What I got for Christmas 2013

What I love about Christmas besides everything that we already love about it (the decorations, the food, the festivities etc.) is the practicality of giving and receiving gifts. Yes, that's right, I think the entire process of buying and receiving gifts is extremely useful and practical.

Yes I know, detractors will say that Christmas is a waste of time and money and for all that you spent on gifts for others, you could've bought yourself that brand new Clarisonic mia2 you've been eying for the past 6 months, but the fact is...we don't. Because every time that we saved our money and are heading out to Sephora to get that new Clarisonic, something always happens- your cat's sick, you have a plumbing emergency, you blew it all on Friday night drinks, whatever. There's no judgement, but it's a fact of life that we always hold off on things we really want and buy cheaper substitutes aka shit we don't really want. That's where Christmas and the gift of giving comes in. It's a way of getting what you want without the psychological guilt of paying for it yourself, because we never really feel bad when we spend money on others (assuming you like the people in your life) and in return, they are socially obligated to return the favor with a gift of equal value (greater if he's a man). Now if you are really savvy, you'll also have a method of passive or aggressively telling people what you want so Christmas morning won't turn into a grab bag of random gifts but the fulfillment of months of yearning.

Lastly, Christmas and gift giving comes at the most perfect time of year- the end of it. Because right after you have New Years which gives you a fresh new start with brand new resolutions, so all the goodies you got for Christmas is put to good use as new gear to star the New Year off with. What better way to keep your resolution to wash your makeup off every night than a new Clarisonic to help you achieve that?

So having made my argument, without further ado, a little peak at what I got for Xmas 2013! Please click on titles to access the link.

1. New Laptop

Pardon the bad pic, it's a brand new Samsung ATIV book 4. I'm still getting used to windows 8 but a new laptop has been on my list of things I've been needing but have never got around to (please reference above point). Many thanks to my lovely boyfriend!







2. New Coat

Not the best quality picture, but you get the point. Coach striped short trench coat in navy and jade. The coat is good quality made with a heavy fabric. Can be a bit stiff and boxy but I've been rocking this the past couple of days with just a fleece underneath so it stands it's own against frigid New York winters. Thanks mom!












3.  McKenna jewelry box and travel case by Pottery Barn

 absolutely LOVE THIS! A large jewelry box has been on my list forever but there always seemed to be something else that needed to be bought and so I've been making do with a collection of 3 smaller boxes where my necklaces continuously gets tangled. In steps my boyfriend with this lovely blue armoire so I can conglomerate all my jewelry in one place.


4.  agnes b. voyage shoulder tote

Christmas just isn't Christmas without a new bag. Last year, I gifted myself the Michael Kors Hamilton in Saffiano leather, and when I visited Shanghai this summer, my cousin fell in love with it and I gave it to her. In return, she got me the agnes b. bag I've been lusting after for months while in China. Truth be told, I was ready to move on from the Hamilton in Saffiano, yes, it is classic, but the saffiano leather was extremely heavy and I was feeling like one of 8 million carrying a Michael Kors Saffiano bag, so it was time to move on. <enter my discovery of agnes b. > I knew about the existence of the brand prior to my Shanghai trip but I've never come across any of their stores in the US, so it was love at first site when I saw them in person. The leather is thick and waterproof yet lightweight and scratchproof. The style is structured and classic, like something Grace Kelly would carry in the 50s.

5. Blue Clarisonic Mia2

Clarisonics are extremely expensive in Shanghai and fakes are rampant in China, so I gave my green mia2 to my cousin before I left and got a new light blue mia2. There's not much that I can add to the repertoire of the mia but I did notice that the new one has a much better engine than my previous one (not sure if it was getting old or what) so I'm undergoing a slight purging phase.




6. Random skincare products

I love Caudalie's Beauty elixir. Again, I gave my previous bottle to my cousin, but even so, I couldn't resist this limited edition bottle designed by L'wren Scott. Does it remind anyone else of something by Tim Burton?

Sweet Bee Magic skin cream, this is basically the cheaper version of Egyptian Magic. Same ingredients, only slightly oilier (think butter that's been out for a couple of hours), Egyptian magic is waxier. I'm guessing it's a difference in concentration between beeswax and olive oil. I'm still pretty satisfied, hasn't broken me out and does a pretty good job of moisturizing.

Kiehl's is really expensive in Shanghai, so my cousin asked me to bring her Kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado with me from the US. I've heard a lot about this product out on the blogs, but have never got around to trying it, but when I tried some of hers in Shanghai, I knew I had to get a jar of it for myself. It's creamy and moisturizing without being super greasy, and soothes my tight dry eye area after I wash my face.

Well that pretty much sums up what I got this Christmas. I did get a couple of other bits and bobs that I'll blog about later, but this covers all the big stuff. Thank you Father Christmas!