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

[Maris Crane]

I think I did okay at VIB. I actually finally got my VIB welcome package from the girl at checkout (3 months later!) but I also think the Eaton Centre location being a cluster-eff and also shopping with a Minder (though she splurged as much as I did) and with a purpose helped. I ended up picking up an Hourglass blush (Dim Infusion; wanted it for a while now. Almost caved and bought the palette, but I knew I wouldn't really use Mood Exposure? the berrier one a whole lot.), NARS Brigitte (love it; wearing it today! Sold out of Anita and Raquel - the two I really wanted even more than Brigitte, but I'll just wait for a Murale promotion and I'm not in a rush), Armani Master Corrector (I've got maybe 30% left in my current tube), and one impulse: the mini Bite gloss in Papaya. Seems nice but very dupeable. I also picked up Naked3 and UDPP for my coworker. But I'm pretty pleased I didn't go hog-wild. I can't speak for the website - I tried once and gave up. But the ladies and gents in the store were fantastic! I have no idea how none of them lost their marbles with cranky people, indecisive customers and just the sardines, but excellent customer service! I'm hardly ever in store, but if they had more 24H locations, I'd be in all the time I think I'm done for the year. I would like to get some staples in Duty Free, and I was thinking of using my 10% VIB thing for a Tom Ford fragrance, but I think I can keep it under 3 things until Christmas. Providing I don't have a Moment at INGLOT or something.

 

[Maris Crane]

Supposedly the Inglot gel liners are amazing in the waterline, but I'm not sure about lashline. Let me know how you like the 4SS; it's one I've been eying as well. Meanwhile, finish the year strong, yeah?

Oh god, I'm so sorry I'm just replying now! This 4SS is the softest brush I have ever owned. Now, TBH, though I don't generally splurge on brushes - Quo, EcoTools, Real Techniques are fine by me with the odd MAC or NARS thrown in for good measure. I'm really loving the 4SS to set my undereye concealer with a brightening powder. As for the gel liner: incredible too. The liner does not get into my crease by the end of the day - I find the Physician's Formula liquid, Jordana Fabuliner, MAC Fluidlines, BB Gel - a little bit of the gel liner remnents with 'press' and flake off into my socket line by the end of the day. Nothing horrible, and I'm the only one noticing, but no transferring. I've been using it to wing everyday almost since I bought it. It's very creamy - much more in line with the texture of Clinique or Essence's potted liners.

 

[CrimsonQuill157]

Tomorrow I'm going to go through my lipstick box. Scary thought. But I know now that I don't wear my orange lipsticks and I don't wear most of my brights. I seem to enjoy nudes, neutrals, and vampy shades the most, with some exceptions (Toying Around, despite it's brightness, is really beautiful on me). I'll probably pass them on to my other makeup loving friend before I move off campus.

 

[PixieDancer]

Tomorrow I'm going to go through my lipstick box. Scary thought. But I know now that I don't wear my orange lipsticks and I don't wear most of my brights. I seem to enjoy nudes, neutrals, and vampy shades the most, with some exceptions (Toying Around, despite it's brightness, is really beautiful on me). I'll probably pass them on to my other makeup loving friend before I move off campus.

Purge those lippies girl! HeeHee Good Luck!!

 

[shellygrrl]

FOTD... * Benefit The POREfessional * NARS Sheer Glow Foundation - Siberia * MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15 * OCC Skin Conceal - Y0 * Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Transparent * NARS Brow Perfector - Caucase * MAC Eyeshadow - Brun (also for brows) * Sonia Kashuk Brow Gel - Clear * NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base * Makeup Geek Eyeshdow - Sensuous (outer and inner thirds) * MAC Eyeshadow - Woodwinked (middle third) * Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Hipster (crease) * MAC Eyeshadow - All That Glitters (to brighten Woodwinked) * Marc Jacobs O!Mega Volume mascara - Blaquer * MAC Blush - Next to Skin (contour) * The Body Shop Honey Powder Bronzer - 02 Fair * MAC Lipstick - Feed the Senses

 

[Anaphora]

Someone control me. I've gone from BI to $9 away from VIBR in 2 months.

 

[tirurit]

Holy sheep indeed!

What happened? Did something in your live trigger this change of spending habits? Do you recognize any patterns that we have talked about previously?

The first step is to spot when/where/why the previous status quo changed

 

[Anaphora]

Holy sheep indeed!

What happened? Did something in your live trigger this change of spending habits? Do you recognize any patterns that we have talked about previously?

The first step is to spot when/where/why the previous status quo changed

Got married, started a new job, am now working 70+ hours a week. Basically, I'm stress buying.

 

[tirurit]

Got married, started a new job, am now working 70+ hours a week. Basically, I'm stress buying.

Well, it seems that you know what the issue is already, so that is a start!

Do you think you can change your habits? Find an activity that helps you wind down and does not involve buying cosmetics?

I feel your pain!! 70 hours a week is madness! It can drain you!

 

[Anaphora]

Well, it seems that you know what the issue is already, so that is a start!

Do you think you can change your habits? Find an activity that helps you wind down and does not involve buying cosmetics?

I feel your pain!! 70 hours a week is madness! It can drain you!

Maybe! I will say though, I'm going to buy a travel sized something just to enjoy being Rouge next year. I never thought I would make it there.

 

[Buffy89]

Great to see that everyone's doing so fine! Last week I mentioned that I'd like to buy the UD Vice 3 palette, but I think I've reconsidered it long enough to skip. The palette itself is really pretty, but it won't be really suitable for my makeup habits and my clothing style. It contains quite a lot of bright colors and since I'm usually wearing a vintage-y, "cute" kind of style (think of polka dots and flowery dresses, like the main character in "New Girl"), I do a lot of winged eyeliner and rather pick neutrals for my eyes. At work, I cannot wear too colorful makeup, too. I guess that I won't use all those fun colors such as green/blue/bright pink a lot, besides I already own some "colorful" colors so I already can create some bold looks if I want.
This week, I plan to use only one lip product (the most horrible one I own, lol) so I can take bigger steps towards finishing one. It's a Mac Plushglass from the 2011 spring collection (really old, huh?...yikes) and there's about 50% left. I mean, gosh, it's almost four years old and there's still so much left! This tells a lot about the size of my stash and my using habits. I really don't like that stingey, uncomfortable feeling it gives my lips when applied, but I'm too ambitious to simply toss it into my b2m box. I'll carry it in my pocket so I'll reapply whenever I'm going to the restrooms instead of forgetting it in my handbag. Today I reapplied it five times

Trying to finish it before November ends.

 

[SleepingBeauty]

Yay! I hope you love it. I'm still waiting for mine.

Heirloom released here today and I was able to resist everything.

Congrats to you!

I wasn't. Bought the Smoky Eye bag even though the pigmentation isn't great. I just like the colours and I'm a sucker for palettes. I also got Sweet Sentiment blush and Seeking Adoration Cremesheen Glass. I'm happy with what I purchased, though. I had two 15€ gift cards and saved a decent amount of money.

 

[Audrey C]

Great to see that everyone's doing so fine! Last week I mentioned that I'd like to buy the UD Vice 3 palette, but I think I've reconsidered it long enough to skip. The palette itself is really pretty, but it won't be really suitable for my makeup habits and my clothing style. It contains quite a lot of bright colors and since I'm usually wearing a vintage-y, "cute" kind of style (think of polka dots and flowery dresses, like the main character in "New Girl"), I do a lot of winged eyeliner and rather pick neutrals for my eyes. At work, I cannot wear too colorful makeup, too. I guess that I won't use all those fun colors such as green/blue/bright pink a lot, besides I already own some "colorful" colors so I already can create some bold looks if I want.
This week, I plan to use only one lip product (the most horrible one I own, lol) so I can take bigger steps towards finishing one. It's a Mac Plushglass from the 2011 spring collection (really old, huh?...yikes) and there's about 50% left. I mean, gosh, it's almost four years old and there's still so much left! This tells a lot about the size of my stash and my using habits. I really don't like that stingey, uncomfortable feeling it gives my lips when applied, but I'm too ambitious to simply toss it into my b2m box. I'll carry it in my pocket so I'll reapply whenever I'm going to the restrooms instead of forgetting it in my handbag. Today I reapplied it five times

Trying to finish it before November ends.

I personally wouldn't give a moment's thought to tossing an old gloss into the BTM bag; they're one of the least sanitary products and it's very old at this point. Let yourself use something you love.

I'm happy with how I did during the Sephora sale. I bought less than last year, but bought both Christmas gifts and some items for myself. I'm pleased that I didn't get myself any makeup (other than the UD 500 point perk, but since it was free I'm not going to quibble).

My personal list:

J'Adore EDP
Big Hair Don't Care Kit (major splurge)
2 Philosophy body wash (Fresh Cream and French Vanilla)
Caudelie Winter Duo
Bumble and Bumble Nonstop Softness Kit
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer
Devacurl DevaTowel


I was lusting over Guerlain holiday meteorites from last Christmas, so I ordered them as a Christmas gift from my dad. They're arrived, but I've put them aside and won't touch them until then.

Apart from a couple of upcoming Spring Guerlain releases (I have become a huge fan of their powder products), I'm not lemming any makeup items.

 

[Buffy89]

I personally wouldn't give a moment's thought to tossing an old gloss into the BTM bag; they're one of the least sanitary products and it's very old at this point. Let yourself use something you love.

Yeah you're right, I guess. When it comes to points of hygiene, that gloss is a disaster...before I really got into makeup, I exactly followed those recommendations concerning expiration dates you find everywhere. I really tossed my lipsticks after two years, my powdery products after three,... Nowadays I only toss mascaras after six months or a shorter period, but that's it. In former times, I only used drugstore products so tossing didn't really hurt. Throwing away a high end-ish product (I've got the impression that Mac is a bit less pricey in the US) feels different, though. I guess that having a full drawer of almost unused, "new" and expensive lipsticks has blurred my view when it comes to doing regular cleanouts. But I must add, I'm really good at keeping my brushes and tools clean, so that might be helpful to keep my stuff in a rather sanitary condition.
All in all, I'm realizing how unmanagable it is to really use a big stash of expensive brands AND keep everything sanitary/finish products within the "normal" expiration time. Another reason for attending team low buy!
Now that you've given me this advice, I'll probably toss it into my b2m box although it's still looking and smelling normal (the stingey feeling is due to the "plush"/plumping effect). AND I dislike it anyway, so why keep it.

 

[Buffy89]

My personal list:

J'Adore EDP
Big Hair Don't Care Kit (major splurge)
2 Philosophy body wash (Fresh Cream and French Vanilla)
Caudelie Winter Duo
Bumble and Bumble Nonstop Softness Kit
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer
Devacurl DevaTowel

Oh, I've had a sample of this and I really loved it! In my former post I forgot to mention that I've made an appointment at the hairdresser's to get highlights/dye done. Durig the times I overspent on makeup, I always thought that getting highlights at the salon was too expensive, but the truth is that I simply wasted my money at Mac. Now I've decided it's time to treat myself and get my hair done professionally instead of buying hair dye at the drugstore and applying it myself/at home. The effect will be soooo impressive and it will be totally worth the money I'll spend on it (insead of buying more lipstick etc. (one treatment at my hairdresser's equals the price of about 4 Mac lipsticks) - no one can recognize the difference between all those lipsticks, but they'll totally notice my fab hair).

 

[Naynadine]

Congrats to you!

I wasn't. Bought the Smoky Eye bag even though the pigmentation isn't great. I just like the colours and I'm a sucker for palettes. I also got Sweet Sentiment blush and Seeking Adoration Cremesheen Glass. I'm happy with what I purchased, though. I had two 15€ gift cards and saved a decent amount of money.

I was tempted to order something simply because Douglas had listed most items at wrong prices at first, those would've been pretty good bargains. But I didn't really need any of it, so I stayed strong.
Glad you enjoy the items you bought Shopping with gift cards is the best.

My Hourglass Palette arrived a couple of days ago and I like it a lot. The middle shade is a little shimmery and the pink one (I always forget the names of those powders and blushes) isn't a shade I'd usually go for, but I'm still happy I bought it. The neutral shade is my fave and the texture is great, very fine and silky.

Other than that I didn't buy any beauty products recently, besides some lip balm and drugstore body care. Well, and Tweezerman tweezers, but I was sent wrong ones so I got refunded by Amazon. I'm more into shopping for clothes again, finally found an affordable coat I like (Zara).

I realized I need to purge some more makeup, I still have plenty of stuff I rarely or never use, even stuff I bought not too long ago. So I want to slow down with my purchases even more and put more thought into them.

 

[Audrey C]

Oh, I've had a sample of this and I really loved it! In my former post I forgot to mention that I've made an appointment at the hairdresser's to get highlights/dye done. Durig the times I overspent on makeup, I always thought that getting highlights at the salon was too expensive, but the truth is that I simply wasted my money at Mac. Now I've decided it's time to treat myself and get my hair done professionally instead of buying hair dye at the drugstore and applying it myself/at home. The effect will be soooo impressive and it will be totally worth the money I'll spend on it (insead of buying more lipstick etc. (one treatment at my hairdresser's equals the price of about 4 Mac lipsticks) - no one can recognize the difference between all those lipsticks, but they'll totally notice my fab hair).

There's a big difference between professional and at home colour. I coloured my own in my late teens and 20s, but switched to professional in my 30s when I had significantly more white. (My grandmother had snow-white hair at 40 and I found my couple of white strands in my teens. I'm in my late 40s now and my natural hair is at LEAST 1/3 white. Not grey. Snow white. So I have a standing appointment every three weeks to get my roots done. No way I'm ready for that). Professional hair colour is tailored to you and isn't as harsh or drying as the store bought kind.

It's really important to use good hair products when you have colour treated hair and considering what I spend on colouring, I only use salon products. My new fave is Redken Color Extend Magnetics; I buy it in the US in litre sizes because it's much cheaper that way.

I understand what you mean about getting rid of expensive products you're not using, but the reality is that the money is long gone and making yourself keep products you no longer like around isn't going to get it back. I BTM'd a lot of products this year that had very little use; I tried selling some early in the year and I personally found it to be too much trouble. So the reality is that I've given or tossed away a lot of good quality makeup simply because I knew I'd never wear it. That makes it a lot easier for me to scale back my buying, because I don't like wasting money.

If you haven't already (I haven't ready all the posts I missed, so forgive me if this is repetitive), I'd recommend doing a full inventory of your makeup items. It can be pretty eye-opening.

 

[Buffy89]

There's a big difference between professional and at home colour. I coloured my own in my late teens and 20s, but switched to professional in my 30s when I had significantly more white. (My grandmother had snow-white hair at 40 and I found my couple of white strands in my teens. I'm in my late 40s now and my natural hair is at LEAST 1/3 white. Not grey. Snow white. So I have a standing appointment every three weeks to get my roots done. No way I'm ready for that). Professional hair colour is tailored to you and isn't as harsh or drying as the store bought kind.

It's really important to use good hair products when you have colour treated hair and considering what I spend on colouring, I only use salon products. My new fave is Redken Color Extend Magnetics; I buy it in the US in litre sizes because it's much cheaper that way.

I understand what you mean about getting rid of expensive products you're not using, but the reality is that the money is long gone and making yourself keep products you no longer like around isn't going to get it back. I BTM'd a lot of products this year that had very little use; I tried selling some early in the year and I personally found it to be too much trouble. So the reality is that I've given or tossed away a lot of good quality makeup simply because I knew I'd never wear it. That makes it a lot easier for me to scale back my buying, because I don't like wasting money.

If you haven't already (I haven't ready all the posts I missed, so forgive me if this is repetitive), I'd recommend doing a full inventory of your makeup items. It can be pretty eye-opening.

Yeah I really think I'll totally enjoy the professional hair coloring. My natural color is dark blonde and I've been bleaching it myself and it's sooo risky, it might turn yellowish. It feels great that I'm treating myself with something individually tailored to my hair and my expectations.

I totally see your point about selling makeup. I used to try this at a german flea market kinda website (Kleiderkreisel for the girls around here who know it) and it was mostly annoying and troublesome and it took me a lot of time to take proper pictures. I don't like ebay, so there aren't many options left.
I once gave a full tube of Reel Sexy lipstick b2m because it didn't suit me at all and nobody wanted to buy it. Usually I'm not good at doing cleanouts because I've always been a person who keeps everything for nostalgic reasons (and I love old stuff and museums and flea markets and attics stuffed with things...so that might be my soft spot), but I do need to make an inventory list I think.

 

[charlotte366]

Yeah I really think I'll totally enjoy the professional hair coloring. My natural color is dark blonde and I've been bleaching it myself and it's sooo risky, it might turn yellowish. It feels great that I'm treating myself with something individually tailored to my hair and my expectations.

I totally see your point about selling makeup. I used to try this at a german flea market kinda website (Kleiderkreisel for the girls around here who know it) and it was mostly annoying and troublesome and it took me a lot of time to take proper pictures. I don't like ebay, so there aren't many options left.
I once gave a full tube of Reel Sexy lipstick b2m because it didn't suit me at all and nobody wanted to buy it. Usually I'm not good at doing cleanouts because I've always been a person who keeps everything for nostalgic reasons (and I love old stuff and museums and flea markets and attics stuffed with things...so that might be my soft spot), but I do need to make an inventory list I think.

I know what you mean, I like to keep things to, i am however trying to be a little more minimalish in my life at the moment and I am enjoying sorting stuff out and having less clutter around me!

 

[MissTania]

I love rediscovering things too! Sometimes I forget I've bought certain items after a while so it's good to go through and shop the stash.

One of my goals next year is also no backups. #teamnobackups! Not just cosmetics.. everything. I did really well using up or tossing hair products and bath & body products this year so I'm almost at my goal with those. I think I have about 8 makeup backups right now. Fortunately 3 of them are staples I'm almost through and I'm also over half done one of the lipsticks I backed up for this summer. The other 2 I should be able to get through in 2015. 2 are glosses I'll replace this summer.. so by the end of next year I should have no makeup backups left. No goo hoarding for me.

I'm also going through a lot of shower gels and hair products, which I previously hoarded. Being back up free will be such a relief for you!!! I forget about items all the time, which is another reason why I shouldn't back up!!