A few weeks ago I returned from what I like to think was the trip of a lifetime – my husband and I took off to Italy for three weeks. And it’s probably the longest vacation I’ll ever get to take. An open mind, patience (which I’ve been told I don’t have) and a cute pair of comfy shoes allowed for endless amounts of shopping, dining and sightseeing. Our trip started in Milan, holy crap! I’ve never been to Paris, so I will try to keep an open mind about the shopping that can be experienced in the fashion capitol of the world. However, Milan, um, is amazing! Most streets are small and lined with fashion houses; you need an invitation to get into these studios or carry a black Amex. Neither were in my possession, but that didn’t stop me from going into stores one might find advertised within the pages of a glossy fashion magazine! Dolce & Gabbana, Tod’s, Prada, Valentino, Versace – I could go on! A few things may have been purchased from the aforementioned stores and I will be sure to share them with you later.

Anywho, when I was strolling about with Scott (my husband and constant supporter of my antics) we happened to stumble upon KIKO.

The sleek white colors and purple letters called my name and beckoned me to enter. Enter I did, with husband in tow. I initially felt horrible about exposing Scott to an uber-girlie moment, but the feelings melted away in an instant once I spotted the insanely low prices. Plus, it turns out, having Scott there enhanced my proverbial dip in the KIKO pool; he held my purse in order for me to swatch and he even retrieved a basket from the store's security guard. Think the next klepto to enter is going to attempt the five finger discount with a huge, suit wearing guy standing by – I think not!

Browsing around was a bit of an issue; I was overwhelmed by the selection and didn't really know what I wanted to purchase. Colors were swirling about in my head, which forced me to forget what I already have in my own makeup stash. I swatched a few potential candidates and narrowed the selection down to six items; all told, I spent 55.40 EUR ($77 AUD/US)!

Overall, shopping at KIKO was short and sweet; I got in and out within 10 minutes flat. The size of the store helped keep me in check with my purchase. Rubbing elbows with complete strangers can be less than ideal.

Click here to see how well my choices performed.