I only had one day to do all of my Christmas shopping this year and that day was Sunday, December 3, 2017. You may be thinking that I’m so efficient by getting in early but truthfully, it’s because I had no choice but to get it done that day. The weekdays this month are already too chaotic so unless I want to start pulling my own hair out from the added stress, those days are not going to work. This weekend I’m going to Queenstown. The following weekend, I have Christmas parties on Saturday and Sunday. And then it’s already Christmas Eve the week after that and I’m not going to be doing any shopping then because I don’t need that stress in my life.
The day already started off on the wrong foot. I woke up later than planned (I don’t want to admit how many times I hit the snooze button on my alarm.) and by the time I finished going to the gym, getting ready, and sorting out my list on who to buy presents for, I arrived in town at 3:00 p.m.
I intended on doing a fair amount of browsing and going from there but given that I only had about two hours or so before shops closed, I changed my game plan. I was going to shop with purpose.
My first stop was Lush. I love Lush. I always feel so clean the moment I enter the shop. The quirky smells and pretty colours are just so inviting. The great thing about Lush is that it’s reliably good and useful. Sure, not everyone has a bathtub but everyone needs soap. And their products smell so nice. My nose had to work overtime given the amount I needed to buy. And I bought quite a bit. Soaps, facial masks, gift boxes… you name it.
My next stop was Lush’s next door neighbour, Mecca Maxima. Very convenient, I know. Beauty products always make for great presents – more specifically, anything from good makeup brands. I was spoilt for choice here with Urban Decay, Too Faced, Nars, Stila, and Bobbi Brown. With all the envious products I was surrounded with, I had to keep reminding myself I was buying for other people and not for me. And because people’s skin tones vary, safe options to buy are eyeshadow palettes, lip colours, and mascara. That’s my little tip for you.
My last stop of the day was Smith & Caughey’s. Since I had such a limited amount of time to go shopping, I knew I could get everything else I needed at a department store. I spent a majority of my time at the beauty section because I consider it the most fun area of a department store. And yes, I know I was just in Mecca Maxima but Smith & Caughey’s have MAC, Benefit, Kiehl’s, La Mer, and other brands. Mostly, I was at the Jo Malone counter and honestly, I left no area of that counter untouched.
First, I went straight to the limited edition Christmas collection because the beautiful packaging caught my attention. After that, I smelt all of the luxurious scents; Wild Bluebell continuous to be my favourite. After I finally convinced myself to leave the beauty section, I went to the top floor for chocolate and Christmas cards. They also have mini Moët bottles, which I found exciting. I would have bought one for myself but there’s already a big bottle at home so I decided not to. I regretted my decision.
So with only about 10 minutes to spare before Smith & Caughey’s closed for the day, I finished all of my Christmas shopping! Looking back on my purchases, it appears I bought a lot of items for self-care without realising it. I have soaps, skincare, chocolate, and champagne. Yes, champagne is classified under self-care and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
Okay, that’s my Christmas shopping done for this year and I’m so glad it’s over because doing it all in one day was exhausting. I’ll try not to do that again if I can help it.
Until next year!
