I Am Watching You.

Ella is on a train to London when she sees two young girls flirting with two men. The following morning Ella sees a news report about a missing girl, Anna Ballard, and realises that Anna is one of the girls from the train. Ella feels consumed with guilt that she failed to look out for the girls. 

As the fruitless search for Anna and her abductor continues the police accidentally identify Ella as a prime witness in the case. Soon a series of anonymous threatening postcards start arriving at Ella's home...

I Am Watching You is a short suspense filled novel recounted in a series of short chapters each narrated by different characters. Both the plot and the writing are good and there were plenty of gripping moments in the book that left me wondering just what exactly was going on and how the story would unfold. The ending of the story was highly unexpected, I'm usually pretty good at figuring out what happened in mysteries and thrillers but this one really did surprise me! While I can't say too much without revealing crucial clues, the mystery and all the lose ends were expertly tidied away by the author.

There are a couple of side stories in the book that while they do add a little perspective to the story aren't strictly necessary, but if you like gripping psychological mysteries I recommend that you read I Am Watching You. I don't think you will be disappointed in it!

Recommended.

Still Me.

Still Me is the third book by Jojo Moyes in what, following the enormous success of Me Before You,  has become the Louisa Clark series of novels.

Fully recovered from her accident and in the early stages of a love affair with ambulance man Sam, or Ambulance Sam as he is continuously referred to, Louisa finds herself living and working in New York. After somewhat miraculously securing a Green Card and never having set foot in NYC, Louisa is employed as a live in assistant to a wealthy young wife on the Upper East Side. Can Louisa manage to make a successful new life for herself and will her relationship with Sam survive now that there is an ocean between them?

   

Just like everyone else I loved Me Before You and I was eager to read the second book After You to find out what had become of Louisa. However, I found myself hating After You. It was a hugely disappointing read for me - Louisa irritated me, I found the attempts at humor grated on me and the storyline was simply too unbelievable. The only reason that I decided to read Still Me was because of it's New York setting and the fact that I was curious to see how wealthy New Yorkers and their lives were portrayed. 

I didn't dislike Still Me, it was a lighthearted, entertaining story that was easy to read, but there were too many things that I could find fault with for me to truly like it. The writing wasn't bad but the plot and story lines were incredibly unrealistic. The author had either been badly advised or else had done hardly anything in the way of researching New York, or the lives of wealthy New Yorkers and their household staff. The characters in the story were extremely stereotyped and the situations that Louisa found herself in were not at all credible. There were so many situations that had me shaking my head saying to myself 'that would never happen'. 

All in all this story felt a little slapdash and whilst it wasn't as bad as the second volume I wish so much that Jojo Moyes had left Me before You as a stand alone novel. If there is a Volume 4 (which I do think would be considered rightly as flogging a dead horse) I honestly can't see myself reading it.

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit GWP 2018.

I've not had much time to devote to C&C of late but I wanted to write about the Space NK Spring Beauty Edit GWP before it's too late! 

Space NK have the most wonderful GWP events in the Spring and Autumn and I always plan my major beauty restocks around them. Not only do I replenish my favorite products I get a bunch of samples and mini sized luxury beauty products to try out!

This years event was open to NDulge* members on Monday 12th February and to all other customers on Tuesday 13th. It goes without saying that this would make a perfect late Galentine's Day gift to yourself - there are some gift bags still available but if you would like one do hurry as they do go fast. To qualify for a gift bag you need to spend $275.00 (pre tax) on line (us.spacenk.com and enter the code SPRING18 at checkout) or in stores. I know that it is quite a lot of money to spend but if you do need products now is a good time to shop for them. 

The samples and minis came packed in a grey cosmetics bag that is actually smart enough to be used as a clutch bag. All the samples are generously sized and come from premium brands such as Omorovicza and Oribe. The contents of the bag are valued at over $500.00! 

Space NK GWP's tend to be quite heavy on skincare items as a rule which is something that pleases me immensely. This year's bag contained fourteen skincare items made up of three generously sized cleansers, eight serums and creams, two eye creams and one mask. 

For make up lovers there were five lip products (including the cult ByTerry Baume de Rose Lip Balm) and an eye pencil.

Haircare items comprised a shampoo, a dry shampoo, a hair mask and a texturising spray.

In addition there was a solid brush cleanser from Beauty Blender, a perfume vial from Byredo and even a mini Diptyque candle.

I bought myself five items to qualify for the bag. With the exception of one thing they are all products that I have used before. 

The 'new to me' item that I purchased was Verso Super Eye Serum. I'm constantly looking for the perfect eye cream and I have loved everything that I have tried from Verso so I thought I would give their eye cream a try. 

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is my favourite primer. I find it comfortable to wear and it makes my make up last much longer - it is a must have item for me, especially in the warmer weather! I have almost finished the bottle I am using currently and decided to replace it with the larger size which comes packaged in a tube which is much more practical and lightweight for travel purposes. It also works out to be more economical price wise. 

Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser is my favourite morning time cleanser. I finished a bottle of this recently and as it is something that I like to keep to hand I bought myself a replacement bottle. I also bought a jar of Tata Harper Purifying Mask as I needed a new clay/mud type mask. I recently finished my jar of Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask and as I have used and enjoyed samples of this Tata Harper one I decided to try it for a change. I do suspect however that I will eventually splurge and go back to the Omorovicza one as it is my true favourite - it is so good!

Finally as I don't currently have any cleansing milks or creams (only balms, oils and gels) I picked up a bottle of REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk to fill the gap in my cleanser wardrobe. I like this range so much as it soothes and calms stressed skin. I find that it is particularly lovely to use when the weather is cold and harsh and it is also fairly inexpensive. 

I'm thrilled with my gift and my new purchases and can't wait to get stuck into the gift bag and discover some new favourites!  

*NDulge is Space NK's customer rewards program and it is well worth joining if you are not a member. As well as early access to sales and promotions, there are invitations to special events and every time you shop you are rewarded with points that convert to cash rewards that you can redeem on future purchases.
us.spacenk.com

Anatomy of a Scandal.

James Whitehouse is a rising star in British politics and a close friend of the Prime Minister. When he is accused of the rape of one of his parliamentary researchers the High Court case that follows is inevitably a highly publicised one and James along with his family become tabloid fodder. 

James' loyal wife Sophie believes he is innocent and, although understandably devastated, stands by his side, playing the part of a devoted political wife maintaining a united family front, to protect their children along with their status in society. 

 When the case comes to court Kate Woodcroft, the assigned prosecuting barrister, is certain of James' guilt. She will do anything that she can within her power to prove it. 

Which woman is right? Is James innocent or guilty? And has Kate gone too far in her pursuit of justice?

This intelligent courtroom drama is very timely in its release with the current focus on sexual harassment and abuse by high profile men. It was such a well plotted story and (sadly) the situation, complete with the abuses of power and Jame's blitheness, were all too believable. 

The writing was clear and precise and I found that the true story was revealed in a very sympathetic way that avoided sensation.

There was a lot of detailed description of various scenes, and while they could have been omitted as they did slow the story down somewhat, I found that they reinforced the reality of the book as they made it feel like actual evidence was being given and mulled over. The strong female characters in the tale were all highly credible and this added even more to the realistic feel of this book.

I don't know if 'enjoyed' is the right word for this one but it is an exceptionally clever and well written book.

Recommended.

The Followers.

Stephanie is a struggling single mother in the North of England when she meets an intense yet charismatic man, Nathaniel. Pursued by him, she gradually falls under his spell and as their romance develops he persuades her to move, along with her daughter Judith, to a small religious community he has created on an isolated moor. Once there it is apparent that Nathaniel is in face a cult leader styling himself as The Prophet of The Ark. When his followers beginning to doubt Nathaniel and the ways of The Ark, tensions build and culminate in an intense act of violence that will tear the cult apart.

Eight years later Judith is visiting Stephanie (who is now in prison) and the story of how they joined and left The Ark  is revealed in flashbacks between the visits. 

I have hit a bit of a wall with reading. Ever since finishing A Little Life everything I have read has been sort of 'just okay' in comparison. The Followers has broken my stretch of 'just okay' and reminded me of how brilliant and powerful a well written book can be! 

I, like most people, am interested in the dynamics of a cult and what draws people to them so the subject matter of this was intriguing from the outset  but I loved absolutely everything about this book. 

The sparse writing drew a vivid picture of The Ark and its members and there was a sense of foreboding and an air of tension throughout the story that made me reluctant to stop reading. The way the plot unfurled and the story was revealed was superbly executed. The characters and their vulnerability and isolation were all eminently believable, and the portrayal of family dynamics, especially the stilted Mother/Daughter relationship at the core of the book, were astoundingly well drawn.

The Followers is the best book I have read so far this year and I highly recommend it.    

Empties January 2018.

Well January has simply flown by! 2018's Empties pile got off to a promising start and I managed to finish up eleven full sized products and seventeen samples.

Skincare.

I  used up five full sized skincare items this month.

Dr Dennis Gross Color Smart Cleanser and Mask worked fine as a cleanser but I wasn't keen on it's chemical scent and it was so messy to use. It is an orange coloured cream that has quite a thin consistency and it ended up everywhere (tiles, shower curtain etc etc) as well as making a terrible mess of my washcloths!

Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water is something I use as a hydrating or refreshing facial spray. I like to layer this between products to give my skin a little extra moisture. There are plenty of these French pharmacy type of water sprays out there and they are all pretty interchangeable for me. I did notice that this particular one was more 'minerally' that some of the others though and there was a build up of salts around the nozzle from time to time that I needed to brush away.

Darphin Hydraskin Essential is a great basic moisturising face cream. I prefer to use the light version in warmer weather but this regular one is perfect for the cold and to use as a 'topper' over serums etc either at night or when my skin is feeling very dehydrated. I like that this is lightweight feeling but very hydrating.

Kypris Beauty Elixir 1 is a lovely facial oil that smells of roses. I had been keen to try this so I was excited when it was in a Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty Box last year. I found that I only needed to use a tiny amount of this as it is quite a thick oil, if I used too much it didn't absorb very well. I liked this but I didn't love it. I'm happy to have tried it but I wouldn't get it again as there are so many other oils out there that I prefer that are also cheaper.

I was so sorry to come to the end of my pot of Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask. This clay mask not messy so it was easy to use and it didn't make my skin feel dry. It removed easily with a wet washcloth and left my skin looking clear and radiant and soft to the touch. Without doubt this is an expensive mask but I got a lot of masks out of this big pot and it was so good that I will most likely repurchase this in spite of the cost.

I also used eight samples of skincare.

Eve Lom Gel Cleansing Balm and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil both worked well but didn't 'wow' me enough to consider buying them. If you are a lover of Eve Lom products I think you will like the new cleanser though! I's lighter in feel than the original one, very reminiscent of their Morning Cleanser but without the mineral oils that that one contains. The Kiehl's Cleansing Oil has quite a strong lavender scent so it was nice and restful to use at night, if you like lavender this may be for you.

Clinique Moisture Surge Facial Spray is one of the first facial sprays I ever used. It's very refreshing and not too expensive. I like to keep these small sprays to refill and use when traveling.

I used a small sample of Rodin Olio Lusso. This is one of my favourite facial oils - it smells so good and reminds me of the Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial Oil.

La Roche Posay Redermic R Intensive is a night time retinol. I didn't use this for long enough to notice results but I did like it. It managed to feel quite gentle but I could tell that it had a bit of a kick to it. This definitely felt like a pharmaceutical product rather than a luxury beauty product - it didn't smell too great and was more of an emulsion than a cream. I was happy to use this but I don't know that I would part with cold hard cash for it! 

Dr Dennis Gross C + Collagen Vitamin C Serum is a gel serum that layered well with other products and felt very comfortable on my skin. This sample lasted me for a good amount of time and although I didn't notice my skin looking much brighter it did look plump and smooth. I really liked this as a daily serum!

I like Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm a lot - so much that I recently bought a full sized one! It's actually a cream rather than a balm and it addresses pretty much all of my eye area concerns. It does a very good job of smoothing out my under eye area and is nourishing without being greasy feeling or irritating to my eyes.

Nurse Jamie Dermalase AHA Exfoliating Mask had a fun stretchy jelly consistency and smelled fresh and fruity. I got quite a few masks from this sample and I liked the product a lot, it was a gentle exfoliating mask that was quick and fun to use.

Haircare.

I managed to use three haircare items.

This month I finished my bottle of Jo Malone Shampoo. Like the conditioner last month, I thought that this was a little underwhelming. It smelled gorgeous but it didn't leave my hair super soft or shiny or anything. I also used a mini bottle of Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo. I don't have any scalp issues but I have been wearing a hat all the time of late as it has been so cold and this cleaned my roots and scalp well and left my hair looking and feeling great.

I also used another bottle of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner. This is very often in my bathroom. I think it is an excellent drugstore conditioner that is great value for money and I often grab a couple of these when I see them on sale.

Body care.

I used up four full sized and two samples of body care.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion is a truly lovely body lotion. It feels very luxurious and has a light rose fragrance that isn't too sweet. My skin feels soft and soothed when I use this. I like it so much and will certainly buy more if I find it on sale again.

I'm still plowing my way through my Space NK Life body product stash! This month I used two tubes of the Ultimate Unwind Lotion. I like the light fresh scent of these and I find it to be quite creamy without being greasy. It's simply a very good daily body cream.

I used up a full sized Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Cream for a change - it's usually the minis of these that end up on my empties posts! I love the formula and feel of these. This one was in the scent 'English Honey and Peach Blossom' which I must admit is probably my least favourite scent of the range.

I loved L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil! It was a dry body oil with a natural almond scent, very soothing and softening and I only needed to use a tiny amount of it too.

I found OUAI Rose Hair and Body Oil to be too heavy to use on my hair, it left it looking limp which I found very odd as I have used the normal oil from OUAI before and liked it a lot. I re purposed this as a body oil and I thought it was okay but nowhere near as good as the L'Occitane oil.

Make Up and Perfume.

I finished a mini Benefit They're Real Mascara. I was a little disappointed with this mascara after having loved Benefit Rollerlash so much last month. I'm a bit scared of having hard plastic brushes near my eyes and I found the formula of this to be on the dry side. It applied easily but didn't add much curl to my lashes and I found that if there was even a touch of humidity that it became a little clumpy

I also used up five perfume vials, three of which were samples of Replica Jazz Club EDT. At first I thought that I quite liked this as I like masculine scents, but it wore a little too sweet for me and also had rum notes which I'm not fond of. I didn't dislike this but I was quite happy to have finished these samples!

The new fragrance from Gucci called Bloom is a heady white floral but I find it to be a bit too sickly and sweet for my tastes. Costume National Soul is an unusual Oud based fragrance. Somewhat sweet with warm notes of amber and vanilla, I quite liked this unisex scent even though it wasn't my preferred heavily wooded Oud type of frangrance.

I'm pleased with how many items I managed to finish in January and although February always seems such a short month I've quite a few things that are already almost finished so I think that next month is going to yield another healthy looking pile of Empties.