It’s that time of the month again when I bare my soul (and wallet) to you all in the name of beauty. Yup, you guessed it – it’s my monthly report on how much I’ve spent on all things gorgeous and glam. Now, not only is this my way of keeping myself in check (because let’s face it, we all need a little accountability in our lives), but it’s also an opportunity for me to share with you the latest additions to my ever-growing stash and dish on the products I’ve used up over the past month.
So, buckle up, my fellow beauty enthusiasts, and join me on this wild ride through my monthly beauty expenditures, product discoveries, and holy grail empties. Let’s dive in and see what treasures I’ve found and which ones have earned their rightful place in the beauty hall of Fame!
Are you ready?
May’s Purchases
- Nature Republic Argan Essential Deep Care Shampoo 300ml x 1 – £15.04
- Kahi Eye Balm 9g x 1 – £21.35
- Nature Republic Hyalon Active 10 Toner Mini 150ml x1 – £11.54
- RiRe Collagen Ampoule Stick 15g x 1 – £6.20
- Tocobo Cotton Soft Sun Stick 19g x 1 – £11.12
- Aestura Ato Barrier 365 Hydro Soothing Cream 60ml x 1 – £20.43
- Nature Republic Good Skin AHA – Peeling Ampoule x1 – £7.65
- Bath and Body Works Rose Water & Ivy Hand Sanitizer Spray x 7 – £2.54 each
- Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Lavender Vanilla Hand Sanitizer Spray x 1 – £2.54
- Bath and Body Works Ocean Hand Sanitizer Spray x 1 – £2.54
- Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Wash in Fiji White Sands x 1 – £3.42
In May I ended up spending a total of £119.61 on beauty products.
May’s Empties
- MINON Amino Moist Purupuru Moisturizing Skin Mask- £3.79
- Dr Oracle 21 Stay A-Thera Peeling Stick x 2 – £0.84 each
- One Thing Artemisia Capillaris Extract Essence – £10.80
- Skin79 Hair Repair Superfood Banana & Black Bean 230ml – £6.67
- SNP Vitaronic Toner Pad 60 pads – £7
- CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Niacinamide for Blemish-Prone Skin 30ml – £12.99
- Bath and Body Works Kitchen Mandarin Gentle Foaming Hand Soap – £4.12
- Bath and Body Works Rose Water and Ivy Hand Sanitizer Spray – £3.51
- Versed Zero-G Smoothing Eye Cream – £16.50
- Verso Hydration Serum with Niacinamide 10ml – £26.67
- Crazy Skin, Beers Yeast Hair Shampoo, 3.38 fl oz (100 g) – £1.8
- Bath & Body Works Into the Night Shower Gel – £6.74
- Ziaja Hand and Body Wash 400ml – £1.93
- Innisfree Youth Enriching Cream with Black Tea 20ml – £12.2
In May I ended up emptying £116.40 worth of products. This resulted in an allowance of £58.20.
Allowance from posts
Allowance from Reviews – £15
- Aussie Koality Moisture Vegan Solid Shampoo Bar Review
- TOCOBO Cotton Soft Sun Stick SPF50+ PA++++ Review
- Erborian CC Crème Centella Asiatica
Allowance from Social Media – £1
- Instagram Post – £1
Total allowance from posts: £16
£58.20 (allowance from empties) + £16 (allowance from posts) – £119.61 (May’s Spending) – £3,212.26 (previous closing balance) = -£3,257.67
Alright, my May results are in, and I’ve got to say, they’re not exactly amazing, but hey, they’re not all doom and gloom either. I could’ve put in some extra elbow grease (think: more reviews) to bump up my allowance and cover my expenses, but life’s been throwing me those classic curveballs lately – you know, the usual suspects: work, yet another annoying cold, and a stubborn headache that just won’t quit.
So, about my shopping adventures this month – I’ve only placed two orders, and I’m still waiting on one of them to arrive (fingers crossed it shows up). I might need to make an “adjustment” to my spending report next month, depending on whether I get my hands on those K-Beauty treasures. I’m super curious to try them out, and honestly, I could really use this retailer to work out for me, as it would solve a bunch of parcel forwarding headaches.
I’ll keep you all in the loop, but I can’t help but feel a little anxious since it’s been a month since I placed my order, and they’re known for taking their sweet time with deliveries. I haven’t ordered from them in years, and never to my home country, so this is uncharted territory for me. But hey, if things go south, at least I’ll have an interesting story to share with you all next time, right?
Guess what? I recently placed an order at Bath and Body Works, but this time, I hit up their local website (which they’ve finally launched!). Now, you might think I’m going a bit overboard with the hand sanitiser, but trust me, their sprays are absolutely fantastic, especially for keeping my phone and tablet squeaky clean. Since they tend to get used up pretty quickly and aren’t always available on the website, I usually grab as many as I can when I place an order.
This time around, there was a sweet promotion going on, so I snagged a bunch of them (9 to be exact), but they did limit my basket to 10 items. I would’ve been happy to stock up on even more sanitisers, but I also wanted to grab some soaps. Plus, I had to hit a certain order total for the promotion to slash my bill in half. So, it was a strategic mix of sanitisers and soaps to make the most of that sweet, sweet discount!
In terms of products I used up, I really enjoyed the MINON Amino Moist Purupuru Moisturizing Skin Mask. This mask is from a Japanese sheet mask set I picked up from a little store in Chinatown. I was not at all familiar with the brand and it is a product I felt a bit pushed to purchase, but it ended up being so hydrating and soothing. It’s definitely a product I might find myself buying again in the near future.
Another product I really liked was the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Niacinamide for Blemish-Prone Skin. This one was a bit pricey, but I found that it did an amazing job of reducing my blemishes and giving me smoother-looking skin. So, I think it’s worth the splurge every once in a while, especially if you have problematic skin like mine! Okay, pricey for a drugstore, but reasonably priced in the grand scheme of things.
In terms of my overall budget for May, I nearly managed to stay on track. However, the fact that I did not feel tempted by anything else is the real win here. I truly did not wish to get anything else this month. So, I’m pretty proud of myself for sticking to my guns and not going crazy with my card – I got enough other things and still have not recovered from my London shopping spree. That being said – I know that it’s important to keep an eye on my spending so that I don’t have any regrets later on, especially as far as beauty is concerned which is one of my weaknesses.
To sum things up, it looks like I’ve managed to complete a successful spending challenge this month. I got some great products at unbeatable prices, and I’m very pleased with how “frugal” I was, especially considering the fact that there were so many tempting offers out there. All in all, it’s been a good month of shopping for me and I can’t wait to see what else is coming my way next month! Are you up for the spending challenge? Let me know in the comments below!
How did you do in May?
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