Spending Ban - My Wants

My Spending Ban came to an end this week but I thought I'd look over what I'd been "Wanting" over the 11 weeks and see what I think I may buy...

Week 1
Therapie Roques O'Neil Discover Me Set £40
Robert Piguet Blossom EDP 100ml £130
Trilogy Smooth & Nourish Shampoo & Conditioner 250mls - £12.50 each
Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Honey Bath £31
REN Citrus Limonum Prebiotic Hand Cream 300ml £17
Temple Spa Body Truffle 150ml £60

I'll buy at some point: Therapie Roques O'Neil Discover Me Set, Trilogy Smooth & Nourish Shampoo & Conditioner and REN Citrus Limonum Prebiotic Hand Cream.

Week 2
Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint £15 for 4
Jimmy Choo Flash EDP (tried this but didn't like it)
Nourish Radiance Body Treats Set £39.50
Melvita Rose Nectar Milky Cleansing Oil £19.50
Alpha H Best of Alpha H WIMH 
Instructions for a Heatwave - Maggie O'Farrell

I'll buy at some point: Alpha H Liquid Gold and maybe Jouer Luminzing Moisture Tint.  I'll definitely pick up the Maggie O'Farrell book.

Week 3
RMS BeautyLip2Cheek Smile £28
The Organic Pharmacy Rose Balm (Grace at All that Slap sent me this and I love it!)
Mitchell & Peach Kentish Cobnut Scrub 260g £36
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler £20
Badger Yoga & Meditation Balm 28g £6.09
Tara Smith Shampoo & Conditioner - picked a trial set up in my M&S haul

I'll buy at some point: Mitchell & Peach Kentish Cobnut Scrub and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Week 4
Mama Mio Mighty Moisture Day & Night Moisturiser 50ml £37.50
Aromatherapy Associates Breathe Essence 10ml £16.50 - I was sent this to review - see my post here.
Weleda Pomegranate Body Lotion 200ml £21.95
Weleda Citrus Refreshing Milk Bath 200ml £9.50

I'll buy at some point: Mama Mio Mighty Moisture Day & Night Moisturiser and both the Weleda products.

Week 5
Undergreen Pink EDP 100ml £120
OV Naturals Rosy Glow Luxury Organic Moisturiser 60ml £28.99
Jo Loves Orange Tulle 30ml £45
Jo Loves Lemongrass, Amber, Tiare Flower Candle £75
Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ 30ml £26.50
OV Naturals Petal Soft Skin Rose Hamper £35

I'll buy at some point: OV Naturals Rosy Glow Luxury Organic Moisturiser.  See my review here.  I'd also love the Hamper.  I've got a few of the Trilogy mini oils to use up.  I'll probably buy it again in the future though.

Week 6
Saaf Face & Body Kit £26.99
YSL Touche Eclat Foundation £29 - I got colour matched for this recently and love it!
Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin EDP
Clinique All about Lips
Dr Perricone MD no concealer concealer

I'll buy at some point: YSL Touche Eclat Foundation - simply love this!  I'll maybe pick up the Dr Perricone MD no concealer concealer

Week 7
Prada Candy L'Eau EDT £50 for 50ml
Lancome Genitique Yeux Light Pearl £44
Creme de la Mer The Moisturising Lotion 50ml £160

I'll buy at some point: Nothing! I'd like the original Prada Candy again.

Week 8
Korres Watermelon Body Scrub 150ml £9.60 - I picked this up recently it's gorgeous - review to follow.
Clark's Botanicals Intense Radiance Mask £58
Elemental Herbology Neroli & Rose Damask Body Wash & Body Lotion
Diptyque Roses Candle £40
Sarah Chapman Discovery Collection £40
REN Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish 330ml £32

I'll buy at some point: Sarah Chapman Discovery Collection and maybe REN Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish

Week 9
Chantecaille Frangipani EDP 75ml £150
Elemental Herbology Watermelon & Cucumber Body Moisturiser 240ml £20
Miller Harris La Fumee Incense £30
Philip B Russian Amber Imperial Conditioning Creme 178ml £110
REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil 110ml £30
Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose EDP 50ml £69

I'll buy at some point:  I'd love the Chantecaille Frangipani EDP but I'll definitely buy the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil as its my favourite.

Week 10
Willow Organic Relaxation Box - £25
By Terry Cellularose Brightening Serum - £75
Serena Linley Iris & Jasmine Bath Essence - 15ml £15
Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte Pressed Powder - £33
Giorgio Armani Rose D'Arabie EDP 100ml £190
Acqua di Parma Iris Noble Perfumed Soaps £40
Stila Colour Balm Lipstick £16

I'll buy at some point: Willow Organic Relaxation Box, Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte Pressed Powder and Stila Colour Balm Lipstick.

Week 11
Aveda Stress-Fix Soaking Salts 454g £29 - mini review here.
Botanicals Foot Balm £14.95
Beaute Chinoise Yin No.4 Facial Oil 10ml £35
Balance Me Skin Bright Hydrating Face Mist £20

I'll buy at some point: All of them!

I'll keep using my paperblanks* journal to record any wants.

So out of a total of 59 wants I'll definitely think about purchasing 26.

And I'm going to do a mini spending ban for the month of May - I'll update you at the end of May as to how I have done.



*complimentary sample

Beauté Chinoise: Beauty Tea & Yin No.1 Face Oil

I came across Beaute Chinoise on Twitter - and I am so glad I did!  

Beauté Chinoise Founder Maggie Brown is a registered Acupuncturist and member of the British Acupuncture Council.  She has had specialist training in Facial Acupuncture in New York and London and offers treatments at the Garry Trainer Clinic in Notting Hill, London.   Please see her website for further details (link).

Maggie uses prescriptive face oils, body oils and tea with her clients.  They were a huge success and she asked the skincare expert who had formulated the products for use in her practice to create a small collection which she could sell in person and on her website.

The Yin Collection and The Yang Collection  are all made to balance the skin in accordance with the principals of Chinese Medicine.

I ordered Beauty Tea - the Yin (£16) - "In the ancient Chinese dynasties the ritual preparation of tea was as important as the tea itself, inducing calmness and serenity".

The tea, blended by Master Tea Blender, Tim d'Offay, is a "delicate Oolong infused with Rose, is Yin in quality - cooling and moistening thus encouraging balance".

To brew: place four precious black Oolong pearls into a cup, add hot water and watch the pearls unfold.

The tea is green, light, pale, delicate and perfect for relaxation.  Simply but stylishly presented in a small labelled jar, tied with ribbon and an information card - such a joy to open!

Maggie very kindly put in a sample Yin No.1 Facial Oil in for me to try - "the ancient Chinese sages searched for perfect balance in mind, body and spirit and created a method of measuring this balance. Yin and Yan. Beauté Chinoise has drawn from their wisdom and created a range of precious face oils".

Scented with rose, neroli, sandalwood and patchouli - its simply gorgeous!  

To use: every evening after cleansing.  Apply a couple of drops to the fingertips and apply to face and neck.  (10ml - £33).  Definitely one I'm adding to my wishlist (although I have Yin No.4 on my week #11 wishlist).

Other facial oils available are -

Yin No.4 Facial Oil - a meditative blend for comforting and restoring balance while you sleep.  With rose, neroli, mandarine, lavender, ylang ylang, chamomile and geranium.  Calms the mind, body and spirit.

Yang No.4 Facial Oil - protects, nourishes and firms the skin. Jasmine is yang in nature. With jasmine, rose, sandalwood and geranium. Helps stimulate cell regeneration. Uplifting to the senses.

See the website here

Follow on Twitter @beautechinoise 

Spending Ban - Update 11

Uh-oh my spending ban went completely off the rails in week 11 and I think it's now time to end it.  Ahhh...  I lasted 70 odd days with a few splurges - a lot less than I'd normally be treating myself to though.

I've been enjoying shopping my stash every week - so I'm going to keep doing this.  Here is what I bought during the spending ban period -

In Style Magazine for the beauty supplement in Week 3.

Sweet Cecily's Rose Body Butter and Mojito Lip Balm.  See my review here.  I bought these in Week 4.

In Week 6 I bought the Caudalie Set from Latest in Beauty and two Remedy..for organic body butter bars and an April Beautylishious bag (which I've still to receive).

See my review of the Remedy...for Organic Body Butters here.

In Week 7 I bought Good Housekeeping magazine which were giving away a free Balance Me Hand Cream and Marie Claire magazine which were giving away a Neal's Yard Bee Lovely Hand Cream.  These are both worth £10.

In Week 8 I bought a copy of Psychologies magazine.

Week 9 saw me really caving when I bought Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and the LIB Organic & Natural Box.  You can see my reviews here and here.

In Week 10 I bought Botanicals Anti-Age Hand & Nail Serum and two try-me size pots of cleanser and foot balm (you can get the try me sizes for free just paying p&p).  Reviews to follow.  I also bought a April SoukSouk little green beauty box.

Finally Week 11, I bought Beaute Chinoise Beauty Tea - a Oolong infused with organic rose.  It sounds simply delicious.  Still to receive this.  I'll be doing a mini review on it and of course my M&S and Boots haul.  

I'm quite relieved to have ended my Spending Ban.  It was an interesting experiment and I know I buy too many beauty products.  I'll do a post later this week listing my "Wants" from the 11 weeks - and letting you know which ones I'm going to buy at some point. 

How is your Spending Ban coming along?