Must have US purchases?

[MrsAshleyWilkes]

Travelling to Boston in August for work... are there any must haves to look for in the shops while I'm there?

Years ago I remember jeans / trainers always being great to buy in the states as they were much cheaper, is that still the case?

Prices have REALLY gone up there in recent years.

The only thing I would suggest would be identifying any US indie or cult brands that you really like that are super expensive here but will naturally be cheaper there because no shipping etc. If there aren’t any you really love then it doesn’t matter. :)

Skims? Anthropologie?

What brands or clothes do you like? Jeans and trainers don’t really narrow your style down.

Same for makeup - Anastasia Beverly Hills, maybe NARS?

Last trip I had I didn't bother with clothes or trainers. Came home with a case full of bath & bodyworks candles / soaps / sprays instead. I did buy a Kate Spade bag & purse but honestly couldn't say if it was any cheaper.

Melatonin!

Differin for retinol. It’s great.

If you have little ones. Itzy ritzy bags. They are amazing. Check out Instagram and see what brands are good over there. There are a lot small cute boutiques and thrift stores over there are meant to be a lot better than the uk. I’m not really sure on brands as I mainly just buy kids items(mom life) and American food because some kid on YouTube has it.

Nordstrom Rack is always worth a look.

Community 66 skincare looks good.

www.communitysixtysix.com/

Ooo and contigo west loop flasks.

Madewell, JCrew, Banana Republic - all gone from the UK now I think?

Melatonin and painkillers in massive bottles.

I second melatonin! I can’t do without it and have to order via the states

Very rarely is anything cheaper once you add sales tax, jeans are cheaper here than New York (May 2022) partly due to the exchange rate and partly due to increased wages in the sector has increased prices

it was the same with i was in boston in May

if you definately want to spend money, id look for stuff you cant get here and i also would say melatonin

I've been using 3mg (I bought the 3mg, the 5mg and the 10mg) melatonin from
Piping rock - it's only about £4 for 250 tablets!

I can only use the 3mg as the 5 and the 10 give me morning headaches/drowsiness

what do Melatonin tablets do?

help sleep - you can get them over the counter in the US

@chipsandpeas

Thank you! People sound keen on them.

Sunnies Fluffmatte lipstick and spf is on my list.

dove cucumber deodorant. A good swee round Sephora.

j crew as often very cheap there?

Also:

triple antibiotic lotion
betacain (for grazes but has lidocaine in)
crest whitening strips
rehydrating ice pops (good for when kids are sick!)

Sweep, not sure what a swee is but just in case get one anyway.

Oh, and Madewell.

Tarte makeup.

Melatonin - I have some gummies, incredibly expensive to import, so good at helping me to sleep - brilliant for jetlag.

I loved Bath and Bodyworks car freshners and anti-bac pouches.

Generally though the pound is worth so little it's not as good value as it was.

Melatonin! Def a good shout, thank you!!

Will have a look at some of these links too, really great suggestions

😆 I’m glad I’m not the only one who clears CVS of melatonin every visit!

I love the clothes in Loft and have bought some beautiful pieces. Not too pricey, great, classic designs.
DH stocks up on Ralph Lauren shirts/polo shirts at the airport, which I think are quite a bit cheaper.
My kids love buying the classic US illustrated t-shirts. Their favourites are Cuffeys on Cape Cod and they still have a few that fit 3 years on. I bet there’s a Cuffeys source in Boston somewhere, if you have a little surfer dude in your life.
Cruise Sephora in Quincy Market- you won’t come out empty handed.

And one last tip. Don’t miss Legal Seafoods. Heaven on a plate.

The drugstore brand wetnwild make up?

There are great sour sweets if you have dc that like that kind of thing (look in CVS Pharmacy) also other fun US sweets and chocolate bars
Melatonin rapid melts are the best
Have a look round Sephora
If you can get to an outlet mall, you might pick up some great deals as retailers are struggling to shift their stock and pushing alot of it into the outlets.
Faneuil Hall has some fun shops for browsing through

but the exchange rate is tricky at the moment