2018 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

[ElleElleG]

*updated 11/25/18*

The 2019 thread is now available here: 

Spoiler

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/2019-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILI...#M342753

Hey all!  For the last few years the lovely @lnum has hosted this thread to help us stay motivated on our no-buys and low-buys. In an effort to keep her work alive, here is the 2018 edition.

The purpose of this thread (from lnum):

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

Feel free to share your goals, items that tempt you, missteps (we don't believe in failures), and any successes.  Above all else, encourage and support one another.

Here's the OP from 2017 as well as the link for those interested: 

Spoiler

lnum wrote:

Welcome to Year 3!

My motto for this thread is that I strongly believe, even on a budget, you can have the things you want that make you happy without feeling like you're limiting yourself. 

This thread is a support system for all of us who are trying to maintain a budget and keep our beauty spending limited. Post here when you have a weak moment, post here to hold yourself accountable, post here when you just need someone to talk to, post here when you have advice for all of us, and post here when you make mistakes but also make gains! Many of us post here to keep track of our monthly purchases. Anything you need to say, we are all here for each other. There's no judgement here.

I am so excited to spend another year with you all. If it wasn't for the first two years of this thread, I would never have been able to cut down my beauty spending. My goal for this year is to maintain low spending on beauty, and cut down my clothing purchases. I will be funneling that money into traveling, which is what I have done in the past and it's a great goal that truly motivates me. 

I'm still so proud of everyone for making it through 2015 and 2016, limiting ourselves in the beauty product area in order to improve our lives in other areas. We all did great and here's to another year of learning and saving!

Here is a link to the 2015 thread: http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB-ROUGE/2015-The-No-Buy-Low-Buy-Budget-Buy-Accountability-and-Supp...

2016 thread: 

http://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2016-The-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/td...

 2017 thread: https://community.sephora.com/t5/VIB/2017-THE-NO-BUY-LOW-BUY-BUDGET-BUY-ACCOUNTABILITY-AND-SUPPORT/m...

Interested in Some Challenges to Help You Use Your Stash?  Check Out These Threads:

Spoiler

Pan It! 2018 Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Pan-It-2018-Challenge/m-p/3604337#M317498

Use Your Foil Samples Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confidential/Use-Your-Foil-Samples-Challenge-January-2018/m-...

The Perfume Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Perfume-Posse/The-Perfume-Challenge/m-p/2633976#M18939

Mask of the Week Challenge: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/3615125#M44343

**are you participating in a challenge that I failed to mention?  if so please let me know I can link it here**

💜💜💜

[fieldsofclover]

@howconnie I want this engraved on my headstone 🙌

[ElleElleG]

OK I am beyond confused, some of which may be the result of me semi-living under a rock though LOL.  But you had MORE returns?!  Or are you referring to the returns you mentioned a few days ago?  No clue how you keep track of things coming in and out (I would need a serious map).  Also it's a good thing your local store(s) have kept their return policies so lenient especially since there seems to be increased rumbling from customers, across various social media platforms, that their stores have changed their policies and returns are now a big hassle.

Curious to know the types of items that call to you (makeup v. skincare?  both?  particular brands?)

[fieldsofclover]

@ElleElleG Types of items that call to me... my purchase history looks like my dating history I guess? 😂 I am inclined to be brand-loyal but don't have time for companies that are sloppy or "don't see color". Blah blah wow I'm going to spoiler the rest of this novel.

tl;dr: skincare picks are Pyunkang Yul and the Korres Black Pine line, plus random masks for variety. Makeup that gets my sustained attention is coming from Hourglass, Bite, Nars, and any duochromes Becca makes.

Spoiler

I'm a designer so the advertising and packaging of a brand is as important to me as the physical product. I will dump a brand if they are unprofessional on social media. I really enjoy the old-school LE rotation (Diorsnow and whatnot) and was mostly Chanel and Dior but I started shifting to cruelty-free brands a few years ago. Nars is getting a pass on China for now because I've learned I prioritize inclusive brands over CF (and have painted myself into a corner by kicking Tarte and a few others to the curb).

My beauty philosophy is mostly French-influenced, but my first high-end makeup buys were from the original UD collection while on high school. So my general look has always been liner/mascara and some kind of tinted lip plus a side of duochrome 🌹☢️😂 I have a lot of natural pigment in my lips so even though I'm pale I only trust lipstick brand/formula recommendations from black women. 💄

For skincare I try to commit to a line until my needs change enough that I have to reevaluate everything. I used Ren and then Ole Henriksen for a long time, then DDG, and now I'm just raiding my sample stash to tide me over until the next VIB sale. But that Korres eye serum is a definite winner 🏗️

[fieldsofclover]

Hehehe trust me @ElleElleG I can barely keep track myself! I keep any printed receipts and my packing slips from online orders in one of those big mesh Gallivanter bags... I just stuff them in and every once in a while I go through and organize by date.

And yeah, I had an unopened set of Living Proof minis I bought right before @GG84 led me to the haircare promised Land, and a quad of ABH singles sitting unopened while I deliberated about them... I had ordered the few shades I liked from Modern Ren but after a lot of swatching decided I'm better off getting the Nars Wanted palette for rosy neutrals. 

I have sort of unusual coloring and I'm fussy about undertones (I'm a "bright Spring" if any of you do the seasons thing) so most of my returns are exchanges because something changes to a weird color on me, or unopened impulse buys. The DDG thing was a real anomaly... I've never returned skincare before. But I've made an effort to develop a relationship with the two stores close to me and so it pays off in situations like that where I can make a large return and not feel too awkward (I had checked in with CS here beforehand too).

[ElleElleG]

Funny!  I ordered some of the singles in the Modern Renaissance (during the Black Friday sale I believe) and ended up getting MR with my Ulta points end of last year/early this year.  I lucked out that I love the singles so the duplicates don't bother me.  Sorry they don't work for you.  

Good idea to have a designated place for receipts @fieldsofclover .  Have you run into problems with either the volume or frequency of your returns?  I wish Sephora had an alternative returns policy with regard to unused items.....On the one hand it's good to be safe because they can't possibly know the conditions of how the makeup was kept but I also hate that they require all returns be destroyed.  It would be great if they could sanitize unused items and donate them, heck give them to the employees if they want them but destroying items are so wasteful.

[fieldsofclover]

@ElleElleG I haven't had issues with volume or frequency, but I try to space out my returns so they're only every other trip at most, no more than 3 items/$100 at a time (except that one time), and I always ask for store credit instead of a refund. 

I also try to save larger returns (over $25) for when I'm planning to buy a similar product so the exchange seems more "logical". I've only returned one thing that was past the 60 days (the MR palette) but I purchased a similar replacement on the same trip and was clear that I was only looking for store credit, and they were ok about it.

I try to both shop and make returns at low-traffic times, so one thing that has emerged at the store I go to most often is they sometimes ask me a lot of questions when I have a return... not to decide whether to allow it, but just to learn what was and wasn't working about it (the staff there is relatively low-turnover and there are more "career" SAs). Since I can give pretty nuanced feedback about most of my returns and compare them to other items, it helps them make better recommendations to walk-in customers.

I really hate the waste involved, though. Part of what's fueling my HG searches is to find staples that really agree with my undertones, and just stick to those... my skin has improved significantly in the last year which has actually made it harder to find makeup with a nice finish, and I live in a place with very shaky natural light for most of the year 🌁🌃

[sparklekai]

l tell all children i know that becoming an adult is a trap and to resist...i tell my college students that the key to being an adult is to find an adultier adult...either way...i want to take my barbies and head for the tree fort! 

on a related to your topic note 😛 it sounds like you're making more informed purchases over impulse buys - which i believe was one of your goals so that's definitely something positive! 

[fieldsofclover]

Heh I'm realizing that BIC is the closest thing I have to a tree fort, which is kind of neat because it's a magical pocket tree fort! haha 🌳✨

And yeah, my collection is getting some structure to it again so even my impulse buys are either an impulsive substitute for a planned purchase that wasn't going to work, or because it's a better *replacement* for something I currently have.

(I give Sephora's generous return policy more of a workout than most people, which is why I really try to take my business here as much as possible. Symbiotic relationship!)

[Stassea]

I’m new to this group. But ive been watching Nicole Ramos’ videos on Instagram and now I REALLLLY want to but a becca highlighter/Illuminator. Ugh. I blew my budget for makeup and I’m trying to not think about it. But I’m almost finished my Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighter palette I have. Ughhhhh. What do I do lol, I’m stressed.

[fieldsofclover]

@Stassea Do you sort of choose between the different shades in the palette every time, combine them, not really care...?

Curious because some people end up with their one or two ride-or-die highlighters they always use, and some people like having a menu of options every time they put on their makeup... if you're the second type of person, you'll probably end up being dissatisfied with just one highlighter, so you'll end up buying more or buying a new palette anyway. If you've just used them all because they're there, you'll probably be safe with just one nice replacement.

Becca highlighters are less glittery than Anastasia, too, fwiw.

Using every last bit of a product can be pretty rewarding in itself! Maybe you could plan ahead and research your replacement, then buy it as a reward when you hit empty on the ABH palette? You're so close! 🏁

[Stassea]

Hey girl! 

My top 2 in the ABH glow sticks are golden dawn and subway (the medium golden ones).

i like wearing highlighter but it gets insane with my oily face. So I want to try becca but more of a natural /nude ish tone. I want to try to try something new instead of going with golden or pink. If there’s even a shade like that I’m not sure. 

Im scared to go to Sephora. Unplanned lol or I’ll go on a spree I have no self control. 

Thanks for for your help I didn’t think about narrowing it down until you mentioned it. 

[Susubee]

@Stassea fwiw, some of the becca shades are on sale right now and/or have mini versions available.

[Stassea]

Oh wow. I’m in Canada so I’m going to check online. Thank you so much. 

[GG84]

I made it 8 days..only 8 days without buying something cosmetics/skincare 😐 A Stila Liquid Lippie did me in...I thought...it kinda matches my hair and would look cute? Really though it was bc vday makes me sad...and debt makes me happy? 😂

[curlychiquita]

Aw, @GG84, I know the feeling . My Fantastic February Hauls pic this week will actually be a combination of two smaller orders, but luckily a lot of items will be replacements ( not all, but a lot ). I feel less guilty about the one that's not that way! But its still 2 orders in Feb already. 

[fieldsofclover]

@GG84 Knowing is half the battle!

(But seriously, I study habit formation. Not doing a thing is a lot harder than just doing a different thing, and you made it over a week in one go. Don't sell yourself short! That's good stuff, especially since your work is... cosmetics-adjacent 👍)

[GG84]

@fieldsofclover just a poopy day, hard sells. When you have hair the shades like you and I have, why not have a matching lippie (or 45) lol ..the sads made me spend.

[fieldsofclover]

@GG84 This is why I keep buying plummy lipsticks even though I think I look too vampy when I actually wear them. They're my therapy lippies 💄💜

[GG84]

@fieldsofclover My avi pic is just a super close up of my hair. I can't really tell what level you are, if you're a shade darker then me or the same level, you have a double violet pigement where as I have a violet red.

[fieldsofclover]

@GG84 I had been living at around a 3VR, but I've been getting a 2V at Ulta lately which I think I like better. It's hard to find double violet in consumer kits so they're making it really easy on me!

[GG84]

You are not a 2v no way! I would have put you at a 5.22 (5VV) If your stylist can get her hands on Rusk Deep Shine color, get her to pick up 4.62 in Demi, its beautiful and demi will naturally deposit 1 level darker @fieldsofclover