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

[DMcG9]

If there's one thing I love about Sephora, it's that they leave you alone and let you add stuff to your basket. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone, and those days - I dread counters. I'll do it, but if I need something I can't just walk in, pay and walk out with, I have to be in the mood and I'll do it on a random weekday morning.

As for Benefit: I wouldn't want to see any brand fail, but I'd like to see them spend the $$$ they're sending to random bloggers/vloggers and do something about the kitschy and chinsy packaging. I doubt they care what little ol' me thinks, but when a $5 Hard Candy packaging is the exact same as yours (and the Benefit is 7 times more expensive), maybe you want to think about dropping the cardboard thing.

Remember when Hard Candy used to be a premium line when it was first introduced in the '90s. It emerged around the same time as Urban Decay before it tanked and was then resurrected with a cheaper price point.
I think BeneFit is unlikely to change the blush packaging since it's been that way from the start.

 

[DMcG9]

Stila has some nice products, but it's not really a line I'm drawn to first, KWIM? I don't understand why they took out UD - not selling? I noticed when they reno'd the one at the Eaton Centre, they managed to get a Chanel counter, but alas. I figured since Bayview has Chanel and UD, Eatons would have both.

Yeah, I feel that way about Stila too. My closest UD selling Shoppers is Bayview too. It's only a 10 min drive but parking can sometimes be so ridiculous there. You'd think the EC Shoppers would definitely carry UD given that it's such a huge centre.

 

[mel33t]

Oh I understand now. Yeah, I try to buy pan refills when I can. Are you finding it tricky to get the inserts out of the palette even when twisting the opposite corners like you would an ice cube tray? I found it stiff the first couple of times but it's easier now so I am keeping my inserts in the new palettes.

... Never tried it that way before...

Haha it works!!! So easy!!! Thank you

 

[Glitteryvegas]

If there's one thing I love about Sephora, it's that they leave you alone and let you add stuff to your basket. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone, and those days - I dread counters. I'll do it, but if I need something I can't just walk in, pay and walk out with, I have to be in the mood and I'll do it on a random weekday morning.

As for Benefit: I wouldn't want to see any brand fail, but I'd like to see them spend the $$$ they're sending to random bloggers/vloggers and do something about the kitschy and chinsy packaging. I doubt they care what little ol' me thinks, but when a $5 Hard Candy packaging is the exact same as yours (and the Benefit is 7 times more expensive), maybe you want to think about dropping the cardboard thing.

I agree w/the packaging thing. It is so flimsy for what you're paying for. I contemplated Coralista but for that price, esp in Canada, I want something more substantial. I went with NARS orgasm and it's pretty good I think. I like my Milani Luminoso a lot and popped it out and put it in my Hello Kitty MAC blush casing. Looks and fits awesome!

 

[mel33t]

LOL OMG I rememeber doing that with VHS tapes. And remember recording songs onto tapes from the radio and you had to wait until just the right moment to press record?!??

So many things that kids today won't ever understand! I learned so much patience waiting for the song to come on and waiting and waiting for things like that. AHHH MEMORIES!

Yep, I totally get you with the girls thinking they are sharing fresh information. Sometimes I know all of the product names for the new collections and they are like "What is this one again?" I know it's hard for them to keep up esp with new collections coming out every week, but when I know more than you that's sad! I have found that my MAC always wants to sell me things in this special drawer where all of the loose ends go that haven't sold from previous collections. They'll say things like "OHHH It's the last one!!!" Like that's supposed to make me want it more. I guess it must work on girls because they are always doing it lol.




HAHAHA Ohhhhh the goofy hot boy bands of 2000! Yep, I saw Blink 182 when I was in grade 9/10 I think? At Edgefest! Best night ever. I saw Serial Joe too and got a pic with the hot guy hahaha. Festivals don't seem to be around like when we were in our youth! Another year I saw the Foo Fighters and the drummer waved at my friends and I *SWOOOON* he's so hot. AHHHH! Still remember that day like it was only yesterday. If I was a bit older I may have been a groupie

What the heck is a NuMe? Sounds wierd haha.

I agree w/the packaging thing. It is so flimsy for what you're paying for. I contemplated Coralista but for that price, esp in Canada, I want something more substantial. I went with NARS orgasm and it's pretty good I think. I like my Milani Luminoso a lot and popped it out and put it in my Hello Kitty MAC blush casing. Looks and fits awesome!

LOL! Oh the Foo Fighters!!!! I loved them!!
I also had a huge crush on Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20. That was my first CD I ever bought... still have it. Still listen to it all the time.
NuMe is a brand for hair styling tools like curling wands. I don't even know how much they cost but everyone has them on YouTube from big names to small names, so it has to be a catch.

 

[mel33t]

Update on my makeup inventory - eye products:

Makeup Inventory Totals
Product	Quantity
Eyeliners	16
Bases	26
Brows	2
Mascaras	4
Single Eyeshadows	108
Small Palettes	24
Eyeshadow Palettes	19
Total Eye Products	199

Things I want to decrease:
1) Eyeliners: I don't need five shades of brown. This also includes gel and liquid eye liners though, but I need to decrease my pencil liner stash.
2) Bases: There are some paint pots I just never use because they have glittery fallout, going to chuck those


While I was doing this, I put if it was Matte/Satin/Shimmer and a color description to the best of my ability in addition to all my other categories. I always forget if I have certain colors and I think this will really help if there's a limited edition shadow I want and I can easily search for a dupe. I plan to do the same with lipsticks and may revisit the blushes to do the same. I know this is taking longer than just simply counting them out - but I know myself. I want to be able to actually use this as an inventory and keep track of what I own.

I'm not super happy with the rest of my numbers but I'm not super surprised either. My boyfriend gifted me the Makeup Geek palette with all of the different colors so I know that's adding to my single eyeshadow stash. I really am loving those shadows too and have since purchased a few more. The rest are MAC shadows and a few NARS single shadows. Now that I've marked the colors and organized them more to my liking I think I'll be able to get some use out of them. Small palettes includes my NARS duos and quads - I might get rid of a few of my NARS duos that I don't use. But other than that this number will probably stay at 18-20. For the bigger palettes, this is something I need to work on. I definitely have favorites and not so favorites that I could toss.

Will probably start and finish the lip products sometime this week. In my head I keep telling myself there's not a lot but I never thought I'd hit over 100 blushes.

By the way... does anyone else have numbers like these? I know you guys are not judgmental and I appreciate all of the constructive criticism, but I can't help feeling a little nervous and stupid for posting this info on here.

 

[DarylandCarole]

[COLOR=181818]30 Days of Lipstick/30 Days of Blush Challenge Update:[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 1: MAC Creme Cup, NARS Blush in Love[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 2: YSL Sheer Candy #9, Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Poppy[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 3: Benefits Coralista lipgloss, Buxom blush in Breathless (guys... try this blush, it's amazing for summer)[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 4: Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (one of my holy grail lipsticks), Tarte Blush in Carefree (another AMAZING blush, seriously, gives such a great glow to the cheeks)[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 5: Chanel glossimer in Bagatelle, Tom Ford blush in Lust (I actually don't really enjoy this blush, I don't think it's very pigmented and it tends to fade after an hour or so... I'm going to give it away/swap/sell it)[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 6: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, Tarte blush in Achiote[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 7: NARS Roman Holiday with NARS Easy Lover lipgloss, MAC Sunset Beach (this combination was awesome! Sunset Beach stayed on from six am until about four when I noticed signs of fading. I'm so glad I purchased this baby, I'm in love!!)[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 8: MAC Bombshell, MAC Peaches and Cream[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 9: MAC Rose Lily, NYX Rose Garden (this blush is soo pretty)[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 10: NYX Butter Lipstick in Hubba Hubba, MAC Cheeky Bugger Blush (this was a total off day for me - I didn't like the lipstick at all, I'm tossing it). [/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 11: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Liberte, Jouer Blush in Peach Bouquet[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 12: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Romance, MAC Blush in Pinch O' Peach[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 13: Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, Tarte Blush in Doll Face[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 14: Bite Lipstick in Bouquet, Jouer Peony Blush[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]The next few days I was dealing with a chemical burn on my face from using a spot treatment so I just didn't wear makeup to let it breathe. So days 15 & 16 were skips for me. [/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 17: Revlon Butter Lipstick in Pink Lemonade, no blush[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 18: Bobbi Brown lip gloss in Nectar, NARS final cut blush (OMG THIS BLUSH!!! ):eyelove: [/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 19: MAC Coral Bliss with Stila Apricot gloss, MUG Smitten blush [/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 20: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Elise, Hourglass blush in Luminous Flush[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 21: Covergirl Jumbo Pencil in Pink Twist (I think?? Really hate how there's no names), NARS New Attitude Blush[/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 22: Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Paypaya, MAC blush in Ocean City [/COLOR] [COLOR=181818]Day 23: double whammy! Daytime wore MAC gloss in Playful Petal and MAC blush in Peony Petal; Nighttime wore NYX lip liner in Nude Pink with NYX butter gloss in Tiramisu and MUG blush in Romance.

 

[mel33t]

How did you like MAC's Coral Bliss lippie? Is it similar to any other MAC ones? I'm thinking about B2M for it.

I really enjoy this color a lot. Is it similar to any of them that I own? As far as MAC goes, I don't think I own anything similar, it's more of a true coral-orange color. I thought it would be similar to Flamingo but that's way more pink. I still have to do my lipstick inventory and I'm going to do hand swatches and groups of colors so I'll let you know.

 

[DarylandCarole]

Update on my makeup inventory - eye products:

Makeup Inventory Totals
Product	Quantity
Eyeliners	16
Bases	26
Brows	2
Mascaras	4
Single Eyeshadows	108
Small Palettes	24
Eyeshadow Palettes	19
Total Eye Products	199

Things I want to decrease: 1) Eyeliners: I don't need five shades of brown. This also includes gel and liquid eye liners though, but I need to decrease my pencil liner stash.  2) Bases: There are some paint pots I just never use because they have glittery fallout, going to chuck those While I was doing this, I put if it was Matte/Satin/Shimmer and a color description to the best of my ability in addition to all my other categories. I always forget if I have certain colors and I think this will really help if there's a limited edition shadow I want and I can easily search for a dupe. I plan to do the same with lipsticks and may revisit the blushes to do the same. I know this is taking longer than just simply counting them out - but I know myself. I want to be able to actually use this as an inventory and keep track of what I own.  I'm not super happy with the rest of my numbers but I'm not super surprised either. My boyfriend gifted me the Makeup Geek palette with all of the different colors so I know that's adding to my single eyeshadow stash. I really am loving those shadows too and have since purchased a few more. The rest are MAC shadows and a few NARS single shadows. Now that I've marked the colors and organized them more to my liking I think I'll be able to get some use out of them. Small palettes includes my NARS duos and quads - I might get rid of a few of my NARS duos that I don't use. But other than that this number will probably stay at 18-20. For the bigger palettes, this is something I need to work on. I definitely have favorites and not so favorites that I could toss.  Will probably start and finish the lip products sometime this week. In my head I keep telling myself there's not a lot but I never thought I'd hit over 100 blushes.  By the way... does anyone else have numbers like these? I know you guys are not judgmental and I appreciate all of the constructive criticism, but I can't help feeling a little nervous and stupid for posting this info on here.:anyone:  :tumbleweed:  

No need to feel nervous and stupid! I'm sure other people have similar amounts and it doesn't bother them at all. I haven't counted my eye products yet, but I'm sure I've got more eye liners than you. I have A LOT of eye pencils, and then gel liners, too. I suspect my single eye shadows are close to your number. I haven't been big into buying eye shadow palettes, so I only have 3 UD ones and some MAC ones that I filled up over the years. I don't think I've ever gotten rid of an eye shadow from a good brand, either, though. I think it's important to think of things other than just the amount, too. I have always had trouble throwing things away because I come from a family that didn't have much money and thought it was frivolous to throw away good things. It's very hard to break that way of thinking. I'll throw out mascara and gloss (after a few years as far as gloss). Any other product I keep unless I don't like it or it was a freebie that I don't use. So I think it's important to think of how long you've had things and if they were bought by you or free, etc. For me this low-buy isn't so much about how many I have, but if I'm spending money unwisely. So if I know what I have, hopefully I won't buy dupes. And I won't just keep buying without thinking about whether I'll use it. What's too much for one person might be fine for another. Keep that in mind and don't beat yourself up, Mel33t. It doesn't help anything. How much make-up you have has nothing to do with how good of a person you are.

 

[DarylandCarole]

How did you like MAC's Coral Bliss lippie? Is it similar to any other MAC ones? I'm thinking about B2M for it.

I really enjoy this color a lot. Is it similar to any of them that I own? As far as MAC goes, I don't think I own anything similar, it's more of a true coral-orange color. I thought it would be similar to Flamingo but that's way more pink. I still have to do my lipstick inventory and I'm going to do hand swatches and groups of colors so I'll let you know. eace:  

Thank you!

 

[shellygrrl]

Remember when Hard Candy used to be a premium line when it was first introduced in the '90s. It emerged around the same time as Urban Decay before it tanked and was then resurrected with a cheaper price point.

I think Hard Candy was owned by Urban Decay at one point, way back when UD was independently owned. And yeah, I remember when it was at Sephora. I think one of my first Sephora purchases ever, in the mid-2000s, included one of their nail polishes. It was a baby blue colour. As for Benefit's new liner, I must be mostly immune to all the Youtube hype because only one Youtuber I'm subscribed to has talked about it, saying she didn't like it. (Nikkie Tutorials... and she was at its launch to boot!) And I don't get Sephora emails for some reason, unless I order something, so I never saw them hyping it up. I do get Benefit's emails, but I generally tend to skim through and delete them. (True for most brands' and stores' emails I'm subscribed to.) And yeah, I doubt they'll ever get rid of/change their packaging. They've been doing the box powder thing for years, long before Hard Candy (or UK brand MeMeMe, for that matter), and kitschy packaging and branding in general is practically their signature. * * * More on-topic, I'm going on a trip in about a week and a half to see family, and have been working out what to take with me. I'm aiming not to take very many makeup brushes (actually, I'm not planning on taking any makeup brushes except for a retractable kabuki I keep in my handbag). So far, this is what I know I'm taking... * It Cosmetics YSBB CC Cream - Fair * MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15 * UDPP (mini tube from Smoked Palette) * Maybelline Great Lash - Clear * Maybelline Color Tattoos - Tough as Taupe; Barely Branded * Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners - Powerful Purple; FIerce Blue; Outrageous Emerald (way to incorporate colour as well as use my eyeliners more -- win/win!) * BareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara - Black * UD Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint - Quickie * Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Translucent (in my handbag) Haven't figured out which lip colours I'm going to take yet, but I've got time to work that out.

 

[Jaymuhlee]

So I finally went to the upcoming MAC collections thread and went through each collection from now till October.

June was an ok month for me spending-wise. A few splurges here and there on more luxury items with room for just one thing from the Moody Blooms Collection: Moody Bloom. I haven't ordered it just yet because I'm trying to decide if I should forgo online shopping after my EL Crystal Baby arrived broken (the latest in a long line of screw ups from UPS/USPS). Not sure...
Moody Blooms: 1 lipstick

July will be a full skip!

Skipping most of August, too, with the possible exception of A Novel Romance. My eyes seem to permanently be fixed on the lipsticks Lingering Kiss and Good Kisser, as well as Animal Instincts though swatches and formula performance will make/break this for me.
A Novel Romance: 2 lipsticks, 1 blush 1 lipstick

Skipping most of September's collections except for Artificially Wild, again, because of the lipsticks, and The Simpsons because of the packaging/Pink Sprinkles and Sideshow You (mostly packaging).
Artificially Wild: 1 or 2 lipsticks IF they'll suit me - I'm looking at Siss and Icon 1 lipstick
The Simpsons: 2 blushes

October is so far away but right now I'm kind of interested in The Matte Lip Collection, though truthfully mattes and me don't normally work out so well. Fleeting Romance also sounds really pretty, so...
The Matte Lip Collection: 8 lipsticks, 1 blush 5 lipsticks

Total Lipstick: 13 (yikes!) 8
Total Blush: 4 0

I will definitely be bringing that number down. I'm trying to keep my lipstick total below 100 and with those additions I'd be nearing 200.

I've amended my list a bit. After tallying up my blushes and realizing I'm well over the number in my head, my upcoming collections totals have gone from 4 blushes to 0. The lipstick number is still tbd (based on swatches/performance) but it's currently at 8 from 13. I'm still planning on bringing that down, and hopefully B2M'ing if/where possible.

Avoiding drugstore purchases has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. Before I'd easily fall victim to BOGO sales, couponing, rewards points, and the like, but realizing I'd ended up with entirely too many drugstore lipsticks that I don't even like the formulas of has helped calm that down. I guess I got in a zone for a while... My first round of lipstick purging resulted in 40 lipsticks going in my to-sell/donate/toss bin and I'm really happy with myself! I still have a lot more to go through and I need to finish my inventory spreadsheet but I'm super proud of where I'm at.

Today I even went to Ulta to check out NYX Mauve in person because it's close to CB according to Temptalia but I didn't buy it - or anything!

 

[DarylandCarole]

  If there's one thing I love about Sephora, it's that they leave you alone and let you add stuff to your basket. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone, and those days - I dread counters. I'll do it, but if I need something I can't just walk in, pay and walk out with, I have to be in the mood and I'll do it on a random weekday morning.  As for Benefit: I wouldn't want to see any brand fail, but I'd like to see them spend the $$$ they're sending to random bloggers/vloggers and do something about the kitschy and chinsy packaging. I doubt they care what little ol' me thinks, but when a $5 Hard Candy packaging is the exact same as yours (and the Benefit is 7 times more expensive), maybe you want to think about dropping the cardboard thing. 

Remember when Hard Candy used to be a premium line when it was first introduced in the '90s. It emerged around the same time as Urban Decay before it tanked and was then resurrected with a cheaper price point. I think BeneFit is unlikely to change the blush packaging since it's been that way from the start. 

I remember that! I think the first purchase I made at Sephora was an Urban Decay palette for a friend, although that was 2001. She was an uber-responsible lawyer so I thought that would be funny. I wonder if she ever wore it? (we lived in different cities.) I love Benefits kitschy packaging, mostly the 1950's looking women. I don't buy a lot of their products but there are a few things that are staples for me. I love their Ooh-la-la under eye stuff.

 

[DarylandCarole]

LOL OMG I rememeber doing that with VHS tapes.  And remember recording songs onto tapes from the radio and you had to wait until just the right moment to press record?!?? So many things that kids today won't ever understand!  I learned so much patience waiting for the song to come on and waiting and waiting for things like that.  AHHH MEMORIES!

  My best friend got married last August and she had all of the late nineties music / early 2000s playing at her reception only from when we (and from what I'm assuming you as well) were in eight grade/high school. It. Was. Awesome. Blink 182 "All The Small Things" came on and we just went crazy!! I loved that music from that time period. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Lana and Coldplay fan, but Blink 182, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, all those punk bands that were like "we're total goof balls" were awesome. Good times. Good times. :sigh:  

It's so funny that you were talking about recording from the radio. Last night I was going through old cassette tapes. I have one from a great college radio station in Atlanta. I used to record it onto cassettes. I have some really good cassettes because I worked at a record store in the late "80's and I'd get promo tapes. Since I still have a cassette player I can still listen to them. Some I've replaced with Cd's (like the Foo Fighters), and I've got a pretty large I Tunes library, but there's something fun about the old stuff (yep, I have vinyl, too). I love all kinds of music. I have everything from Blondie and The Ramones to NIN to Lana Del Ray and some other current artists. I just downloaded an Arctic Monkeys song tonight. Music can put me in a good mood more easily than anything, I think.

 

[Sandy072]

Random Mid-Week No Buy Update - Shopping Addictions One of my more undefined goals this week was to make sure I had more time to think about my habits and address any emotional issues that came up rather than distracting myself from them.. Usually when I do a makeup no buy I still buy other items like clothing or I end up watching a lot of TV or playing games so any emotions I feel are very controlled in the sense that I can shut them off or enhance them by doing something else. This month I'm going to do my best to just feel them in a "pure" state.. without supplementing or altering them with food, shopping, distractions, etc. I want to get to a place where I feel like it's okay to feel "just" lonely or sad or bored or excited. I've been thinking a lot about shopping addictions and I have to say I fall into that category big time. The stigma around addictions and mental health is huge so I don't think anyone really wants to admit they have a problem.. even though the threshold can be relatively low depending on the person. I read through some of the signs and realized I have most of them.. like buying compulsively, feeling a "high" from shopping, buying throughout the year rather than a splurge every once in a while, hiding purchases, and feeling a loss of control. I can be a perfectionist at times so shopping can turn into cultivating "the perfect _____" which could be anywhere from a perfect makeup item to a perfect wardrobe. I know when I'm surrounded by others who make a lot of purchases it can feel like I'm not doing so bad because I compare myself to them.. but I also need to constantly remind myself that this is a very niche community of makeup lovers on Specktra and many of them are makeup artists, industry insiders, bloggers, collectors, etc. Although I do love makeup more than the average woman and would consider it one of my hobbies.. I still only have it for personal use and I need to keep that context in mind. Also.. the level of shopping that makes me uncomfortable will often be much lower than the level for someone else.. and that's okay. I've occasionally felt excluded or judged for wanting to cut back or having problems cutting back, which I realized is also okay! People who don't consider shopping a real addiction or don't have a problem at all with their own spending might not understand how important it is to someone else to get it under control. I just need to accept that and do what's right for me. Today I got a call that a pair of shoes I had ordered and paid for last month are in and being held at the mall for me.. I have the weekend off and the man is working so it would be a perfect opportunity to go there and spend part of the day shopping, but I'm not going to go. I don't feel confident enough that I could pick up the shoes and leave without buying something else. They'll hold them for a couple of weeks, so I'll pick another time when I feel like I can do it. As I mentioned before, I unsubscribed from most of my YouTube channels but kept the ones which had a decluttering, minimalism, project pan, or non-beauty focus. Below is an example of the videos that were in my subscription feed this week. Watching these made me feel much better than hauls or favorites videos. I also subscribe to a lot of women who spend less than me or have smaller collections which is helpful for keeping that balance in perspective. Shopping Triggers (shopping addiction): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8_I7m2iaFc Pan That Palette (project pan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iFjBX9lzPY Diary of a Shopaholic (shopping addiction): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N44NWBCjtEQ Makeup Graveyard - Blushes (decluttering): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ3Rj9CIrmo Minimalism Journey - Makeup (decluttering): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TzoszgqFLg This weekend is going to be really tough for me.. I can feel it already. But I have to be successful!

Thanks for those links! I'm excited to check them out, especially project pan. I find it difficult to toss items that aren't bad, so I like to focus on using it up instead.

Update on my makeup inventory - eye products:

Makeup Inventory Totals
Product	Quantity
Eyeliners	16
Bases	26
Brows	2
Mascaras	4
Single Eyeshadows	108
Small Palettes	24
Eyeshadow Palettes	19
Total Eye Products	199

Things I want to decrease: 1) Eyeliners: I don't need five shades of brown. This also includes gel and liquid eye liners though, but I need to decrease my pencil liner stash.  2) Bases: There are some paint pots I just never use because they have glittery fallout, going to chuck those While I was doing this, I put if it was Matte/Satin/Shimmer and a color description to the best of my ability in addition to all my other categories. I always forget if I have certain colors and I think this will really help if there's a limited edition shadow I want and I can easily search for a dupe. I plan to do the same with lipsticks and may revisit the blushes to do the same. I know this is taking longer than just simply counting them out - but I know myself. I want to be able to actually use this as an inventory and keep track of what I own.  I'm not super happy with the rest of my numbers but I'm not super surprised either. My boyfriend gifted me the Makeup Geek palette with all of the different colors so I know that's adding to my single eyeshadow stash. I really am loving those shadows too and have since purchased a few more. The rest are MAC shadows and a few NARS single shadows. Now that I've marked the colors and organized them more to my liking I think I'll be able to get some use out of them. Small palettes includes my NARS duos and quads - I might get rid of a few of my NARS duos that I don't use. But other than that this number will probably stay at 18-20. For the bigger palettes, this is something I need to work on. I definitely have favorites and not so favorites that I could toss.  Will probably start and finish the lip products sometime this week. In my head I keep telling myself there's not a lot but I never thought I'd hit over 100 blushes.  By the way... does anyone else have numbers like these? I know you guys are not judgmental and I appreciate all of the constructive criticism, but I can't help feeling a little nervous and stupid for posting this info on here.:anyone:  :tumbleweed:  

I think there is no "normal" - only what is normal for you or what you feel good about having. There will be people on here with more than you, less than you, but who knows what normal is supposed to be. I don't have as much as you but my mom and sister always make fun of how much I have because even though they both love makeup too, they just have a handful of things at a time (eye or lip) and use them up. So it's all relative.

I've amended my list a bit. After tallying up my blushes and realizing I'm well over the number in my head, my upcoming collections totals have gone from 4 blushes to 0. The lipstick number is still tbd (based on swatches/performance) but it's currently at 8 from 13. I'm still planning on bringing that down, and hopefully B2M'ing if/where possible. Avoiding drugstore purchases has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. Before I'd easily fall victim to BOGO sales, couponing, rewards points, and the like, but realizing I'd ended up with entirely too many drugstore lipsticks that I don't even like the formulas of has helped calm that down. I guess I got in a zone for a while... My first round of lipstick purging resulted in 40 lipsticks going in my to-sell/donate/toss bin and I'm really happy with myself! I still have a lot more to go through and I need to finish my inventory spreadsheet but I'm super proud of where I'm at. Today I even went to Ulta to check out NYX Mauve in person because it's close to CB according to Temptalia but I didn't buy it - or anything! 

Swatches will help cut the list, I'm sure, but it's great you cut back so many already! Great job skipping at ulta! I have mauve, it's ok, I wore it almost daily last winter because it was good for the office when I'm at my fairest, but something tells me you probably have something similar or better.

 

[Ajigglin]

Random Mid-Week No Buy Update - Shopping Addictions One of my more undefined goals this week was to make sure I had more time to think about my habits and address any emotional issues that came up rather than distracting myself from them.. Usually when I do a makeup no buy I still buy other items like clothing or I end up watching a lot of TV or playing games so any emotions I feel are very controlled in the sense that I can shut them off or enhance them by doing something else. This month I'm going to do my best to just feel them in a "pure" state.. without supplementing or altering them with food, shopping, distractions, etc. I want to get to a place where I feel like it's okay to feel "just" lonely or sad or bored or excited. I've been thinking a lot about shopping addictions and I have to say I fall into that category big time. The stigma around addictions and mental health is huge so I don't think anyone really wants to admit they have a problem.. even though the threshold can be relatively low depending on the person. I read through some of the signs and realized I have most of them.. like buying compulsively, feeling a "high" from shopping, buying throughout the year rather than a splurge every once in a while, hiding purchases, and feeling a loss of control. I can be a perfectionist at times so shopping can turn into cultivating "the perfect _____" which could be anywhere from a perfect makeup item to a perfect wardrobe. I know when I'm surrounded by others who make a lot of purchases it can feel like I'm not doing so bad because I compare myself to them.. but I also need to constantly remind myself that this is a very niche community of makeup lovers on Specktra and many of them are makeup artists, industry insiders, bloggers, collectors, etc. Although I do love makeup more than the average woman and would consider it one of my hobbies.. I still only have it for personal use and I need to keep that context in mind. Also.. the level of shopping that makes me uncomfortable will often be much lower than the level for someone else.. and that's okay. I've occasionally felt excluded or judged for wanting to cut back or having problems cutting back, which I realized is also okay! People who don't consider shopping a real addiction or don't have a problem at all with their own spending might not understand how important it is to someone else to get it under control. I just need to accept that and do what's right for me. Today I got a call that a pair of shoes I had ordered and paid for last month are in and being held at the mall for me.. I have the weekend off and the man is working so it would be a perfect opportunity to go there and spend part of the day shopping, but I'm not going to go. I don't feel confident enough that I could pick up the shoes and leave without buying something else. They'll hold them for a couple of weeks, so I'll pick another time when I feel like I can do it. As I mentioned before, I unsubscribed from most of my YouTube channels but kept the ones which had a decluttering, minimalism, project pan, or non-beauty focus. Below is an example of the videos that were in my subscription feed this week. Watching these made me feel much better than hauls or favorites videos. I also subscribe to a lot of women who spend less than me or have smaller collections which is helpful for keeping that balance in perspective. Shopping Triggers (shopping addiction): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8_I7m2iaFc Pan That Palette (project pan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iFjBX9lzPY Diary of a Shopaholic (shopping addiction): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N44NWBCjtEQ Makeup Graveyard - Blushes (decluttering): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ3Rj9CIrmo Minimalism Journey - Makeup (decluttering): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TzoszgqFLg This weekend is going to be really tough for me.. I can feel it already. But I have to be successful!

This was super inspiring to read. I'm really happy and proud of how far you've come in your journey.

 

[Maris Crane]

I don't know how well I'm doing on the No Buy part, but I managed to at least get some use out of my Naked2 palette last night. I almost never touch that thing (colours seem too cool?) and it gets neglected in favour of 1 and 3. But I managed to do something I actually liked... Tom Ford Traceless Liquid for base, with Hard Candy Green Color Correcting Primer (I don't like this under any of my other foundations or bb creams!). GA Master Corrector #1 undereyes and Hard Candy Glamouflage concealer in Extra Light for blemishes. The ushe. Hourglass Ambient Light in Diffused Light. Benefit Rockateur blush, and NARS Irresistiblement bronzer very, very lightly. Despite it looking rather dark and red in the pan, I much prefer this to Laguna on me! Lime Crime lipstick in Coquette with a mini NARS Deep Throat gloss I found at the bottom of my makeup bag. The piece de resistance... UD Naked2: Chopper on lid, with MAC Moleskin run through socket (I think the lack of a warm, mid-tone brown is the killer for me in this palette!), Bootycall in inner third and Foxy on browbone. Winged black gel liner (once again, Bobbi Brown) with Blackout to deepen & hide lash glue. I then went back at the end and put a teensy bit of Tease in the outer crease. Half-lashes - cheapy Asian ebay ones cut in half. Benefit They're Real mascara (suffering through the two sample tubes I have - this is the first), Maybelline Age Rewind concealer under eyes. Tony Moly Waterproof brow pencil #1 - it looks a bit scouse brow at times, but I think the stronger brow worked better than just powder.

 

[PixieDancer]

By the way... does anyone else have numbers like these? I know you guys are not judgmental and I appreciate all of the constructive criticism, but I can't help feeling a little nervous and stupid for posting this info on here.

NEVER feel stupid for posting something that you need to get off your chest. It's part of the process! Denial is the enemy. You are facing the reality of your own unique situation. Comparing yours to anyone else's is futile. Everyone has their own demons and areas of weakness. Having an inventory is very important! You're doing FANTASTIC at just taking those steps... they can be overwhelming and scary! but necessary to move forward!

And for the record... NO... my numbers are NOT like yours... mine are MUCH BIGGER! So know you're in good company and we are all in this crazy "game" together!
I'm VERY happy and proud of your efforts! GOOD JOB sweetie!

 

[Alysse011]

I'm with all of you on the Benefit packaging. I am pretty neutral in the brand. I have the cream shadow in birthday suit and go through phases of loving/not caring about it. Do y'all like the Rockateur blush? I feel like I can't trust the majority of online reviews since most received it free. But I am thinking if getting that blush the next time I have 20% off at Ulta. So far my no buy July is going well. Although I will confess that the day Nordstrom's anniversary sale starts I will be high tailing it to the Chanel counter to buy the Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Powder. It is too gorgeous and I need it

 

[veronikawithak]

I've amended my list a bit. After tallying up my blushes and realizing I'm well over the number in my head, my upcoming collections totals have gone from 4 blushes to 0. The lipstick number is still tbd (based on swatches/performance) but it's currently at 8 from 13. I'm still planning on bringing that down, and hopefully B2M'ing if/where possible.

Avoiding drugstore purchases has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. Before I'd easily fall victim to BOGO sales, couponing, rewards points, and the like, but realizing I'd ended up with entirely too many drugstore lipsticks that I don't even like the formulas of has helped calm that down. I guess I got in a zone for a while... My first round of lipstick purging resulted in 40 lipsticks going in my to-sell/donate/toss bin and I'm really happy with myself! I still have a lot more to go through and I need to finish my inventory spreadsheet but I'm super proud of where I'm at.

Today I even went to Ulta to check out NYX Mauve in person because it's close to CB according to Temptalia but I didn't buy it - or anything!

You were RUTHLESS with that wishlist! I LOVE IT. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll be able to cut back to a nice number. I know when I get less items all at once it really makes me cherish the ones I did get. Awesome job with the lipstick purge too.. 40 lipsticks leaving is HUGE. I'm sure you'll feel way less overwhelmed when deciding on something to wear! So glad you're doing so well!!! Your post made me smile big time!

Quote: Originally Posted by burghchick

No need to feel nervous and stupid! I'm sure other people have similar amounts and it doesn't bother them at all. I haven't counted my eye products yet, but I'm sure I've got more eye liners than you. I have A LOT of eye pencils, and then gel liners, too. I suspect my single eye shadows are close to your number. I haven't been big into buying eye shadow palettes, so I only have 3 UD ones and some MAC ones that I filled up over the years. I don't think I've ever gotten rid of an eye shadow from a good brand, either, though.
I think it's important to think of things other than just the amount, too. I have always had trouble throwing things away because I come from a family that didn't have much money and thought it was frivolous to throw away good things. It's very hard to break that way of thinking. I'll throw out mascara and gloss (after a few years as far as gloss). Any other product I keep unless I don't like it or it was a freebie that I don't use.
So I think it's important to think of how long you've had things and if they were bought by you or free, etc. For me this low-buy isn't so much about how many I have, but if I'm spending money unwisely. So if I know what I have, hopefully I won't buy dupes. And I won't just keep buying without thinking about whether I'll use it.
What's too much for one person might be fine for another. Keep that in mind and don't beat yourself up, Mel33t. It doesn't help anything. How much make-up you have has nothing to do with how good of a person you are.

I really loved this post! You have a great way of putting things into perspective.

It's definitely important to think of more than just numbers, although they are a good benchmark to see what kind of progress you've made. I know for me personally I get rid of things as soon as I don't wear them anymore so my numbers are much lower than they would be if I kept everything! Getting control over unwise spending is a great way of thinking about it, rather than just an item count!

@PixieDancer I'm so glad to hear that you're working through things. It's never easy, but facing your emotions will be worth it over time. Overhauling your closet is a great way of redirecting the energy that would usually be spent on shopping too. Your posts always make me feel so empowered and inspired! I'm really glad this thread is back on track too. It's always been a kind of haven or safe space to express opinions that aren't so mainstream on Specktra and I'm forever grateful to you for all that you've put into it. I don't know where I'd be right now without it or you (probably at MAC/Sephora or living in a cardboard box somewhere).

We've missed you!!