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

[charlotte366]

Quote:Originally Posted by Starlight77

I just had my 2nd child and I think she helped me grow up a little. As much as I want to buy from this fantasy of flowers collection I need to be more practical.
The items I want:
Rose Lily lipstick- NOT buying. I only wanted it because it has her name in it. STUPID
Snapdragon- NOT buying. I wanted it because it's pink. Like I really need yet another pink to collect dust. If it has any purple at all I won't wear it as I'm in love with a new dior lipstick I bought.
Perfect topping- I am getting as I do not own any highlighters besides Mary-luminizer (too shimmery for me) and Mac snow globe (white compact one) so I can rationalize this as a good choice. Right? It helps to type out loud lol.

1 product!! Yay!! Now to stick to it!!!


congrats on your second bundle of joy and well done narrowing it down to one choice! I think this is what I am working on only buying products that are unique AND I will use, I am still enjoying purging my collection down at the moment and glad I skipped a couple of things including the NARSisst palette. I am considering purging some of my mac shadows ladies and I suspect I may need some advice! I currently have one mac double 30 pan palette filled with a range of permanent and ltd edition neutral shades. I also have a 15 pan pallete which has my purples greens pinks and blues. This isn't full and prob has 3 or 4 spaces. The trouble is I don't appear to be using the shadows much, and I wonder if I would be better off purging down to just the 15 pan palette? I could keep 2 purples 1 blue 2 greens and the rest neutral maybe? I will post pictures later and would be grateful for any advice? I just can't help feeling that if I am not using them I shouldn't keep them and maybe I could manage with a much smaller selection which I do use?

 

[IHughes]

Hmmmmm.. I guess that's still passable. Hahaha.  I think you dodged a bullet on the palette though, the quality looked questionable. Did your mum surprise you with things or does she regularly do that? Maybe once you feel like your own buying is under control you could let her know that you're working on decreasing the inflow of products? Just a thought, I don't know if you feel like that's an issue for you or not! I'm really hoping for a birthday gc next week but I'm not counting it towards my low buy goals for example.

She doesn't usually but as she travelled and had time at the airport and it's cheaper she got something for me. She says it's easy to get me a lipstick or something and it'll make me super happy!!! She knows I'm trying not to buy too many things, that's also why she gets it too as she knows I'm being good hahahha. I'm on low buy but not for a specific reason, just because I want to buy more in future but not end up with tonnes of makeup!! Last year I went a little crazy so now I'm being more selective!

 

[veronikawithak]

MAC will always have a special place in my heart, but I've started seeing other people and I don't see that changing.

Absolutely agree with this! I had a brief love affair with MAC for a couple of years but I'm bored as well. Of my purchases this year, only 1 of 5 has been MAC. I anticipate trying a couple of things (like tendertones) this year but I really want to see other brands as well. I've been loving MUFE eyeliners since I like mine on the dry side. Loving my NARS foundation, concealer, and translucent powder. LOVING my Hourglass powder.

Having only 12 items to purchase this year really makes me think about whether I want to get another hit or miss MAC product or try something new that I can read reviews about and plan for. Easy choice IMO!

 

[veronikawithak]

I will post pictures later and would be grateful for any advice? I just can't help feeling that if I am not using them I shouldn't keep them and maybe I could manage with a much smaller selection which I do use?

Maybe you could start by challenging yourself to wearing every shadow at least once in a month. If you don't like a shadow when you put it on, out it goes? Maybe try getting down to just the 30 palette first and see if you use that more (but keep the empty 15 in case you want to get down to that)? Going slowly will decrease the risk of regret that you tossed them and the need to run out and buy more to replace them.. If you find you have several of a certain shade ex. 5 transition colors or highlights for example, and you only use the same ones all the time, maybe you could get rid of your least favorite ones?

One thing I did was put 4 shadows in a quad and use that for a week. Then rotate the colors out once a week for different ones from your larger palettes! Keeps your selection small but you still end up using more of your collection. I found tossing 1 or 2 every once in a while was less painful than culling a bunch at once, but do what feels right to you!

Hope that helps! Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[veronikawithak]

I'm on low buy but not for a specific reason, just because I want to buy more in future but not end up with tonnes of makeup!! Last year I went a little crazy so now I'm being more selective!

That sounds fine then! As long as it's not a regular thing, I think it's okay to accept gifts unless you're someone who needs to be more strict with yourself. Maybe with gifts you could implement a 1 in 1 out process? You could get rid of your least favorite when you get something new of that category. That would keep your stash at the same amount and eventually you'd just be left with your very favorite items which is a bonus! Just a thought, but I think you're doing great!

 

[Rainbunny]

Absolutely agree with this! I had a brief love affair with MAC for a couple of years but I'm bored as well. Of my purchases this year, only 1 of 5 has been MAC. I anticipate trying a couple of things (like tendertones) this year but I really want to see other brands as well. I've been loving MUFE eyeliners since I like mine on the dry side. Loving my NARS foundation, concealer, and translucent powder. LOVING my Hourglass powder. Having only 12 items to purchase this year really makes me think about whether I want to get another hit or miss MAC product or try something new that I can read reviews about and plan for. Easy choice IMO!

I really only started buying a lot last year around the Archie's Girls collection, which inspired me to try different colours from what I would usually choose. I had previously only bought Mac basics for about a decade, and then I started reading beauty blogs, and then basically went crazy in 2013 and really accumulated a huge amount of everything, Mac and Nars and UD, etc., etc., in a relatively short time. However, since I bought from every season, as this year rolls around everything is kind of looking the same to me, which is good. I guess beauty trends don't change that much, really, short-term, so the chances of a really different colour cropping up is not that great! So unless something has a really innovative formula, i think I have most things covered now. Of course, the Huggables sucked me into their black hole, but I'm always reaching for them and that's because I find the formula really, really works for me. I think what happened is that I wasn't following beauty much at all, and then when I started paying attention, there was all this cool new stuff. I also had made good progress on Weight Watchers, and was treating myself with makeup instead of food. Anyway, I think I am caught up now! And having a great time playing with my (relatively) new stash.

 

[walkingdead]

I really only started buying a lot last year around the Archie's Girls collection, which inspired me to try different colours from what I would usually choose. I had previously only bought Mac basics for about a decade, and then I started reading beauty blogs, and then basically went crazy in 2013 and really accumulated a huge amount of everything, Mac and Nars and UD, etc., etc., in a relatively short time. However, since I bought from every season, as this year rolls around everything is kind of looking the same to me, which is good. I guess beauty trends don't change that much, really, short-term, so the chances of a really different colour cropping up is not that great! So unless something has a really innovative formula, i think I have most things covered now. Of course, the Huggables sucked me into their black hole, but I'm always reaching for them and that's because I find the formula really, really works for me. I think what happened is that I wasn't following beauty much at all, and then when I started paying attention, there was all this cool new stuff. I also had made good progress on Weight Watchers, and was treating myself with makeup instead of food. Anyway, I think I am caught up now! And having a great time playing with my (relatively) new stash.

That's exactly what happened to me.. Archie's colletion. YouTube, beauty blogs and of course Spectra!! fueled my desire to try and get everything...still ️You guys

 

[IHughes]

That sounds fine then! As long as it's not a regular thing, I think it's okay to accept gifts unless you're someone who needs to be more strict with yourself. Maybe with gifts you could implement a 1 in 1 out process? You could get rid of your least favorite when you get something new of that category. That would keep your stash at the same amount and eventually you'd just be left with your very favorite items which is a bonus! Just a thought, but I think you're doing great!

That's my next step, to learn to get rid of things I don't like as much. It's hard as I feel I'm wasting money and that I should be using them, but I have so many things now!!

 

[veronikawithak]

That's my next step, to learn to get rid of things I don't like as much. It's hard as I feel I'm wasting money and that I should be using them, but I have so many things now!!

I think what resonated with me was the fact that the real currency is time, not money.

If you really don't like something, you've already wasted x amount of minutes or hours working to be able to exchange your time for the money to buy it. Why would you waste more time wearing it when you don't like it? Meanwhile other things that you've exchanged your time to purchase are things you DO love, and you're neglecting them and potentially letting them expire for things you don't like..

 

[Rainbunny]

That's exactly what happened to me.. Archie's colletion. YouTube, beauty blogs and of course Spectra!! fueled my desire to try and get everything...still ️You guys

Yes, it's a lot of fun, isn't it? Plus, now that I'm not seeing EVERYTHING for the first time, I'm finding I can control myself a little better. The other dirty secret is that stalking Mac's LE collections, honestly, is kind of fun. It's a game for us, too, not just Mac!! We enjoy the hunt. Mind you, I stayed away from the online Riri wars (counters in Canada were pretty normal), so others may have a different view. ) Anyway, we can participate in Specktra the same as always, just don't have to buy everything anymore!

 

[Audrey C]

I think what resonated with me was the fact that the real currency is time, not money.

If you really don't like something, you've already wasted x amount of minutes or hours working to be able to exchange your time for the money to buy it. Why would you waste more time wearing it when you don't like it? Meanwhile other things that you've exchanged your time to purchase are things you DO love, and you're neglecting them and potentially letting them expire for things you don't like..

I think it's easy to lose sight of the fact that money spent is gone and that cutting your losses can be ok. Stereo Rose is a sunk cost - forcing myself to wear it a handful of times isn't going to change that. As long as I've learned something in the process (confirmed that I simply do not like heavily metallic finishes, just as I loathe glitter) and don't repeat the error, there's really no point to it taking up room in my drawer. So I've offered it to someone (haven't forgotten - just ran out of small bubble envelopes and I have to get some more).

The money is GONE, ladies. Maybe we can swap or sell some of it, but that's not easy either. I think it's best to gift/sell/discard what we know we don't enjoy wearing, and focus on not replacing it.

 

[Rainbunny]

I think what resonated with me was the fact that the real currency is time, not money. If you really don't like something, you've already wasted x amount of minutes or hours working to be able to exchange your time for the money to buy it. Why would you waste more time wearing it when you don't like it? Meanwhile other things that you've exchanged your time to purchase are things you DO love, and you're neglecting them and potentially letting them expire for things you don't like..

I wonder if a good approach might be to just pack away stuff you don't really love for the time being so you can live right now with the ideal size stash for you. For myself, I feel guilty getting rid of stuff that I bought so recently that's perfectly good but I'm just not as excited about compared to other things that I have. Then I could use up what I love first, and enjoy the cream of my collection without the clutter/guilt of the mediocre stuff. I find it's easier to get rid of things once more time has passed, since you are more detached from money wasted farther back in time as opposed to recently. Plus, when you use something up from the ideal stash, you could go to the "secondary" stash to see if you have something comparable, which could save money down the line. A lot of my problem is that I now just have too much, period, rather than I have so much that is really awful. Even lipsticks that are not the most flattering colours on me can be tweaked, but I agree it's better to let the unloved stuff run the risk of expiry as opposed to the superior products.

 

[User38]

I wonder if a good approach might be to just pack away stuff you don't really love for the time being so you can live right now with the ideal size stash for you. For myself, I feel guilty getting rid of stuff that I bought so recently that's perfectly good but I'm just not as excited about compared to other things that I have. Then I could use up what I love first, and enjoy the cream of my collection without the clutter/guilt of the mediocre stuff. I find it's easier to get rid of things once more time has passed, since you are more detached from money wasted farther back in time as opposed to recently. Plus, when you use something up from the ideal stash, you could go to the "secondary" stash to see if you have something comparable, which could save money down the line. A lot of my problem is that I now just have too much, period, rather than I have so much that is really awful. Even lipsticks that are not the most flattering colours on me can be tweaked, but I agree it's better to let the unloved stuff run the risk of expiry as opposed to the superior products.

I think we all have the problem of time v. money. There is even an actuarial formula for time being equal to money. Having too much stuff makes us vulnerable to not really seeing what we have and what is best for us and thus spending on products of almost equal characteristics already in our stashes.

I recently had my stuff delivered and have been on a process of rediscovery -- but it's still way too much for any one human being. Granted, I have had more access to many more products and this has caused me to accumulate so much. I disagree that it's easier to get rid of things once more time has passed -- I have found real treasures from my older products. Creating ideal stashes and secondary stashes is like substituting one drug for another. It might work for some but for me it's been the cold turkey, almost every day until I can see sunlight.

what is a superior product? that which costs more, is LE, or is just the best product for us on a daily basis? I am still debating this within myself as I have some products which are probably not superior but they work great for me.

jmho.

 

[User38]

I think it's easy to lose sight of the fact that money spent is gone and that cutting your losses can be ok. Stereo Rose is a sunk cost - forcing myself to wear it a handful of times isn't going to change that. As long as I've learned something in the process (confirmed that I simply do not like heavily metallic finishes, just as I loathe glitter) and don't repeat the error, there's really no point to it taking up room in my drawer. So I've offered it to someone (haven't forgotten - just ran out of small bubble envelopes and I have to get some more).

The money is GONE, ladies. Maybe we can swap or sell some of it, but that's not easy either. I think it's best to gift/sell/discard what we know we don't enjoy wearing, and focus on not replacing it.

agree completey Audrey. The money is gone .. so don't dwell on it and learn from it.

 

[PixieDancer]

I will post pictures later and would be grateful for any advice? I just can't help feeling that if I am not using them I shouldn't keep them and maybe I could manage with a much smaller selection which I do use?

Congrats on your new bundle of joy @Starlight77! That's a GREAT excuse to refocus your attention onto things that are TRULY WAYYYYY more important than makeup!!

I agree with Miss @veronikawithak that going down to your 30 palette first would probably help you ease into your purge! If I try to take things too fast I often panic and put it all back. I feel pressured and start to over analize and think I'm making hasty decisions that aren't good ones. That goal would still have you parting with 11-12 eyeshadows.... which is a great place to start! THEN, if you feel there are colors you never use in your 30 palette, they can go as well! Then they can be replaced with new colors you'd like to try, or even get down to the 15 palette over time like you originally thought of trying! Just my opinion. Let us know how it goes! I'm interested in what you let go vs what you keep!

Quote: Originally Posted by Rainbunny


I wonder if a good approach might be to just pack away stuff you don't really love for the time being so you can live right now with the ideal size stash for you. For myself, I feel guilty getting rid of stuff that I bought so recently that's perfectly good but I'm just not as excited about compared to other things that I have. Then I could use up what I love first, and enjoy the cream of my collection without the clutter/guilt of the mediocre stuff. I find it's easier to get rid of things once more time has passed, since you are more detached from money wasted farther back in time as opposed to recently. Plus, when you use something up from the ideal stash, you could go to the "secondary" stash to see if you have something comparable, which could save money down the line. A lot of my problem is that I now just have too much, period, rather than I have so much that is really awful. Even lipsticks that are not the most flattering colours on me can be tweaked, but I agree it's better to let the unloved stuff run the risk of expiry as opposed to the superior products.

I agree with @HerGreyness that having a backup stash is sort of enabling your situation rather than correcting it. If you know it's there for you to get from anytime you want, you may never get up the nerve to really let any of it go. If it's not good enough to be in your main stash... having it in a secondary stash means it probably isn't something you love anyways... so let it go. Unless you don't plan on buying anymore makeup in the future. Then it would make sense you could go to a less impressive backup after using up a loved item. But I'm sure by the time you go through the one you like, you'll have your eye on a replacement. If you're planning on continuing to buy (which I'm sure we all will) then let go of things you don't find to be good enough for your main stash now to clear the way. Just some advice. If you're not ready to let it go, then you're not ready. And that's ok too. Maybe separating it into a secondary stash and getting it out of your daily rotation would help you realize you don't love or miss any of it, then it will be easier for you to part with. Maybe go into your secondary stash once a month and let go of a few things at a time until you feel good about its reduced size!?

 

[kerry-jane88]

Joined team low buy swap thread, posted my pokemans, big moment for me! I've never done sales and swaps! Feeling good about my progress today

 

[NaomiH]

I'm so looking forward to reorganizing my stash once I'm done re-doing my bedroom. I'm wanting to set a corner aside and finally have myself a little makeup area! I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to organizing. lol

 

[Debbs]

I listed an extensive amount of stuff as well in the low-buy swap thread. I am a bit "shy", seriously and don't like too much attention (not jk). I attempted a sale thread once and was unable to go through with it. I am kinda thinking if offers/swapping doesn't occur eventually I will erase my listing. I would rather have them gone but I don't think I can handle a lot of "looking". Thanks for the opportunity to do this guys, it's exciting tho a bit leary all at once. I am proud of myself to be able to list stuff to begin with therefore even if not much activity mastering the ability let things go still makes me happy.

 

[Audrey C]

I listed an extensive amount of stuff as well in the low-buy swap thread. I am a bit "shy", seriously and don't like too much attention (not jk). I attempted a sale thread once and was unable to go through with it. I am kinda thinking if offers/swapping doesn't occur eventually I will erase my listing. I would rather have them gone but I don't think I can handle a lot of "looking". Thanks for the opportunity to do this guys, it's exciting tho a bit leary all at once. I am proud of myself to be able to list stuff to begin with therefore even if not much activity mastering the ability let things go still makes me happy.

I'd be happy to swap with you - you've posted lost of nice things. I don't think I have anything you're looking for, but someone else is sure to.

 

[Rainbunny]

I ordered some Muji drawers too, and I think organizing my stash so it's more accessible will help me purge more effectively! Give us an update on how your organizing is going... maybe even share a pic when you're all done! Congrats on your new bundle of joy @Starlight77 ! That's a GREAT excuse to refocus your attention onto things that are TRULY WAYYYYY more important than makeup!!  I agree with Miss @veronikawithak  that going down to your 30 palette first would probably help you ease into your purge! If I try to take things too fast I often panic and put it all back. I feel pressured and start to over analize and think I'm making hasty decisions that aren't good ones. That goal would still have you parting with 11-12 eyeshadows.... which is a great place to start! THEN, if you feel there are colors you never use in your 30 palette, they can go as well! Then they can be replaced with new colors you'd like to try, or even get down to the 15 palette over time like you originally thought of trying! Just my opinion. Let us know how it goes! I'm interested in what you let go vs what you keep!  I agree with @HerGreyness  that having a backup stash is sort of enabling your situation rather than correcting it. If you know it's there for you to get from anytime you want, you may never get up the nerve to really let any of it go. If it's not good enough to be in your main stash... having it in a secondary stash means it probably isn't something you love anyways... so let it go. Unless you don't plan on buying anymore makeup in the future. Then it would make sense you could go to a less impressive backup after using up a loved item. But I'm sure by the time you go through the one you like, you'll have your eye on a replacement. If you're planning on continuing to buy (which I'm sure we all will) then let go of things you don't find to be good enough for your main stash now to clear the way. Just some advice. If you're not ready to let it go, then you're not ready. And that's ok too. Maybe separating it into a secondary stash and getting it out of your daily rotation would help you realize you don't love or miss any of it, then it will be easier for you to part with. Maybe go into your secondary stash once a month and let go of a few things at a time until you feel good about its reduced size!?

Thanks, Pixie! Reviewing once a month is a good idea. For me, most of the stuff is pretty new so it's hard to do it now. Also, my stash isn't GIANT but I just don't have a lot of space in my bathroom so I find I don't use some stuff I'd really like to because it's awkward for me to reach it. So maybe what I'm doing is a little closer to reorganization since I'm giving the premium space to things I really want to use on a daily basis. I did throw out a lot of drugstore lipsticks that I didn't like already. That's easier because I know I wouldn't have spent that much on them, anyway. But I have some perfectly nice neutral eye shadows that I could use once I have used up their equivalents in palettes, for example, but don't need them cluttering up the bathroom right now.