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

SleepingBeauty

Well-known member
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.
#FirstWorldProblems, lol.
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I feel you, I feel you. I just don't know whether I should be jealous because Douglas (Germany's biggest cosmetics retailer) never ever does sales that are comparable to those in the US or relieved because on a positive note that does save me some money.
Anyway, think about what you really need right now and if there's nothing you need or really, really want - throw the coupons into the trash (or somewhere else you won't be able to get them back so quickly - just in case you decide to get something later on)! Out of sight, out of mind.
 

NaomiH

Well-known member
#FirstWorldProblems, lol.
girlhaha.gif
I feel you, I feel you. I just don't know whether I should be jealous because Douglas (Germany's biggest cosmetics retailer) never ever does sales that are comparable to those in the US or relieved because on a positive note that does save me some money.
Anyway, think about what you really need right now and if there's nothing you need or really, really want - throw the coupons into the trash (or somewhere else you won't be able to get them back so quickly - just in case you decide to get something later on)! Out of sight, out of mind.
lol @ #firstworldproblems. That's a good idea, I'l just start tossing them without looking at them, then I won't even know what the "savings" are!
 

veronikawithak

Well-known member
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.
Awesome!! It's a hard thing to do but I'm so glad you were able to face your fear! Sounds like you're well on your way to the lifestyle you want. I'm also moved on from downsizing makeup to downsizing everything. I moved across the country with two suitcases a few years ago and now I've accumulated too much stuff again. It's tough to maintain a simple life with all of the noise in terms of advertising and peer pressure. Remembering that companies spend billions of dollars a year just on advertising alone is helpful for me.. I don't need to contribute to some executive making a six figure salary just to have the newest thing when I already have enough.
 

veronikawithak

Well-known member
Love collection pics so I thought I'd post mine too. This is about half what it was. Getting there! I really want to keep only what I can fit in this organizer from now on. Motivation for my low-buy!
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Spikesmom

Well-known member
I'm proud of you for realizing what your issues are... That's a HUGE step in the right direction!
I have looked into the women's shelters that are relatively close to me. None of them will take open or used beauty products.

The reason I'm interested in the drawer now is that Original Beauty Box held an IMATS special on their IG and if you e-mailed them before the end of the weekend they will sell you one at a pretty descent discount. I'm so torn.

I've looked at the Muji website and while the prices are lower, they are waaaay smaller than the larger clear cube type things. What to do, what to do. lol

I do know what my issues are. It's one thing to know what they are and it's another to be able to change the bad habits. I'm actually doing a really intense workshop in a few weeks to do some "work on myself". Maybe getting to the bottom of some of my deeper issues will help me with the hoarding tendencies that I have.

I've been trying to wear something different every day, especially lipsticks. If I don't look in the mirror and think wow, this is amazing, it's going in the purge box. Today's lipstick is a tosser, yay!!!
 

NaomiH

Well-known member
I was looking back at my old blog and saw my stash post from August 2012, I'm happy to say that my pigments stash only grew by one box and hasn't grown too much since, but lippies and blushes sure have. lol
 

veronikawithak

Well-known member
I do know what my issues are. It's one thing to know what they are and it's another to be able to change the bad habits. I'm actually doing a really intense workshop in a few weeks to do some "work on myself". Maybe getting to the bottom of some of my deeper issues will help me with the hoarding tendencies that I have.

I've been trying to wear something different every day, especially lipsticks. If I don't look in the mirror and think wow, this is amazing, it's going in the purge box. Today's lipstick is a tosser, yay!!!
I find a lot of excessive habits tend to stem from deeper issues. I hope your workshop helps you!

Love the idea of purging those products that don't look amazing.. I don't think any of us goes to put on makeup and says "I think I want to look 'just okay' today." No need to keep products that look sub-par! Good for you!
 

Kaori

Well-known member
I bought couple of those mini lipstick holiday collections but half of them doesn't work for me lol Sisters live too far, don't want to toss them either, so will use them later to color homemade lip balms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwW5m3972M :D It will be cheaper than constantly buying lip balms(I go through lot of those, have dry lips all year long) and it will look pretty =)
 

charlotte366

Well-known member
Quote:Originally Posted by veronikawithak

Love collection pics so I thought I'd post mine too. This is about half what it was. Getting there! I really want to keep only what I can fit in this organizer from now on. Motivation for my low-buy!





Now this would be my make up dream right now! I am so tempted to take the top 1 of my 3 draws in my vanity and fill it with a mix of products and try and use that for a month to see if I miss the other 2 drawers, then may be could sell off the remaining 2 draws full of stuff without feeling guilty? I am so tempted to try it when I do my inventory this weekend, I suspect that the one drawer will hold more than I could possibly need (probably a little more than your clear cube) and might be the trick to downsizing? I am also contemplating buying another mac palette without the insert to depot some other brand shadows into - am I nuts or does anyone else so this? I find I ignore the single shadows so I wondered if I may get more use from depotting them as well as saving space?
 

Spikesmom

Well-known member
I find a lot of excessive habits tend to stem from deeper issues. I hope your workshop helps you!

Love the idea of purging those products that don't look amazing.. I don't think any of us goes to put on makeup and says "I think I want to look 'just okay' today." No need to keep products that look sub-par! Good for you!
The same organization has an entry-level 3 day workshop that I did in the summer of 2011. I've been involved with them ever since. They do a "level 2" 5 day that I'm signed up for. I'm totally terrified. I've heard by the end of day 3 everyone is emotionally exhausted and ready to go home.
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I am excited and scared at the same time to see what I uncover.

I know that my house has been cluttered and I've bought more crap than ever since my dad died 6 years ago. I've never been super neat and I've always shopped too much but the makeup thing is so insanely out of hand. I do this with anything I'm interested in. Every phase I've gone through whether it was making jewelry or scrapbook, I've bought way more than I've used. I'm just determined to get out of this rut.
 

NaomiH

Well-known member
The same organization has an entry-level 3 day workshop that I did in the summer of 2011. I've been involved with them ever since. They do a "level 2" 5 day that I'm signed up for. I'm totally terrified. I've heard by the end of day 3 everyone is emotionally exhausted and ready to go home.
eeksign.gif


I am excited and scared at the same time to see what I uncover.

I know that my house has been cluttered and I've bought more crap than ever since my dad died 6 years ago. I've never been super neat and I've always shopped too much but the makeup thing is so insanely out of hand. I do this with anything I'm interested in. Every phase I've gone through whether it was making jewelry or scrapbook, I've bought way more than I've used. I'm just determined to get out of this rut.
Best of luck with the workshop!
 

Naynadine

Veteran Moderator
Staff member
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.
This is the big Muji organizer I have, it fits MSFs and my eye palettes perfectly.



The smaller one is great for blushes and MES, CCB, etc.

 

LinenWhite7

Well-known member
The same organization has an entry-level 3 day workshop that I did in the summer of 2011.  I've been involved with them ever since.  They do a "level 2" 5 day that I'm signed up for.  I'm totally terrified.  I've heard by the end of day 3 everyone is emotionally exhausted and ready to go home.  :eek: I am excited and scared at the same time to see what I uncover. I know that my house has been cluttered and I've bought more crap than ever since my dad died 6 years ago.  I've never been super neat and I've always shopped too much but the makeup thing is so insanely out of hand.  I do this with anything I'm interested in.  Every phase I've gone through whether it was making jewelry or scrapbook, I've bought way more than I've used.  I'm just determined to get out of this rut.
I'm going to a week-long retreat at a treatment facility in my town at the beginning of Feb to work on some of my issues too! Mine stem from growing up in a dysfunctional and addictive family. I never learned how to be responsible with money and there was a lot of dysfunction in how my mom acted about buying me things, so whenever I had money I spent it on myself and I haven't really stopped that behavior since. Here's to getting it all out on the table, working these things out, learning, and moving on!
 

Kaori

Well-known member
I'm going to a week-long retreat at a treatment facility in my town at the beginning of Feb to work on some of my issues too! Mine stem from growing up in a dysfunctional and addictive family. I never learned how to be responsible with money and there was a lot of dysfunction in how my mom acted about buying me things, so whenever I had money I spent it on myself and I haven't really stopped that behavior since. Here's to getting it all out on the table, working these things out, learning, and moving on!
Good luck! You are brave =) Yeah our families and surrounding have great impact on us. I need to see a psychologist to overcome my fear of talking on phone to strangers, but I think I will leave that for next year's resolution, being too chicken right now >.< My mom told me it's because she forbid me talking on phone when I was 2yr old, apparently I used to try calling random places with our home phone. lol But even when knowing it, I just can't help it myself :(
 

Kaori

Well-known member
Phew, finished counting my stash, including mini and deluxe sizes as well =) I don't really need anything anymore lol all is just 'want' or 'replace after use'

125 eye shadows(including the ones in palettes)
61 nail polishes(plus six zoya's on the way)
33 lip glosses
29 lip sticks
3 lip liners
10 highlighters
2 powders
1 foundation + 3deluxe samples
17 eyeliners
13 blushes
1 bronzer
24 primers (face,eye,lash)
11 mascaras
28 brushes
 

User38

Well-known member
Everyone seems to be doing really well. Hang on ladies -- it will only get better.

my heart goes out to all the ladies who had traumatic events happen or were affected by family situations. My own life has been on a roller coaster since my husband died -- and I have acquired more than I will ever use in those years (for personal use). Sadly, makeup does not substitute a loved one. My work is in the cosmetics industry on a different level and I sometimes don't know what the retail end product is even like... so I have also been buying more to test those items. But in all, it's all just too much.
 

SleepingBeauty

Well-known member
Seriously, Douglas is playing with us. They even give 20% in Austria, Poland etc. Why don't we ever get a good deal?? Ugh.
It's ridiculous, isn't it? I think this week you can get 10% off if you've got the Douglas card but - seriously - you can always find a 10% off code on the internet and shop online.
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What also bugs me is the fact that people don't want to pay reasonable prices for used items - no offense to anyone - but (I don't know if this is only the case in Germany) you basically have to offer your product for nothing in order for people to buy it. I want to sell one of my NARS blushes and it has only been used three times max. and I paid good money for it (about 28€) and I want to get 15€ (shipping included) out of this deal but for some people it is still too much. I don't know what to do with it. I'll see if I can get myself to like it. My friends don't use makeup and women's shelters don't take anything that has been used or opened. And I'm definitely too stubborn to sell the blush for 10€.
 

Spikesmom

Well-known member
What also bugs me is the fact that people don't want to pay reasonable prices for used items - no offense to anyone - but (I don't know if this is only the case in Germany) you basically have to offer your product for nothing in order for people to buy it. I want to sell one of my NARS blushes and it has only been used three times max. and I paid good money for it (about 28€) and I want to get 15€ (shipping included) out of this deal but for some people it is still too much. I don't know what to do with it. I'll see if I can get myself to like it. My friends don't use makeup and women's shelters don't take anything that has been used or opened. And I'm definitely too stubborn to sell the blush for 10€.
This is what's frustrating me too. Unless it's a currently over-hyped product you practically have to give it away. I have 3 Tarte quads that are in Ulta for $25.00 each. I'm trying to sell them for $15 (all of them together) with free shipping and I can't sell them. Really? $75.00 of eyeshadow for $15??? Ugh. So much money wasted. I'm sure a million people would trample over me if I offered them for free.
 
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