September Haul

12:19:00 AM mandy 0 Comments

A list was made. I told myself just one of each product type for the upcoming colder weather: toner, essence, serum, and moisturizer. I still walked away with a good 3 sets of products that can last me well into 2018. Whatever happened to self-control?

When prices are that good, my ability to restrain my hands from moving before my head is severely blocked. I am talking about skincare goodies that are full-sized and mostly $10 each; at that price, it is even better than what is available at American drugstores.



The first tables that greeted customers were filled with $15 yellow-labeled items. Mostly serums and essences from various brands.

Right next to those were the $10 green-labeled items, which accounted for a majority of the sale (other than sheet masks). A variety of cleansers, toners, and moisturizers to choose from. There was a small selection of makeup. Not-yet-released brands of Peach & Lily was also in this category.

$22 and $30-something red- and orange-labeled items, respectively, were on a table farthest away from the entrance. A small array of their bestselling and most luxe brand's serums and essence.

The $6 blue-labeled items made up a small corner of the location. Mostly knick-knacks and travel-sized products: mists, acne spot treatments, etc.

2 for $3 purple-labeled items and $3 pink-labeled items dominated a ton of space. Sheet masks galore from Peach & Lily's own brand and every brand in-between.

Peach & Lily sample sale

This year was the first time I visited the Peach & Lily sample sale. I don't know what happened the previous 2 years but I am glad I didn't pass up the chance to visit this time around. The K-Beauty sample sale took place at 393 Broadway New York, NY 10010 from 8AM-9PM. I had some time to stop by mid-morning and there was already no visible line outside the store. Bag check was quick as well.

Unlike what I read from last year's accounts, there was no 20-min time limit this year—in fact, I was in there for about an hour picking items, reading labels, asking questions, and trying to be sensible with my haul. Products were quickly restocked, testers were available, and everyone there was extremely helpful.

I came out with 3 of the $6 items. 10 of the $10 items. 1 of the $15 items. and 1 of the $22 items. All are completely new brands to me; the reason why Peach & Lily is so appealing. A good bunch of the items is for tackling moisture and hydration. A select few are for treatment: acne-scars, brightening, anti-aging, etc.

Ground Plan 24 Hour Secret Mist Plus 60ml, $6 (to be released)
ATOCLASSIC Real Tonic Soothing Moist Mist 150ml, $6 (orig. $19)
Abib Facial Soap Black Brick 100g, $6 (to be released)
Abib Hydration gel 75ml, $10 (to be released)
Abib Hydration creme 75ml, $10 (to be released)
Olivarrier Dual Moist Toning Lotion 180ml, $10 (to be released)
Olivarrier Dual Moist Hyaluron Essence 100ml, $10 (to be released)
Olivarrier Emollient Extra Comfort Cream 75ml, $10 (to be released)
Aromatica Sea Daffodil Aqua Toner 130ml, $10 (orig. $23)
Eco Your Skin Vitamin C Booster 10ml x3, $10 each (orig. $29)
Be the Skin Botanical Nutrition Power Toner 150ml, $10 (orig. $29)
Be the Skin Botanical Nutrition Power Serum 50ml, $15 (orig. $39)
the Lotus Essence with 89% Lotus Leaf 125ml, $22 (orig. $64)

All the brands I walked out with were on my to-try list. The only brand I couldn't get my hands on was the Let Me Skin modeling masks in the pill-shaped containers; they were all sold-out by the time I got there. Even though I was interested in some Mizon and Dr. Dream goodies, I decided to stop myself considering how many things I had already stashed into my shopping tote. Plus, Dr. Dream items were mostly in the $15 and $22 groups.

Innisfree NYC

To leave the newly opened Innisfree in Union Square with a boat-load of products when I have a new stash of skincare is too crazy. But since that is their first American physical outpost, I had to stop by at least once to do some eye-shopping. Let me pretend to relive my Seoul travels just for 30-minutes!

I was surprised by how many customizable makeup and skincare products the brand had. Between the vast array of pot masks and toppings, cushion compact designs and formulations, the color makeup pans with eyeshadows, blushes, and even concealers & correctors, my mind would have been severely overwhelmed had I gone in with intentions to buy things.

The haircare section is typically the one section of beauty stores I move right past, every single visit. I am super low-maintenance with my hair and giant bottles of warehouse-sized Dove or Herbal Essence shampoo is good enough for me. However, that doesn't mean my oily roots don't bother me. I just never paid attention to specifically target it like I do with my facial skin issues. Innisfree's My Hair Refreshing Exfoliating Oil piqued my interest as I visited the shop on second-day hair: oily, flat, and in need of attention. I bought it on a whim, but hope it will show some good results.

Amazon

One category of product I didn't notice much of at the Peach & Lily sample sale was cleansing oils and balms. If they had, I would have gladly picked up one or two items since I go through those the quickest. My wallet is still in shambles from the massive haul so I turned to Amazon for the second time ever to buy skincare with some gift card money: the ever-so-popular Heimish All Clean Balm. Many people compare it to the Banila Co. cleansing balm line. For something that has slightly more product and a lower price, I had to give it a try. Missha's Air In Cushion Puffs found their way into my cart as well since I have been getting a tiny bit fed up with the effort it takes to wash those guys.