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**

💜💜💜

[mermaid805]

@mermadelove they are really after us this season! The tarte mermaid collection has been hard to resist, but I keep reminding myself that shaping plastic like a mermaid tail doesn’t mean I have to buy it!! (Looking at you eyelash curler and brush set....) what’s this promo though with the bag? I’ve seen a few people mention it but I can’t find it anywhere! (Part of me is saying, don’t even ask you don’t need the temptation! Lol)

Great job mostly sticking to your list! I feel like you came out ahead if you got some items that were part of your loves list anyway, that’s my weakness- resisting good deals on stuff I wanted regardless! 

What were your negatives about the sr foundation? Hunting for a new foundation and not having luck

[mermadelove]

@mermaid805. Hi MerSister!!!   Hey, I am ALL about them being after us!! As much as I loooove unicorns, I am a ✨💖🧜🏽‍♀️💖✨ !!!!!  I am very happy with all the love we have been getting, BUT!!! My WALLET on the other hand, does not!!

So the promo thing with the bag I elieve was posted in Deals Too Good to Pass Up Thread and it was an Instagram Only special. In other words, you had to click the link for the lipgloss on Sephora’s instagram page, add a gloss ( or three or ten) to your cart, and the mermaid bag was instantly added. I was also able to redeem the HOLYGRAIL promo code ( again) which was very nice! 

Thanks for the positive enabling encouraging words re my spend ! 😂🤣😂 I really am going to close my eyes for a bit, though .right now the only things still on my wish list are the Too Faced glitter TS mascara which is supposed to come out this year, and the KVD Brown Gels, and the KVD waterline eyeliner. I have a SERIOUS problem with eyeliner. They. ALL. MELT. OFF. MY. FACE!!!! ( unless they are liquid) so I can never do waterline/tightline looks!

Ok before I ramble you to death, Here’s my take on the SR foundation:

THE GOOD:

The texture is very soft and creamy, glides on effortlessly.

It has buildable coverage. I was able to get full coverage with two coats.

It comes in what looks like a squeeze tube, but the tube has a pump on it so you can precisely measure how much you want to use. 

A little goes a long way.

THE BAD:

Just 2 or 3 hours in and all of my oils were coming up. I know it’s the change of season, but that’s ridiculous. It’s not like it’s dead of summer where I just can’t even put on moisturizer without ‘glowing’ like crazy. I’m thinking that this is NOT what you want to use if you have oily skin!! Better suited for normal to dry skin, unless you like that “Radiant” finish. 

The UGLY:

Maybe it’s because it doesn’t play well with the Silk Canvas, but again as soon as my oils started to come up, I lost my ‘full coverage’ and my dark spots were glowing through. I just wanted to wipe my face allll day, too with the face that it didn’t control my oils and my ace started to feel like I was wearing something on it. I HATE that feeling. 

I’m going to stick to my tarte Amazonian Clay stick and Minerl Powder foundations. Too bad because I LOVE SR and really wanted to love this! But I guess my oily skin needs clay to stay matte!!

[sprocketta]

End of March update.  I went through all my spending for the month.  Did pretty good.  Got a price match on one item from February so I got $13 back.  I did an exchange on primers and got $3 back that way.  Total amount spent for March is $16 at Sephora.  Spent $20 at Macy's but that was on a gift card after returning some items.  The March no buy was tough and I didn't totally make it, but the Macy's purchase was a skin care essential so I don't feel bad about that, and it was on store credit.  Given the April sale and the fact that I was so good in March, April is not a no buy for me.  Hopefully a lower buy, but I know I'll be doing some spending.  I'm okay with it.

Also I've been having trouble signing in, like everyone else, so I've missed a bunch of comments.  I'll try to go back and catch up.

[snoflakefaerie]

I was doing really well up until about a week ago. I was at $115 spent at Sephora and nothing at Ulta. But I kind of went crazy coming back from vacation with 21 Days of Beauty and other sales. I dropped over $200 since late March 😞 And that doesn't include what I actually budgeted for my vacation spending. I feel like I'm going to have a tough time during the April sale as well. There are palettes and skincare galore that I am lusting over.

About $50 of my recent spend is trying out a new vitamin C product since I ran out of the Drunk Elephant while I was on vacay. I'm hoping I will like this new stuff so I don't have to drop quite as much. I have a little bit of time to evaluate it before the sale comes, and if it doesn't work out, I will return that and just get the DE during the sale. Another $40 is the Tarte mermaid brushes that I was really lusting after and pushed the button on (?) during their sequin bag GWP.

I was also really debating on getting a brush set from the Spectrum Collections sale this weekend, but I did resist. I kept putting the purchase off until things went out of stock. I think part of my splurging at Ulta was sadness from missing out on the brushes I wanted. I guess it's good to recognize that's what I'm doing? I got a bunch of bath stuff and sheet masks. I think my motivation was getting stuff to pamper myself so I don't get the post-vacation blues. Which I'm also trying to battle by buying stuff.... so there's that. 

One small positive is that I have sort of determined that I will make both rouge and platinum again and if you take that full amount and divide it over 12 months, I'm under "budget" on that process.

I took some time to organize my samples tonight (again, it seems like it's a never ending task) to try to get some of the buying bug out of my system. I'm not sure it worked. I think now I am just REALLY overwhelmed. I'm going to try to revisit them again later this week. I have some good stuff that I should really start working through instead of buying new stuff!

[Starburst24]

End of March update! I did spend my $10 budget this month and did tap into my savings from the no buy. I will be ending my no buy this month once dates for the VIB sale are up. I think I’ll be on the no buy for the next two-ish weeks and then I’ll probably break it. I was also considering to be on a no nail polish buy until I finish a certain amount up but not sure yet.

[RGbrown]

@Starburst24

Sale info has been posted! https://community.sephora.com/t5/Trending-Now/Spring-Bonus-2018/m-p/3866559#M52377

<cannot comprehend nail polish no-buy> 😛

Congrats on doing so well!

[Starburst24]

Thank you! I still don’t comprehend a potential nail polish no buy lol

[fieldsofclover]

Starting to scrape bottom on my skincare stash and my face is like "why did you stop using this Ren oil exactly?"... I have half a bottle left so I guess I'm in better shape than I thought for a while.

success-kid.jpg 💪

[angel7594]

I just got an email from Sephora:

This kind of temptation/reminder is hard to deal with sometimes, kind of feels like a race to the finish line or something...🤔

I am definitely close to hitting Rouge for next year already, ($144 away) the earliest I have ever done it since the Rouge tier was added. I will be getting some things during the sale, but I am going to wait to re-rouge in May, because I don’t want to add stuff I don’t need just to make rouge. I have planned purchases for mascara and cleanser, so I will wait and restock those in May. This time of year is the hardest for me, so many launches and new product. I have gotten better at knowing what I like and will enjoy using, so that is something! Also, beginning last year I have stopped buying drug store makeup except for LE wet n wild highlighters because I love them. I have saved a lot of money by ending the impulse purchases.

[sprocketta]

@angel7594 I've done less spending, but Sephora is taunting me as well.  The banner on the main page is reminding me to become VIB by the 9th for the sale.  I'm only $120 away.  Thankfully and sadly, I don't have anything major to buy so I won't be VIB in time for the sale.

[curlychiquita]

@angel7594, I understand how you feel.  I may actually re-rouge during the sale but only because I use darker foundation and bronzer colors in the summer than in the winter.  On the plus side, they'd be replacements for items past their expiration date (e.g., my Perricone MD No Bronzer Bronzer expired), so I don't feel as bad buying them.

[angel7594]

@curlychiquita, I also have to buy a darker shade of foundation in the summer, which is frustrating because it is yet another expense for me to justify right now. 

[sparklekai]

time for my march end update! 

this month was a successful for me in terms of beauty related purchases.  i bought nothing - there was really nothing that called to me.  i did have a couple moments where i had the urge to shop - so i started putting things in my cart for the april sale and told myself i needed to wait.

the reality is that i'm not even sure i'll make a purchase during the april sale.  obviously  i really don't NEED anything.  sure there are things that i want but nothing is really calling to me.  i feel like trying to use up what i have has made me way more aware of what i already own and so a lot of things just lose the appeal when i know i have others just like them in my collection already. i've also pared down the makeup i'm wearing on a regular basis - partly as a way to use things up quicker but also because i'm typically getting ready with a 6 month old at my side and she gives me looks like this when i take too long

the only thing interested in really picking up during the sale is the glitter glue - but i'm not rouge and i would have to pay for shipping. obviously there is no way that i'm going to do that 😛 so it would mean figuring out $50 worth of stuff to buy - which has actually been harder than i thought it would be for the reasons listed above.  i am down to 1 deluxe sample and 1 full size facial cream - so this is going to be a need soon. i've decided to go back to my indeed products because my skin loves them - unless i like the ordinary one i have better. 

i did spend about $120 this month on clothing related things for my daughter - but i'm ok with it.  these were legit things she needed - spring jacket, tights, shoes and sleepers - things she either didn't have or outgrew. i know next month i will be paying for purchases of custom items - not necessary - fun - but they are planned purchases and i'm ok with it. 

so goals for next month:

baby:

• items already purchased - nothing else 
• fyi because someone messaged me about this - i'm not including things like diapers, wipes, food, etc in here - she wears them and she eats but i also don't include tampons as a beauty item

beauty:

• face cream 
• glitter glue - and potentially up to $50(ish) in products if something jumps out at me for the spring sale

[heartsmyface]

First your daughter is so cute grasping onto her decoy Luxie brush!!  Second, buying baby clothes is basically a necessity which happens to be fun so I think that’s fairly guilt free shopping.  

Not a whole lot has been calling me either but I have five subscription boxes that are keeping me pretty happy. (I’m thinking of cancelling Boxycharm and Ipsy cause I can’t help but feel Boxycharm is older makeup no one was buying and that I have enough mini bags by now.   I’ve redirected my money spending toward furniture for the next little while.  I’m fed up with living in a half furnished house.

[sparklekai]

@heartsmyface those luxie brushes have become a lifesaver!! i'm trying to decide if i want to continue boxycharm when my subscription ends in july.  i'm torn because there is always something i'll use that is over the value but if it isn't something i would have necessarily bought is it actually a deal? so any decisions to make!

[sprocketta]

@sparklekai Good work!  Love that your cutie is holding a makeup brush in that picture.  Perfect!

[curlychiquita]

@sparklekai, such a cute baby!  Good work on your beauty no buy!  I don't include essentials in my beauty spending category, either.

[sparklekai]

thank you @curlychiquita! she's definitely going to keep me on my toes! 

[Aaliaa]

Agreed, essentials definitely don't count! I actually purchase essentials when I'm feeling the itch to purchase something during my low-buy.  

[fieldsofclover]

@sparklekai

Spoiler

😍😍😍

Unrelated: giraffe! 😊

[sparklekai]

@fieldsofclover that giraffe is my fave invention EVER!!!! seriously the best gift i received and something i have a backup of!