Another week has gone, did I break any rules? What have I learnt?
1. A Recap
My rules:
- No spending on ANY make up or skin care. No exceptions. I do welcome free gifts or samples though. Note: during this span I shall have at least 3 Glamaboxes coming in, so that can keep me entertained!
- Every single day I survive this ban, I will put HK $100 into my Fun Fund. When the ban is over, I can treat myself well (perhaps some Burberry or Guerlain make up??). :D
- My 100 Day Spending Ban starts on 1st of April and shall end on 9th of July.
2. Fun Fund (Week 3: 15-21 April)
$1,300 + $600
= $1,900
Last Thursday, I had a date with three other beauty bloggers who're also based in HK. We had food, (a lot of) chats and talks, finished off with a massive beauty exchange/swap.
On the same day, I visited a private sale of Kesalan Patharan (KP) where they also sell a few Anastasia Beverly Hills products. My cousin purchased a foundation and lipstick on clearance, while I only picked up one brow kit. It cost me $385 for the Brow Kit below, not cheap compared to the US price, but considering I can't get it here otherwise, I find this price acceptable.
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| Anastasia Brow Kit - Medium Ash |
Then my cousin and I went on a mini pilgrimage to the newly opened Innisfree store at Causewaybay. The store was not big, but well furnished and more importantly, well stocked. I am not particularly keen on the most things the brand has to offer, so I only looked at the special sets. I got the $110 Jeju Volcanic Pore Care 3-Step Kit with a full size mud mask, travel size cleanser and toner. My skin has been a little congested recently so I figure this is a nice set to try out. However, both my cousin and I find the very popular best-seller Green Tea Seed Serum a bit 'meh'. That set, also with cleanser and toner, was $210. The store has gift with purchase when you reach various benchmarks; we're just not tempted/fooled! The It's Real Rice Mask was a free gift with any purchase, I think.
Finally, the climax of the day, the blogger dinner meet-up! I am the first to arrive at the Wired Cafe, at booking time~ Address: Shop 1403-04, 14/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Jess, also known as Hakme, came next. She has already posted about our dinner meet-up, go check that out! Then came Dorothy, who tote around the whole bag of goodies for our exchange to and fro her biz day-trip to the next city (SZ). Finally there's Jen, the mysterious one whom I've wanted to meet for quite a while, since she doesn't show her pretty face on her blog!
Our three hour dinner include an insane load of product names, blogging experiences, shopping discount tips and beauty lemmings. The dinner was supplemented with lovely food from the cafe (yes, food has a lower priority when it came to our meet-up!). I especially love the funny concoction of rice, salad, fish eggs, tuna and avocado mixed together (weird does it sound, delicious it tastes!).
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| Jacq, Dorothy, Jess, Jen! |
The highlight of the night was probably our beauty exchange/swap. We started off sending each other masks to try out, and followed with samples, full size, used, even brand new products. I bet most of us thought we can come full handed and leave empty (or lighter) handed, which didn't happen. We all brought away bag(s) of stuff... At the end, Dorothy and Jen refused to bring home some (nearly new) make up, we even force one another to bring those back to blog-sale. Result? I brought them home, so they will sponsor my future giveaways. Keep an eye out on my Twitter ♥ Facebook ♥ Instagram !!!
Conclusion? We hoard too much. XD
Stuff I got:
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| Dorothy's secret gift to each of us! |
3. Lesson Learnt
Next time I want to try out certain beauty product I should just text my blogger friends. Chances are, they already have it and they want me to take it rather than it taking up their storage space at home. Let me bear this in mind and not spend any more in this spending ban!!!!
4. Wants or Wishes
I will write these down weekly, and after the 100 day spending ban I will look back and see what I really will buy. I suppose this is a good way to see how unnecessary some of my desires are!?
- Chantecaille Lipstick - Petunia (I forgot where did I read about this, does anybody know if it is still available?)
- Kate Cream in Rouge - PK-1 (swatched them in store and it seems to me dupes of OCC Lip Tar)
- Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (because Jess/Hakme raved about it!)
- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - 616 Wink for Pink, 415 Pink in the Afternoon
- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Compact Foundation (because gh0stparties blogged about it...)
- Clinique Derma White Clarifying Brightening Lotion I/II (went to the counter to test out some sunscreen, and the beauty consultant applied this on my hand, really helps with exfoliation, brightening and moisture. Now I'm using the Hada Senka one I own. Keep reminding myself that I don't need 10 bottles of toners...)
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| Disney, Mystic Manor/Mystic Point, Iron Man mask! |
Other updates:
1. I am doing an international giveaway on Instagram - hint: there's a NYX palette sponsored by Jen - be sure to check out my instagram! My username is jacqlibra~
2. One of the 'swap-lifters' identified. I will assume it is a 'she' for the time being. She has been changing her instagram username constantly, when she contacted me she was @sugarplumprincess7, later she became @cyruslove77 and most recently she is using @prettypink777. I sent my parcel to Anais Evans at state CA, USA. This person's Kik username is sugarnails. Today her display name is Oni E. She said she sent her box on the 27th March by air with US $30 cost and refused to pay for registered/signed-for service. If she really sent what she said, it should have cost only half. To certified I have sent my part, I paid for a certificate with HK Post's stamp and chop.
3. Two swap boxes arrived from the States and UK respectively. I am spoilt by their packages and there are so so so many products I don't know where to start!? Thank you Traci and Jenny! ^.^
4. I was invited to visit the new attraction of Hong Kong Disneyland, so I bought my mum a ticket and together with Mr. A, in we went! The new area/ride Mystic Point is beautiful and very well-made. The day was amazing for a number of reasons, first, it was my mum's first time in HKDL, and the first time me and Mr. A went together; second, there wasn't too many visitors despite it was a Saturday probably because it poured around noon and discouraged people to go; third, the weather was finer than fine in the afternoon when we were in. :D
My week passed swiftly with shopping, eating and disney-ing. How was your week/weekend? Tell me anything you've recently purchased (that will make me feel better)! Are there any favourite park, or theme park that you think I should visit?
Lazy silly Jacq :")