Kuala Lampur, Sept. 11 -- "It's okay. Just this once."

"I've worked hard."

"I deserve this."

Many of us have probably said something similar before buying something we did not really need.

Perhaps it was a new pair of shoes. A handbag. Another skincare product. An expensive cup of coffee. Or something that had been sitting in our online shopping cart for several days.

We know we could live without it.

But after a long week, a stressful day at work or simply a day that did not go particularly well, the purchase suddenly feels justified.

We call it a reward.

Sometimes, we call it self-care.

And this is where something interesting is happening in contemporary consumer culture.

Taking care of ourselves is becoming increasingly assoc...