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.

 

Empties June 2017.

Due to my heavy use of sample sachets last month, June's empties pile is somewhat smaller than usual. As well as plowing through my stash of sachets I also made an effort to use up as many perfume vials as possible and to repurpose samples of foamy face cleansers as body wash and so I managed to use up twenty two non sachet samples and four full sized products.

Skincare.
I finished a full sized Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser, a repeat purchase that I especially love to use in warmer weather, it feels cool, fresh, and soothing, and leaves my face feeling clean and balanced. La Roche Posay Serozinc was a cooling and calming hydrating spritz of mineral water containing zinc. I liked it but didn't find it to be any different to any other 'tins of water' that I have used.
The Ginza Creamy Foaming Cleanser and Energizing Lotion are both wonderful products that I have used before, my skin feels soft whenever I use them and is less prone to redness and congestion. I also enjoyed re-using REN Glycol Lactic Mask. This fruity gel mask always feels such a fun product and gives impressive results, leaving me with a brighter clearer complexion in just a few minutes.
Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Lotion was a good basic moisturiser that absorbed well, felt soothing and was delicately scented with almonds. VenEffect Anti Aging Lip Treatment was a lightly textured white cream that smelled of apricots. I used it as a lip balm but didn't find that it left my lips noticeably different in any way.
Finally, from my skincare stash, I re-purposed three samples of Malin+Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser and a generously sized sample of Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel as body washes as I found both of them to be too drying to use on my face.

Haircare.

I really enjoyed Ouai Hair Oil which smoothed my hair without weighing it down or making it look/feel greasy, it smelled great as well. I was disappointed with Davines Oi All in One Milk, I love the oil in this range but I found that the milk didn't do anything apart from detangling my hair, the ends were still frizzy when I used this. I also found the packaging unpractical - the product is quite thick, almost like a serum, so it didn't work in a spray on format.

Body care.
I liked both of the body lotions that I used this month and they were both ones that I had used before. Space NK Life Jump Start Body Lotion is light and easily absorbed but it packs a good punch of hydration and it's citrus scent tinged with mint is very uplifting and awakening. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair is an unscented cream that isn't at all greasy but is intensely moisturising, it   feels basic but is very effective. 

Make Up and Perfume.
I managed to use up two mini mascaras. I'm not a fan of ByTerry Mascara Terrybly as in addition to it's awful pun of a name I find it has a tendency to flake off throughout the day. I did quite like The Essential Mascara by Kevyn Aucoin,  it's formula is somewhat dry but I like it's curved wand that add curl to lashes as you apply it very much.
I finished nine perfume samples this month. I really like Tam Dao by Diptyque which is woody and spicy and warm. I also enjoyed Diptyque Geranium Odorata, a peppery floral and Etat d'Orange Libre Encens et Bubblegum which is sweet yet smokey and a good summer scent.
Tom Ford Oud Wood and Byredo Blanche were both okay but I didn't particularly like them and I wasn't at all keen on Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale or Maiyet for Barney's. I disliked both Lady Gaga Fame and One Direction You&I so much that I could not wear them and used them as room sprays simply to use them up.

July sees me back to using 'real' products rather than sachets so I'm expecting a much bigger pile of empties than this at the end of this month.

Wholefoods 'Hello Beauty' Promotion.

There are some beauty gems to be found in Wholefoods' Wholebody department and until the 22nd of March all facial skincare is 25% off and there are vendors from various brands in stores offering samples and advice. 

The promotion started on Friday and I nipped into my nearest branch to browse and pick up one of the limited edition Hello Beauty Bags. With contents valued at $80.00, the bags cost $15.00 and you don't need to make any additional purchases to get one (although supplies are very limited). I don't need any more mini products and samples but I love minis and this was too good a bargain to miss... I just had to have one!

The bag itself is made of soft organic cotton and brightly lined with sari fabric. Not only is it an exceptionally nice bag it is made by rijigreen.com an eco friendly company who are committed to ending human trafficking and slavery.

Inside the bag were generously sized samples from Acure, derma e, Dr Hauschka, Evanhealy, MyChelle, Trilogy and Weleda along with a full sized mascara from Mineral Fusion and a full sized Burt's Bees Lipstick in the shade 'Sunset Cruise which is a coral/ nude tone.

I am particularly excited to try Trilogy Rose Hip Oil and I'm delighted to receive the Evanhealy Rose Geranium HydroSoul as I have used it previously and loved it.

I also received a couple of mini HydroSoul sprays and a sample of their Green Tea Clay Mask from an Evanhealy rep.

This is not only a very well curated selection of samples it is a total bargain to boot - I am very happy with this selection!   

Empties October 2015.

Although my mission for October was to use up as many sample sachets as possible I still managed to finish up ten full sized products and eleven samples and I liked all of the products in this month's empties pile!

There are some old favourites here such as Chantecaille Just Skin in 'Bliss' and Kevyn Aucoin Eye Shadow in 'Soft Clay' (both of which have replacements that are already in use) and Fresh Sugar Lychee Shower Gel which is one of my all time favorite bath products, although the Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Body Wash minis were gorgeous also.

I really liked Bio-Essence Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask. This blue jelly like gel was very light to wear and I found it to be cooling and hydrating in the warmer weather. I ended up using this as a night time moisturiser almost every night. First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads were awesome and I will buy more of these. They were so easy to use, kept moist in their jar, didn't cost an arm and a leg and most importantly they worked.

I was pleasantly surprised by John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Hair Elixir. This supermarket buy lasted forever and made my hair feel very soft without weighing it down or making it greasy. I also loved Phillip B Oud Royal Shampoo and Conditioner. Both were thick rich creams and  they gave my hair body and bounce. 

I'll show you all the sample sachets that I used up in October in my next post- I managed to get through quite a few I hope you'll be impressed!

Disappointing Products.*

*(I'm not sure that these are disappointing products, they are really more products that I didn't use up because they don't suit me or my needs have changed.)

I have been trying to get rid of things that I don't need or use of late* - I don't need stuff cluttering up space that I have no intention of using... 

The John Frieda Full Repair products both came from Allure Boxes and although I did used to use these I haven't done so for a long, long time. (In fact I don't recall having used either of these since we moved to our new apartment almost three years ago...) The Organix Moroccan Sea Salt Spray is almost finished and it wasn't a bad product (it smells great) but it did make my hair a little crunchy.

I am really fussy about sun creams and how they feel on my face. La Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Sunscreen was really uncomfortable for me to wear. It made my skin feel congested, as if my pores were blocked. I used most of it up on my upper body but won't need bodily sunscreen until next year when I will buy fresh lotion.

I'm throwing out a Shiseido Eye Palette that I got from a Shiseido event. The shadows are lovely - highly pigmented and buttery - and I emptied one of the pans totally but the other colours aren't ones that I will ever use.

Milani Ultrafine Liquid Eyeliner is too sparkly and not dark enough for me and the Clinique Redness Solutions Mineral Powder is too yellow for my skin even when blended.

The remaining items are all lip products that are either too bright, too shimmery or too dark for me to wear - they were all from subscription boxes or GWP's so I don't feel too bad about getting rid of them. 

Have you cleaned out your stash recently?

*There's not a lot of products here probably because I'm pretty judicious with what I buy as I hate to be wasteful and try to re purpose things whenever I can.  

Product Love - Charlotte Tilbury Eye Pencils.

I was a huge fan of Sue Devitt eye pencils and they were my go to until the brand went kaput and they were discontinued. I played around with various others but nothing really stole my heart until I bought Charlotte Tilbury eye pencils - I am totally smitten by these and have used them everyday since I bought them.

The skinny pencils are from the Rock and Kohl range - honestly how brilliant is that name? I'd buy them for that alone! 

The R'n'Ks sharpen up really well allowing you to apply a precise line, they glide on very smoothly and never drag your skin. They are perfect for using on the lid, around the eye and on the waterline. When first applied they are blendable but after a minute they set in place and last all day. Other pencils that I have used on the waterline disappear very quickly - these don't. 

I have the colors 'Barbarella Brown' which is a warm rich brown with a slight nod towards grey and 'Eye Cheat' which is a nude pencil that I use on my waterline to brighten my eyes and make them appear bigger.

The fat pencils are from the Colour Chameleon range. 

There are eight colors in this range intended to be used with different eye colours (there are two for blue eyes, two for brown, two for green and two for hazel) and each eye color has a daytime  and a nighttime pencil.

I have the ones for hazel eyes: 'Golden Quartz' for day and 'Smoky Emerald' for night (but I'm tempted to try the green eye colors also - a bronze and an amethyst).

The colors in these are highly pigmented and they do enhance the colour of your eyes so they are immensely flattering to wear. They are quite sparkly which at first I thought wouldn't work for me but the sparkly bits are minuscule so they give more of a shimmer that reflects the light back rather than being disco glittery. Because of the sparkle you can't use these on the waterline but otherwise they are very much like the R'n'Ks - very smooth to apply, very blendable and extremely long lasting. I tend to use these as liner but you can  also use them as a shadow all over the eye.

Both of these pencils are a joy to use and they really make the colour of your eyes pop!

Finally I must mention the sharpener. I bought this at the same time as the pencils and it's the best one I have ever used! The blades are incredibly sharp and do a brilliant job of sharpening without melting or over softening the product.

Charlotte Tilbury make up really does live up to the hype surrounding it as far as I'm concerned. It has limited retail outlets but you can buy it in Nordstrom stores in the US, Selfridges in the UK or purchase it on line at www.charlottetilbury.com

Five Make Up Items I Keep Repurchasing.

I love trying new things and make up is definitely one area in which it is fun to swap things around and experiment. However there are some products that just seem to have it all - the color, the formula, the feel - that even though I try out others I always seem to come back to them.

Here in no particular order (as they say) are five products that for me are outstanding - ones that are always in my stash or on my repurchase list.

Chantecaille Just Skin. 

I've written about this amazing tinted moisturizer before. It really is the best as far as I'm concerned. It has great coverage, feels comfortable, is good to my skin and contains SPF 15. Honestly, I've tried out other TM's, BB's, CC's and foundations but nothing compares to it. I like to wear this in the shade 'Bliss' if I'm going for a natural look or 'Nude' if I'm going for a summery bronzed look - Yes it really is that good you can wear it in different shades!

Collection Concealer. 

Honestly I'd fly to England just to buy this I like it that much. It covers everything yet doesn't go flaky or cake. I find the shade 'Cool Medium 2' works well for me. Sure the packaging isn't beautiful - the lettering always comes off by the end of the first week of use - but it's functional and a tube of this lasts for ages... Also did I mention it's as cheap as chips?

Hourglass Veil Primer. 

The first time I tried this it blew my socks off! It really a Godsend for someone like me whose face becomes shiny the moment they walk out of the door. This stuff just works - put the tiniest amount on - it's got great slip - wait 5 minutes and you will feel it gripping your base as you apply it. And it keeps it there. I may flirt around with other primers but I always come back to this.

Kevyn Aucoin The Eyeshadow Single #104 Soft Clay

I've bought three pans of this in a row. It's just the perfect 'My Eyelids But Better' color for me and I wear it practically everyday for work. It's a gorgeous pinky/grey/beige with great pigmentation and the texture is simply gorgeous - very finely milled so there's never any fall out. And of course the packaging has to get a mention - a little mirrored compact that not only has a spring loaded lid it closes with a snap - glorious!

Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss 'Modern'. 

Lip products are the things that I swap around the most and that I have the most of but this gloss in the shade 'Modern' is always in there somewhere. I hadn't worn this for a while but picked it up the other day and had one of those 'hell yeah moments' I love all Chantecaille glosses but the formula of this is really rather wonderful - it's moisturing yet it lasts - and it's glossy and shiny without being sticky or gloopy. 'Modern' is a very wearable, very subtle MLBB nude that goes with just about any makeup look. This is another product with great packaging - rather that a doe foot it has a brush - which always feels more professional and hygienic somehow and the tube itself is just sleek and sexy with a bit of heft to it that makes it solid enough to throw in your bag.

I'd hate to get stuck in a make up rut but all of the above just work so well for me that I think they will have a place in my routine for a while to come.

A Few New Beauty Bits - Summer 2015.

Although I do buy myself a few presents around my birthday time I generally try and hold off with any major beauty buys until September aka to me as 'The month of GWP'. However this year there were a few things that I needed right this minute so here's a quick look at some new beauty bits.



I'm lucky enough to live close to Caudalie's delightful boutique on Bleecker St. and I stopped in there to restock my supply of Grape Water - my favorite face spray. I came out with a generous handful of samples and they also gave me a token that allows me to add free oxygen treatment to any facial I book there. 

Mr C&C zips through his Kiehl's products so when I went to restock his stash I also took in a load of empty Kiehl's packaging. For ten empties you can choose a free travel sized item. I'm just about out of body scrub so I was happy to swap the empties for a 2.5 oz tube of Soy Milk and Honey Body Polish. This is one of my favorite body scrubs, it smells de-lic-ious. It's not harsh yet somehow you don't need to use a lot of it so it lasts for ages. Whilst there I asked for some samples of their new(ish) Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence that I am curious to try.

I was quite amazed to find that I had finally worked my way through all my daytime serums so I ordered Sarah Chapman Skinesis Intense Hydrating Booster from Space NK. I love this serum, it really does seem to plump and hydrate my skin and although it's a pricey one you only need a couple of drops so the 30ml bottle lasts for ages. 

I've used up a lot of cleansers in the last couple of months and I have been dying to try Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser. This totally natural soap free cleanser not only smells divine, it removes excess oil from the skin cleansing pores and balancing it - so far I really, really like this and it's my most reached for cleanser at the moment.
Because I've got a crazy addiction to all things Sunday Riley I just had to try out their Effortless Primer. It is a truly lovely primer that is slightly tinted to even things out - you could use it by itself on good skin days - and it gives a little grip to your make up that you can feel. It feels hydrating and although it doesn't give the longevity that Hourglass Veil does it did significantly prolong the life of my make up. I feel that this will really come into its own once the weather cools down a little. I split this shop into two orders and picked out the same samples each time (unintentionally)  - 37 Actives Cleanser, Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner for coloured hair and Ren Glycol Lactic Masks

I was browsing in  Sephora recently (as you do) and found myself wanting just about everything from Surratt. I managed to restrain myself though and only picked up the Artistique Blush in 'Guimauve'. The texture of this powder blusher is amazing - it is so finely milled that it is almost creamy. The color is a delicate, pretty rosy pink - I don't have another blush like this it really is unique. But here are a couple of downsides to this product... One is that the packaging is cheap looking and flimsy - it's not even sturdy enough to carry around in a make up bag. Now you are meant to transfer these to a compact that you buy separately, but it's a pretty pricey product already at $32.00 and I think it's a little cheeky (no pun intended) to expect you to pay another $17.00 just for reasonable packaging. The other thing is that the blush itself is pretty small only .2 of an ounce. I don't mind this - I'm quite partial to smaller make up items as they last so long, but it is annoying that it's not easy to swirl a larger brush on the pan without overspill...
 The 'weekly special' sample I opted for was a Sunscreen Sample Bag, 10 samples of different sunscreens,which is perfect for me. (I have so much trouble finding sunscreens that don't make me break out or that I find uncomfortable to wear that they are one product I really do like to try out before purchase if possible.)  

That's not a bad little restock is it? But for now I'm honestly not going to buy a single beauty item until it's time for SpaceNK's Autumn Beauty Edit and Barney's Love Yourself event!

A Few New Beauty Bits (Cheap).

We were being very thrifty in the earlier part of the year which isn't a bad thing - it really is good to rein it in now and then and be aware of what you spend.  And now we are spending more *normally* we really appreciate what we do buy... 

I wasn't setting out to buy dupes when I recently allowed myself a little drugstore splurge

but it seems that I know what I like and whilst they may not be exactly the same I did manage to unconsciously pick up some things that were very similar to high end things I already own...

Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm is something that I constantly hear good things about so I grabbed one to replace the pricey Sarah Chapman Skinesis Cleanser and Clinique TTDO Balm I recently finished up. And do you know what? If those two products got together and had a 'balm baby' appearance wise it would be just like this one! It feels more luxe than it is and has a nice refreshing smell - it even comes with it's own muslin cloth - but it wasn't as effective at dissolving/removing make up as I hoped - you definitely need to double cleanse with this...

Just as Boots always have those '2 for 3 deals' Duane Reade (NYC's answer to Boots) always seems to have a 'BOGO 1/2 off' on Boots items. 

I didn't really need anything else but I did pick up one of the Botanics Lip Balms as it was half price. It's one of those thick greasy lip balms in a tube and compares favourably to Bigelow's My Favorite Lip Balm. It did a very good job of soothing and healing my chapped lips but the tube burst open so I'm currently using globs of it that I decanted into a pot - nice. Far from ideal but I really like the formula (and the price) so I will pick this up again and hope the bad packaging was a one off.

 The Boots lady there also gave me two generous samples - one of the Botanics Ionic Clay Mask which I use already and one of the Botanics Age Defense Super Serum that I look forward to trying.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever replace Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads in my life - I love them so much and they work so well for me. In the spirit of economy I bought a tub of NIP +FAB Glycolic Fix Pads. However I see that they contain Benzyl Alcohol which can be an irritant and Denat Alcohol which is very drying. I don't want to risk drying out my skin so unfortunately these are a bust for me. I will leave them in my building's mail room incase anyone else here can use them.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream cost me 88 cents! It was one of those 'one day only specials' that drugstore CVS have from time to time - really I couldn't not take advantage - lol! When I got home I realized that the one I picked, Antwerp, is practically identical to the Shiseido Laquer Gloss shade 304 that I have - 88 cents well spent!

My By Terry Eclat De Teint highlighter is almost done so I picked up one of Maybelline's Dream Lumi Touch to try in its place. 

Whilst at the Maybelline stand I grabbed another Dream Bouncy Blush this one is the shade Orchid Blush. It's a really pretty mauve/pink great for a spring make up look . These really are amazing quality blushers for the price, they blend and last really well and I have a few of them already. 

Finally because I can never have too many Nivea Body Lotions I grabbed a huge bottle of their Express Hydration Body Lotion. With sea mineral extracts this is light and fresh and is a lovely summer body lotion... It's so nice I may have to go back to the drugstore to get more...  

Glossy box March 2015.

So though I only get the occasional Glosyybox they mistakenly shipped me one this month.

Now TBH it's not something that I would have sprung for myself but having said that it's a pretty darned good selection of products.
There's a generous 250ml bottle of Nexxus Colour Assure Shampoo. I've liked everything I've ever tried from Nexxus and I have colored hair so this is great for me - I can never have too many shampoos (lol!) and this one smells great.

All of the other products are from companies that are new to me.

Skincare wise there are two sample pots of Orogold 24K Multi Vitamin Day Moisturiser which contains both vitamins and gold. It looks and feels light but on application I realized that it was quite rich although it did absorb well. A full sized 1.7oz pot of this costs an astounding $178.00 so I'm happy to try this at no cost!

The three make up products that I received are all by British brands and are all full sized. There's a So Susan Concealer Quad - four shades of concealer in a palette that you could use for concealing or contouring. It's formulated from Marula oil and you can blend them to get a perfect match - clever huh?

POP Kajal Pen is a soft eyeliner in the shade 'Inky Purple' which is great shade of aubergine that I think will work with my hazel/green eyes and it has one of those *smudgy sponge things* on it also.

Finally there's a BellaPierre Cheek and Lip Stain in the shade 'Pink' - how did they come up with that name! It's a mineral based stain that I will most likely use on my lips unless its very blendable as it looks to be quite bright and pigmented.

Also this month there is a coupon code for www.caseable.com which is a site that makes customised covers for phones, iPads, laptops, ereaders etc. It's a mystery code for an amount between five and a hundred dollars. I'm sure most people got a five dollar code but I will check it out and if I have a decent amount I will get something... You never know right?

Overall I think that this is a pretty good box. I will definitely use the shampoo and moisturisers and will play around with the make up items. I like that there are three full sized items and the value contained in this box is amazing - $69.00 without the pricey Orogold samples and Caseable code. I think that Glossybox has to be one of the better subscription box services and even though I wouldn't subscribe full time I will  certainly continue to check them out from time to time.

The Joy of Mini Mascaras.

Do you know in the last ten years I can only recall buying two mascaras?

The reason I've bought so few despite using them daily is that my stash always includes a whole heap of mini mascaras. Almost every GWP that I get seems to contain one - indeed the most recent Barneys Love Yourself event yielded three! 

I only use black mascara and I only require it to add tint and volume - I'm lucky - my lashes are fairly long. Added curl is nice but not a necessity - that's what lash curlers are for right?  I don't mind if it's waterproof or not I just ask that it stays on my lashes through the course of the day (anything that sheds fibers onto my face is a no-no).

I've been using mini mascaras for so long that I prefer them to full sized ones for a number of reasons:

. Their size makes them great for travel and carrying around as they take up less room in your bag.
. They are more hygienic as you swap them out more frequently, making hideous eye infections less likely.
. Smaller amount of product means that it stays 'fresher' for longer and dries out less in the tube.
. I get to try a huge variety of the latest brands and formulas throughout the course of a year.
. They are free (yay!) which saves me money that I can spend on more skincare or lipgloss or brushes (just kidding).

I'm such a fan of mini mascaras and use them so often that when I do use a full sized one it feels odd. In fact I often wonder why mini mascaras aren't widely available for sale... Now there's an idea...   

Glossybox February 2015

I'm a little late with this as Glossybox ship in the latter half of the month and to boot the first box they sent me went astray so I contacted their customer service and a replacement box was shipped out straight away. I am really impressed by their customer service, in my experience it was prompt and efficient.

Personally, I prefer to shop beauty products to take best advantage of GWP's rather than locking myself into a long term subscription but if I see good online spoilers I will buy a one off box from time to time which is what I did here. 

GlossyBox costs $21.00 which includes taxes and shipping. 

I didn't have any promo codes to use but I purchased through ebates which gives a $2.75 rebate on each Glossybox bought through them so I only paid  $18.25. 

The theme of this box was 'Love' and the box itself was very pretty - that's it pictured above. 

I've read mixed reviews of this box but I am thrilled with mine! I'm delighted with every product in it. (Box contents do differ for different purchasers depending on what preferences you choose in an online survey.)

Here's what I received:

Rituals Yogi Flow Shower Gel was the product that enticed me to buy this box - Rituals shower gels are my absolute favorites and I had not tried this perfume before. They come in an aerosol and are a gel which transforms into a rich creamy lather - rather like a shaving gel. I find them to be luxurious and moisturising. Yogi Flow is scented with rose and almond and is a sweet yet not sickly rose. I really like it.

Scalisi Skincare is a new brand for me, I love skincare so was pleased to receive their Cleanser and Exfoliator. It's a clear non-foaming gel that contains exfoliating microbeads and is suitable for daily use. I'm not a fan of the scent of this but it does make my skin feel nice and soft without stripping it. I will use it but not as a daily face wash.

Royal Apothic is a fun brand that I like a lot. Tinties Lip Butter is a tinted lip balm that contains argan, grapeseed and sweet almond oils and shea butter. It comes in an adorable little pot. I received the shade 'Pink' which I look forward to using when I have finished my current balm.

I've not used Julep nail polishes before, they are a vegan 5free formula. I received 'Hartleigh' which has tiny particles of white, red and gold glitter and tiny red hearts in it. It's a shame that this came after Valentine's Day but nonetheless it's a fun polish and will be good for an accent nail.

Finally Unwash is a co-washing product (a conditioner that you use in  place of shampoo - basically you are washing your hair with conditioner). I'm not sure how I feel about co-washing - I think it may not work for me as my hair is quite fine -  so I am happy to get the chance to try it out without having to purchase a full sized product as they tend to be quite expensive.

All of the products I received were full sized with the exception of Unwash (which was still a generously sized tube). The total value of products in the box came to $74.67 and I will use them all so this Glossybox was fantastic value for me and definitely worth buying.

Space NK Spring Beauty Edit GWP

Space NK recently held their Spring Beauty Event which is always a fun day to shop. 

In store there are various vendors offering make overs and treatments and most importantly there's one of their glorious goody bags free with purchases. (There's also an Autumn Beauty Edit and I always take advantage of these two events, as their gift bags are just so darn good!) This year I was away on a work related trip so I couldn't attend in person but luckily you could order online and get the gift bag.

I've been trying to be a bit less spendy of late so this was really a restock of things I use regularly. They're all old favourites that you've seen before but here's what I purchased

Sunday Riley Good Genes (in a newly formatted spiffy box). I just love this and use it as my nighttime serum whenever I'm at home. It's a lactic acid treatment/formula that makes my skin look brighter and healthier. It's one of my favorite treatments and I love the way this smells.

Chantecaille Just Skin TM in the shade 'Bliss'. I'm almost out of this so I needed another. I won't say anything else about this one as I've said it all before but it is the best.

I was almost totally out of eye cream (gulp!) so restocked with a Goldfadden MD Bright Eyes and a Caudalie Vinosource SOS Morning Eye Rescue. The Goldfadden cream really does seem to brighten my eye area a little and I like the Caudalie one as it feels very refreshing - soothing and hydrating - I use it at night as well as during the day BTW. The Caudalie cream comes in a tube that's very compact and perfect for traveling with also.

And now here's the gift bag...

I'm totally enamoured with these gift bag! The two full sized items are the NIA24 Facial Sunscreen which is one of my favourite sunscreens and a Diptyque Candle (mine is in the scent 'Tuberose'). I mean, c'mon, who doesn't love a Diptyque Candle? The samples are all generously sized and, as usual, skincare heavy which pleases me no end.  In addition to the skincare there are four hair samples, two body samples and just one make up sample - the Kevyn Aucoin Nude Lip Pencil (third row, far right). All of these items are great for travel and although they are mostly new items for me to try there are some old faves too (Hello Good Genes and Hourglass Veil Primer!). I'm going to use and enjoy absolutely everything in this bag!  Oh before I forget here's the bag itself along with a few smaller samples that I received as it was a mail order.

It's a very nice quality roomy black bag with hefty gold hardware. All in all I'm very pleased with my purchases and super pleased with this wonderful GWP!

A Little January Beauty Splurge.

 If I'm to be perfectly honest I have to admit that my beauty stash is full to overflowing and I don't actually need anything (want, yes, but that's a whole 'nother story...) But I had a couple of things that I needed to redeem before they ran out so I ended up with the above goodies.

I had a Caudalie offer from Gilt City for an oxygen facial which included a store credit. (The facial BTW was pretty good. Whilst not one of the best I've ever had, it was nice and relaxing and the cold blast of oxygen was, well, interesting, even if the results weren't that long lasting).

With the store credit I bought a Vinexpert Eye Serum, as I don't have a spare eye cream in stock. I've used this before and it does the job without being too heavy or greasy.Oh, it did come in a box, but whenever I get a Caudalie product I unbox it straight away and enter the proof of purchase code to the Caudalie My Rewards account I have. It's a really good rewards program if you like Caudalie products and use them regularly. Take a look at it here us.caudalie.com 

Now normally the SpaceNK sale is filled with temptation for me, this year not so much... In fact there wasn't a great deal on offer in the US sale and for once the UK sale was much better. But I had ndulge points that were about to expire so I had to get something, right?

From the sale I bought a box of SpaceNK crackers. Now to call them crackers is a bit of a misdemeanor as they aren't pull-able and don't go 'bang' - what they are is a rather good selection of travel sized beauty products in a luxurious cracker like packaging. 

They would be lovely as decorations and whilst the whole box of six makes a fabulous gift for a beauty lover you could also split them up and give them as individual gifts. Yes the wrapped presents inside are that good, not a bad joke, tissue paper hat or fortune telling fish insight!

Instead you get:

. SpaceNK Life Ultimate Unwind Body Wash (100ml). A hydrating shower/bath gel with a delicious scent of lime, green tea and ginger.

. Caudalie Beauty Elixer (30ml) I always have one of these in my stash and always find a use for it.
. Oribe Supershine Moisturising Cream (50ml) I used a sample of this in October and loved it so much that I put it on my wish list.
. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (30ml). Not one of my favourite primers but something that I will certainly use.
. Lipstick Queen Big Bang Gloss (full sized in the shade Creation). You can never have too many lip products and I simply love Lipstick Queen
. Rococo Creme Nail Polish (full sized in the shade V.I.P.). Can't go wrong with a classic, glossy, red nail and Rococo make great polishes.

As it was an online sale and I needed to make the $50.00 minimum for free shipping I also bought a Lipstick Queen Saint Rose Lipstick. It's one of my favorite ever lipsticks. (I love Lipstick Queen so much there's a blog post about them coming soon...) and I  received three free samples: Sunday Riley's Good Genes, Goldfadden Needle-less and Goldfadden Wake Up Call. 

I have to say I'm very pleased with my purchases and think that I really showed great restraint in the January sales overall! 

Empties December 2014.

So here it is, the final Empties post of 2015, and I'm pleased to say that there were quite a few full sized products finished up as well as a fair smattering of samples. Whilst there was nothing that I really disliked this month, there were quite a few things that failed to wow me.

 Body care-wise I found the Sai Sei Body Polish Soap to be very drying and the Heathcote and Ivory Hand Cream, whilst smelling great, tended to leave my hands feeling greasy yet not soothed.

Skincare-wise Vichy Idealia Life Serum, Algenist Overnight Restorative Cream and Murad Renewing Eye Cream all underwhelmed me. But I did love Revive's Intensite Moisture Serum Extreme  and, at the cheaper end of the skincare spectrum, Una Bremmer's Super Facialist Rose Hydrate Creamy Cleanser was fabulous. Not only did it smell great, it did a really good job of removing make up and left my skin feeling plump and smoothed. Elemental Herbology Oil Free Hydrator was a perfect daily moisturiser for me that hydrated without making me greasy and shiny. Also, I think my instincts were right, Sarah Chapman Skinesis Eye Recovery was wonderful! Not only did a little go a long way, it felt soothing and hydrated my eye area extremely well without being heavy or greasy. Almay's Oil Free Make Up Remover Pads were an emergency supermarket purchase when I was traveling and whilst I wouldn't make them a part of my regular routine they were surprisingly good in spite of their weird chemically scent.

Perfume wise I loved both of this month's empty samples, Girl by Pharell Williams and Byredo's Mojave Ghost as well as the full sized Issey Miyake Floral that I finished. They were all florals but with a little hint of something funky that stopped them being too sweet or girly.

And I am so pleased that I finally finished up Nars Lip Gloss in Orgasm! It wasn't a colour that I could wear by itself but it did sit quite well over a darker lipstick. I didn't hate but it just seemed to have been nearly empty for a long, long time... 

Walmart Beauty Box Autumn 2014

 

Did you know that Walmart has a beauty box?

Well they do! Whilst obviously the products in it aren't luxury items I subscribed because it really is a fabulous deal. 

There are just four boxes a year, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and once subscribed Walmart will send them out to you automatically. You only pay for the shipping which is $5.00 for each box, the contents are free!

My fall box arrived fairly promptly and here's what it contained:

. A swatch card and coupon for Neutrogena Long Wear Foundation.

. A sample of L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher.

. A sample of Nicki Minaj Pink Friday EDT.

. Delux samples of Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner.

. A generous sample of Dove Pure Care Hair Oil.

. A mini Covergirl Nail Polish. I recieved the shade 'AfterDark' which is a grey/green/turquoise colour.

. A full sized L'Oreal Glossy Balm in shade 220, 'Innocent Coral'.

. A full size Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Deodorant.

Now I don't know the total value of the box but it's def more than $5.00 lol! And while some of the things inside may not be too exciting, they are all things that I will use.

I have to admit to not being a fan of Walmart for many reasons but their beauty box is really a winner. Will you subscibe?

GWP Autumn 2014

Oh my word! Wednesday was like an extra Christmas for me as Barney's started their 'Love Yourself' GWP event and Space NK had their Fall Beauty Event. I spent the afternoon on the Upper East Side, took in both the events and shopped till I dropped! Here's a quick look at what I bought at two of my favourite stores and what I was gifted.

First stop was Barney's where I restocked on Chantecaille Just Skin, picked up Mr C&C'S Kiehl's shopping list and after many, many samples finally picked up a full size of Sunday Riley Good Genes.

Barney's always has fabulous step-up gifts and generous SA's... This year's Chantecaille gift was a silver pouch with samples and from Kiehl's I received two full sized products from the Ultra Facial range, the toner and the cleanser.

I have to say that this season's bag was excellent. Full sized products were Rituals Foaming Shower Gel, aka the best shower gel in the world  (at least that's what it's known as in my bathroom), a Kevin Aucoin eyeliner and a Make eye shadow. 

I don't think that there is anything in this bag that I don't like or won't use and there's a great balance of make up, skincare and perfume/ bodycare. There's even a mini candle from Tizania Terenzi. And although there are no haircare products this year,  those are the samples that I probably get the least excited about.

...

Over at Space NK  my Sunday Riley obsession continued and I picked up the Artemis Facial Oil which suits my skin so well and does a great job of balancing it and two products from Sarah Chapman's Skinesis range - the Ultimate Cleanse and the Intense Hydrating Booster.

This years gift bag was huge, check it out!

Excepting the full sized Rahua Hair Wax all the products were samples -  although I hesitate to call them that as they are very generously sized samples. Skincare heavy I am overjoyed with this bag - it has so many things that I am looking forward to trying out - again, there's nothing that I won't use in here!

Although the Space NK event was for one day only, the Barney's event is still on today and tomorrow. If you need to buy any beauty products now's the time to do so! No excuses, even if you can't visit a Barney's store in person you can still participate in the Love Yourself event at barneys.com 

Go on, you know you want to!

Empties August 2014

The final tally for August's empties wasn't bad at all, but frustratingly, there were quite a few things on the shelf with just a smidgen left... 

Of what I did finish there were a few old faves - Maybelline Babylips, Nivea Body Lotion, Nars Pro Prime and a Chantecaille Lip Gloss in Cocoa.

No new discoveries that I really loved this month, although I did like Clinique's new formulation Dramatically Different Moisturiser+ for nighttime. Natura Bisse Comfort Gel was a good hot weather moisturiser for me during day time and Evan Healy's Lavender Facial Tonic was great -  cooling and calming - once I got over the funky health shop product smell that came with it.

The Alterna CC Cream was a good leave in conditioning product that kept frizz at bay and smelt wonderful. In other hair news (!) Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner had an agreeably summery, fruity scent of pineapple and was thick enough and rich enough to do double duty as a hair mask without weighing down my hair.

The most disappointing product for me this month was the Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Eye Cream. It really didn't appear to do anything for my eye area and left my under eye area looking and feeling dehydrated.

Okay, I'm off to finish up those smidgins to make room for September's purchases!