Anyone want to use up half finished products in a virtuous and smug manner

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I have waaaaay too much beauty/cosmetics. I have boxes full of new stuff and haven't used up the old stuff first. As a result, I have lots of half used lovely cosmetics and face/body products lying around. I also have tons of samples and GWP - all cluttering up the place. Since I am not going on holiday any time soon (damn you children) there is no point in keeping them for putting in my weekend bag (sob! those were the days) .

So I am on a mission to use them all up. Upside - saves money in the short term. Use lots of nice stuff on a more regular basis. Will force me to actually wash my face/put cream on, rather than rinsing face with water in the shower and whacking some hand cream on my scaly bits once a week.

Anyone else in?

So far, I have:

• cut the top off my smashbox primer and using the dredges. I have got an extra fortnight out of it so far. I use a bulldog clip to close it over afterwards. I will use the 3 tubes of clarins beauty flash balm as primer afterwards. I have no idea why I have so many!
• refilled up my spray toner bottle with a freebie smaple bottle of Avene stuff. Not as nice as my normal one but totally fine for the short term.
• fished out 3 tubes of hand cream and put one in the kitchen, one in the utility, one in my office drawer. Need to find another one for my bedside table - I have about a million tubes of hand cream and never put it on so hopefully this will help.
• started using a bottle of conditioner i don't like to shave legs.

TwoNoisy - indeed the bigger half of the challenge is NOT BUYING new stuff.

Using up stuff at home is one thing, not buying new stuff is another. But once you start thinking about it you can change habits - I'm amazed at how automatically I would buy stuff - like I need to buy something every lunch hour.

Being more conscious about these actions has led to a proper change in my life - I still get the pull, and will sometimes shop and put stuff in a basket - but usually now I manage to GET A GRIP before the tills, and snap myself out of it .

I try now to have one at a time, and buy new things I need, as I need them.

THE SHOPS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE!! They will never stop selling stuff.

Yes, indeed BeCool, the shops will always be there. Wise words.

I actually had a bath last night and used some lovely bath soak and a lovely lovely bedtime body cream. Slept much better than I have been (twins just starting to sleep through so my body clock is fucked!).

Body cream nearly done but it is a possible repurchase as it was uber relaxing.

I think I will challenge myself to use up 2 other bottles of body lotion before I can rebuy it. I might start a list of fab products to rebuy to give me something to look forward to!

I am moving house (ARGHHHH) and I am NOT taking half empty bottles with me.

I have to say I am quite enjoying using up the bits in the bathroom, and totally agree - I love the virtuous feeling of rinsing and recycling empty bottles!

I've had a bit of a minor own goal.

I have used up a shower gel, a big tub of body shop body butter (that's good progress for me) and almost all of one of my 30ml Clinique face washes, it should be done tomorrow. I've also got about one more application in a thermal protect hair thingy.

I've ordered my things into order in which to use them.

Then yesterday a package arrives...I had taken a glamour susbcription with 17 makeup freebies, it was £1 for three issues with the makeup, which would have gone away for dd1s stocking. Only they ran out of the makeup, so they sent me a box of little skincare items from Murad instead

Feels like I'm right back to square one!

Ooh I need this thread. There is a serious spanner in the works here. DH works for boots. He is an impulse buyer and we get a discount. .

Ooh using up things is my favourite. I keep one set of travel sized bits and use all the other little things first. I buy giant shampoos from tk maxx so they last months.
I don't replace an item unless it has less than a week of use left.

After about 3 years of doing this, I am finally on my last bubble bath and face scrub and will be able to legitimately purchase more.

I still have about 15 perfumes on the go and at least 40 nail polishes though..

I think it helps using up and seeing what you miss too. I've binned some used stuff this week without batting an eyelid, but the cleansing balm I used up I'm pining for
I may repurchase when I've used up more stuff, it's £21 for 50g which is why I'm hesitating

Had to add water to the end of my shower gel to get the last bit out. It will be done tomorrow! Only two other little sample bottles to go and then I can buy a nice new one.

Finally cut the top of my tube of face scrub - there's at least another 10 day's worth of stuff in there. I so would have thought it was done and left it festering on the shelf.

Also found two full bottles of mouth wash. Given I've had the same bottle on the go since December, i think it's time to improve my oral hygiene.

Oh! I bought a massive bag of cotton wool balls when the Dts were born. Never used it obviously and have been doggedly using for cleansing despite the fact that I hate cotton wool balls. Am down to my last 30 balls! Horray! Then I can use cotton wool pads again. How exciting...

Actually moisturised my whole body this morning as I have soooo much body lotion it is silly.

I agree it is easier to throw stuff out if you try to use it and really don't like it. I've only done it with one thing so far but I didn't feel at all guilty because I've used up 5 other things in their entirety in the past two weeks.

I definitely agree on chucking stuff you don't get on with. It's no more wasteful to chuck it than to let it give you spots / dry your skin out / gather dust. My mum thinks I should give it to my cleaner, personally I think it's a bit patronising giving her things that I've tried, and I've not got anything that's unopened.

I'm still looking at, but not using, the masses of cotton wool I brought before DD1 was born - nearly 7 years ago!!! It was on all "the lists". Oh dear!

I keep thinking the DD's will use it for 'crafts'. I can't stand the stuff.

I've used up another three products this week :)

I had an empty hand wash bottle so I poured in the dregs of a shampoo and a couple of shower gels.

Ooh I am doing this at the moment! I rationalised the bathroom cabinet at the weekend (it's huge) and collected all similar items together so we can see what we have. I'm working through the ones that are furthest through first and have already finished two little bottles of shampoo, one conditioner and a tube of toothpaste.

I also found nine small hotel bottles of Molton Brown shower gel that DH has collected and used a small amount of each. I tipped them all together to fill four bottles and recycled the other five. Obsessive perhaps, but strangely satisfying!

I keep forgetting to buy more toothpaste for me. Tomorrow I will have to use dds

If only cotton wool was a suitable substitute

If you want to be extra virtuous and have stuff that you haven't even opened, your local women's refuge will gladly take it from you and give it to someone who has walked in with absolutely nothing. Even stuff like toothpaste, toothbrushes, tampons etc. Even that inappropriate glittery gift set you got for Xmas will be hugely welcomed as sadly there are often tween girls there with their mothers. If you email women's aid they usually can put you in touch with a local refuge.

"THE SHOPS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE." I've got to remember this! Great advice

THE SHOPS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.
It has become a bit of a mantra and it does work.

Ooh this is my kind of thread Im bloody awful for buying too much when theres a deal on, eg 50% off at the body shop cos then I'll stock up. I don't mind so much all the showergels as I know they'll get used up, its all the body butters, scrubs, hair masks and body oils that don't get used Ive given a bag of things to a friend, and the kids have both got a body butter and a scrub to use up

I find that I don't like wearing body butters after my morning shower as I don't like how it feels under my clothes, but as dh works late most days I don't quite have time to use it up after evening bath when Im sorting ds, dd and 8 week old baby.

I agree with writing a list of things you really like if you think you'll want that one particular item again, and to stop 'saving for best'. Ive always done that up to now, think its pretty deep seated regarding my childhood but now I know I don't have to worry anymore I can use and enjoy things. Plus the amount of things Ive had to chuck because Id 'saved it for best' only to obv have it go off always made me sad.

So anyway Im on my last bottle of toner, and half way through an oil cleanser. Not sure if I'll repurchase that. I have a cleansing balm to use up after...

Have got two tubs of body butter opened, will really try and use up some of that tonight, thankfully dh is finishing earlier today so I'll be able to have time to myself. Ive got 2 hair masks opened and one face mask so I'll use those too. Will prob chuck the scrub that's opened, Ive used it once and not sure I liked how it made my skin feel afterwards. Have chucked an old foundation, a crap mascara and a couple of liquid eyeliners, feel better for it! Im almost out of my face powder and will need to replace that, also want a powder highlighter. Promise I wont go mad in Boots

This is a great thread! I'm going to clean the bathroom tonight and see what bottles are lurking!

Another small shower gel finished. On to the watery one which is actually okay.

Body lotion now turned up side down to get the last of it out.

I am on fire. I can also taste those cotton wool pads. Man, it's gonna so exciting using them after all that bloody cotton balls

Forgive me user-uppers, for I have sinned

I bought two mags for the free toiletries.

I had one in my hand yesterday - it had a little set of skin care products I think but I was so good and put it back

You've got more self-discipline than me, Rhonda!

Was it Marie Claire? I bought that for the Aromatherapy Associates set, and Elle for the Benefit Porefessional

I'm still using the porefessional I got free from a mag last summer (or maybe the summer before?) and I do like it so maybe that was a good buy

I think it was company that had a nip and fab leg product. I didn't get that as I tried it last year.

I've been doing this for months but haven't even made a dent in my hand lotion collection.

But then I keep forgetting to use it, which is why I have so much.

I'm sitting here MNetting ad knitting. My skin is so rough from washing (dd2 potty training for last 3 days. She's getting there but there have been regular clean ups and handwashing) that it's catching n the yarn. I'm going to add a lotion tube to my knitting bag.

I'm also using a perfume that's been hidden away for years. It was in the dark so is OK.