Acquisitions

This is my version of a fashion influencer's haul video, where I rant and rave about recent purchases I've made.

To explore older posts, click a year: 2023 • 2024

2026 Birthday Haul

January is my birthday month, so of course I had to indulge my love of shopping on a recent trip to the mall. I was supposed to be mostly looking for stuff for my new apartment, but birthday brain took over and I decided to go ahead and splurge on a couple of things I’ve been wanting to buy, as well as several impulse purchases I couldn’t resist.

Clear CD Player

ClearTech

I love CDs but ever since moving a few years ago, I’ve struggled to find a solid CD player. I finally snagged a functional old-school boom box from a thrift store, after going through couple of other thrift finds that turned out to be duds, but the sound quality is not great. So when I stumbled upon this clear CD player in the clearance section at TJ Maxx, I couldn’t resist. I recognized it as the clear CD Player that Urban Outfitters was carrying last year — which is to say it probably won't be the best quality, but it does look super cool. And at least I got a deal on it! It was only $18, much less than most new CD players I’ve found. I’m hoping it’s decent enough to be usable. If not, it could still make a cool display piece. We’ll see how it works out. Maybe I’ll come back and write a review when I finally test it out!

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Lip Balm and Keychain Duo

TASTE Beauty

Another addition to my Flamin’ Hot Cheetos merch collection — and it was only 99 cents! Unfortunately, the lip balm doesn’t really smell or taste like hot Cheetos. It did have a vaguely cheesy scent when I first opened it and I can’t tell if it’s intentional or if it’s just going bad. I did buy this from Ollie's Bargain Outlet, after all — one of the few true American closeout stores remaining, now that stores like Burlington and TJ Maxx are carrying mostly white label slop these days — so this very well could be years-old stock from the Big Lots that just closed down nearby. Luckily, the scent is pretty nonexistent once you actually apply the lip balm, and the formula does feel decently hydrating without being super greasy. I’m not sure if I’ll use up the lip balm, but the keychain is now one of my prized possessions.

Lawnmower 4.0

Manscaped

I’m was super excited about the deal I thought I got on this, but now I’m wondering if I got got. I’d been using my old electric razors a lot more after my Schick Intuition gave me an a bunch of ingrown hairs last summer (lol #TMI) and they were starting to be a little worse for wear. So when I saw these started going on clearance at places like TJ Maxx after the holiday shopping season, I was intrigued. I’d recognized the brand from social media and influencer ads, so I figured it must be a good deal. It was on my birthday shopping trip that I finally decided to invest. I did a quick search on my phone and saw what I thought was this model going for $84 on the Manscaped website. This one was marked down to $50 at Marshall’s, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Of course, now that I’ve gotten home and tried it out (to disappointing results), I realize that this indeed seems to be an older model. (The one on the website is the Lawnmower 4 Pro.) To make matters worse — comments on Reddit are overwhelmingly negative, so it seems like the hype around this brand was an influencer lie. But for all I know, those comments were made by Russian bots. Since this isn’t the type of product I’d want to return or sell, I’m going to give it a few more tries. I’m hoping I can find some use for it, even if it doesn’t become the upgraded go-to I’d hoped it’d be.

Pear Blossom Hair and Body Mist

MIXBAR

I’m supposed to be on a no-buy for fragrances, but I fell in love with the last MIXBAR scent I found at Ollie’s, so I allowed myself to take home one of the hair and body mists they had on a recent shopping trip. I was so excited to see new products from this brand on the shelves, I almost impulse bought them all. But I decided to go ahead and spray each from one of the several defacto testers and this was my favorite. It’s light, fresh and subtly sweet. I could definitely see it being a go-to this summer. It might even pair well with the other fragrance I also allowed myself to splurge on this trip…

OK So Cool Perfume Gift Set

Inspired by CK One

I know I just said I’m supposed to be on a no-buy, but I ran through the CK One gift sets I bought a couple of years ago in a matter of months. I figured if this knock-off smells remotely close to the original scent, it would be a money-saving way to indulge my love of the fragrance. Also, the name is hilarious. OK So Cool — are you kidding me? I’m also happy to report this does smell pretty close to the legit fragrance. On first try, the longevity seems pretty mid, but it should be decent enough to wear for an afternoo out and about. And I will keep the bottle forever because it's so funny to me.

Vanish Airbrush Primer

Hourglass

This was one of the first luxury cosmetic products I ever purchased back when I was first starting to seriously mess around with makeup. I remember the day I splurged on a travel size bottle of it at Sephora, after the sweet alternative guy with long hair who worked there told me this primer kept his makeup on through a beach vacation. (Though, what really closed the deal was when he complimented my skin.) These days, I don’t wear makeup as often as I used to, and primer hasn’t been a regular part of my routine for awhile. But I remember liking this one, but it was just way too pricey for me to buy on the regular. So when I found a travel size tube on clearance for $6 at Ulta, I figured “What the hell, sure.” Is it as good as I remember, or was my young, naive, aspiring beauty guru self just caught up in the glamour of using a luxury product? Time will tell.

How Am I Supposed to Live, Laugh, Love in These Conditions T-shirt

Goodie Two Sleeves

I don’t need more t-shirts, but I do love a good graphic tee and this one, by Goodie Two Sleeves, was only $7 at Hot Topic, so I decided to allow it. It expresses the crazed desperation I — and many other people — have been feeling for awhile, with a much-needed dose of humor. I imagine I’ll get a lot of wear out of it.

Cherry Coke Can-Shaped Glass Cups

I’m a huge cherry cola girlie, and I’ve loved this style of can-shaped glass since well before they became a TikTok Micro-trend. There were two on the “Buy One, Get Two Free” shelf at Hot Topic, so it seemed like a decent deal — plus, I could further justify the purchase since new glassware is technically something one might buy when they move in to a new place. (Nevermind the fact that I just donated a bunch of old glasses — but to be fair, they were left by my old roommate, so they weren’t actually mine.) They feature the Cherry Coke logo on one side, and a “Very Cherry!” graphic next to an illustration of the fruit on the other side — both designs are overlaid with a super-sparkly glitter, making these so fun to use.

2025

Fusion 5 Proglide Chill Replacement Blades

Gillette

When I’m not forced to rough it with dollar store disposables, the Gillette Fusion line is my go-to for quality razors. The replacement blades are so expensive, I usually just get a starter pack every time. (I seriously had so many spare handles underneath my bathroom sink that I felt too guilty to toss out until a recent move.) But when I saw a digital coupon for Gillette replacement blades on a recent grocery trip, I decided to splurge. There were coupons for both 4-packs and 8-packs and I was going to go for the more modest deal on the 4-pack to save a few extra pennies, but then I found an 8-pack of this “Chill” variety in the store’s clearance section. It was a way better deal than the coupon, reducing the price to around the same cost as a 4-pack. I figured the coupon wouldn’t work on a clearance product, but fifty percent off was a pretty insane deal on its own. To my surprise, the coupon did apply at check out and I wound up paying $19 for the razors — less than the regular price of a 4-pack. This was such a good deal, it pretty much made my entire week. Seriously — razors are a certified scam. They inspired an entire business model focused solely on gouging consumers on the replacement blades. So buying these blades so cheap felt like sticking it to the man.

White Tea Ginger Lily Eau de Toilette 3.3 oz

Elizabeth Arden

One of the joys of building my fragrance collection has been discovering the nuances of my personal taste. I love experimenting and trying out different scents, but I’m starting to recognize specific notes and scent profiles that I really love. CK One, which I added to my collection last year, is an all-time favorite, but until recently, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. But after spritzing on another favorite for a special occasion — Thé Vert by Bvlgari, one of the finest perfumes in my collection — I immediately recognized the primary green tea note as one of the standout notes in CK One.

So when I found a bottle of Elizabeth Arden White Tea Ginger Lily perfume in the clearance section on a recent Ulta run, I had to take it home with me. This fragrance is a floral flanker from iconic fragrance brand’s White Tea collection. It was originally $80 and I got it for $20. I didn’t think twice about buying it, because I knew if it had a prominent tea note, I’d love it. And I trust Elizabeth Arden to deliver a quality fragrance — after all, they’re the company behind Britney Spears’ iconic perfume line.

Indeed, the scent is a lovely blend of fresh florals, earthy herbs and sweet-yet-spicy notes. It’s a nice, light fragrance — a perfect daily scent for the sunnier seasons. Unfortunately, this flanker appears to be discontinued — it’s no longer available to purchase on the Elizabeth Arden and Ulta websites — but it makes me excited to try other fragrances from this line, as well as Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea collection.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Sneakers

PUMA RS-X x Cheetos
Plus, a crazy deal on kids’ Pumas.

I recently went to the big outlet mall near me to look for an affordable but nice pair of sneakers for my nephew’s birthday. I’m not a sneaker head and I am a bargain hunter, so I rarely go into stores that sell trendy big-ticket sneakers. I tend to stick to general outlets or fast fashion stores, which is probably why most of my shoes hurt my feet and fall apart quickly. But this time, I hit up every shoe store I could find. Not only did I get a great deal on shoes for my nephew, but I also found this glorious pair of sneakers for myself — a collab between Puma and Frito Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos brand.

Products like this can dark me out — how ridiculous is it that junk food brands are lending their name to legit clothing items? I understand coming out with a t-shirt or tote bag here or there, but stuff like this feels so superfluous. But as much as I hate the hyper-consumerism stuff like this represents, there is a certain campy, Warholian charm to them. Especially when I do have a fondness for the brand, I can’t resist indulging in some random branded crap from time to time. And millennial that I am, I do love me some hot chips. Like, they are sadly a major part of my diet and they legitimately felt like a part of my culture while growing up in South Texas — Frito Lay is, after all, based in Plano and the neighborhood fruiterias often featured hot Cheetos with nacho cheese on their menus. That’s why I already own several pieces of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos merch, including a hat, three shirts and a pair of socks.

So as soon as my friend showed me these, I immediately said, “Bag ‘em up!” I was half-joking — my budget was tight and I really shouldn’t have bought anything beyond my nephew’s gift. But I’m sorry, I couldn’t leave without these shoes. I actually did need a new pair of nicer shoes for everyday and these were only $49.99 at the Champs outlet — a huge savings from the original $120 price. I looked them up on my phone, and they were still going for $60-$80 at regular stores, so it felt like a steal. And rocking them with my other merch for a head-to-toe Flamin’ Hot look would be just priceless. They didn’t have my exact size, but reviews say to size up a half size. There was exactly one pair that fit perfect, so it felt like it was meant to be!

Snagging these shoes was already exciting enough, but then I found a pair of Pumas that were perfect for my nephew at a different discount shoe store. At $34, they were the cheapest pair I’d found so far, but then they rang up at $20. Girl math says I actually saved money buying both pairs — I was ready to drop $70+ just on my nephew’s shoes. With the economic uncertainty of the coming tariffs, these types of bargains are no small thing! God bless America and God bless outlet malls.

Pressure Reducing Corded Earplugs

Travelon

In 2025, any veteran concertgoer should understand the importance of ear protection. The club kids and headbangers from previous generations suffered the consequences of ignoring their ear health, and viral products like Loop earplugs offer solutions that are as sleek and stylish as they are functional, so there's no excuse to not protect your ears. And yet, despite the fact that I've been dancing at clubs since I turned 18, and have been going to even more shows recently, I've yet to make ear protection a consistent part of my going-out routine.

The trendy name-brand earplugs start at around $30 — the same as a couple of drinks or a surge-priced Uber home — so it can be hard to hit 'add to cart'. I've made due with the basic foam plugs from the drugstore, but they're not the most convenient to carry or use while out and about. So when I found this set of corded earplugs — still in their original packaging — at one of my favorite local thirft stores, I was thrilled. At $6.99, they were a steal compared to the fancier brands, and about the same as what other budget-friendly brands cost new. Except this package came with two pairs (including carrying cases!), so it was even more of a bargain.

A price sticker from the original retailer showed an original cost of $4.99, but the yellowed price tag suggests the same product might go for a few dollars more these days, due to inflation. (Indeed, the same set is currently available for $8.25 on the brand's official store.) Plus, the earplugs were actually bagged up with some kind of six-outlet power adapter. I have no use for it, but since I got two things, I technically paid less than $4 for the earbuds. But I would have been happy to pay $7 for the earplugs alone.

As much as I love finding a good bargain at the thrift store, for me, thrifting isn't just about scoring deals. It's also an ethical choice to avoid buying new products that produce additional waste. Even if I'm buying a polyester shirt originally from a big box retailer that costs about the same as it would new, buying it used keeps already-produced items in circulation, rather than creating demand for more new product and funnelling money into major corporations that hoard profits while underpaying (and often mistreating) their employees. (Thrift stores have their issues too, of course, but there's only so much any of us can do!) And if I can shop ethically while protecting my ear health? That's just priceless!

Rechargeable Value Charger

Duracell

Everyone had one of those moments as a kid — it's Christmas or your birthday and you're excited to unwrap that electronic toy you wanted so bad. You rip open the package, eager to play with it right away, but then your parents read those three dreaded words from the manual — "Batteries not included." You would think the switch to built-in rechargeable batteries would make such occurances less common, but I feel like it's the opposite. Because fewer of my electornics require traditional batteries, I often forget about them until my wireless keyboard or whatever stops working randomly. Then I either have to walk to the store or dig out my old-school wired keyboard like its the 1900s.

That's why I snatched up this Duracell Rechargeable charger and battery set from the clearance section at my local grocery store. I almost didn't buy it because I didn't need new batteries right then, but I will need new AAs eventually, and having a rechargeable set is a lot more convenient and eco-friendly than just buying a multi-pack of the cheap off-brands from Five Below all the time. And it was such a good deal — originally priced at $23.99, it was on clearance for 75% off. That's just a couple of dollars more than a four-pack of my usual brand of disposable AAs.

Not a sexy or exciting purchase otherwise, but when I get a deal this good, I can't help but obsess about it. But I mean, the package does guarantee that the batteries will last up to ten years. So between the money I saved on this set, and the money I'll save on batteries over the next decade, I think it's safe to say I'm on my way to being a millionaire. At the very least, I can hopefully avoid the stress of running out of juice at inopportune times.

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