When I was a kid I used to hate that my birthday fell on a holiday weekend, and in the summer at that. It was impossible to have a well attended party with all of my friends traveling or with busy with family plans, and I never got to have cupcakes to celebrate at school (such a travesty, I know). Now that I'm a bit more grown up, though, I couldn't imagine a better birthday. I always get a day off, either on my actual birthday, or the day after, and I get some pretty sweet fireworks to celebrate! So far I'm not entirely sure what my actual plans are for today aside from dinner with my bestie, but I'm sure that as a whole I'll have a lovely long weekend.
I'm also a big advocate of self gifting for birthdays. At this point in my life I'm mostly past parties and presents and other celebratory activities, so I usually take it upon myself to make sure I feel a little extra special. And of course, my favorite way to treat myself is almost always with a little bit of retail therapy. I've always got a pretty lengthy beauty wish list, but here are the items I'm currently coveting the most!
Do I need more brushes in my life? Not exactly. But this gorgeous Coastal Scents Pearl Brush Set ($39.95) is seriously calling to me. I was really impressed by the Coastal Scents Brushes that came with my Revealed 2 palette,and frequently use them to do my makeup, so I'm feeling pretty confident about trying some of their other ones. You get a really great selection of brushes for a very affordable price in this set, and they're also really quite lovely to look at. You also even get a round carrying case to store them in, which would be amazingly handy for traveling!
I love perfume, but it's not the kind of thing I purchase very frequently. Since a single bottle is usually a pretty huge investment, I like to make sure I'm really in love with the scent before I pull the trigger. In the past year the Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume ($90) I sampled from Birchbox has probably been the most memorable for me, as I think it worked wonderfully with my body chemistry. Made with a single ingredient (hence, not a perfume), this incredibly simple fragrance somehow becomes beautifully complex and warm on the skin. I haven't ever owned anything quite like it, so I think it would be wonderful to add to my collection!
I give Sammi the Beauty Buff props for this next one. I feel like she and I are totally on the same beauty brainwave, and as soon as I saw this on her blog I knew I needed to have it. I do own an eyelash curler, and since it works all right I've never really thought about replacing it. However, it is also kind of grubby and ancient and not anything special. Then I laid eyes on the Tweezerman Pro Curl Eyelash Curler ($22) and am ready to toss my old one out the window. Not only does it apparently work great, it's also rose gold (my total weakness).
A few of the UK beauty bloggers I follow have been talking about the Body Shop's Virgin Mojito collection for a few months now, and it looks like it's finally hit shops over in this neck of the woods. With zesty lime and fresh mint it sounds absolutely delightful. I've particularly got my eye on The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Scrub ($20), which I think would be perfect to keep my skin glowy and smooth all summer long.
From the first moments I got to try the L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil with Almond Oil ($25) I was completely in love. This rich oil immediately develops into a warming lather as soon as it hits wet skin, and leaves you both clean and incredibly smooth. It also smells delicious. I've been wanting to invest in a full sized bottle for the longest time, so this definitely deserves a spot at the top of my wish list.
After seeing some advertisements for the Essie Second Shine Around ($8.50) my curiosity was definitely piqued. This topcoat refresher is meant to perk up your manicure on day 2 or 3 to help revive shine and minimize chipping. I suppose applying a fresh layer of topcoat could probably do the same thing, but I'm kind of curious as to whether or not this is something different and fabulous enough to recommend to others.
Honestly, I don't understand how I don't have a Z Palette ($20) already, but I think it's about time that I invested in one! These blank cases have a magnetic surface, allowing you create your own custom palettes of shadows, blushes, and more. I have so many eyeshadow singles I've gotten from subscription boxes and whatnot that really don't get enough love, and I think that if I depotted them and put them in a palette they might actually see the light of day. Looking at the sizes a large one would probably be sufficient, although an extra large might be nice too.
Last but not least is a new launch from one of my favorite high end haircare lines. The Bumble & Bumble Don't Blow It Hair Styler ($30) is one of the first styling products I've seen that is meant to be used when you air dry your hair. Let me tell you, I am the laziest of lazy people most mornings, and since my hair naturally air dries in a relatively straight and frizz free state, that's usually what I do. This cream is supposed to add bounce and texture to air dried hair, and I would love to see if it does anything special for me!
Have you tried any of these products? Which do you think would make the best gift to myself?
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