Back in the day, as you will have seen in countless 'what I bought in the US' haul blog posts, I used to go a bit wild with my shopping when I was in the US. But now that we have most of the beauty brands here in the UK and I'm being a lot more considerate with what I buy, I didn't go too crazy with my purchases this time.
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But of course I had to share what I did pick up. And here they are;
Books
As you will know, my favourite purchases these days are always of the book variety. So I was really keen to visit the iconic Strand Bookstore when I was in New York.
There were a few hardback versions of some of my favourite books that I was hoping to add my growing bookshelves/home library. And I was overjoyed to find that Strand also sell used books that are in pretty decent condition. So I managed to pick up used hardback copies of three of my favourite Riley Sager reads, as well as an out of print but brand new copy of one of my favourite books of all time, This Time Next Year. And they were all between $10 and $13.
I honestly could have spent hours and so much money in the store. They had some incredible tote bags, as you might have seen on my Instagram Highlights. But as I technically didn't need yet another tote bag I opted for their $1 reusable bag as a memento of my trip and to help me ferry my purchases home to the hotel on the subway.
I also grabbed a new release that I have been so excited to read, Dating Dr Dil, on my way to the till.
While in Orlando I obviously hunted down another bookshop which was only about a ten minute drive from our condo. They had lots of great bargains but I managed to stop myself from going too crazy and instead just picked up one hardback, which was down to $7.94. In line to pay I also spotted this beautiful copper arrow bookmark to properly keep my place.
And on our last day as we were wasting time before heading to the airport I spied this incredible Disney The Aristocats notebook. Did I need another notebook? No. But do I ever see all three of The Aristocats on merch instead of just Marie? No. So it was a must buy for me. If you're ever in the US and spot a Books A Million, I would definitely recommend having a look in.
Beauty
Next up we have some beauty bits. I obviously couldn't visit the US without a trip or several to Bath & Body Works. First up I made sure to stock up on Hand Bacs. The two White T-Shirts were 50% off while the other five were 5 for $8. And they're definitely handy to have (excuse the pun). Especially as my stash at home took quite a hit during the pandemic.
Next up I bought two fragrance mists. Beach Nights might just be my favourite Bath & Body Works scent ever, after discovering it on my solo trip to NYC a number of years ago. So since they're a summer limited edition and were down from $16 to $5.94 each for one day only, I just had to grab two.
Then as I was waiting in line (this seems to be a pattern this trip) I spotted the little travel sizes. At 3 for 2 I got all three for $15, which didn't seem too bad. And they smell incredible!
All I picked up in Sephora this year was my 2022 birthday gift. With a choice between Laura Mercier, Tatcha and Amika, I went for the haircare trio that I am very excited to try out.
Target
And last but not least we have a bit of a spendy Target trip. I started using the Sol de Janeiro aluminium-free deodorant on my holiday and found that I much preferred it to my usual Dove rollerball. So I decided to try out the Native brand while I was in the US. And of course, I couldn't resist the limited edition vanilla cupcake scent.
How could I leave the store without taking this Target limited edition Parks & Recreation Pop Funko home with me? I mean, Lil Sebastian at the Harvest Festival is one of my favourite episodes!
I did also buy some plain black leggings from Old Navy and a few supersoft VS Pink hoodies from the Victoria's Secret outlet but they were proving pretty tricky to photograph.
So I don't think I did too badly this year, in terms of my spending. Although I did shoot myself in the foot a little by buying so many books as I ended up having to take them hand luggage as they were making my checked luggage way over my 23kg limit.
What shops would you head straight for if you were shopping in the US? And what do you think of my buys on this trip?
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