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

[DarylandCarole]

I love this idea. I do have several big-money items that I want/need, so I'll think of that the next time I think of buying something to cheer myself up. That is mainly why I buy things. There are quite a few things I want from ANR , but after that, I'm not interested in The Simpsons, or the Brooke Sheilds one, and not much from Animal Instincts, maybe a lippie from RHPS, and a few from the matte lip collection. That's it for now. I know there are a bunch of other little ones, but nothing that I can remember right now.

Buying to cheer myself up is one of my biggest issues and why I broke my no -buy back in May. I was (still am really) depressed about having to leave certain people behind when I came back to the States and thought that gorgeous packaging would cheer me up, it did for about an hour and then I was back to being sad and mopey. I did get lucky though that the things I bought are items I've been regularly using and I didn't really have dupes of so I feel slightly less bad, but still kick myself for giving into the cycle of sad buying again. It's definitely a tough cycle to break, that's for sure. I still need to sit down and really analyze all these colour stories and firm up my lists and hope to do that this weekend so  I can start budgeting and have a solid idea of my minimums and maximums for the coming months.

I totally get this, Naomi. I think a lot of people search for ways to make themselves feel better. Although buying make-up may seem frivolous to some, I think of it like art supplies. I've always been into creative hobbies and I have A LOT of supplies. If I added up how much I've spent on those and books over the years I'm sure I'd cringe. But there are worse ways to cheer oneself up! I've been thinking a lot lately about what I can do to be happier more often, but those solutions require more time than a quick make-up purchase. Maybe that's why so many of us buy the colorful, beautiful things. We know the other things that make us happy take a lot more time and effort. We need little things to keep us going on the way. So if we spend less than we did before, and we use the things we buy (like the AA items, which are such staple colors), maybe that should be good enough. I'm so grateful for the people on Specktra! I have moved several times and it is so hard to make new friends. It's nice to know that I can talk to people here no matter where I live.

 

[mel33t]

Buying to cheer myself up is one of my biggest issues and why I broke my no -buy back in May. I was (still am really) depressed about having to leave certain people behind when I came back to the States and thought that gorgeous packaging would cheer me up, it did for about an hour and then I was back to being sad and mopey. I did get lucky though that the things I bought are items I've been regularly using and I didn't really have dupes of so I feel slightly less bad, but still kick myself for giving into the cycle of sad buying again. It's definitely a tough cycle to break, that's for sure. I still need to sit down and really analyze all these colour stories and firm up my lists and hope to do that this weekend so  I can start budgeting and have a solid idea of my minimums and maximums for the coming months.

I totally get this, Naomi. I think a lot of people search for ways to make themselves feel better. Although buying make-up may seem frivolous to some, I think of it like art supplies. I've always been into creative hobbies and I have A LOT of supplies. If I added up how much I've spent on those and books over the years I'm sure I'd cringe. But there are worse ways to cheer oneself up! I've been thinking a lot lately about what I can do to be happier more often, but those solutions require more time than a quick make-up purchase. Maybe that's why so many of us buy the colorful, beautiful things. We know the other things that make us happy take a lot more time and effort. We need little things to keep us going on the way. So if we spend less than we did before, and we use the things we buy (like the AAA items, which are such staple colors), maybe that should be good enough. I'm so grateful for the people on Specktra! I have moved several times and it is so hard to make new friends. It's nice to know that I can talk to people here no matter where I live.

That is my biggest issue, buying makeup items or beauty products because I'm feeling upset or stressed out. Yesterday I was incredibly stressed but I just made sure to walk out of work, get on the subway, and get my butt home. Sometimes it just takes that little voice to say "Don't do it". Specktra helps too though!!

 

[PeachTwist]

Hi ladies!

I hope you're all doing well.

I've had a rough week or so but I'm still trying to stay positive.

I ended up in MAC on Saturday - I meant to take in a ton of empties and remembered on the drive there that I forgot them, so I ended up purchasing a lipstick instead of getting it for free. I picked up Head In The Clouds. I had originally planned on getting 3 or 4 lipsticks but as I was paying for it instead of using my empties I controlled myself to just the one item - which for me is a HUGE deal.

I did swatch a bunch of perm lipsticks though that I'd never before considered. I feel like Frost finishes aren't very popular with MAC but I don't have any issues with them and don't feel any grittiness. On my list to get at some point is New York Apple (is that the name?) and I think it's Odyssey? Either way, both are beautiful colours.

Date night is Friday, so I'll be playing with my make-up at long last. I have no idea what I plan on doing yet but I know I'll be using a bunch of stuff I've not used before to make the most of everything. Eye brow waxing tomorrow (desp. need it) so I'm quite excited.

My health still sucks, we're now having to monitor my blood sugar as it keeps dropping too low but otherwise I'm not doing too bad other than the extreme fatigue and a bit of pain flare up.

I haven't caught up on the posts but I'm still here and alive.

 

[DarylandCarole]

Hi ladies! I hope you're all doing well. I've had a rough week or so but I'm still trying to stay positive. I ended up in MAC on Saturday - I meant to take in a ton of empties and remembered on the drive there that I forgot them, so I ended up purchasing a lipstick instead of getting it for free.  I picked up Head In The Clouds.  I had originally planned on getting 3 or 4 lipsticks but as I was paying for it instead of using my empties I controlled myself to just the one item - which for me is a HUGE deal. I did swatch a bunch of perm lipsticks though that I'd never before considered.  I feel like Frost finishes aren't very popular with MAC but I don't have any issues with them and don't feel any grittiness.  On my list to get at some point is New York Apple (is that the name?) and I think it's Odyssey?  Either way, both are beautiful colours. Date night is Friday, so I'll be playing with my make-up at long last.  I have no idea what I plan on doing yet but I know I'll be using a bunch of stuff I've not used before to make the most of everything.  Eye brow waxing tomorrow (desp. need it) so I'm quite excited. My health still sucks, we're now having to monitor my blood sugar as it keeps dropping too low but otherwise I'm not doing too bad other than the extreme fatigue and a bit of pain flare up. I haven't caught up on the posts but I'm still here and alive.

Good to hear from you, Peach! Head in the Clouds is very pretty. I prob would have bought more than 1 lippie. I'm impressed! I've had NY Apple for years and I love it. Sorry to hear that you're still having so many health issues. If you get a chance, take a pic of your look on Friday. I'd love to see what you come up with.

 

[JulieDiva]

Hi ladies!

I hope you're all doing well.

I've had a rough week or so but I'm still trying to stay positive.

I ended up in MAC on Saturday - I meant to take in a ton of empties and remembered on the drive there that I forgot them, so I ended up purchasing a lipstick instead of getting it for free. I picked up Head In The Clouds. I had originally planned on getting 3 or 4 lipsticks but as I was paying for it instead of using my empties I controlled myself to just the one item - which for me is a HUGE deal.

I did swatch a bunch of perm lipsticks though that I'd never before considered. I feel like Frost finishes aren't very popular with MAC but I don't have any issues with them and don't feel any grittiness. On my list to get at some point is New York Apple (is that the name?) and I think it's Odyssey? Either way, both are beautiful colours.

Date night is Friday, so I'll be playing with my make-up at long last. I have no idea what I plan on doing yet but I know I'll be using a bunch of stuff I've not used before to make the most of everything. Eye brow waxing tomorrow (desp. need it) so I'm quite excited.

My health still sucks, we're now having to monitor my blood sugar as it keeps dropping too low but otherwise I'm not doing too bad other than the extreme fatigue and a bit of pain flare up.

I haven't caught up on the posts but I'm still here and alive.

HI there
I was wondering where you went too...hope you are ok??

I am not good at keeping up with everyones stories, but you sound like you are going through a rough patch. i am sorry! HUGS to you and great job buying only ONE lippy.

 

[kerry-jane88]

[@]PeachTwist[/@]Yes. Please take a pic of Fridays look!

 

[DMcG9]

Hi ladies!

I hope you're all doing well.

I've had a rough week or so but I'm still trying to stay positive.

I ended up in MAC on Saturday - I meant to take in a ton of empties and remembered on the drive there that I forgot them, so I ended up purchasing a lipstick instead of getting it for free. I picked up Head In The Clouds. I had originally planned on getting 3 or 4 lipsticks but as I was paying for it instead of using my empties I controlled myself to just the one item - which for me is a HUGE deal.

I did swatch a bunch of perm lipsticks though that I'd never before considered. I feel like Frost finishes aren't very popular with MAC but I don't have any issues with them and don't feel any grittiness. On my list to get at some point is New York Apple (is that the name?) and I think it's Odyssey? Either way, both are beautiful colours.

Date night is Friday, so I'll be playing with my make-up at long last. I have no idea what I plan on doing yet but I know I'll be using a bunch of stuff I've not used before to make the most of everything. Eye brow waxing tomorrow (desp. need it) so I'm quite excited.

My health still sucks, we're now having to monitor my blood sugar as it keeps dropping too low but otherwise I'm not doing too bad other than the extreme fatigue and a bit of pain flare up.

I haven't caught up on the posts but I'm still here and alive.

Hi PeachT,
It's nice to read that you're pressing on even if it's all still a ball of crap. I have the two frosts you were admiring and I love them too. I have no issues with MAC's frosts and when I catalogued my make-up, I realized it's the finish I have most of. NYA is pretty similar to Viva Glam IV for me but I love that one too. I hope you enjoy your new HitC, it looked amazing on pretty much everyone who posted pics of it in the Playland thread.
Definitely share your date night make up when you decide what it will be (before or after or whenever).

 

[ChosenOne]

Hi ladies!

I hope you're all doing well.

I've had a rough week or so but I'm still trying to stay positive.

I ended up in MAC on Saturday - I meant to take in a ton of empties and remembered on the drive there that I forgot them, so I ended up purchasing a lipstick instead of getting it for free. I picked up Head In The Clouds. I had originally planned on getting 3 or 4 lipsticks but as I was paying for it instead of using my empties I controlled myself to just the one item - which for me is a HUGE deal.

I did swatch a bunch of perm lipsticks though that I'd never before considered. I feel like Frost finishes aren't very popular with MAC but I don't have any issues with them and don't feel any grittiness. On my list to get at some point is New York Apple (is that the name?) and I think it's Odyssey? Either way, both are beautiful colours.

Date night is Friday, so I'll be playing with my make-up at long last. I have no idea what I plan on doing yet but I know I'll be using a bunch of stuff I've not used before to make the most of everything. Eye brow waxing tomorrow (desp. need it) so I'm quite excited.

My health still sucks, we're now having to monitor my blood sugar as it keeps dropping too low but otherwise I'm not doing too bad other than the extreme fatigue and a bit of pain flare up.

I haven't caught up on the posts but I'm still here and alive.

Great job on the 1 item purchase!! You know those other perm lipsticks will be yours someday soon anyway, thanks to those empties. My friend has NYA and really likes it, and I've had my eye on Odyssey for a while (one of the only frosts I'm really interested in), so those are probably good choices. I hope you're excited for date night on Friday, and I hope you will share a picture of yourself all dolled up! Giving you hugs for the health issues you're constantly dealing with, and I hope things start looking up!

 

[Calla88]

Sorry I've been MIA a little. Had some tough news delivered that I'm having a difficult time dealing with.
Please know I'm reading all your posts. I am truly happy to see everyone doing so well. Good Luck to you all.

Pixie, Just know we are thinking of you, and you will persevere through what ever is going on in your life! Wishing happier and easier times ahead.

 

[shellygrrl]

Yeah it's tough because I've put most of them in palettes and I hate having empty spots in them, lol.  I'm debating starting an Excel spreadsheet like a few specktrettes have started doing (and I know a few others have been doing for years!), just to give myself a little reality check.  I remember when I was a kid, I was whining to my parents that I wanted a book and I was being a real brat about it.  My punishment?  To sit down and take every book I had off the shelf and count how many I had.  Not that wanting a book was a bad thing, but I definitely went about it the wrong way.  I was only a kid, after all, haha.  But to this day, I remember that punishment because it took what felt like forever to count them all.  I'm wondering if doing something similar with my makeup will be helpful!

It's entirely possible! And if you haven't done so, photographing your stash may help, too. Seeing everything laid out can be an eye-opener. * * * I had a bit of a play with some of my products today.

Becca RSSF - Shell MAC Paint Pot - Painterly (under the eyes) MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15 MAC Eyeshadow - Smut (brows) OCC Skin Conceal - R0 (for an attempt at a sharper brow line) NARS ProPrime SPESB MAC Paint Pot - Hyperviolet Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Drama Queen Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Unexpected Smashbox Eyeshadow - Vanilla Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil - Perversion Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner - Star Prestige Total Intensity Mascara - Jet Black OCC Cream Colour Concentrate - John Doe Benefit Hoola Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint - Quickie Revlon Colorburst Lipstick - Soft Nude NYX MegaShine Lipgloss - Nude Pink

 

[ChosenOne]

NYX MegaShine Lipgloss - Nude Pink

Hmmm I've taken pictures of my stash in the drawers, but never with everything all laid out so you can see everything. Wonder how many photos I would have to take to show it all?

And what a beautiful look! Do you mind if I ask what kind of camera you used to take the pictures? The focus is great. Also, how do you like the perversion eyeliner? Do you know if it's safe to use in the waterline?

 

[shellygrrl]

I used a Nikon D5100. I like Perversion enough, and it is safe to use in the waterline, but for me, most of UD's eyeliners don't stick to it. Even Perversion has a bit of trouble staying.

 

[NaomiH]

I love Perversion eye pencil! Stays all day in my waterline.

 

[martiangurll]

Just catching up. I have been trying to do the 30 day lipstick challenge and really enjoy it. I find it helps me get over the tendency to hoard and actually use and enjoy my products. One thing I am noticing and wonder if anyone else has this issue and how you deal with it: I have trouble getting rid of things even when they clearly don't work or I have dupes. I think I have that hoarding mentality of never throwing anything away because I'm afraid I'll regret it. I have never done a back to mac and only put things in that pile if they are nearly empty.???:}

 

[Ajigglin]

Oh that must of been awful! I'm not sure when I'll go back or when and if he'll come here yet, we've just stated that we'll be back together as soon as possible. lol. You just don't seem to ever get used to the distance and each goodbye just seems to be harder. I do now know why people always say long distance relationships are for crazy people though. :silly: MB for me is a pretty forgettable collection, I'm only really interested in WW blush and possibly a fluidline. I might give the SS a go if the testers aren't too grotesque by the time I make it to the store on Thursday. If I were to miss out on everything in the collection I don't think I'd be all that upset over it even though. :/

Long distance relationships are no joke. In my opinion, if there's not going to be an end in sight, ie being in the same area one day, it's not worth the heartache. We saw each other every quarter for about two weeks a pop. The time flew by, naturally.

Low Buy Mid-Year Update I'm doing an evaluation of my progress at six months to see where I'm at.. how my collection numbers have shifted, how many items I've purchased in total, etc. So I dusted off my Excel spreadsheet that I haven't looked at since March.. All I have to say is WOW. hboy: I stopped updating it religiously because I didn't think I needed to. Well, I sure do! I thought I'd been being reasonable other than a couple of slips here and there. But when I started filling in what I've purchased over the past 3 months (about 10 items per month) it's clear that it all adds up piece by piece. Here's a snapshot of some of the problem areas, with the original and updated numbers as well as the amount I've tossed/used up and purchased: - lipsticks (13 - 3 + 14) = 24 (+ 5 tinted lip balms and 4 patentpolishes) - lipgloss (3 - 3 + 5) = 5 (+ 12 minis from a set) - eyeshadows (31 - 8 + 8) = 31 I'm okay with the rest of it.. I've added 2 lip liners, 2 eyeliners, and 3 blushes which isn't too bad. Almost everything else is basics that get used up and replaced. Lessons Learned:

1. Always look at the spreadsheet before a purchase.
2. ALWAYS record purchases in the spreadsheet right away.
3. Spend less time in collection threads until it's easier to ignore the enabling.

Hopefully the second half of this year I can pull it together..

I need to do this. Since my goal was to spend less money, I have to add up all my purchases. I'll post that in a couple of days.

 

[ChosenOne]

I love Perversion eye pencil! Stays all day in my waterline.

Hmmm good to know. The only pencil I've had luck with staying in my waterline is MAC's PLW eye liners. But I'm always looking for more options that are waterline safe, since many liners aren't (or that information just isn't available). Maybe when my Definedly Black is done, I'll try out perversion to see if I have luck with it!

 

[PeachTwist]

Definitely share your date night make up when you decide what it will be (before or after or whenever).
Oh good, I'm glad I'm not alone in the liking the frosts! Maybe I've just been lucky and not found any gritty ones - that or those complaining are full of crap.

Will definitely share date night make-up!

Quote: Originally Posted by ChosenOne
Great job on the 1 item purchase!! You know those other perm lipsticks will be yours someday soon anyway, thanks to those empties. My friend has NYA and really likes it, and I've had my eye on Odyssey for a while (one of the only frosts I'm really interested in), so those are probably good choices. I hope you're excited for date night on Friday, and I hope you will share a picture of yourself all dolled up! Giving you hugs for the health issues you're constantly dealing with, and I hope things start looking up!

Thanks, sweetie! I'm really excited for date night. My partner and I have been meaning to go out for months but we haven't just due to not having the time or my health not being up to it. Also going to see How To Train Your Dragon 2 on Saturday which I'm excited about! Hugs to you too!

 

[Beautybuyer]

Jeez I need to park my butt in here. I feel like I've been wanting to buy so much makeup lately! Even things I don't really want. What is wrong with me

 

[LouGarner]

Quote:Originally Posted by Beautybuyer

Jeez I need to park my butt in here.
I feel like I've been wanting to buy so much makeup lately! Even things I don't really want. What is wrong with me


i totally feel you. i don't even what to think about how much money i have spent.

 

[Beautybuyer]

Quote:Originally Posted by Beautybuyer

Jeez I need to park my butt in here.
I feel like I've been wanting to buy so much makeup lately! Even things I don't really want. What is wrong with me


i totally feel you. i don't even what to think about how much money i have spent.

I'm blaming on my mac "down time" since there's no immediate collections of interest. I'm buying perm things which is good, but also things I never even cared about before I even window shop online for make up :lol: