Resolution "LOW-BUY" 2015

[veronikawithak]

Nice little progress report for you there, not perfect but we're aiming for better right?

Happy belated birthday!! Hope you had a great day. Agreed, birthday treats were definitely in order.

I love your motto about things working for you and not the other way around.. totally agree!

I'm currently testing a bunch of samples that got neglected for a while to see if I would like any in full size. I've tossed a few already, and some things I'm just re-testing to be sure. I also decided to get rid of one of my eyeshadow palettes since I don't really love it. Tossed a blush that was past its prime and a contour powder that I've since switched out for other ones. I'm aiming to replace all of my lipsticks at the end of the year (I just have 7 now and they're in varying stages of completion). I have 7 lipstick samples and my goal is to narrow it down to my top 3 and just purchase those for next year. My 2016 stash will (hopefully) be a lot smaller and more curated than 2013-2015. It's gradually getting better, but you know how it is. One step at a time.

My second 100 Day No Buy of the year is almost over. I have a couple of weeks left. I really like doing these twice a year, keeps me thinking about everything. My makeup wishlist for after that currently includes: lip balm, lip exfoliate, 3 lipsticks, eyeshadow primer, mascara, and possibly a pressed foundation that I'd like to try.

My budgeting is also going way better. Every month I see a steady decrease in my spending, which motivates me even more.

We're almost into the last quarter of the year.. I feel like this year was way more of a success for me than last. I can actually say I improved my habits this time. Anyone have any thoughts on their progress this year? Are you going to continue into next year or do you think you've accomplished what you wanted to?

 

[Buffy89]

We're almost into the last quarter of the year.. I feel like this year was way more of a success for me than last. I can actually say I improved my habits this time. Anyone have any thoughts on their progress this year? Are you going to continue into next year or do you think you've accomplished what you wanted to?

Thinking of last year, I must say that September '14 was the worst month ever for me, concerning my shopping habits. I had a really rough time back then, and I tried to compensate all the sadness and worries by shopping for makeup. Of course, this behavior had developed in the months before, but I really hit rock bottom there. I joined this group almost a year ago, and yeah, I've made progress. I've stopped ordering online almost completely (a huge reason for ending up with products I don't like because I did not try them in person) and my LE craze has calmed down. I still tend to purchase a few pieces from each Mac collection, but rather 2-3 and not more - A Novel Romance was 17(?) items for me. But that's also the point I still need to work on: skipping collections entirely.
So far, I've accomplished most progress concerning stopping to hoard nail polish (totally lost interest in new colors. I like dark reds most and I own enough of them), shower gel and body lotion. I've also improved my wardrobe shopping, going on a relaxed (!) shopping spree with somebody else, having fun and going for some nice food as well etc. instead of rushing into H&M during my lunch break.

Last weekend, I sold lots of decluttered clothes and some makeup at a flea market. It was great fun and I earned 260 Euros

I'm glad I could make my peace with the items I decluttered, but it also made me think about consumerism. All the stuff I gave away appeared intriguing, shiny and fun to those who purchased it. Instead of rushing for the latest trends, I can wear my clothes for some seasons longer and they will not seem out of fashion to any one! Besides, it sometimes hurt to sell formerly expensive things for a few euros - so I really need to think about each purchase I make even more than I already do, and wear my garments longer. Buying stuff is easy, but keeping/handling the stuff is the "challenge". So this was another lesson to surround myself only with things I truly love. Especially selling makeup was super hard and annoying, just like my experiences selling makeup online, so I really must learn to skip even more. It's such a wrong assumption that one can really sucessfully sell old makeup, as some blog sales might make believe. At least, I sold lots of Essie polishes (really cheaply) to two really lovely teenage girls who got super exited and who really seemed to appreciate their haul. I even gifted some polishes to them because they were so likeable. That was so refreshing and I think I should rediscover this certain, humble kind of excitement for myself again. Cannot really find the words...it's about appreciating everything I purchase instead of being just another bored consumer.
I'm a bit excited because an Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani collab was announced (I've been a No Doubt fan since I was, like, 12 years old), and I'd like to get a Mattene and two Patent Polishes from Macnificent Me, but I've talked myself out of sooo many items lately (UD Vice 4 and Spectrum, Chanel Tissé Automne, Macnificent Palette, Chanel Fall lipsticks,...) and I'm fine with that. I'll check out the counter, but it'll be okay for me if something's sold out already.

 

[veronikawithak]

Thinking of last year, I must say that September '14 was the worst month ever for me, concerning my shopping habits. I had a really rough time back then, and I tried to compensate all the sadness and worries by shopping for makeup. Of course, this behavior had developed in the months before, but I really hit rock bottom there. I joined this group almost a year ago, and yeah, I've made progress. I've stopped ordering online almost completely (a huge reason for ending up with products I don't like because I did not try them in person) and my LE craze has calmed down. I still tend to purchase a few pieces from each Mac collection, but rather 2-3 and not more - A Novel Romance was 17(?) items for me. But that's also the point I still need to work on: skipping collections entirely.
So far, I've accomplished most progress concerning stopping to hoard nail polish (totally lost interest in new colors. I like dark reds most and I own enough of them), shower gel and body lotion. I've also improved my wardrobe shopping, going on a relaxed (!) shopping spree with somebody else, having fun and going for some nice food as well etc. instead of rushing into H&M during my lunch break.
Last weekend, I sold lots of decluttered clothes and some makeup at a flea market. It was great fun and I earned 260 Euros

I'm glad I could make my peace with the items I decluttered, but it also made me think about consumerism. All the stuff I gave away appeared intriguing, shiny and fun to those who purchased it. Instead of rushing for the latest trends, I can wear my clothes for some seasons longer and they will not seem out of fashion to any one! Besides, it sometimes hurt to sell formerly expensive things for a few euros - so I really need to think about each purchase I make even more than I already do, and wear my garments longer. Buying stuff is easy, but keeping/handling the stuff is the "challenge". So this was another lesson to surround myself only with things I truly love. Especially selling makeup was super hard and annoying, just like my experiences selling makeup online, so I really must learn to skip even more. It's such a wrong assumption that one can really sucessfully sell old makeup, as some blog sales might make believe. At least, I sold lots of Essie polishes (really cheaply) to two really lovely teenage girls who got super exited and who really seemed to appreciate their haul. I even gifted some polishes to them because they were so likeable. That was so refreshing and I think I should rediscover this certain, humble kind of excitement for myself again. Cannot really find the words...it's about appreciating everything I purchase instead of being just another bored consumer.
I'm a bit excited because an Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani collab was announced (I've been a No Doubt fan since I was, like, 12 years old), and I'd like to get a Mattene and two Patent Polishes from Macnificent Me, but I've talked myself out of sooo many items lately (UD Vice 4 and Spectrum, Chanel Tissé Automne, Macnificent Palette, Chanel Fall lipsticks,...) and I'm fine with that. I'll check out the counter, but it'll be okay for me if something's sold out already.

Those are some seriously huge improvements to make over only a year!! Awesome! Lots of great things you mentioned.. realizing how much emotions play into your habits, not ordering online if you can help it, being careful with LEs, knowing your style, taking a more relaxed approach to shopping, decluttering, avoiding the thought that you can always sell something and recoup the cost, being excited about special purchases rather than buying everything and relying on novelty. So much to have incorporated into your life so you should be really proud of that!

 

[shellygrrl]

We're almost into the last quarter of the year.. I feel like this year was way more of a success for me than last. I can actually say I improved my habits this time. Anyone have any thoughts on their progress this year? Are you going to continue into next year or do you think you've accomplished what you wanted to?

I think I've done alright this year. I'm getting to know my habits better, getting to know what I like better. At the moment I'm not sure if I'm going to continue into 2016. I'll probably have a better idea and make a decision closer to December. On another note, my lipgloss stash is now at ZERO. I had a little sniff of my last remaining gloss (NYX MegaShine in Nude Pink) and it smelled like paint thinner. Ew. When fresh(er), it had no particular smell to it at all that I could make out. So it had to go. There are a couple of glosses I'd like to have, but I'm not in a massive hurry to get them, right now.

 

[Twinkle_Twinkle]

My Low-Buy went totally out the window for me this month. And October and November will be big haul months as well with various Friends & Family sales. I'll try not to go too hog wild and then try again with a low buy in the winter.

 

[shellygrrl]

My Low-Buy went totally out the window for me this month. And October and November will be big haul months as well with various Friends & Family sales. I'll try not to go too hog wild and then try again with a low buy in the winter. 

A little observation.... I'm not sure that you're ready to commit to a low buy right now. I say that because although you've fully intended to do so, it's not worked out for whatever reason. Have a little think about the following... What do you want to accomplish, with regards to a low buy? What do you think is hindering you from fully committing to making this happen? What do you need to do to make this a success? You don't need to post a response here. Just think about it.

 

[Glitteryvegas]

Thinking of last year, I must say that September '14 was the worst month ever for me, concerning my shopping habits. I had a really rough time back then, and I tried to compensate all the sadness and worries by shopping for makeup. Of course, this behavior had developed in the months before, but I really hit rock bottom there. I joined this group almost a year ago, and yeah, I've made progress. I've stopped ordering online almost completely (a huge reason for ending up with products I don't like because I did not try them in person) and my LE craze has calmed down. I still tend to purchase a few pieces from each Mac collection, but rather 2-3 and not more - A Novel Romance was 17(?) items for me. But that's also the point I still need to work on: skipping collections entirely.
So far, I've accomplished most progress concerning stopping to hoard nail polish (totally lost interest in new colors. I like dark reds most and I own enough of them), shower gel and body lotion. I've also improved my wardrobe shopping, going on a relaxed (!) shopping spree with somebody else, having fun and going for some nice food as well etc. instead of rushing into H&M during my lunch break.

Last weekend, I sold lots of decluttered clothes and some makeup at a flea market. It was great fun and I earned 260 Euros

I'm glad I could make my peace with the items I decluttered, but it also made me think about consumerism. All the stuff I gave away appeared intriguing, shiny and fun to those who purchased it. Instead of rushing for the latest trends, I can wear my clothes for some seasons longer and they will not seem out of fashion to any one! Besides, it sometimes hurt to sell formerly expensive things for a few euros - so I really need to think about each purchase I make even more than I already do, and wear my garments longer. Buying stuff is easy, but keeping/handling the stuff is the "challenge". So this was another lesson to surround myself only with things I truly love. Especially selling makeup was super hard and annoying, just like my experiences selling makeup online, so I really must learn to skip even more. It's such a wrong assumption that one can really sucessfully sell old makeup, as some blog sales might make believe. At least, I sold lots of Essie polishes (really cheaply) to two really lovely teenage girls who got super exited and who really seemed to appreciate their haul. I even gifted some polishes to them because they were so likeable. That was so refreshing and I think I should rediscover this certain, humble kind of excitement for myself again. Cannot really find the words...it's about appreciating everything I purchase instead of being just another bored consumer.
I'm a bit excited because an Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani collab was announced (I've been a No Doubt fan since I was, like, 12 years old), and I'd like to get a Mattene and two Patent Polishes from Macnificent Me, but I've talked myself out of sooo many items lately (UD Vice 4 and Spectrum, Chanel Tissé Automne, Macnificent Palette, Chanel Fall lipsticks,...) and I'm fine with that. I'll check out the counter, but it'll be okay for me if something's sold out already.


YAS GIRL YAS!!!!

All of this is AMAZING. YOU ARE AMAZING. I loved reading about your flea market sell, what a fantastic opportunity. Yes, it does sting to see things you paid top dollar for go for so little. In the long run, you gain so much more from doing it this way than from just donating or throwing it away. Not only is it 'greener' you also get to see the consequences of your actions, learn, make some money back, and move on. At least, that's how I'm seeing my consignment situation. It hits HARD when you realize the time and energy that you put into these things. But now you know so much more about who you are, what you like, and what's reasonable for you. Also, that's so sweet that you connected with those girls and enjoyed watching their excitement. That's very positive and they must've loved you for it!

ALSO. WHAT?!????

A GWEN COLLECTION. UMMMMMMMMM. I'm dead. Of course, when I'm doing my no buy. *LE SIGH*

On another note, my lipgloss stash is now at ZERO. I had a little sniff of my last remaining gloss (NYX MegaShine in Nude Pink) and it smelled like paint thinner. Ew. When fresh(er), it had no particular smell to it at all that I could make out. So it had to go. There are a couple of glosses I'd like to have, but I'm not in a massive hurry to get them, right now.

Thumbs up on the success. Gross on the paint thinner, lol. I can't believe you have no glosses!!! That's crazy to me, are you a lipstick person?


Quote: Originally Posted by shellygrrl


A little observation....

I'm not sure that you're ready to commit to a low buy right now. I say that because although you've fully intended to do so, it's not worked out for whatever reason.

Have a little think about the following...

What do you want to accomplish, with regards to a low buy?

What do you think is hindering you from fully committing to making this happen?

What do you need to do to make this a success?

You don't need to post a response here. Just think about it.

Loving the advice. Very thoughtful! Also - great questions!





LADIES!

Sounds like we're continuing our successes until the end of the year. For me, I'm doing great, just swimming right along. Frightened that the Gwen/UD collab will throw me into a tailspin but ultimately committed to the goal. I have to stick it out, it's been almost 9-10 months so I can't stop now. I'm so, so close! I'm scared of running out of mascara to be honest, I'm on my last tube....some days on the weekend I may have to go naked to prevent running out!!! Scary stuff lol. It's the only thing I'm running out of. Still good on powders, primers, etc. (keep in mind - I don't wear foundation). Trying to set some goals for next year. I have a debt free goal of Oct 31 2016, so that's a top priority. I may buy a few essentials in the new year and a few sporadic items next year, but I'm not longer stalking new collections, etc. xoxo

 

[shellygrrl]

Thumbs up on the success.  Gross on the paint thinner, lol.  I can't believe you have no glosses!!! That's crazy to me, are you a lipstick person?

A little bit. Overall, I think I'm more of an eyeshadow gal.

 

[Winterwhite]

I've stopped ordering online almost completely (a huge reason for ending up with products I don't like because I did not try them in person) and my LE craze has calmed down. I still tend to purchase a few pieces from each Mac collection, but rather 2-3 and not more - A Novel Romance was 17(?) items for me. But that's also the point I still need to work on: skipping collections entirely.
So far, I've accomplished most progress concerning stopping to hoard nail polish (totally lost interest in new colors. I like dark reds most and I own enough of them), shower gel and body lotion.




What you tell of the nail polish happened to me with most cosmetics now. Since I have enough anyways, I really took a step back and most announcements of new collections now just don't reach me anymore. I see them but I have no interest whatsoever to buy anything from these launches.
With MAC, I look really carefully at whether I have similar colours already and then I don't buy the next LE item either, especially as many of them don't seem to be as good quality as they used to be. Now I thought that I would be interested in the upcoming eyeshadow quad from MACnificient Me (for Germany, this collection has not launched yet, to my knowledge) , but I looked for similar colours in my stash and I have them all, plus I have them in a cooler version since this palette does not seem to be as cool-toned as I initially thought. So I talked myself out of it. I was at that point of "buying fewer items from each collection" a while ago but meanwhile I seem to not want anything, and if something piques my interest, after reconsideration usually I don't want it after all, either. So I skipped a lot of collections and saved a lot of money and just keep using my stash. The feeling of having to have something has become quite rare and I am really glad about it.

I`m still mulling over KvDs holiday palette and UD's Spectrum but if I'll buy something then it will definitely have to be one of them and not both (and that would be the last purchase of this year) and not in addition to things from MACnificient Me. Usually by this point I would plan to buy all three and more things, so I am happy that during the past year I found only a few items at all interesting to (maybe) buy.





Quote: Originally Posted by Buffy89
Especially selling makeup was super hard and annoying, just like my experiences selling makeup online, so I really must learn to skip even more. It's such a wrong assumption that one can really sucessfully sell old makeup, as some blog sales might make believe.

The blog sales might be more succesful because people "know" the blogger and assume that the items are genuine and that the person is reliable. In case of more famous bloggers it might also be a factor to own something that used to belong to this blogger. Additionally, many of the items might have featured in blog posts before. So those factors could contribute to better prices for the seller.

Selling MAC and other brands on ebay or in forums/boards might have become harder because first of all the item might be much more available than it used to be (more shops selling a certain brand, for example, more shopping abroad) and on the other hand, plenty of people might have moved on from MAC to other brands aswell. I suppose from being in Germany, brands exclusive to the US or Asia or France probably seem more appealing than those that everyone can buy here. Also there are now a lot more brands out there in general, so that (in this case) MAC has more competition. Finally, people probably are trying to decide whether to spend their money on an LE item from last year (even if NIB) or maybe the hottest item from right now. So I suppose all the reasons make it harder to sell earlier LE / coveted items or also unused backups of them.

Those thoughts also make me think about buying fewer backups, too. By the time something is used up, there might be something else anyways. I know many people on this forum have pointed this out before but I took a long time to believe it.

 

[shellygrrl]

FOTD... * Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (this time I really do think my mini is on its last legs) * MUFE Ultra HD Foundation - mix of Y205 + Y225 * MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15 * Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Transparent * Anastasia Brow Powder Duo - Ash Brown * NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base * MAC Eyeshadows - Malt (transitionish), Shale (crease), Satin Taupe (lid) * Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Unexpected (transition/crease) * Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara - Black * MAC Blush - Pink Cult * MAC Lipstick - Viva Glam II

 

[Buffy89]

@veronikawithak and @Glitteryvegas thanks, that's so motivational to me!

the last year has been such an interesting journey for me. This group means so much to me and I'm really, really glad Specktra could be saved for now. re: the Gwen collection: I was like "darn! why now?!" as well. I'm so happy and proud that no holiday collection seems interesting to me, but I already want some Gwen items now, even though I don't know the exact products...hopefully, it's all about red lips etc., which I never wear, so it'll be easier for me to skip. But it'll be hard for me to say no to a nice eye palette. We'll see. At least, the release date in late November makes everything Christmas-gift approved for my family, lol. Strangely, her OPI polishes never really seemed appealing to me so I own only one of them.

@Winterwhite your attitude sounds amazing!!! Wish I had developed this far, too. Pending on my counter receiving the collection in time, I'll go and have a look at Macnificent Me on Thursday because I'm still too curious to skip and stay away from that counter entirely, but I hope seeing everything live will just confirm the impressions I already got. The palette is pretty and sooo handy for travelling, but all those light neutrals are nothing unique to my stash and I tend to go for a dramatic, darker eye anyway (I'm super short-sighted and my glasses literally eat suble eye makeups so there's nothing visible - no sense in sublte/"nude" looks in my case). I'm still not quite over it and still kinda crave it, but my head definitely says no.

 

[Audrey C]

What you tell of the nail polish happened to me with most cosmetics now. Since I have enough anyways, I really took a step back and most announcements of new collections now just don't reach me anymore. I see them but I have no interest whatsoever to buy anything from these launches.
With MAC, I look really carefully at whether I have similar colours already and then I don't buy the next LE item either, especially as many of them don't seem to be as good quality as they used to be. Now I thought that I would be interested in the upcoming eyeshadow quad from MACnificient Me (for Germany, this collection has not launched yet, to my knowledge) , but I looked for similar colours in my stash and I have them all, plus I have them in a cooler version since this palette does not seem to be as cool-toned as I initially thought. So I talked myself out of it. I was at that point of "buying fewer items from each collection" a while ago but meanwhile I seem to not want anything, and if something piques my interest, after reconsideration usually I don't want it after all, either. So I skipped a lot of collections and saved a lot of money and just keep using my stash. The feeling of having to have something has become quite rare and I am really glad about it.

I`m still mulling over KvDs holiday palette and UD's Spectrum but if I'll buy something then it will definitely have to be one of them and not both (and that would be the last purchase of this year) and not in addition to things from MACnificient Me. Usually by this point I would plan to buy all three and more things, so I am happy that during the past year I found only a few items at all interesting to (maybe) buy.

I bought less makeup last year than the couple of years before, and even less this year. I'd say it gets easier, but really for me the desire isn't even there anymore. I've bought and returned a couple of items this year because they weren't awesome and/or sufficiently different from what I have (KVD Shade and Light e/s palette was one). I bought Naked Smoky and kept it because I really like it. Did I need it? Not really, but my goal isn't to buy no makeup at all. I was drawn to Urban Spectrum and ordered it, but it's going back tomorrow. I don't like the packaging so that was the end of it. I didn't swatch, remove film from the mirror or do anything else that would prevent it from going back on the shelf.

I do have a fairly sizeable list for the VIB sale in November, but it's all replacement items and/or gifts for my daughters. It's the first year I may not buy any holiday sets for myself, although I'll get one if there's something that really catches my eye. So far nothing really has other than the new Guerlain pearls. I haven't really decided whether I'm going to get them or not but I have plenty of Shoppers points if I do. They're lovely but I have three other tins that I've been using daily for a year and they still look full so I can't really justify it.

Bobbi Brown BB Cream (replacement for tube i just finished)
MUFE Ultra HD Foundation (replacement for HD bottle that I won't get through the winter with)
UD Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer (will get a couple as replacements)
NARS Eyeshadow Primer (two for Daughter 1)
Tarte Smolder Eyes set (for Daughter 1)
Naked 3 (Daughter 2)
Philosophy body wash (gifts)
Fresh lip balm sets (gifts)
Bumble & Bumble, Living Proof items (replacements)

 

[Winterwhite]

I bought less makeup last year than the couple of years before, and even less this year. I'd say it gets easier, but really for me the desire isn't even there anymore. I've bought and returned a couple of items this year because they weren't awesome and/or sufficiently different from what I have (KVD Shade and Light e/s palette was one). I bought Naked Smoky and kept it because I really like it. Did I need it? Not really, but my goal isn't to buy no makeup at all. I was drawn to Urban Spectrum and ordered it, but it's going back tomorrow. I don't like the packaging so that was the end of it. I didn't swatch, remove film from the mirror or do anything else that would prevent it from going back on the shelf.

I do have a fairly sizeable list for the VIB sale in November, but it's all replacement items and/or gifts for my daughters. It's the first year I may not buy any holiday sets for myself, although I'll get one if there's something that really catches my eye. So far nothing really has other than the new Guerlain pearls. I haven't really decided whether I'm going to get them or not but I have plenty of Shoppers points if I do. They're lovely but I have three other tins that I've been using daily for a year and they still look full so I can't really justify it.

Yes, and from my amount of returned items (though unused, can't return used items here, so I only look, read more reviews and then reconsider) I can see that perhaps often the item sounded better than it really was in real life. Also that keeps me from buying too much. I am even tired of returning, and when I think of the returns, then I often don't order at all.

I did also like the UD Naked Smoky palette, but twice I got palettes with fingerprints (which I also returned) and was fed up. So I don't know if I will ever try again. The UD-counter is quite far, so not sure when I'll have the chance to maybe buy it from there, so I can check immediately whether the palette is flawless.
KvD shade and light eye palette looked very pretty, but two thirds of them were too warm for me.

From what I read in general, the Guerlain pearls do really last a long while. Surely next year they will have another special edition for the holidays

 

[VAL4M]

On another note, my lipgloss stash is now at ZERO. I had a little sniff of my last remaining gloss (NYX MegaShine in Nude Pink) and it smelled like paint thinner. Ew. When fresh(er), it had no particular smell to it at all that I could make out. So it had to go. There are a couple of glosses I'd like to have, but I'm not in a massive hurry to get them, right now.

That my goal too... No lipgloss and only 3 lip pencils, I do not need those. I'm doing a project that working so-so ... i'm finishing product it's just that a keep buying OOPS!
This last two weeks I finished 1 lipstick, 1 lip pencil, 2 lip glosses and one blush!!!

I have at least another 15 ish lipgloss to finished so that will be my goal for 2016 finish all of then and stop buying them.
As for lip pencil i didn't count them, but I probably have 6-7 of them and I want to only have 3 (1 purple, 1 red and 1 nude).

 

[DarylandCarole]

We're almost into the last quarter of the year.. I feel like this year was way more of a success for me than last. I can actually say I improved my habits this time. Anyone have any thoughts on their progress this year? Are you going to continue into next year or do you think you've accomplished what you wanted to?
Thinking of last year, I must say that September '14 was the worst month ever for me, concerning my shopping habits. I had a really rough time back then, and I tried to compensate all the sadness and worries by shopping for makeup. Of course, this behavior had developed in the months before, but I really hit rock bottom there. I joined this group almost a year ago, and yeah, I've made progress. I've stopped ordering online almost completely (a huge reason for ending up with products I don't like because I did not try them in person) and my LE craze has calmed down. I still tend to purchase a few pieces from each Mac collection, but rather 2-3 and not more - A Novel Romance was 17(?) items for me. But that's also the point I still need to work on: skipping collections entirely.
So far, I've accomplished most progress concerning stopping to hoard nail polish (totally lost interest in new colors. I like dark reds most and I own enough of them), shower gel and body lotion. I've also improved my wardrobe shopping, going on a relaxed (!) shopping spree with somebody else, having fun and going for some nice food as well etc. instead of rushing into H&M during my lunch break.

Last weekend, I sold lots of decluttered clothes and some makeup at a flea market. It was great fun and I earned 260 Euros

I'm glad I could make my peace with the items I decluttered, but it also made me think about consumerism. All the stuff I gave away appeared intriguing, shiny and fun to those who purchased it. Instead of rushing for the latest trends, I can wear my clothes for some seasons longer and they will not seem out of fashion to any one! Besides, it sometimes hurt to sell formerly expensive things for a few euros - so I really need to think about each purchase I make even more than I already do, and wear my garments longer. Buying stuff is easy, but keeping/handling the stuff is the "challenge". So this was another lesson to surround myself only with things I truly love. Especially selling makeup was super hard and annoying, just like my experiences selling makeup online, so I really must learn to skip even more. It's such a wrong assumption that one can really sucessfully sell old makeup, as some blog sales might make believe. At least, I sold lots of Essie polishes (really cheaply) to two really lovely teenage girls who got super exited and who really seemed to appreciate their haul. I even gifted some polishes to them because they were so likeable. That was so refreshing and I think I should rediscover this certain, humble kind of excitement for myself again. Cannot really find the words...it's about appreciating everything I purchase instead of being just another bored consumer.
I'm a bit excited because an Urban Decay/Gwen Stefani collab was announced (I've been a No Doubt fan since I was, like, 12 years old), and I'd like to get a Mattene and two Patent Polishes from Macnificent Me, but I've talked myself out of sooo many items lately (UD Vice 4 and Spectrum, Chanel Tissé Automne, Macnificent Palette, Chanel Fall lipsticks,...) and I'm fine with that. I'll check out the counter, but it'll be okay for me if something's sold out already.

Great post! I agree with you about so many things. I've also reached the point where I only buy 1 - 3 things from new MAC collections. Actually I have skipped a few lately. There was nothing in MACnificent Me that I felt I had to have. I love purple lippies but I have so many that I couldn't justify buying more, even though I wanted to try the Mattenes. I also thought I'd buy a lippie from Guo Pei for the beautiful packaging, but there wasn't one that I felt was worth it, despite the packaging. My mind is becoming rational again, finally!! There are a few Vamplifys that I love but I already have a few similar colors, so I can't justify spending 20.00 on them.
Now I just have to get my clothing spending to be the same. I do think I'm getting close there, too. I look at something I want and then I think "but when will I actually wear it?"

I have to ask though, when is this Gwen/UD collab? I also love No Doubt and I've been an UD fan since WAY BACK.

 

[DarylandCarole]

A few other thoughts I had about why I've been able to resist make-up purchases better lately....

1. I'm tired of being broke and having to skimp on food or just general spending money. I've started asking myself if I'd rather have yet another lipstick or eyeshadow, or if I'd rather have that money for something else that I enjoy.
2. If I'm tired, which I often am, I'm especially susceptible to shopping online. Sometimes I'll buy things in the wee hours and the next day I don't remember that I did it. Now that I know that I do this I TRY not to go to "those" sites when I'm tired.
3. I've been very focused on exercising more and eating better. I have a Fitbit and it really opened my eyes to how much I need to be moving and what I'm eating. I had pretty much given up on losing weight before, thinking that I was doing enough and nothing worked. But keeping track of everything was/is an eye-opener. Now I believe that if I do more it will actually work. And going to the gym is something that I enjoy, so if I can do that instead of buying make-up it's a win/win.

The hardest thing for me still is wanting to know that there is something coming in the mail. It gives me something to look forward to, so I miss it when there's nothing. Anyhow, just wanted to say "hi" and share a few things in case they help someone else. I have lots of catching up to do!

 

[Buffy89]

Great post! I agree with you about so many things.  I've also reached the point where I only buy 1 - 3 things from new MAC collections.  Actually I have skipped a few lately.  There was nothing in MACnificent Me that I felt I had to have.  I love purple lippies but I have so many that I couldn't justify buying more, even though I wanted to try the Mattenes.  I also thought I'd buy a lippie from Guo Pei for the beautiful packaging, but there wasn't one that I felt was worth it, despite the packaging.  My mind is becoming rational again, finally!!  There are a few Vamplifys that I love but I already have a few similar colors, so I can't justify spending 20.00 on them. Now I just have to get my clothing spending to be the same. I do think I'm getting close there, too. I look at something I want and then I think "but when will I actually wear it?"   I have to ask though, when is this Gwen/UD collab?  I also love No Doubt and I've been an UD fan since WAY BACK.  

Great thoughts on the Macnificent Me and Guo Pei collection. It'll probably launch here tomorrow, and I'm excited. Well, not really excited for the products, but for my behavior/the challenge...let's see what I can achieve. I like 4 items at the moment, but I don't wanna purchase them all. The Gwen collection is scheduled for late November I think. Hello, fellow No Doubt fan!!! *highfive* I'm so curious what the products will be like. Gwen's been my style icon for the last 15 years, she's fab.

 

[VAL4M]

The Gwen collection is scheduled for late November I think. Hello, fellow No Doubt fan!!! *highfive* I'm so curious what the products will be like. Gwen's been my style icon for the last 15 years, she's fab.

I LOVED No Doubt in the early days not so much their last album. as for Gwen and UD collab for sure will see a RED lipstick, black eyeliner and maybe a white foundation .... don't know what is UD range as far as foundation goes but I'm sure Gwen will have a complexion product .... she struggles with acnee and was pretty vocal about it for a while. So that my guess ladies, and Cant wait for UD to launch their Canadian Website!!!! finally we would be able to have the friends an family sale!

 

[VAL4M]

A few other thoughts I had about why I've been able to resist make-up purchases better lately....

1. I'm tired of being broke and having to skimp on food or just general spending money. I've started asking myself if I'd rather have yet another lipstick or eyeshadow, or if I'd rather have that money for something else that I enjoy.
2. If I'm tired, which I often am, I'm especially susceptible to shopping online. Sometimes I'll buy things in the wee hours and the next day I don't remember that I did it. Now that I know that I do this I TRY not to go to "those" sites when I'm tired.
3. I've been very focused on exercising more and eating better. I have a Fitbit and it really opened my eyes to how much I need to be moving and what I'm eating. I had pretty much given up on losing weight before, thinking that I was doing enough and nothing worked. But keeping track of everything was/is an eye-opener. Now I believe that if I do more it will actually work. And going to the gym is something that I enjoy, so if I can do that instead of buying make-up it's a win/win.

The hardest thing for me still is wanting to know that there is something coming in the mail. It gives me something to look forward to, so I miss it when there's nothing. Anyhow, just wanted to say "hi" and share a few things in case they help someone else. I have lots of catching up to do!

Thanks for sharing!!! I've been bad lately and I too struggles with mostly point 2 and 3.
I should really stop going on Hautelook this is really my downfall lately. as for the losing some weight I still have 8 pounds of baby weight to loose .... i'm pretty fit just ran a half -marathon under 2 hrs (1hr 50min) but eating is like 80 to 75% of the weight lost so no matter how hard you are training the eating have to follow. But being tired make your body want to eat sugary food, so more tired you get more sugar you want to consume and in your case more shopping online .... so maybe go to bed earlier and it will help both?

 

[Buffy89]

I LOVED No Doubt in the early days not so much their last album. as for Gwen and UD collab for sure will see a RED lipstick, black eyeliner and maybe a white foundation .... don't know what is UD range as far as foundation goes but I'm sure Gwen will have a complexion product .... she struggles with acnee and was pretty vocal about it for a while.  So that my guess ladies,  and Cant wait for UD to launch their Canadian Website!!!! finally  we would be able to have the friends an family sale! ompom:  

That's my guess too, red lips and liner. Like you, I like ND's older albums most, but I'm keeping track of their newer music just because of nostalgia. My taste in music has changed so much since I was a teenager, but Tragic Kingdom is such a great album! All time favorite.