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.
After the first time I went to Smorgasburg, I said really wanted to go back again. Bestie C and I finally got the chance to squeeze in a visit Saturday. The weather forecast for the day predicted clouds and a bit of precipation. But it was sunny, almost cloudless, and pleasantly windy all day. The perfect weather (minus the sudden gusts of wind) for going to an outdoor food gathering.
Vermont Maple Lemonade Stand
Butternut Donut - $1
We actually got to Williamsburg about half an hour too early. All the vendors were still setting up and we could only sit and wait for them. The two of us were starving! So when we saw a stall with these dollar donuts, we grabbed one for each of us and devoured it. I thought my donut tasted a little bit stale, but it could just be that the donut is a lot denser and more muffin like than what I am use to for a donut. I love that it wasn't overly sweet, just right for me. The sweetness came mostly from the coating so (I think) it balanced well with the butternut donut.
Ramen Burger - $8
Since we arrived super early, the line for the ramen burger was still really short. So...we thought why not...!? I know I said I probably wouldn't buy it again but that was because I expected the lines to be always really long. Again, I felt that the burger was alright. I would have preferred it to have sauce on both noodles buns because it makes it taste SO much better IMO, otherwise the no-sauce bites of ramen tasted a bit bland. Throughout the day we overheard others who tried it and there were overall mixed reviews. I guess it's a personal preference kind of thing? It's definitely a novelty idea and worth at least a try.
Mighty Quinn's
Big Brisket Sandwich - $9 (the Lil sandwiches are $5)
The first time we went to Smorgasburg, we noticed the line for Mighty Quinn's was on par with Ramen Burger's line but didn't get to try their stuff. This time around I couldn't give up the chance again. We were going to get the 'lil' sandwich because we had just finished the ramen burger. But then I noticed how tiny and bite-sized the 'lil' sandwich was. That was definitely a one person sandwich. Plus, the price point of that wasn't worth getting two small ones...so one big sandwich it was. Anyways! I really liked the brisket. It was pretty moist and juicy. The only thing negative was I thought the buns (or top bun in particular) was a bit too thick for my liking.
Pecan Patti
Pomegrante Sweet Tea - $6
Fresh Ginger Sweet Tea - $6
Of all the stands that I remember of that offered non-alcoholic drinks, the teas from this stand probably gives the most value for your money. There was another stand(s) that sold quart-sized drinks but their prices were closer to the double digit range. I liked it so much that I decided to buy the ginger tea to take home for my family to try. I can't pick a favorite though...they all tasted very good to me.
Lumpia Shack
Sampler (L to R ... 3 of each: Original, Vegetarian Truffled Adobo Mushroom, Peking Duck) - $9
I also wanted to try this the last time I went to Smorgasburg but was discouraged by the price. This time I didn't care so much because I really wanted to try lumpia at least once. (I blame itsjudyslife for this craving! :P) I'm glad they offered a Sampler on their menu since I am rather indecisive when it comes to food. This was by far my favorite savory dish of the day. Of course, who wouldn't love a bit of fried food? However...I was kind of expecting them to be bigger or even longer. This seemed more like an appetizer/snack portion. Is this the standard lumpia size? I really have no idea :X
Butter & Scotch
Sticky Toffee Trifle - $6
At this point in the day, I was already pretty full from all the foods and liquids. But I spotted a couple eating this concoction and my sweet tooth was craving it. I've never had a trifle before. Basically this one was a layered dessert with toffee cake baked with some sort of fruit (I think), along with TONS of cream. I think I heard the lady at the stand say there was rum or something alcohol-y in it as well. (I am not sure about this one actually...but judging from their name, Drunk Bakers, I'd say it's safe to assume some is in there.) It was delicious. But of course very indulgent. & I will proudly say I don't regret getting it ^__^
Momo Dressing
Sesame Dressing 12oz - $7 ... (8oz - $5)
I tried Soba noodles over the summer and wanted to try eating it in a different way (other than with spicy soy sauce). The people at the Momo dressing stand recommended the Sesame version for soba. *Cross my fingers* I hope it end up I liking it! I'm actually not a big fan of sesame seeds, but do like sesame flavor. (I know that sounds very contradicting...) Has anyone tried a sesame sauce before with noodles? How is that combo?
Has anyone else made a visit to Smorgasburg yet? What did you try? What are your recommendations?
If you haven't and will be in NYC before the end of November, you still have the chance to visit!
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
