The U.S. is a shopping paradise for many things, and I still can’t enter a Sephora store without ending up buying something. When I still visited the U.S. as a tourist, I would save money and buy esp. beauty products you couldn’t find in Europe or that were much more expensive there. But since I’ve moved to Boston, I have come to realize that many everyday beauty products in the U.S. are quite costly. In the drugstores I mean, I’m not even talking of fancy stores like Sephora. Therefore, I asked my parents to bring me several things from Germany where everything is way cheaper. I ordered everything from German drugstore Rossmann online, and they brought it to the Dominican Republic for me.

I use cotton pads every day. Therefore it pains me to pay at least $ 3.50 for 80 pieces while 140 cost € 0.90 in Germany. I know that they are not exactly environmentally friendly, but I’m also quite sure that this isn’t the reason why they are so expensive in the U.S. The same applies to disposable razors. Also, I might be paranoid, but I have the feeling that razors here are a lot less sharp than they are in Europe. This is why I’ve started to import them. And since I’m cheap (haha, not when it comes to shoes or handbags), I settle for the men’s version. They actually look the same like the ones for women, only they are blue instead of pink or orange and even cheaper.

Creams are another great topic. I don’t mind spending much on a really good one, but I am also aware that I don’t always need an expensive one. For some reason, I couldn’t find any cheap neck and decollete cream. When I still lived in Istanbul, I always used the Rossmann one for € 4. It does a great job and so I ordered two new ones. I also knew that my facial moisturizer would soon be finished – and as lucky as I am, I couldn’t find a way to order my favoirte Korres moisturizer to America anymore. Instead I ordered a Welleda moisturizer and an Alterra one, both for sensitive skin. I’ll try them and see which I prefer. Since for now I actually have other cremes from my dermatologist, I only need a simple mosturizer in the morning.

It is not that I needed any new lipstick, but I fell victim to all the good reviews of the Essence Metal Shock ones on a number of German blogs. This is how ended up buying No. 3 Ace of Hearts. I love this lipstick because the color is 1) pink and 2) vibrant – and also 3) I am happy that after several years of more and more matte lipsticks, there are some metallic ones again. Ok, true, they remind me of the 1990s and my first lipsticks back then. While I was at it, I also bought an Essence lip brush.

One of my favorite products ever is the UV hair protection spray by Sunozon, one of Rossmann’s home brands. I have used this spray for at least eight summers, possibly more. I love that it protects my parting from sunburn, my hair color from fading, and the smell is amazing. I would have ordered more than two bottles, but the weight eventually adds up to a lot. And both, my parents and I also carried suitcases full of clothes.

The last thing I ordered doesn’t belong to the beauty category, but fashion. It’s a pair of Birkenstocks. I sometimes would like to hit myself because I used to have two wonderful, comfy and cheap imitated pairs in Istanbul, and I left them there. I still don’t know why. But I figured out fast that although several shops carry real Birkenstocks in Boston, the shoes here cost $ 120 at least. In Germany however most pairs are between $ 60 and 80. Thus, I chose a pair of Gizeh in metallic anthracite, and they fit perfectly. I have worn them already on the beach and also in now summery Boston.

I think for now I have enough products and need to use some of them up before I go on a (beauty) shopping spree again – no matter if on or offline.

Which products do you tend to buy in/from other countries?

© janavar

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