So even though I am on a serious cut back regarding beauty purchases for 2026 I still have managed to accumulate, both purchases and gifts for the first three months of the year 2026
Creams, hair oil from Japan and birthday perks
Birthday gifts, gua sha, brush cleanser and a gloss
Gold bond - Healing hand cream aloe (85 g): I came across this in Walmart in Baltimore, and as my hand get super dry at work, this was an easy temptation.
Gold bond - Age renew neck and chest firming cream (56 g): I have for a long time contemplated to purchase a neck and chest cream, and as this was a few bottles away from the hand cream it came along to the register.
& Honey - Deep moist hair oil step 3.0 (100 ml): This my sister gave me for my birthday, along with a few other items to be mentioned. She went to Japan last year, so I assume this was purchased on that trip. All the instructions are in Japanese though, but google search gives the result that this is for the scalp and entire hair, so somewhat of a hair mask? I am dealing with a dry scalp at the moment so this will come to good use soon.
Rhode - Barrier butter - Intensive moisture balm (40 ml): A friend of mine gave this cream her highest recommendation, she also works as cabin crew on the dry air in the cabin, and she said this was an amazing moisturizer that endures the dry air on board so I decided to buy the small tube to give it a try.
Milk - Lip + Cheek cream blush - Werk (3 g): I chose this item from the selection I had from Ulta for my birthday. I was in Raleigh at the time, for work for two nights and there was an Ulta close by, so I jumped in store to take a look at the options I had, and there were a few let me tell you. I had checked online and saw that this blush was amongst the thing offered, and as I am sure the old full size Werk color I have from Milk is expired (which was the smaller size at the time, and I had gotten as a part of a birthday gift from Sephora a few years ago). Have I since bitten the bullet and thrown the old one away (which I suspect to be expired as it smells waxy - in one word: no.
Benamor - Virum verbena - Extraordinary hand cream (75 ml): This was one of the very few purchases I made in Lisbon - this I came across at the airport so decided to pull the trigger and buy yet another hand cream.
Tower 28 - Shine on lip jelly - Pistachio (1.36 ml): This and the following Tower 28 SOS spray I chose as my birthday gift from Sephora. There were a few to choose from, and I ended up going with this one as these items I would be able to finish up fairly easily.
Tower 28 - SOS daily rescue facial spray (60 ml): This bottle is even bigger than the tiny one I purchased a few months back. I have yet not tried it though. But it does come highly recommended.
Guinot - Depil logic serum - anti-hair regrowth serum for face and body (2 x 8 ml): I went for a wax in a spa and the beauty esthetician managed to sell me this serum, which I am fairly sure has a very limited results. So either I will have to commit to a wax to use this up, or use it on my legs when I get the annual below the knee wax before my summer holiday.
Real Techniques - Expert face brush 200: Another item my sister gifted to me for my birthday. I do believe I have this brush already in a different version.
Luminance Milano - Under eye brightener - Pink peach (5 g): Yet another birthday gift from my sister. This my friend had seen on social media (same with my sister) they were somehow really excited about this product. I imagine it to be quite similar to my Becca under eye corrector. So I am not sure if I will keep it or gift it to a friend.
Neutral - Bar soap (2 x 100 g): I purchased two of these in a two pack, as a friend of mine had highly recommended this to clean makeup brushes. I have already started to use the other bar, and I can confirm it works like a charm.
Mario Badescu Skin care - Stainless steel Gua sha: I came across this item in a TJ Maxx in the states, and for 10 usd it was an instant purchase. I already have a rose quartz one, but I am very aware it can break if I drop it on the floor, so I purchased a stainless steel one. Do I use either one on a regular base? No.
Kiko Milano - 3D Hydra lipgloss in shade 35 (6.5 ml): I got a Barcelona afternoon stop this January, I had not intended to purchase anything, but when I saw you could get it engraved, so I decided to get it engraved with my crew letters (hence the engraving is blurred).
Walgreens - Smoothing shea butter lip mask - Moisturizes and softens lips (1 mask): A passenger gifted this to the crew on one of our flights this year. Very sweet gesture.
