Sandwiches of New York #5.

Time to share another NYC sandwich!

What is it? Mushroom and egg sandwich.

Where is it from? C&B, 178 E 7th Street btw Ave A and Ave B candbnyc.com

How much does it cost? $9.00 + tax

What's in it? Scrambled eggs with fried mushrooms and wilted watercress dressed with a sherry vinegar vinaigrette. 

C&B is a small cafe on the side of Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. This small casual cafe sells hot sandwiches, soups, salads and fashionable bowls as well as teas and coffees. It's a small space, but it's unobtrusive frontage means that it is easy to pass by so you should be able to find a seat. If not they have a bench out front and of course it's slap bang next to the park which has plenty of benches. 

The sourdough bread is light and airy, smothered in butter it is cooked on the flat top griddle until crisp and toasty. 

Then those eggs! I find that eggs are so often disappointing when you eat them in cafes. So often they aren't cooked correctly or the eggs aren't great quality but the eggs at C&B are cooked to perfection, light and fluffy and very tasty. 

The addition of a little sharp vinaigrette to the mushrooms and watercress cuts through the richness of the eggs and butter providing the perfect balance of flavours.

I must admit that when I saw this I had my reservations... I thought it would fall apart when I tried to eat it but it didn't. Not only does it taste great, it's correctly constructed for ease of eating something that is so often overlooked in the city of the over stuffed sandwich!

I love eggs in any shape or form but especially in a sandwich and this was an amazing egg sandwich.

$9.00 is perhaps a little on the high side for a breakfast sandwich but it is certainly worth it. The ingredients are all of high quality and C&B is a charming friendly spot. 

One of the best sandwiches I have had of late, if you find yourself in the East Village looking for a tasty breakfast you should stop by C&B. I don't think you will be disappointed! 

Product Love: SKYN ICELAND Pure Cloud Cleanser.

Oh I do love a good cleanser and let me tell you that SKYN ICELAND Pure Cloud Cleanser is a very good cleanser indeed. I first received a tube of this in one of the Cult Beauty Caroline Hirons Beauty Boxes and TBH it wasn't something that I was overly excited about until I tried it... And once I had, it became one of my most reached for cleansers. A repurchase was in order and now here I am racing my way through my second tube still enamoured and yes, I will be buying a third tube before too long.

Pure Cloud Cleanser is a creamy (yet not oily feeling) cleanser that you apply to dry skin and remove with a wet cloth. I use this in the shower in the morning and as a first or second cleanse at night. I find that it effectively removes make up and leaves my skin feeling soothed and nourished. It is also the perfect consistency for facial massage and very easy to rinse away.

SKYN ICELAND products harness the powers of mineral rich glacial water and arctic fruits to calm and nourish dehydrated, stressed skin and this cleanser also contains:

Cocoa and shea butters that do an excellent job of dissolving dirt and make up.

Cloudberries which contain high levels of Vitamin C and anti-oxident rich Polyphenol.

JoJoba and Aloe to smooth, soften and hydrate.

 Moisturising glycerine and kaolin to help balance skin.

Vegan and cruelty free, containing no mineral oils, sulfates or phthalates.

Pure Cloudberry Cleanser costs $30.00/£22.50 for a 5oz tube and is available at cultbeauty.com or direct from skyniceland.com

The Girls.

Set in Northern California in the late 1960's The Girls tells the story of 14 year old Evie who is something of a  loner. One day in a local park Evie spots a group of older girls and becomes fascinated with them. A chance encounter leads to one of them taking Evie under her wing and soon she is spending time at The Ranch where the girls live with cult leader, Russell, and other cult members.

The story is based on the true events concerning the Manson family and members of Charles Manson's sect. I'm not wholly familiar with the true version but from what I know this mirrors the real events quite closely with Evie being an extra character thrown into the story.

The Girls is one of those 'Book of the Summer' type books. I had heard so much about it before it was even published and it has it has had an overwhelming amount of publicity. I'm always a little wary of reading these books that have been overhyped as I am so often let down by them and this was something of the case with this one.

The Girls is a quick read but it was a very slow starter for me, I read about a third of it before I started to get into the story. Overall, I found that the the story was lacking in depth and I never really got to grips with a lot of the characters in it. This along with the way that the book opened and followed the true story meant that the tale was very predictable. 

I didn't dislike it outright, but I honestly don't think that it deserved all the hype that it received.

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2016.

Walmart Beauty Box is a subscription box that automatically ships four times a year once you have signed up for it. Containing an assortment of full sized products, samples and money saving coupons the box is 'free' but you pay $5.00 for shipping.

This time the Fall 2016 box didn't contain any full sized products but there was a good selection of minis and samples. Let's take a look inside:

Minis.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (1.6 fl oz). I have quite a few dry shampoos already from various GWP's and boxes - they seem to be a staple giveaway.
I wash my hair everyday but even so they are something that I use either to make my hair feel fresh or to boost volume. Batiste Dry Shampoo is an English drugstore brand that has been around for years. I received the 'Original Clean and Classic' version. There are definitely better smelling dry shampoos out there - this smells very chemically to me but it is something that I will use. 

Dove Nourishing Body Wash (1.8 fl oz in the fragrance ' Sweet Cream and Peony'). Mini body washes always come in handy for travel. This creamy formula has a light floral scent and promises to soften skin. Although I don't tend to buy them I have used samples of Dove bath products in the past and enjoyed them.

Hello Toothpaste (.85 oz 'Pure Mint flavour'). I'm not thrilled to get toothpaste samples in boxes but I do use up these mini tubes. Hello make dental products out of  'natural' ingredients which sounds an interesting concept.

Clean&Clear Deep Action 60 Second Shower Mask (1 oz). This oil free mask works with the steam in your shower to deeply clean and exfoliate your skin. It contains glycolic acid and micro crystalline wax beads for exfoliation.
I thought that this would be too harsh and drying for me to use initially but after a quick read of the ingredients the only thing that gives me pause for thought is the inclusion of menthol, however it's a long way down the list so I will try this out after patch testing. 

Samples.

Village Naturals Therapy Concentrated Mineral Bath Soak (2oz). Formulated to ease aches and pains this sachet of bath salts contains enough for one bath or two foot baths. Scented with eucalyptus, spearmint and menthol they certainly sound as if they will be very relaxing. I'm not much of a one for baths but Mr C&C will really enjoy these I think.

Cetaphil Moisturising Body Cream (.5oz). I'm not fussy when it comes to body creams and lotions. This is a basic formula containing petroleum that I will use.

Biore Charcoal Pore Strip (1 x strip). I used one of these once and found that it was so difficult to remove that I was worried about breaking my skin. I guess a lot of people like these, I don't, so I will pass this along to someone.

Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nail Gummies (2 x gummies). These strawberry flavoured gummies contain Biotin for healthier hair, skin and nails along with Vitamins C and E which are beneficial to skin.
I have bought these gummies before and they are delicious! I have to say that I didn't notice any real difference in my hair skin or nails when I took them before so I won't be tempted to purchase these but I will eat this sample. 

Ecotools Make Up Brush Cleansing Cloths (1 x cloth). I've not seen these before but think they are really clever, they are like a face wipe but for your brushes! I think these are a great idea for easily cleaning your brushes when traveling and the single sachet packaging of them make them perfect for carrying in your make up bag.

Coupons.

There is only one coupon in this box. It is for $1.00 off Hello Toothpaste. I won't use this as I only buy Colgate as a rule.

Overall.

I think this is a very nice box with a good selection of practical products. I know that some people will be disappointed that there isn't a full sized item but I'm always happy to have a useful selection of samples and minis. I will use everything in this box with the exception of the pore strip and I'm excited to try out the mask and the brush cleaner. I think this is a great value box for only $5.00.
I'm a happy customer this season!

If you would like to sign up for Walmart Beauty Boxes you can do so at walmart.com The details and sign up link can be found under 'special offers' in the online beauty department.

The Girls in the Garden.

Following a family catastrophe Clare along with her daughters, Pip and Grace, move into a London flat that backs onto a communal residents' garden. Once settled in they become part of the  local community and Clare has no qualms about letting her children roam unsupervised in the park with other local teenagers. Then the unthinkable happens, after a party Grace is apparently assaulted and is found lying unconscious in the private garden...

The book opens with the discovery of Grace and is then divided into two parts: the 'before' which sets the scene and the 'after' which slowly reveals what happened on the night in question.

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's books and I loved The Girls in the Garden. It's not a fast paced book and I don't know that I would call it a thriller - for me it is more of a domestic novel that meanders a little and slowly reveals what has happened. Although I didn't love the ending (I felt that it was a little too neat) it's an intriguing book that is skillfully written. There are a lot of characters in the book and the author not only does a great job of developing them so that they are all totally believable, she handles them and their place in the narrative extremely well.

This was a highly enjoyable read that I immersed myself in - I wanted to read it quickly but held back so that I could savour each page.

Recommended.

Barneys Love Yourself Sept 2016 - Chantecaille Step Up Gift.

Chantecaille always have a nice step up gift during the Barneys New York Love Yourself event and the latest one was no exception. However, due to some distribution problems they received them after the event so I went by the store last week to pick mine up. As ever it didn't fail to please!

Chantecaille always include a bag of some sort with their step up gifts and it is usually a small pouch. They are always very high quality, so much so that I think their bags are some of the best to be found. 

This time the bag was especially nice, made of woven raffia with an attractive pattern it was lined with cotton and zippered. It also had a fabulous tassel pull. I have a fondness for tassels but honestly, take a look, how beautiful a bag is it? 

It feels very summery and it would be ideal to throw in your beach bag so it's not exactly seasonally appropriate (unless you are planning a winter beach holiday) but I like it so much! 

These little pouches are so useful. I always have a few of them inside my handbag holding various items. Not only do they make changing over handbags that much easier, when you carry a cavernous bag around (as I do) it makes it so much easier to find and grab items as you need them.

Inside the bag were three skincare samples, Bio Lifting Neck Cream, Bio Lifting Cream+ for the face and Stress Repair Concentrate, which is an eye cream. 

They may not look like much but the combined value of these three is over $95.00. 

Chantecaille skincare contains a high level of natural plant derived ingredients and these luxurious products always feel very indulgent. I find that they are always very gentle on my skin and that a little goes a long way. These three are all new products to me and I am looking forward to trying them. 

Thank you Chantecaille for another wonderful gift!

You Sent Me a Letter.

On the eve of her 40th birthday Sophie awakes in the middle of the night to find a strange man in her bedroom. He hands her a letter and instructs her to read it aloud to the guests present at her birthday party the following day. If she doesn't something terrible will happen to her family and dearest friends...

You Sent Me a Letter starts off promisingly and I thought that the basic plot line held promise but unfortunately it failed to deliver and was not an enjoyable book for me. 

I found the style in which it was written did not match the plot, Sophie is ditsy and the story was told in a manner that felt as if I was reading a rom-com rather than a thriller. The book contained lots of light hearted humorous conversations and the majority of the book detailed the preparations being made for the party. (There is a whole chapter where Sophie is getting her hair done, another where she gets beauty treatments etc etc).

Aside from this fluffy writing style I found that the plot was simply too far fetched to be believable, there were so many elements to it that I can only describe as being silly.

I expect a thriller to be somewhat dark and menacing and to draw me in. You Sent Me a Letter felt like a fluffy read and the plot failed to engross me. I only finished it because I was away from home and had nothing else to read. It's a quick unchallenging read but it was the most disappointing thing that I have read so far this year...