It’s hard to believe that once upon a time online shopping did not exist. When it first came around, I must admit I wasn’t the first to embrace it. Fast forward to now, there seems to be a parcel for me to collect from concierge at least once a week. Online shopping is an expensive hobby!
So the haul I did recently at Space NK was done in two parts so essentially it was a collective haul (which makes me feel slightly better as I didn’t spend all that money in one go). I used the excuse “it’s free delivery over £60” to justify buying more than I had essentially set out to. If I’m going to spend a whole £5 on delivery then I may aswell chip in a few more pounds (a few I say) and buy one of the products of my list of products of things I want/need to try (yes there is such a list that lives in the notes section of my iPhone).
So what spurred this whole haul on what their sale. As if I hadn’t done enough damage when their sale initially went up, an email popped up in my inbox to kindly notify me that there were further reductions of up to 75% off. 75% off? Thats practically free (and very rude not too)! Before you know it, I’ve left my inbox and was now opening up a new window in my browser, typing faster that Speedy Gonzales, “SPACE NK”. It’s downhill for my credit card from here.
The only item I ended up buying from the sale was a Diptyque perfume which had been reduced from £50 (if I remember correctly) to just £19 (I think they put it in the sale to get rid of stock of the old packaging as it is currently full price online in a new, slightly rounder bottle). The fragrance I bought was “Tamdao” and is a slightly sweet, deep, musky scent. I wouldn’t normally buy a fragrance online without smelling it first so I did pop into my local Space NK to test it out beforehand. I wasn’t sure at first but once the initial strength of the fragrance had faded, I found that I really liked it. I would say it was quite masculine which strangely enough is something I quite like (ever found yourself spritzing your boyfriend’s fragrance all over your cosy knitted jumper and snuggling in it? Guilty). This is my first dalliance with Diptyque and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
It’s my sister’s birthday this coming weekend and she had put together a list of things she would like and sent it out to her friends (and myself) which I think is such a good idea. I’m totally rubbish when it comes to buying presents so the list allows everyone to decide between themselves what they want to get her (avoids her having to tell people what she would like repeatedly and also avoids people buying her the same thing). I decided to get her the Kiehls Abyssine Eye Cream as part of her present. She, like me, has started to notice fine lines under and around her eyes and had seen this particular eye cream in Instyle magazine as one of their Top 10 picks.
I also succumbed to the hype and bought the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift& Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm (try saying that fast). It seems that every beauty YouTuber and blogger has tried this and subsequently loved it. Not so long ago my routine consisted of face wipes (eeek!) to remove makeup and cleanse the skin in one (shame on me). They should have made skincare a compulsory subject at school. Anyway, I tend to use the balm in the evening and something a bit more light and quick in the mornings. The texture is a smooth, thick balm that feels oily but isn’t (not contradictory at all) as it thins out when you begin to massage it into the face. It removes any leftover makeup (that doesn’t get picked up by my Bioderma Crealine H20 Solution Micellaire), makes my skin feel supple and well nourished, and the moringa scent almost sends me to sleep every time. This is a very welcome addition to my skincare routine and fast becoming an everyday staple.
The final item was one that I actually went into store to purchase. I was actually looking to buy the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer as I needed something heavy-weight to conceal the outbreak that was getting out of control around my chin. What’s annoying is that the lighting in-store can make it so difficult to really see the product in its reality. The sales assistant struggled to decide between C4 and C5, with the former looking a little too light and the later a little too pink. I could hardly step outside to view it in daylight as it happened to be the gloomiest day in London and it was properly chucking it down. Giving up in continuing to try to match me, the sales assistant said “have you tried the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer?”. I hadn’t but almost as soon as she said it, I remembered that this was another concealer that cropped up quite a bit in the blogging world. I was eager to give it a go so she matched me up to the shade “Ginger” which was pretty spot on. This is a liquid concealer but quite thick and creamy in texture so it provides brilliant coverage and last for hours. I don’t use it under the eyes to conceal any darkness as I tend to prefer a shade lighter to my skin to brighten up the area but I think it would be fine to use there if you wanted.
So that’s all from the haul and the £5 N.centive reward (from their N.Dulge loyalty scheme) that I’ve managed to accrue suggests that it won’t be too long before my next trip to the store. As I was typing up this blog, an email comes through from Space NK with “Free Delivery On All Orders…” in the subject header. See what I mean. Why wouldn’t you shop from the comfort of your own home and have it shipped straight to your front door for free? coupled with a £5 incentive, do I need another excuse? I think not. Oh dear.