What I Bought in Paris & London (Not Much at All)

A lot of you lovely ladies have been asking what I bought on our trip---the truth is, not much at all!

I enjoyed a lot of window shopping while we were abroad.  For designer items especially, the prices were simply so much higher than what you'd pay for the same item in the US, so I decided to only buy things I haven't seen in the US or can get cheaper in Europe.

Something I stocked up on was La Roche Posay.  In Paris, it's sold at every pharmacy and it's significantly cheaper to buy it there.  My favorite face wash, Effaclar was just $10.80 euro for a 400ml bottle...when I pay $20 US for a 200 ml bottle online or at a local CVS---so I essentially got twice the product, for less than I pay for half the product. I also bought the "Targeted Breakout Corrector" cream that I love for about $7 euro.  A bonus---it's no longer available on the US website so it was especially awesome to score it at such a great price!

My second purchase was this Eiffel Tower that I literally bought off the street.  I negotiated the price from $20 euro down to $12 euro and the guy threw in 2 free mini Eiffel Tower key chains. Nice. I thought the tower would double as cute decor and a nice memory/reminder of our trip. Here's where it is in our home right now:

Going along with my "can't get this in the US" theme, I stumbled upon a gorgeous lingerie brand called "Princesse Tam Tam, Paris." The lingerie was just so gorgeous I had to get something (and trust me, I wanted to get it all!) I got this non-padded, translucent-ish bra with pretty metallic polka-dot detailing. It retailed for about $45 euro so it was a splurge, but I absolutely love it and it was a nice luxury item to get that was actually affordable. Love the little bow on it too!

Lastly in Paris, I bought this pretty mug:  It's by a brand called "Sabre Paris."  Their stuff is amazing.  It's a soft gray color and says "LOVE" on it.  It was about $18 euro.  I like to buy things I'll use a lot when I'm on a trip instead of little trinkets and souvenirs that will end up in some box at the back of a closet one day. A tea cup is especially practical for me green-tea addiction!

I snapped a few shots of SABRE stuff in the store too (Pretty!):

That's a whole lotta candy-colored pretty!

Next up, my London purchases!  I bought (and ate) a ridiculous amount of Wine Gums (one of my fave candies that I can't get in the US).

If you've never had these before---try them if you can! They are awesome, chewy goodness. 

Finally, the most awesome purchase of all---the royal wedding mug. Oh yes ladies, I got myself a Will & Kate mug from a souvenirs shop and I'm proud of it!  Seriously though, my coworker and I are always chatting about the royal wedding and how much the Today Show talks about it, so it's a little inside joke we have and I thought it would be hilarious coming to work on Monday with this awesomeness.  So here it is, on my desk! It has their names and wedding date on the back too.

Will + Kate, Forever <3

So, that's all!  Can you believe it?  I hardly spent anything at all abroad---but that's a good thing. Most of our money went towards food and attractions and our luggage wasn't nearly bursting at the seams because we didn't have too much extra stuff to bring home. 

Do you tend to shop a lot when you travel? 

xoxo,

Veronika.