A Beauty Editor's Impulse Buys: $263 of Treatments, Custom Cat Socks, and More

Once upon a time, when I was living on an Upper West Side couch for $1,000 a month and ate a steady diet of ramen, I remember thinking that by the time I turned 30, I'd have it all together. I'd be shopping for and cooking real adult meals. I'd have enough discretionary income to not worry about paying rent if I had a health crisis. But mostly, I'd make enough money to actually have a budget—and stick to it.

Seven years later, I have a Casper mattress (on an Ikea bed frame), pillows that aren't couch cushions, and a savings account that I'm pretty good about not dipping into for the most part. I eat homemade chicken and broccoli...when my boyfriend cooks. But a budget? Eh. It's not like I'm in debt or shop a ton. (Although, I'm a retail email marketer's dream—more on that below.) Rather, I love a plan on a whim. Mani date? I'm there. Brunch? We're splitting a stack of pancakes for the table on top of an egg dish, round of mimosas, and, yeah, give me the latte. I don't even want to admit how much I spent on Ubers alone in the past month, because I honestly don't even want to know.

This usually results in a hodgepodge of Venmo and credit card charges that are hard to plan for. The only thing you won't find? Beauty products. Call it perks of the job.

A gel mani at the L.A. nail spot I've been dying to visit: $136
I started December out with a whirlwind trip to L.A. to visit the brilliant Shani Darden for a facial. (I told you being a beauty editor has its perks.) As a celebrity aesthetician and Garnier ambassador, she's worked on the faces of Emmy Rossum, Kelly Rowland, and so many more. After she worked her magic on my acne-prone skin, using Garnier's new charcoal peel-off mask, I had eight hours of free time to futz around the city, so I did it the best way I knew how—booking a full day of treatments at all the L.A. hot spots I'd been itching to try, starting with Olive & June.

I've been following the nail salon's Instagram for nearly half a decade. In my opinion, they just do nail art right: subtle, sophisticated, with just the right amount of kitsch. (Check out their Insta and you'll see what I mean.) Initially I'd signed up only for the $40 Chrissy, a regular gel mani, and figured I'd get my usual moody blue or purple. But once I sat in the chair, I knew exactly what I wanted: a design inspired by Betina Goldstein (my favorite nail artist at the moment; just look at these fingers!) on each of my cuticles. I ended up with a baby pink base and a delicate line of gold shimmer—plus nearly $100 extra added to the total cost. That said, it lasted a full two and a half weeks, so I'd say it was worth it.