I Bought This, Retail Gift, Affiliate Links
Ancient History
Membership has its privileges. That was the tagline for American Express when I worked at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising in New York decades ago. O&M did a very stylish ad campaign for AMEX with photographs of celebrity AMEX members taken by famed photographer, Annie Leibowitz. It was a fabulous campaign that would still be relevant today.
I got my first American Express card, a Green Card, during the mid-1980s at my previous advertising agency job at Young & Rubicam. Before that, I had no charge cards. I don’t think anyone would have given me one. The job at Y&R was my first job as a professional. I needed the American Express card so I could rent cars as well as charge flights and hotel rooms on business trips. How grown up!
Membership Privileges
As the years rolled by, I upgraded to a Gold Card and then to a Platinum Card in order to take advantage of the benefits of a more expensive and, supposedly, more prestigious card. When I left the advertising agency world to work for myself as a focus group moderator, I used American Express as my travel agency. It seems almost quaint to remember that there used to be people who would book flights and hotels for me instead of having to spend hours doing it myself online, lol. The best part of being an AMEX Platinum Card holder was going to the Centurion Lounge in certain airports around the world. When I would fly through Dallas on my way to or from San Antonio or Riverside CA, I would stop at the Centurion Lounge for a free manicure or a lovely meal with champagne before flying off. It was truly deluxe.
But when COVID hit and I stopped working and traveling, I downgraded from the very expensive Platinum Card to the merely expensive Gold Card. Frankly, I should probably have gone back to the entry level Green Card, but I just couldn’t do it! 😉
A Gift from AMEX and NEST New York
Frankly, I have no idea what the benefits of the Gold Card are these days. I think I used to get a certain number of free checked bags on whichever airline I designated, but to be honest, I forgot all about it. I probably should check to find out if they still have that benefit.
Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago, I received an attractive navy blue envelope in the mail from American Express. I assumed they were trying to get me to move back up to the Platinum Card. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that they were giving me a $50 gift card/code to make a purchase at NEST New York.
NEST New York for Fragrance Fanatics
NEST New York, founded by Laura Slatkin, fragrance maven known for her discerning taste and superior quality scented home and body products. NEST makes candles, diffusers, eau de parfum, body wash, liquid soap, and hand lotion.
The products are
- Formaldehyde free
- Paraben free
- Phthalates free
- Cruelty free and Leaping Bunny Certified.
I first became aware of NEST NY because of the eye-catching packaging for their eau de parfum. Of course, I saw them at Sephora, and used all the testers to try out each one. Sadly, the floral fragrances don’t suit me, but certainly oodles of people love them.
Although I would have loved to buy a couple of beautiful candles, what I actually need right now is liquid hand wash and hand lotion to keep at the kitchen sink.
Moroccan Amber
When I looked through the fabulous scents for the Liquid Soap and Hand Lotion, one jumped out at me immediately. You won’t be surprised. Moroccan Amber, of course. I ordered the set last Thursday, and they arrived on Saturday.
The NEST NY Moroccan Amber fragrance is definitely a gender-neutral scent, so Liquid Soap and Hand Lotion are perfect to leave at the kitchen or bathroom sink. The fragrance notes are Moroccan amber, sweet patchouli, heliotrope, and bergamot with a hint of eucalyptus. Moroccan Amber is a Woody Amber from the Woody fragrance family.
I’ve been using the Moroccan Amber Liquid Soap and Hand Lotion since they arrived. The Liquid Soap lathers up quickly and well. It leaves behind a faint amber aroma. The Hand Lotion is lightweight yet hydrating, non-greasy, and immediately packs a punch with the Moroccan Amber scent. However, the scent does fade over time and is not overwhelming. For me, Moroccan Amber will be a terrific accompaniment to most of the perfumes that I wear especially in the fall and winter. What a fabulous gift!
Liquid Soap comes in 16 scents ranging from fruits, florals, clean scents, and holiday fragrances. The pump bottle contains 10 fl. oz./300 ml and is priced at $22. Hand Lotion comes in 5 scents. Likewise, the Lotion pump bottle contains 10 fl. oz./300 ml and is priced at $24. Each bottle contains about 600 pumps worth of product. NEST NY even makes custom scented soap/lotion sets, though they’re more expensive.
So thank you very much, American Express! I am enjoying my gift, and I feel appreciated. 🙂
6 Comments
These are just perfect for the season, and they sound like scents that I would absolutely adore!
I didn’t know you were an amber scent fan too!
What perfect choices for you and the fact that they were a bonus from AmEx makes them even better. What great fall/winter scents.
MarciaF recently posted…A Gift from NEST NY to Me from AMEX!
I agree!
What a nice perk from Amex! Moroccan Amber sounds lovely and perfect for a guest bath hand soap set!
I agree! They would be terrific for a guest bathroom, but I will enjoy them where I really need them now: at the kitchen sink!