Sandwiches of New York #7.

It's been a while since I have been out having sandwiches for lunch due to the Holidays and all the feasting entailed but January signals a return to something like normality and once again it's time to share another New York sandwich!

What is it? Ham and Cheese Hero.

Where's it from? Court Street Grocers, 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. courtstreetgrocers.com

How much does it cost? $11.09+tax

What's in it?

Berkshire ham, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce and 'pickle dijonnaise' on a seeded hero roll.

I have heard a lot about Court Street Grocers and their amazing sandwiches and it is somewhere that I have had on my list for sometime. Recently I found myself near the original store (there are also a couple of newer branches but I wanted to visit this one) and it was around lunchtime so it seemed fitting that I should finally try it out.

The store front is very cute. It looks like an old fashioned grocers and has shelves stacked with imported foods, fancy condiments, pickles and cordials. There's a sandwich counter at the back where they make up your order and you pay at another counter at the front. There's seating inside through an archway and two benches outside, I would recommend you eat here unless you live nearby as there aren't any parks nearby (the shop is practically under the BQE). 

From what I could tell they only make a limited amount of sandwiches daily, there were daily specials, many of which were sold out, as well as more classic combinations on offer. There were hot and cold sandwiches available and also some salads. 

I opted for a very basic sandwich of ham and cheese. The cooked ham was sweet, tasty and good quality, it was a proper baked ham not a deli cold cut, but I wasn't that impressed with the Cheddar cheese which did taste like a type of deli cheddar when I was expecting a strong farmhouse type cheese. The pickle dijonnaise spread, which was a mix of mayo, dijon and dill pickles, added a tangy zip to the sandwich and the Romaine lettuce added a little crunch, crispness and moisture but the star of the show was the hero roll! 

From Caputo's, a local bakery and deli, the roll was light and crispy with enough integrity to hold everything together and it tasted of bread! It wasn't bland or flavourless as a lot of breads can be, it was so flavoursome and simply delicious. 

I enjoyed this sandwich very much, but it didn't wow me and I do think that it was a little on the pricey side. I think that Court Street Grocer's suffers from being over hyped but it is a cute spot and if I'm nearby again I would pop in and  try one of the more interesting combos that they offer.

That bread though... Next time I'm in this part of Brooklyn I will certainly be heading to Caputo's where I will buy plenty of bread and a selection of salumi for a simple (but wonderful) supper! 

The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo.

It seems as if almost every successful American female comedian has written a book of essays recently. I tend to watch hardly any 'real' television (youtube and Netflix are more my bag) so I'm not  generally inclined to pick these up, but I did chance to see a clip of Amy Schumer on SNL that I thought was pretty funny and I read an extract from The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo in Vogue that I enjoyed so I picked it up when I saw it at the library.

The book takes the form of a series of essays in which Amy Schumer is amazingly open as she talks about how her life experiences, both good and bad, have influenced her and made her the person that she is today. Among other things she discusses her family, her relationships and sex life, her career, her failures and her triumphs. 

Each chapter in this book is written in a way that is different from the previous one (for example one may be a list, another a critique of teenage diary entries) so at times it can feel a little disjointed but this didn't distract me too much from what is an honest and inspiring read written in a frank and somewhat raunchy way about what it is like to be a woman. 

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo was amusing and engaging but it wasn't (for me at least) laugh out loud funny, I was expecting it to be a much more light hearted than it was. Instead I found an inspiring read about being a woman and I came away liking Amy Schumer and her attitude very much. I admire her outlook on life and her dedication to her craft, and you just know you would have a great night if you went out with her!

Recommended.

  

Cheap Thrills: Nivea Lip Butter.

One constant in my beauty routine is a lip balm of some sort. I'm not a huge fan of the lipstick type ones which I don't find to be that nourishing which is a shame as they are so easy to carry and apply on the go.  Instead I much prefer the gloopier sort that comes in either a tube or a small pot.

Recently I have been using a jar of ByTerry Baume de Rose and while it's nice and it works just fine and everything, it isn't outstanding and for me there's something slightly obscene about the very high price of it. I mean it's a lip balm for crying out loud! (I must add here that I didn't buy the pot I'm using, it was part of a gift). At the same time I have had a tin of Nivea Lip Butter in Cocoa Butter Kiss on the go and guess what?  I prefer it by a mile! Sure ingredient number one is petroleum jelly which isn't for everyone but it also contains shea butter and almond oil and it makes my lips feel soft and smooth and comfortable. In other words it works a treat.

Some people don't like applying potions that you have to stick your fingers into but this really isn't an issue for me. The tin it comes  in is cute and seals firmly and so far I haven't had any mishaps or leaks with it. The cocoa butter flavour and aroma are delicious without being at all overpowering and if you don't like the scent or flavour of cocoa butter it is also available in caramel, vanilla, raspberry and  plain unscented/unflavoured versions.

   And it truly is a cheap thrill! You can pick it up for a few dollars in drugstores, supermarkets and beauty stores.
If you would like to give it a go at the moment it's on special offer at Ulta (ulta.com) where it costs a staggering $2.24 a pop! At that price it would be silly not to, right?

Space NK Winter Sale Purchases 2016/17.

One of my Christmas traditions is buying myself a little something from the Space NK sale over the holidays. This year I made my traditional Boxing Day order and then I followed it up with another order at the tail end of the sale when there were a bundle of new things added that were 75% off. (Say What?!?)

Sale Purchases Part 1 were fairly restrained. 

The treat part of it was a gift set by REN containing full sizes of their Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and Body Lotion. Luxurious bath products always feel like a real indulgence but I can't justify spending almost $40 on a shower gel can you? $12.00 is still more than I would usually spend but it isn't an obscene amount to spend on a Christmas present to myself is it? (The set cost $24.00). I used to use REN products a lot and whilst they aren't on my radar so much these days I do still adore their older products such as these.

I had only recently bought a tube of Dr Dennis Gross Color Smart Cleanser & Mask and it is something that I am liking so when I saw it was reduced to $12.00 it made sense to grab one for my stash. Packed in a tube and able to be used as either a mask or a cleanser makes this the perfect product to add to my travel bag. 

Finally, I needed a daytime eye cream. Somme Institute Eye is something that I have been considering buying for a while so it made sense to add one to my order. I like the sparse yet stylish and practical packaging of this cream which promises to hydrate, treat dark circles and reduce puffiness. I have only just started to use this but so far I like it.

Sale Purchases Part 2 were where it all went a bit manic! 

I didn't need any of these items for immediate use but the fact that they were so deeply discounted made it seem silly not to take advantage and add them to my stash.

Firstly I made two purchases from Algenist. 

For daytime, Regenerative Anti Aging Moisturiser SPF 20 and for night time use, Genius Ultimate Anti Aging Cream. I haven't tried out either of these but have been very impressed with all the Algenist products I have used in the past so I am pretty certain that I will enjoy these and I'll even overlook their labeling almost everything as 'anti aging'...

Darphin is a brand that I have been rediscovering lately and I am enamored with all of their products. Not only do they work they feel extremely indulgent.

Exquisage Cream and Serum are products that are normally out of my price range (but not when they are 75% off - Ha!). They promise to revitalise and reinvigorate skin leading to increased elasticity, firmness and luminosity. Whether they will I have yet to find out, but I do know they will make me feel super fancy and spoilt whenever I use them! 

I have however used all of the Darphin Stimulskin Plus range before and can vouch that it does leave my skin looking and feeling amazing. It is another range that is super pricey that I normally wouldn't consider buying because of the cost so I felt justified in popping a reduced Divine Eye Cream into my shopping basket. I loved this eye cream when I used it previously, in fact I think that it may well be 'The One' for me as far as eye creams are concerned except for costing so much normally.

I am very happy with my sale purchases and am looking forward to using some exquisite products in the upcoming months!       

The Bathroom shelf, January 2017.

Every six months or so I check in and share a look at what is currently on my bathroom shelf. (I find it interesting to see which products I have swapped out and which ones I have repurchased or may still be using). I also have extra skincare items in my bathroom medicine cabinet but these tend to be either things that are unopened or things that I only use occasionally. Recently, I have been keeping almost empty products right next to my sink as I find I tend to concentrate on using them up if they are somewhat in the way!

Above is my current bathroom shelf, the lower photo is the shelf as it was in June 2016.

Currently the top shelf (starting from the left) has a scent diffuser and a couple of facial sprays. 

The facial sprays are all different as I tend to use these up fairly quickly and like to try out different ones. 

The two make up bags contain samples, one has face masks and lip balms, the other has products for hair and body - I am currently trying to work my way through some of my hair care and body samples as I have accumulated quite a lot of them of late. 

Finally on this shelf are my hair care products: hair sprays, salt sprays, texturising sprays and dry shampoos along with leave in conditioners and treatments. The hair products are all exactly the same the only difference is that I am using a mini tube of Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream instead of a full sized one. (With the exception of a leave in cream I don't use hair products daily so they always last me for some time).

The middle shelf holds my perfumes, day and nighttime moisturisers, eye creams, serums, facial oils and a couple of masks.

My perfume selection remains the same. 

All the moisturisers and eye creams are different. I do miss having Sarah Chapman Daily Defense Moisturiser to hand so I will repurchase that at some point. As for serums, Sunday Riley Good Genes is still on the shelf this time around (of course) although it is a new bottle but  I'm still working my way through the same bottle of Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM (most likely because I love using Good Genes so much I rarely pick up any other night time serum!).

Last time it looked as if I were endeavoring to use up a lot of mini serums during the day, this time I am back to using my favourite serum for daytime, Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster. Unfortunately it is running low and I will be replacing it with something else soon as I have other hydrating serums in stock to use up before I repurchase it. 

I finally finished my bottle of Sunday Riley Artemis Oil which I enjoyed a lot - it did a great job of balancing my skin and I am sure I will buy this again before too long. This time around however I replaced it with Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil purely because I fancied a change. I'm still working my way through Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil which is lovely to use and smells wonderful. I use this regularly but it is a huge bottle and a little of it goes a long way so it may still be on the shelf next time around!!

I have maybe half an application of Caudalie Glycolic Mask left but have to confess to not even having opened Unani Dermo Defense Mask yet.

The bottom shelf has cotton wool cotton buds and flossers in old candle jars along with sunscreen, glycolic toning liquid and pads, a softening toner and some face washes.  

The glycolic toners are the same, although that is a new tub of Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme, I really like the Nip+Fab pads, they are easy to use and great value for money. 

Surprisingly this time around I don't have a bottle of my favourite Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner on the shelf. Instead I have been using Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Mist.

Cleansers are the products that I tend to change around the most and this time they are all different to before. After an absence from my shelf I'm enjoying using Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip again so much I think I may have to make this a staple in my cleansing wardrobe. MV Organics 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic is almost empty, I have loved using this whenever my skin feels compromised but will be replacing it with May Lindstrom Pendulum Potion, a similar product which I have waiting to be opened. 

Overall not too much has changed in the last six months or so, I may finally be developing a loyalty to certain products it seems!

Pour Me A Life.

Pour Me A Life opens with the author in a dormitory of a private rehab clinic in England where he has checked in to be cured of his alcoholism. 

What follows isn't so much a classic recovery story but more a story about his life as a whole, indeed

I'm curious as to why this book is presented as a drinking memoir when it really isn't at all. 

Throughout the story jumps back and forth in time and different chapters find the author reflecting on different stages of his life. Some are written about his family, some about his friends and drinking companions but there are also a lot about his various jobs and his quest to become an artist when he was younger. The shifts in time make it feel more like a volume of essays rather than a continuous tale. 

Pour Me a Life wasn't at all what I was expecting - yes I did judge the book by its cover...

For the most part it is well written and interesting, I admire the author's insight and honesty and there are some very funny moments but there are also parts of it that meander along in a 

somewhat tedious manner.

I enjoyed Pour me a Life for the most part but the unevenness of the tone and tempo meant that I didn't love it, and I'm still confused by that cover...

 b

David Bowie: The Last Interview and Other Conversations.

David Bowie: The Last Interview and Other Conversations is a collection of interviews and articles that covers a multitude of topics and spans forty two years.

There are an interesting selection of conversations and articles here and a broad range of subjects are covered including music, film, fashion, as well as the expected personal recollections and tales. My favourite parts of the book were the transcripts of conversations between Bowie and other artists. (I especially liked the conversation with Alexander McQueen.)

This book is part of a series of The Last Interview books rather than a stand alone volume. The last interview in this one is from the promotion for a comedy TV show in 2006 rather than an 'actual' last interview and I have to admit that I found that to be something of a let down. 

I was (and still am) a big Bowie fan so I found the book to be of interest and loved reading his words but it is a very quick read and far from comprehensive. Overall, not quite what I was expecting... 

In a Dark, Dark Wood.

Norah/Lee is a successful crime writer who leads a solitary life in London. When out of the blue she receives an invitation to the hen weekend of a childhood friend, who she has not seen or been in contact with for ten years, her first inclination is to ignore it. However curiosity gets the better of her and she soon finds herself in an isolated house In a Dark Dark Wood with the rest of the hen party.

There appears to be something sinister going on and Norah vows to leave before the weekend is out...

  Then Norah awakes in hospital, battered and bloodied with a recollection of something terrible having happened but what was it exactly and how and how did she end up in hospital?

I enjoyed Ruth Ware's 'The Woman in Cabin 10' so much that I went straight out and picked up her debut novel 'In a Dark Dark Wood' right away and I enjoyed it almost as much. It is very similar in many ways to 'The Girl In Cabin 10' - the protagonist isn't the most likeable of characters, in fact Norah/Lee is quite unlikeable and somewhat pathetic yet you cannot help rooting for her and being on her side. Rather like the boat in' The Woman in Cabin 10' the setting of the isolated house adds a  menacing element to the story and there was also an unlikely mix of people thrust together living in close proximity as on a cruise. 

There were enough twists and turns in the plot to keep me enthralled and, although I did guess what happened and why, someway before the end of the book it didn't spoil the story for me at all, plus there was an unexpected scene right at the end that had me on the edge of my seat once again. The book left me feeling a little unsettled, which in my book is the mark of a good thriller.

I am looking forward to this author's next book but I do hope that it differs a little from the first two. I greatly enjoy the way that the author creates such an air of suspense and such a sinister atmosphere but I would hate for her books to become formulaic.

Having said that, if you are looking for a tense, dark thriller I highly recommend 'In a Dark Dark Wood'.

Walmart Beauty Box Winter 2016.

Walmart Beauty Box is a subscription box that automatically ships to you four times a year when you have signed up for it. Containing an assortment of full sized products, samples and money off coupons the box itself is free and you pay just $5.00 for shipping. There are two variations of the box intended to appeal to different age groups. I receive the 'Trendsetter' box which is aimed at younger shoppers.

Ah, I almost forgot about my Walmart Beauty Box in all the excitement of the Holidays but never fear here it is...

This quarter's box didn't include any make up items but I don't mind as I have a ton of lip products and mascaras waiting to be used.

There was one skincare item - sample sachets of L'Oreal Age Perfect Golden Serum and Day Cream. I have received these before and although they aren't something that I would purchase I will throw them in a travel bag and use them. There's quite a generous amount of product in these, enough for a couple of days.

There are sample sachets of Garnier Whole Blends Shampoo and Conditioner in the 'Green Apple & Green Tea' variety. I'm always happy with shampoo and conditioner sachets and Whole Blends is a new range that I have been looking forward to trying out.

The other haircare item is a handbag sized (1.15oz) Tresemme Fresh Start Volumising Dry Shampoo. I already have quite a few dry shampoos, but I do use them frequently for adding lift and volume. Although they are super cheap I find Tresemme products to be good quality and this also smells lovely -unlike some other of the cheaper dry shampoos on the market.

The other four items are all body care. Dove Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash (1.8 fl oz) is something of a staple in cheaper sub boxes and goody bags I feel, but it is something that I will use so I am not complaining! This one is scented with Moroccan Argan Oil.

There are two 2oz samples of body cream both of which I have sampled before. Vaseline Advanced Repair was surprisingly good so I'm pleased to get more of this but I have to say that Curel Hydra TherapyWet Skin Moisturiser isn't one of my favourites... I'm simply not a fan of moisturisers that you use on wet skin. I have a few tubes of this already but I will endeavor to use it...The only coupon in the box this time around is for $4.00 off this product so there are no coupons that I will use this time around.

Finally there is a mini (.5oz) of Neutrogena Hand Cream. This tiny tube of a drugstore classic is super cute and will find it's way into my handbag before too long!

Overall.

I know it isn't very exciting but I actually really liked this box. The only thing that I'm not too keen on is the Curel Moisturiser but I will use it along with everything else here. Sometimes I feel that Walmart boxes are a very random selection of products but for once this seems seasonally appropriate and I'm pleased with this box!

  

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

The Woman in Cabin 10.

Travel magazine journalist Lo Blackwood is looking forward to her next assignment: a luxurious North Sea cruise, which will be the inaugural voyage of a sumptuous yacht with only a handful of pampered guests on board. 

After a boozy dinner Lo sees a body being thrown overboard and she raises the alarm but all the passengers and crew are safely accounted for and still on board. Did Lo imagine the whole thing or did she really witness something sinister? As Lo starts to investigate and question crew members odd and threatening things start to happen...

The Woman In Cabin 10 has received some very mixed reviews but I thought it was very good indeed. It is a fast paced book that opens strongly and there is an air of menace and a feeling of danger throughout the clever twists and turns of the plot. I enjoyed the boat setting and the cold North Sea location felt eerie and added to Lo's mounting sense of fear and isolation.  

The story kept me enthralled and guessing to the end - and the ending was itself very polished and pleasing.

Lo isn't the most likeable character, she is something of a whinger, she drinks a lot and isn't that bright but from the opening of the story I was in total sympathy with her.

Other reviewers have said that the plot is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie one and that Lo is similar to Rachel in 'The Girl on the Train'. I agree with both but don't think that either of those points are negative ones or detract from the book. I enjoyed this immensely and can see that it would make an excellent film script.

Recommended.

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016.

Last year I signed myself up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. It's a great idea if you wish to increase the number of books that you read and it also means that you can keep a list of what you have read which I find nice to look back at. 

In 2015 I set myself the challenge of reading fifty two books. I knew that I could realistically read this amount (I read during my daily commute) and i didn't want to challenge myself to read an unobtainable amount of books that would make my reading become a chore. Last year I read 57 books which I was very pleased about. 

For my 2016 challenge I again decided to read fifty two books and was ecstatic to realise that at the end of the year I had managed to read sixty three books!  

This year Goodreads provided me with some nerdy figures (which I love!)

Apparently I read some 20,638 pages. The shortest book that I read was just 160 pages long and the longest book had 512 pages.

The most popular book that I read was Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty which was read by 425,821 other people.  The least popular was All that Glitters by Pearl Lowe which was read by 154 others.

The majority of the books that I read were general fiction, I read thirty four. I also read eleven thrillers and three volumes of short stories. Non fiction books that I read numbered seventeen in all and comprised ten biographies (or auto biographies), two books of photo essays, two manuals, two social studies books and one travel book.

Of course there were a few books that I didn't enjoy all that much but mostly I was happy with the books I chose to read. My favourite book of the year has to be Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh, it was so well written and so atmospheric, I simply loved it! 

If you would like to take part in the Goodreads Challenge it's not too late to join in. Visit goodreads.com and sign up, not only is it a nice way to record and review what you have read it is also a great motivator.

2016 - All the Empties.

I got through a lot of product in 2016 -  Ninety five full sized and two hundred and seventy five samples and minis!

Read on for a break down of the full sized items I finished.

 Skincare.

I used nine cleansers (three cream ones, four clay ones and two balms) along with three bottles of eye make up remover and one bottle of micellaire water. I also used one full sized facial exfoliating scrub.

When it came to toners and spritzes I used a total of nine made up of one exfoliating liquid toner, one pack of exfoliating pads, five facial sprays/ spritzes and two bottles of toner.

I finished five serums and three facial oils.

Surprisingly, I only used up four full sized moisturisers as I used mostly minis and samples.

I also used four full sized eye creams.

I used mostly samples of masks but did finish one full sized clay mask and a box of three mini masks. I also used three sheet masks.
And it goes without saying that I did use some sort of sunscreen everyday but it was mostly included in my daytime moisturising product so that is why there aren't any sun screens as such listed. 

Make Up.

It always seems to take an age to finish make up products. This year I used two primers and one eye shadow primer.

I used three tubes of tinted moisturiser, one blusher, one concealer and one highlighter.

I finished just one lipstick and one lip gloss. (I also lost the lid from one lip gloss so I counted it as an empty... so sort of two glosses).

I use mascara everyday but all the ones I used this past year were minis.

Haircare.

I used four bottles of shampoo and six of conditioner, two tubes of leave in conditioning hair cream and two leave in conditioning sprays. 

I also used a tin of anti humidity hairspray and one full sized texturising spray.

Body Care.

I used a whopping seventeen full sized body moisturisers (butters, creams and lotions) along with ten tubes of hand cream, both handbag and full sized.

I only used one full sized container of exfoliating body scrub but I also used eleven bottles of shower gel.

Fragrance.

Like make up perfumes rarely get finished up. This year I didn't finish even one full sized bottle even though I wear it everyday.

Miscellaneous.

Ah, the little things that don't fit into a specific category! I used one packet of facial oil absorbing papers, one nail varnish remover and somehow I pleasingly managed to finish six lip balms.

That's quite a lot of products isn't it?

Empties December 2016.

I didn't think that I had used up all that much in December so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I managed to finish nine full sized items and fifteen samples.

Skincare.

Skincare items that I finished were mostly of the cleansing variety. 

I was sorry to finish Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser which may well be my all time favourite cleanser. 

Evan Healy Lavender HydroSoul is a cooling and calming spritz and another product that I love. Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make Up Remover was somewhat disappointing. It is a gel and I was expecting it to feel cool and refreshing but it didn't. I also found that it wasn't the most effective eye make up remover and I had to scrub at my eyes a little to get rid of everything.

Generally I'm not that much of a fan of physical exfoliants - finding most to be too rough - but I did rather like Dr Brandt PoreDermabrasion as it felt quite gentle and rinsed away easily.

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask is a clay mask that leaves my skin bright and glowing. It washes away easily and isn't at all messy to use, I have invested in a full sized jar of this as I like it so much. I also enjoyed cleansing with their Thermal Cleansing Balm.

Chantecaille Nano Gold Firming Treatment is a rich cream that left my skin looking and feeling a little tighter. It absorbed well enough to use under make up. It is very good but too expensive for my pocket!

Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm is a good basic balm - nothing fancy, in fact it's mostly petroleum jelly, but I find it useful in the colder weather.

Bodycare.

I emptied two OGX Body Lotions. I like these a lot, they are very nourishing and smell great. The Coconut Milk and Hibiscus one smells very beach like while the Argan Oil one has a warm enveloping fragrance. I actually prefer the scent of the OGX argan oil range to that of MoroccanOil products as it is slightly more floral in tone. However, I did enjoy two MoroccanOil products, their Shower Gel and Body Souffle Moisturiser. 

I used a generously sized sample pot of Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter and I have to say that it was pretty amazing! It had a fresh sherbet like scent and moisturised without being at all greasy or sticky - this rich whipped cream sank straight into my skin leaving it soft and fragrant. Rituals Sakura Spring Foaming Bath Oil had a fresh cherry scent that had a leafy green aspect to it so it was sweet without being sickly. I didn't dislike it but it didn't foam so much as emulsify and I didn't enjoy it as much as I have other Rituals bath products. On the plus side it didn't leave the bath at all slippery which is always a bonus when using an oil product!

Duane Reade Regular Instant Nail Polish Remover was very effective - it is one of those removers that is basically a sponge saturated with remover that you put your fingers into. I don't often use finger nail polish remover at home so can't see myself getting this again but it was a good thing to try out. I also used a mini L'Occitane Hand Cream which, I confess, I find a little too greasy.    

Haircare.

I only finished one haircare item, Miriam Quevedo Platinum and Diamonds Luxurious Serum. I liked this leave in conditioning cream a lot. It kept frizz at bay without weighing down my hair and smelled lovely. I didn't need to use much of it either.

Make Up.

I only used up one make up item, ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Primer. I like this and I have gone through several tubes of it. Not only does it make my make up last longer it gives an extra boost of hydration and feels very soothing and cooling when you put it on. It isn't cheap but the tube is a good size and lasts a long time. 

Fragrance.

I used up five perfume samples. Nothing here that I loved and although I am normally a fan of Oud scents I found Jo Malone Oud &Bergamot to be somewhat sickly and headache inducing.

Overall I am pleased with the amount of products I used in December. Lets hope I manage to keep up the good work in 2017!