Additions - Hello Robert Clergerie Platform Sandals, Goodbye Mimco Wedge Booties...

I bought these Robert Clergerie platform sandals the other day:

I couldn't go past them given the bargain basement price and especially since the black version of the same shoe was still ticketed at $755! They are quite comfy and stable to walk in... and now all of a sudden I can't wait for Summer again.

As per my culling strategy this year, to make room on my IKEA Billy shoe shelves for this new acquisition, I culled some Mimco wedge booties... they are listed on eBay already... along with a few other things.

Self-acceptance & the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy...

I have to be honest with you all - I have added a lot more to my wardrobe than I have culled over the last three months.

Thanks to a frenzied shopping spree in the US and a successful "hunting" trip to Myer after receiving an invite to the Myer One Designer Clearance, my wardrobe is once again looking rather full *sigh*.

Readers commented upon my return from the US that they could not wait to hear about my holiday purchases and although I prepared a post outlining what I bought, I could not publish it.  Reading it made me feel dirty and to publish it would be akin to airing my dirty laundry in public.

Just one of my US purchases

Nevertheless after some quiet contemplation (hence the less frequent blog posts), I have realised that I have not committed a crime... rather I have enjoyed spending the money which I have earned (after paying all my bills and putting food on the table).

Yes readers, I have resigned myself to the fact that I enjoy buying new things.  Although now, having the benefit of hindsight, I know that things can really get out of hand if I don't reel myself.

So having said all of this, in this my second year of my blog, I will try to utilise the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy* having already finished my more extensive allover cull.

The ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy means that this year for each new fashion item that I buy, I must get rid of a fashion item.  The same will go for cosmetics.  I must finish a product before I replace it with a new product, or at least get rid of a product that I do not enjoy using.

The idea behind the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy is that it will force me to be even more critical and mindful of the contents of my wardrobe.  Each time I buy something new I will have to revisit exactly what I have and how I feel about it.  Ideally I will eventually reach a point of WARDROBE EQUILIBRIUM - the point in which everything in my wardrobe is balanced and has meaning.

I have already utilised the ONE IN ONE OUT culling strategy in this past week.  I will write about it in my next post.


*NB: Utilising this strategy before undertaking the extensive allover cull is CHEATING.

Walking through hay fields in Wisconsin...

One of the most unfortunate things about going on a long, wonderful and relaxing holiday, is that one day soon after you return, you will feel like you never went in the first place...

Although before I left I could not contain my excitement about visiting New York City, one of our most cherished memories from our US trip was visiting our dear friends in Minnesota and taking a day trip to stay on a our female host's parent's property in Wisconsin.

Cardigan - MARNI for H&M

Necklace - MARNI for H&M

Jeans - Nudie "High Kai"

Boots - Country Road
(regrettably culled during our holiday to make room for new stuff).

For a while there we racked our brains trying to figure out how we too could lead a simple life on a beautiful property.  Fast forward one month and nothing has changed to how it was before...  We are back to the rat race and I'm listing culled items on eBay *sigh*.

My USA beauty haul and the resulting cosmetics shopping commandments

Upon returning from the US and putting away all of my purchases, I have set down for myself a number of commandments with respect to shopping.  Or rather a list of what I can and can’t buy, because let’s not kid ourselves any longer – it’s abundantly clear that I like to buy stuff. 

If I break any of these commandments, I may not burn in the pits of hell, but I will deem myself to be deserving of electric shock therapy... seriously.

So here are my new shopping commandments (for the rest of this year) with respect to cosmetics. 

Thou shalt not buy anymore eye shadow *insert lightning and clap of thunder*

OMG, how good is Sephora?!  I don’t know how I resisted, but I only came away with 4 eye colour products from this magnificent store!  Granted I now have over 20 new eye colours to play with (on top of my already extensive eye shadow collection) having bought BOTH Naked palettes by Urban Decay along with a couple of other products.

I also bought a few STILA eye colour products at Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5^th (AKA home of bargains galore... more bargain buy stories courtesy of this store in a future post) in Minneapolis since that they were only $5 each.  I have, however, given most of them away seeing that I would need to be an eye makeup wearing spider to ever use up all of these eye products.

Thou shalt not buy anymore lipstick *insert lightning and clap of thunder*

I am the *proud* owner of 10 new lipsticks.

I loaded up on Revlon Lip Butters (given that they were only $6.50 in the US vs $21.95 in Australia!) and MAC Sheen Supreme lipsticks.  For the record I prefer MAC's formulation of the lipstick/balm hybrid over Revlon’s take, as they are way more creamy, shiny and moisturising.

Also I bought a cheapie from Rimmel (Kate No 12 for only $3) and NARS in Dolce Vita (a lippie that has been on my wish list for years).

It is now my new ambition in life to wear lipstick everyday and to reapply it constantly.

Thou shalt not buy anymore concealer *insert lightning and clap of thunder*

I have the perennial appearance of looking tired, so I'm always searching for my HG concealer.  I have gone through tubes and containers of MAC, Biotherm, Dior, YSL and Giorgio Armani as well as lower end brands in my quest to find it.  Whilst in the US I decided to splurge on products which I wouldn’t dream of buying in Australia since as already demonstrated with respect to Revlon Lip Butters, we get ripped off here. 

I came away with Total Concealer by Chantecaille , Mr Light by Givenchy and an Ellis Faas concealer.

Here's hoping for a more rested appearance.

Thou shalt not buy anymore nail polish *insert lightning and clap of thunder*

... Or at least not coral shaded polishes... I bought quite a few from the likes of Chanel, L’Oreal and Deborah Lippmann.

Speaking of nail products, I bought a few items that have really impressed me...

Sephora’s Instant Nail Polish Remover will revolutionise my nail routine. Inside the coral red container is a pre-moistened foam - nail polish removal is made easy with minimal mess and smell.  If only I had discovered this product sooner I may have spared the World the vision of my chipped nail polish, which I always lazily left on for one extra day then another because I hate using regular nail polish remover.  NO MORE!

Also Butter London's Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat and Hardware P.D. Quick Topcoat are both top notch products . I am most impressed by the topcoat.  It is the *best* I have ever used - dries hard and shiny.

* All images from Sephora

Home sweet home

I'm back from the US.  Happy to be home... Happy to be back in a country where good coffee is appreciated and readily available.

My return on Saturday morning was marked by the usual - doing our laundry and restocking our fridge AND buying a few bundles of coat hangers from IKEA :)

Needless to say, all of my culling efforts over the past 9 months have been undone and my renewed enthusiasm for shopping has caused my past shopaholism to resurface... in my lunch break today I bought two pairs of shoes, even though I originally set out to buy chicken for tonight's dinner.

Back to the drawing board...