Resolution LOW-BUY 2017

[DMcG9]

That is a really impressive feat. The financial freedom you'll have to save for anything you want in the future is awesome.
I wish that kind of student loan repayment scheme was possible for myself (even with extreme discipline, it's not because of where I live and current income level).

December Check-In — We made it!

Total in 2017: $943.13 (average $85.74/month) - met my goal of under $1,000!

Purchased: 4 eyeshadows, 1 concealer, 1 powder, 1 blush, 1 mascara, brush set, perfume

Decluttered: 4 lipsticks, 1 blush, 1 bronzer

Used up: mascara, foundation

Current stash: 1 lipstick, 5 eyeshadows, 1 powder, 1 blush, 1 mascara, 1 concealer, 1 highlighter

Excited to have purchased less than 10 makeup items this year! There were times when I’d purchased that many in a month. I also used to have 100+ items and now I have 11.. And the best part..

Student loan principal paid in 2017: $30,000! Amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not spending all of your money on random small things that add up!

Plans for 2018: Stick to the same budget. I want to purchase a new foundation, mascara, and a few lip products in January. Hope to see you in the next thread!

 

[LadyBug13]

Congratulations, especially on the student loan payments!

December Check-In — We made it!

Total in 2017: $943.13 (average $85.74/month) - met my goal of under $1,000!

Purchased: 4 eyeshadows, 1 concealer, 1 powder, 1 blush, 1 mascara, brush set, perfume

Decluttered: 4 lipsticks, 1 blush, 1 bronzer

Used up: mascara, foundation

Current stash: 1 lipstick, 5 eyeshadows, 1 powder, 1 blush, 1 mascara, 1 concealer, 1 highlighter

Excited to have purchased less than 10 makeup items this year! There were times when I’d purchased that many in a month. I also used to have 100+ items and now I have 11.. And the best part..

Student loan principal paid in 2017: $30,000! Amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not spending all of your money on random small things that add up!

Plans for 2018: Stick to the same budget. I want to purchase a new foundation, mascara, and a few lip products in January. Hope to see you in the next thread!

 

[elkaknits]

I dug around for this thread in hopes of participating again next year--I did not sign on for 2017. I did get into Asian Skincare and have purchased way too much in that arena although my routine is not all that it could be. Basically I will get obsessed with finding a toner and purchase various brands and if I do find something I like I buy multiples when on sale.

I also fell hard down the indie nail polish world a bit over a year ago and have spent a major fortune on NP even tho I tend to wear very few colors {red!}. I purchased 2 Helmers and they are almost full o.0

I have been unemployed off and on since last Nov... a total of 8 months so far and I suppose I think of NP as relatively inexpensive.

I have learned I dislike face products. I rarely if ever wear foundation and because I am getting older starting to avoid powders. I do however wear concealer under my eyes and sometimes between my brows. I hear there is a way to combine oil or mist over a powder to make setting powders look less powdery and I would l like to learn how to do that since I do feel powder finishes my face. I have Mac Beauty Powders and Nars powder. Foundation never looks good. Mac Matchmaster 1.5 was good but I pitched it after 10 yrs and the bottle was 75% full. Don't judge me--I know there is an age to these things but it was a stupid pump used maybe half a dozen times a year and time just got away from me. Everything I have tried since then just looks off.... too pink, too yellow, too pale etc.

I really really prefer my YSL sheer lipsticks which makes the huge stash of lipsticks a real shame.

I am starting to think I just don't like makeup anymore.....

I did manage to not purchase a ton of perfume. I buy BPAL and that has a huge catalog but I also have a huge amount of it. I think I picked up 4 or 5 bottles this year


I think I will keep a spreadsheet of purchases vs used or gotten rid of products. I did make a spreadsheet of my cosmetics several months ago and it is shocking especially considering I go bare faced 99.999999% of the time

 

[LadyBug13]

I find that misting MAC Fix+ after I apply powder helps to take the powdery look away. I'm sure other brands have similar products. Also, I can't remember where I found it on Pinterest, but there are lots of DIY makeup mist recipes that work the same as Fix +.

I have learned I dislike face products. I rarely if ever wear foundation and because I am getting older starting to avoid powders. I do however wear concealer under my eyes and sometimes between my brows. I hear there is a way to combine oil or mist over a powder to make setting powders look less powdery and I would l like to learn how to do that since I do feel powder finishes my face.

 

[shellygrrl]

My update for the second half of the year...

No Buy
* Pre-made eyeshadow palettes - Broke this one with the Bobbi Brown Downtown Cool palette/quad. And I'm glad I got it. I think I'll continue to use it a lot throughout 2018.
* Bronzers - None purchased!
* Eyeliner Pencils - None purchased!
* Pigments - None purchased!
* Setting powders - None purchased!
* Spot concealers - None purchased, but I think I'll be looking for a new one in 2018.
* Foundation - None purchased, but I think I'll likely be replacing two of the ones I have next year.
* Face primers - None purchased!
* Eyeshadow primer - None purchased!
* Mascara - Broke this one earlier this month with the wet'n'wild megaplump, but one got tossed (Sephora LashCraft Length and Volume). And I'm at the mascara replacement point anyway.

Proceed with Caution
* Single eyeshadows - Just MUG Baby Face.
* Lipstick - None purchased!
* Lipgloss - None purchased!
* Contour - None purchased!
* Lipliner - None purchased!
* Brow products - None purchased!
* Undereye concealer - Will be buying a new one at the start of 2018.

Points of Focus
* Blush - Just MUG Main Squeeze.
* Highlighter/luminizer - None purchased!
* Brushes - None purchased!

 

[veronikawithak]

That is a really impressive feat. The financial freedom you'll have to save for anything you want in the future is awesome.
I wish that kind of student loan repayment scheme was possible for myself (even with extreme discipline, it's not because of where I live and current income level).

Thanks! I live in Vancouver, Canada so I hear you about cost of living! My spouse and I share a small one bedroom apartment to keep housing costs lower. We both take public transportation so no vehicle expenses. I cut my eating out spending back by $3,000 to just $600 for the year. I also picked up some hours at a second job near the end of the year.

At the beginning of 2017 I NEVER would have thought I could pay off $30,000. I just kept making small changes that added up - 55% of my spending was on debt repayment. Hopefully you can increase your income soon! I also started with $130,000 in debt so I had a big shovel but also a big hole to fill in! Hope that helps, I know it's not easy.

 

[VAL4M]

I've been REALLY bad this Year

I've made Rouge at Sephora for the first time in HISTORY so Total: 1000$ + (just did an order of 360$ (ND green +brown 28 shadow and Sephora my lip but better because I received 200$ in gift card)
I also been ordering from Beautylish a lot this year Total: 570$
I did order a couple of second hand palette from here: Total: 142$
and then I discovered colour pop : Total: 295$
Beauty Muse 2 Viseart palettes : Total: 150$
So the grand total is 2 517$ Yikes!

 

[lenchen]

Low Buy Check-In ~ November
Eh, Meh… this was a spendy month!
Even though it was painful to add up the total in my spending log, I am happy with my splurges. ~ I did “re-Rouge” with Sephora with my first VIBR sale order…sigh…Hey I got all the way to November…but I still spend too much money. I can already see my main goal of 2018 will be spending less and definitely not spending that much at Sephora! That being said, no credit card debt! Everything was paid for with hard earned coin...again, totaling it all up was a reminder, I need to chill out on the spending!

Purchases:
VIBR Sale ~ Two orders total
Order 1: Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Metalissime Silky Satin Lip Colour, Touch in Sol Metallist Eye Set, KVD Double Ended Shade & Light Contour Brush & tarte Toasted E/S Palette. I was smart and saved my eBates for the sale so that combined with the discount made the OOP expense less painful...lol.

Order 2: NARS Pore & Shine Primer, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask & the L’Occitane Advent Calendar (for stocking stuffers).
I was not planning on a new primer or concealer, but I got a sample of the primer and loved it. My tarte Shape Tape was getting low so rather than replace it, I gave the NARS a go and again, I really like it.

Random Sephora Sale Order ~ UD Perfect Pair 24/7 Lipstick & Liner (Backtalk & Rush ) UD 24/7 Lip Pencil (Liar), & the Bobbi Brown Highlighting Trio.

I did take myself into an ULTA to get a couple things for my Vegas trip: TIGI Masterpiece Hairspray mini and an Eco Tools Sponge.

Super Splurge Black Friday ~ Chanel Or Rose Signe du Lion Highlighter…FOMO purchase for sure!

Replenished my Skindinavia setting spray at 30% for Black Friday as well.

Last purchase for November ~ Sephora in the Miracle Mile in Vegas!
They actually had ALL the displays and I was able to swatch ALL the goodstuffs, including Tom Ford, Natasha Denona & Pat McGrath. I got out of there unscathed with just a replenish of my Bite Agave Lip Balm & a Pat McGrath Luxe Trance Lipstick in McGrath Muse. I was able to rule out a ton of things on my swatch/lust list…I came away wanting the ND Sunset palette, but have a work around on avoiding that purchase! And a single TF lipstick, Vermillionaire, a beautiful creamy red! I can wait on that until there is another sale.

View attachment 62578
View attachment 62579 View attachment 62580

Gave Away /Disposed Of/Used UP:

Gave away lots of stuffs! ~ KVD Blush Duo, Benefit Cheekathon Palette, Assorted Lancome, L’Oreal, Almay lipsticks, assorted Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips & Mineral Glow Pearls.

Disposed of 25 assorted loose eye shadow pans! MAC, the Balm, tarte, UD, etc. This purge was long overdue! It felt good to clean out a palette!

Used Up:
ELANR Serum ~ Already replenished
OGX Curl Cream ~ Already replenished
the Ordinary Vit C 23% Suspension ~ Already replenished

Will Dispose Of:
I have a drawer of MAC empties…I have to decide whether to mail them in or take them to one of the counters.

The tarte Toasted palette was a failed product for me and I planned to return it, and did so on December 1st. So mentioned here, but counts for next month.

Random Stuffs:
Spotted in Marshalls:
View attachment 62581
KVD Shade + Light Contour Palette
KVD Shade + Light Double Ended Contour Brush
KVD Shade + Light Eye Quads
KVD Studded Kiss Lipsticks
MAC 2016 Holiday Mini Brush Sets
Bite Lipsticks
Too Faced Melted Lipsticks

I am proud to say I walked away from all of that, except for the KVD dual ended brush. I just bought one on clearance from Sephora and love it. So a second one, on the cheap, was too good to leave behind!

On The Horizon:
WOW! We are into December! That means it is time to start my year in beauty review…Not fun to review how much I spent, but definitely fun to share new discoveries and favorites! Holiday gift shopping and the such, will take up most of my free budget. Plus it is such a pleasure to treat others! And truly I do not have any need.

I do need to replenish some of my Deciem/Ordinary skincare, but that is just a drop in the pot fiscally. Whenever I open a new bottle of something, I put it on the replenish list.

I have started to prep for our 10 day January vacation/business trip/cruise. I am pretty much set with all things makeup. I just need to figure out what to take without packing ALL the things.


I hope everyone had, if you celebrate, a fabulous Thanksgiving. As a brand new grandma, it was very very nice. The baby is turning into a little personality, so happy and giggly.
View attachment 62582
Happy Happy Holidays...Coming super fast and I still have a ridiculous amount of things to do, bake, buy, wrap, etc. I got the Christmas tree up and decorated this past weekend. We celebrate with the kids early, on the 23rd, so I have to get my butt in gear! Hope you are all enjoying the season and all the good things about it! x0x0x

He's adorable! congrats Glamma!

 

[lenchen]

Low Buy Check-In - November I'm very late!!
I did good, I didn't go crazy with Black Friday sales I purchased what I had on my list

Purchases
Viseart-dark mattes
Viseart-warm mattes(purchased at muse beauty pro) I also received 2 free brushes
Hakuhodo eye brushes-eek! a bit $$$, but the funds I made selling my back up brushes, and the gift card helped out a bit.
Flowerbomb oil
flower bomb oil twist in rose-Ebay at a great deal 50% off retail price


Used Up/Disposed Of/Will Dispose Of:

Used Up:
Innisfree night cream-will not re-purchase, while it was nice it just wasn't as moisturizing as my shulwasoo (I think I will go back to my shulwasoo night cream)
SU:UM time setting emulsion(moisturizer) I need to find a replacement SU:UM37 is getting harder to find these days

Disposed Of:
MAC pigments-I re-homed the remaining few I had I just wasn't using these, I'm not a fan of loose pigments

re-homed my remaining Makeupgeek mattes, I'm content with the mattes from Viseart.


On The Horizon:
I'm really liking the Natasha denona sunset palette, sigh I don't need it and honestly I have most of the colors in my custom palettes and my Viseart warm mattes palette..

I'm content with my makeup stash.

 

[shellygrrl]

Final FOTD of 2017...

* MUFE Step 1 - Smoothing Primer
* Anastasia Stick Foundation - Porcelain (only on certain parts of my face)
* Bobbi Brown Corrector - Extra Light Bisque
* MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15
* Kevyn Aucoin SSE - SX01
* surratt beauty Expressioniste Brow Pomade
* MAC Prep and Prime 24-Hour Extend Eyeshadow Base
* Bobbi Brown Downtown Cool Palette - Grey (crease)
* MAC Eyeshadow - Satin Taupe (lid)
* Clinique High Impact Mascara
* MAC Blush - Next to Skin (contour)
* NARS Velvet Lip Glide - Unlaced

(edited to add) 2018 thread is up!

 

[lenchen]

Low Buy Check-In - December
I went a bit crazy this month(brush heavy)

Purchases
Marc Jacobs brushes

foundation I
Foundation II
The infamous bronzer brush
The concealer brush
The contour brush
Anastasia glow kit sun dipped
2 ABH eyeshadows
a matte dark brown, and a shade called copper
IT cosmetics flat top foundation brush, my sigma f80 brush fell apart!
IT cosmetics Powder brush-it's huge! I like it for the body
2 MAC 217 brushes (MAC is discontinuing their animal hair brushes)-a work course for me
1 MAC 239 brush (MAC is discontinuing their animal hair brushes)-another workhorse for me
Wayne goss Holiday brush 2017-couldn't resist
MUG's new vault 28 eyeshadow pan palette

Used Up/Disposed Of/Will Dispose Of:

Used up:
Flowerbomb perfume-I have 2 backups
Red Apple lip balm-will repurchase
Red apple exfoliator-will not repurchase found the elf lip exfoliator which I love, and it's very affordable!!

Disposed Of:

I re-homed the MUG Kathleen lights highlighter palette. I fell in love with the ABH sun dipped glow kit, they are soo intense! perfect for a nighttime look.

I re -vamped my make-up stash this year, and my goals for 2018, Use what I have, pan some eyeshadows, and re-plenish skincare items, mascara, etc..

 

[fur4elise]

Low Buy Check-In ~ December

Purchases:
Neiman Marcus $25/$50 ~ I picked up the matching Christian Louboutin Metallisme Nail Colour to go with my lipstick.

Sephora $25/$50 ~ I returned the tarte Toasted Palette. We just did not get on, so it had to go. In its place and since I had the coupon, I purchased ABH E/S singles to fill shade gaps in my custom warm neutral metallic collection. Amber, Glisten Vermeer, Penny Metal & Wine. I love that the ABH shadows dropped to $10 each and came with a free palette.

Ulta 20% Coupon: ABH E/S singles Shades ~ Henna, Peach Sorbet, Rose & Surface of the Sun (same deal with a price drop & free palette); tarte Shape Tape – Tan, a lighter shade than Tan Sand. I love the stuff; TIGI Hair Care Minis (for our upcoming vacation/business trip).

SiJCP 20% Coupon: I used this coupon to buy 2 of the mini Bite lippie sets for stocking stuffers and the KVD Concealer Brush. I have been itching to give it go. And I like the brush. I still use it in combination with my fingers and sponge. It makes getting concealer right up under my lash line very easy.
Ulta 20% ~ Last minute holiday coupon! I made Platinum for the first time
However, it was all needed stuffs: Hair color, eye lash glue, Eco Tools makeup sponge.

I also got the newly released Stila Shimmer and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Jezebel (a rose gold color). I really like this formula and was thrilled to see a glitter free version be released.

I did NOT use the last Sephora 20% off sale items coupon. I had no need or want for anything.

Gave Away /Disposed Of/ Used Up:
Gave Away:
MAC Warm Neutrals E/S Palette – Surprisingly, I reached for this less and less. It got no use.
Estee Edit Gritty Palette (I kept the Glow side)

Disposed Of:
A couple eyeliner stubs, I think UD and NYX. I am due to go through my mascaras again.

Will Dispose Of:
Cannot think of anything right now. I have consistently decluttered each month, so there is less and less stuffs I am not using or reaching for.

On The Horizon:
As for actual makeup stuffs…nothing is in my lust list right now. I did see a sneak peak of the 2018 Guerlain Terracotta early on. I skipped the 2017, but really like the look of the 2018.

I think the only lippie in my list is Tom Ford Vermillionaire.

Looking at my expense journal, which I faithfully kept for all 2017, December was the least spendy month of the year! LOL! That being said, I now have a real picture of how much money I spent for the year on makeup and beauty…and it ain’t pretty. That being said, all of it was cold hard coin and not credit card. I only spent money I had in hand, so I get a gold star for that. BUT, I can do better!

I need to put together my overview of 2017. I’ll come back later for that. And then I am off into 2018 thread for some accountability and goals. See you soon! x0x0x

 

[fur4elise]

My Year in Beauty ~ 2017
Don’t you think that would make a good general thread topic?! If I have time before I speed off on vacation, I may start one…the trick is getting people to participate. I feel like, we all spend time in different threads and there are lots of good tips, tricks and discoveries that get buried…thoughts?

Anywho, here is my beauty year in review:

“A Brush is Not Just a Brush”
@shellygrrl and @lenchen ~ I think it was various posts you ladies put up at the beginning of 2017, that turned my eye towards really good Japanese brushes…and sure enough your experience along with SG’s Brush Temple, I was swayed into investing in some pricier brushes. Not a lot, but just a few tools that I would reach for every day. And it has been worth every penny.

I love the Chikuhodo and Wayne Goss brushes I purchased! And in a way that only a true makeup lover would understand, using those tools has definitely added a pleasure to putting on makeup. I take really good care of my "babies."

I also decluttered a ton of brushes to make room for the new…I mean a ton! I gave away, threw away and sold them. I now have a streamlined collection, that could go under a further edit, but it is far more manageable and a decent set of tools.

“Cream Products! What?!”
@VAL4M posted in her 2017 that she was not going to buy any more cream products…and here I was not owning any…
Ummm Well that changed. I lusted long and hard over the Tom Ford Golden Peach Duo and ended up with that along with Paradiso. I’ll come back to that in a moment…Around the same time MUFE came out with their Aqua XL Color Paint and Stila released their Glitter & Glow shadows. I added one of the MUFE and a handful of the Stila to my stash.
ETA: I also purchased a Touch In Sol Metallist Liquid Foil & Glitter Eye Shadow Duos (Margaret) and the minis set that came out for the holidays.

Okay, so back to the TF. I do not see repurchasing them. While they are pretty and I bought them on sale, they are overpriced. Especially, because you can find like products at a much better price point. The MUFE is fantastic! I go on 12 hr. plus days with my makeup and that product holds up on its own or as a primer. The Stila Glitter shadows and TiS duos, definitely need a glitter glue. I use NYX. Oh but how I love them both for the sheer metallic sparkle! I even sparingly find them SFW. And now Stila has Shimmer & Glow, liquid shadows sans the glitter. Very very pretty.

“Gimme Some Lip!”
Well, I now have a nice little trove of red lip treasures. For me, it is pretty complete and I do not see adding anything to it at this point. I just need to rotate and use my goodies! The biggest lippie purchase for 2017 was a Louboutin. Purely out of lust, for the packaging and the pleasure of a splurge. While I love it, again, I don’t think the price point is worth it (even at 20% off). I am just as happy with my red Givenchy, NARS and Urban Decay lippies, which are decently priced when on sale.

As for everyday neutrals, again I have some nice UD lippies that are in rotation and getting used up. I see just sticking with those. You can always find them on sale…speaking of sales.

“Buy All the Things...On Sale!”
Well, yes and no!
I thoroughly mastered my impulse drugstore brand habit and saved myself a lot of money in the process!

I kept my purchases to just L’oreal and Cover Girl mascaras I really like and use. And I think I bought one liquid lipstick…that funny enough, I have not even worn yet.

Other drugstore brand purchases were for hair care, skin lotion, etc. I do not count those as they are essentials and not high end brands.

In turn, I also mastered my impulse buying in general…meaning there were very few purchases made this year at full price. Yeah…there were a couple of those FOMO limited edition moments! And yeah, I kind of regret, but really should not regret...they are little treasures…We will do better in 2018. But I digress…

I kept (and will continue to keep) a lust/must list for things I needed to replenish, new products to swatch, new releases that caught my eye. Then I waited…not just for sales, but for reviews and feedback and swatches. It is amazing how much got dropped off my lust list simply by waiting and not jumping.

Let’s not forget impulse clearance buying too! Again mastered it!
I made no Hautelook purchases this past year! Shocking!
I made one Marshall’s purchase…a KVD dual end brush…a backup of a brush I love!

“More Good Than Bad Skin Days!”
Oh how I love Deciem for creating the Ordinary line! And for saving my wallet so much money! Over the past year, I finally have a skin care regime that I can clearly see good results with. It is a mix of some high end with some decently priced, but not shoddy quality products. I have aging, textured skin. No getting around it! However, the skin on my face is more balanced, dark spots are fading, fine lines and wrinkles less defined…I am not per say fighting aging…but working with it much better these days. And as many have said before, consistency is best. And trust me there are nights when I do not want to go through 5 steps of care, but sticking with it has made it worth it.

"MAC Did Not Get All My Money!"
That is all...

“Let It Go…”
That mantra is easier and easier to honor these days. I have one super happy student assistant who has scored lots of really great goodies from me. That being said, I am finally reaching a point, where there is less and less unwanted items in my wardrobe. This is a good thing!

“Making Memories…”
This one is for @veronikawithak ~ Congratulations lady! I bow down at your ability to be so disciplined with your finances! And that you have a long range game in play! If anyone can do it, you can! Some if not all of your posts have been inspirational.


Early last year or perhaps late in 2016, you talked about doing more versus spending. I kept that thought in mind, almost all of 2017. I wanted to surprise my hubby by paying for our Vegas trip this past fall! I wanted us to go away, have a good time and make some memories. So with some nipping and tucking and not spending, I was able to make that happen. And boy was hubby surprised! So thank you for all that you have shared. It does inspire others!

"Don't Lie in Your Secret Spending Journal..."
Well, seriously! The only person you are lying too, is yourself...duh! I faithfully and at times painfully kept my first ever spending journal. AND it is illuminating! While I know I spent less than 2016, I still spent waaaaaay much more than I should have in 2017. But that is okay. Having a concrete record can help me do much better in 2018.
I will continue keeping a spending journal!

So that about sums up the big things of 2017 for me. I think spending the time to review will help me craft a good low buy plan for 2018.

Thanks as always for reading my book long posts! I appreciate all of you! See you in the 2018 thread!

 

[veronikawithak]

[MENTION=51593]fur4elise[/MENTION]

Wow! I love your story about your Vegas trip! You'll remember that so much more vividly than any makeup item that you'll own.

Spending journals are key too!

Amazing job this year! See you in 2018.

 

[lenchen]

My Year in Beauty ~ 2017
Don’t you think that would make a good general thread topic?! If I have time before I speed off on vacation, I may start one…the trick is getting people to participate. I feel like, we all spend time in different threads and there are lots of good tips, tricks and discoveries that get buried…thoughts?

Anywho, here is my beauty year in review:

“A Brush is Not Just a Brush”
@shellygrrl and @lenchen ~ I think it was various posts you ladies put up at the beginning of 2017, that turned my eye towards really good Japanese brushes…and sure enough your experience along with SG’s Brush Temple, I was swayed into investing in some pricier brushes. Not a lot, but just a few tools that I would reach for every day. And it has been worth every penny.

I love the Chikuhodo and Wayne Goss brushes I purchased! And in a way that only a true makeup lover would understand, using those tools has definitely added a pleasure to putting on makeup. I take really good care of my "babies."

I also decluttered a ton of brushes to make room for the new…I mean a ton! I gave away, threw away and sold them. I now have a streamlined collection, that could go under a further edit, but it is far more manageable and a decent set of tools.

“Cream Products! What?!”
@VAL4M posted in her 2017 that she was not going to buy any more cream products…and here I was not owning any…
Ummm Well that changed. I lusted long and hard over the Tom Ford Golden Peach Duo and ended up with that along with Paradiso. I’ll come back to that in a moment…Around the same time MUFE came out with their Aqua XL Color Paint and Stila released their Glitter & Glow shadows. I added one of the MUFE and a handful of the Stila to my stash.
ETA: I also purchased a Touch In Sol Metallist Liquid Foil & Glitter Eye Shadow Duos (Margaret) and the minis set that came out for the holidays.

Okay, so back to the TF. I do not see repurchasing them. While they are pretty and I bought them on sale, they are overpriced. Especially, because you can find like products at a much better price point. The MUFE is fantastic! I go on 12 hr. plus days with my makeup and that product holds up on its own or as a primer. The Stila Glitter shadows and TiS duos, definitely need a glitter glue. I use NYX. Oh but how I love them both for the sheer metallic sparkle! I even sparingly find them SFW. And now Stila has Shimmer & Glow, liquid shadows sans the glitter. Very very pretty.

“Gimme Some Lip!”
Well, I now have a nice little trove of red lip treasures. For me, it is pretty complete and I do not see adding anything to it at this point. I just need to rotate and use my goodies! The biggest lippie purchase for 2017 was a Louboutin. Purely out of lust, for the packaging and the pleasure of a splurge. While I love it, again, I don’t think the price point is worth it (even at 20% off). I am just as happy with my red Givenchy, NARS and Urban Decay lippies, which are decently priced when on sale.

As for everyday neutrals, again I have some nice UD lippies that are in rotation and getting used up. I see just sticking with those. You can always find them on sale…speaking of sales.

“Buy All the Things...On Sale!”
Well, yes and no!
I thoroughly mastered my impulse drugstore brand habit and saved myself a lot of money in the process!

I kept my purchases to just L’oreal and Cover Girl mascaras I really like and use. And I think I bought one liquid lipstick…that funny enough, I have not even worn yet.

Other drugstore brand purchases were for hair care, skin lotion, etc. I do not count those as they are essentials and not high end brands.

In turn, I also mastered my impulse buying in general…meaning there were very few purchases made this year at full price. Yeah…there were a couple of those FOMO limited edition moments! And yeah, I kind of regret, but really should not regret...they are little treasures…We will do better in 2018. But I digress…

I kept (and will continue to keep) a lust/must list for things I needed to replenish, new products to swatch, new releases that caught my eye. Then I waited…not just for sales, but for reviews and feedback and swatches. It is amazing how much got dropped off my lust list simply by waiting and not jumping.

Let’s not forget impulse clearance buying too! Again mastered it!
I made no Hautelook purchases this past year! Shocking!
I made one Marshall’s purchase…a KVD dual end brush…a backup of a brush I love!

“More Good Than Bad Skin Days!”
Oh how I love Deciem for creating the Ordinary line! And for saving my wallet so much money! Over the past year, I finally have a skin care regime that I can clearly see good results with. It is a mix of some high end with some decently priced, but not shoddy quality products. I have aging, textured skin. No getting around it! However, the skin on my face is more balanced, dark spots are fading, fine lines and wrinkles less defined…I am not per say fighting aging…but working with it much better these days. And as many have said before, consistency is best. And trust me there are nights when I do not want to go through 5 steps of care, but sticking with it has made it worth it.

"MAC Did Not Get All My Money!"
That is all...

“Let It Go…”
That mantra is easier and easier to honor these days. I have one super happy student assistant who has scored lots of really great goodies from me. That being said, I am finally reaching a point, where there is less and less unwanted items in my wardrobe. This is a good thing!

“Making Memories…”
This one is for @veronikawithak ~ Congratulations lady! I bow down at your ability to be so disciplined with your finances! And that you have a long range game in play! If anyone can do it, you can! Some if not all of your posts have been inspirational.


Early last year or perhaps late in 2016, you talked about doing more versus spending. I kept that thought in mind, almost all of 2017. I wanted to surprise my hubby by paying for our Vegas trip this past fall! I wanted us to go away, have a good time and make some memories. So with some nipping and tucking and not spending, I was able to make that happen. And boy was hubby surprised! So thank you for all that you have shared. It does inspire others!

"Don't Lie in Your Secret Spending Journal..."
Well, seriously! The only person you are lying too, is yourself...duh! I faithfully and at times painfully kept my first ever spending journal. AND it is illuminating! While I know I spent less than 2016, I still spent waaaaaay much more than I should have in 2017. But that is okay. Having a concrete record can help me do much better in 2018.
I will continue keeping a spending journal!

So that about sums up the big things of 2017 for me. I think spending the time to review will help me craft a good low buy plan for 2018.

Thanks as always for reading my book long posts! I appreciate all of you! See you in the 2018 thread!

I think the general topic thread is an excellent idea!