Sandwiches of New York #8.

Once again it's time to share another New York sandwich!

What is it? The Scuttlebutt.

Where's it from? SALTIE, 378 Metropolitan Avenue (at Havermeyer), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. saltieny.com

How much does it cost? $12.00 (inc tax)

What's in it? Feta cheese, hard boiled egg, pickled vegetables, olives, capers, pimenton aioli on foccacia.

I've been meaning to stop by Saltie for some time - finally I did and it was so worth it!

Saltie is a small cafe with a skinny storefront a couple of minutes walk off the main drag in ever popular Williamsburg. Inside it's not fancy and somewhat small but it's an airy space - bright and light. In front of the window and along one wall there's a high counter with some wobbly stools and a counter at the back where you place your order. Sandwiches are made to order and staff call you when they are ready.

There are seven sandwiches that are fixtures on the menu along with a couple of special sandwiches, and a few ever changing soups and salad. There's also a range of cookies and baked goods, tea, French Press coffee and a selection of home made iced drinks along with a help yourself water cooler.

The counter staff were nice and friendly and my order arrived swiftly (I was there at one o'clock on a weekday and it was quiet.)

My sandwich, The Scuttlebutt, was fresh and delicious. The briny, tangy filling was crisp and crunchy and perfectly complimented by the focaccia which was soft yet chewy, The vinegar in the pickles, the oil in the focaccia and the slick of aioli were all perfectly balanced.

There was plenty inside this sandwich, generously sized and satisfying it was easily enough by itself for a breakfast or lunch, and although it was a little messy to eat there were plenty of napkins and hand wipes available so it wasn't a problem.

I thought the Scuttlebutt was amazing, it was a highly enjoyable sandwich.
I will certainly be back and while I would like to try the other sandwiches here this one was so enjoyable that I can see myself reordering it!

Amazon Prime Luxury Beauty Box.

I recently signed myself up for Amazon Prime after finding out that it offers so much more than merely free shipping. (There are various levels of Prime membership available. Visit amazon.com for details of plans and how to sign up).

One of the things available to Prime members are sample boxes of various sorts - toiletries, cleaning products, health supplements, confectionery and (ta-da!) beauty boxes. 

Different boxes cost different amounts and some come as a GWP while others are a one time purchase, the cost of which will be reimbursed to you as a credit to use on a wide range of items within a specific category. Tax is included in the price and as the boxes are only available to Prime members shipping is free.

The first box that I have purchased is The Amazon Luxury Beauty Box which initially costs $19.99. This amount will then be applied to my account as a credit, seven days after shipping, so the box is essentially free! The box shipped promptly and I received it four days after ordering. 

I was pleased to find it jam packed with a variety of useful samples - twenty items in all. 

There is a full sized Julep Nail Varnish in the shade 'Lee' which is a bright coral toned red along with a handbag sized Ahava Mineral Hand Cream. The other items are mostly regular sample sizes with just two foil sachets. 

There are six samples of skincare along with a primer, a CC cream and a sunscreen, three haircare items and a mini Marvis toothpaste. There are also three perfume vials, and for Mr C+C an aftershave sample and a sample of shaving cream.

There's a good selection of products from a good variety of brands here and whilst they aren't SpaceNK style luxury brands they are all ones that you would find in Sephora, department stores or a fancy independent drug store. 

I think that this box is a great introduction to Amazon's beauty department and as it is free after credit I honestly don't think that you can go wrong. 

Now which sample box should I try next I wonder...

Remember Me This Way.

A year after his death in a car accident, Zach's widow Lizzie, still can't believe that her husband is dead. Still consumed by grief, she is also relieved, as Zach had a dark and disturbing side to his character that only she saw. 

When she finally visits the spot where he died she finds a floral tribute from an unknown woman called Xenia. With her friends urging her to move on with her life Lizzie is adamant that she cannot until she discovers the truth about her late husband and the circumstances surrounding his sudden death.

Who is Zenia? Is Zach really dead? Or is he still alive and behind the increasingly strange things that keep happening to Lizzie?

Remember Me This Way got off to a great start. The first half of this book was menacing and creepy and I really enjoyed it, but as the book progressed I found that the story and the characters became less and less convincing. A lot of the disturbing incidents were easily explained and I found myself becoming frustrated with Lizzie and her paranoid behaviour. 

I enjoyed the last book I read by Sabine Durrant (Under Your Skin) very much and had been keen to read more by this author but this one failed to hit the spot. 

It was well written but I didn't find the characters and their lifestyles to be very believable and while the plot had potential there was a lot about it that didn't ring true. I didn't like the way that the book ended either, everything was easily explained and it felt that the loose ends had been tied up a little too tidily...

I didn't dislike Remember Me This Way and it's far from being one of the worst thrillers I have read, but I found it to be lacking in so many areas that it was something of a disappointment.  

Christadora.

Christodora is a sweeping novel set mainly in New York City's East Village. Opening in the early 1980's, the chapters in it jump back and forth in time (until 2021) telling the stories of the main characters. It centers on two young artists, Milly and Jared, who make a home for themselves in the Christodora apartment building but Christodora is not only Milly and Jared's story. It also tells the stories of their adopted son, Matteo, and of Milly's family as well as recounting the stories of their friends and neighbours.
That's not all though, this powerful, sprawling story is also the story of the Aids Movement and it's activists, of the politics and policies of the 80's, of drug addiction and homelessness, as well as being a tale of the Downtown art scene, the East Village, and gentrification.

I know it's early days but Christodora may well be my Book of the Year! 

I loved this engaging narrative and the characters in it. There are so many themes explored in this book which are dealt with expertly and the stories and topics are woven together brilliantly. 

Altogether it's beautifully written and recounted.

I loved this book and am somewhat surprised that it hasn't received more publicity and plaudits.

. 

Highly recommended 

Product Love: Caudalie Grape Water.

I think that, along with cleansers, my favourite category of skincare may well be facial spritzes and sprays. I tend to vary my sprays and toners and most of the time have a few of them on the go but Caudalie Grape Water is the one that is a constant presence in my bathroom.

I know deep down that this is simply water in an aerosol, but it's fancy French water that has been extracted from grapes. Primarily it is meant for hydrating and soothing skin but you can use it in a whole range of ways. 

You can take it to the beach or the gym for a refreshing spritz or, in fact, just keep it to hand to refresh and moisturise your skin at any time. It feels wonderfully calming after shaving and comforts sunburn. It can be sprayed on top of make up to help it set and avoid it looking powdery. When used as a toner or layered between products it helps with slip and absorption. Recently I have been spraying it on my face before putting on masks as it makes their application so much easier. 

I think it is one of the most versatile beauty products around and as it is100% organic and free of all fragrances and preservatives it can be used on even the most troubled skin.

I have had a few issues with the packaging of some Caudalie products but the Grape Water packaging is perfect as the aerosol produces a very light continuous mist. It also comes in two sizes, the economical 200ml (6.7 fl oz - $22.00) tin lasts forever and is the one I buy most often but there is also a 75ml (2.5 fl oz $13.00) one which is great for travel and use on the go.

Grape water is available in pharmacies and at Sephora and of course at us.caudalie.com

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit GWP February 2017.

If you need any beauty products may I suggest that you stop by a branch of Space NK (or do a spot of shopping at us.spacenk.com) today as purchases of $250.00 or more will be eligible for the fabulous beauty gift pictured above (worth over $400.00!)

This promotion has been available to members of Space NK's NDulge program since Tuesday but non members can receive the gift today (today is the final day to shop this event). If you do decide to participate be sure to sign up for the NDulge program as not only will you get first access to events and sales, your purchases will earn points that can be redeemed as store credit on future buys.

In all honesty I have a huge stash of haircare and skincare items but I can never pass up this event as  this GWP are always so amazing!

  However I did need a restock of a heavy duty glycolic peel. After years of using Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pads twice weekly I decided to have a change and use the newer Medi Spa Peel Kit once a week when I mask. I have used this before, it's results are impressive and I like the ease of using a weekly treatment. (I am sure I will repurchase the alpha beta pads before too long as they are simply so good and it actually feels a bit strange not to have any as they have been a skincare staple of mine for so long!)

My other purchase was a bottle of Diptyque Oud Palao Eau de Parfum. I have been obsessed with this sultry, smoky oud since having received it in a prior goody bag! I love oud but find some blends can be a little overpowering and headachy. This one is blended with rose and vanilla so it has a softer edge whilst remaining somewhat masculine. It is very original and exactly the kind of scent that I love. 

Onto the gift itself! Like previous Space NK GWP's the bag contains a selection of generously sized samples and is heavy on skincare.

Skincare samples are made up of a cleanser, a serum, two eye creams, one lip treatment, a neck cream, three moisturisers and six masks. A little heavy on the masks perhaps, but I don't mind as they are such fun products to try out and the fact that I get such a good selection in gift bags like this mean that it's extremely rare that I ever have to buy a mask of any sort.

Make up items include a full sized tinted lip balm from Lipstick Queen along with minis of primer, highlighter, setting powder and mascara - add a foundation and eye shadow and you pretty much have a whole look right there!

Hair products consist of two dry shampoos, and two masks (both of which are products I never have to buy as they show up in so many gift bags), a small shampoo and a styling product.

For the body there is a body butter, a hand lotion and because Summer is just around the corner a spray on sunscreen and a tanning spray.

Last, but definitely not least, there is a fragrance sample and mini candle, both from Diptyque. 

There's a mix of items with which I am familiar and items that I have yet to discover in the bag and they are all from premium brands.
As usual I am thrilled with this promotion and this generous gift! 

Swingtime.

Zadie Smith's latest book Swingtime tells the story of two childhood friends whose upbringings are worlds apart who both dream of becoming dancers. As they grow their lives diverge, their friendship ends but it seems that neither can quite forget the other.

As the book progresses it concentrates on the unnamed protagonist, now a personal assistant to Aimee, a Madonna like superstar. When her job takes her to Africa where Aimee is sponsoring a school for girls, she begins to question many things both around and about her.

I loved Swingtime so much! It is an absorbing story beautifully told. The prose, the plot, the characterisations, all were excellent. 

So many themes were expertly explored in this book - friendship, family, race, class, identity,  fame, the complexities of aid and philanthrophy - the list goes on - and they were all deftly written into the story line without detracting from it in any way.

I enjoyed Swingtime so much and came away thinking of so many things that I plan to go back and read the books that I have missed by this author.

Recommended. 

The Dollhouse.

The Dollhouse is centered around The Barbizon, a landmark New York building, originally used as a hotel for women which has since been converted to luxury apartments. 

Journalist Rose lives in one of the Barbizon's luxury apartments. When she hears rumours of a hushed up scandal involving one of the long time residents, Rose is determined to discover what exactly happened. Interviewing long time inhabitants Rose slowly uncovers the story of Darby, a quiet Mid-Western girl who arrives at the hotel in 1952 to enroll in secretarial school. 

When Darby is befriended by one of the hotel maids she becomes entranced with the seedier side of New York City, frequenting all night down town jazz clubs and falling in love. As Darby is about to leave New York for California a deadly skirmish occurs. But what exactly happened and will Rose get to the bottom of the story?

This was a book that received good print reviews and sounded as if it would be a fast paced engaging read, however, I failed to connect with this book for a number of reasons. I found that the writing style was very awkward and the two interconnected story lines were poorly plotted and full of cliched characters. As both Rose and Darby were rather unlikeable, so I found myself not caring what happened to either of them.

Overall the story was unrealistic and clumsily written. It was a good premise but the book failed to live up to expectation. I wish I had given this one a pass. 

Cheap(ish) thrills: Nexxus Therappe Shampoo & Humectress Conditioner.

The brand Nexxus is a bit of a conundrum for me... 

Somewhere in the middle of a luxury brand and a drugstore one it's self styled as 'Salon Hair Care' but I don't recall ever having seen it in a hairdressers. And although you find it in drugstores and supermarkets it's not sold at drugstore prices.

It has a huge stable of products and of the ones that I have tried there have been more misses than hits.  

However, there are two Nexxus products that I like very much indeed: Therappe Shampoo and Humectress Conditioner. I tend to think of these as being the anchor products of the range as they are the most well known and they were also my first introduction to the brand, and although I don't buy either of them with any regularity they are, tellingly, the only two that I have repurchased.

Therappe contains rosemary, chamomile and nettle, it produces plenty of rich lather but feels gentle and doesn't leave my hair feeling stripped or tangled.

Humectress is fairly thin for a conditioner (it is more like a shampoo in it's viscosity and appearance) yet it does do a fabulous job of putting moisture into my hair and keeps frizzy ends at bay even in the most humid weather thanks to the coconut and honey it contains. And it never weighs my hair down or makes it appear flat.

In spite of their different ingredients they both have a similarly pleasant fruity scent that isn't too sweet or overpowering and my hair simply looked good and felt great when I used these two  products together. 

Perhaps the best testament to them is the fact that I used these two gi-nourmous bottles up without putting them aside out of boredom or swapping them out for other products. Therrape and Humectress have been off my radar for some time but I will certainly be picking them up at the store again sometime soon!.  

Rich and Pretty.

Sarah and Lauren have been best friends since they were eleven. Now in their early thirties Sarah is about to get married while Lauren is single and concentrating on her publishing career. With their increasingly different lifestyles they are not as close as they once were and so when Sarah enlists Lauren to help with wedding planning she does so partly in the hope that they can reconnect.

Rich and Pretty is a novel about female friendships written by a man, there's a lot of it that doesn't ring true and I felt that the author failed to capture the nuances of female friendships.

Nothing  significant seems to happen in this story - there's no big conflict, no coming together - the story simply seems to plod along with not much happening beyond the wedding preparations.

I also felt that the characters weren't very distinctively drawn to the extent that I kept finding myself flicking back and forth thinking' Wait, which one is Sarah/Lauren?'  

This was another book that had good editorial reviews that I failed to connect with. It was a quick read that took me some time to finish as I just wasn't inclined to pick it up. Twenty pages in I almost put this down but didn't. I wish I had... 

Product Love: Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion.

I love the feel of a gel moisturiser! Light and cooling on my skin they are something that I often opt for in the warmer months when I want something that feels comfortable and lightweight which will absorb easily in the heat without leaving any greasy residue (nice!) on my face. 

Recently, I have also been choosing them in the colder weather when my skin becomes dehydrated and fine lines appear from seemingly nowhere. The past few weeks saw me playing around with a few of these gels and the best one by far was Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion.

This pale blue gel smells fresh and feels weightless on my skin. The main ingredient is water but there's also a little Lactic and Glycolic acids in here to aid with absorption along with the star ingredient Hyaluronic acid which helps hold onto the water in the gel leaving you with hydrated skin that looks and feels softer, plumper, lifted and generally healthier. I found that it temporarily softened those fine lines caused by dehydration and that because my skin was smoother it reflected light better and so had a bit more of a glow. 

There's a whole host of good support ingredients in this too: fruit extracts, sugars, aloes and collagen to name but a few. The gel absorbs like a dream so you can use it during the day - it preps skin for make up very nicely thank you - or you can use it at night layering it with other products.

I did find that as I liked this so much and it absorbed so well that I tended to be a bit heavy handed with the application of it so I did speed through this jar rather quickly (especially as I was reaching for it on a daily basis) but that is the only minus about it for me.

Having said that, while it's not cheap, it is at the cheaper end of the price range for quality skin care  products and I enjoyed it so much I will certainly be repurchasing it before too long.

You can find it in the usual places: sephora.com us.spacenk.comcultbeauty.com or direct from drdennisgross.com.

(In the US it costs $58 for 1.7 fl oz. In the UK it is around the £50.00 mark).

Empties: January 2017.

After a slow start January has flown by! 

My bag of empties likewise started off slowly and then all of a sudden there was a big pile. 

This month I decided to try and finish up some of the many small hair and body items that I have amassed (the ones that I have been putting aside to use when traveling which I always end up leaving at home). I did finish quite a few and I'm happy with this project so I will carry on with it in February.

Anyhow, the total tally for the month ended up being eleven full sized and twenty one samples. Not a bad start to what has otherwise been a simply horrid year so far (globally not personally I hasten to add). Let's distract ourselves and take a look.

Skincare.

I finally finished MV Organic 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic, which I've talked about in just about all of my Cleansing posts. I consider it more of a treatment than a cleanser and can't recommend it enough if your skin is dry, dehydrated, congested or (heaven forbid) has had too much sun. It smells amazing - I would buy it for it's aromatherapy benefits alone - and it simply takes things in hand and improves your skin what ever the nature of the problem. It's magic!

Bio Essence Miracle Bio Water is a very good make up remover that leaves your skin feeling fresh. This bottle has lasted me for some time and it won't break the bank. Fresh Soy Cleansing Milk was a new product for me. It's a little oilier than Fresh Soy Face Cleanser but otherwise not that different.

I enjoyed Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Mist which I used as a hydrating toner. My skin looked and felt plumper when I used this as it gave it an extra boost of Hyaluronic acid. This spray felt nice as well. Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Pads were something I used when traveling, they are okay but not my favourites. I did finish my huge box of Dr Dennis Gross AB Extra Strength Pads, I love, love, love these, they have changed my skin for the better but I'm going to swap them out for the Medi Spa Peel Pads which you use once a week simply because I fancy changing my routine a little.

I also used another couple of Sephora Eye Make Up Remover Wipes which I like enough that I picked up a couple of boxes of them - they are so handy for travel.

I emptied a bottle of Sarah Chapman Hydrating Booster, which is my favourite daytime serum. I find it to be so hydrating and I will buy it again but not until when I have finished some of my other serums - the problem is I like this so much that if I have it it is the only thing I tend to reach for - yes, it is that good! I didn't notice any brightening effects from Tatcha Radiant Serum but I did find it to be quite hydrating. (And once again Tatcha produced amazing packaging for a sample!)

3 Lab Super Eye Treatment was excellent- so good! It's also way too expensive for me to even consider buying unfortunately. Odacite Ba+S Serum did wonders for my eye area. I could see it plumping fine lines, alas, only temporarily. I have been impressed by everything that I have tried from this brand so far.

For some reason all I used three gel moisturisers this month. They were all very soothing to use and all gave a good boost of hydration to my skin during the day but by far the best one for me was Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion. (The others I used were the old favourite, Clinique Moisture Surge, and Sunday Riley Tidal). Night time saw me reaching for a slightly richer cream and I finished a tube of Darphin Hydraskin Essential which was very hydrating.

Finally, I used up a tube of Caudalie Glycolic Peel Mask which is gentle yet effective and a jar of ByTerry Baume de Rose which I must say I find to be somewhat underwhelming and very overpriced. 

Bodycare.

I used two mini tubes of Curel Itch Defense Bodywash which were okay, not exciting, or fun or luxe, but they made me clean and a mini Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash (same as above but with a slight coco nutty scent). I also used a mini Dove Body Wash fragranced with 'Sweet Cream and Peony' which I thought smelt very powdery, and not in a good way. As I also prefer foamy rather than creamy body washes this was a bit of a bust for me.

Both Cetaphil Moisturising Body Cream and Aveeno Skin Relief Lotion were fine. They were basic body lotions but I prefer to use a body lotion that is a bit more pampering so they weren't my favourites. 

I did not like Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturiser. I generally don't like these wet skin creams but this one took a long time to sink in and even then it left a film of product on my skin that made me feel grubby and got left on my towels. 

Haircare. 

It took me some time but I finally emptied these two enormous bottles of Nexxus Therapie Shampoo and Humectress Conditioner. It has been a while since I have used these and I had forgotten how good they are, so much so I'm planning a 'Product Love' post about them! 

Schwarzkopf Ultime Color+Radiance Shampoo is pretty good for a drugstore shampoo. It left my hair nice and soft but it does have quite a strong fragrance that I wasn't keen on.

Of course I loved the two mini tubes of Oribe Supershine Cream that I used! I think that this is my favorite leave in conditioner and I will certainly buy a full sized tube of this again in the future.

R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo gets mixed reviews but I liked it. I used it as a texturising spray and it gave me lift and volume without any residue, it smelled lovely as well.

Perfume. 

Finally I used two vials of Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt EDT. This is light and fresh, not the sort of scent that I would normally go for, but I like it very much, however it has no staying power on my skin and fades very quickly.

Wow, I feel that that was something of a ramble but there were quite a few products in the end. I wonder if I will finish as many items in February?!?