September Shopping Reflections

I didn't have too much time to shop for clothes and accessories this month, though I did pick up two rather expensive things. One of those was the J. Crew Leavers Lace Pamela Dress pictured above, which is a bridesmaid dress for a good friend's wedding next March. That came out of my separate "bridesmaid fund," and I got it for 30% discount due to a promotion on select full price items. The second item, the Longchamp Miaou tote, is a rather out of character purchase for me, but I've gotten a fair bit of use from it so far. Outside of that, I'm still waiting for that breton striped shirt to arrive from J. Crew Factory, so that could appear in next month's budget. 

I did go a bit crazy again with skincare purchases, and this time I'm listing it out because they definitely weren't vacation expenses like with my purchases in Seoul. I had a Dermstore voucher from Gilt City, which gave me 30% off an order of $120 or more. I know it isn't good to buy into these deals because they can encourage more (often unnecessary) spending, but the 30% discount was the best way for me to get refills of some of my Paula's Choice staples (referral link) at a good price. 

Fashion - (TOTAL: $179.29)

• Longchamp Large Miaou Tote - $166.39* - I got a 10% off promotion as a new subscriber to Neiman Marcus's email list, but the CA state sales tax ended up canceling out most of those savings. I wasn't initially sure about this. It took me a few days to decide on it, but I've been carrying it almost every day since then. Admittedly, this is partially because I had to send my Planetes tote back to Longchamp to repair the holes in the corners, a process that will apparently take eight weeks. 
• Zara Winter Hat - $12.90 - I first saw this hat at a Zara in Malaysia, and I've been thinking about it since then. I ended up picking it up last week. As usual, I feel a bit sheepish when I shop from one of the super fast fashion retailers, but for things that I prioritize less when it comes to what I'm willing to spend, like socks and hats,  fast fashion is what fits my budget. I try my best not to overdo it. 

Beauty - (TOTAL: $106.37)

• Dermstore Order - $99.41
• Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster - This is my vitamin C serum of choice. I haven't had a bottle of this for a while because it ran out before my trip. Vitamin C serum will oxidize when exposed to light, air, and high temperatures, so I waited on a refill of this for a long time while I was traveling. 
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid - I won't need a refill of this product, which I consider invaluable for fighting off acne, for quite a few months, but I was having some trouble getting to the order minimum for the coupon. 
• Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm - I've been curious about this item for a while, but was always dissuaded by how expensive it is in the US. With a 30% discount, it is still pricey for lip balm, but I've been liking it a lot so far.
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer - I haven't run out of the Nars concealer I purchased earlier this year, but I definitely like this one much better. I find that I can only use the Nars one with makeup, but with this Tarte product, I can just use concealer and go without foundation. 
• Cerave Moisturizing Lotion (not pictured) - This is one of my staple face moisturizers, and I actually did need a refill. 
• Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash Off Mask - $6.96 - I picked this up during a special promotion from Jolse's Amazon store. It's a fairly popular item that comes highly recommended by a few r/AsianBeauty bloggers. This one hasn't arrived yet due to it shipping from Korea, but buying from abroad bascially means its final sale

*indicates that state sales tax was included in this purchase price

Linking up with Franish and the other Budgeting Bloggers this month. Be sure to check out what everyone else bought!