The Haul That Nearly Never Was

Last November I went back to New York, at the time I felt that I was fairly reserved zipping around the slightly precarious displays in Bath and Body Works, only purchasing what I thought was absolutely necessary. Once at the airport it was clear to all those within earshot, that this indeed was not the case at all; my luggage was massively overweight and as quickly as I collected cookie scented hand sanitizers, I was stung with a $100 surcharge and any dreams of a my duty-free, custom MAC eyeshadow palette quickly evaporated.

Once home, I became a smidgen embroiled within all the festive cheer that I foolishly unpacked my seasonal loot into a cupboard, and all but forgot about it until a few days ago - the gas man called round, one of the hand soaps had wedged itself free, and nearly knocked the poor man out. Whoops.

So four months later than planned, here is what I bought the last time I was in the Big Apple, I figured I best get it out the way before I visit again in a few weeks...

The Haul That Nearly Never Was

I know what you are thinking - Spring is in the air, the last thing on your mind is anything remotely festive scented. I hear ya loud and clear, so rather than giving you a run down on any fragrances, I'm going to tell you why I love Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soaps. Yes they do happen to smell good but it runs deeper than that; as someone with dry hands and a compulsive need to forever wash them, I do have to be fairly meticulous about what I purchase to use daily. I need something that cleanses the skin effectively and yet won't dry out my skin, nor lead to irritation and for me the Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soaps do just that. Sure the fragrances and general designs can be a tad tacky but they do deliver where it matters and in my opinion out last cheaper alternatives - I'm currently using a Halloween scented version as we speak and yes it was opened in October.

The Haul That Nearly Never Was

Like most people who find themselves within a Bath and Body Works store at any point in their lives, I left with more hand sanitizers than any one person could really justify. Annoyingly I seem to have bought 11 (and have now lost since posting this post), which means I did indeed pay full price for one (a mighty $2 - last of the big spenders huh?) of the novelty hand gels along the way. Are Bath and Body Works Pocketbac's the best in the business? I honestly don't know but I can vouch that they are fun, affordable and seem to get the job done.

The Haul That Nearly Never Was
The Haul That Nearly Never Was

Honestly is the best policy, right? Okay in that case I will state that I have absolutely no idea why I buy Bath and Body Works Shower Gels or Body Scrubs - sure they smell great but truly they are nothing out of the ordinary and are fairly costly all things considered. However I have yet to find any body lotion that can as much as come close to the Bath and Body Works Body Cream - it is thick, luxurious and loaded with shea butter, so not only does it intensely moisturise but it absorbs fully in a matter of seconds. I don't care what fragrance I use but I don't fully feel at ease unless I have at least one bottle of Bath and Body Works Body Cream in my bathroom. Seriously stockpile the stuff, it is liquid skin comfort.

On a whim I also bought four of the Bath and Body Works Fragrance Melts - my logic at the time was that this would be a more delicate way to experience some of my favourite fragrances from the brand at a reduced price. As much as I love the hero three wick candles, in some instances the scent throw can be too intense and headache inducing so with the dinky little wax tarts, I essentially could control that aspect at home. How true this turns out to be, I don't know but perhaps next Winter I can report back...let's not hold our breath though.

The Haul That Nearly Never Was

So by now we've all gathered that I am somewhat lead by my nose and as such it will come as little surprise that I found myself in the Yankee Candle Store in the mall, purchasing no less than 14 Yankee Wax Tarts. In my defence, Autumn and Festive fragrances are something I use all year round and at 50¢ each it seemed like too good an offer to pass up on. Using the same logic, I also purchased a Yankee Room Spray in Christmas Cookie for less than $1. Sure my stash of wax tarts and home fragrance may be breeding overnight but come Christmas 2017, I'll be one step ahead...or so I like think.

The Haul That Nearly Never Was

The last of my forgotten about bounty will come in handy when I ironically jet back to New York come June. If you have ever been to NYC in the Summer you will know that it is unmercifully hot, so much so that a lot of fragrances can not withstand the humidity and become cloying. My secret? Victoria Secret Pink Sunkissed range of bath and body products and few sprays of Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. Pink's Sunkissed fragrance is light, fruity and very reminiscent of the aforementioned Bronze Goddess with notes of coconut and vanilla. It is pretty much all I wear while out of the country and/or in warm weather, so no regrets here.

Forget about Christmas in July, in my household in is Festive in March...and most likely the rest of the year too, given how much stuff I foolish bought.