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I did not buy anything over the last few months and went slightly crazy at Nordstrom. There were many products I drooled over but had to lock the buying bug away. All my funds went towards Saachi’s chemotherapy and I did not want to spend on anything extra. Now that she has passed, I have a little wiggle room and wanted to go on a shopping spree (I always crave shopping sprees when I’m sad…)

What makes you feel better when you grieve? Do you shop? What do you buy? Tell me in the comments!

Below are the items I bought and a few others that caught my eye and am still debating! Enjoy!

Ermergersh. I almost cried. I thought they no longer offered the higher SPF Chanel UV Essential lotion! This stuff is AH-MAZING. The first time I bought this sunscreen the sales rep told me to only use two drops rubbed between my fingers then applied to my face and neck. I don’t actually need more than that amount! The sunscreen only comes in a one-ounce bottle but it lasts me the entire summer. I keep this in my scrub pants pocket for those sunny days when I unexpectedly find myself outside with the dogs. The lotion is very fluid, it is non-greasy and absorbs quickly but, as with any titanium dioxide sunscreen I really wash my face well at the end of the night.

This facial spray has been on my radar ever since I started watching YouTube beauty videos. Everyone, and I mean, EVERYONE raves about this product. Apparently, this is the ultimate facial spray! It hydrates, blends foundation seamlessly and sets makeup! Take a sample size with you no matter where you go and your face will always be flawless! Those claims would pique anyone’s curiosity, right? I sampled MAC products before and was never too impressed by them but I decided to give them another chance. I am on a facial spray kick right now and there was no better time to try this one! I do not wear enough face makeup to “set” it…so…what am I going to use it for? During the summer I love wearing more vibrant, fun eye looks but they always crease! Apparently, spraying Fix+ on the brush not only helps shadow stay longer, it also mimics applying shadow “wet”. Let’s see if this product lives up to the hype!

The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (ANR) serum is no surprise. It makes regular appearances on my blog. I am in my twenties, known for obsessive sunscreen use so I do not leaps and bounds differences in my skin after using it. This being said, I notice my skins feels more rough when I skip this step in my routine. I no longer break out as frequently, or am as oily, (especially important during the hotter, more humid months) and my skin just feels better.

Ah…yet another YT sensation! Everyone gushes this is the best highlighter ever made. I always shied away from this because of a) the name and b) I am very picky about my highlighters. I love the idea of strong highlighter but because of my yellow undertones white highlighters look crazy and let’s face it, with this name, I really don’t want to look like I’m clubbing at 10 o’clock in the morning!  Nordstrom sells the mini-version of the MAC Strobe Cream so why not give it a go!

When the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette came out I fell in head-over-heels love with the shade ‘Blackheart’. I almost bought the entire thing just because of that one shade. One day, I was at MAC counter at Nordstrom and laid eyes on the very similar MAC shade “Beauty Marked”. I considered buying it but I was still on the fence about the UD palette. Of course, it didn’t make sense to shell out 50 some odd dollars for only one shade but it would be cheaper for all 12 than the sole MAC one. I decided to be real with myself. I would never use the other shades in the Naked 3 palette, so now…it’s time for Beauty Marked!

If I ever go for a lip product other than balm it has to be a nude gloss. However, I cannot stop gushing over this Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Raspberry Pop! As it is, I am a huge fan of the Pure Color Glosses! The consistencies down the line are perfect. They are not overly thick but they are slightly sticky. I barely notice it after they wear for a while. They settles nicely into the lips and do not accentuate dry lines or patches. I own at least three in my stash at all times. That is saying a whole lot since I rarely wear lip products!

Raspberry Pop is not very pigmented. It adds a slight berry tinge but it is like wearing a classy disco ball! I cannot get over the glitter in this. I would not wear it to work but I definitely to weekend brunch! It is just so freaking fun!! It catches the light in a bright, glimmer-y way without yelling “hey, look, the girl smeared her lips with glitter!” I absolutely love it! (Some of my other favorite shades: Blazing Coral and Magnificent Mauve!)

I am still on the fence about this palette. I love neutral eyeshadows and own way to many of them. But, this would be a great way to try out MAC eyeshadows. And, I do not own any dupes for these colors!…Can you tell which way I am leaning??

If I chicken out on the above palette I can always purchase one of the smaller ones instead. Here’s the problem: I cannot decide between the two (Burgundy Times Nine [top] or Amber Times Nine [bottom])! Since I am new to MAC the logical part of my brain says I should go for the larger palette then come back for the smaller ones. I just cannot get over the burgundy shades, though!! Can I get all three??

Yeah…I completely went off the rails with this haul. I rarely buy this many products in one go. I purchase one expensive item or a couple of cheaper ones…Then I got the email about the 24-piece sample gift with $130 purchase. This was the perfect time to check out some of my “want-to-try” products. There was an extra bonus: add $20 more and receive a FRESH sample set. On further inspection of the gift sets, I realized I was not interested in most of the products. Unfortunately, when I tried to empty my shopping cart of the larger items (i.e., the 15-eyeshadow palette) I added more little items instead! Oops!

What do all these products have in common other than first time tries? I cannot purchase them at Sephora. The store starts their Beauty Insider 15% off sale on April 12th! Logically, of course, I shouldn’t buy a whole lot from either store since I plan to take advantage of both promotions but hey, I can always put myself back on a no-spend regime!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.