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

[SleepingBeauty]

Same! I once heard a SA at a nail salon tell a customer to add nail polish remover to a bottle of nail polish to make it usable again! I jumped right in and told the customer to buy thinner instead.. the SA wasn't too happy with me..

Good thing you were there! She would've have totally ruined her nail polish. One should think the SAs are experts...

 

[Rainbunny]

It's the skincare mumbo-jumbo that gets me! The companies do think we are stupid.

 

[veronikawithak]

It's the skincare mumbo-jumbo that gets me! The companies do think we are stupid.

Yes, they do! Ever since I stopped using conventional cleansers/moisturizers and switched to products with few and natural ingredients my skin is hands down the best it's ever been. Now I'm just trying to repair all of the damage from using them.

I know there are some products out there that are okay, but it's a minefield of ones that are not and I'd prefer not to take chances.

 

[HppyLittleNinja]

Hi everyone!

First, thank you to PixieDancer for starting this thread, and to her, Shellcat, Spikesmom, Serenityy coming up with the idea. Second, I must give *huge applause* to everyone who has shared her story so far! The camraderie and encouragement is fantastic. Third, this my first post on this thread. I may not have a large collection of makeup (but definitely far larger than the one-makeup-bag-kinda-gal) but, I too, struggle. I want to put my beauty money towards my apartment and my wedding (that I do not want to plan). I'm putting the spotlight on my beauty stash becaues it's another step in my decluttering 'adventure'. I'm making progress with clothing, sentimental things, forgotten kitchen things ... you know, all that "stuff". [Any ideas on how to get my fiancé on board?]. Err... HappyLittleNinja ...let's get back to beauty! Ahhh... the lovely, glorious, magnificent world of beauty. Who doesn't want to feel beautiful? I need a moment... let me bask in that feeling. It's like sunshine on my upturned face. *snap out of it*

I have enough beauty products (hair care, skin care, etc) to carry me through at least a couple years. The makeup and nail polish I have will take me several years to finish. Oh gosh. I have a problem. I took a break from writing to browse makeup online. Gackkkkk.

My ultimate goal is to have a well-curated collection of loved items only. To get there, I need to evaluate all my makeup and (hopefully) naturally downsize.

My plan of action:
- Evaluate my items on a 'love scale' of 1-10, where 10s are HG items.
- I will keep items that rate an 8 and higher. They make me smile and/or feel radiant when I use them. They might be 'boring' things like primers or brow fillers or concealers, but are effective and help make me feel beautiful.
- Donate, give away, or sell items I already know do not work. (Rate below 2?)
- Items rating 2-3. Use 'em up! Try to repurpose them. For example, an eye primer that irritates my eyes may be useful around my nose/face. Use up overly-fragranced/irritating eye or face cream on my body/hands. You get the picture. Donate or give away all fails.


The 3-7s are the tricky ones. To curate, I must act. I need to move them along my love scale. How?
- Give it some attention. Put it in my daily rotation for 1-2 weeks. It could be a forgotten/potential love that needed a chance to work its magic. Or, it may not suit me after all. Either way, I'm giving it a fighting chance.
- Play with it in a new/unexpected way. Use it in combination with other shades, layer it, use it for an unintended purpose. [Any suggestions?]
- Ask myself: am I keeping it because I may need it one day? Because it fills a void in my collection? (Is there even a void? Or did I just use an non-reason as a reason to keep something?) For example, I have a dark matte brown eyeshadow that would be excellent for setting a brown eyeliner or used wet to line my eyes more softly. Do I need to keep it? (I have black hair and black eyelashes. I reach for black more than brown. I could mix my chocolate brown with black to create this shade.) Is it worth keeping? (The eyeshadow in question is stiff and I have other shades I can use to deepen my crease shade with a similar effect.)


When I am lusting after something, I have to go through my collection FIRST before buying.
- If it's LE/sold out before I've done so, it wasn't meant to be. I'm sure I can find another product to lust after soon enough.
- Physically go through my stash and pick out similar items.
- Use them. Can I approximate the lusted item by layering products I already own? It might not be a dupe, but maybe it'll satisfy the itch to BUY ALL OF DEM.
- KEY: It is not enough to swatch my item. I must use my item. Only then will I consider a new aquisition.

Considering aquisitions:
- Am I going to tear into it and use it that night or within the next two days?
- If it's something like a paint pot and I'm not obsessed with the packaging, can I split the purchase with a friend? (Maybe she/he keeps the original pot this time and I keep it next time.)
- How about swapping amongst friends? (This is tough for me because none of my friends are into makeup. Except my cousin, but I'm usually the one giving her things because I'm a beauty nerd. I also choose to spend more of my miniscule disposable income on beauty; she chooses to use hers on other things.)
- etc.

Oh boy. This took me a long time to think through. I'd appreciate any feedback. Am I crazy? Where are the holes in my plan? How can I shore up against my vulnerabilities? Thanks for reading and giving me space to sort out my thoughts. I didn't expect to write this much!

 

[PixieDancer]

Joining the team low buy 2014!! I have waaayy too much make up.lol

Welcome welcome!!

Thanks, Pixie. You're right...   I swatched many of my blushes on my arm today and I just realized how many beautiful things I already have that are being neglected because I'm always using something new. I enjoy new things, but it's not like I always need them. It will teach me to be more appreciative of what I am blessed to already have.   I was also looking through my lipsticks and I pulled out Flamingo and remembered how excited I was to get my hands on it, how much I just LOVED using it, and I don't so much anymore because my collection has blown up and I have so many to use now. I just think that feeling of having some special ones is better than feeling the need to get all and have no real LOVE for them the way that I loved Flamingo. Lol, I sound like Flamingo was my first boyfriend that I fell in love with. Not really, but it was probably one of the lipsticks I was most excited to get along with Watch Me Simmer. I think they were the first of that color family for me (and those are some of my favorite colors).   So, I will be making an effort to buy less and enjoy more now!

Good girl! Your awareness and enthusiasm is all you need to get started!!

 

[PixieDancer]

[@]HppyLittleNinja[/@] thanks for the amazingly insightful post! Sounds like you have really thought this through and have a solid plan of action!! Great job and fantastic start to your "rehabilitation!" Heehee The only thing I would personally recommend, is not to hang onto anything you rate a 1-4... It sounds like you have a large stash (like so many of us here). I'd hate to see you struggling to repurpose and rethink so many products that obviously fell short for you from the get go. Life is too short to have to think that much about something that should be easy & fun! Obviously, that would still give you your 5-7's to play with and sort out how you truly feel about them. These are honestly just really tough-love, specific points because you asked for any feedback. I'm super thrilled you're here and happy to learn from your disciplined post. So, whatever you ultimately decide is in your hands... And you need to be happy with your personal goal and plan! Either way.... You're going to do great with such a wonderful outlook on your project!! We are here for you hun!!!

 

[veronikawithak]

Quote: Originally Posted by HppyLittleNinja
Oh boy. This took me a long time to think through. I'd appreciate any feedback. Am I crazy? Where are the holes in my plan? How can I shore up against my vulnerabilities? Thanks for reading and giving me space to sort out my thoughts. I didn't expect to write this much!

Welcome to low-buy paradise!

I think that sounds like a great plan!!

When I was culling my collection I got rid of all the fails first! Get them out and never think of them again lol.

Then the dupes. If two shades are similar enough, pick the best formula or your favorite brand/packaging etc.

Then I went through the maybes. Like you said, that's the hardest. I used a rating system for entire looks rather than products, so if a product was constantly in a look that rated say 8 or below.. and I couldn't find a combination it looked good in.. byeeee! I also inventoried my entire collection so I knew exactly how many of each product I had and exactly how much it all cost. Then, every time I used an item, I marked down the date on my spreadsheet. If I didn't use it within a few months, byeeee! One thing I thought was really helpful was to pick a set number for each category and fill it with your absolute favorites ex. 10 blushes (or whatever number you want to have) and for new acquisitions or extras ask yourself, "Do I like this one blush better than any of my 10 favorites??" If not, byeeee!

 

[RayRay88]

Like you, I have been interested in PT, in my case, mostly due to all the hype in the FOF thread. So I asked somebody to swatch it against Lightscapade, which is perm, and the verdict is that they are very close, except PT is more pink. Maybe someone in that thread can swatch PT against the Guy bourdin highlighter you already have. That's why I find Temptalia's swatches are so helpful to compare products against what you already have. 9 times out of 10, the difference is so small that I conclude it's not worth it. Even if her swatches are not 100% accurate, they are good enough to see that you already have something pretty similar already. If the difference between PT and Lightscapade is not significant to you, you can get Lightscapade any time. In contrast, I did pick up 4 Mac Huggables total because I loved the formula so much after I purchased just one, and now I wear them all the time. That's what is hard to tell from reviews since it's so personal. That means I will have to be very choosy now with future collections but that's okay because I got something LE that I am really using a lot.

Those are excellent points! I really want PT if it would show up as a pink highlight on me, but I've seen swatches where it is indeed just like Lightscapade. I suppose this is one I need to visit the counter for on launch day (and hopefully not be taken in by the rest of the collection!) I swatched a Huggable on my hand and it was just...sticky. Turned me off of them immediately, but maybe I'll give them a second chance one of these days.

 

[HppyLittleNinja]

These are honestly just really tough-love, specific points because you asked for any feedback. I'm super thrilled you're here and happy to learn from your disciplined post. So, whatever you ultimately decide is in your hands... And you need to be happy with your personal goal and plan! Either way.... You're going to do great with such a wonderful outlook on your project!! We are here for you hun!!!
PixieDancer, you're right on with the increasing the bottom of the barrel to 1-4. It wil make things easier and involve less thinking. Yay! heh heh.
My stash isn't all that large. Regardless, I'm eager to possess only the cream of the crop. Why waste my life and energy on things that are difficult to work with, eh?

Quote: Originally Posted by veronikawithak

Welcome to low-buy paradise!

I think that sounds like a great plan!!

When I was culling my collection I got rid of all the fails first! Get them out and never think of them again lol.

Then the dupes. If two shades are similar enough, pick the best formula or your favorite brand/packaging etc.

Then I went through the maybes. Like you said, that's the hardest. I used a rating system for entire looks rather than products, so if a product was constantly in a look that rated say 8 or below.. and I couldn't find a combination it looked good in.. byeeee! I also inventoried my entire collection so I knew exactly how many of each product I had and exactly how much it all cost. Then, every time I used an item, I marked down the date on my spreadsheet. If I didn't use it within a few months, byeeee! One thing I thought was really helpful was to pick a set number for each category and fill it with your absolute favorites ex. 10 blushes (or whatever number you want to have) and for new acquisitions or extras ask yourself, "Do I like this one blush better than any of my 10 favorites??" If not, byeeee!

Oh gosh, doing a spreadsheet-inventory of all my beauty products was the BEST thing for squashing the desire to buy new things. I didn't add the date of purchase. That may be helpful.

 

[veronikawithak]

PixieDancer, you're right on with the increasing the bottom of the barrel to 1-4. It wil make things easier and involve less thinking. Yay! heh heh.
My stash isn't all that large. Regardless, I'm eager to possess only the cream of the crop. Why waste my life and energy on things that are difficult to work with, eh?

Oh gosh, doing a spreadsheet-inventory of all my beauty products was the BEST thing for squashing the desire to buy new things. I didn't add the date of purchase. That may be helpful.

Totally agree with PixieDancer on this one, life's too short!

Spreadsheets are definitely the best. Date of purchase is good too (I use estimated date of expiration, esp. for liquid/creams) but the most helpful for me were the dates I used each item and a totals column for each month! I started fresh in January but I can already see how many times I used each item, which ones haven't been used at all, the total number of unused items in each category, etc.

 

[Rainbunny]

Those are excellent points! I really want PT if it would show up as a pink highlight on me, but I've seen swatches where it is indeed just like Lightscapade. I suppose this is one I need to visit the counter for on launch day (and hopefully not be taken in by the rest of the collection!) I swatched a Huggable on my hand and it was just...sticky. Turned me off of them immediately, but maybe I'll give them a second chance one of these days.

I like them because they are sticky! Someone who hates feeling something on their lips wouldn't like them at all. I find them long-wearing (maybe due to the stickiness) but not dry, and dryness is what I really hate.

 

[kerry-jane88]

[@]HppyLittleNinja[/@] wow a great post, I like your rating plan I might try that to further whittle down my stash!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I've been on low buy since 2011 and i'm planing on keeping it this way. I think last year I only bought two products - the hourglass powder palette and one of Nars cream eyeliners. I'm also donating a bunch of the makeup I don't use. I really have more than I can handle nowadays lol

 

[veronikawithak]

Two items for the whole year is spectacular! I hope to get there one day.

 

[Naynadine]

She is biased against colorful eyeshadows, she even wrote a book called Blue eyeshadow should be illegal. lol I agree that when done wrong it looks like clown makeup, but when done right you can wear blue eyeshadows no problem.
I only read her reviews for skincare, I'm sensitive to many things, especially fragrance so I found it helpful when she mentioned to avoid lavender oil, because I had no clue that was what was irritating me =)

That is too funny, could be my motto since I only wear neutrals.

Admittedly, I'm a fan of natural makeup and don't really get the heavy and colourful makeup look. But hey, to each their own

Quote: Originally Posted by kerry-jane88


Always good to be informed!
And to do whats best for you, even if that means going against the general consensus (I have acne but I love using lavender oil!)
I've heard some absolute crap advice off of counter SAs in my time!

It's almost impossible to find a light foundation in Germany, most brands only offer their lightest shades int he US, UK, etc. But of course the SAs want to sell, so they'll tell you to buy a darker one, because it makes you look ''healthier'' anyway.

 

[shellygrrl]

Quick question: has a nail polish gone bad if it's seperated in two phases, like clear fluid on top? Most seem to be alright when I shake them, but some just stay looking ugly, lol. My beloved Particulere (taupe creme) looks a mess, it has a green liquid on top and looks orangey at the bottom. Eek. Some of my MAC polishes look like that as well, no matter how much I shake them or store them upside down or on the side for a while, and they started looking like that not too long after I bought them.

I think your beloved Particulere has had it. If it's a polish you actually wear at times, you can justify replacing it.

 

[User38]

RIP Particulaire

 

[User38]

I always tell SA's I like to look sick and in a state of love lost .. thus pale and wane.

 

[veronikawithak]

I always tell SA's I like to look sick and in a state of love lost .. thus pale and wane.

I also like to look pasty and lovelorn.

 

[Naynadine]

RIP Particulaire

Oh no.

Haven't worn it in a long time, so I don't feel like I'm allowed a replacement right now.
See, that what happens when I have stuff stored away someplace. I forget that I have it or I'm to lazy to break it out. I guess I do have to make an inventory list so that I have an overview and everything gets used.