I don’t mean single-use foil packets you get when you buy something  from Sephora or Ulta. I mean those collections you get from Barney’s or Harrods or Neiman Marcus or a high end department store’s Advent calendar.

I haven’t popped for one of those deluxe sample collections in a while. Covid had a way of getting me to lose interest in acquiring products I wouldn’t get around to using. 

Also my Marie Kondo-ized brain whispered that it was probably more sensible to buy what I knew I was going to use, instead of purchasing a collection and ending up with a bunch of stuff that wouldn’t spark joy. Such as the drag-worthy false eyelashes, red glitter, and high-end, yet extremely basic eye shadow quad I ended up with the last time I bought one of these things.

So I’ve held off buying new stuff and kept using up all the shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, eye cream, and styling products I had already managed to accumulate. 

And I felt pretty goddamned virtuous every time I tossed another empty into the trash.

Recently, I killed off a jumbo economy size of  Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioner/styling/anti-frizz stuff that probably cost $9.00 and took me literally years to use up. So I broke open a small tube of this stuff:

And I really like it. 

Now, mind you, I have no idea where I got this Miriam Quevedo stuff from, but it smells great and is imported, which led me to believe that it was from one of those lucky dip collections from BeautyLish or something. I’m starting to run low, so I just checked where I can pick up more. 

And of course, it was either the company’s own website, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, or the Derm Store. 

And of course, a new supply will cost $65. 

OF COURSE IT WILL. 

And of course, Neiman Marcus is having one of those beauty bag deals that involves spending too much money and getting a tote bag I'll never use plus a bunch of samples so I can get addicted to another pricey product. Insert crying face emoji here.