Getting Started with the Neiman Marcus Event
Alright, so I heard the Neiman Marcus beauty event was rolling around again. You know how it is, they do these things a couple of times a year, feels like. Saw an email, I think? Or maybe just saw folks talking about it online. Anyway, knew it was happening.
My first thought was, okay, what’s the deal this time? Usually, it’s one of those ‘spend X amount, get a bag of goodies’ things. So, I went to their site to check it out. Took a bit of clicking around, you know how websites are sometimes, hiding the important bits.
Found the details. Yep, spend a certain amount on beauty stuff, and you get this tote bag filled with samples. They always make the bags look nice in the pictures. And then, usually, different brands have their own little extra gifts if you spend enough just on their products. More temptation, right?
Figuring Out What to Buy
So, the next step was figuring out if I actually needed anything. I mean, really needed it. It’s easy to get sucked in by the promise of free stuff. I took a look at my bathroom shelf. Okay, maybe running low on that face cream I like. And perhaps that one serum everyone talks about? Time to try?
I started browsing. Added my usual face cream to the cart. Then I looked around. What else? Maybe a new sunscreen for the summer coming up. Added that too. Checked the total. Still not quite at the magic number for the big gift bag. This is always the tricky part, isn’t it? Trying to hit the amount without going way over, buying stuff you don’t really want.
Needed to be strategic. I looked at the brands that had their own extra gifts. Did any of them line up with what I already had in my cart or things I genuinely wanted to try? Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. This time, one brand I kinda liked had a small extra gift, so I added a lipstick I’d been eyeing from them. Boom. Just over the threshold for the main tote bag.
The Waiting Game and The Haul
Placed the order. Felt that little rush, you know? Then comes the waiting. Checking the tracking number like a hawk. Finally, the box showed up a few days later.
Unboxing time. First, checked my actual order. Everything looked good, the cream, the sunscreen, the lipstick. Okay, main mission accomplished.
Then, the moment of truth – the gift bag. Pulled it out. The tote itself was decent quality this year, might actually use it. Then dumped out the samples. Here’s what I usually find:
- Lots of little packets, foil samples. Hard to tell if you like something from one use.
- A few deluxe samples. These are better, maybe enough for a week. Found a mini mascara, a small moisturizer tube. Those are keepers.
- Sometimes a fragrance vial or two. Hit or miss if you like the scent.
The extra little gift from the specific brand was okay, a tiny version of one of their serums. Cute.
Final Thoughts
So, was it worth it? Eh, it depends. I needed the face cream anyway. The sunscreen too. The lipstick was a bit of an impulse buy to get the gift. The samples are fun to try, but most are just tiny. You don’t really get that much value unless you happen to love several of the deluxe samples.
My take? If you’re already planning to buy some pricier beauty items anyway, timing it with the event is smart. You get a little extra bonus. But I wouldn’t recommend buying things you don’t need just to get the gift bag. It’s rarely worth that much cash out of pocket unless you really, really want that specific tote and sample selection. It’s a game, and you gotta know how to play it for yourself.
Will I check it out again next time? Probably. It’s become a habit. Just gotta keep reminding myself to be smart about it.
