This is the last "big" purchase I allowed myself to make - a birthday gift to myself if you will. Actually, I only bought two (2) items in this haul, all the rest were freebies.

1) SK-II Facial Treatment Essence - my manager recommended this brand. Good for clearing up the skin and preventing wrinkles, she says. The price tag is quite steep so it took a while for me to consider this and here we are. So far, so good. I haven't had any breakouts while using this but no visible improvements either. I guess at this point, only time will tell.

2) YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 12 Coral Incandescent - I don't like sheer lipsticks but this coral just screamed "summer" and looked so juicy! It looked good on the lips when I tried it in store so  I finally caved (it's my birthday anyway, making justifications again).

3) Make Up Forever lipstick and mascara deluxe samples (left) - Sephora's yearly birthday treat.

4) Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel deluxe sample - I haven't gotten round to trying this yet, maybe after my face has recovered from sunburn.

5) Nude Advanced Renewal deluxe sample - I've wanted to try this for ages so when I saw this in the VIB vault for 100 points, into my basket it went. This is pretty good! I've been using this for a week now - no breakouts and it seems to smoothen my skin tone. I wish this tiny bottle would last forever.

6) First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Purifying Mask sample - this reminded me of the facial mask my dermatologist uses every time I come in for a facial. You have to literally peel it off from your face once it has dried. I will purchase a full size tube of this one soon.

7) Shiseido sunscreen sample - I don't use sunscreen that often so this packet still sits on top of my vanity table.

That's it. I'm happy with most of the products in this haul and the next big haul might take a while. Happy birthday to me! :)