Join me in a beauty product buying ban or come and give me moral support!

[listsandbudgets]

I can't do this alone folks. I've got TOO MUCH STUFF... I also have 2 beauty advent calendars

So I've set myself a challenge. Between now and June the 1st 2024 I will not buy any beauty products UNLESS I've run out of all of that particular type. If I've got a tiny sample bottle of shampoo or conditioner I'll use it all up. All those half used bottles of moisturiser, night cream, shower gel and toner and body lotion MUST GO... the mountain of soap must be surmounted.

My only concession is that I will not cancel the Liberty Beauty drop will get a couple of boxes to cheer me up

So if you want to join me make up your own rules and lets cull that stash

Some empties from me. And a confession to follow!

Tatcha The Rice Cleanser. Liked it a lot. Lasted ages too.
Skin 1004 Centella SPF. Lovely. A @Fraaahnces recommendation. Have repurchased.
Jane Scrivener Purifying cleanser. From a Caroline Hirons kit. Was ok.

Dr Jart Cicapair serum. Can’t say I noticed much.

Hada Labo essence as recommended by @Fraaahnces again. Have repurchased and also bought the thicker lotion.
May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. From a Caroline Hirons kit. Liked it on nights I was too tired to do much more than cleanse and apply this to wet skin.

Paul Mitchell volume spray. I think it was about six years old so I junked it.

Confession time is that I have just bought a few things from Boots. My skin has gone very dry and sore and sensitive over the last few days so I think I need to go back to basics for a bit as I’ve been using random products and I think some are not suiting my skin which is sensitive and prone to rosacea. So I have ordered a Nip + Fab Ceramide cleansing balm to replace my Votary cleansing oil which I think might be too perfumed. And a Byoma Milky cleanser as a second cleanse after a recommendation from someone who seems to have similar skin to mine. And a Curel rich moisturiser as the one I’m using is a Vit C one as are the others in my stash I think.

Feel like I’ve not had any empties for ages. Got through nearly all my dry shampoos except for a mousse which I don’t like so bought two more this week. Had 4 in my basket and saved 2 for later, how’s that for restraint?? Arkive Dry Shampoo smells amazing and doesn’t leave white powder but not great for 4 days post hair wash, better if you just need to freshen up on day 2.
Klorane dry shampoo, good but I seem to go through it quickly for the price.
Lush Tofu Shampoo, too strongly scented like everything from Lush but it did leave my hair soft.
Clinique All About Eyes. Didn’t do anything, like every eye cream I’ve ever used tbh.

I do think that buying things you really need is different from things you really want. If skin has gone very dry etc. etc. then having the right products matters so no confessions necessary.

For me happy to say the elastizier is working well as a strait conditioner. This is very lucky as I had 4 tubes, there was one in the beauty drop box and then they replaced box as some stuff had leaked so now i have 6 tubes. Be a long time before I need more conditioner then!

I'm going to run out of REN dark circle eye cream in the next couple of days and will be buying more as it's the only thing that works for me and it will be inside my self imposed rules as it's the only dark circle stuff I have. I think I've made a mistake with my net in / out figures above so will recalculate - it's going to be a shamefully small out figure (hopefully out!)

Net calculation (sorry boring but holding myself to account)

On 5th April I'd had 18 in since I started this thread - most of them presents at Christmas.

I've since had two BD boxes with 6 items each - so 12+18 = 30

I've recorded 44 items as used on the other thread - so net is 14 down.

Unless as a direct replacement I do not anticipate buying or receiving anything in the next 6 weeks. I do however expect to use some things up. The margin is small but I'm happy I'm showing down rather than up!

(sorry most boring post ever!)

@listsandbudgets - not boring at all. I should probably do some calculations too.

Thank you for absolving me! I have no idea why my skin went so dry and sore so need to keep an eye on what I’m using.

I have used Elasticiser as a conditioner before and it works ok. I do find it really good when used as it’s meant to be used though. I might actually do that tomorrow. Bath, hair treatment and face mask. A soothing hydrating one obviously!

I've just ordered some REN dark circle eye cream. I finally run out and since it was the only dark circle cream I had I felt able to RP.

I went on the all beauty site and it was the ONLY thing I ordered. The last one went on for about 6 months so shouldn't be needing it again any time soon. It's only 15ml but you use very small amounts of it at a time.

it's a direct replacement so net remains the same although I've used a few other things up so will recalculate later in the week when I've put them on the empties thread.

@Peridot1 - I have just read some past posts. I have PM’ed you. X

@Fraaahnces - have just replied.

Well done, everybody. I've bought some skincare for ds earlier this week, as well as two serums for me as replacements (I have repurchased both multiple times since they work so well for my sensitive skin). The total wasn't cheap, but the fact that I have been far more restrained and careful with skincare (and finances generally) means that the purchase didn't cause any guilt - win!

I dint count the things I buy for DCs that's their stash not mine and they need it anyway.

finally finished the enormous bottle of nivea body lotion someone gave DP for secret santa 😂.. then realised i forgot to count in my calculations so net above should have been 12 includint the REN dark circle cream!

Never mind about to put some more items on the empties so next set of figures should improve things. I do t count them as gone for some reason until they're photographed, listed on that thread, rinsed and binned! weird but true.

New figures

32 in - the big nivea I'd forgotten to put before and replacement REN dark circle cream plus previous 30.

51 out - so net is 19. I've actually used a few tiny sachets as well but not counting them.

Excluding showers gels and soaps... I have so many of both ... the majority of the things I've got now are smaller sizes though as we all know they can last for much longer than we expect!

Sorry I'm obsessing over figures. I've got just over a month left and I honestly think I'm going to hold off on shower gels and soaps for the rest of the year now unless they turn up in a kit / beauty box. In reality I may still be saying the same this time next year 😂

@listsandbudgets you are very good. I'm just counting the products I use and not adding the ones I buy 😂
I have been very good, I haven't bought anything new even though I was in Boots and M & S.
I have run out of dry shampoo so do need to rp that.
22/100

Bless me for I have sinned.

Cult Beauty have a nice GWP with an £85 spend. And I wanted to try the Murad retinol eye cream as I read good things about it recently somewhere. So I bought the eye cream. And I will get the GWP.

But. It’s nice hydrating products and quite a few small sizes good for travel and I’m going away in three weeks and have been running down all my small sizes so could do with them. That’s my excuse anyway!

I am however going to go through things and sell a few bits.

I saw that GWP and agree it's very tempting but now i'm almost into the last month of my ban i'm going to hold out.

i'm horrified that even with ban ive still had 32 items in but given 11 were presents, 17 were BD which includes a replacement box and bar one tiny perfume sample the others were direct replacements its not so bad

I shouldn’t have bought it really but I managed to justify it!

You are doing very well to hold out.

It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday 12th May here in Aus. Everyone’s asking what I want. I really want to try the Haus Labs foundation and concealer but I would have to sell a kidney to pay for that. I want to go
bonkers and order a heap of KBeauty milky toners and all the ceramides before I go to the cold (can’t wait!) mountains for winter. Plus some sunscreen of course. I want to buy some expensive perfume. I know if I bring that up, something else will be purchased instead and I won’t love it.

Ack! Wasn’t finished! I know this makes me sound like a whiny brat, but that’s because I’m not feeling great atm and I’m indulging in brattiness just now. In reality, I don’t really need or want anything!

@Fraaahnces You don't sound at all like a whiny brat.. .just tell them what you WANT and try to love anything you actually get. Wish I was off to the mountains!

sorry you've not been feeling great - hope things have improved over the last few days

Just finished my sunday riley luna night oil - gutted - loved it and it's not cheap.

I've found a box and I'm putting the empties of things I'd really like to rebuy in it and everything else is going in the bin as I finish it - trouble is box is filling up!

You definitely don’t sound whiny @Fraaahnces. Preferring things you know you will really want and use and enjoy is so much more sensible than getting things you won’t use. That is a waste. And after what you’ve been through and are going through you bloody deserve it!

I loved the luna @listsandbudgets Almost bought it last weekend with a JL voucher I had. But I bought two martini glasses instead 😆

I was very tempted by JL beauty box but it had sold out online, just as well

Me, too, @suburburban - telling myself it's for the best because I don't need anything new, especially after having spent £82 on me and ds skincare (needed replacements) after payday.

Hope everyone is holding strong!

My Haeckels subscription box has arrived so 3 bottles for my stash.

I've finished shampoo, a small bath/shower gel, small moisturiser and a 75ml toner recently. Nearly finished after sun I've been using as body lotion.

😀

Did look good though

I love that @Cyclingmummy1 I hope you got some lovely martini to go in them as well. Have a glass for me I can't drink and I'm jealous of all those who can.

I think I'm going to have to break my ban a bit. I use Seated Queen cold cream every night but the company has gone out of business. That means it's suddenly become very had to get hold of. A couple of wonderful mumsnetters have sent me their unwanted tubes but I can see I'm going to have to go on Vinted and stock pile whatever I can get. However - I know I'll use it and this is an exceptional unforseen circumstance so I wont be counting it against myself. Very cross about it!