lavenderlilac dream: Haul

Showing posts with label Haul. Show all posts

I hope this doesn't become the new norm. Sharing hauls, yes. Buying too much, no. But hey! At least some of the new stuff I got last month were free.

lavlilacs 2016 September beauty haul - Skin, body, and hair care

Moroccanoil Treatment Light, Kate Somerville Clarifying Treatment Toner,
Peter Thomas Roth Strawberry Scrub Fruit Enzyme Polisher
The part of the haulage that I actually paid for: Sephora skincare, hair care, and body care goodies. I have been meaning to try Moroccanoil for a long, long time. It was so popular (what seems like years ago now) but the price was always a little too intimidating for someone who barely takes care of her hair. The difference now? There is the slight incentive of earning points at Sephora whilst also getting eBates. Shopping excuses. Ha!

As for the Kate Somerville toner and Peter Thomas Roth scrub...well I have been running low on those two types of products and they are both brands I have always been interested in trying. Acne hasn't been a very good friend lately and breakouts are too frequent a sightings on my face. Hopefully, the toner and scrub can help a girl out. I can dream.

lavlilacs 2016 September beauty haul - Makeup

essence the velvets eyeshadow you better mauve!, essence all about chocolates eyeshadow palette,
pop beauty Ink Outliner, Dior Rouge Lipstick 999 Matte
On to the freebies that found their way into my hands in September. The Dior mini lipstick was a promo item that I chose from Sephora.com. This is probably the only scenario where I would be more than willing to add a lipstick to my makeup collection. Now let's see when I will actually be brave enough to wear a bold bright red matte color out.

It was hard to say no when my Aunt asked if I wanted any color makeup freebies. To be honest, I was expecting common drugstore items. I was intrigued when a bunch of essence and pop beauty products fell out of the bag she handed me. There were a bunch of blushes and nail polish as well but I have plenty of blushes in my stash already. Maybe I will see if any friends are interested in those, if not then for future a giveaway. The standouts were definitely the eyeshadows: something I don't have a ton of and in not extremely bold colors. I am a little iffy on the eyeliner though. Liquid ones have never been my forte, so forget about a fat chubby marker type. I guess it doesn't hurt to give it another try since there were two in the bag.

A part of me can't believe that it's been over 2 years since the last haul post on this blog. But looking back on it, I know why and how it happened. The main culprit was that I never shared the massive beauty haul from Korea. Inevitably, a month went by. Then two months. Then two years. It was very easy to fall off track once something wasn't a part of my routine anymore. Waiting to use products, taking photos, and sharing them were habits that became no more.

As I began to clear out the super old products in my collection that I had been hoarding, I realized how useful those past haul posts could be. Some items that I thought were not too old were actually quite the opposite. Having some sort of record helped me hoard less and made it much easier to toss out unloved products.

lavlilacs august 2017 beauty haul skincare

Thus I have decided to revive the haul posts again! I would be completely lying if I said I don't spend an extraordinary amount of money on beauty products compared to most people. But compared to me from 2+ years ago, I can say I have been scaling things down.

This August 2016 edition features some skincare essentials in my beauty routine. Eye makeup remover, sunscreens, and foot peeling masks. While the Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover and The Face Shop Smile Foot Peeling Mask are both repurchases, the two bottles of sunscreens are new buys.

I am not very loyal to any particular skincare or makeup product. It doesn't help that there is always new releases and innovations in the beauty world. When my sunscreen was running low, the hunt for a replacement was on. My specifications? Physical sun protection. Doesn't leave a white mask.

Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day UV Sunscreen SPF 50 and Look At Me Jelly Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++ seem to fit the bill ingredients wise. But the true test is definitely whether it comes with a white cast or not. But hopefully not.

A Mandy haul isn't complete without at least one impulse purchase, now is it? Bestie C was purchasing the Kojie san Skin Lightening Soap and said it was similar to the papaya soaps that were really popular a few years back on the Soompi selling forums. I remembered having decent results with that soap for exfoliation and my summer tan lines back then so I was intrigued by this soap. I don't have any expectations since it isn't a brand or product that I have heard of before. Let's see how it goes!

Hiiii everyone~~
It's been a while!
But long story short: school.
Now that it is the summer, I have every intention to try to get back into blogging. There is so much I want to share and keep a record of (even if it is just for myself).
I had an exciting announcement to make since March and can't wait to get that up soon. Although completely unintentional, there will be a few hints throughout this post!

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I have been trying my best to not spend on any skincare or makeup items. The things I've gotten lately were mostly bought in anticipation for my upcoming trip (hint hint).

sephora vib bi haul clinique take the day off cleansing balm urban decay sprays

Sephora
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray, Urban All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

I took advantage of the Sephora VIB BI discount code a few months back to try out the Clinique cleansing balm. I've been interested in it for a while and thought it would be a more travel-friendly makeup removing product.

Lilladylife talked highly of the All-Nighter Spray when we met before. But I was curious about both sprays that Urban Decay offered. Not knowing quite what the difference was I decided to order them both to try out. I hope perhaps at least one of the two will come in handy when in humid weather.

oo33mm haul real techniques powder and blush brushes

oo33mm
Real Techniques Powder Brush & Blush Brush

The impulse buys... But I don't regret it!
I really liked the Real Techniques brushes that I got a while back. Since there are deals for these every now and again, I was waiting out for another sale before adding the other brushes to my collection. When I saw these in a store something in me had me walking with these in my hands towards the cash register.

imomoko
Top L to R: Otaku Mask Set & Lululun Facial Masks - Brightening (white), High Moisture (purple), Moisture Type (pink), Yuzu (green)
Bottom L to R: Cleanser Foaming Net, Cow Brand Cleansing Oil, Lululun Facial Mask Special Box (Moisture Type & Pomegranate)

Just as my sheet masks stash was running low, I found that imomoko was having their Friends & Family sale. (Imomoko also regularly has special mask sales so don't feel left out!) At the time the website didn't stock the My Scheming masks that I like. But there were many other brands that I still wanted to try. In order to restrain myself from buying everything that I could, I limited myself to brands I wouldn't be able to get easily in the next few months.

Lululun is a completely new brand to me. There are quite a few reviews that I found and the opinions were pretty mixed. I decided to give it a try anyways given their low price. After trying it a few times myself, I have mixed feelings towards it. I'll try to dedicate a post for it soon!

Otaku Mask Set
1 Cactus Hydrating Mask (eating rice)
2 Pomegranate Antioxidant Brightening Mask (in sunglasses)
2 Cedar Myogenic Acne Conditioning Mask (taking selfie)
2 Tranexamic Acid Whitening Mask (pink packaging)
1 Chamomile Soothing Mask (green packaging; with flowers)
2 Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Moisturizing Mask (with yellow note)

Otaku is also a new brand to me. I couldn't find many (if any) reviews for it but their concept seemed similar to other Taiwanese mask brands: low price & variety. They have some interesting options that I've never seen before in masks, like cactus and cedar myogenic. This usually isn't a selling point for me since I only buy masks for their instant hydration aspect. But it is interesting to see a variety nonetheless.

B&H
L to R: GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition & Battery BacPac, SanDisk Class 10 32GB microSDHC

Ever since my summer plans have been set, I contemplated on the idea of recording my trip. This is the first time I am going to be back in Asia in a long time and very first time in this particular country. Even though it is probably better to just live through and keep the memories in my head, I always loved the idea of having something tangible to look back on. Maybe it's because of my (sometimes) bad memory.

Since I already have an DSLR and do plan on bringing it along, I didn't want to purchase a point & shoot, mirror-less, or camcorder. It would be just one too many things to carry around and I probably wouldn't use my DSLR as much as I would like. There are also a few reason why I didn't want to record with my DSLR on the go. One being my lack of sufficient memory cards & space. Another the lack of additional batteries (the battery for my camera model is discontinued). Plus my DSLR doesn't have autofocus. But the main reason is the camera is just too bulky and heavy. I feel that if anything that would deter me from wanting to use it consistently to record + take photos.

The GoPro's small and light features drew me to it but I was really hesitant to commit to the idea since the camera is used more for action recording. With an upcoming getaway the Besties and I planned, I thought it would be a great idea to at least try the camera out. Luckily B&H's return policy allows room for me to give the GoPro a try (& I triple checked with the SA just to be sure). I am so new to the world of videos but just having this new gadget makes me all excited inside. Who knows...maybe if I get really into it, I'll end up using the camera for it's action-recording purpose?...!

Sephora
First Aid Beauty Fab Faves To Go Kit, Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover

This purchase was maybe half necessity and half impulse? Although I could pack a full-sized eye-makeup remover in my checked luggage, I think there will be a trip or two where I wouldn't need to have checked-in luggage. Plus it is probably not the best idea to decant a duo-phased cleanser, right? I have never tried Clinique's version but have heard of others who liked it before. Hopefully it will work well!

I am not sure what happened to my skin lately but I have many patches of really rough, dry, and sometimes itchy skin all over my neck, decollete, arms, and even some on parts of my face. My mom thinks it might be an allergic reaction to something but I'm not really sure what it could have been. The current skincare products I have don't really help it and putting body lotion on doesn't seem to work well either. I thought I would give the First Aid Beauty kit a try since it seems to target skin emergencies. (Don't quote me, I could be completely wrong about this...) If not it would still be nice travel-sized items to have.

Have you tried any of these things before?
What or where do you think my announcement is about?
Would you be interested in seeing short travel videos from me?

Woot! Blog layout update! It has been too long. Even though I really loved the other one, I think certain elements in the back-end caused the blog to load way too slow. Now things are even more simplified. It took a whole night's worth of tinkering, but I think it is almost done! (Just a few small things left.)

The biggest change is probably the move to Disqus commenting. After switching to a new template I could no longer reply to comments. All the tutorials I found did not work. To save my sanity, I decided to make the switch. Luckily, no past comments were lost! I hope this change isn't a hassle for anyone who is used to the standard blogger/Google commenting system. If it is, definitely let me know! I'll try to figure it out again.

------------------------------ Onto the topics at hand!

I know I missed a month of empties, but that was because I didn't use anything up.
March was a tad better (just a bit).

I had to time to squeeze in a few masks here & there and I must say I almost forgot how relaxing it was to do sheet masks. Other than their moisturizing features, I have never really seen the other claimed benefits of the masks. Of the ones that I have tried, I like My Scheming masks the most. The sheet isn't too flimsy and fits my face shape/size really well.

My makeup collection isn't too big, but it is definitely too much for just one person to have. I discovered this eyeliner not long ago and realized it hasn't been touched in a good year or more. When I went to sharpen and refresh the tip the whole eyeliner came out! I guess it must have dried up a bit in the tube? What do you think I should do with it? Is it savable?

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24kei.com Purchase

Hitachi Hada Crie N820
The big purchase I, finally, made last month. I was sitting on whether or not to buy since mid-February. I don't remember exactly how or why this little gadget piqued my interest. When it did there was no turning back! I have used this for a little under a month and am liking it so far. I still need to test it some more before I will know for sure if I like/love it or not.

Aesop Control
Before going to their location by University Place, I was not aware of Aesop at all. But the natural/medicinal vibe I got when I walked into the store made me feel reassured to try something...anything. I have many different acne treatments on hand, but was still drawn in to this one. The SA there got me with "non-drying". Apparently what makes this difference from the rest is that this is an aloe based product. I haven't used it consistently enough to be able to tell if it does help with pesky pimples or not, but I do appreciate that it really hasn't brought about any extra dry patches after using it.

Have you tried anything new lately or rediscovered something? How did you like (or not like) it?

Ah, I'm so sorry for the lack of posts. The PC that I usually edit photos with is all sorts of messed up right now and can't be fixed anytime soon. Because of that I kept on making excuses, like "I have no where to edit my pictures...", all month long.

Luckily I was able to score a really relaxed, very part-time, job and could spend my downtime editing photos, blogging, or studying. Although the quality of the edits isn't what I am used to, this will make do for now.

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Since the Spring semester started, I have been able to enjoy a few lunch dates with Bestie C. Some time mid-February we decided to try a (I think...) authentic Japanese meal. We ultimately picked Hiroko's Place in Soho because they had a lot of seating and Bestie C wanted to try their omurice.

(Although...come to think of it, we should really limit our food spendings for the rest of this semester. Explanation coming soon! :P)

Hiroko's Place 75 Thompson St. New York, NY 10012

English Milk Tea

Err definitely not worth the money. But it was very cold the day we went and I wanted to drink something warm. I should have just had water...

Omuhayashi

This is basically omurice (omlette + rice) & hayashi (beef stew) rice and is an off-menu item that I found through Yelp photos. I was stuck between this and curry rice but ended up with this because I wanted to feel special ordering something off-menu. (I know, it's a silly reason...) I remember liking it a lot because I prefer to eat these type of saucy rice dishes. But the meat was a bit tough? (I'm not too sure though. It's been so long...I don't really remember.)

Ladurée Soho
398 W Broadway New York, NY 10012

laduree soho pistachio and caramel macarons

L to R: Pistachio Macaron and Salted Caramel Macaron
While wandering around Soho, Bestie C remembered that a new Ladurée had opened on lower Manhattan and we set to locate it. Somehow we ended up walking a very big circle before realizing we had been walking in the opposite direction from Ladurée. When we got to the storefront there was even a line-up to get inside! Good thing the line moved quickly, otherwise the wait would have been torturous in the cold and snowy weather.

I had not planned on buying anything. Once I got inside the store I couldn't help to pick up two macarons. They are as sweet as I remembered. But of the two, I think I prefer the salted caramel one more.

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Although I have been pretty good at controlling my spendings (excluding food-wise), I did end up making some small impulse purchases this trip.

Murad Acne Spot Treatment - $
Bestie C recommended this to me. I never really had an interest in Murad acne products because I thought they only used salicylic acid (which doesn't really work for me). But this spot treatment product uses sulfur. I have never tried sulfur on breakouts so I got one to try. *Cross my fingers* Hoping for the best!

Sunrise Mart Soho
494 Broome St.
New York, NY 10012

L to R: Kai Bobby Pins, Kao White Bar Soap, Cow Brand SkinLife Medicated Acne Care Cleanser
My beauty buys from the Japanese market. I don't really have an explanation for these other than I wanted to try them? I have heard from somewhere before that Cow Brand cleansers are pretty good, so why not try it out? It wasn't too pricey anyways.

What have you been up to lately?

I mentioned a while back that I saw a dermatologist, who prescribed a tretinoin gel (generic brand of Retin-A) for me to use for my acne. I did diligently follow her instructions and slowly increased my usage until I reached a once every night application.

Doing so made my skin peel like never before. (When I first started to use the La Roche Pose Efflaclar Duo, my skin did peel but it I don't think it was as bad.) All the exfoliating and moisturizing I was doing did not seem to help either. After a follow-up visit to the derm, she told me to decrease the applications to every other day since daily was, obviously, too strong for me.

But I must admit, I didn't follow the doctor's orders. Instead I completely stopped using the treatment altogether. (I think) I saw her a month or two after the initial appointment and at the time I didn't see too many benefits, acne/break-outs wise, from the tretinoin gel. Pair that with the unsightly flaky skin (in the summer no-less), I wanted to 'run' as far away as possible from the treatment and the dermatologist. (I haven't made a follow-up appointment since that second/last visit.)

After a few months of taking myself off the gel, my skin seemed to regulate itself and there wasn't massive amounts of flakiness on my face. I was and am still breaking out quite often and a lot. But I didn't want to risk using the treatment and having to go out of the house all flaky and peeling. So I took the opportunity before the holidays and right after my Fall semester ended to put on a layer of the tretinoin gel and give it a second chance. "This time I know better!" is what I said to myself.

But I didn't. Either I was a little too heavy-handed or my skin really can't handle the tretinoin because my skin started to immediately peel, flake, dry-up, so on and so forth the day after. Even the trusty ol' Olay Beauty Fluid that I relied on for the past 2 winters didn't help the flakes (which lasted for over a week, not exaggerating).

I hadn't been thinking of getting any new skincare items, despite the skin condition. I even settled on the idea of just riding it out (even though I still sulked about it here and there). But a "quick" stop to a Sephora to check out eye creams got me curious about some new Dr. Jart+ items that I remembered the Muse spoke highly of for drier skin folks. After doing a bit of review searching, the Ceramidin line seems to be pretty effective for other dry-skin gals as well. So with the combination of the weather being all chilly now and having dry-ish/combo & flaky skin, I went from having an itty-bitty speck of curiosity to flown-blown desire to have the products. (Why does this happen?!...)

Here are the items that got:

L to R: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid

I can't wait to use them. Maybe with these in-hand, I'll give the tretinoin a third chance. Perhaps third time's the charm?
Has anyone tried any of these products before? How do you like it?

Oh what coupons and shipping minimums can do to a person...
These are definitely things that I don't need to have, but they have been on my (vey long) wishlist.

L to R: Shany Stamping Nail Art Plates - 25 set, Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, Konad Double Side Stamp Set
I received a $10 coupon for Origins a while back. Since I really do not need anymore full sized skincare items at the moment, I picked this travel-sized mask instead. I have read some good reviews for this mask. Hopefully it works well for my pores!

I was always so envious of NOTD photos that had really pretty designs. Come to find out many of them used these kind of stamping thinger-ma-bobers. I remember these were really popular a couple years back, are they still? I tried it immediately after taking photos and really love it!

Have you tried any of these items before?

Come to think of it I have never posted a clothing haul before, accessories & bags yes, but not clothes.
So here's a (yet another) first!

I don't know how many will read through all of my buying reasonings, but it will be interesting for me to look back on in the future. "Oh...that's why I bought/got that!" kindda moments. I'm a bit forgetful and sentimental like that.

But kudos to those who do read through most/all! :]

Some of these were from a trip to Woodbury Commons Outlet my family and I made last Saturday. But a majority were bought after a trip to Manhattan on Black Friday. Not as bad as I thought it would be, but still pretty bad.

1. Forever 21 - Love 21 - Black Skirt ... $19.80

Wasn't on sale but I really liked how it looked on me & I'm picky about skirts. But then again, I need to start wearing the few that I bought recently...heh

2. Coach Legacy Leather Penny Shoulder Purse - Deep Port ... $99 (Orig. $198)

Err, the impulse buy. The Coach outlet is just pure madness. Watching everyone stand on a line with bags hanging on both arms, in both hands, and on all fingers can make a person envious!
This small bag stood out to me the most. Everything else was either of canvas material with their monograms printed all over or the style seemed impractical or too mature for me at the moment.

3. Fossil Sydney Giftable Bifold Wallet - Bright Pink ... $21 (Orig. $35)

This isn't color I would usually consider. But in the end I thought it might stand out more inside my bags. *shrugs* (My strange logic..)
Although I love how compact it is, it is hard to put things inside! Maybe I just have to break it in first? But things like business cards and tea shop reward cards do not fit into the card slots at all. Bummer.
Despite all that I'm not returning it since it is a great size for me now. I don't have that many cards anyways so this forces me to only keep the necessities and it fits into my small bags.

4. Kate Spade Card Holder/Wallet ... $22.50 (Orig. $45)

Another impulse buy. A card holder has been on my wish/need list for a while now and was going to order from eBay. But when I got the the outlets, I honestly felt a bit jealous (again) seeing so many Kate Spade shopping bags around. Oh well! Saves me the effort of ordering and having to wait forever for eBay packages to arrive.

5. Various sports bras from Aerie (50% off original)

Ever since the summer, I have been wearing sports bras as often as possible (not for exercising reasons). Ones with skinny straps are great for oversized and wider neck sweaters! I personally like the thicker strapped ones for certain tank styles so I won't feel or look over exposed.

6. AE Knit Jeggings - Crush Berry ... $29.96 (Orig. $39.95)

I had a pair that was a similar burgundy color from Uniqlo that I loved...until it ripped by my inner upper thigh area. (Embarrassing!) Luckily I had a long coat on that day. & I was only able to wear it a few times last Fall/Winter too. *Shake my fist* Uniqlo never brought this color back!
I've been waiting to get this color for a while and thought I was getting a good deal at the time since it was the AE outlet. But I really wish I waited to buy these during AE's Black Friday deal instead. Could have had 50% off instead of 25%, too bad I had cut off the tags a week earlier.

8. Various undies from Aerie ... 10 for $30

Or to be exact the deal I got was 5 for $30 + 5 Free

Yup, that is what the signs in store and my receipt say

9. H&M Sweater ... $14.95 (Orig. $29.95)

Lured by the special promo price tag. But not a bad find. I wasn't expecting to buy much or anything from H&M since I usually have a hard time finding things there anyways. Their Black Friday sale selection was much smaller than I expected too.

10. AE Real Soft Mistletoe Sweater - Black ... $22.47 & AEO Factory Slouchy Crew Sweater - Chrome Green and Ocean View ... $19.98

I bought the 2 slouchy sweaters first. I LOVE how comfortable they are. I really regret not grabbing more at the outlets, especially for that price ... 60% off 'original'! (Although I know that this item is specific to the AE outlets, the quality doesn't seem much different from the regular AE sweater I got.)
The mistletoe sweater was bought after realizing I couldn't get my hands on the slouchy sweater in black anymore. ('Slouchy' wasn't listed on the website before Black Friday, but was afterwards...Hate it when this happens!)
Mistletoe sweater isn't bad, but I like the style and fit of the slouchy sweater more. (It is looser by the arms.) Materials appears to be the same for both sweaters, so they're both equally soft to the touch.

11. Levi's Cardigan

Can never have too any cardigans! & I didn't already have this color either. Unfortunately, I don't remember the price nor have the receipt..I think after discounts and coupons it was ~$20 more or less?

12. *Not pictured* GAP Eversoft Neon Cardigan - Energetic Peach ... $5.98 (Orig. $39.95)

Bought Wednesday before Thanksgiving when GAP had 60% off most items & mom received a $10 coupon, hence the great deal.

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I was happier opening these gadgets last night than I probably am on my birthdays. Yes, that happy!

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer - Green Apple $299.99

My mom actually bought this a week before Black Friday when Macy's sold it for $299.99, the lowest we've ever seen it, at major retailers, in the last couple of years.
I We I have been eyeing this mixer since we moved into our new house and always joked about getting one. But the price was always too high. I know my mom always kept an eye out for the prices (even though she never explicitly told me) because she has casually asked "should we get it" multiple times when we saw any version of the KitchenAid mixer at Costco. But those were never the Artisan or in the color that I wanted (Ice Blue, Pistachio, Metallic).
For Black Friday, this was on sale at macys.com for $345.99 + 10% off + $50 manufacture's rebate. (But sans the 10% off in-store.) Which makes it a better deal than what we got it for. But considering that:

1) my mom had to lug this thing from Manhattan to Brooklyn via public transport
2) mom's feet/ankles/legs already ache from work
3) we'd have to mail in the rebate and wait for it to come back
She decided the 10% savings isn't worth all the trouble.

I tested it out today to make cupcakes and I love it so far. Makes things soo much easier!

KitchenAid Architect Hand Blender - $99.99 (Orig. $139.99)

Hand blenders haven't been on the wishlist for very long. But our magic bullet doesn't seem to cut it when it comes to blending smoothies anymore & the better(?) blenders available are very expensive. Few YouTube videos later, I thought a hand blender could do the job & more.
Mom originally bought a Cuisinart version for under $20 (because she saw that it was circled in her Macy's booklet. I always just randomly circle things that are "on sale" & normally she doesn't buy what I circle anyways). Later we found out that that version didn't have a detachable shaft so it had to be returned.
Fast forward a little over a week later on Black Friday, we noticed that the Kitchenaid version was on sale in-store. All it's many attachments caught my eye! Strangely, my mom was very easily convinced by me to get this now instead of waiting longer for possible further discounts.

The night before, I had checked macys.com and saw that this was going for $139.99 + 40% off. Which means that the "sale" price in-store wasn't as good. Of course my phone battery died on me that day so I didn't have proof to show them. BUT I did ask the cashier (who asked the supervisor/manager) and they told me that macys.com is different/separate from the actual store. WHAT?! So there was no price matching...
I could have ordered online, but my mom is skeptical of the interwebs and (especially big) package deliveries.

I also tested this today to puree/blend sweet potatoes. It was pretty awesome I'd say. Can't wait to try the milk frother attachment. Homemade lattes maybe?! :D

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Sales get me every time...
I can get a ~~little~~ very carried away if I don't stop and think things over and over again.
But sometimes rationalizing goes out the window at that moment and I can only take it as a lesson learned. Be smarter next time! Right?

Some interesting tidbits & tips I learned:

American Eagle outlet store has a combo of both it's AEO Factory & normal AE store items (at least at Woodbury it is).

Don't go thinking everything are outlet items and that they are the lowest discounts possible.
Sometimes their outlet items make it to their online store, sometimes it does not but it will be at a later time.

American Eagle online's special Thanksgiving discount (50% off, I think a new promo this year) isn't the same as their online Black Friday discount (40% off, same as previous years). BUT in-store discount may still be 50% off!

Don't freak out if you miss the 'good sale'!
I learned the hard way, after getting pissed and stressed earlier Friday morning...*sigh*

If you plan to go to a big outlet mall or Woodbury Commons Outlet to be more exact:

Print out a map and list of stores & highlight the places you want to go to on the list & map

This way you can see where you want to go and can devise a route to efficiently use your time there.

Join their free VIP program online & print out their special online VIP coupons

Depending on when you go and if you could use coupons or not...the online print-out coupons are better deals than the ones in the VIP coupons booklet available at the Woodbury Outlet Information Center.

Macys.com ≠ Macy's in-store ... apparently.

I can understand that not everything in-store is online and vice versa.
I can understand that discounts might be different from one platform to the other to attract sales to different places.
I can also understand that Black Friday deals may be different from Cyber Monday deals.
But please explain why the two are regarded as completely different entities from each other and that there is no price matching in-store to the online promo/price?

I am not really the type to make a fuss about it in-store. I especially didn't question further because the lines were super long on Black Friday and I didn't want to be "that person" who held everyone up. Also we were in the Cellar (home goods) part of the store and practically everyone was holding big boxes of electronics/pots and pans, etc.

I bought a lot less clothing/accessories/bags-wise than I originally planned to at Woodbury. I even walked in and out of the Cosmetic Company Outlet store empty-handed!
I seem to really like American Eagle because even at the outlets, most/almost all of the clothes I got were from there.
Seems like Woodbury Commons gets a lot of (or enough) Chinese visitors that they also have Mandarin and Cantonese announcements over the loudspeakers. My family and I just thought that was interesting.

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Did everyone else get some good buys recently?
Do you take part in the holiday sales madness? In-store or online?

Erm. So I was probably a teeny bit too confident in my ability to control my impulsive buying habits. It was all going well until I was lured in by a 25% off Real Techniques brushes on target.com a few weeks ago. *shake my first* You...sales...!

I think that Ulta sometimes has better deals for these brushes. But I am not familiar with when Ulta has sales and my impatience got the best of me. Here's all the damage I did:

L to R: Sonia Kashuk Pointed Blending Brush, Sonia Kashuk Duo Fiber Fan Brush, Real Techniques Travel Essentials, Real Techniques Core Collection, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, Real Techniques Setting Brush

These brushes have been on my wishlist for the longest time. What held me back was that I didn't have access to a physical Ulta or Walmart store. Even though in the end I did order from Target online, there is at least a store accessible to me in case returns had to be made. Luckily, everything I got felt nice enough so I do not mind keeping them all. There were also a couple other brushes from the Real Techniques line that I wanted to get but was unfortunately not available or out-of-stock.

I also bought a 34pc set of Huggable Hangers that I forgot to take a photo of. But that isn't all too exciting to see, right? However, I was a little bummed when I went to Costco the other day and saw that they had a 35pc hangers only set of "No Slip Hangers" for $9.99. While the ones I ordered from Target (the original/brand-name versions) were $17.99. The pricier set also only had 14 hangers plus 10 clips and attachments. What luck I have... *sigh* I can't even return the Huggable Hangers because I already opened and threw away the box it came in.

Of the ones that I got, I feel like I will get the least uses out of the two foundation brushes. But the next on my "To Get" list are the powder brush, blush brush, and kabuki brush.

Has anyone else tried any Real Techniques brushes yet? Any favorites/dislikes?

----------Complaint about Target.com---------- This was my first time ordering from the website. But Bestie C ordered from there a lot recently, so I thought that the Free Shipping minimum must not be too bad. Boy did I think wrong. I wasn't aware of their new policies and tactics to gain more cardholders. Basically, if you sign up for their card you will have (I think) Free Ship along with some other perks. BUT if you are not a cardholder, there are only a limited amount of items that they deemed to be eligible for "Free Shipping over $50".

It took me much so long to decide on what to buy to meet that minimum while also not spending too much overall on the order. Things I saw and thought I would want to keep were not Free Ship Eligible. The ones I saw that were Free Ship Eligible wasn't anything that I wanted or needed. I know it would have been much easier to just pick any random thing and return it but that was really a last resort option.

One thing that really bothered me most was how the site requires you to input all your personal and card information before estimating your shipping fees. I tried to Google what their typical shipping costs were like but didn't have much luck finding anything. Their Help/FAQ page also doesn't say much about prices either.

I have been fairly good at not making any spontaneous trips to beauty and drugstores. But once I go into a store to get something that I need, all the can't buy won't buy chants leave my mind. My recent trip to this Korean cosmetics pop-up store was exactly this case.

The reason why I said I needed to go? Ran out of makeup remover.
The main culprit to why I decided I had to make the trip? Discount & GWP

I am a sucker for deals. Even though this isn't the best deal that is around, I still got drawn in somehow.

When I received an e-mail from Missha saying that their brand & a few others were going to be available in a pop-up store in the city, I almost immediately got the shopping itch. It also didn't help that the e-mail included a 30% discount AND a GWP for orders over $30. I was actually waiting for Missha to have a big sale (40 or 50% off) on their website. But impulses got the best of me! Plus, I wanted to see what other brands and products the pop-up store had to offer.

Various Samples .......... GWP makeup pouch with more samples 2 Missha M Super-Extreme Waterproof Soft Pencil Eyeliner (Auto) in Brown and Khaki Missha M Perfect BB Deep Cleansing Oil
I did walk out with the items that I wanted. But the trouble is I came out with 2 extra eyeliners in order to meet the $30 GWP point. These definitely aren't needed in my collection but my reasoning at the time was "I finished my favorite brown eyeliner and need a replacement." Does this happen to anyone else?

It was definitely an interesting visit. The store layout was very spacious. When I visited, I was the only one there so I received close attention from the SA. But she wasn't the pushy type. There were many brands that I was not familiar with (isoi, Mizon, Gosso, and a few others). I did recognize a few like Missha, BRTC, and Dr. G. A majority of the store's selection is of BB Creams with one or two skincare lines from each brand and some sporadic makeup items. Unsurprisingly, most of the items were on the pricier side.

For anyone else in NYC who is interested in the address of the pop-up store is:
379 Broome Street
New York, NY 10012 It is right off Chinatown and touching a section of Little Italy. This is an area of Manhattan that I don't ever remember going to and I went to Chinatown a lot growing up. Then again, there are still tons of places in NYC that I haven't explored yet. So I shouldn't be one to talk :P

For any who may be wondering about the 30% off and GWP...I am not sure if it is still available. But I think you could check via Missha USA's website

Revlon Treat & Boost, Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat, Revlon Liquid Quick Dry, Maybelline Gel Stick Foundation - 230 Natural Buff

It is rare that I finish anything nails related. Top coats, however, are probably the exception; not that I have ever used up a bottle of top coat before. But all the ones that I have owned end up getting really thick and goopy & pretty much unusable. I had a hard time deciding between Extra Life and Liquid Quick Dry. Hopefully...one of the two (or both) will end up being a good pick. Treat & Boost was the impulse buy.

Once the summer came, I ended up getting pretty tanned (especially after going to an amusement park). Most of my BB Creams and foundations didn't match my neck well or they felt too thick in the summer heat. When I saw the reviews of the Maybelline Gel Stick Foundation show up in my feeds, I was intrigued. I have never tried a stick foundation before. It was hard to decide what color to choose & hard to find any medium skin-toned ones that weren't already opened. But in the end, I picked 230 because even if it is too dark I can always use it as a contour/shading product. Has anyone else tried this product yet?

Shiseido Anessa Perfect Gel Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ and Leaders Insolution UV Moist Sun Gel SPF30 PA++ set

As per suggestions in my skin condition post, I took to imomoko & Sasa to find a gel sunscreen. I ended up placing an order with imomoko because I was intrigued by the Leaders Insolution sunscreen and Sasa didn't carry it. (But for those who are interested in the Anessa sunscreens, it is cheaper on Sasa.com!) I have never heard of Leaders Insolution before, but it seems to be skin friendly & dermatologist created. (Hopefully that isn't only a part of their marketing scheme.) I definitely didn't need 2 sunscreens, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for the word sale. Plus, it was an excuse for me to finally try an Anessa sunscreen.

I know I definitely did not need any more beauty goods. A browse at a store usually always leads to me buying more than what I need. Does this happen to anyone else?

The acne on my face has gradually gotten worse over the past year. I really wish I knew if it was something I did differently that cause the sudden change or if I am going through hormonal acne again. But unlike my acne from my puberty years, these have been leaving me with different kind of scars...the dreaded ice-pick scars. I know I shouldn't be touching, let alone picking, the pimples but sometimes my hands just do it subconsciously. Other times, it is really hard to resist myself. Hopefully they don't become too noticeable. But for now, I just have to stop myself as best that I can.

I recently went to the dermatologist for first time in years. The consultation wasn't very long so I am not sure how thorough it was. The doctor did ask whether I preferred to ingest or apply treatment. Since I chose the latter, she said that the type of acne I have would benefit from using Retin A. I heard this term now and again on YouTube, but don't really know much about it in detail. But from the dermatologist, I got that it'll make my skin very sensitive and requires me to wear tons of gel sunscreen in particular. (Which I don't know any of, so if anyone has recommendations for one I'd be glad to check it out!) Hopefully, the treatment will work a whole lot better than what I've been using for my skin for now. & I'll try my best to update on how Retin A is.

Prior to my derm visit, I placed an order from Beyond the Rack towards the end of May (I think...). It took a long time to arrive. But I think that's just how shopping at those sort of sites work. The sale event has to end, Beyond the Rack gets the stuff from the company and then they ship it out to the buyer.

First time I've seen such a box filler!

Top: Honey & Oat Cleanser, Charcoal Detox Cleanser, Organic Lemon Toner
Bottom: Acne/Oily Skin Kit

There are so many enticing sale items but I really tried & continue to try not to get sucked into all the deals. Be it clothing, shoes, etc. I think I have done pretty well. This is only my first purchase and I joined the site a year + ago! I haven't heard much about Michael Todd skincare but the description and price of these items convinced me to get it at the time. I only started to use the Charcoal Detox Cleanser for now and it isn't too shabby but not great either. Definitely isn't deep cleansing or treating but cleanses well and is gentle.

Has anyone else tried Retin A before? How was it for your skin?
What about any Michael Todd skincare products?

It was that time of year again last week at Sephora. Sale time!
Or for me it meant one of the few times in the year that I make a purchase at Sephora.

Maybe it's the same for you too, but I always find myself with a huge wishlist. Every year without fail, no matter how busy I am with school work, I find time to sit and cross off as many items as possible to have it fit within my imaginary budget. Ideally the total should be $75 or less. This year I have to shamefully admit that I went over that amount by double!

The difference being that 2 items I bought are sets. Whereas in the past couple years I only splurged on 1 perfume or 1 brush at most along with some other smaller items. The up side to this, I guess, is these are things that I do see myself using regularly and for a long time.

Top: Clarins The "It" Kit and Clarisonic Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head Value Pack
Middle: Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation in G20 and Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Bottom: Sephora PRO Flawless Airbrush No. 56

The night before I managed to narrowed my list down to 3 items.

I have been wanting to try the Clarins "It" Kit ever since Karyi mentioned how great a deal this little box was. A full sized sunscreen + some trial sized items for a little more than how much the sunscreen costs by itself. When I got to the store, I was afraid they wouldn't carry any because this set was released quite a few months ago. Luckily the SA found one for me in the back! Other than the UV Plus Sunscreen, the set also includes the One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, Beauty Flash Balm, Total Eye Concentrate, and the Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch. I haven't looked into any of the other products included besides the sunscreen. But from reading the descriptions on the box I can't wait to try everything out.

The one item that has been on my list for months was definitely this Clarisonic 4 pack value set of brush heads. I have been neglecting my Clarisonic for close to a year now because I couldn't bear to shell out the money to buy the replacement brush heads. Sephora offered a few different brush head varieties in the pack. I was a bit overwhelmed. After a chat with lilladyslife, I ended up getting the deep pore version. (To clarify her favorite is the delicate version, which sadly did not come in a 4 pack.) I have been using my Clarisonic nightly for a week now and so far so good. (I just remembered how I completely failed to update everyone my results with the Clarisonic...epic fail! I will try my best to soon though!)

This has become a reoccuring habit of mine to buy an expensive brush when a sale rolls along. But it is totally understandable right? I am always on a lookout for a good foundation brush. Not that the ones I have are bad, but I am a curious person who likes to try things out. To me the Sephora PRO No. 56 is like a cross between the Sephora Mineral Power Brush and the typical synthetic paddle foundation brush. I used it a few times since bringing it home and I am starting to like it.

The Cover FX foundation and Josie Maran Argan Oil were the complete impulse purchases.

I walked around the store for maybe an hour thinking over whether to buy or not to buy the foundation. The SA/MUA I asked to help me color match actually tried to steer me to buy a Stila foundation (but I did not like how the finish looked on me, or it could have been that she applied too heavy a layer). In the end, I have decided to return the foundation because 1) color is not right 2) after taking a second look at my makeup drawers, I know I don't need another base product right now. However, this return doesn't mean I didn't like the product. In fact, it's the opposite. I was really surprised by how skin like the foundation is when I applied it. Perhaps after I plow through some BB Creams and foundations that I currently own I will give it a second try.

The trial sized bottle of Argan Oil found its way into my basket as I was browsing the checkout area. I am anticipating very dry and flaky skin when my Spring allergies kick in. Hopefully this will help soothe and moisturize my skin when that comes comes around. I dabbed a bit of the cream version on my hand to try and it didn't soak in nearly as well as the oil version does. Plus, the oil form is pure argan oil whereas the cream is formulated with a few other ingredients. Nowadays the less ingredients the better/safer right?

Whew! That was a long one. Kudos to anyone who read through that ^__^
Have you tried any of these products before? Any favorites that you can't wait to share?
What goodies did you pick up during the CHIC sale?

With some of the birthday money I received, I knew I immediately wanted to replenish my skincare stash. I don't know the reason why but my face has been erupting with pimples, breakouts, blackheads, and anything else that can go wrong with the skin. I thought my teen acne years were suppose to be over?!

oo33mm.com is a site I have been following now and again since they had a Soompi shop. Seeing their new store front in Chinatown was quite a surprise. It's definitely a step up from their last 'hole in a wall' store front. Compared to the the prices of other beauty shops in the neighborhood, their prices are about the same plus or minus a couple dollars. They do offer some unique and quirky things to differentiate themselves. What I love the most about them is that they have a rewards system (unlike most other beauty stores in Chinatown, at least of the ones I have purchased from). Plus, they have more of an online presence compared to the others which (to me) is always a positive point.

I decided to go a more simplistic route with my new skincare routine this time. Not really in terms of the number of products, more so 'natural' and less ingredients wise. Since Hada Labo worked for me last year when I had relatively clear skin, I decided to give it a try again. But being the curious person I am I opted to purchased Juju Aquamoist's whitening line rather than Hada Labo's (which I've already tried and reviewed). My decision may have also been influenced a little by bubzbeauty's previous recommendations for this Vitamin C/whitening line.

I've tried Baby Foot a couple of years ago before prom. However, I didn't use it properly so I didn't want to review it without trying it again. Since my feet are horrendous looking all year round anyways, I thought I would give this a try again. Will definitely update everyone on how this goes!

Yes, I did buy this adorable phone case from this shop. What makes this store different from the others in the area are they don't only sell beauty products. If you browse their site you can see that they also sell a ton of cute items as well. A lot of the goods they sell are they type that we don't really need but you just want to have. I can't really describe it all so just check it out for yourself!

Here are some GWP I received. I think I got the blinc eyeliner because I spent over a certain amount. Of the 3 times I've bought something from this store, I've received a small Avene sample each time. It is great how the SA always tries to pick a sample that will fit my skin problems. I'm saving these samples up for if I ever travel any time soon.

The day I went to do my massive haulage, the store just ran out of this. Luckily it came in stock the day they estimated so I didn't leave without this product for a second time. I have been lusting over this item for the longest time. With so many great reviews about this cleansing water out there I just couldn't resist myself. I haven't tried it yet but I hope it lives up to the hype for me.

& Yes the baggie from the first photo turns into a strawberry :]
But I think you can only get it if you spend over $20 (or was it $30...) and maybe in store only?

September Hauls

August Hauls

April & May Hauls

March Empties + Hauls

Wandering Tales | Soho

Tretinoin (Retin-A) Update & Sephora Haul

Recent Beauty Buys

Black Friday Hauling

Target Hauling

Missha Haul & Korean Cosmetic Bliss

Recent Haulings

Recent Skin Condition & Beyond The Rack Purchase

Sephora Chic Week Haul

oo35mm Haul

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