Okay, so we all knew this was coming (especially those who saw all my Foursquare check-ins). As we all know, it's apparently now tradition for me to stock up on all new skincare every time I go to New York, despite the fact that I already bought quite a lot before I left for this trip (see February and April haul posts). It pretty much started at the border when I walked into Duty Free to buy a few cartons of cigarettes... and continued as I went into the Origins store (there was one literally two blocks from my hotel), and then the Fresh store, Sephora (of which I went into two different locations), Bloomingdale's... Yeah, I can do a lot of damage in a couple days.
Origins Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion (x2), Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment, and Ginger Burst Savory Body Wash
We stopped by the Origins store because my mom wanted some new skincare, and since I had really good results with Origins and they are reasonably priced (unlike the $200 Estée Lauder moisturizer she's using that is doing her no favours), I suggested we stop by so we could introduce her to some new stuff. I didn't feel the need to buy a lot at there for myself because I got a ton of Origins stuff in the past couple months, but I did stock up on my most favourite face scrub of all time because it's quite a bit cheaper in the States ($9 difference per tube!) and I'm almost out at home, and a jar of their new Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment (which is for combination/oily skin — they have two other versions for different skin types) which I intend on using as my night moisturizer when the weather gets warmer (even though it snowed today). My mom ended up getting a whole new skincare routine, and because we ended up spending over $200 altogether, the super-nice guy helping us gave us each a tube of their Ginger Burst Savory Body Wash as gifts (I had actually brought the mini version of this to use on this trip and ended up loving it, so it was a really nice gift indeed!).
Fresh Eau de Parfum: Cucumber Baie, Pear Cassis, and Sugar Lychee
I think I spent the majority of my cosmetics quota at the
Fresh store. I swear, I went in just to look, and next thing I know, I'm spending over $300 in there. It's ridiculous. It all started with me wanting to get a new bottle of my favourite
Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum. And then I saw that they still had a few of the old fragrances from their Index series (aside from the Sugar series that Fresh is known for now, they used to make over a dozen other perfumes which were all discontinued —
Pomegranate Anise was the first Fresh perfume I ever bought, over a decade ago now!), which are exclusive to Fresh stores and are distilled to order from their "Fragrance Bar." I picked up a 1 oz. bottle of both the citrusy-aquatic
Cucumber Baie (which has notes of cucumber, grapefruit, watermelon, marine notes, lily, and amber) and the fruity-floral
Pear Cassis (which has notes of lemon, linden blossom, pear, hyacinth, lily of the valley, and blackcurrant buds) — each of them are very different, but incredibly refreshing, surprisingly long-lasting, and perfect for summer.
Fresh Rose Hydrating Face Serum, Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum, and Umbrian Clay Oil-Free Lotion
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and Sugar Lip Polish
Fresh Gift with Purchase
Aside from the fragrances, I also ended up getting a bottle of their new Rose Hydrating Face Serum (you know I'm a sucker for serums, and I intend on using this as my night serum during the summer), the Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum (which I will use as my day serum because my face becomes an oil slick when the weather gets warmer), and Umbrian Clay Oil-Free Lotion (which will be my day moisturizer for summer). I also snatched up a tube of their Soy Face Cleanser (I've bought this before and remember it being a good make-up remover, and I love the refreshing cucumber scent for summer) and a new jar of their Sugar Lip Polish (my favourite lip exfoliator). Yup, I got an entirely new skincare routine for myself on this trip. And since I bought so much, the girl helping me ended up giving me a free gift, as well: a metallic silver cosmetics bag with a deluxe sample jar of their Sugar Face Polish, plus a gorgeous Fresh Turns 21 R. Nichols stationery set (they recently collaborated together on Fresh's Fresh Turns 21 collection).
Lancôme Tonique Douceur Softening Hydrating Toner Alcohol-Free
AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvening Serum
Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant and Mojito Lip Balm, and Eve Lom Kiss Mix
The one item that started this whole cosmetics haul? A massive 400 ml bottle of Lancôme's Tonique Douceur. When I'm not trying new toners, Tonique Douceur, along with Estée Lauder's Fresh Balancing Lotion (which is becoming discontinued!), is always the one I go back to (I started using it when I worked for Lancôme several years ago). I stopped getting it regularly because it retails for $50.50 here (plus tax) and it was just too expensive to keep buying without a discount, so I'd occasionally splurge on it during their Gift with Purchases. But it was going for $36 at Duty Free, and I couldn't resist. You know how that goes. Other non-make-up cosmetic purchases include a new bottle of AmorePacific's Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Serum (a back-up when I finish my current bottle — the retail price is actually the same both here and in the US, but they have a lower retail tax, so I figured I might as well save where I can) from one of my trips to Sephora, and then some stuff at Bloomingdale's: a new tube of Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant (which is the only deodorant I have tried so far that I am 100% not allergic to) and Mojito Lip Balm (I had given the one I snatched up last year to my mother), plus a new jar of Eve Lom Lip Mix (love this stuff, and it's not readily available here) from the SpaceNK counter.
Think that's a lot? I have a second part to this haul. Yeah, I went crazy.
Origins
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
(212) 677-9100
Fresh
872 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-1100
Sephora
555 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
(212) 625-1309
Bloomingdale's Soho
504 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
(212) 729-5900
Whaaaat, I had no idea bout Fresh's earlier perfumes! That's fascinating. :D And this is quite the impressive haul! Ahh, the packaging on everything looks so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference between the Origins Make a Difference Plus+ and their Night-A-Mins? I'm curious because I love the Night-A-Mins!
Haha, yes, Fresh's Index series perfumes are actually what put them on the map, along with their bath cubes! :) And, yeah, I'm a total sucker for packaging, too, lol! Packaging totally makes up like, 40% of the decision of whether or not I'll buy something. :P
DeleteMake a Difference Plus+ focuses on hydration and adds more water to the skin, whereas Night-A-Mins focuses on dullness and makes skin look more radiant/glowy. :)
I'm basically spending my weekend in NY rotating between perfumeries and eateries - not sure if there's time to squeeze in Fresh. Anyway, I was really pissed off that they discontinued so many things. Did they have the Milk and Rose bath stuff still? Want to smell those Cucumber and Pear perfumes! Why can't they keep their original elegant scents instead of coming out with tweeny crap like the Strawberry stuff???????
ReplyDeleteUm, but nice haul. LOL I used to buy a lot of Lancome at duty-free as well. Just doesn't seem worth it anywhere else.
You should squeeze in Fresh! There's a few locations across Manhattan, and I'm sure you'll pass by one of them... ;) They still have the Milk stuff, but not the Rose, as far as I saw. They have some new Rose skincare, though! And I totally agree on the fragrances -- the Index collection was much more sophisticated and complex. I LOVE Sugar Lychee and wouldn't trade it for the world, but I'm actually not a fan of any of their other current perfumes at Sephora. :P
DeleteDAMN GIRL. I have never gone on a haul like that but I will have to one day because it looks SO GOOD to buy so many awesome things :D I was totally all set to buy a Fresh Sugar scents (can't remember if it was the original or the Brown Sugar one) but I found it faded too fast for my taste (even as I was in the store!) and so I skipped on it, only to find the one I bought (a BCBG) faded just as fast! Damn... :(
ReplyDeleteLOL, RIGHT? I only haul like this when I'm on vacation, okay? This is not a regular occurrence, I swear...
DeleteI find that the Fresh Sugar Lychee lasts a really long time on me. I mean, the top notes obviously fade after an hour or so, but it lingers on skin and clothes really well... I think the reason you think it fades fast is because you get used to the smell, but trust me, other people can still smell it on you. In fact, Sugar Lychee is the scent that my friends associate me with -- they smell it when they're near me, though, not when I walk into the room. :P
When/if I go to NY, I'm hitting up a Fresh store! I absolutely love Sugar Lychee as well but I'd never miss an opportunity to try other non-sugar fragrances )which I had no idea existed!)!!
ReplyDeleteThere are other Fresh locations around the US as well, including Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco! :) But yes, definitely do check out a Fresh store if you're ever near one! There were only two other distilled fragrances when I was there, but there may be other ones that they rotate, 'cause the girl that helped me said a lot of people are coming in for Cucumber Baie because they only make a certain amount of batches of it. :)
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