Space NK Spring Beauty Edit 2019.

Space NK always has 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 favourite 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 Tuesday 12th February and to all other customers on Wednesday 13th. It goes without saying that this would make a perfect late Valentine's/Galentine's Day gift to yourself - there are some gift bags still available but if you would like one do hurry as they go fast. 

To qualify for a gift bag you need to spend $285.00 (pre-tax) either in-store or online (us.spacenk.com and enter the code SPRING18 at checkout). I know that it is quite a lot of money to spend all at once but if you do need products now is a good time to shop for them as the gift bag has an amazing value of over $450.00. 

The samples and minis come packed in a blush cosmetics bag that is actually smart enough to be used as a clutch bag. All the samples are generously sized and all come from premium brands such as Omorovicza and Oribe.

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 contains sixteen skincare items.
There is a full-sized pack of face wipes from Patchology and two chemical exfoliants from 111 Skin and Malin+Goetz. I am very pleased that there were four serums (including my favourite Sunday Riley Good Genes) and a face oil by Emma Hardie as I have completely run out of serum samples. There are five face cream samples, two of which, Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream and REN Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream are generously sized 15ml ones. Finally skincare wise, for a deluxe pampering session, there are three masks, including one of my all-time favourites - Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask.

For makeup lovers there wae three lip products; a Kevyn Aucoin Lip Pencil, a tinted mini balm from Ilia and a clear sparkling Altered Universe Gloss by Lipstick Queen.
I was also happy to find minis of ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer which are both great to carry around and take on trips and I'm keen to try out Coola MakeUp Setting Mist containing SPF 30 as soon as the weather heats up.

Haircare items are all generously sized. 

To refresh and style my do there is a handbag size Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo and a Bumble+Bumble Thickening Spray. To ensure my hair is in tip-top condition there are masks from Briogeo, Christophe Robin, and Miriam Quevedo, along with a mini Rahua Classic Conditioner and Waterfall which is a leave-in moisture and shine enhancer by R+Co.

  

The final treat is a mini Diptyque candle.

It goes without saying that I'm thrilled with my gift 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

Cult Beauty Best of 2018 GWP.

I really do have a lot of beauty things 'in stock' at the moment but it has been a while since I did a Cult Beauty order and the above GWP was simply too good to miss out on!

It's rare that there aren't a few products that are a bit of a miss in a free bag but this one certainly appealed to me and there was only one item there that I knew I wouldn't use (Huda False Eyelashes).

Free with a £175.00 purchase all of the above treats came in a large canvas pouch (which I used for the photo's background) along with a black makeup bag and a £15.00 gift card to apply to a future order. Valued at over £300.00 the gift included seven full sized products!

There's a great mix of makeup and skincare, along with an eyeshadow brush, hair mask, a sample of Le Labo Santal 33 EDP and even some GoopGlow Skincare Supplements. 

I particularly like the way that this bag has been put together. It seems as if, not only are these some of the year's best sellers, there's a seasonal party theme going on, with sparkly (yet wearable) makeup items and a selection of skincare items that are geared towards getting a  much needed healthy glow back after all the late nights and parties!

Everything in this bag is great (yeah, except the lashes) but I'm particularly excited to see some of my favourites such as Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser and Dr Dennis Gross Dew It All Hyaluronic Eye Gel. I'm also looking forward to trying out Lixir Vitamin C Paste, a quick brightening mask that I've seen all over social media. 

Makeup items in gift bags usually leave me feeling a bit 'meh' but I'm actually excited about the ones in this bag, particularly the Jouer Lip Topper Gloss, Farsili Jelly Beam Illuminator, and Laura Mercier Glow Setting Powder.

In case you couldn't tell I'm over the moon about this GWP and while it is no longer available it's always worth signing up for Cult Beauty newsletters so you know when their next gift is available.

cultbeauty.com 

Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP: September 2018.

Here's another extremely overdue look at a GWP goody bag. This time it is the Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP (or perhaps I say 'Fall' as it is the giftbag from their American stores?) 

Out of all the beauty retailers, Space NK has THE best GWP's as far as I am concerned. Their Beauty Edit bags are available in the Spring and Autumn and while there is a rather large spend required to nab one I assure you that you won't be at all disappointed - not only are the bags that the products are gifted in always superb, there is always a skincare heavy selection of products from truly top of the range brands. 

These gifts are always available while stocks last but it's worth getting one early on as they do sometimes run out quite quickly. They are available for both in-store and online purchases and while the minimum spend has varied with recent promotions this one required a purchase of $285.00 (pre-tax). It is a hefty sum of money but I always plan my yearly beauty shops around these events and the bag itself always has a value far superior to the amount spent - this years bag had contents worth $560.00!!

Skincare.

I've already got stuck into the travel sized tube of Odacite Black Mint Cleanser and it is fantastic! A very lightly foaming cleanser with just enough mint to feel refreshing and invigorating, I have been eagerly reaching for this as a morning cleanser and I can certainly see myself purchasing this in the future.

I'm not a big fan of physical exfoliators and only use them perhaps once a week so while the inclusion of three of them doesn't thrill me it does mean that I have about a years supply so won't have to buy any. 

I have previously used African Botanics Buchu Enzyme Polish and found it to be quite gentle. Chantecaille Bamboo & Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream is another one that I have used before but as it contains both grains and fruit acids it is quite strong and so I will mix a teeny amount of this into a creamy cleanser to make it less harsh. I haven't tried VenEffect Micro Exfoliant before. 

Malin+Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask is another exfoliator but it is purely a chemical one using naturally derived AHAs to cleanse and brighten. I've used this previously and found it to be a fantastic mask that leaves my skin evenly toned and fresh looking. The other mask in the bag is Goldfaden MD Facial Detox Clarify+Clear Mask. I've also used this before, it deep cleans and zaps pimples away while feeling very calming and I like it a lot. 

There is also a sheet mask for the eye area, 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask. I'm not big on sheet masks but I've made a habit of popping them into my bag whenever I'm going to be away from home so I have something to revive my skin after travel.

I've been absolutely loving everything I have been using by REN recently, so although I've not particularly liked their Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot in the past I'm interested to give it another go.

I'm also looking forward to trying Sunday Riley C.E.O. Serum as not only is Sunday Riley one of my favourite brands I've been seeing a real difference in the clarity of my skin lately when I use Vitamin C products. Eve Lom Radiance Face Oil also contains Vitamin C for overnight brightening and hydration and for either day or nighttime use there's a jar of Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Deep Cream which I have used before and been impressed by (which is no surprise as I love almost anything by DDG!) 

On the days I'm not exfoliating or using an overnight Vitamin C cream I will be using either Clark's Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream which I can't wait to try out (Clark's Botanicals are another brand whose products I absolutely love) or Verso Night Cream, another Retinol product that is one of my tried and tested favourites.

There's only one sample of eye cream in this year's bag but it's a good one, Derm Institute Youth Alchemy Eye Cream. I'm thrilled to get a chance to try this out as this cream is seriously expensive - I'm talking way beyond my budget - and I have been extremely impressed by everything that I have tried from this brand. 

There is also a sample of Natura Bisse Tensolift Neck Cream that I always enjoy using but would never purchase as I honestly don't see the need for a separate neck cream. 

I'm not delighted with the inclusion of Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer, merely because of the ethics of sourcing and collecting bee venom, but as I have it I will use it so as not to waste it. However, the inclusion of a 1oz bottle of Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer makes my heart sing as it's such a generous sample from a truly luxe brand!

Makeup.

I was a little disappointed to receive yet another mini Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick but a full-sized ByTerry Stylo Blackstar blendable Eye Liner made up for it. 

I'm looking forward to trying Hourglass Caution Mascara* as I have heard such good things about it, I always use mini mascaras from gift bags and rarely have to buy a full sized one. 

Minis of Ilia Soft Focus Finishing Powder and Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder have made their way into my stash for me to try out.

Bodycare.

Susanne Kaufmann Ringelblumenol Body Oil was the only body care item. I've used Susanne Kaufmann oils before and they are very high quality and a little goes a long way so this 1oz bottle will last me for some time. 

Perfume.

There was just one perfume sample but it was a good one - a 10ml spray of Diptyque Fleur de Peau which is one of their Limited Edition scents that I have had my eye on!

Haircare.

This year there were five haircare items in the bag. Bumble+Bumble Hairdressers Oil Heat and UV Primer is a little too heavy for my locks so I will pass this along to someone else. 

I'm happy to try the generous sized Miriam Quevedo Sublime Gold Shampoo though as I do like this range of haircare. I will pair it with the sample of Philip B Lightweight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse which is an effective lightweight conditioner that I have used before.

Styling products included are Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray which instantly conditions and refreshes hair and Ouai Wave Spray which adds choppy piece-iness to hair without drying it or leaving a lot of residue.  

If you like the look of this bag do keep your eyes peeled around the beginning of February for the Spring Beauty Edit GWP!

spacenk.com/us

  *I did receive this mascara in the Barneys gift bag, some years there are a lot of crossover products with these two bags, this year it was just this mascara and a face mask by Malin+Goetz.

Barneys Love Yourself GWP: September 2018.

Oh my word! I am so far behind with C&C it's kind of scary! Already Christmas Advent Calenders are being revealed by beauty retailers and I still haven't written up my NYFW goody bags! I almost skipped these two posts but they are ones that I enjoy writing so, hey ho, better late than never! Maybe writing them will get me my blogging mojo back and there may even be an upside in that I have actually already used some of the products so can mini review them.

Every cloud etc etc...

First up, Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP.

Barneys run their Love Yourself promotion twice yearly, in March and September. Any online or instore beauty purchase of $200.00 or more (pre-tax) entitles you to a fantastic goody bag of samples, minis, and even full-sized items, during the time the promotion is running. In addition to the main gift, various brands offer stackable step-up gifts.

I always use this event to stock up on Kiehl's items for Mr C&C and Chantecaille make up for myself - each time I buy a tube of their Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser which I wear every day!

The gift always comes packaged in a stylish toiletries bag, this years was a large clear plastic one printed with the black Barneys NewYork logo, and there is a choice of gift bags for either men or women.

When I picked up my bag, the Madison Avenue branch was missing some samples but rather than omit them completely they subbed them with doubles of others. This didn't bother me in the least as I received double samples from Byredo, ByTerry, YSL, and Zelens. Even with the double substitutions the bag contained a great selection of products. This year the bag contained one bodycare item, five make up minis, four perfume samples, six haircare items and ten skincare items all from premium beauty brands.

Bodycare.

I have already used the mini shower gel from Molton Brown. These body washes have a great formula and the scent of this one, Rose Absolue, was divine, it was a deep warm sexy rose, not a sweet girly rose. I loved it.

Makeup.

The makeup minis are always the least favourite part of gift bags for me. However, this time around I'm excited to have the opportunity to try out the new Hourglass Caution Mascara and pleased to have not one, but two, mini ByTerry Hyaluronic Hydra Powders as they are something that I use regularly to set my make up and keep shine at bay. There is a blister strip of Gucci Westman Concealer which is disappointing as I dislike these blister packs of makeup but I will try it to see if I like the formula. I'm keeping the Givenchy Noir Revelateur Lip Gloss to play around with but the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil has gone to my giveaway pile as the shade is far too red for me to carry off.

Perfume.

I always love the perfume samples that Barneys give away as they are from such niche brands and even if I don't like them they are quite educational!  This year I got two samples of Byredo Eleventh Hour, along with one from Tiziana Terenzi and a beautifully boxed sample of Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady which I have already worn and love.

Haircare.

I always happy the haircare samples from Barneys as they are always so generously sized!
 There's a good sized bottle of shampoo from Vitabird and conditioner from Sachajuan. I'm excited to try Davines Quick Fix Circle Hair Mask and I passed a big tube of David Mallett Moisturising Hair Mask along to Mr C&C as he needed some. I've already used the small tube of Rene Furterer Hydrating Shine Leave-In Conditioner and I did like it but not enough to repurchase it. I love OUAI products so I'm looking forward to trying out their Leave-In Conditioner next.

Skincare.

There's a good mix of skincare items in this bag.
I'm already halfway through the mini Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (aka micellar water) and it's nice but not something that I would purchase for myself. I've previously used 3Lab M Cream, Chantecaille Rose de Mai Cream, La Mer Eye Concentrate, Malin+Goetze Brightening Enzyme Mask, Verso Day Cream, and Zelens Hydro Shiso Moisturiser. They are all fantastic products so I'm very happy with all of these!
The only skincare item that is new to me is YSL Forever Youth Liberator Concentrate, but I have two samples so I should be able to get a good idea if I like it or not!

Step Up Gifts.

Kiehl's didn't have a step up gift as such this time around but as you can see they gave me a generous and varied selection of samples, most of which I have passed onto Mr C&C as he loves a bit of Kiehl's!

Chantecaille always have great bags with their step up gifts and this framed purple Save the Elephants makeup bag is not only lovely to look at it is exceptionally well made. I love it! It came with samples of their Stress Relief Concentrate and Bio Lifting Cream and Mask. These tiny samples may not look like much but Chantaecaille skincare is extremely expensive and these three have a value of over $80.00 which isn't at all bad!

As ever I am thrilled with my Love Yourself gifts, and I will certainly be shopping at the next Barneys Love Yourself event in March, will you?  

Free Birthday Beauty Goodies 2018.

I have to admit to being rather negligent of C&C of late. I've been exceptionally busy and somewhat stressed due to aforementioned busyness which all added up to not having the time to blog. If I did have any free time I found that I wasn't in the mood to witter on about books and beauty things, either because I had pressing things that I should be doing (laundry, errands etc), or I needed to totally relax and simply sit and watch tv/play candycrush/flip through a magazine etc.

However, during my birthday month (August) I did manage to find a little time for myself and gather up a few beauty related freebies.

Ulta offer members of its Ultamate rewards program a different birthday gift each quarter. No purchase is needed to reclaim your birthday gift from Ulta but you do need to pick it up in a store as they won't add it to an online order. Summer's gift was a mini It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara. I must be one of the few people who hasn't tried the CC Cream from this brand, but I do have an eyeshadow palette from them that I love so I have high hopes for this mascara. I love mini mascaras! Not only are they a great way to try out new mascaras, they are such a handy size to pop in your bag or take on a trip. I'm always excited to get a mini such as this and get them from goody bags and GWP's so frequently that I rarely need to actually buy a full sized mascara!

Sephora offer members of it's Beauty Insider program a choice of birthday gifts. This year the choice was either Glamglow or Bite Beauty. There's something about Glamglow that I find off-putting for some reason - perhaps it's their glittery masks or their cartoon tie-ins? I don't really know - but it was easy for me to choose the gift from Bite which contained a sample of their amazing Agave Lip Balm along with a mini Amuse Bouche Lipstick and a mini Matte Cream Lip Crayon.

Space NK has upped their birthday gift game and now offer members of their NDulge program a little gift bag with three minis of their best selling products. You can add this birthday treat to an online order or collect it in store (I'm not sure if you need to make a purchase or not to reclaim in store, you do need to to do so online). I feel like I lucked out as my bag had a handbag sized Oribe Dry Texturising Spray which is always a great freebie to receive, a generous 10ml sample spray of Diptyque Philosykos EDP which is my favourite summertime scent, and a 15ml jar of Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer which alone is worth a whopping $60.00!

Kiehl's offer their 'Kiehl's Family' members a #1 Lip Balm free with any purchase during your birthday month. I know that it's better than nothing but I do feel that this offering from Kiehl's, who were once known for their generous samples and promotions, is a little lame. Every year it is a #1 Lip Balm (which I don't even find to be all that great, its basically a petroleum jelly bal with a very small amount of sunscreen), you need to make a purchase to claim what is a low-value item, plus you can't combine it with any other offer. I actually didn't even claim mine this year as I didn't feel the need to buy something I didn't really need just in order to get a lip balm I don't even like all that much!

Anyhow enough of my complaining...

Diptyque is my favourite perfume house so I was thrilled when I found out that if you subscribe to their emails in the U.S. they will send you a birthday email that you can use in any of their standalone stores to claim either a mini candle or a 10ml EDP spray, no purchase necessary. I opted for the perfume spray and chose the fragrance Tempo which I believe is a Limited Edition of theirs. The Sales Assistants are always so nice at Diptyque and they also gave me a couple of their regular perfume samples which was a kind touch.

CVS recently overhauled their Beauty Rewards program and it now offers a free birthday gift to pick up instore, no purchase necessary. This year it was a Poparazzi Nail Polish and I picked out a wearable nude/greige.

In addition to my mini birthday haul pictured above, I also received a coupon code for 15% off orders during my birthday month from Cult Beauty and Caudalie added 30 points to my MyCaudalie Rewards account. 

I'm very happy with my birthday freebie this year, there are some nice treats here and the best thing is that they didn't cost me anything! Let me know if there are any birthday beauty treats I have missed out.

These offers are available in mainland USA. Other countries may have different gifts and conditions. Gifts and conditions may change and are subject to company policies and rules. 

Why I'm fast becoming a dedicated Ulta shopper!

While Space NK is always going to be my first love when it comes to beauty shopping their products do tend to be at the luxury, and therefore pricier, end of the spectrum. I'd love to buy everything from them but there are those pesky little things called bills to pay... 

Which is why I'm enjoying a little bit of Ulta from time to time these days. Their products range from department store/Sephora brands to drugstore ones and they stock a variety of those brands that have some great value products in their line up such as The Body Shop, Boot's and Mario Badescu. Plus they sell all of those mundane beauty items that we all need from time to time such as hair dyes, depilatory creams and nail files. Product wise Ulta really do have you covered, although I've mostly been shopping there of late to buy haircare, body care and the 'boring bits'. 

If you join their Ultamate Rewards program (it's free) they offer you points on every purchase that convert into cash rewards that you can use towards future beauty splurges. Membership also allows you to take advantage of triple points days (or even x5 point days), money off coupons and numerous special offers (half priced featured products BOGO's and so on). These all add up and you can score some serious beauty bargains!
If you shop online shipping over $50.00 is free and you can score even more extra money back if you shop through a money back site such as EBates.

Ulta have frequent GWP's available, and you know how I love a good GWP!
Some of these are brand specific, some are bumper bags of samples and minis and some, like the one pictured above (yes, that's a GWP not a haul!!) are a mix of full sized products and samples.
Most of their GWP's are only available for a short time, some just a number of hours, so signing up for their emails is the best way to find out about them and snag one for yourself.

The pictured gift of bathroom treats was a recent GWP with purchases of $50.00 or more.
My actual haul was made up of Epsom salts, hair dyes and a couple of bath poufs, honestly not exciting enough to be pictured, unlike the rather generous and lovely gift.

This particular GWP contains full sizes of Rituals Ritual of Sakura Foaming Shower Gel (200ml), Zoella Beauty Soak Opera Bath and Shower Cream (250ml), and Thymes Kimono Rose Bath Salts (60g) and a generously sized sample of Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub (20g) along with a Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber.
The value of this gift is a little over $30.00 which I think is great especially as we will use all it's products.

 It's always nice to get some pampering bathroom treats and even better when they are for free, don't you think? 

ulta.com

SpaceNK: The Essentials Gift Spring 2018.

I'm a sucker for a good GWP and this one that's currently on offer from Space NK is a very good one indeed! 

The Essentials Gift is available on line or in U.S. stores while stocks last. 

Spend $165.00 (pretax, shipping is free) and receive a cosmetic bag stuffed with fourteen deluxe beauty samples from a selection of luxury brands worth over $200.00. (I also included three extra samples that I received with my online order in the photo).

As usual with Space NK GWP's the actual bag is very nice and well made. It is a large make up/small toiletries sized pouch made from a grey faux leather/suede material. Fully lined in grey cotton with a chunky silver zipper, the bag has a subtly embossed Space NK logo on one side. It's a great pouch and I find these shaped bags are great for organising the contents inside my handbag so I will be hanging on to this!

Skincare.

There are seven skincare items inside the bag four of which are masks. 

I used to get annoyed at the inclusion of so many masks in GWP's but I've come to love receiving them as it means that I have a good selection to choose from on 'pamper nights' and it also means that I rarely have to buy any! Two of the masks are deep cleaning masks. Malin + Goetz Detox Face Mask is a newish mask that I have a few samples of but have yet to try while Eve Lom Rescue Mask is an old favourite and something of a cult beauty product. Another old favourite of mine is REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask so I'm pleased to see a generously sized sample of this  gentle exfoliator included. I love Omorovicza products and I'm looking forward to trying out their Ultramoor Mud Mask, a multi tasking mask that gently exfoliates and lifts and brightens. 

I'm thrilled to get a sample of Sunday Riley Good Genes as it is possibly my all time favourite skincare item. It's been a while since I have used Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes but I'm looking forward to revisiting it as it is something that I have actually purchased this in the past. The final skincare item is a mini pot of Dr Dennis Gross Oil Free Moisture Cushion. Dr Dennis Gross is such a great brand and this gel moisturiser will be perfect to use in the upcoming warmer weather.

Haircare.

Salt and texturizing sprays are, like masks, another product that I rarely have to purchase as I have so many from various gift bags! They never go amiss and I'm happy to get to try OUAI Wave Spray out. Oribe Supershine Cream is another winner for me. I have bought this luxurious leave in hair conditioner in the past, I love it, it's a fantastic product but I don't purchase it often as it is expensive. I tend to opt for something that's a bit cheaper hair care wise mostly so I will enjoy using this as a special treat.

Make Up.

I've only tried mascara from Rodial so I'm pleased to get a half sized Instaglam Bronzer to explore their range further. This powder bronzer isn't too dark and is matte rather than shimmery, I'm not overly experimental with make up but this looks very natural and I'm looking forward to using it.

The other make up items are two half sized lip products. Lipstick Queen Morning Sunshine is a coral toned lip wash (it goes on clear and changes colour once on). Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone Lip Pencil is the one item that I won't use from the bag unfortunately as it is a dark red/brown shade called Blood Roses. I've had quite a few samples of these pencils over the years and the formula of them is fantastic however so I will pass it on to someone who likes a bold lip. 

Body and Perfume.

I love mini hand creams and always have one in my bag so I'm excited to try out the new ByTerry Baume de Rose Hand Cream. You can never go wrong with a Diptyque perfume sample as far as I'm concerned, I love pretty much all of their scents, and I'm happy to have a sample of Do Son EDT.

Purchases and Samples.         

I bought two cult products to qualify for the gift. 

Sunday Riley Good Genes is my favourite night time serum. I've tried other things but constantly come back to using it. I've bought numerous bottles and it's almost always on my skincare shelf. It's not the cheapest product but my skin looks so much brighter, clearer and simply healthier whenever I use this.

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm is so well loved in England but has only recently been stocked in the U.S. Space NK stores. I feel a bit embarrassed that I've never used this before TBH as it's such an iconic cleanser beloved by so many beauty experts. Finally I get to try it for myself!

Standard samples I chose to be added to my order were a duo of OUAI Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, a sachet of Omorovicza Omoressence and because you can never have too many Diptyque samples a vial of Fleur de Peau EDP.

I'm so happy with my purchases and gift, there's just so much good stuff here!

spacenk.com

Kiehl's Healthy Skin GWP.

Normally I restock Mr C&C's Kiehl's products whenever there is a Barney's Love Yourself event but this year he needed quite a major restock and I split my buys between Barneys and Kiehl's as they had a great GWP available with any $75.00 purchase. 

The Healthy Skin promotion had a choice of three makeup bags containing different selections of products and although my preferred choice was out of stock by the time I put my order together I am still pretty darn pleased with my second choice. 

I'm keeping the new Calendua and Aloe Soothing Hydrating Mask which I'm excited try after my next at home exfoliating facial along with the Calendua Herbal Extract Toner. I do remember purchasing this toner in the distant past so I'm curious to revisit it, it is alcohol free and looks super pretty as it contains actual flower petals.

I'm generously gifting Mr C&C the samples of Ultra Facial Cream, Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Daily Reviving Concentrate but I'm keeping a firm hold of the cosmetic bag that came with the gift, as for once the bag itself is the best part of the gift. Normally I'm all about the samples and I will gift or donate the bag that comes with GWP's (having said that I do have a fairly large drawer full of ones that I liked enough to keep!) but this one feels rather special.

It's the perfect size for a day to day make up bag and I like the design of it so much, I especially like the way the illustrations represent the heritage of Kiehl's. This bag is so well made. The fabric has a wipe clean coating on the outside, the zip is sturdy, and not only is it lined, it's padded so I won't end up smashing powders and compacts when I carry them around. 

Although this promotion is over if you love Kiehl's products it is worthwhile signing up for theirmailings as there are offers such as this frequently available.
There's also a members rewards program that offers a Lip Balm as a birthday treat, samples with every order and a yearly cash reward when you record your purchases. Kiehl's stores are a delight to visit but these days I tend to buy everything we need from them online as Ebates give a very generous cash back on Kiehl's purchases. You cam sign up for mailings at kiehls.com

And if you don't yet have an Ebates account why not open one at ebates.com? I will admit to having been pretty skeptical but it really does work. I pay my Ebates cashback into a Paypal account which I then use for Cult Beauty orders...Which makes my Cult Beauty purchases free! Brilliant!

Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP Spring 2018.

It feels a little odd writing Spring when it's chucking down snow outside but at least yesterday when I went to Barneys to pick up my Love Yourself purchases and bag was warm and springlike!

Barneys Love Yourself event is one of my favourite beauty events to shop. Purchases of $200.00 or more (pre tax) get an amazing gift of samples, mini and even full sized beauty products all packaged in one of Barneys own design toiletry bags. These goody bags are always packed with a range of high end products and along with Space NK Beauty Edit bags are my very favourite gifts! Barneys offer either a male or female gift bags(I always get the female one!) and in addition to the bag itself many brands offer extra samples or small step up gifts with a certain amount of purchases. 

The Love Yourself gift bags always contain a mix of skincare, haircare and perfume items. This time around there is only one make up sample, which I don't mind as make up samples with the exception of mini mascaras are the samples I tend to use the least. There's also no body care items this time unless you count a mini tube of toothpaste as body care! 

It's certainly a skincare heavy bag although I can't see anyone being disappointed with this as a gift!

There are thirteen skincare items, including the standout item of a full sized box of five Vitabird Dual Mask Sheet Masks. I'm not a huge fan of sheet masks as a rule but I'm quite excited to try these out as I was so impressed by the Vitabird C powder that I received in the last Love Yourself bag.

Whilst I'm in the mask department I'll mention that there's also an eye mask from MDNA Skin included, a sample of Malin+Goetz Detox Face Mask, which is a deep cleansing gel mask along with a 20ml sample of The Organic Pharmacy Collagen Boost Mask. (I feel bad complaining about free samples but The Organic Pharmacy Mask has hardly any product inside - maybe three or four ml at the most - I hope I was just unlucky and they are not all like this. This would have been a great sample if it were full as it's almost half size and would have been worth over $50.00).

Moving on to other skincare items there are three cleansers. 5ml of classic Eve Lom with a muslin cloth, a tube of Cle de Peau Softening Cleansing Foam (excited to try this as I'm hoping it's similar to The Ginza Foaming Cleanser!) and a big 30ml sample of Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip which I'm very pleased about as I love this cleanser, especially in the warmer weather or if my skin feels a little congested.

There are two super fancy eye cream samples: Revive Anti Age Eye Serum and 3Lab Super Eye Treatment. These two samples alone are worth $71.00 which makes up for my Organic Pharmacy Mask disappointment! 

Finally for skincare there are four samples of luxurious face creams: Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream, La Mer Moisturising Cream, Georgio Armani Crema Nera Extrema and Chantecaille Anti Pollution Mattifying Cream.

There are four generously sized haircare samples including a tube of my favourite Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo. I also love OUAI Hair Oil and I like Davines Oi All In One Milk so I'll use all these up pretty soon. There is also a sample of Sachajuan Ocean Mist Salt Spray which I will eventually use, although not for a while as I have so many salt/texturizing sprays already from gift bags which is good as it means I never have to buy any!

There are six perfume samples including the 'his n hers' samples by LOEWE that seem to come in every Barneys' gift bag. Other perfumes are Maison Margiela By the Fireside, Tiziana Terenzi Andromeda (I just had a spritz of this and it's gorgeous! It's a fruity white floral with outstanding sillage.) and two very different rose fragrances - the very wearable Diptyque Eau Rose and Byredo Rose Noir which is a heavier musky, almost leather like rose. 

Final bag items are a mini Marvis Toothpaste, always a useful if somewhat odd inclusion in this bag I feel, and a mini Le Rouge Mat Lipstick from Givenchy is the shade 'Rouge Stiletto' which, although I adore anything by Givenchy, is not a wearable shade for me so I will pass it along to someone who can.

And now for the extra samples I received...

 As ever I used this event to stock up on items from Chantecaille and Kiehl's. 

Chantecaille's extra gift was a yellow reusable shopping tote commemorating their twentieth anniversary along with samples of a mask, serum and cream from their luxurious Bio Lifting range.

Kiehl's gave out luxury samples of their Super Multi Corrective Cream, Super Multi Corrective Eye Opening Serum and the classic Midnight Recovery Concentrate Serum.

I was also given three Diptyque samples. Along with their 34 EDT I was given samples of their new Fleur de Peau EDP and Tempo EDP. Both of these new fragrances are gorgeous! Tempo is exactly my kind of scent and although I had intended my next fragrance purchase to be Byredo Velvet Haze I'm now undecided after trying this... I can't get them both as they are actually very similar to my nose....ahh decisions, decisions!

I didn't picture my purchases as they are always so similar for this event - I definitely use it to restock rather than explore! But in case you are interested I bought Chantecaille Just Skin TM along with one of their Cheek Gelee cream blushers in the shade 'Lively'. From Kiehl's I restocked Mr C&C with a bottle of Midnight Recovery Concentrate Serum and a tube of Midnight Recovery Eye Cream.

My beauty cupboards are full to bursting now, and while I'm not exactly on a 'no buy' I've plenty of things that need using so it's going to have to be a super special deal to tempt me to buy anything soon!

If you've read this far and want some Barneys' beauty goodies for yourself (or as gifts?) the Love Yourself event is on until the end of Sunday 11th in stores and also online at barneys.com

Happy shopping! 

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

Porter Magazine: Subscription Gift #2.

Porter is a sumptuous glossy magazine from luxury e-commerce site Net-a-Porter which, in addition to some spectacularly visual fashion pages, also contains well written and interesting articles about travel and the arts as well as featuring candid interviews with newsworthy women. 

I like to swap out my magazine subscriptions from time to time and recently, when another magazine subscription of mine ran out I decided that it was time to resubscribe to Porter.  As with other subscriptions it is great value. Costing $25.00 for a year it allows access to the digital version of the magazine and mails six glossy issues to you a year. (Porter is a bi-monthly magazine, issues are Spring, Summer, Summer Escape, Fall, Winter and Winter Escape.)

If I've not tempted you to subscribe already may I add that Porter offers some stunning GWP's with subscriptions? With my subscription came a stunning ByTerry Parti Pris Eye Shadow Palette featuring six shimmering powder shadows in very wearable shades and a half sized ByTerry Terrybly Mascara. The gift has a value of $82.00, which is pretty impressive considering the price of the subscription.

From now until February 8th new U.S. subscribers can receive a Kjaer Weis Cream Blusher and Mascara worth $93.00. (Subject to availability, a gift of similar value will be sent if this offer runs out - don't despair if it does, all of the subscription gifts are amazing). 

If you fancy subscribing to a great magazine and would like a luxurious little extra for yourself simply go to portersubs.com/KJ.

(After February 8th a different gift will become available but you will need to seek out a new code either online or in a magazine to be eligible for the new gift). 

Don't forget that the subscription will auto renew so you will need to cancel it at the end of your year if you don't wish to receive further issues. Honestly though, I can't see why you would as it is a such a good magazine.

 

Sephora Weekly Specials #3: The Gift & Receive Sample Bag.

In addition to some very good weekly special offers before Christmas Sephora also step up their game with the gifts that come with online orders. This year there were three different sample bag promotions, all of which had a choice of several different bags. I opted for one of the 'Gift & Receive' bags which were available with orders over $35.00. Five different bags were available and I opted for the 'Moisturize and be Merry' version, pictured above.

Skincare

Fresh Rose Face Mask is one of my favourite moisturising masks! It is a gel mask that smells amazing and does a great job of hydrating skin, leaving it softened and plumped, It also feels cool and calming and I like to use this after a peel or treatment. This sample is a generously sized 15ml one, enough for three or four uses. 

Clinique Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate (7ml) is a gel like serum and the newest addition to Clinique's popular Moisture Surge range. Although I don't use Moisture Surge products much these days I was a big fan of them some years ago. The products are hydrating gels rather than creams and they do an excellent job of adding moisture to dehydrated skins without being overly expensive. I have tried this serum once before and I did like it a lot - enough to consider buying it in fact.  

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil (4ml) is a multipurpose oil for body, face and hair. I've never used pure squalane but I have used products containing it and found it to be very moisturising. I am a bit put off by body/face/hair multi use products, but I am keen to try this out as I am considering getting The Ordinary Squalane when I do another Deciem order and feel that this is a similar product.

Bodycare

There is only one body care item included in this set but it is a good one - a 15ml sample of L'Occitane Amande Supple Skin Oil. I always use some sort of body lotion/cream/ oil after showering and I am very fond of almond scented products so this is a great sample as far as I'm concerned!

Perfume

Hmm, knowing that the bag's theme is moisturising I do find the inclusion of two perfume samples a bit odd but I sort of get it - these are both clean, fresh, watery scents.

I have to admit to finding Replica Lazy Sunday Morning a little too 'fabric softener like' for a skin scent, but it is very light and wearable. Although it isn't to my personal taste I will wear it when I need a mild inoffensive perfume. 

Clean Reserve White Cotton is a little stronger, and more floral but it's a similar sort of scent, again it isn't something that I would pick for myself but I will wear it. 

Make Up

 Finally, there is a  generously sized (half sized?) sample of Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Lip which is a gloss finish liquid lipstick. I don't know the name of the shade I received but it is a dark toned nude with a mauve-ish undertone. I'm not big on liquid lipsticks as I find them to be quite drying, but as this is included in a moisturising set I'm hoping this one will be the exception to the rule. It's a very wearable colour also so I will certainly use this as long as it doesn't make my lips feel dry.

Overall

I do love getting a fistful of sample to try! I like that this bag not only included new things for me to try it also contained a few old favourites. There is a good range of products in this set but it would have been even better if there had been a haircare item included (in place of one of the perfumes perhaps?). All in all though I love this and everything came packaged in a sturdy make up bag which makes it feel even more of a gift!   

Ulta GWP: 'Spice' Giftbag.

I know, I know. It's not been long since I promised no more beauty buys but my epilator gave up the ghost and stopped working and on the same day a GWP offer from Ulta showed up in my inbox and I had Ulta rewards to redeem and cash back from Ebates could be applied so I had to take advantage of this gift bag. I mean turning down something for nothing makes no sense when it is something that is of use right?

Free with a $75.00 spend, there were a choice of two bags containing different products: 'sugar' or 'spice'. Ulta has the most amazing deals on almost of the time but they swap them out fast. When I checked on my shipping tracking I looked for this deal and they only had the 'sugar' bags remaining. By now Ulta are onto another promo - hair products when I last looked.
Moral: if you fancy a certain Ulta GWP then move fast!

The bag itself was a dark pink suede effect pochette but as ever it was the contents, a mix of samples and generously sized minis that I was more interested in!

Skincare.

Yay! There's a good selection of skincare samples included here and they are a varied bunch that will
(excepting cleansing products) cover your skincare needs for a few days.
To start a routine there is a mini spray of Tarte Get Set Radiant to tone and refresh skin with and a small tube of Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift. There are samples of two serums, Perricone MD High Potency Face Firming Activator which would work as a daytime serum and the cutest mini bottle of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, to use as a nighttime serum. To finish your routine there is a generous 15ml pot of Vichy V Liftactive Supreme Cream.

Make Up.

There is a sachet of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - I always like getting samples of primers to try as they generally last a while, making them ideal to tuck in my make up bag when I'm off on a trip. 

There are two mascara samples: a mini Benefit They're Real and a mini, mini Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara. I'm always happy to receive mini mascaras and I seem to get so many that it is rare that I ever have to buy mascara myself.

There are three lip colours included in the gift: a mini Smashbox Legendary Lipstick, a sample of Juice Beauty Liquid Lip and a full sized Ulta Matte Lip Crayon.  Fittingly for a spice themed bag they are all quite strong Autumnal colours. None of them are the kind of tones that I wear as they are quite bold so I'm going to be passing these three along to people who can wear them.

Haircare.

I won't use the Sexy Hair Not So Hard Up Holding Gel but I'm happy with the other three generously sized haircare samples I was sent. Hempz Daily Colour Preserving Shampoo containing grapefruit and raspberry smells fun, fresh and fruity. Matrix Biolage Cleansing Conditioner is a product I'm looking forward to using as I got on well with the last Co-Wash product I tried. (I feel like Co Wash products were everywhere a couple of years ago but they don't seem as common of late). There's also a mini bottle of It's a 10 leave in hair treatment which I will use and sachets of Klorane Strengthening and Revitalising Shampoo and Conditioner which I'm sure will be a treat for my hair.

Bodycare.
There was only one body care item in the bag but it was a good one - a travel sized Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel. This rose scented gel seems to be something of a staple in beauty boxes and gift bags but I'm always happy to receive this moisturising shower product that smells lovely and is kind of fun to use as well. 

Perfume.

Finally there are three perfume vials: Gucci Bloom, Michael Kors Sexy Amber and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Glace.

I think that's a very decent selection of products for a not too expensive GWP and there was also a coupon included for $5.00 off $15.00 worth of Ulta own brand products.

Be sure to sign up at ulta.com to learn about other deals like this one!

Cult Beauty Global Goody Bag 2017.

Did I need this? Honestly no. Did I want this? Hell yeah!

I know that I only recently pulled the trigger and bought both the Space NK Autumn Edit and Barneys Love Yourself bags but... I tend to spread my purchases, not going much above minimum spends for GWP events, and there are a few items that I will need to buy before the next round of goody bags. So, after much debate I made a Cult Beauty order and told myself that was it, beauty spending done for the remainder of the year! (Unless, of course, there is a fantastic 'Box of Dreams' offering from Cult Beauty and Caroline Hirons at the end of the year and then that will be a Christmas present to myself).

Further justification - global shipping is free, the pound to dollar exchange rate is favourable for me and as UK sales tax (V.A.T.) is removed from my order (I live outside the E.U.) the pricing of European products works out to be less than in the U.S.

What I Bought.

Bella Freud Lion Candle.

I finished burning my Bella Freud Loving Candle last week and I have had this Lion version on my wish list for at least two years (I would also love a Lion jumper!). The fragrance is described as being 'Cedarwood and Pepper' and that's a descrition I can't really top. Warm and woody with spicy peppercorn notes this is the perfect candle for cooler weather.
And that container - Bella Freud candle jars are not your regular candle jars! This one mirrors the box, it's black with the red, green and gold Lion symbol - a little bit afro punk, a little bit Notting Hill Trustafarian, it's exactly my taste. This may well be my new favourite candle.
(And yes, that Lion jumper, if I can find my size, it may well have to be a Christmas gift to myself!)

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eye Pencil.

'Smokey Emerald' is the daytime pencil for hazel eyes in the Colour Chameleon range. I bought one of these in 2015 as a replacement for the (sadly discontinued) Sue Devitt Bangalore Eye Intensifier  and I've used it down to a stump - it's in the next Empties post! I love a chunky eye pencil and the formula of this is one of the best I have ever encountered. It applies like a dream, is easy to smudge and blend, then sets and stays in place all day - no further smudging or migrating across your face guaranteed.

Mabel+ Meg Enchanter Hydrating Eye Serum.

Mabel+Meg are a new brand for me and I'm keen to try out this eye product after reading some good reviews. I'm constantly on the look out for the perfect eye cream that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and this liquid gel serum is certainly wallet friendly. Containing peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide and Caffeine this addresses all the major concerns of the eye area as well as offering protection from further damage. It is also fragrance free.

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Serum.

This is one of my all time favourite daily hydrating serums, a lightweight lotion that sinks in instantly leaving my skin feeling softer, plumper and above all comfortable. I find that it works well when layered with other products and under make up so it is ideal for day time use. But I'll use it anytime and will even apply a thick mask like layer which I leave to sink in if my skin is especially dehydrated. 

The only problem that I have with this is that I use it up so quickly as I love it so much!

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel.

Because no Cult Beauty order is complete without a bottle of this gentle but effective rose scented cleansing gel... it is one product that really does live up to the hype surrounding it!

The Global Beauty Bag.

There's a good mix of products in here, perhaps a little heavy on masks but all the samples are generously sized and there are four full sized products included in the bag (actually six if you count a sheet mask and make up sponge as being full sized items). There isn't an actual 'bag' with this GWP but I'm actually quite happy about that as I have so many already. I'll take extra product rather than a bag anytime!

Skincare.

Skincare  items are always the most exciting part of gift bags for me! 

There are four masks, if you include a Verso Hydrating Sheet Mask. I'm happy to get two exfoliating masks (ECooking Peeling Mask and Nurse Jaime Dermalase AHA Exfoliating Mask) as I like to use some sort of exfoliating treatment weekly in addition to my acid toners and the ECooking Peeling Mask is full sized! There's also a pack of two single use deep cleansing masks from KBeauty brand Caolion - one is an Oxygen mask and the other is for pores.

I love cleansing, washing my face may well be my favourite part of the day (I know, weird right?) Both of the cleansers included here, Alpha H Essential Cleansing Balm and Farmacy Green Clean are ones that I have been interested to try.

I'm thrilled by the inclusion of a generous 10ml sample of Zelens 3t which is one of the most effective and luxurious creams I have ever used - it suits my skin so well. I'm also happy to be given some SkinOwl Maqui Beauty Drops, an antioxidant rich healing night time facial oil as I enjoy this brand a lot. Although I don't really see the point of using a separate neck cream they are always one of the first items I use in gift bags and the fact that this Firming Neck Cream is by ultra luxe brand Omoroviczia means that this sample will be no exception.

Finally, there is a sample of Buchu Enzyme Polish by African Botanicals. I'm not a big user of physical exfoliators and I have heard that this one is quite scrubby so this is probably the least exciting skin care item featured for me. However, I find it's good to have a few different samples of facial scrubs around as I do occasionally use them, so I'm sure this will get used at some point in the future.

Make Up.

There are four make up items including a Micro Mini Beauty Blender. I'm very pleased to have another mini Beauty Blender as I love using these with under eye concealers.
I'm also looking forward to finally trying out Benefit Rollerlash Mascara.
 Stroke of Beauty Mixed Media LipShine isn't really my colour as it's red but it looks as if it wears as a sheer wash rather than a deep pigment. In the tube it looks exactly like a Chantecaille Super Lip Sheer and I like the balm type look and feel of those a lot so I will give it a go.
I'm a bit disappointed/confused by he inclusion of the Cover FX Contouring Kit as I feel that contouring is a bit 'last year' already. I may/may not use the highlighter here or try to use the kit as a bronzer. This product really isn't for me but I'm sure it will have it's fans. On the plus side, it is full sized with a nice big mirror and it comes with a brush.

Haircare.

 I always love getting mini shampoos and conditioners to try out. I haven't used anything by Pureology for a long time but I'm looking forward to trying these two from their Fullifyl range.

The gift contained either a Hair Oil or a Dry Shampoo from OUAI. I'm happy to report that I lucked out and got a hair oil - I have so many dry shampoos at the moment, and this Hair Oil is one of my favourites.

Bodycare.

Who doesn't like the Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream? Ridiculous name aside this slightly shimmery cream is wonderfully hydrating and softening and it smells like summer in a jar - it's a full sized jar as well!

I'm very happy indeed with the Global Beauty Bag. Cult Beauty always offer great goody bags as GWPs and I think that this is the best one I have ever received from them. If you don't already subscribe to their emails sign up at cultbeauty.com for notifications of future gift bags and promotions.

Barneys New York Love Yourself GWP: September 2017.

Two of my favourite beauty gift bag events in one week? I feel like it is my birthday and Christmas both at the same time (or something!).

Barneys New York Love Yourself event started on Wednesday and ends today so there's still time to make a list and swag a goody bag either in store or at barneys.com

All of the bounty pictured above comes packed in a camo toiletries bag and is free when you spend $200.00 (pre tax) or more in their beauty department.

Things to Know about the Love Yourself Event.

As with the SpaceNK event don't go crazy and purchase things that you don't need merely to get the free gift bag. There will be another Love yourself bag available in March so if you don't need to shop right now hang on in there for that one. (Having said that Barneys have lots of things that would be perfect for holiday gifts so you could get a head start on your holiday shopping and keep the bag for yourself...) 

Barneys have a good selection of men's grooming brands and offer a choice of male or female gift bags - both are good, so compare and contrast the bags rather than automatically opting for the female one. As a rule the male bag usually has fewer products but more of them are full sized or deluxe.

During this event various brands offer step up gifts when you spend a certain amount within that brand. Some of these gifts are very good and you can stack the gifts from different brands into one order. Do ask about step up gifts when you shop or check them out online.

The toiletry bags that come with this promotion are always very well made and stylish, they are great for organising things as well as travel.

The Gift.

This GWP contains twenty three samples and two full sized products. While the Space NK GWP tends to focus on skincare the Barneys gift is more varied. This one contains one full sized and ten sample skincare items, five haircare products, three perfume samples, four lip colours, one of which is full sized, along with a mini shower gel and a small tube of toothpaste.

Skincare.

I'm excited to get more Vitamin C skincare in the form of a full sized Vitabird C12 Face Brightener, a powdered Vitamin C that you mix into your usual serum or cream, there are a few other companies who have recently released this type of product so I'm interested to test this out. 

I'm happy to have a ByTerry Liftessence Day Cream sample as I received the nighttime version of this in the Space NK gift and look forward to trying them in tandem. 

I'm curious about the Malin+Goetz Eye Cream, I'm generally not big on their facial products but who knows maybe I will enjoy this. 

One thing that I always love about these Barneys bags are the inclusion of some very high end product samples such as the ones here from La Mer, Sisley and 3Lab. These are always fun to try for free although I'm always worried I will fall in love with one or more of them! Finally there's a sample of Rodin Olio Lusso which is fabulous, in fact it is one of my favourite facial oils.

Haircare.

The haircare items are all generously sized. I'm especially keen to try out the Shu Uemera Cleansing Oil Shampoo which smells lovely and sounds intriguing. 

Although I have a lot of masks, and texurising/salt sprays I don't mind to get more free as it means I don't ever have to buy these items! 

Make Up.

I'm pleased to have another Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in the shade 'Peacemaker' (this along with Mila Moursi Cellular Renewal Cream is the only duplicate product from the Space NK bag) and I will use the mini Nars velvet Lip Glide. 

The full sized Lipstick Queen Eden Lipstick and mini Givenchy Noir Revelateur are both colours I won't use so I will give these away.

Perfume.

I'm always happy to get perfume vials to try out! There are three in this bag, I always look forward to the Byredo ones which, although they don't last on my skin, are unusual and intriguing.

Bodycare.

Molton Brown Body Washes feel very luxurious and leave the bathroom delightfully perfumed. I'm saving this Eucalyptus one, which smells warm and comforting, for the cooler weather. 

Finally, I love these mini tubes of Marvis Toothpaste, not only are they handy for trips they are kind of fancy for a toothpaste!

What I Bought and Step Up Gifts. 

The bulk of my purchases at Barneys Love Youself are usually things from Kiehl's that Mr C&C likes to use. This time I made sure that he was restocked with their Facial Fuel Face Wash and Facial Fuel Face Treatment SPF15.  Another favourite of his is the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and I picked up a big pot of this for him to slather on throughout the winter. He also needed a new eye cream so I bought him some Powerful Strength Line Reducing Eye Brightening Cream as he already uses and loves the serum in this range. 

 I always purchase a tube of  Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser for myself at this event, a tube lasts me just about six months so I'm always in need of one when it is on. This year I also bought a Chantecaille Anti Fatigue Corrector Pen, I am just about to run out of my current illuminating pen. This brightening formula, delivered in a click brush format, is basically a version of Touch Eclat but it also works as a treatment, containing peptides to rejuvenate the delicate skin around the eye this also helps smooth the under eye area.

This year Kiehl's weren't offering a step up gift but their S/A gave me some deluxe samples of  Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil, Powerful line Reducing Concentrate, Super Multi Corrective Cream and Turmeric and Cranberry Energizing Radiance Mask.

Chantecaille's step up gift was a green clutch style bag with samples of Rose de Mai Cream, Rice and Geranium Foaming Cleanser and Bio Lifting Mask. These are lovely products and while they may not look particularly impressive they have a value of $52.00!

I'm very happy with all my purchases and gifts, but I'm not done yet! I'm waiting for a Cult Beauty delivery and then I think that that will be my beauty purchases complete for the rest of the year - I've certainly enough samples to last for quite some time as well as a cabinet brimming with full sized ones.