So, in between working a ton (wedding season has begun, folks) and reading obsessively, I found a bit of time to do some shopping... and, boy, you should see the damage I can do in a matter of five minutes. After weeks of careful budgeting, I found myself a little more financially relaxed this month and picked up some goodies here and there. I surprised myself by being more and more curious with lower end beauty brands, starting with a trip to Loblaws with Cynthia, followed by a trip to Target with Steph (which was actually quite disappointing — the small selection of NYX products they carry was all opened and touched resulting in a most disgusting display, and nearly all the Sonia Kashuik products were sold out), and, of course, my monthly stop by Bath & Body Works.
Joe Fresh Rose Gloss in Pink, Mauve, and Berry
Joe Fresh Powder Blush in Rose, Melon, and Pink
Joe Fresh Nail Polish in Aqua, Blueberry, Sour Citron, Tomato, Orange Sorbet, and Tigerlily
Joe Fresh Regular and Extra Strength Nail Polish Removers
Essie Spring 2013 Nail Lacquers in Maximillian Strasse-Her and Avenue Maintain and Essie Grow Faster Base Coat
Essie Resort 2013 Collection Mini Nail Lacquers in First Timer, In the Cab-ana, Under Where?, and Come Here!
L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Pepsy Coral, Forever Pink, Sahara Treasure, and Bronze Divine
Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Quenched and EOS Lip Balm in Strawberry Sorbet
Method + Orla Kiely Spring Collection Hand Wash in Honeysuckle, White Nectarine, Tomato Vine, and Cloudburst (x2)
Bath & Body Works Scentportable Fragrance Refills in Mahogany Leather (x3), Eucalyptus Mint (x2), and Spring, and PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Gels in Eucalyptus Mint (x3)
Non-beauty purchases: eight new books from Amazon, a black disc-sequin top on clearance for $12 from $27.80 from Forever 21, and a pair of black The Diva skinny jeans on sale for $8.98 from $39.50 and an oversized red Hello Kitty tee (that I will use as a sleep shirt) on sale for $5.98 from $20 from Old Navy (I had a Friends & Family 25% off coupon). I totally didn't need any of this stuff (except for the nail polish removers 'cause I ran out of my beloved Zoya), but I just couldn't resist, especially given that most of it was either on sale or a total bargain. Also, I have since learned that I am obsessed with cosmetics shopping at Loblaws. Like, I go there maybe three or four times a year, and every time I go through their Joe Fresh stuff, I am always impressed and wonder why I don't shop there more often. I mean, the prices are affordable ($6 blushes and lip products, 3 for $10 nail polishes!), the packaging is cute and minimalistic, and the products are generally good quality (reviews are forthcoming!) — but then I look at my make-up collection, and I'm like, "Oh, yeah, that's why." But seeing as this is only the first half of my haul this month, I will be the first to admit that I went a wee bit overboard this month on the beauty products... Stay tuned.
Ahh I want the Essie Maximillian Strasse Her only because Maximillian Strasse is a wonderful street in Munich with all the high end shops :) I don't have good experience with Essie polishes though.. Always too thick. I love Deborah Lippmann's formula more.
ReplyDeletei remember stepping into Joe Fresh in NY while the bf was getting a haircut (haircuts are really pricey in Norway and because i have a stylist i love here, the bf gets cheapo haircuts to balance it out :)) and did like a lot of their items but i was trying to resist so i got nothing :\
I bought tons of stuff this month .. You don't want to know *buyers remorse*
Is Essie expensive over there? It's considered a drugstore brand here, so I can't really even compare it to Lippmann, because it's almost three times more expensive than Essie. Some of the lighter, pastel shades are a bit on the thick side and can streak, but I find most of them to be pretty good quality for the most part!
DeleteI didn't even realize that there was a Joe Fresh store in NYC! Joe Fresh is a Canadian brand that is carried at Loblaws (a supermarket chain here). I guess they made it so big that they opened up a store outside of Canada. :) I don't know what the prices are like in the States, but they're realllllly cheap here. You should definitely stock up next time!
I ALWAYS wanna know what you bought. HAUL POST!!!
Essie is about 120 NOK (20 CAD). I know, it's insane. So I almost never buy it. I usually buy nail polish when I travel. I know, it sounds like I am deprived of so many beautiful things :) Deborah Lippmann is about 180 to 200 NOK. You can get it for 170 NOK (30 CAD) sometimes (the non glitter ones).
DeleteJoe Fresh wasn't that cheap in NYC. I am too much of a GAP lover to buy anything else actually. I always buy stuff in GAP because there's no GAP in Norway and I love wearing unique pieces that nobody else will be wearing. Cosmetics wise, I'm a bit afraid of trying other brands. My skin is too sensitive and I just love MAC too much to stray. Though I am loving Bobbi Brown's Even Finish Longwear foundation.
OK, I shall stop rambling now. You don't want to know what I bought, really. Then your image of me as this innocent, non-shopaholic will be ruined :(
OH, WOW. For that price, I'd rather get Lippmann, too! I don't think you're necessarily deprived of beautiful things, I think you're just deprived of beautiful things at regular prices!!! :P
DeleteI'm surprised that Joe Fresh wasn't cheaper in the US, 'cause usually the US retail price is lower than here. If you're ever in Canada, definitely visit Loblaws and check it out. :)
Oddly enough, I don't shop a ton at the Gap. I like to look around if they've got a sale on or something, but I find them too expensive for what they offer -- I'd rather go to Old Navy. H&M and Forever 21 do in a pinch for trendier things at cheaper prices, but I usually shop at Aritzia (a Canadian chain). Their stuff is pricey, but the quality is amazing and lasts forever! I do wish they'd bring Uniqlo here, though!!!
Haha, I love MAC more than anything, but I still buy a lot of other brands. I don't have particularly sensitive skin, though, so I'm usually game to try anything. Can you believe I've never tried any of Bobbi Brown's make-up products, though?! I need to get on this...
LOL, I don't think I ever saw you as either innocent or a non-shopaholic. ;) HAUL POST!!!
Yeah, the prices are insane. I want regular prices :( I'm so tired of not being able to justify half the things I see in the store. It's like I just can't bring myself to buy it. So I plan trips and then buy these pretty things there, insteaed. It's twisted.
DeleteI want to go to Canada. But this year is all about wedding planning :)
Gap has great deals. Sometimes they have 30% storewide or 30% on their 1969 range. I love their 1969 range because you get some edgy clothing like neon yellow or mint blue chambray shirts and really comfortable denim shirts. Their Always Skinny jeans is really comfortable. I always use a pair for Winter but I abuse it so much with tights underneath that by the end of Winter, it gives way. I also love their blouses. I wear them to work as there's no dress code at my office.
I think I don't have the body for Aritzia. I've been to their store in Bellevue a couple of times. I always come out feeling really dumpy and fat :( I like H&M but since it's a Scandinavian brand, it is worn to death here. Everybody buys their trendy items and you see the person next to you on the bus wearing what you bought. Same goes for Zara. Oh and Zara and Mango have this weird sizing that requires me to wear XL. I'm an M in US. Once in awhile I buy L, but usually M. It kills my self esteem to wear XL. So I avoid those two stores as well. There's no Forever 21 here and the girls who shop there are so much younger than me. I always feel kind of old when I'm in there...Gosh I'm almost 30.
I like other brands, but they are overpriced here. I find it easier to justify with MAC because I know I will use it most of the time. It's slightly cheaper than Chanel and Dior in Norway. Bobbi Brown is a bit no-nonsense. I don't own many items from the brand, but I really like that foundation. It's very kind to my sensitive skin. I got a sample in US last year, but didn't get around to trying it. Then I was in Paris and my skin was going crazy (like it always does when I travel) and I found the sample in my cosmetics bag. So I tried it and loved it and bought a bottle at Sephora there immediately. They have Bobbi Brown here but it's expensive and they refused to give me a sample last time I was there. So I gave up.
OK I just wrote an essay here. I'll keep quiet :)
Haha, isn't vacation for shopping? :P I'm the same way -- I'll purposely save like, $1,000 to go shopping on a 5-day trip even though it would be absurd for me to spend that much in like, two months here. I call this VACATION JUSTIFICATION.
DeleteI didn't know Aritzia had many stores outside of Canada. I know they have one in NYC, but that's the only one I knew of. There's one in every major mall here, so I guess it shouldn't be that surprising. Not everything at Aritzia fits me well, but I'm usually an M at the stores in North America, and a lot of things from Aritzia fit me fine. Maybe it's just what you're trying on? I don't shop at H&M often because the quality generally is pretty crappy, but I do have a couple things from there that I wear all the time. I bought a beautiful coat there once, and the buttons all popped off within a month. Kinda ridiculous.
I like Zara a bit better as I find the quality to be nicer, but it can get pretty expensive. I only really shop there when they have a sale, lol. I think I have a scarf from Mango, but that's it. They really only have stores at like, three locations here, and none of them are near me. Maybe I'll have a look when I'm in NYC! I don't think Forever 21 is necessarily just for young girls. "Almost 30" is not old at all! I'm turning 27 this year, and I never let my age stop me from buying things. Hell, I just bought a Hello Kitty shirt, lol. It's like when people say, "Oh, I don't shop at MAC, 'cause it's for the young girls." It's mind over matter. You like what you like, and if it looks good, wear it! :)
Whoo hoo, Joe Fresh! They've got nice cosmetics, but have you checked out their clothing? I go running to Loblaws whenever I get the chance. They have great markdowns too and they happen quite frequently!
ReplyDeleteHow are you liking your Old Navy jeans? I've never wore the "Diva" skinny jeans before, only the "Rock Star" which I love. Which location did you snag that awesome deal at?!
I haven't really checked out their clothing, but I have heard great things about them. Oh, man, this could get potentially very dangerous. I do want to get a pair of sweatpants, and maybe a belt or two. Have you tried their shoes?
DeleteI looooove the Diva jeans. I think I like them more than the Rock Star. I bought a pair of Rock Star, and I find that I can only wear them with flats or tucked in boots (which I don't do often) because they cut off at the ankle. The Diva jeans look more like jeans to me, whereas the Rock Star look more like jeggings. Does that make sense? Lol.
I went to the store at Markville. It was so weird, because I grabbed it off the jean display (you know, the ones that are piled high against the wall?) and when I went to cash out, it showed up as $11.97. So I was like, "WHAT! I'm gonna grab another pair!" So I did, and she rung up the second pair, and they came up as $39.50. I asked why they were regular price and the other ones were so cheap, and she said because the other ones were on clearance. I was like, "But they're the exact same pair of pants, and I grabbed them from the exact same place." And she was like, "I think it's just because it's an older model." So I just grabbed the pair that was on sale. Meant to be, I guess. :P
Look at you all drugstore crazed, lol. Joe Fresh stuff are cute but I try not to buy because it's all too tempting to get ALL of it. I'm still waiting for my Loblaws to stock Demeter perfumes.
ReplyDeleteLOL, so true, Liz. I was tempted to grab some eyeshadows and was like, "WAIT, YOU DO NOT NEED ANY MORE EYESHADOWS." But they're 3 for $10, Liz. UNNNGHHH. I have to go with someone who will physically stop me from buying them. :P
DeleteMy Loblaws does sell the Demeter perfumes, but I tried them a long time ago (I bought a couple when I was in HK when I was 18, and then got a couple more when they were stocked at Sephora back in the day) and while they smelled lovely, I didn't find that they lasted very long. I might pick one up just to spritz my clothes after I go out for a cigarette, but I would never use them to replace my perfume, ya know? But if you want me to grab some for you, let me know. :)
I don't really want to buy them so much as sniff all 1001 of them. They have so many odd stuff, like Dirt and the Zombie stuff.
DeleteLOLLL. The dirt one smells kind of like... digging up soil. You know, that earthy smell. I didn't see the Zombie one, but now I'm wondering how you can capture a rotting corpse in a scent. I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA FIND OUT.
DeleteNow you've got me intrigued, actually. Maybe I will do some sniffing next time I'm at Loblaws. :)
NICE WORK!! You are a gal after my own heart, I'm all about the sales (though...seems it can get us into trouble my dear). Those Joe Fresh polishes, oh man!! So good. Haul posts are dangerous to me as they make me wanna buy a bunch of stuff. I guess everything makes me want to buy everything hmm...?? I'm hopeless lol.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I'm the same way, though, so you're not alone. Sale stuff is definitely worse, 'cause you somehow justify it in your head that you're SAVING MONEY, but actually you end up buying more. I watch so many haul videos on YouTube, so I ALWAYS have a list of stuff I wanna buy. :(
DeleteI'm a huge fan of the Joe Fresh nail polishes. There are so many more colours I wanna buy now, lol.
If you get a change definitely check out their clothing line. Awesome post.
ReplyDeletehttp://healthybeautifulyou.blogspot.com
Yeah, I've heard great things about Joe Fresh's clothing! I will definitely check out the selection next time I'm at Loblaws. :)
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