January Shopping Reflections

At present, I don't set a monthly, quarterly, or even a yearly shopping budget for myself. Although I can anticipate the funds that I will have access to throughout the year, it is difficult for me to predict some of the large travel and interview-related expenses that might or might not emerge and reduce the amount I can spend on shopping. While I do quite obsessively track my expenditures and overall budget, I am not quite ready to commit to specific amounts when it comes to my fashion expenditures. Instead, I think it is more useful to be thoughtful about my purchases and to do my best to buy only the things that I truly need or will use. Or at least, that is the goal. 

I did not do that well in January based on the rules of my shopping fast. I might be giving myself too much freedom to buy things that "I could wear to work in the fall." That accounts for the burgundy jacket, the waterfall cardigan, and the dress (though in practice, even after getting it hemmed, I must admit that the dress is probably too much even for my future office's fairly permissive business casual dress code). 

My purchases for January were as follows:

Fashion - (TOTAL: $227.87)

• Uniqlo Heattech Gloves in Navy - $7.90 - These were a definite "need" because I needed a pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves. 
• Uniqlo Heattech Gloves in Red - $7.90 - These were a "need" once I lost the navy pair on the first day that I wore them. Oops.
• Uniqlo Knit Beanie - $12.90 - These were a "need" because I had not previously owned a winter hat that covered my ears and my down jacket has a fussy hood that won't stay up. 
• Uniqlo Heattech Socks - $9.90 - These were a "need" because I didn't own any trouser-type socks. Sadly, these might not have been the best choice as they're a bit too thick and my boots are all on the edge of not being spacious enough to accommodate.
• Uniqlo Sweatpants - $9.90 - These were a replacement of my previous pair. 
• Lou and Grey Ombre Waterfall Cardigan - $15.88 - This was neither planned nor a "need" or replacement. It doesn't fit in the rules of my shopping fast, though I quite like the cardigan and it will be a useful (if slightly redundant) part of both my casual and work wardrobes going forward.
• Loft Twill Jacket - $42.50 - Similar situation as with the Lou and Grey cardigan... 
• Anthropologie Baikal Dress - $76.00 - I even mentioned this one as a likely mistake in my shopping fast post. The one I ordered ended up being too small and too long, but when I went to make the return, I tried the dress on in my size. It is quite lovely, and I have a serious weakness for pretty prints, bright colors, and dresses that fit. Strictly speaking, this dress will end up costing more when I include the shipping costs I paid on the one I returned in addition to the tailoring costs to hem it. 
• Sam Edelman Trina Sandals - $44.99 - This was a replacement for a pair of the same style in a different color. My other pair is on its last legs.

Skincare:

• Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid - I decided to take advantage of a sale. It is a "need," though it is perhaps a few months before I originally planned to replace it.
• Hada Labo Lotion - I was not supposed to replace this item so soon, but I made the mistake of buying another product that broke me out and needed to replace it.
• Hada Labo Emulsion - Same situation as above. 

The only clear lesson from this month is that I should definitely not buy things online from Anthropologie anymore, at least until the point in time where they decide to offer free shipping as a general practice. From trying out that dress and that skirt, I find their sizing very unpredictable. There are other lessons too, about how I approach shopping for my work wardrobe, if at all, but I will have to give that question some more thought. Finally, I should be a bit more careful about replacing skincare products in my routine and about not losing things like gloves and hats. 

I linked with Franish's Budgeting Bloggers here. Hopefully my approach (where my shopping is constrained by the ebb and flow of my overall budget for the semester, though I don't stick a firm number on it in advance) is alright!

Review: Sephora Dare to Oil Set

It has been a snowy few days in New York City and several classes were cancelled as a result. I took advantage of my extra free time by watching a fair amount of TV though I also spent a fair bit of time on reading a novel (The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, which I quite enjoy). 

Wintry weather tends to lead to dry, patchy skin, which makes this review of Sephora's Dare to Oil gift set somewhat timely. At $32.00 for four deluxe sample-sized items, I don't think I can fully recommend it. However, I am generally a fan of using oil as face moisturizer, and I did enjoy three out of four products. (The only problem is that I have tried cheaper argan oil and maracuja or passionfruit seed oil, and it is just as good as the Josie Maran or Tarte stuff.) I bought this in early December last year and each of the bottles I've used frequently are still going strong. Each bottle contains enough for at least three weeks or so of daily use. 

Last year, I spent a lot of time on developing a fairly extensive skincare routine. As I've gotten older, my skin went from mostly oily and acne prone to dry and acne prone. Although my skin's dryness is worse in the winter, I use an oil moisturizer at night (just prior to applying Vanicream moisturizer) throughout the year. I think this set is an alright way to experiment with face oils, but a more cost-effective way might be to buy a sampler pack of oils from, say, Garden of Wisdom. 

Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil 

Pros: The Ole Henriksen Youth Activating Oil is bright orange in color and smells a bit like orange juice. I like it and find it to be pleasant to use. I've used it every morning before a lotion moisturizer  and my sunscreen for about three weeks. 

Cons: It does leave a bit of an oily finish that sometimes remains visible after my other moisturizer and sunscreen. I did not notice any real benefits besides the effect of wearing an additional moisturizing product. I probably would not buy the Youth Activating Oil again. 

Tarte Maracuja Oil

Pros: I quite like the Tarte Maracuja Oil and other passionfruit seed oils. This product is noticeably more moisturizing than the Ole Henriksen one. However, I've also tried other, cheaper maracuja oil and find both the Tarte brand and other brands to perform similarly well as part of my nighttime skincare routine. 

Cons: None, except that the Tarte brand is far and away not the best value. That being said, I am fairly certain that a 1.7 oz bottle would probably last for six months or more of daily use, and the price is within the range I am personally willing to pay for a product that works. 

Algenist Advanced Anti-Aging Repairing Oil 

Cons: This product broke me out pretty badly the first time I used it all over my face (and I did patch test it). Naturally, I did not continue to use it. 

Josie Maran Argan Oil Light

Pros: I really enjoyed using this and it is my favorite product in this set. Argan oil is generally my favorite face oil out of all the kinds I have tried (jojoba oil, passionfruit seed, rose hip seed, the Boscia Tsubaki Oil and some others). I find that it is both the most moisturizing, albeit by a slight margin, and that it does not leave any kind of visible sheen or oily finish. 

Cons: None, except that I find cheaper argan oil brands to perform the same, making the Josie Maran products not the best value. 

Review: Everlane Slim Zip Wallet

I am a pretty big fan of Everlane's leather goods. I used their Petra Market tote as my primary work bag this past summer and found it to be very functional (though not quite up to the task of carrying a 13 inch Macbook Pro in addition to papers for work, makeup bag, etc.). I bought Everlane's Slim Zip Wallet in the Burgundy color in late December last year to replace my former wallet and I am happy to report that I love the Slim Zip so far. The simple design is attractive and I quite like the Burgundy color even if I worry a little about whether burgundy/oxblood type shades are too trendy and will become dated later on. 

Admittedly, I don't think that I have steep standards when it comes to wallets. I prefer slimmer designs, but I do need a wider rectangular-shaped one rather than a square or french purse style to accommodate my moderately large number of cards.  Other than that, I just hope that the wallet is durable and stands up to daily use for quite a few years. I've never gotten much more than two to three years of use out of any given wallet, and it remains to be seen whether that will be the case again. At $115, the price is right for me, though on the upper end of what I hoped to pay for a wallet. 

I only have two small quibbles with the Slim Zip. First, the zipper was initially a little tricky when starting to zip it up, though it ran smoother once the zipper got over the first corner. Second, the card slots are a little tight, but they seem to be loosening up slowly.

EDIT, December 2016: As I indicate in a reply to a comment below, I eventually found that the leather on this wallet had some tendency to get smudges and other marks, such that it may have been a good idea to treat it with some kind of leather protection spray. After I switched jobs in July 2016, I started carrying a backpack and tiny cross-body bag,  one that's too small to fit this wallet, to work, so I've temporarily retired the Everlane Slim Zip. In total, I subjected this to hard use for about a year and eight months, and outside of the smudges and some faint creases near the "hinge" of the wallet, it's in good shape. If I don't get too content with using a small card case-type wallet, I could see myself resuming use of this one again for at least another two years or so before feeling a need to replace it. 

Tidying Up my Beauty Products

After my initial burst of tidying up, I finally went through my papers from school and recycled another garbage bag filled with papers, bringing my total to 11 large garbage bags of stuff taken away after following Kondo's advice. 

Beauty products were another area where the tidying up process made me feel like I didn't necessarily have much to discard. From looking at my collection "before," it might seem clear that I don't have a particular habit of buying (or using) makeup, outside of lip products and nail polish.  I also used to hoard samples a bit, even when I had no real intention of using them. 

Before

There were, however, quite a few old products that I didn't have a particular intention to use again. Although I am a fan of oil as a moisturizer for face and body, I never really liked Jojoba Oil, the first thing I tried. Now that I am a bit more knowledgeable about skincare, I no longer feel the need to try and use makeup primers intended to cancel out redness. I don't particularly like color cosmetics outside of lip products, and going forward there won't be a need for more eyeshadow palettes. 

After

One thing I am finding is that I don't think tidying up is a one time only, in one fell swoop-type process for me. Although I definitely believe what Kondo says about one time being enough and that her clients who fully follow her advice never need it again. I will certainly be much more thoughtful about acquiring new items from this point forward, and the process made me reflect further on what my makeup needs are. However, I feel like the process of really making decisions about what to keep and what to discard can't always be completed in one go. (I discarded that small eyeshadow palette to the right of the NYX eyebrow palette shortly after I took this picture. I will probably choose to throw out more samples soon, etc. etc.)

I think that the lesson about making decisions and only keeping items that bring joy and that are important to you is one that sticks after one large tidying-up session. However, the process of living that more pared-down life is likely an ongoing one.