The box I received is one of the variations that was sent out to Beauty Box subscribers in October this year and I must admit that it's a pretty good box. 

Inside were the following:

. Spongelle Body Wash Infused Buffer (Full size, value $15.00). I've never seen these before! This is a synthetic sponge that is infused with a body wash. The sponge itself is quite hard so this product will buff and exfoliate as you wash. This cruelty free bath time treat is vegan and free of parabens. It is beautifully fragranced with Freesia and Pear and lasts for around 20 showers. I adore the scent of freesias and I like a scrubby sponge so this is a perfect product for me!

 There is also a token for 25% off Spongelle products on line. These would make great sticking fillers or Secret Santa gifts don't you think?

. Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter (30ml, value $8.00). Tatcha products are an indulgence, even the way they package their samples feels very luxurious. I haven't tried any Tatcha body products but have always been pleasantly surprised by their face products. This blue toned body cream has a faint spa like smell and feels soothing and silky on application. I love body creams and butters and can't wait to try this out!

. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (50ml, value $10.00). Dry shampoos are something of a staple in subscription boxes (along with eye liners, mascaras and lip products) aren't they?

I don't use them for cleansing my hair but I do like to use them to add volume (especially now we are in 'hat hair' season). Generally, I like Klorane products so I will add this to my stash and give it a go.

. Brigeo Don't Despair, Repair! Hair Mask (29ml, value $9.00). This deep conditioning mask is free of sulphates, parabens and silicones so it's suitable for my dyed hair. My hair always feels softer and has less frizz when I use a mask such as this and I need to make the effort to use them more often. This tube can go straight into my shower!

. Mally Volumising Mascara (Full Size, 10ml, value $20.00.) Another sub box staple! This is great as it is full sized though, and whilst I don't know anything about Mally, I have read favourable reviews of this mascara.

. Doucce Freematic Eye Shadow (1.4gr, value $9.00). This is a shimmery, copper toned powder eyeshadow from yet another brand that is new too me. It's actually a great colour for the winter season with just the right amount of glitz to wear to parties over the festive season. 

Overall. 

This box sells for $15.00 when you subscribe to this monthly beauty box but I paid nothing for this surprise box!The contents of this box are valued at $70.00 and I liked everything in it, especially the two body items. And there were three brands represented that are entirely new to me.

However, I have to say that from reviews I have seen recently this seems to be one of the better Allure Beauty Boxes that has been issued of late. I'm afraid I'm not much of a fan of sub boxes I'm as the contents vary so much from month to month and there so are often repeat products or billing/delivery issues. For these reasons this box didn't entice me to take out a subscription even though I was impressed with everything in it.

It was a lovely surprise to find in my mail box though.

 Thank you Allure!! 

Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty Box of Dreams #2.

Facialist/blogger Caroline Hirons periodically teams up with London based online beauty store Cult Beauty to produce limited edition boxes filled with her personal selection of high end skincare. Not only are these amazing boxes stuffed full of beauty goodies, they ship for free and offer a huge saving on the normal retail price of their contents.

I purchased the first two of these collaborative boxes but didn't get the last two simply because I had way too many products to justify buying any more. This time around I still didn't need to replenish my stash but the deep discount that was offered coupled with the enticing array of products meant that it would have been foolish of me to have passed this one up!

The pricing.

 At £195.00 the price represented a discount of 48% - impressive huh? But because I was shopping from outside the European Union I didn't have to pay British V.A.T. (sales tax) which meant that I only paid £162.00. The pound/dollar exchange rate favours the dollar right now and I ended up paying $204.00. 

I have always experienced exceptional customer service when dealing with Cult Beauty and shipping was not only free it was speedy. I ordered on Wednesday and by Friday evening the box had arrived!

The Products.   

May Lindstrom The Pendulum Potion (30ml.)

This product is not yet on general sale and is previewed in the box. May Lindstrom skincare is organic and free from just about all the 'nasties' you can name (parabens, phthalates, silicone, petroleum, artificial dyes etc etc). Hand mixed in small batch production it is also very expensive. The Pendulum Potion is an oil cleanser that smells divine. I have already used this once and it is lovely, it left my face looking radiant and feeling soft!

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (30ml, full sized.)

This refreshing and calming facial spritz is suitable to use after cleansing or as an anytime pick me up. This is a seriously fancy face spray and something of a cult item. That Caroline calls it the 'Rolls Royce of spritzes' tells you everything that you want to know about it I think.

Sunday Riley Good Genes (30ml, full sized.)

This lactic acid packed serum is a staple product in my night time routine already. It preps my skin for other products, evens out skin tone and most of all it makes my complexion glow. I always have

 this product in stock and now I have a back up!

Kypris Beauty Elixer 1:1,000 Roses (14ml, full sized.)

Kypris is a newish brand that I have been dying to try. This product is a high quality blended facial oil that contains Bulgarian Rose and other oils along with a high quantity of CoQ10. This oil moisturises and protects skin and is especially suitable for dry or dehydrated skin that has been compromised by UV exposure. (That's me).

Zelens 3t Complex Essential Anti-Aging Cream (50ml, full sized).

The Zelens products that I have tried in the past have always been very impressive. This moisturiser contains botanical extracts, marine algaes and herbal oils and promises to leave skin looking firmer, plumper and smoother. I've had my eye on this but not been able to justify the price until now. (This retails for $205.00 in the U.S. which is more than I paid for the whole of this box!)

Therapie Equilibrium Bath&Shower Essence (100ml, full sized).

This bath and shower oil has been developed by an aromatherapist and is an aromatic blend of essences of rose, lavender, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood and fragonia. Apparently it helps restore energy, and dispel stress and anxiety - I'm not sure if it will do all that but it does smell fabulous!

Bella Freud Loving Candle (Full sized).

I love Bella Freud's Fragrances (and her sweaters!) and I'm always burning a scented candle so the inclusion of this is perfect for me. This is a strong smelling candle and it smells wonderful - predominately tuberose but there's a little amber and sandalwood in there to round things out. It comes in a stunning red jar which I will re purpose when I have finished with the candle. 

I am beyond excited by the contents of this box - it is simply outstanding (especially given the price!). There's not an item in here that I won't use - the ones I have tried already are stellar products and I can't wait to try out the rest. 

This is such a fantastic collaboration and so far for me it is far and away the best CHCB box so far - thank you Caroline Hirons and Cult Beauty!

Sephora Weekly Specials #1: 'Very Merry Minis'.

Do you know I don't really buy that many products from Sephora? But when I do I tend to wait until they have an interesting weekly special gift available.

One weekly special that I always take advantage is the Holiday Sample Bag. Sephora run this promotion every year around this time although it has a different name each year, this year it is called 'Very Merry Minis'. With a $25.00 online purchase you can choose one of four bags containing eight samples. This year the set I chose was called 'A Weekend Retreat'. Inside a small cosmetic bag were the following:

Lancome Bi Facil Eye Make Up Remover (50ml). This generous sample will last for some time. I have used this before, it is a two part cleanser that you shake together and it effortlessly removes all eye make up, including waterproof.

Fresh Soy Face Cleansing Milk (20ml). Although I have used Fresh Soy Face Cleanser many times I have never used this cleansing milk. I enjoy using the cleanser so look forward to trying this.

Sunday Riley Tidal (8g.). I adore Sunday Riley products and the inclusion of this brightening moisturiser was the main reason that I chose this bag! I've heard very good reviews of Tidal and can't wait to try it.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion (2ml.). How cute is this mini tube of primer? I have used this before and although it isn't my absolute favourite eye shadow base it does work well and I know that this tiny tube will last a long time as well as being handy for travel.

There are two mini lipsticks Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Creme (shade C211) which is a semi matte brickish berry tone and Sephora Rouge Shine (14, Love Spell), a sheer nude pink with a mauve-ish edge. I like these mini lipsticks as they are easy to throw in a handbag and I'm not going to be too mad if I misplace one!

 As you know I can never have too many perfume vials.
Bulgari Omnia is a Lotus based floral rounded out with creamy wood notes and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb is a sweet powdery heady floral.

To receive this bag (or one of the three other selections) simply add the promo code VERYMERRYMINIS when you check out at sephora.com

And don't forget to add three standard samples to your order. (I chose Klorane Chamomile Hair Conditioner, Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer Primer and a sample of Givenchy Gentlemen Only EDT by for Mr C&C to try.)

Space NK Brooklyn Opening Gift.

My favourite beauty store, Space NK have just opened their first Brooklyn branch in Williamsburg, an area in which I often find myself. (This could be dangerous for my wallet I fear!). I went along to their opening event to have a look at the store which is beautiful, bright, well laid out and filled to the brim with products to tempt me. 

In addition to checking out the shop and enviously ogling lipsticks I took advantage of the offer of double reward points on purchases for Ndulge members (post to follow) and was gifted a cool tote bag filled with a selection of goodies.

Inside the bag were skincare samples including sachets of Derm Institute Anti Oxidant Hydration Cream and Cellular Rejuvenating Cream and deluxe samples of Eve Lom Cleansing Balm (with a muslin cloth), Malin+Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser, Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask and Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. 

There was also the cutest half sized Oribe Dry Texturising Spray and make up samples of ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder and a Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick.

With the exception of the lipstick they are all things that I have tried before - there's a great selection of classic/cult products represented here!

Space NK is located at 229, Bedford Avenue on the corner of N4th Street in the heart of Williamsburg.  

Clinique GWP at Saks 5th Avenue.

It's rare that I buy anything beauty related without it being on offer or coming with a GWP. Of the two I'm generally most exited about the GWP as it is a great way of discovering new products and the mini sized products that they contain are excellent for traveling with. 

Clinique was, I'm pretty sure, the brand that first got me into the whole GWP thing in the first place and although the brand frequently offer some very nice GWP's and has some outstanding products it isn't often that I purchase anything from their range these days. However, Mr C&C likes to use the Clinique for Men Post Shave Healer. He needed some recently and when I ordered it for him I was thrilled to see that the order qualified for the GWP shown above. 

Along with a vibrant orange and silver cosmetic bag (not shown) are the following items:

.Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream (1.4 fl oz). Perfectly sized for a handbag this cream feels rich but isn't at all greasy. It absorbs instantly to protect and restore hands.

.Sculptwear Lift and Contour Serum for Face and Neck (.5fl oz). This is a lightly textured gel like serum that promises to tighten and tone skin with continued use. It can be used in the morning and at night. It feels cooling on application and I found that it layers well with other products.

.All About Shadow Eyeshadow Palette. I have purchased these eyeshadows before and I like their formula. The pigment in them is decent and they blend and last well. This palette contains four wearable neutral shades along with a light toned highlighter/base and a dark almost black shade for use a liner. Unlike a lot of palettes I can see myself using all of the colours in this one although I'm going to throw away those two hideous foam applicators!

.Moisture Surge (.5 oz). This is an intensely hydrating gel cream moisturiser. I've purchased this in the past and it's marvellous for taking care of skin that becomes dehydrated in cold weather.

.Colour Pop Lip Colour+Primer. A mini long lasting semi matte lipstick with a built in primer. I like the formula of this but it is a little too pink for me to use.

.Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara. I've yet to try this but it has a big brush and promises to add volume to lashes. Clinique mascaras are some of my favourites so I am looking forward to trying it out.

Still available in stores and from saksfifthavenue.com the gift is free with any Clinique purchase of $40.00 or more. Why not pick one up for yourself along with your holiday shopping?

Empties November 2016.

I seem to be having some sort of 'unofficial end of the year resolutions' going on. Not only have I been trying to get up to date with book I have been making a diligent effort to finish as many beauty and bathroom products as possible before opening new ones.

Last month I emptied thirteen full sized and seventeen sample products and truth be told I wasn't expecting to finish many this month so I'm very pleased (and somewhat amazed!) to report that in November I managed to finish even more! Thirteen full sized products again and twenty three samples.

Skincare.

I took time out and used a Sephora Rose Sheet Mask. I have to admit to not enjoying sheet masks all that much, this one was supposed to be ultra moisturising and brightening. It was saturated with product but I don't feel that it made much difference if any to my complexion...

I only used up four full sized skincare items this month. 

Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cleanser which is a gentle yet effective creamy cleanser, one of my favourites for both removing make up and cleansing skin. 

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme are easy to use, effective and cheap. I have enjoyed using these nightly - they aren't at all 'extreme' as they only have 5% glycolic acid. 

I was also impressed with First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream. It is relatively inexpensive and did a good job of smoothing and hydrating the skin underneath my eyes so it appeared brighter. Plus it didn't make my sensitive eyes smart and has practical packaging that was hygienic and handy for travel. Good for either day or night time use, I'm sure I will buy this again in the future. 

I don't tend to use Caudalie Beauty Elixir as a toner but I do like to use it sometimes at night or when traveling. This bottle is still about half full but the spray pump is broken and I cannot remove it to decant the remaining product which is very annoying...

I'm not a big user of Micellaire Water but the Caudalie one is pretty good and it even removes waterproof make up effectively. Dermalogica Pre Cleanse is a simple but effective make up removing cleansing oil with a pleasant grassy fragrance.

Funnily, although I love the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads Extreme I'm not so keen on the normal version which have a strong cologne like scent. This small five pack jar was handy for a trip however.

Mila Moursi Lifting Serum is a daytime serum that does have a temporary tightening effect but this also has quite a strong cologne type fragrance that isn't to my liking.

Sunday Riley Good Genes is my go-to night time serum. I adore this product but this tube was even better than normal. I'm not sure if it has been reformulated in some way or if this was merely a production blip but this sample was thicker and richer in texture than usual - more of a silky cream than a serum and needless to say it was amazing.

Trilogy Rose Hip Oil is something of a classic product. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it, it smelled a little too funky and earthy for me. 

Malin +Goetz Recovery Oil smelt much better (of geraniums and herbs) and it absorbed easily but I did find that I needed to use quite a lot of it.

  Rodin Olio Lusso however was lush. It smelled beautifully of jasmine, absorbed wonderfully and left my skin glowing and soft. This was so light and lovely I was even using it during the day and the small vial I had lasted for a good amount of time even with twice daily use. This is definitely going on my wish list!

I liked both samples of eye cream that I finished: Jouviance Restructive Eye Cream and Chantecaille Stress Repair. The Chantecaille cream was the richer of the two and best when used at night (it's also eye wateringly expensive). 

I finished four face cream samples. 

Rodial Bee Venom Moisturiser plumps my skin a little and feels very nourishing, I have to say that I am almost always impressed with Rodial products! 

I also liked Garnier Clearly Brighter which is a daytime brightening moisturiser with SPF15. It was very comfortable to wear under make up and didn't feel sun screen like in any way. I thought that it was a very good affordable skin cream. 

 The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Cream was nice but not outstanding in anyway. 

L'Occitane Comforting Cream Light was my least favourite of the four. I don't do all that well with Shea Butter face creams and this did give me a spot. I also disliked it's strong baby powder like scent a lot. 

Body care.

Dial Coconut Water Body Wash is one of my favourite drugstore body washes. It smells very nice - not too coco-nutty, makes lots of lather and it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and itchy. 

The Body Shop Shower Gels also produce an abundance of suds and leave my skin feeling comfortable. I enjoyed this Papaya one which smelt delectably fruity without being cloying or overtly sweet. 

C Booth Body Butters may be my favourite reasonably priced body cream. I always pick one up if I see them. They are intensely moisturising without being greasy and are free of parabens, sulphates and mineral oils. They also smell great, this one was scented with Egyptian Argan Oil which was  warm and comforting. 

I used three mini body lotions. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair and Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion are both effective but not very exciting to use. 

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturiser with Monoi smelt great but I'm simply not into 'in shower moisturisers'. For me they don't seem to be as effective as 'normal' body lotions and I find I have to wait quite some time before dressing which is annoying. 

Lastly, body wise, I used a handbag sized tube of Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream. This is a hydrating formula that isn't greasy and it smells light and fresh.

  

Haircare.

Juice Organics Repairing Conditioner was okay but not outstanding in anyway. I disliked the Repairing Shampoo which had an odd thick gel like consistency. I found I had to use quite a lot of it in order to get it to spread throughout my hair. 

Giovanni Tea Tree Treat Invigorating Shampoo smelt of peppermint which was lively and invigorating but otherwise it was simply a basic shampoo. 

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner was almost more of a quick mask rather than a conditioner. TBH I found it a little too thick and rich for everyday use but I would certainly get it again to use a couple of times a week. 

I'm very much on the fence about It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Product. Some days I used it and my hair looked very good, other days it made my hair look and feel greasy and weighed down. I think that this is one leave in product that you need to be quite sparing with and not use every day if you have fine hair. It's a little pricey for a supermarket product but I might buy this again for occasional use. 

A leave in product that I did like was Davines Oi All in One Milk. It smelt lovely and made my hair amazingly soft and silky without weighing it down.  

Make Up and Fragrance.

I didn't finish even one small vial of perfume this month but I did manage to use three make up products. Another tube of Chantecaille Just Skin in my usual shade 'Nude' and a sample size of their Faux Cils Mascara, both of which are great. 

At the other end of the price scale I finished off a somewhat raggedy looking tube of Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch (coincidentally also 'Nude') which is a very good drugstore Touche Eclat equivalent that gives decent coverage as it highlights and is very easy to apply and blend.

November produced a satisfying amount of empties. I really don't expect to have so many next month, but that's what I said last month! I'm interested to see exactly how many products I will have finished when I tally up the empties for the whole year... 

The Rise, The Fall and The Rise.

Brix Smith Start's autobiography opens with a privileged childhood in Beverly Hills. During her teenage years Brix becomes obsessed with music - specifically English music. A chance meeting with The Fall's lead singer, Mark E. Smith in Chicago leads to their falling in love and she moves to a grim 1980's Manchester and becomes a member of The Fall at the height of their popularity.

Following the break up of her marriage to Mark, Brix leaves the band and moves to London where she embarks upon her own musical career before becoming a successful fashion retailer/stylist and eventually a popular British TV personality.

This was a fantastic read! It's candid and revealing as well as being very humorous. I loved the way that she told her story. It was well written in a chatty style and I finished this feeling that I had really got to know her. (I must say that it took me some time to get through this book, but that was only because I kept putting it down to look up something on line or watch something on YouTube that had been mentioned in the book.)

Before reading this I didn't know much about The Fall and I didn't know anything about Brix Smith Start so I didn't have much in the way of expectations when I picked The Rise, The Fall and The Rise up - I've come away full of admiration for this talented stylish woman.

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