Resolution "LOW-BUY" 2014! Who wants to play?

[Naynadine]

It would be nice to see it all, but I'd probably need about 15 of them to fit my entire collection in them! My goal is to get as many of my favorites as I can in there and hopefully I will keep purging until I've narrowed everything down to the clear organizer and the six white drawers that I have from Michaels. I've got 4 sets of drawers, 2 huge drawers in my dresser and stuff in bags and baskets all over the place. My room is an absolute mess. I'm trying to keep the stuff in my kit in my roller case and the two big drawers in the dresser. I'm just so disgusted by all this stuff. It's so crazy how much I still have even with the huge box and bags of stuff I've already decided to purge.

Oh... I have one of those white spinner things from QVC too.

Those clear cubes/drawers are great. I think it's OK to buy those even if you're on a low-buy. It really helps you organize and see how much stuff you really have.
I have invested in some Muji organizers as well, I still need to get 1-2 more for my blushes (I wish Muji had free shipping). I'm going to minimize my stash until everything fits in there, one compartment for lipsticks, one for eye palettes, etc.

 

[PixieDancer]

I'd just like to announce that my low-buy is in serious PERIL! I need to give myself a time-out immediately. The spring collections are always my favorite, then summer, and I usually pass on the rest of the year and even the big holiday collections but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad so soon. 1. All six lipsticks are LUSTRES? Seriously? All of them? Never expected that in a million years. Lustres are my absolute lipstick weakness! Of the 13 I have.. 8 are the lustre formula and I absolutely adore them all and think they all look different on me! I'm very afraid. Everyone else is like "skip!" and I'm sitting here like.. I really hope there was an error and they're not lustres at all lol, that would be perfect. 2. Cremesheen glosses are also the only formula I like.. I'm down to 1 lipgloss now so I'd be okay with adding to that. 3. Knew I wanted Perfect Topping from the beginning. Didn't want Stereo Rose since it looked too saturated for me but apparently the new one is toned down? 4. I have 10 blushes already. I will skip these. I have 10 blushes already. I will skip these. 5. Skip skip skip on everything else, fortunately!! Does anyone think we will see swatches or other pics of the actual products (no filter) before it launches online? I really need to do some paring down of my preliminary list. And then cut that list in half. And then cut THAT list in half too..haha.

I would put you in a time out if I could! Sounds like you know your buying trends and what you really like & use. So it may be safer for you to enjoy FOF to the fullest more than some of us. I would make a list based on what you have & trust your instincts. Just be careful. Leave a few spots open for surprises later on!!!

I did a little pruning over the weekend and got rid of Light Year, NARS South Beach (lasts on me about 10 minutes) and a few other items that were essentially new that i'm just not using. It's easily done - just walk into a room of 19 year-old college students (aka my daughter's friends), let them know that these products have been used but very slightly but that they are welcome to them if they'd like and then back away quickly. Too funny - polite nods while I'm in the room and then delighted squeals once I leave. :haha: I came close to getting rid of Redhead and Stereo Rose and only keeping Adored, Definitely Defined and Superb. I think that's where I'm headed - most MSF just can't compete with the Hourglass Ambient powders and some other faves that are kinder to mid-40s skin.

You know that LY purge hurt me! Lol I do admire your ability! I'm on my way too! Those crazy lucky girls probably want to adopt you as their 2nd mom!!! Heehee Good Job AudreyC!

I'm feeling very tempted. I want to buy BlazingHaute while I still can, I've been thinking about it for about a week and I'm working longer than normal hours this week, plus I'm very irritates today and I think I'm skipping a lot of FOF. Retail therapy?

Sounds like you and AudreyC have talked thru this but I do agree... If you were able to wait it either means you don't need it or you're really thinking thru your purchases. Just decide which one it is. It's a nice blush but not undupable. Let us know what you decide....

Pixie, I just want to say how grateful I am that you opened this thread! Your posts are truly an inspiration and it's amazing how you motivate us! :bouquet: I hope your low-buy is going well for you!

Thank you doll! I'm glad we are all getting SO much out of this!! We are awesome! I can't believe how much I worried about starting this thread.... I didn't think it would be so popular on a place full of makeup lovers!!!

:agree: , thank you again Pixie!

You're welcome beautiful! Thanks goes to us ALL!

I need to stop staying away, every time I pop back in there's so much to catch up on! I sold some items in a facebook group auction this weekend and made $282.00 not including what I charged for shipping!  ompom: I have always wanted one of those clear cube type organizers and I have the opportunity to get one at a great price.  I'm torn though, will that go against my low buy efforts? I have bags and boxes of stuff that I want to get rid of and I'm not even done purging.  I've tried to sell a lot of stuff that I thought would sell but it's just sitting.  I'm not sure what to do with everything.  It's all used so donating is out of the question.  I could drag it around everywhere and let family and friends dig through it all.  I'm afraid most of it will end up in the trash.  I just checked out the color story for FoF and I really don't see much that interests me.  The "old me" would have gotten probably 6 lip products and both blushes.  I'm feeling good!!  I'd like to get one gloss though.  I love that formula.

Good job selling! Keep it up! Why don't you make the drawer a reward after you get rid of the rest of the stuff you have to purge?! I think you can donate gently used makeup to a local woman's shelter... So maybe look into that!! I'm proud of you for realizing what your issues are... That's a HUGE step in the right direction!

 

[kanne]

Those clear cubes/drawers are great. I think it's OK to buy those even if you're on a low-buy. It really helps you organize and see how much stuff you really have.
I have invested in some Muji organizers as well, I still need to get 1-2 more for my blushes (I wish Muji had free shipping). I'm going to minimize my stash until everything fits in there, one compartment for lipsticks, one for eye palettes, etc.

I bought my drawers from an office supply shop for around $14, rather than Muji (even though their drawers are lovely). I got the type with the drawers that get larger as you go down, so the top few are a great size for lipstick, eyeshadows, the middle one is a bit bigger for blush/face products and I use the bottom drawer for skin care and my palettes.

 

[Audrey C]

I think you can donate gently used makeup to a local woman's shelter... So maybe look into that!!

I know you love LY, but it was just too glittery for me. I like when the finish just about melts in and glows without being detectable (if that makes sense), and LY just doesn't do that for me. Adored gives me a similar colour without glitter and I was never going to go through both. And don't even get me started about my newfound love of Hourglass.

If it makes you feel any better, LY didn't even make it out of the house. My (almost) 12 year-old pounced when she realized I was (yet again) pruning. She already acquired my Star Wonder (I don't even know what possessed me to buy that one - it never looked good on me but I convinced myself to 'stretch') and now she has this one too. One warm, one cool. Yet more in her stash that I won't even let her wear out of the house (except to perform) until her 13th birthday.

As for my older daughter's friends, I've known some of them since they were 5 years old. I've loved watching them all blossom from giggly little girls into capable young women making their way. If I'm not going to wear it, it makes me happy to give it to one of them. I really do enjoy my stash more when it's smaller. I shouldn't have let it get out of hand like this, but like many of us somewhere along the line I started thinking of it as a collection and not just a consumable. I won't do that again.

 

[LinenWhite7]

I wish I could go on launch day! Unfortunately I have to work that day.. I think I'm mostly past the point of buying things that won't work on me (I hope). I have a neutral skintone so I can get away with a pretty big range of colors unless they're too bright or saturated. And I already know that the only lipstick formulas I like are lustre (of course ALL of them have to be that formula lol) or cremesheen sometimes. I'm really hoping for some swatches!! I don't mind buying a few more items than planned at the beginning of the year, since I usually skip May-December collections entirely.. but I absolutely need to stick to my 12 item limit. Maybe I'll have to go through my stash over the next week or so and see what my favorites are in terms of shades/undertones etc and narrow from there. Thanks so much for your suggestions! 

Could you make an appointment for the day after and ask them to hold one of each lipstick for you until your appointment? Then you could decide without the pressure of deciding from online swatches.

 

[veronikawithak]

My counter isn't that helpful.. They don't hold LE items beforehand and they unplug the phones on the morning of release. I've called later in the day and if something is left they'll hold it until close. But I think I can manage to narrow down now that the shock of an entire collection of lustres has worn off.. haha.

 

[User38]

Thank you Pixie Dancer!.. I cannot find your post lol..


as to giving away some used items, a lot of mu students will love to receive them -- they can sanitize and do practice with them. I have given a lot of my stuff to young MU students.

 

[NewChick10]

Quote:Originally Posted by HerGreyness

I have sinned

just ordered some products online.. lol. I have been on a selective no buy for awhile now... so it's a minor sin, enabled by ElegantLady

LOL at you sinned........

 

[NewChick10]

Quote:Originally Posted by GoldenGirl

So proud of myself. I'm passing on the NARS palette AND the MAC palettes. The swatches don't really look all that exciting... is it just me? Like I'm looking for something unique in any of the swatches from any of the palettes and nothing's jumping out at me. Maybe I'm expecting too much since they're neutral palettes after all.. no exciting greens or blues or anything like that.



It didn't wow me into wanting it.

 

[NewChick10]

Quote:Originally Posted by Audrey C

Ain't that the truth! Unlike most, I LOVE finishing products up even when they're LE. It just reaffirms to me what a good purchase it was. Even if it's a colour I really liked, it just gives me the opportunity to shift to something else in my stash. I like keeping my lippie count down in the mid-20s because then I actually finish a few of them each year.

I have a bunch of neutral blush that I wear a lot in the winter. My favourites are Douceur and A Perfect Cheek. Because of that, I NEVER use my Blushbaby or Prism, both of which are also flattering. I hit pan on Douceur a couple of months ago (after about 14 months of use) and I'm sure I'll finish it in the next few months. A Perfect Cheek now has a visible dip. I can't wait to finish Douceur so that I can go back and start making a dent in BB and Prism; I'm not going to rush out to replace it. Launch Away has a good sized dip - I won't be sad when I finish it, because then I can have fun choosing an updated version and enjoy it instead of feeling like an organized hoarder.



LOL at organized hoarder. Yep that is me. I have sold many items and I feel pretty good about getting my stash down to a more friendly group of items.

 

[charlotte366]

Ok I counted everything last night, the full written down inventory will occur this weekend, I was a liitle shocked by my totals! Here it goes (please don't judge me!): Primer: 7 Foundation: 15 Concealer: 8 Powder: 5 Bronzer: 5 Blusher: 63 Cream blusher: 11 Eyeshadow: 283 (i counted every shadow including those in palettes) Cream Eyeshadows/pencils: 38 Eyeliners: 107 (crap!) Mascara: 9 although only 1 actually open in use Lipsticks/Crayons: 111 Lipgloss: 35 although 27 are still BNIB/unopened Lip liners: 5 I felt a little sick when I finished, I have too much for ME. I also watched those youtube videos that were suggested and they were really helpful, particularly the purge ones! Where do I go from here?, well I decided that my 1 product a month purchase can continue if I need it, but i want to almost head towards buying nothing if I can for just a couple of months, I want to head towards I streamlined set of products that will get lots of love and can be used up! Stage 1: When I do my full written inventory this weekend I am going to try to take out anything BNIB that hasn't been touched yet, I should be able to sell this easily on ebay. Stage 2: Once those are removed I need to slim it by approx 1 third to get it to fit neatly in the 3 draws of my vanity, no overspill allowed! Depending on usage, this may mean for sale in the clearence bin/ebay or given to friends/family, I particularly want to do this to the lip products and eyeshadows. Blushers are my "thing" and I might find it hard to slim down. Stage 3: To live with that collection for 3 months and write down when things get used, after 3 months if it hasn't been loved it will need a new home. When stage 2 is complete I will post up revised numbers to use for future comparisons. Once I have done my makeup i want to adopt the same approach to my nail polish, shoes and wardrobe. I would like to end 2014 with a less cluttered life, but using the pieces I own so much more. I want to say a big thankyou to @pixiedancer for this thread, it has really helped my focus on my resolutions and bring my spending under control.

 

[NewChick10]

Quote:Originally Posted by charlotte366

Ok I counted everything last night, the full written down inventory will occur this weekend, I was a liitle shocked by my totals!

Here it goes (please don't judge me!):

Primer: 7
Foundation: 15
Concealer: 8
Powder: 5
Bronzer: 5
Blusher: 63
Cream blusher: 11
Eyeshadow: 283 (i counted every shadow including those in palettes)
Cream Eyeshadows/pencils: 38
Eyeliners: 107 (crap!)
Mascara: 9 although only 1 actually open in use
Lipsticks/Crayons: 111
Lipgloss: 35 although 27 are still BNIB/unopened
Lip liners: 5

I felt a little sick when I finished, I have too much for ME. I also watched those youtube videos that were suggested and they were really helpful, particularly the purge ones!

Where do I go from here?, well I decided that my 1 product a month purchase can continue if I need it, but i want to almost head towards buying nothing if I can for just a couple of months, I want to head towards I streamlined set of products that will get lots of love and can be used up!

Stage 1: When I do my full written inventory this weekend I am going to try to take out anything BNIB that hasn't been touched yet, I should be able to sell this easily on ebay.
Stage 2: Once those are removed I need to slim it by approx 1 third to get it to fit neatly in the 3 draws of my vanity, no overspill allowed! Depending on usage, this may mean for sale in the clearence bin/ebay or given to friends/family, I particularly want to do this to the lip products and eyeshadows. Blushers are my "thing" and I might find it hard to slim down.
Stage 3: To live with that collection for 3 months and write down when things get used, after 3 months if it hasn't been loved it will need a new home.

When stage 2 is complete I will post up revised numbers to use for future comparisons. Once I have done my makeup i want to adopt the same approach to my nail polish, shoes and wardrobe.

I would like to end 2014 with a less cluttered life, but using the pieces I own so much more.

I want to say a big thankyou to @pixiedancer for this thread, it has really helped my focus on my resolutions and bring my spending under control.


I am going to do this Saturday, it's a great idea.

 

[dorni]

I couldn't get those MAC and NARS palettes out of my mind, so I decided to pull out my whole eyeshadow collection and take pictures of it to see if I can dupe them.

Et voilà:

More than I expected.


So I made a promise to myself, that in 2014, I will try to only buy colours that are unique AND I will use them regularly. And no more dark, matte pigments for me, I have more than enough!!

 

[kerry-jane88]

YO TEAM LOW BUY!

So after the FOF reveal, i fancy:
perfect topping msf: i get great use out of my msf so i wont go unused, the colours look fantastic

and maybe
lily white pigment: if i doesnt pull too yellow then i think id love it as a highlighter
azalea in the afternoon: pending swatches, i love the look of mineralize products, but i'll probaly have to leave this off my list as the haul would cost too much.

i know you usa ladies can b2m for l.e. liptsicks so long as they aren't in special packaging,
but i'd had trouble trying to do that over here in teh uk.
ive done a mac live chat and they said i can do it, the ladies in the uk thread said you can but you'll probably have to insist on it, silly unknowledgeable SAs especially on the concessions!

i think i might like snapdragon l/s from FOF and if so id want to b2m for it, as nothing in the permanent line is jumping out at me and it'd save me £15 when im on a low buy!

 

[Audrey C]

I couldn't get those MAC and NARS palettes out of my mind, so I decided to pull out my whole eyeshadow collection and take pictures of it to see if I can dupe them.

Et voilà:

More than I expected.


So I made a promise to myself, that in 2014, I will try to only buy colours that are unique AND I will use them regularly. And no more dark, matte pigments for me, I have more than enough!!

It's eye-opening when you see it like that, isn't it? My collection is smaller but it's still more than enough. I've come to realize that I rarely wear my coloured shadows; I like neutrals better so need to avoid being sucked in by pretty shades I'll never use.

 

[Kaori]

Did another sephora purchase =.= damn sales.. but resisted makeup and only bought two hair brushes and some hair ties (29$ total, rouge free shipping saved me those 20$ I would usually spend just to get free shipping, yay). Tempted to get the pretty purple train case that also went on sale, but I'm bummed that the small one is 39$ I bought small one 2yrs ago for only 23$ on sale, prices sure went up =/ But I already have one big and one small train case from sephora, all packed, I shouldn't get another one, just because it's pretty >.< plus the glitter is rough to touch(I checked in store) and will eventually start flaking, which I hate >.< Heh, now that I write it down, it's easier to decide to skip it lol I don't have enough stuff to fill it and it would just make me buy MORE stuff to fill it up(I don't like empty spaces I'm weird). I think I should start saving up for a pretty vanity/dresser instead xD

 

[NaomiH]

I wish Ulta would quit sending me coupons, it's SO hard to pass up 20% off. lol. I know in the long run I'm not really saving, but it's hard to break that sale mentality.

 

[thefbomb]

I wish Ulta would quit sending me coupons, it's SO hard to pass up 20% off. lol. I know in the long run I'm not really saving, but it's hard to break that sale mentality. 

I hear you, coupons, sales and points cards are a killer. We love a "deal"

 

[Audrey C]

I wish Ulta would quit sending me coupons, it's SO hard to pass up 20% off. lol. I know in the long run I'm not really saving, but it's hard to break that sale mentality.


Quote: Originally Posted by thefbomb


I hear you, coupons, sales and points cards are a killer. We love a "deal"

Unsubscribe. Seriously, that's the only way I don't fall prey to these tactics. I've only stayed on MAC (free shipping codes) and Sephora (VIB discounts) mailing lists and nixed the others.

 

[NaomiH]

Unsubscribe. Seriously, that's the only way I don't fall prey to these tactics. I've only stayed on MAC (free shipping codes) and Sephora (VIB discounts) mailing lists and nixed the others.

I've actually unsubscribed from all places except MAC, Ulta, Sephora and Melt Cosmetics (I want to finally get DGAF). I guess I should finally take the plunge and do Sephora and Ulta and Melt once I get that lippy. Also, is there a way to have them stop being sent to my house? Ulta likes to email and mail them. -_-