Bonus Issue #02: The Not a Gift Guide... Holiday Coupon Clipper?
Not a gift guide, just some deals on my favorites / what I'm actually shopping
Being in the influencer space (and before that existed, the blogger-sphere), the word “gift guide” has been branded in my brain come every November. The reason why every creator and their dog publishes a plethora of gift guides is simple: it’s lucrative. It’s a big earning opportunity for a lot of creators. My email inbox is always flooded with all the brands I’ve ever worked with and some I’ve never worked with, sharing details of their Black Friday promos and holiday offerings, and rev-share opportunities.
I’ve never felt particularly great about giant sale round-ups, like the Nordstrom sale or Amazon Prime Day— it’s a weird line to toe, sharing some pretty great deals on stuff I genuinely use and love (and I’ve always been that friend who alerts her friends to great deals, blame my Asian mom coupon-clipping genes in me) because I actually want to, but also recognizing this type of marketing and consumer behavior just further contributes to all the capitalistic issues we live amongst— especially over-consumption. This is why you’ve never seen me do a “fall haul,” and despite it meaning I miss out on larger earning opportunities, I won’t be the type of creator that shops like crazy just to keep up with this weird world.
But back to my Asian mom coupon-clipping genes— nothing, I tell you, nothing, gives me the same kind of dopamine hit as scoring a great deal on stuff I already need / was planning to purchase. My CVS coupon-ing skills are legendary. I rarely ever buy skincare or basic necessities like underwear full-price. I am Costco, personified— I stock up on stuff I know I actually need when there are sales, so I don’t buy things full price later. Do I have some generational financial trauma that encourages this behavior? Absolutely. But does it make me a savvy shopper? Absolutely.
DISCLAIMERS:
I want to be clear that not a single one of these brands have sponsored me to include them here! The only brands and products I’m including in here are because they’re all products I’ve bought on my own or have been gifted but then re-purchased again in different varieties or for friends / fam because I loved them so much (minus my wishlist below, that’s just based off my friend reviews)
There are some affiliate links in here, and like the other newsletters, all commission will go to one of the non-profits I regularly donate to. And in case you don’t understand how affiliate links work, if you were to click on a link of mine but then click on another creators link for the same retailer before checking out, the last-clicked affiliate link will get the commission from your purchase.
CLOTHING:
GAP — 40%-60 off everything, no code // The Breathe underwear (both bikini and thong) has been my go-to fave underwear for half a decade now, and I always stock up during their 40% Black Friday deals. Also, their 100% organic cotton long-sleeve for $20 has become one of my favorite wardrobe staples since I got it 2 years ago on Black Friday.
Madewell— 40% off, code LETSGO // nuff said, while Madewell is one of my borderline fast-fashion places, their jeans truly fit me so well and it’s one of the brands I’ve loved for a long time. Kind of obsessed with this asymmetrical button front cardigan and I’d be wearing this sequin slip mini dress immediately if I wasn’t on pseudo bed-rest and had a fun NYE party to go to.
Beyond Yoga — 30% off sitewide, no code // A longtime favorite, this is their best sale of the year. Their classic spacedye leggings are always my favorite (I have this tank in 4 colors…), but they’ve really stepped it up with new styles over this last year.
Bombas — 20% off sitewide, code HOLIDAY20 // I have these sock slippers I really love (so easily washable) and I’m now going to be getting this pair (but in the Youth size for like half the price— s/o to all the tiny-footed people out there like me who can fit into Youth footwear). We also usually stock up on classic white socks for J too.
SKINCARE:
Detox Market— Buy More, Save More up to $80 off + free gift // This is when I stock up on all J and my every day favorites ( ) f
True Botanicals — 25% off sitewide, no code // One of my fave luxury skincare lines, their Clear Oil is one of the very few oils that work for my acne/clog-prone skin to gua sha with.
Mount Lai— up to 70% off sitewide, no code // Speaking of gua sha, I swear by my friend Stephanie’s company’s gua sha and facial tools. Y’all, please support Asian-owned brands like this for gua sha if you can, since it’s a very much Eastern-rooted practice!
Nuface— 30% off sitewide, no code // I got the Mini device (IMHO you don’t need the full-size) before my wedding— I had been veeerry skeptical about it, but it really does work well with consistent use (it gives you a very instant and visible lift/de-puff effect too) and I personally love mine. I bought my sister one for her birthday a few months ago, too!
Odacite — 25% sitewide, no code // Their mint + green tea mist is my favorite toner I’ve used for 4+ years, and their Vitamin C serum is the only one my skin has been able to tolerate. Also love their pimple oil (helps so much with discoloration after it’s gone too!)
Salt & Stone— 20% off everything, no code // I was gifted their Hinoki & Bergamot body wash and this is the first time in my life I’ve repurchased bougie $$$ bath wash because it’s that wonderful (tip: use it with an Asian scrub towel to extend the use and create more suds for yourself!), and Justin has (un)fortunately fallen in love with their nontoxic deodorant and it’s made him resistant to using anything else— so we’re stocking up right now since they never go on sale!
KITCHEN / HOME:
Made In— Up to 30% off: Our kitchen has entirely transitioned to a Made In kitchen, after testing out their various cookware over the last 2+ years— several Michelin Star restaurants use Made In, so you know it’s pro-standard. Nothing competes with their nontoxic (and actually) non-stick pans, their stainless steel collection is *chefs kiss,* and our dutch oven (now $199) from them gets more use than my Le Cruset at a much more affordable price point. Their knives and wine glasses are also fantastic, we’ve gifted their mugs and glassware to family because they’re all such great quality (my MIL has the drinking glasses and adores them!).
Fable Home— Buy More, Save More, Up to 30% off: All of our main dishes, gold cutlery, and glass drinkware we use daily are from Fable— their ceramics are beautifully made in several gorgeous colorways, their Japanese soda-lime glassware is shatter resistant (we have both the tall and short glasses, the short ones making excellent cocktail glasses too), and everything we have from them have stood the test of time over several years of using them and running them through the dishwasher DAILY.
Geometry Kitchen— up to 35% off, code LauraSu15 (it’s 20% off for Black Friday + 15% off with my friend Laura’s code) // As mentioned in an earlier issue, I fell in love with Geometry tea towels, after my MIL gifted me a bunch last year— very absorbent, made with recycled materials, and beautiful. They rarely go on sale, so I already bought a few more tea and bar towels last week!
Brooklinen — 25% off sitewide, no code // Their classic percale sheets are my favorite sheets I’ve ever had, end of sentence.
Finally purchasing this trendy little Bissell Little Green cleaner (on sale for almost 30% off at $89 right now) because despite our vigorous vacuuming, our rugs need some TLC in our dog-residing house, and I don’t want to spend $500+ getting our rugs professionally cleaned. We also don’t get our car detailed ever, so our fabric carseats need a little steam-clean action too.
WISHLIST:
This is one I’ve had my HSA debit card sitting by my laptop for this entire week for— the Oura Ring. I’ve asked all of my friends who have it to evaluate if it’d be worth it for me, and for the sleep tracking and how it syncs up to Natural Cycles (the period tracking / fertility tracking app I’ve used for years), it feels so. I hate how the different finishes are so wildly different in price, but it’s $70 off the gold right now (down to $379 from $450).
Y’all know I love my pourover, but any time we have guests over, I think of how nice it’d be to have a machine to brew more cups and keep it warm. This Moccamaster ($251 down from $359) is definitely the machine I’d buy (maybe in our next home), as every friend of mine who has it raves about it.
I blame Tiktok for this, but I want this stupid wet dry cordless vacuum (now $195 down from $280) that somehow vacuums and mops at the same time, with a burning passion. I HATE mopping, and this is something out of Harry Potter.
All right, that’s it for me, for now! Be back tomorrow with our usual weekly issue, and stay tuned for few bonus issues before the end of the year (including FAQ’s on Endo + Endo surgery [got SO many questions about this on my IG Q&A], wedding things, and more!)
