Beauty addicts thread: share empties, chucks and mindful buying tips

[Experiment627]

Welcome back (or welcome in!) to our little corner of beauty bliss, where shelves are full, wish lists are longer than ever, and there’s always something new to try.
This thread has been around for ages (since at least 2015), and many of us have even tamed our beauty-buying habits thanks to the wisdom and support shared here. We post our empties and chucks, helping each other make smarter, more satisfying choices next time we shop.
All beauty product addicts welcome!

I use the awful body wash dd bought me to clean the bath while I am in the shower!!! 🤣🤣

I was away a few days so managed to finish some travel sizes

Philosophy Amazing Grace showel gel - loved this scent would rp

Charles Worthington Sunshine Protect hair conditioner- hair did not like this at all

Scottish Fine Soaps Sea Kelp soaps x 2 - used these in the bathrooms for handwashing. We live near to outlet so will definitely be buying more only 24p and brilliant for taking away

System Professional shampoo - free gift from hairdresser, wouldn't buy this

L'occitane Almond hand cream - love this, have more in my drawer

Elizabeth Arden ceramide day cream - already started a new tube

Rituals Sakura shower gel - have a full size one to start in bathroom cupboard.

Now I am making a conscious effort to use sample/travel sizes up I am really getting through them. I now have no travel size shower gels left which is a result for me as I usually have loads lying around. I started a Decleor shower gel on holiday and instead of leaving in my toilet bag I have put in my shower to get it used up.

I have a question about monthly spending on beauty and all its sub categories.

I was reading a thread on Reddit about a couple that had plenty of disposable income. The woman spent £200-300 every month on beauty - skincare, cosmetics et al. She lost her job unexpectedly and whilst job hunting, asked her partner to cover her monthly beauty spends. He found these excessive and posted an AIBU type thread.

At the time I thought, well, if you've got all of your routine products in, and you have a stash of various others from GWPs and BACs etc, you're probably not spending that much per month, I'm definitely not spending that.

However, the reality is that I probably am spending somewhere in that region per month and I'm quite surprised! I have plenty of products so I don't need anything, aside from the odd product. For example, my daughter used up my heat protection sprays curling her hair over half term.

So far since pay day (25th if that buys me any credence, rather than 28th - clutching at straws here) I have ordered:

Cosmetics:
Estee Lauder glossy pout oil in Debenhams sale - £17.82
MAC blush in Debenhams sale - £19.95
Laura Mercier caviar stick eye colour on Vinted - £16.00

Skincare:
Zelens omega shiso serum at TKMaxx - £24.99
Zelens PHA+ resurfacing facial pads in Liberty sale - £30.00
Beauty of Joseon Green plum cleanser in BOJ sale - £7.70
Beauty of Joseon Glow rice serum in BOJ sale - £10.15
Beauty of Joseon Glow replenishing rice milk in BOJ sale - £10.50

Haircare:
K18 HeatBouce heat protectant at TKMaxx - £29.99

Total without shipping: £167.10

The only thing I really 'needed' there was a heat protection spray, we are a frizzy/somewhere on the curly scale family and heat helps us in our anti-Hagrid efforts on a daily basis, but I definitely didn't need a K18 product for that.

In my defence, I feel the purchases are well-considered usually left in my basket for a few days whilst considering, but even so.

So, my question is, is this normal? I feel in the current economic climate, it's fairly modest, in that everything costs so much now that my 'fun'/frivolous spending here is inconsequential. I need to do an ASDA online shop and that could easily surpass this spend. But maybe I'm telling myself what I want to hear. And I definitely wouldn't expect my OH to cover my beauty spends if I lost my job. No more PHA, BHA, AHA, ABC, DEFG for me. I wonder how I'd deal with that!

That’s a v good question @DidILeaveTheGasOn - I am going to try and keep a track in June as I have no idea for May but I think it was a fair bit (JL, Boots, M+S plus some travel purchases at least!)

Last of May's empties. Total of 22 products, est value £375.50. Going to start slowing down on the spends, and save my money for Advent season👀🙈

106. Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment. I think it's a great product. Skin looks brighter and smoother when I use it. I dont mind the slight tingle after applied. I don't use much Sunday Riley these days, but this one I would RP. Dug another out of stash⭐️

107. Moschino Bubblegum. When I fancy a fun scent, I throw this on. This was my second bottle. Don't think I will RP another. I've had my time with it.

108. Tatcha The Dewy Serum. Tatcha is one my favourite skincare brands; I've never used a bad product from them. Like their moisturiser, this is perfect. I used it in the evening as more of a recovery serum after using actives. I've seen a difference using this.

109. Versed Cleansing Balm. It had a eucalyptus scent, which I didn't mind. I felt like I really had to work to take my mascara off.

110. SDJ Delicia Drench Body Butter x2. I like the scent more than the results. I don't find it that hydrating, tbh. But I may revisit it in the future.

111. Necessaire body lotion. Nice. Feels luxurious for a fragrance-free lotion.

112. You're looking well night cream. Glad this is done. Didnt sink into my skin, and left me feeling greasy. I have dry skin, but this just didnt work for me.

113. Christophe Robin Volumising Paste. Awful, didn't give me much volume, and the slight bit it did give dropped after 10 minutes of blow-drying. You could feel the product in your hair too, which made it feel unclean.

114. Reedle shot 100 sheet mask. Was Ok. Have another in stash.

I know 110% my oh wouldnt cover my beauty costs if I had to rely on him for income.
I spend a lot more, especially since being on this thread and fb groups but its my hobby and I dont spend more than I can afford at that time. I sell stuff on that i wont use via vinted and Facebook selling page. Cant sell for profit on fb and vinted is hit and miss but better than sat in wardrobe going off.
My dod are in their twenties so I have more disposable income than ive ever had even though proces are going up.
I think over time it will be less as like a kid in a sweet shop lst year and went ott. Im starting to not buy stuff now just for gwp as so many repeats, etc.
Its normal to me but I dont spend on much else. Dont drink, smoke, dont have expensive hols, etc. Got to do something to bring me joy
♥️

@DidILeaveTheGasOn I'm actually too scared to look. I have been more than excessive this month but I’ve been soo tempted by soo many gwp’s and it’s my birthday month so it’s considerably more than a ‘normal’ month. I would struggle with a £200 per month limit as I am a binge and starve kind of spender. I’m currently in my binge stage but I am committing to a starve June. Do I NEED any of it? Absolutely not, my stash is more than enough to see me through to Christmas without spending a penny. I just love buying and trying beauty products. This thread is helping me prioritise the things I’ve have laying around for ages rather than the new shiny thing but I have realised I am still buying new shiny things but putting them to the back of my stash. My DH fully supports and enables my beauty buying because he knows I just love it.

I think it’s fine to buy what you can comfortably afford. My DP pays for everything as I’m a SAHM. I buy a lot of makeup and skincare and get regular facial treatments, manicures and pedicures. If we couldn’t comfortably afford it I wouldn’t do it.

At the moment this thread and the Boots recycling scheme is really encouraging me to get through the products I already have which is very satisfying!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn I've only just been paid, and I've ordered a Dior lip gloss. Then I start thinking of all the other things I want. I think I'm going to make a wishlist of all the things I want, then pick one thing on payday and try not to succumb to anything else (easier said than done, I know!).

A colleague complimented my skin a few weeks ago and asked what products I used. Part of me felt a bit awkward about it all, as I know most people would see these products as a waste of money, and felt like I'd be judged if I said, "Oh, it's a £60 serum." But I do see it as something I enjoy, and if an overpriced cleanser or moisturiser makes me happy, then so be it!

I get a lot of enjoyment from it too, whilst also feeling apologetic about it. I wonder if it's internalised misogyny in my case. I definitely see it as a hobby, but would struggle to identify it as such to those that would be like, 'it's just face wash, what are you on about'.
I'm currently learning what cosmetics really suit me and am also experiencing really odd skin compared to what I'm used to, now in my 40s, so I'm really interested in trying different skincare products.

For me it's stuff I didn't have time or money to invest in buying or learning about until the last few years. Now I can and my skin is better (by that I mean healthier - I know I'm not getting younger) than the previous two decades and make up wise I know now what suits me and how to apply it.

I don't feel bad about it hobby wise because my new found interest in no way tots up to the various hobbies of DH over 25+ years.

The thing that does make me feel slightly bad is too much stuff from bargain edits, gwps or BACs I'm not using, but Vinted generally takes care of that when I get round to it. Or products I've opened and used but dislike/don't work for me - those are harder to pass on or find something to do with.

I've bought far fewer edits this year though, as the initial crazy investment in trying loads of different products and brands has paid off. I'm better at scanning contents and realising half the box just isn't going to be my thing, so it's getting easier to pass up, even when objectively it's a great deal.

This year's challenge is going to be can I stick to 2 advents - one perfume, 1 beauty? I might be asking miracles here but you've got to have a goal, even if you fall short. Right? 😂

PS. I really need to get round to posting my empties. I've got a box that's piling up.

I took a large bag of my empties to SNK yesterday and feel quite virtuous!

I'm much more informed now about skincare but make-up is still a work in progress. I think I'm inadvertently trying to use warm and cool toned products together. I'm working on it but learning a lot (and enjoying it!)

I think if you can afford it, spending more is totally fine. I also enjoy skin care and I often laugh that I am more likely to be wearing a full face of make up when home alone because its when I have time to experiment with products and techniques.

I dont spend £200+ personally, but i easily could! £200 would he a high month currently. The last month has been a bit higher probably as I bought the clarins double serum to leverage the Boots sale and also bought redken clarifying shampoo. I am putting off expensice cleansing balm repurchase (farmacy) but did buy 2 cheaper ones. The only make up i have bought recently is a setting powder from primark to try and ditto a nail Polish from there.

Do they have a return offer?

I actually made the mistake (!) of tracking my spending this year with the aim of being more mindful, and it has been a bit galling. If I subtract my ebay sales this year from the total spend, it averages out to roughly £200 a month so far, although I do have quite a decent stash to work through and will probably not need to buy moisturiser or serum for the next 9 months, and make-up wise would only potentially need to purchase tinted moisturiser and a brow pencil. If I sell what I currently have listed on ebay as well that would also bring it down to £140 a month. I do feel like I've found my products now though so can be less swayed by random edits and what I currently have in my stash are all tried and tested products that work well for me. Luckily beauty is the only area I am a high spender! I think for me, beauty spends are the most pleasurable - and like others here I see it as a hobby of sorts - clothes are much more problematic and less joyous. I did spend quite a lot last year on gig and festival tickets but haven't done the same this year. My goal now is to focus on just using what I have for at least a few months and assess things around Black Friday if any restocking is required, although I'm not sure if I'll cope without a few dopamine hits in between. I fully intend to get a Harrods FAC if I can, but not so sure about a BAC - will depend if any of them have enough products that are right for me and if I think I can sell any that aren't. I would really miss participating in the opening threads though so we'll see!

I used to spend quite a bit when I wore makeup every day for work and bought most of my skincare from Estée Lauder counter at the airport so that doesn’t sound unrealistic. Although I had less miscellaneous toiletries then as I simply didn’t have time to shop (except at airport on business trips).

I’m currently spending very little as I rarely wear makeup these days and am currently working through contents of my bathroom cupboards right now and quite a lot of what’s in there was acquired via either GWP that wasn’t used, subscription box or roccabox it cost considerably less. When I’ve created space I’ll probably go back to buying the odd Rocca box.

Sadly they don’t. But I simply don’t use Boots and rarely think of John Lewis for beauty. So I just take them to SNK where they’ll be recycled even if I don’t get any reward!

I’m getting so much more picky about who gets my money. Can’t be doing with shitty customer service etc so cancelled Cult Beauty.

I get Korean products from StyleKorean or Stylevana, use my local department store, Jarrolds, and SNK for other things.

This is an interesting conversation! I don't spend much on beauty, although I do enjoy it. Usually BACs and edits for me, never full price items. It is lovely to try new things and I'm lucky that my skin is pretty easy going, so I can switch from product to product on the whole.

BUT I love clothes and that's where I spend the most. Which could be seen as equally frivolous, but brings me huge amounts of joy and sparks creativity for me. I love people watching and getting outfit ideas. If you can afford it and you enjoy it, where's the harm?

I have used the £6 Sparks credit i got for beauty spend last month against a sports bra set that I need (owing to disintegration!) and that will earn me a £4 credit for future spend…

Hmm. I will stick to noting full prices for June and for beauty/skincare only!

I find this interesting and try to consciously manage my spending (fragrance is my nemesis) after 12-18 month. I like the research element of it (or if anything) but would like to stop the creating then abandoning baskets from a scrolling perspective. I also try to write down how long things actually take ( e.g. serums blimmin ages). And I dislike too many minis.

But it’s fundamentally fun, and not harmful to me (most of the time, side eyes spf that gave me acne) or others.

BUT it is very easy to rack up 200quid, much harder to consume it.

the stuff that doesn’t work on face goes to feet, neck, hands, siblings and tweens/teens if not actives.

I try very hard to limit my spending on beauty products & only buy if I have a need. However, because of the videos I make, I often buy more of a range than I really need or additional products so I can compare. There is some ROI on this and I mainly review "budget" items. I probably should track this spending better - it is something I am trying to do.

Not just with beauty products, I do find that I get a massive urge to buy something and then when it is bought it does not immediately get used - despite me convincing myself I would suffer if I did not have. For example, I was eyeing up a UV water flosser on Amazon - it went out of stock, I bought it as soon as it came back into stock, I have not actually used it yet. I bought it 3 weeks ago.

I have some empties:

• Simple moisturising facial wash: very basic and that is what my skin needed. Did actually use this on my Lady Garden too - which has been a bit of a problem area this past year & I have either washed with this, just water or live yogurt.
• Epimax oatmeal cream: quite similar to the Aveeno but I prefer Aveeno as this seems to separate a bit. I get both on prescription as well as many others due to my urticaria & dermography.

My name is didileavethegason and I have damaged my skin barrier with too many actives 😞
Almost everything makes my face feel sore. I am still reaching for the same old products though and need to swap them out for a while.

Can anyone recommend something soothing I can use until this resolves? I feel like an idiot, I have oily/combination skin usually (aside from winter) so this sensitivity and soreness is brand new and awful.

Oh ouch @DidILeaveTheGasOn that sounds painful.

I have heard many good things from friends about Cicaplast balm, and this one might help you... Cicaplast Baume B5+ | Skin Irritation | La Roche-Posay UK

34/100

Malin + Goetz rum body wash - this was nice, not drying, good scent. Not a repurchase as many other products to get through.

stash progress has stalled, I’m working through several full sized products.