How's your December going? We had some snow in Vancouver this week; luckily I picked up a pair of new boots just in time, and I found my missing mittens! With my birthday and Christmas coming up, I've had a very spoiled November and December of treating myself to all kinds of longings and lusts (including those new boots). I'm generally very good at denying myself all kinds of shiny things, but I made a few exceptions this time.
The self-spoiling all started when I took up an invitation from
Bare Essentials Skin Bar in downtown Vancouver to stop by for one of their cocktail-inspired 30-minute treatments. I got a "skin-mapping" to determine my problem areas and found out that my forehead area was congested (translation: lacking moisture, overproducing oil, dry skin getting trapped), which explained all the sucky blemishes I was getting there. Other areas were simply dehydrated, so I got the moisture-focused Mai Tai treatment. Professional facials are not a routine thing for me, so being able to relax with a cup of tea and have my face massaged was a lovely experience.
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| ALL the Dermalogica awesomeness |
Bare Essentials uses all Dermalogica products in their treatments, so it was a cool introduction to a brand I've heard so many good things about. Their retail boutique carries the complete Dermalogica range, including foundations. I have my eye on the Daily Microfoliant, which felt super gentle on my slightly sensitive skin.
I left my appointment feeling really relaxed and pampered. I think I could have had a more intensely hydrating treatment as my skin started feeling a little dry a few hours later, but this is something that could be adjusted in my next visit since all treatments are customized to the individual.
Considering my congested forehead and dry skin, I decided my skin care routine needed a boost. Naturally, this involved finally buying something I've been wanting for
years: a Clarisonic. I went with the Mia 1 during the Sephora F&F sale after deciding I didn't need Mia 2's extra bells and whistles (that
LE Aria set with Josie Maran products was awfully tempting though.) I will be writing a full post after more testing, but right now I can say it is pretty awesome and I wish I had gotten it sooner.
Also, this.
Non-beauty indulgence: I tend to buy "the good stuff" (merino wool, cashmere, etc.) when knitting things for other people and then cut back when it comes to materials for my own use. The result: I don't have a single scarf that doesn't feel at least a little bit itchy. For my birthday, I decided to make myself two cowls out of some legit gorgeous yarn. I've started a striped cowl with the two above and
wow what have I been doing with my life? I don't think I can go back ever again. Just feeling the yarn between my fingers as I'm knitting, I can tell it's going to be so cozy, squishy, and soft.
Compared to other beauty enthusiasts out there, this "indulgences" post probably seems downright thrifty! Personally, $100+ beauty tools and limited edition compacts are definitely not the norm for me and I'm scaling back now that I've met a good chunk of my wants.
What are you getting yourself for Christmas?
