What I’ve Bought from the Black Friday Sales

I’ve been sharing some of my favourite sale finds from Cyber Week the last few days (which you can read HERE and also HERE), but today, I wanted to talk through what I decided to buy from the Black Friday sales. I’ve mentioned this quite a lot in the past, but I like to use these pre-Christmas discounts to stock up on gifts for my loved ones as we come into the festive season, in addition to a few investment pieces for my wardrobe.

Wearing ASOS polka dot mini dress (similar and in black here), Valentino tango pumps, Orelia bracelet, Linjer cross body bag, Madewell earrings, Mejuri necklace

As with any sale, I like to have a bit of a game plan. I try to map out my purchases in advance – shopping where I have gaps in my wardrobe rather than abundance – and I think long term. Will I still be wearing this six months from now? Is this useful? Do I need it?

It goes without saying that the Black Friday sales are just that – another sale – so if you do decide to buy a few things, be sure to shop responsibly, and don’t go into debt getting yourself a ‘deal’.

So with that all being said, let me share with you what I bought from the Black Friday sales…

My Black Friday Sale Purchases

All Saints leather jacket | If I was going to buy anything this week, it was this. After selling my Acne Studios leather jacket a couple of years back, I’d been on the hunt for a more affordable alternative and this one ticked all the boxes for me. Less than $500, with a combination of matte black and silver hardware, and a belt that is secured to the jacket itself. As soon as I saw that the All Saints sale was live (a massive 30% off everything!), I quickly snapped this one up. Because the weather tends to be rather mild here in Sydney, I find that a leather jacket comes in handy both during the warmer and colder months, plus it pairs well with everything.

Topshop silver trousers | A nice pair of satin trousers had been on my wishlist for a while, and I’d spotted the gold version of these a couple weeks back but wasn’t sure if they were quite my speed. I love the fact that these are a glitzy take on a wardrobe staple, and I figure that the cool-toned silver hue would pair pretty well with what I already owned. I’m looking forward to dressing these up with a silky blouse and some heels, and equally so paring them back with a simple tee and sneakers for the weekend.

Missoma interstellar necklace | I’ve had this necklace from Missoma on my wishlist since February, but I’d held off until the Black Friday sales to actually snap it up, as I knew there would be a good discount (plus we were kinda busy preparing to buy a house at the time…). After hearing an incredible testimonial about this exact piece from a friend, I didn’t need any convincing to pull the trigger when I saw that Missoma were offering 25% off site wide (code is ‘VIP25’). I like that this sits just on the collarbones, and the combination of gemstones and star charms is really darling.

Missoma molten necklace | This was perhaps a more impulsive purchase, but I had been on the lookout for a pendant or charm style necklace that hangs a little lower than a choker, but perhaps not as low as my zodiac necklace from Mejuri. After spending some time browsing through all the options on the site a few weeks back, I finally settled on this one. I love the hammered design of this piece, and thought it would pair beautifully with the interstellar necklace.

Orelia constellation bracelet | You may be starting to sense a bit of a theme… but clearly, when it comes to jewellery, I’m a sucker for anything related to the stars, constellations, and the zodiac. I tend to put a lot of focus on adding earrings to my jewellery box over all else, and a nice bracelet I could wear every day is something I’ve felt was missing from my daily ‘uniform’. This has a beautiful lariat design, and the style is very dainty, making it the perfect complement to my Linjer petite watch.

The Daily Edited monogrammed leather goods | I don’t want to give away what I’ll be buying, but I plan to pick up a couple of things from The Daily Edited’s Black Friday sale to give as gifts to some of our loved ones over Christmas. Anything personalised can be a really thoughtful gift, and there are some great options, including these little cardholders, travel pouches, and this gorgeous buckle clutch. If you prefer a pebbled leather and some extra personalisation, I would suggest having a peek at the selection over at Mon Purse.

Huda Beauty Smokey Quartz Eyeshadow Palette & Natasha Denona Camel Eyeshadow Palette | Despite my best efforts with Project Use it Up (which is still in full force!), I found myself splurging on two eyeshadow palettes; one from Huda Beauty and one from Natasha Denona. After spying that Sephora were offering 15% off site wide, I figured now was as good a time as any to add these palettes to my beauty stash. Eyeshadows tend to be one of my weaknesses – particularly palettes – and I love how creamy and buttery the formula of these shadows are, and not to mention pigmented. I liked that both palettes are relatively compact, and the colours are versatile enough for me to make a few different looks. Makeup and skincare don’t often go on sale, so it’s a good thing to pick up this time of year as generally speaking, it’ll end up being used.

L’Oreal Mon Amour Highlighting Drops | Another *slightly* impulsive purchase, though I’d been meaning to try these highlighting drops as an affordable alternative to these ones from Cover FX. Priceline have been offering 50% off makeup, so now seemed as good a time as any to give them a whirl. I like that this can be worn blended in with foundation to give your skin some extra glow, or lightly dabbed onto the cheekbones for a serious highlight.

Maybelline Hypersharp Wing Eyeliner | Still my favourite eyeliner, hands down. I noticed just this week that my current liner was starting to dry up, so naturally bought a back up for the bargain price of $8.

Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link Fan | I’ve been trying to convince Luke that we needed this in our lives since April or May of this year, and after experiencing a few days above 30 deg C in my office – which isn’t cooled by our internal air-con unit I might add – the practicalities of adding this to our home spoke for themselves. I like that the size is small enough to effortlessly move it from room to room, it functions as both a heater and a fan, and you can hook it up to your phone, to control it on the go (and see how pure the air in your house is!).

 

What I didn’t buy from the Black Friday Sales

I definitely managed to pick up some good Black Friday sale finds, but I wanted to share the things that were on my wishlist that didn’t quite make the cut because they were either a) too expensive or b) not practical enough.

Chloe tess bag | I couldn’t believe it when I saw that this bag had made it into Net-a-Porter’s private sale – and in black too! I really love the saddle like shape of this bag, and the double handle. It seems effortless and cool, but I resisted. As much as I love the style, this would have ended up being an impulse purchase, and I’d rather take my time when deciding to invest in a designer purchase like this.

Stella McCartney wool blazer | I have a thing for blazers right now; it’s like an epidemic in my wardrobe, and this luxe wool blazer caught my eye a few months back and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. But, I had to remind myself that I’d *just* bought a similar more affordable blazer (this one from 1. State), and the opportunity to buy a similar style will come back around next year.

Huda Beauty ‘Nude’ Eyeshadow Palette | I very nearly ended up buying this, but after watching it in action on YouTube, I came to the conclusion that it might actually be a little too pink for me. It’s an absolutely beautiful palette, but the $95 price tag (minus 15%) was enough to make me think twice before going through with the purchase.

Missoma Solar Studded Hoops | Earrings seem to be one of my weaknesses, and I absolutely love the look of this pair from Missoma. The design is incredibly simple – a plain medium sized hoop – but what makes them special is the crystal sparkles studded along the length.

Reformation adrian dress | I was almost kicking myself for not cottoning on to the fact that Reformation had kicked off a sale for Black Friday. I’ve had this dress saved in my bookmarks for a few months now; I love the simplicity, and I thought the jersey rib fabric would be pretty comfortable come summer time. By the time I checked the website, it was sold out in my size, which I think *may* have been a blessing in disguise. Truth be told, I don’t tend to wear anything that fitted, so it would be a little out of sorts with everything else in my wardrobe.

& Other Stories red turtleneck sweater | Ignoring the fact that if I were to shop from & Other Stories, I’d have to go to the trouble of using mail forwarding, I thought that their Black Friday sale was very good – 20% off storewide! What really caught my eye was this vibrant sweater, which I thought would be great for next winter. Holding me back? The fact that I recently gave my wardrobe a pare down and parted with most things that didn’t fit my preferred ‘neutral’ colour palette.

Country Road black strappy sandals | When I first spotted these, I couldn’t believe how much of a resemblance they bore to a eerily similar style from Celine, which was what had me thinking about buying these in the first place. Even with 20% off, I have to concede that I’ve probably got more than enough shoes in my wardrobe to last me through summer.

Did you end up buying anything from the Black Friday sales? x