The exception from the rule – Collective Haul

I have mentioned several times before, I put myself on a spending ban when the Little Bean was born.

That was how I imagined it to be.

The reasons were various:
I own so much makeup, I could probably go for two years straight without the need to buy something new.
I have a bathroom cabinet dedicated to unused skincare I really wanted to try.
I wanted to get use out of the products I really love, instead of hoarding them until they were far beyond expiration date and went to the bin almost unused.
I wanted to cut back on my expenses. Going from “Double Income, No Kids” to me staying at home for one year had a major impact on the bank balance, and I wanted to save up for our family adventure in New Zealand.
And last but not least, I wanted to get more sensible with spending in general. Like, looking what I really want, not buying red lipstick number eight, just because I saw it at the drugstore.

I am proud to say it didn’t go too bad.
But of course, there are exceptions from every rule.
Let me introduce you to the biggest ones yet: New Zealand, Singapore and my birthday!

Birthday Goodies

Lets do the birthday stuff first.
Technically, not everything was a birthday present. The lipstick and the palette were given to me by my wonderful friend Pia just because.
But as they were a gift, it felt right to include them into the birthday part.

1. Skincare:
Last time I was at my parents, I carefully instructed my mother and sister on the different skincare lines The Body Shop offers and which sound promising enough for me to keep them on my wishlist. They got the not so subtle hint and I will soon be testing:
– Camomile Cleansing Balm
– Nutriganics Drops of Youth Youth Enhancing Concentrate (yes, this is double youth in there)
– Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask
– Drops of Youth Eye Serum

2. Makeup:
– Clinique Chubby Stick for eyes in “Bountiful Beige”
– Lipstick Queen lipstick in “Saint Coral” (read the explanation on Sinner and Saint over at Eyespaintedblack)
– Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3, which is said to be a dupe for the Naked 3

Heading over to New Zealand:
I HAD to get some Antipodes skincare while there, because they are a NZ based brand I had never tried before and finally could get my hands on, and while I was browsing a Revlon counter, it came to my notice they had a GWP including eyeshadow, a lipstick, a mascara and a nail polish. It would have been a sin to pass on that, since we don’t have Revlon here in Germany anyway.

Antipodes Joyous Serum, Divine face Oil, Hosanna Serum and Aura Manuka Honey Mask



1. Skincare:
– Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenish Serum, packed with antioxidants
– Divine Face Oil Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip, aimed at scars and breakouts
– Hosanna H2O Intensive Skin-Plumping Serum, meant for hydration (obviously)
– Aura Manuka Honey Mask, for dehydrated, blemish-prone skin

Left to right: Kissable Pink LS, Cherrys in the Snow LS, Really Red LS, Impressionist ES Palette, Bewitching NP, Colorburst Matte Balm in Striking, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair, Photoready 3D Volume Mascara in Black



2. Makeup:
– Lipstick 805 “Kissable Pink” (Shine): GWP, as I usually don’t gravitate towards light pinks
– Lipstick 440 “Cherries in the Snow” (Crème): Sat on my wishlist for almost two years.
– Lipstick 006 “Really Red” (Matte): You remember me saying I own to many red lipsticks?
– Colorburst Matte Balm 240 “Striking”: Red in matte and as crayon. I think I have a problem.
– Eyeshadow palette 505 “Impressionist”: GWP, I don’t really like palettes, but the colors seem nice.
– Nailpolish 620 “Bewitching”: GWP. I have never heard about Revlon nail polishes before.
– Photoready 3D Volume Mascara in 001 “Blackest Black”: GWP. Volume sounds good.
– Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 “Fair”: Recommended by The Painted Rogue. She knows where the best loot is.

Last stop Singapore:
You can’t be a You Tube lover without hearing about sheet masks. Of course, they are available via the World Wide Web, but buying them hands on in a supermarket has a whole different level of satisfaction to offer.
Looking back, I might have gone a little overboard. Expect me to look like I just stepped out of a horror movie at least five evenings a week.
And maybe I was thoughtful enough to stock up for a little giveaway coming soon.

So many Sheet Masks! And a 100 ml Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II

The Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II (Review here) finally was a necessity, as my last one has just a few drops left and you can get the 100 ml bottle as a travel exclusive only.
But I have to admit, I had a hard time convincing Mr. Loca that this time I was actually saving money.

I think it is safe to say that when it comes to breaking the rules, my motto is “Go big or go home!”.

What was your last splurge?
Any thoughts on the items I purchased?

MerkenMerken

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