March Madness has a completely different meaning to me. I am no sports girl or basketball fanatic. Madness in my case refers to the obscene amount of spending simply because of the words birthday and sales. The endless list of brands who's newsletters I subscribe to offer such enticing coupons and deals for that special month of the year that is supposed to be all about me. As it is also the corner of a new season, there is also a slew of sales and new releases dropping left and right.
I know, I know. That is how they get me and all my monies. But a good deal nonetheless.
The luxury impulse purchase: Jo Malone's Poppy & Barley Cologne (USD $70) from their recent limited edition English Fields Collection. I am not one to get sucked into fragrances. The price tags of most scents keep me far far away. I've heard great things about Jo Malone though and felt this was a great excuse to finally dip my toes into the vast pool of perfumes they offer.
If money was no issue, I would have bought the entire English Fields range purely for the aesthetics. The mostly pastel bottles with touches of "stone" are a beauty. Good thing I took a whiff of all five scents at Bloomingdale's because I definitely favored Poppy & Barley, which was light and sweet, over the others. If I remember correctly...Oat & Cornflower gave me a bakery feel, Honey & Crocus had a deep sweetness, Green Wheat & Meadowsweet smelled of grass, and I have no recollection of Primrose & Rye.
Since the English Fields collection only comes in the 30ml bottles and is limited edition, I probably will be using my new perfume very sparingly.
The K-beauty birthday reward purchase: Olivarrier's Fluid Oil (USD $40) from Peach & Lily during their "Best of K-Beauty Awards" promotion. All orders with at least one item from their Best list would receive free shipping.
I ran out of The Ordinary's 100% Rosehip Oil months ago but never got around to trying anything else. Squalane is another facial oil that received a lot of attention in the beauty world the last winter season. Since I had purchased the entire Olivarrier range minus the oil during the Peach & Lily sample sale, I thought I'd give the brand's version a try.
Now, to be completely honest had it not been for the ability to buy just the one item whilst getting free shipping AND if I did not have 200 Peach points to redeem (i.e. USD $20 coupon, 50 points given purely for my birthday)...I most likely would have gone with a less expensive version of squalane.
The Peach & Lily brand masks came as GWP.
The Sephora birthday reward purchase: Sephora's Beauty Amplifier (USD $7) and BITE Lip Set.
Making a purchase isn't a requirement, when in-stores, to redeem Sephora's birthday gift. Yet that is a habit I can never seem to snap out of. I didn't particularly need anything full-sized and at full-price, but I didn't want to stand on their long lines with nothing to purchase just redeem a freebie. The mini Beauty Amplifier seemed to be a good compromise as I've missed the pearlescent base makeup look and it's a size I can see myself completing.
The miscellaneous purchase and gifts: Tonymoly's Dr. LOGY Blemish Pair Mist (USD $21) from Urban Outfitters and Clinique Sculptwear Lift and Contour Serum for Face and Neck (USD $120), a present from my Aunt.
Urban Outfitters isn't the first place that comes to mind when I want to purchase skincare. But when given a $5 UO Rewards coupon to use and a will to only get something I would definitely use well, the skincare section was where I found myself circling. I'm glad that UO is curating Korean brands as well as indie American brands. There were a few things that caught my eye but I decided to play it safe with the Tonymoly mist. Plus, UO's website listed it on sale at $14.99. I ultimately paid 50% of the listed price after in-store price adjustments, coupons, and taxes.
I am not sure whether to be thankful to my Aunt or be offended by her (extremely generous) Clinique gift. On one hand, it is a step into anti-aging...prevention is always better than treatment. It is also the most expensive skincare product I have ever owned. On the other, do I have a lot of skin to lift at 25? She told me she used it as a moisturizer and it was too lightweight for her dry skin during the winter. I'm still debating on if I should at least give it a try and if so when.
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