Resolution LOW-BUY 2017

[shellygrrl]

My January was pretty good. Four things total (OCC nail polish in Femme, Inglot brow liner gel in #18, Make-Up Atelier foundation, Surratt Brow Pomade), and the foundation got returned.

 

[lenchen]

My FOTD for most of January
Smashbox oil free primer
Laura Mercier oil free tinted moisturizer
NARS Cactus flower cream blush
NARS Fez eyeshadow all over the lids
Covergirl mascara lash blast very black
MAC eyeliner in Feline
MAC Jubilee on lips

I made one purchase which was the NARS impurdique blush
I purged 4 MAC eyeliners from older collections, NARS Mata Hari blush, MAC jewel palette, i hit pan on that but kept the packaging, 4 eyeshadows from the mega teals collection, 4 chanel polishes and the Dior palette I got for Christmas last month.
Overall, pretty good, and I did not buy any brushes whatsoever! I didn't pick up any skincare items for the month.

 

[lenchen]

It's the annual spring coupon offering for VIBR, VIB & BI.

Low Buy Check-In ~ January
I think I can do my check in too. As I do not see myself making any purchases between now and the 1st…lol, lord willing nothing absolutely must-have pops into the horizon!

High-End ~ I made one high end purchase right out of pocket at the beginning of the month, the Estee Edit Gritty Glow Palette…lol. I had purchased it back during the VIBR sale and promptly returned it (impulse). This time after reading a few more reviews and swatching it again, I considered it a “sleeper” must, for use on both face & eyes. I am happy to say I am really enjoying it.

Using a leftover PayPal balance from eBay & eBates, I purchased two skin care items. A refill of my Estee Lauder ANR serum.

The other purchase I made after a December Sephora consultation on manual exfoliators. I ended up really liking the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment samples I got. So, I purchased the .50 oz. tube…a little bit of that stuff goes a long way. I have to say I also enjoyed the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash samples I got. I think I like it more than my Neutrogena cleanser. I have added that to my spring shopping list…I may purchase it next month if my budget will allow.

Speaking of Sephora on a mini rant…Is anyone else just as sick as I am of the “Points Rewards Hunger Games!?!” Nothing is ever available and what is…I do not want! I am seeing that Ulta is offering more of the brands I do like, so I am tempted to through my money more in their direction…In fact I just ordered (2) Ulta gift cards using another points program. The only thing I do not appreciate is Ulta’s shipping charge for orders under $50. Anywho, I do not intend to spend enough money to be VIBR again! End mini rant.

Drugstore ~ I purchased on a bogo 50% off sale with coupons: 2 L’Oréal mascaras both of which I regularly return to and replace.

Also, because of my out of season tan situation, I purchased 2 shades of the new Infallible Total Coverage foundation. This was a more economical solution ($10.50 total) as opposed to purchasing 1 or 2 full bottles of ELDW. And I did not want to go to a counter and beg for samples to ride it out…time is money too! Come summer, I would/will get matched and invest in full size bottles, knowing it will get used at time of need.

The last bogo purchase was for 2 of the new L’Oreal clay masks, the Detox/Brighten & Exfoliate/Refining. I have yet to find a clay mask that does not irritate me somehow…itch, burn, redness…etc. So for $12 I thought affordable to give them a try.

Haircare ~ 1 purchase made during Ulta’s annual liter/jumbo haircare sale. I love the Nexxus Therappe Poo & Humectress Conditioner. If you can believe it, I only wash my hair once a week (lots of fine hair, that just limps down & does nothing unless I let it get “dirty.” )! So a jumbo of each lasts me a year!

That’s it! I’m pretty happy and most definitely did not overdo it for January. For me it is a quiet time in all things beauty...not a lot on the horizon catching my interest right now.

Interesting on the Sephora sale, i've out of the loop for a while! lol thanks for the explanation.

 

[fur4elise]

Interesting on the Sephora sale, i've out of the loop for a while! lol thanks for the explanation.

Great job! And you are very welcome! As we get closer to the code release date the Sephora thread will blow up with chatter & info! We post our shopping lists...

 

[jennyap]

Absolutely! I was trying to reconfigure a template and grrr arrrggghh! frustration! I am by no means an Excel expert so any instruction / tips would be great! I look at it this way...If I learn to use it for something fun/personal...it will make it easier to use it for anything work related!

Sorry this took a while to get back to! You might regret asking, this will be long LOL!

First of all I have one tab for each broad category. Several for makeup - Lips, Face, Cheeks, Eyes, Nails - then Skin, Body, Hair, Fragrance and Tools. That's 9 tabs straight out of the box!

Each of those is structured in the same way, with columns for all the info I want to capture:
Product Type - for each overall category I came up with a list of product types that fit, eg for Lips I have balm, lipstick, gloss, liner, primer.
Then columns for brand, product name, additional details eg shade name, price paid, purchase date, collection (mainly used for MAC), LE or perm, any other comments.

Then I have a summary tab, which has 2 sections. First is a list of all my product types with the number of each in my collection (using a countif formula to pull that data from the category tabs). Then there is the money bit, which shows the number of items and total cost of them for each year. That means for example that I can see at a glance that 2016 was my lowest year since I've been tracking, both in number of items and cost.

Then (told you this would be long!) I have another tab for each year. I set it up right at the start of the year. For each product type (makeup only, as that's my main focus) I pull out how many items I had at the start of the year, then decide what my target figure is, in most cases for me that is lower than the starting figure as I'm trying to streamline my stash a bit. Then I have another column where it pulls out the 'live' figure for each product from the summary, and one which calculates how many more I need to use up etc.

Every time I get something I add it to the relevant category tab, and the summary and year trackers automatically update.

Two more tabs and I'm done...

Next every time I finish / donate / sell something I move it to a 'Finished' tab - everything goes on here, no more segregation - and add the date I finished it and any comments eg hated it, did nothing, loved it etc. Once something is moved to this tab it is no longer counted in the product numbers on the summary.

Finally I have a wishlist tab. That one is self-explanatory, I hope.

Phew. Don't say I didn't warn you! Definitely could be seen as OTT, but it works for me.

 

[jennyap]

And my January check-in - zero purchases. A friend gifted me a couple of different sheet masks to try. Binned a couple of dead mascaras.

Success!

 

[Marsha Pomells]

And my January check-in - zero purchases. A friend gifted me a couple of different sheet masks to try. Binned a couple of dead mascaras.

Success!

I'm in zero purchase land. My list for Colour Rocker has decreased, from 23 to around 15. The swatch photos are doing wonders on my list. Because I won't be at home tomorrow, I'm gonna do a scratch and sniff test on some of my items on Sunday, plus I'm moving homes in the next 2 months, I don't want to carry old things.

 

[VAL4M]

I buy 2 thing the physician's formula Butter Bronzer (Love it) and Mabelline eraser eye concealer (only my second time using it but so far so good) did I need them NOPE, maybe the maybelline concealer because my two others are a little to dark now for my winter white skin, but everyone raved so much about those two products that I finally purchased them.

 

[fur4elise]

I buy 2 thing the physician's formula Butter Bronzer (Love it) and Mabelline eraser eye concealer (only my second time using it but so far so good) did I need them NOPE, maybe the maybelline concealer because my two others are a little to dark now for my winter white skin, but everyone raved so much about those two products that I finally purchased them.

Both things you listed were items I purchased last year. I do like the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Erase Concearler BUT...the shade range is sketchy! I have to combine Honey & Medium...AND I can only use it when I am "winter white," meaning no sign of a tan because it is too light. I wish they would release more real world shades! The PF Butter Bronzer smells great but I found it to be a little too light for me...

Congrats to all the no-buy ladies! What a great way to get the year going!

 

[lenchen]

Good morning everyone as promised photos of my current collection as of Jan 2017. While purging, I found 6 additional pigments in a basket in my closet, I stored a bunch of empty unused palettes in there and forgot all about them.

 

[lenchen]

last set of photos. I'm waiting for the last set of bruises I ordered from CD japan. They now carry Suqqu, and the Suqqu cheek brush I ordered has been back ordered. So, waiting patiently for the order to be shipped; hopefully the package comes in soon.

 

[fur4elise]

Good morning everyone as promised photos of my current collection as of Jan 2017...
View attachment 58363

Wow wow! Everything looks fantastic! I am in love with your Hakuhodo brushes! If you are up for it, could you tell us about the brushes you have and what you love about them? I know not a thing about Hakuhodo and refuse to jump into the high-end brush pool without solid feedback and recommendations. For example what 3-5 are must have?

 

[lenchen]

Wow wow! Everything looks fantastic! I am in love with your Hakuhodo brushes! If you are up for it, could you tell us about the brushes you have and what you love about them? I know not a thing about Hakuhodo and refuse to jump into the high-end brush pool without solid feedback and recommendations. Like what 3-5 are must have?

Thank you! I'm inspired by all of the cool storage ideas on here actually! I've been purchasing Hakuhodo brushes since 2010. At that time there was only 2 bloggers (Glossed in translation and delicate humming bird) both no longer blog, and a you tuber by the name of Julia Graf. I never had the opportunity to see the brushes in person, so I ordered based on their recommendations. However, when my orders arrived, I loved them,put them to good use,and as the years went by, a lot of folks were talking, blogging, and doing reviews on them. If I was starting over today, I probably would only buy 5 brushes from Hakuhodo and continue to explore other Japanses brands for pure squirrel or a mix of goat/squirrel on the website CDJapan : Japanese Anime, Jpop, Japanese music, Game music, Japanese movie, CD, DVD. Koyudo has excellent quality just as good as Hakuhodo but cheaper in price. In my opinion while Hakuhodo have great brushes of superb quality and craftamship, the prices have gone up quite a bit since I first started buying Hakuhodo in 2010, back the they were much more affordable. For example I own the B509 Powder brush a mix of squirrel/goat I purchased the brush for $60 in 2010, there was a price increase across the board in 2012, bring the price to $75, and it seems as though Hakuhodo stopped dying the goat hair of their brushes, and have discontinued all the ones I own, to re-introduce them with the new un-dyed goat/squirrel mix. I checked the price of the B509, and the price is now a cool $119.00. The Hakuhodo brushes you see in the drawers are pure blue/gray Squirrel=very very soft on the skin or the older un-dyed version mixture of goat/squirrel which also equals soft on the skin, but not as delicate as say the pure squirrel brushes. The pure squirrel brushes(some of them much more expensive) are so delicate it's recommended not to wash very often. If you have sensitive skin a mix of goat/squirrel is great, and if you''re more on the combo/oily side which I am in the summer months (combo) I use my Goat hair brushes. The 4 brushes I would purchase from Hakuhodo would be the
G5557- foundation brush Blends like a dream gives me that flawless look I love
G5554- smaller brush to the G5557 I use this for a lot of my cream products including my cream blush
The B104 black hair version(discontinued) now called the J104 white hair version big fluffy soft goat hair powder brush much better than the MAC 150
The B110 black hair version(discontinued) now called the j110 white hair version cheek brush also made of goat hair very soft and is comparable to the MAC 116, but much softer. butThat's it, for the rest I'd recommend Wayne Goss brushes, and Koyudo, which can be found on CD Japan. CD Japan also carry other japanese brands such as Chikuhodo which retail much cheaper than US retailers like Beautylish. When I got towards the end stage of my brush collection, I found Sonia of Sweet make up temptations, a blog all about brushes, a great resource! The brushes that I do own from Hakuhodo, were great (at the time I bought them) bang for the buck in terms of quality/price. the brushes in the drawers in the first posting to the right are a mix of blue squirrel/goat I use them and wash them often, I have enough to rotate, I get lazy when it's time to wash my brushes. By the way the B509 I referenced is in the first set of pics I posted 4th brush from the right great powder brush, I love it so much that back in 2010 when I ordered, I ordered a back up a few weeks later.

 

[LadyBug13]

My January:

In January, I bought one eyeliner (a Sephora one as a replacement for the UD 24/7 liner that stopped working), 7 polishes (which brings me up to 20 after decluterring down to 13 this month ) and 1 gel top coat). The polishes I decluttered were shades I didn't really reach for and I replaced them with shades I really like and had been looking for for a while. The majority of my polishes were also Essie with a few OPI here and there, and now I have 10 Essies and 10 OPIs. My largest collection of polishes was around 32-33 at one point, and a few of the ones I bought this month were on sale. Tonight I'm going to give myself a mani/pedi using OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark. Also, I got the 500 Josie Maran point perk from Sephora before it went out of stock.

I used up some items as well (A mouthwash, a travel size toothpaste, samples of the Josie Maran whipped body butter and whipped face butter, a sample of the Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme moisturizer, a sample of the UD Eyeshadow Primer Potion- Anti-Aging, Simple Cleansing Micellar Water, and Origins Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion.) Out of these items, I've repurchased the micellar water. The anti-aging primer potion felt a little weird going on my eyelids, I can't really explain it. The sample was unopened but I've had it for a few years. I have a travel size version of the original primer option and samples of the primer options in Original, Sin, and Eden (one of each...I opened Sin this week to try out). Once I'm done with these primer potions I want to try one of the MAC paint pots. The Sunday Riley and Josie Maran face moisturizers were really nice, but I have one of the Fresh moisturizers on my wish list for when I use up my full size moisturizers. I actually have a list of items I want to use up before the start of April.

I had a lot of fun playing in my makeup this month, particularly eyeshadow looks, and I've been consistent with giving myself mani/pedis. Also, I use the native notes app on my phone, and I created a Beauty Inventory note to keep track of everything I own related to makeup, skincare, body care, and haircare. I also have a wish list on my phone (mainly MAC items because I'm interested in exploring the brand more in 2017) and a Loves list on Sephora (mainly Fresh products).

I don't foresee any major makeup/skincare/hair care spending in February. I believe my MAC Select anniversary is next month, and I know you have to buy something in order to get your gift (Which is wack. Why can't you just pick up your anniversary gift the way you can pick up your birthday gift at Sephora?) I know I want to repurchase the Fix+ or (maybe) buy my first MAC brush.

My biggest goals for February are to continue using up my products listed on my Use Up By April 1st list, and to continue focusing on developing my techniques for a smokey eye, winged liner, red lip, vampy lip, nude lip, "No makeup- makeup look, and colorful eyeshadow look.

 

[shellygrrl]

FOTD...

* mix of MUFE Step 1 - Smoothing + Mattifying primers (across very porous areas -- i.e., across my nose)
* MUFE Ultra HD - Y205
* MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15
* Kevyn Aucoin SSE - SX01
* Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
* Cinema Secrets Ultralucent Setting Powder - Colorless
* Inglot AMC Brow Liner Gel - 18
* surratt beauty Expressionist Brow Pomade (applied this ~14 hours ago... and it's still a tiny bit tacky toward the front of my brows, but not crusty. It's held them in place quite well, though!)
* NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
* Victoria's Secret eyeshadow - Bunny (to even out lids)
* Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Prom Night (all over lids)
* MAC Eyeshadows - mix of Typographic and Copperplate (outer corners of lashlines. I did a small flick on one eye but didn't like it so wiped it off.)
* Smashbox Indecent Exposure Mascara
* The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - 02
* NYX Slim Lip Pencil - Pale Pink
* NARS Velvet Lip Glide - Unlaced

 

[fur4elise]

Thank you! I'm inspired by all of the cool storage ideas on here actually! I've been purchasing Hakuhodo brushes since 2010. At that time there was only 2 bloggers (Glossed in translation and delicate humming bird) both no longer blog, and a you tuber by the name of Julia Graf. I never had the opportunity to see the brushes in person, so I ordered based on their recommendations. However, when my orders arrived, I loved them,put them to good use,and as the years went by, a lot of folks were talking, blogging, and doing reviews on them. If I was starting over today, I probably would only buy 5 brushes from Hakuhodo and continue to explore other Japanses brands for pure squirrel or a mix of goat/squirrel on the website CDJapan : Japanese Anime, Jpop, Japanese music, Game music, Japanese movie, CD, DVD. Koyudo has excellent quality just as good as Hakuhodo but cheaper in price. In my opinion while Hakuhodo have great brushes of superb quality and craftamship, the prices have gone up quite a bit since I first started buying Hakuhodo in 2010, back the they were much more affordable. For example I own the B509 Powder brush a mix of squirrel/goat I purchased the brush for $60 in 2010, there was a price increase across the board in 2012, bring the price to $75, and it seems as though Hakuhodo stopped dying the goat hair of their brushes, and have discontinued all the ones I own, to re-introduce them with the new un-dyed goat/squirrel mix. I checked the price of the B509, and the price is now a cool $119.00. The Hakuhodo brushes you see in the drawers are pure blue/gray Squirrel=very very soft on the skin or the older un-dyed version mixture of goat/squirrel which also equals soft on the skin, but not as delicate as say the pure squirrel brushes. The pure squirrel brushes(some of them much more expensive) are so delicate it's recommended not to wash very often. If you have sensitive skin a mix of goat/squirrel is great, and if you''re more on the combo/oily side which I am in the summer months (combo) I use my Goat hair brushes. The 4 brushes I would purchase from Hakuhodo would be the
G5557- foundation brush Blends like a dream gives me that flawless look I love
G5554- smaller brush to the G5557 I use this for a lot of my cream products including my cream blush
The B104 black hair version(discontinued) now called the J104 white hair version big fluffy soft goat hair powder brush much better than the MAC 150
The B110 black hair version(discontinued) now called the J110 white hair version cheek brush also made of goat hair very soft and is comparable to the MAC 116, but much softer. but That's it, for the rest I'd recommend Wayne Goss brushes, and Koyudo, which can be found on CD Japan. CD Japan also carry other japanese brands such as Chikuhodo which retail much cheaper than US retailers like Beautylish. When I got towards the end stage of my brush collection, I found Sonia of Sweet make up temptations, a blog all about brushes, a great resource! The brushes that I do own from Hakuhodo, were great (at the time I bought them) bang for the buck in terms of quality/price. the brushes in the drawers in the first posting to the right are a mix of blue squirrel/goat I use them and wash them often, I have enough to rotate, I get lazy when it's time to wash my brushes. By the way the B509 I referenced is in the first set of pics I posted 4th brush from the right great powder brush, I love it so much that back in 2010 when I ordered, I ordered a back up a few weeks later.

WOW! Thank you so much for the full run down and so much detail! Not only helpful to me, but to anyone else contemplating Hakuhodo brushes. I had no idea there were other brands...Chikuhodo, Koyudo. I do know many ladies on here love some of the Wayne Goss brushes. My real interest is in face and eye brushes. I am a sponge girl when it comes to my foundation application...but I really should give a good foundation brush a try.

@shellygrrl ~ She knows her brushes...would love your feedback too mama!

p.s. I hope I have not triggered anyone with this conversation...Shelly please feel free if you think it necessary to move it to a more appropriate thread.

@LadyBug13 ~ Great job mama!

 

[shellygrrl]

We have a Hakuhodo thread and a general Japanese brush thread you can check out!

Hakuhodo - makers of MAC brushes

Japanese brushes - Chikuhodo, Koyudo, Hakuhodo, Suqqu, etc

 

[fur4elise]

We have a Hakuhodo thread and a general Japanese brush thread you can check out!
Hakuhodo - makers of MAC brushes
Japanese brushes - Chikuhodo, Koyudo, Hakuhodo, Suqqu, etc

Thank you! Thank you!

 

[VAL4M]

After the anti-haul vlog there is now Stop buying these Types of products ....

Stop Buying These Types of Products I TAG - YouTube

Mine are cream makeup product so now i'm forcing myself to use at least one cream products in my look Every freaking morning. So it can be a eyeliner, or gel liner, cream bronzer or cream blush or cream eyeshadow(s). I still think I will need to purge all my maybelline tattoo eyeshadow they all getting dry

 

[JerseyGirl]

Thanks for that video! I agree on the creams in pots. I find them difficult to use... so I barely use them, then they get dried out. I'm not going to buy anymore and I'm going to make a huge effort to use whatever I have or finally toss it out.