What I Bought During the Sephora Sale
Just a little bit of trolling
Surprise! I bought nothing from Sephora during the spring sale!
I really enjoyed thinking about what I might buy during the sale. Part of what was helpful is that I put that list together without much thought about prices or budgeting; I focused on the desire for and potential utility of each item in my collection. If you’re past the point of putting together a basic kit of skincare and/or makeup, then anything that isn’t a replacement is truly an extra and (in my opinion) it should earn its spot in your collection. And this year, I just didn’t feel strongly enough about any of my Sephora picks to justify the purchase.
I did, however, make a few purchases from other stores during the time of the sale (April 8-April 14 and then extended to include April 17-April 21). I thought it would be interesting to discuss these purchases and why I bought boat shoes and salt deodorant instead of makeup.
Let’s do this shopping roundup as a journal in chronological order.
April 11: I suddenly become obsessed with finding a candle that smells like my newest fragrance love, the Guilty as Fig Ultimate Hydration Body Cream from Bath & Body Works. This lotion has a beautiful combination of notes, a sort of floral-green mix. It smells sweet and fresh. Fragrance notes from the maker include fig nectar, lush jasmine, and creamy musk.
Anyway, I start to wonder if I could find a candle with the same scent profile, and down the rabbit hole I go. I end up buying the Brown Sugar & Fig candle from Salt & Light by Sami. This candle is not a scent dupe for Guilty as Fig—not at all!—but it is lovely in its own way. It smells like waffles and maple syrup, a toasted sweetness. It’s so strong that I don’t burn it in my bedroom, but I’ve made it a family room candle. It reminds me a lot of The Bee’s Knees Soy Candle from The Burlap Bag here in Austin, which is a very nostalgic scent for me.
April 12: A DSW marketing email flies into my inbox and presents me with a pair of boat shoes from Skechers. I had been wanting a pair of boat shoes for a while; I think they’re cute and sporty and fun. I pull the trigger on this grey pair, the Skechers-On-the-Go Flex Ashore Boat Shoe in Light Taupe.
I like these shoes, but I don’t love them yet. They are very comfortable, but they’re bigger and chunkier than I could see online. They kinda make my feet look like boats, but oh well—they’re too comfortable! I’ll be wearing them all spring and summer long.
April 17: At Wheatsville while grocery shopping, I spot a salt crystal deodorant, Crystal Mineral Deodorant Stick in Unscented. This is a potassium aluminum sulfate crystal that you apply directly to wet underarms. The theory is that the crystal deposits a layer of salt on your skin that prevents bacteria from proliferating. (Body odor is caused by the compounds bacteria make as part of their metabolism. They digest proteins in our sweat, and the metabolic products are the cause of the stink.)
I had been interested in buying a crystal deodorant ever since I tried my husband’s last summer and I was BO-free for 24 hours—something that never happens with my regular cream-based deodorants. Unfortunately, the one I bought doesn’t seem to be giving me quite that level of BO protection. I’m not sure if it’s user error or what. Maybe I’m not applying enough?
I also buy a new bar of soap for our bathroom after getting tired of the pile of bar soap scraps that are accumulating.
April 19: I bop into Walgreens to replace my body SPF. My favorite is the Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF30; I buy it two tubes at a time. I really like this SPF lotion because it absorbs quickly, has minimal residue, and doesn’t pill or do anything funky texture-wise. It has a lovely tropical coconut scent and a very light shimmer to it. You won’t look like you dipped yourself in body glitter, I promise. I can usually find it on sale for $10-11 for an 8-oz. tube. We go through at least six of these tubes a year because I’m a daily SPF wearer, and I force convince my son to wear it on days that he’s in the sun for an extended period of time. (For swim days, we are also big fans of swim shirts, which we’ve bought in multiples.)
I noticed during this time period, I bought several things on a whim—the candle, the boat shoes, even the crystal deodorant stick wasn’t planned formally. So why did I feel fine buying stuff on a whim but not making a planned purchase from Sephora? I think there are several reasons.
I feel pretty saturated when it comes to makeup and skincare. I have more than enough, and I’m trying to use what I have.
Related to #1, makeup expires. I don’t want an overly fully collection that forces me to throw out expired products that didn’t get good use.
Clothing doesn’t expire. To be totally honest, I am reaching the saturation point with my clothing, but with clothes, it’s a space issue, not an expiration issue.
Candles also don’t expire and they are consumables.
After I bought the boat shoes, I found out that I barely have room to store them in my closet! This realization about my space1 was a bit of a wakeup call. I have always loved shoes and enjoy owning an abundance of options. But I feel like my collection should fit in the space I have allotted for shoes. I have enough. Anything more is a treat, an indulgence.
I’m still interested in that NARS eyeshadow palette and the Glossier Balm Dotcom in Black Cherry. Maybe I’ll swing by a Sephora to swatch the eyeshadow palette. There's nothing like experiencing a product in real life to help you cut through the imagined desire that hype creates. But there’s no rush.
I may declutter a few pairs of shoes that are old, falling apart, or just not my style any more. But I don’t think that gives me permission to buy more. I still have a lot of shoes that I love and plan to keep for a long time, hence space is limited.