2024 black friday haul

always curated, always intentional

This list only contains items I purchased for myself. If you’re curious as to what gifts I purchased, see here. Below, I’ve added my initial impressions to each product; however, keep in mind that they’ve only been tested for a few days, if not, a few weeks. There is no way I could develop a firm opinion on a product within such a short timeframe, so please refrain from purchasing an item I speak positively about below, since I might change my mind about it later on.

I’m still on my “perfect wardrobe” journey, so my wardrobe has faced a lot of changes this year. After hitting my goal of 33 items, I realized how limited I was with my day-to-day wear. Most of the pieces I owned were outerwear; however, as Southern California doesn’t really do winters, a lot of thicker pieces are only used for a few weeks out of the year where the temperature randomly drops down to 40°F. Therefore, I’ve been feeling the urge to add more functional pieces, while phasing out the ones I haven’t touched in a while.

• Pact Airplane Blazer ($54.96) - I made a huge purchase on Pact, and ended up returning everything except for the blazer. This is very cozy and comfortable, and I can see myself wearing this on the flight to Taiwan soon. The downside - it’s very lightweight, so I’ll need something thicker to wear on top if the temperature drops below 65°F.

• Popflex Ooey Gooey Half Zip Sweater ($71.56) - I look too cool for my own good in this sweater. And I’m not even trying to flex. I have accepted that I am in my very uncool, grandma, cottagecore era, so this sweater is very different from what I’ve been used to for the past few years. I am not complaining though. Maybe 2025 will be my year of not looking like a slob every time I leave my apartment?

• Not Perfect Linen Puglia Pant ($230.00)- Purchased two, in the beige and the dark-grey-blue colorways. I bought these pants in Taupe early this year and have worn it at least four times a week. I wish I were kidding. My mom and Mr. Beans are sick of me wearing this 24/7, so they were beyond delighted to see that I now have some variety. Plus, this will be good for my Taiwan trip, since I don’t want to don the same pants in every photo.

Big Fashion keeps telling us that a bag is a woman’s best friend. It’s definitely not mine, but I love shopping for bags that are functional and multipurpose. Despite owning a fancy little Freja NYC bag that I have yet to use (I know, how tragic), I still enjoy the art of finding the perfect everyday bag that I could bring on errands, as well as the toiletry bag that makes travelling a lot easier (I also have a weird obsession with toiletry bottles that you use to refill your skin/body/haircare products with).

• Cotopaxi Nido Accessory Bag ($45.37)- I got this in the Cada Día colorway, and while it isn’t my favorite, the bag’s functionality is everything I need (I think). I will be bringing this to my Taiwan trip, of course, so we’ll see how much I like (or dislike, but hopefully not) using it. I purchased this because my previous toiletry bag, the Calpak Small Clear Cosmetics Case, was way too bulky in my carry-on. The Calpak one is very structured, so even if not all my items were stuffed to the brim, I couldn’t compress it. The Cotopaxi one is more “squishy”, so sure — things may be pressed together in my bag, but at least it takes up way less space. Plus, I don’t bring items that are prone to leaking or bursting, so spillage shouldn’t be an issue.

• Baggu Small Cloud Carry-On ($62.09) - I’m hoping to use this for work and for the occasional travel. Since I only go into office twice/week, it will take a bit more time to figure out whether I prefer this over my backpack. I do appreciate the cup holders on the side, because I’m able to put my waterbottle and coffee in each without worrying about spills. I also love the front pockets for easy Airpods/wallet/phone access.

• Baggu Fanny Pack ($36.22) - My Medium Crescent felt like a black hole (couldn’t ever find my keys when I used this), so I opted for the Fanny Pack. It’s great so far, and I love how I’m able to fit my chunky wallet and Airpods in the front pouch.

• Baggu Fanny Pack Charm ($17.24) - Even though this sounds ridiculous, I’m all about efficiency in packing. If this makes it easier to take things in and out of my bag, I’m going to give it a shot.

If you know me, I am a sucker for homewares. Small knick knacks or medium/large sized functional items that make life easier. I had to reel in items on my wishlist and pick out the ones that I thought would make the most sense functionality-wise in the current stage of my life.

• Simplehuman Hanging Shower Caddy ($60.34) - Prior to this shower caddy, my shower supplies were sitting on the ledge of the tub. I absolutely did not need this caddy, but it will make cleaning the bathtub so much easier, since the shower bottles on the ledge created these water rings that were quite disgusting to scrub off.

• Humangear GoTubbs ($22.52) - I purchased these in the small and medium packs of three. These might be one of the most practical items in this haul. I’m planning on filling the small ones with my antidepressants, Aquaphor, and Ibuprofen, while the medium sized ones are for snacks and maybe lotion. It’s also so satisfying to open and close these tubs.

• Koala Eco Hand Wash ($10.19) - I have a very annoying habit of switching between liquid hand soap and bar hand soap; right now, I’m in my liquid era (mainly because cleaning my soap dish is so annoying and I cannot be bothered). Koala Eco is also a superb brand with a ton of incredible sustainability related certifications.

• Black + Blum Meal Prep Square Box Set ($74.61) - While most people have cabinets bursting with tupperware, I have quite the opposite. To be fair, most of the glass tupperware we currently own are meant for lunch and have an annoying glass divider in the middle (aka non-removable), so it makes it incredibly difficult to store the food I cook throughout the week. Plus, as someone who likes cooking in larger quantities, I need a larger container. I added the Cutlery Set to my order to hit the minumum free shipping (PS: I usually don’t do this, but if the shipping cost itself is so high that the total amount is almost equivalent to adding another item that allows me to get free shipping, I’ll assess if the item is useful — if so, I’ll add to cart to get free shipping).

There’s more that I wanted to buy?! Even after spending $685? Bruh. The truth is, I love things. As a minimalist, intentional-spending conscious human being, yes! I love buying things and have been battling the materialistic/consumeristic desires within through spending challenges that force me to exercise self control within bounds. With that being said, here are some items I chose to not purchase and the reasoning.

• Haircare - I recently purchased new shampoo and leave-in conditioners for my birthday. Even though I really want a hair mask, I don’t need it at this moment. I can make do with the Sephora hair oil samples I received and ensuring I maintain my post-conditioning shower routine. On my wishlist were the Fable & Mane Holiroots Hair Mask and Mahamane Leave-In Conditioner.

• Cleaning Products - Even though I purchased the hand soap above, I don’t particularly consider that a cleaning product but moreso bodycare. I’ve been on my cleaning grind this season, and after accumulating a fair amount of items, I should make sure to use up what I currently own before buying more. I have my eye on the Scrub Daddy Power Paste.

• Makeup - I wore makeup less than five times this year. In what universe would I actually need more makeup when I own everything I need in my current collection. I posted a lazy girl’s guide to makeup recently, and as you can see from my collection, I really do not need anything else at this moment.

• Perfume - No matter how badly I want the Byredo Mojave Ghost, there’s no point in buying it considering I’m still getting through my Maison Margiela one. Plus, perfume takes forever to get through! I’ve learned that 1.7ml bottles are more than enough to last me at least 2 years.

• Ceramics - I’ve wanted to own an East Fork Pottery piece for a while now, but I can’t ever get myself to actually buy a bowl for $52. This is absolutely going on my wedding registry though.

Thank you so much for reading!

—Beans