A note on the word ‘haul.’ I hate it, immensely. We should be spending and shopping responsibly. These were all discounted, much-needed items in my beauty cabinet. Please forgive me for using that word.

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Honestly, when I was saying farewell to my beloved London for Californian shores, one of the things I was most sad about was saying goodbye to all the brands and shops I’ve grown to love. And by ‘brands and shops,’ I mostly mean Space NK, unequivocally my favorite beauty retailer.

Why do I love Space NK so much? Firstly, they have ‘apothecary’ in their name, which let’s be real is the coolest of all the Ye Olde Professions. Each and every one of their stores exudes a calm tranquility, reminiscent of being in a spa — a spa for those of us who can’t spa frequently because we’re broke. Sephora, it is not. They have really decent sales, better than every other beauty company I’ve come across.

And finally, their range of boutique, niche brands is wonderful, enough that I feel as though I discover a new beauty brand each time I shop from them. Like Cult Beauty, you know, before they started stocking brands like Too Faced (does anyone think Too Faced is ‘cult’?).

Imagine my surprise and delight when I stumbled upon a Space NK physical shop in San Francisco. I AM SAVED.

So, in the wake of post-Christmas January, I decided to treat yo self to some sale goodies. And when I say sale, I mean man these gorgeous, normally very expensive products are cheap. This is my favorite way to try new brands, test new colors, and still stay within budget.

My Space NK Sale Haul: What I Ordered

Kevyn Aucoin is a beauty brand I’ve wanted to try for absolute ages. But, with such high quality comes a price — and up until now, I’ve mostly avoided the brand. That is, until the Space NK sale answered all my dreams, and I ordered nearly everything they had on offer for a fraction of the usual price.

First up is the Kevyn Aucoin The Brow Gel pencil, which I ordered in ‘Sheer Brunette.’ With a natural hair/eyebrow shade somewhere between ‘mousy light brown’ and ‘colorless,’ needless to say, I am forever on a quest to find The One That Matches. Using this brow pencil, what I’ve learned is — shock and awe — I’ve been going for the wrong eyebrow pencil shade for years. I’ve always assumed I needed some form of ashy blonde shade, considering how nondescript my eyebrow color is.

Well, color me changed. Because Sheer Brunette works wonders for me. It glides on smooth, and the darker color actually suits me well better. This beaut is down from $28 to $7.

I also nabbed the Kevyn Aucoin The Eyeshadow Duo in ‘Peach/Rust Brown Shimmer.’ I’ve been needing a small, compact eyeshadow duo to toss into my makeup bag while traveling. The duo is down from $42 to $10.50, so why not try getting an exciting (read: don’t pull an Eire and get ‘browns’) color to try?

I’ve read such wonderful things about the Kevyn Aucoin’s The Prime Skin Developer, and now down to $17 (from $68), I immediately jumped to buy it. I haven’t tried this guy out yet, namely because I haven’t actually left the house since I received it. Glam working from home life, I know. But make sure to follow my Instagram Stories, where I’ll be reviewing how it works on my skin. Stay tuned!

Now, let’s talk about lipsticks. In previous years the bane of my existence, now my Daily Saviour as my lips begin to lose their pigment. Thanks, 30. I tend to prefer rosy hues and reds, as I’ve found nudes/beiges often make me look dead. I was thrilled to discover Kevyn Aucoin’s The Matte Lip Color in ‘Timeless’ and By Terry’s Rouge Terrybly in ‘Red Ceremony’ in the Space NK sale.

Timeless is a punchy orangey-red that looks scarily more orange in the tube than it does on your face. It’s the color I am most excited to wear come Spring! Red Ceremony (you can also buy here) is a deep, heady red that I’ll save for date nights and when I’m channeling my inner Gal Gadot. Both come in the chicest packaging, with weighted metal bullets and beautiful, French-perfume smelling scents. The lipsticks I dreamt of owning when I became a badass, full-grown Girlboss.

I decided to do a swatch for you lovely lot so you can see the difference. As a comparison, the top two colors are my go-to reds that I already own: Bobbi Brown’s Luxe Lip Color in ‘Parisian Red,’ and No. 7’s Stay Perfect Lipstick in ‘Sultry.’

I’m forever on the hunt for a decent nail polish that doesn’t chip easily. And I’ve tried everything — from Nails Inc to Essie to Smith & Cult. I was hopeful for this Jin Soon one, reduced to $4.50 and with a gorgeous array of colors available. This color, ‘Risque’ by Jin Soon,’ applied smooth as a dream and dried incredibly quickly.

However, less than 24 hours later, and my nails are chipped. Disappointed, most definitely. I’d still recommend trying one, though, as they are cheap as chips and do look fab when applied.

Rather than change up my nail polishes, perhaps I just need to become a Lady Who Lunches. THE DREAM.

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