Sandwiches of New York: #10

What is it? Tunisian Sandwich

Where is it from? Breads Bakery, 18 East 16th Street, just off Union Square.

How much does it cost? $11.43 (including tax).

What's in it? Tuna fish, hard boiled egg, boiled potato, tomato, olives and parsley on a 'focaccia' roll with harissa.

Breads Bakery is a busy bakery next to Union Square. The front of the store has a counter that sells loaves of bread, pastries etc and at the rear there is another counter selling drinks along with a wide selection of pre prepared sandwiches, salads and baked items such as quiches. 

The interior space has an industrial vibe and there is cafeteria style seating at tables and benches. It is set up as a self service cafe, you select your food and pay at the counter and then find a seat. I visited at lunchtime and the bakery was very busy so I got my sandwich to go, if you do so there is plenty of outdoor seating with tables to be found in Union Square which is just meters away. 

I love tuna sandwiches of all sorts and was looking forward to this North African take on a 'pain bagnat', a Southern French sandwich, which is basically a salad nicoise served in a round flat bread roll. I had also heard rave reviews about the Tunisian Sandwich so I'm sad to say that I found it didn't quite live up to my expectations. 

I didn't think that the bread used was the best option for this sandwich, it wasn't foccacia exactly, but it was quite stretchy and chewy which meant that it was difficult to eat without the filling spilling out. The tuna in the sandwich was plentiful and of good quality but the other ingredients were somewhat sparse and except for the olives I couldn't pick out their flavours as the harissa spread, although not exceptionally spicy, tended to overwhelm the other ingredients. The sandwich was a little on the pricy side especially as it was pre made rather than being freshly made to order.

I found the service to be a little impersonal so I wouldn't rush back for a sandwich or a sit down experience, but the breads and baked goods did look very good indeed so I would visit again and try those out. 

Breads Bakery is a kosher establishment so they have an impressive range of food suitable for vegetarians which is good to know and if you near Union Square it is worth stopping by to pick up some interesting bread, breakfast pastries or dessert to go.       

Month of Foil 2017 is Imminent.

It's been quite a while, October 2015 in fact, since I have had a proper 'Month of Foil'. (When I did this last year I only used haircare products.)

What's a Month of Foil? It's when I gather together all of my sample sachets of skincare, body care and haircare and aim to use up as many of them as possible. 

I have accumulated quite a few sachets in the last 18 months or so, it's time to make a concentrated effort to use them up, and June is going to be the month I do so.

I'm away from home right now but I have a fistful of samples in my toiletries bag to make a start on. 

Wish me luck and I'll check back in at the end of the month and let you know how many samples I used up!

I Found You.

Set in Ridinghouse Bay, a fictional seaside town in the North of England, I Found You weaves together three interconnected story lines. 

Teenagers Graham and his sister Kirsty are on their annual family holiday with their parents which ends in tragedy. Twenty two years later a man with amnesia is found on the beach and befriended by Alice, a local artist. At the same time newly wed Lily's husband, Carl, disappears without explanation in London. 

Lily's search for her husband takes her to Ridinghouse Bay where a chance encounter with Alice unravels present day mysteries and reveals twenty year old secrets.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite writers and once again she did not disappoint. I Found You is a fast paced thriller as well as being a somewhat amusing romance. As usual Lisa Jewell's prose flows in an easy chatty style and the story is intriguing. The three story lines are expertly plotted and fit together seamlessly.  

I Found You kept me enthralled until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's another great beach type read that I guarantee will keep you amused and entertained as well as in suspense.

  

Recommended.     

The Arrangement.

Lucy and Owen have relocated from Brooklyn to Beekman, a small town in upstate New York, where they and their fellow affluent NYC transplants lead idyllic country lifestyles. When old friends from Brooklyn visit and disclose over the course of a drunken dinner party that they have an open marriage Lucy is at first shocked and then intrigued.

Afraid that their marriage has become routine and dull Lucy and Owen draw up an arrangement with a strict set of rules and embark on an open marriage of their own for a six month period.

 But rules are made to be broken and as the six months end things aren't quite as clear cut as they had hoped...

I picked up The Arrangement by chance and was very pleased that I did as it is a very good light hearted beachy read. It's not seedy or salacious, a lot of the story revolves around the local school and the book is filled with a host of interesting characters. It's also quite funny, although at times some of the humorous scenarios were a bit over the top for me. 

Sarah Dunne has an accomplished style of writing and the plot zips along. The ending is perhaps a little predictable but it didn't detract from what is a highly entertaining read that you will find yourself absorbed in.

I highly recommended that you pop this one in your  beach bag.       

Barneys Warehouse Men's Spring Gift Bag 2017.

I was browsing on line the other day when I came across this bag of male grooming products for sale on Barneys Warehouse site. If it looks familiar it is because it is the male offering from March's Barneys Love Yourself GWP event.

For the last couple of years Barneys have offered a choice of two bags, one for women and one for men, when they hold this promotion which means I procrastinate and spend way too much time trying to decide which bag is the better deal before always opting for the female gift. 

Of course the chance to purchase the 'other' gift was something that I couldn't miss. There's over $180.00 of products here and the bag was on sale for $37.00 with free shipping. (I ended up paying $32.00 by the time I had factored in various coupon codes and ebates links).

Everything pictured above came packed in a grey tie dye cotton dopp kit and there's an excellent selection of products (some of which will be making their way into my bathroom rather than Mr C+C's).

Skincare.

For facial cleansing there is that GWP bag staple: Malin+Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser and a mini of Baxter Herbal Mint Toner.

 Moisturising options include Kiehl's Age Defender and La Mer Soft Cream. There is also a Verso Night Cream #3 which I think I may have to keep.

I'm also going to hang onto the three masks in the bag: Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Mask, ReVive Purifying Clay Mask and Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask which is by far my most loved face mask.

Hair, Body and Shaving.

There are generously sized samples of two shampoos: Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo and one from Martial Vivot. 

There is a small bottle of Aesop Resolute Hydrating Body Balm which is also going to be kept by yours truly as it smells so good! Black Pepper and Patchouli? That's exactly my kind of fragrance. 

There is a massive full sized jar of Harry's Barber Edition Shave Cream and a travel sized tube of The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream.

Fragrance.

There are seven perfume vials from various niche brands, including one of Diptyque Philosikos which is my summer fragrance.

Finally there is a mini tube of Marvis toothpaste.

It appears that the bag is sold out but why not take a look at the beauty section of barneyswarehouse.com there are plenty of other beauty bargains to be found there.

Brand Love: Darphin.

Over the years Darphin has been one of those brands that, although I don't use any of their products on a regular basis, I keep on coming back to. I have tried many of the products from many of the ranges and I have loved everything that I have tried. 

Darphin is an older French brand (almost 60 years old) carefully formulated with high quality ingredients. Everything about Darphin products is so well considered, even the packaging. Some of their ranges are expensive but the pleasure of using them along with the results they give make them a justifiable indulgence. The fact that Darphin has so many loyal devotees (even though it is somewhat under the radar having practically no advertising presence and featuring infrequently in editorials) is testament to the quality of it's products.

  Recently I have picked up quite a few items from Darphin which I love using either together or with products from other brands to make routines that suit my skin's needs. I truly appreciate the quality of  the products featured here and they all are a great joy to use.

Azahar Micellaire Cleansing Water is perfect for sensitive skin and does a wonderful job of removing make up. I'm not a big user of micellaire waters but I find this one is good when used to lift strong lip colours and remove eye make up. It has a soft floral scent that is very relaxing.

Eye Make Up Remover Solution is exactly as promised on the bottle, both gentle and effective. I find this removes even waterproof eye make up almost instantly. There's no need to tug or rub the skin around eyes, it is not at all greasy and leaves eyes feeling clean and refreshed with no irritation or stinging ever.

Aromatic Cleansing Balm is one of my all time favourite cleansers! I used to use this regularly but it disappeared from the market for a while. Now it seems to be freely available again which pleases me no end as it is a real treat at the end of the day. It smells very spa like, warm and floral. With a drop of water added to it, it is the perfect consistency for facial massage and it rinses away easily, leaving my skin clean and very soft.

Darphin are renowned for their essential oil elixirs that target different needs. They are all wonderful but the best of the bunch for me is the total anti aging 8 Flower Nectar. It has a lovely consistency, is not at all sticky, absorbs well and leaves my skin feeling nourished yet balanced.

 This blend also comes in solid form as 8 Flower Nectar Oil Cream which is basically oil in solid form. I find this easier to apply and less wasteful but both products are fabulously indulgent. They both smell divine and are top of my list when it is time to shop for a new facial oil treatment.

(Just one word of cation - I was hesitant when I first used both of these and the cleansing balm as they are all strongly scented, but they were very gentle on my skin. However you may want to test these before investing if you are sensitive to essential oils).

I'm waiting to open Stimulskin Divine Eye Cream as I have a couple of eye creams already on the go but I have used it in the past and it is a favourite eye cream of mine. Packed full of peptides it takes care of my major eye concerns, plumping out fine lines whilst removing puffiness. Everything looks smoother so that dark circles appear less prominent and the whole eye area appears refreshed. I would buy this more regularly but it is somewhat pricey so this one is only on my shelves when I can find it on sale somewhere! 

  

Wrinkle Corrective Eye Contour Cream is much more reasonably priced and a jar of this lasts a long time. It is rich, creamy and replenishing. Although it does absorb well enough to be used during the day under makeup I like to use this as my overnight eye cream.

Hydraskin Essential is a creamy ultra hydrating moisturiser. I do find this to be too rich to use during the day but it is perfect to use at night over a serum. 

It is very rich but it never makes my skin feel congested or greasy. It smells lovely, feels comfortable and leaves my skin looking plump and juicy.

 Hydraskin Light is a gel cream that I find suits to my daytime moisturising needs. It works well under make up even in hot weather and I find that both of these products when used together as parts of day and night routines leave my skin looking fresh and lifted.

Exquisage Beauty Revealing Serum and Cream are part of one of Darphin's newer ranges. This targeted range is supposed to strengthen skin and boost collagen production, leading to a firmer, more radiant complexion. I haven't tried these yet but I am looking forward to opening them up before too long.

I find that I love everything about Darphin - the formulas, the fragrances, the way the products are intended to be used and even the luxurious packaging. It really is one of my favourite brands!

Cheap Thrills: CocoFloss.

I know - dental floss... not the kind of thing that I would normally get excited about, but honestly, as well as being a rather stylishly marketed product (there's a bit of a buzz about it at the moment with over a thousand Instagram posts of CocoFloss - say what!) CocoFloss is very, very effective.

CocoFloss is made from microfiber filaments which means it is super-strong so it won't break or shred when you use it. It also expands when used and this coupled with it's uneven surface texture means that it does a much better job of removing plaque compared to regular drugstore flosses. CocoFloss is also soft to the touch so it won't hurt sensitive gums (or your fingers!)
It comes in a cute package and the floss itself is brightly coloured which is fun (and apparently highly Instagramable).

If, like me, you are not too keen on mint you will be pleased to hear that CocoFloss comes in different flavours which are created by infusing the floss with natural oils. Of course there is a Fresh Coconut flavour (which is the one I have and I must say it's very nice indeed, not too strong, tasting fresh rather than cloying), as well as Assorted Fruit flavour, Strawberry, Cara Cara Orange, and for traditionalists Delicious Mint.

Now although it is a 'Cheap Thrill' Cocofloss does cost more than drugstore floss. It is $8.00 for 32yards (which will last you two months or so) but it should, fingers crossed, mean that over the years you end up spending less on your dentistry.

You can buy it direct from cocofloss.com Shipping is free on all orders, and if you buy three rolls at once it will cost you $21.00. Finally get this - there is a floss subscription plan available!

If you want to add a little fun to your daily tooth brushing you really should check this floss out.

(I can't believe I just wrote all this about floss but honestly it is that good!)  

Everything You Want Me To Be.

The small town of Pine Valley in Minnesota is horrified when the body of Hattie Hoffman a popular high school student and aspiring actress is found badly mutilated in a barn. 

As her death is investigated her story is retold by three characters: Hattie, Peter Lund who is her English and Drama teacher and Del a close friend of her family who is also the detective in charge of the investigation into her murder.

I wasn't expecting to like Everything You Want Me To Be as much as I did! Well plotted and written this was an intriguing story with believable characters. Hattie in particular was a great character, complex and manipulative.

 The plot progressed quickly and it was so gripping that I found myself speeding through the book because I wanted to find out what happened next. The ending was a huge surprise for me, I honestly thought I knew who had killed Hattie but I was so wrong!

Overall the whole tale was very strongly told. It was well paced, highly credible, and it would make a great movie.

Recommended.

Product Love: Ouai Hair Oil.

As someone with fine processed hair I find that I need to use some sort of leave in conditioner/dressing whenever I wash my hair. I need something that I can apply to wet hair that will smooth things out so that I can comb it easily without breakage and I need something that gives my hair a heavy boost of hydration so that it remains frizz free throughout the day. Oh, and because my hair is fine I don't want to use anything that is too heavy or greasy which will weigh it down. (I don't blow dry my hair or use heated appliances on it so I don't need any heat protection.) 

For a long time I used Oribe Supershine (which is an amazing product that I will certainly go back to) but I get bored and sometimes I like to swap things around and try new or different products. 

OUAI haircare is a newish kid on the block of luxury haircare and my first purchase from the range was their Finishing Cream. I hadn't done my research (by which I mean read the 'How to Use' section on Sephora's website!) and expected this to be something along the lines of Supershine that I could apply to my wet hair but it turned out that it really is a finishing cream that you apply to the ends of dry hair to avoid strays and frizzes...which is fine but I really needed something that I could use on wet hair as a detangler as well. When I tried this on wet hair it simply made my hair look greasy and stringy so it wasn't what I needed.

And then I got a bottle of OUAI Hair Oil as part of a gift pack, which was fortunate as I wouldn't have picked this out for myself - I tend to stay away from oils as they can be too heavy for my hair. However, I found that one pump of this applied to wet hair ticked all the boxes of my haircare needs. It made my hair easy to comb, it hydrated it, conditioned it, protected my colour, made it smooth and shiny and even lightly scented it, all without weighing it down.

I do find that I need to be careful not to be too heavy handed with this but one pump is exactly the right amount for my shoulder length hair.

While it's not exactly cheap at $24.00 for 1.7fl oz it's cheaper than a lot of other luxury haircare products, and the fact that I use a small measured amount of this means that a bottle lasts a long time so it works out to be fairly economical in the long run.

If you are looking for a conditioning hair oil I recommend that you give this a one a go. You can find it at sephora.com or us.spacenk.com 

  

Behind Her Eyes.

 Louise, a single mum has little excitement in her life so when she meets a man, David, in a bar who finds her attractive her spirits are lifted and her confidence is boosted - until she discovers he is her new boss. Soon after their encounter, Louise becomes friendly with Adele who is new to the neighbourhood. Oh and she also happens to be David's wife... 

As Louise gets to know both of them better she realises that their marriage is not as picture perfect as it seems. But what exactly is going on? And who is to blame?

Behind her Eyes was such a good book! It's not what I would call a 'thriller' in the traditional sense but it's certainly full of mystery and suspense and I found myself truly absorbed in it.

It was a book that kept me guessing, I couldn't predict what was happening and throughout the story I was changing my viewpoint. 

The ending of this book was so unexpected and eerie that it was simply mind blowing -  days later I'm still thinking about it.  

Recommended. 

   

Outlines.

Outlines opens with an English woman talking to a man sitting next to her on a flight to Greece where she is heading to teach a creative writing class at a summer school. As the book progresses through ten episodes, the personality of the woman is gradually revealed.

The episodes mostly take the form of conversations between the woman, her students and her friends and colleagues. Many of the conversations revolve around family, in particular the relationships between husbands and wives and mothers and sons. From these conversations the reader learns that the woman is trying to come to terms with a great loss.

Outlines is a short book but it is beautifully written. Not a lot happens but it manages to be very atmospheric and it's characters feel very real. It is very well structured, containing many detailed observations and descriptions that are written in a skillful way that add depth and atmosphere to the book.   

There was something about the writing, along with the way that the story unfolded, that made this book very soothing and somewhat addictive to read. I enjoyed it very much. 

Empties: April 2017.

I finished a whole heap of products in April and a lot of the empties are full sized products. In total I managed to use sixteen samples and seventeen full sized products.

Skincare.

This month's skincare empties contain a lot of repeat items. I think it is fair to say that a lot of these bottles and jars would be on my favourite products list!

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel is one of those products that I keep coming back to and I will certainly get this again when I next order from Cult Beauty. Eve Lom Morning Time Cleanser is a balm cleanser that is lighter than the original Eve Lom Cleanser - I much prefer it to the original. I find it good to remove make up with, as for me it is still rather heavy as a face wash. I'm not a fan of micellaire waters (I don't see the difference between it and face wipes TBH) but I did manage to finish one by Caudalie by using it primarily as an eye make up remover.

I used up two facial sprays. Caudalie Grape Water is a repurchase that I love. Kiehl's Cactus Flower and Ginseng Hydrating Mist is a new product that I loved. It smells so good and feels very refreshing!
Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme have become a favourite way of acid toning for me, they are effective, economical and easy to find at the drugstore.

I finished two serums this month: Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum and Sunday Riley Good Genes. I love, love, love both of these, have used both of them many times previously and I already have new bottles of each of them!

Finally I used up five skincare samples, Chantecaille Flower Infused Cleansing Milk, Kat Burki Hibiscus Antioxident Face Mask and Tata Harper Purifying Mask were all ones that I liked all but none of them impressed me enough to make it onto my shopping list.
 I found Eveology Stay Clear Cleanser a somewhat basic face wash that felt a little drying. Derma E Hydrating Night Cream felt a little waxy and seemed to sit on the surface of my skin.  I needed to use quite a lot of it as it didn't spread out over my skin very well. I found it a bit of an odd product all in all.

Haircare.

Garnier Fructis Full & Plush Conditioner is my favourite drugstore conditioner as it does make hair thicker whilst still leaving it soft. I'm a big fan of anything by OGX and their B5 Conditioner didn't disappoint, it definitely seemed to make my hair a little stronger and I noticed less breakage when I used this, it was a lovely thick conditioner that could do double duty as a mask. Aveeno Nourish + Strengthen Conditioner was another thick conditioner, it was okay but I found that I needed to alternate this with a lighter conditioner or else my hair started to looked flat

 I emptied two very different sorts of volumising products. I finished my final sample of Bumble + Bumble Thickening Hair Spray (there was a time when this was in almost every goody bag it seemed). It does add volume but it leaves my hair a little crunchy. It is a good product but I feel that things have moved on a little since this was launched and there are now better options available. R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo is a modern day staple in goody bags and it's a product I like a lot. I find it to great for adding some gritty texture and volume to my hair and I adore it's figgy fragrance. 

Bodycare.

Softsoap Luminoius Oils Body Wash looks and feels much more expensive than it is. The avocado oil in this left my skin moisturised, the powdery Iris scent reminded me of Prada Iris and it didn't leave my bath a lethal slippery mess - I would certainly get this again. I liked Nubian Coconut & Papaya Body Wash, it was creamy and moisturising, but the fragrance was a little too fruity and creamsicle like for me. Juara Candlenut Shower Gel which was also creamy however had a lovely comforting warm nutty fragrance and it left my skin very soft.

 Kiehl's Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter is a repeat product that smells good enough to eat (don't!). It is rich and highly moisturising - it's whipped airy texture makes it a joy to use! I like Dial body lotions a lot, 7Day Omega Moisture isn't my favourite one of the range(the yogurt one is) but I would certainly get it again. I liked it's light fresh scent and it wasn't sticky or greasy feeling as some cheaper body lotions can be.
I used another handbag sized Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Lotion, this time an English Honey & Peach Blossom scented one. I love the texture and packaging of these and although this one isn't my favourite C&E scent it does smell exactly like peaches and honey!

Make Up and Perfume.

I used three mascaras this month. Chantecaille Faux Cils is often in my empties, it gives a very natural looking effect. I didn't finish either Mally Volumising Mascara or YSL Mascara Volume as I found them both to be claggy and clumpy and both of them flaked terribly on me.
I also finished a lip product, Lipstick Queen Vesuvius Liquid Lipstick in the shade 'Blush'. This is the only liquid lipstick formula that I have tried and found comfortable to wear. It was easy to apply (you twisted the product up into a brush like a Touche Eclat), didn't dry down to a matte and left a stain that lasted very well. 'Blush' was an easy to wear nude that had a brick red tone to it, and it tasted slightly minty. I liked this product a lot.

I used four perfume samples. I sped my way through a 10ml sample of Diptyque Oud Palao and loved it so much I splurged on a full sized bottle. I used two samples of Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily and a sample of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, these were both OK but not something that I would buy.

I don't think I will empty so many things next month but there are a few things in my bathroom that are almost empty so you never know!