CLINIQUE

My horrible spending habits are really evident for my almost obsession with Clinique products. Clinique has a great policy; their makeup and skin care products are all natural, oil/fragrance free, and have been a trusted name for decades. What's really captivating is their fabulous deals of 1. Free Shipping, and 2. Free Samples. When they send out that mass email giving you tons of free samples and free shipping with that purchase of $30 or more, it really is tempting. Getting that package in the mail is like a mini-Christmas morning, opening and admiring your purchases in real life and not just a flat computer screen.

However, it is much too easy to get on their website, shop around, letting your brain slowly convince you that you need that beautiful cream eyeshadow for $15. I've come so close to getting little things I really do not need, since I already have quite a collection of makeup that is more than enough for a while.

What I need:

Most things on Clinique that I get are for my skin; I do get many breakouts and Clinique has made my skin noticeably healthier and clearer, and I believe the cost is absolutely worth it. and it is very pricey. 4.2oz of their gel moisturizer is a whopping $24; their clarifying lotion (toner) is $20; the facial soap is $12, which isn't that bad since it lasts a very long time. I also purchased an additional facial mask made for people with acne; I found this product very effective and decided it was worth the $20.

Maybe worth the purchase?

One product I've bought and not sure if it was worth it is my foundation powder, for a grand total of $35. I haven't received it in the mail yet, but from what I've heard it is a good product: SPF 15, vitamins, great coverage, and comes with a large amount of powder. I'll update this post to tell you what I think of it, most likely on Wednesday.

Most likely a waste of money...

When buying the foundation, I decided to give into the advanced concealer. It was only $14 and seemed reasonable since this stuff is going on my face. On the other hand, I really don't need that much concealer, let alone some fancy brand concealer. I would have gotten the free samples and shipping without it, but this purchase was mostly impulsive. My bad.

Another purchase was the brown cream eyeshadow. I love this product so much, it makes my eyelids feel and look so silky and incredible! Problem is, I only got this so I could get free shipping and samples, plus I loved this product in a different shade from a sample I received (see a pattern here?). Bottom line, I did not need this at all. I have other eye shadows, plus the sample I already had. Very impulsive, yes.

Were all those free samples even worth it?

Answer: most of the time, yes. I received a mini-eye makeup remover, several moisturizers, eye makeup, a couple of cleansers, and travel bags. I use these all quite often (except the cleansers) and they last for a good amount of time. Probably not worth buying extra products to achieve the free gifts though...

Overall, Clinique has been one of the most tempting places to constantly buy from, just because their products are so nice and professional looking. I think buying the foundation will be the last Clinique hears from my for a while, just until I start running low on my essentials.

So What Did I Get at Target?

Yesterday I decided to take a trip to the new target in Davis, about 4 miles from campus and an overall hour trip there and back. I had my list: powder brush, blusher brush, premium cotton rounds, and plastic spoons.

What I needed:

The powder and blush brushes were needed for the Clinique powder foundation I bought online (a completely new post on Clinique coming soon) which came with a blush sample; added to my "need" for brushes aside from my travel sized ones, I decided to get a couple new ones. I did an imaginary pat-on-the-back for myself when I decided to get the target brand brushes (which are great quality for the price of only $5 each brush) instead of the brushes in the neighboring aisles that were prices from $10 and up. I am planning to get a concealer brush soon, most likely of the target brand.

My other purchases were definitely necessities; the premium cotton rounds are for my step 2 clarifying lotion from Clinique; I switched from the cheaper regular cotton rounds because the premiums are so much more gentle than the ones I've been using, and just a few cents more is very reasonable for the health and care for my very sensitive face. and spoons are, well, self-explanatory.

One of my purchases was semi-unplanned; I decided to get a new Maybelline great-lash mascara because I remembered hearing that you need to replace your mascara about every three months to keep bacteria out of your eves and to keep the mascara fresh and smooth. I already had some in my makeup bag, which was almost a year old. I thought this was a sensible purchase, since this replacement was long overdue, and it did make a difference when I used the new tube.

What I didn't need:

I regret buying a travel sized Febreze can for my room; sure it smelled nice when i sprayed it around, but I mostly felt guilty for impulsively spending for it, convincing myself in a split second that I really needed this garbage. Plus, it made me feel nauseous mixing the scent of Febreze with my roomate's Carl's Jr. meal.

Verdict?

Overall, I got mostly what I needed, and only spent a little over $20, which is not as bad as what I usually spend on a shopping trip to Target.