What I DON’T Spend Money On – 2022

Like most people, my spending has evolved over time across many areas, and beauty is no exception. My wants, needs, and what I find fun have obviously evolved – and I don’t want to store a ton of stuff that may expire, too!

Here’s the latest on what I don’t spend money on:

  • Trying 7238578157283 products
    My money has better things to do, and it is no longer fun for me the way it used to be!

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Lisa Eldridge on No Buys

When I first got into makeup, I went off the deep end and wanted to try all the things. It was exploratory – it was all so new to me and I needed to figure out what I liked. Fast forward a few years, I’m not being ensorcelled by product as much. It still definitely happens, but not like it did; it usually takes something REALLY different and intriguing to capture my mind in the same way.

Lisa Eldridge on No Buys

One of the few personalities I subscribe to is Lisa Eldridge and I loved this video (below) of hers from January.

Her stance of feeling a bit overwhelmed or, “saturated,” on the consumerist nature of the beauty community and industry is refreshing.

How many of the same kind of palettes can one girl have, really?

Guilty as charged, but I’m not buying more until I use mine up!

I’m interested in your thoughts on her perspective. Check out Lisa’s video and let me know in the comments below.

The Haul-idays / No Buy / State of Things

No Buy

Haul

Since the sale I bought C Firma during, I allowed myself to spend a little more on beauty-related products during the holidays.

In addition to the MiroPure Straightening brush, I bought:

  • Another hair tool to try. There’s no universe in which I would have dropped money (>$125!) on a Beachwaver but I got the InstaWave for $25.
  • A few more Gelaze colors to play with. I hadn’t purchased any gel polish in nearly a year!
  • Some extra Clarisonic brush heads. There was a Cyber Monday sale – got two Radiance heads for $24. Not as excellent as my usual purchase of 4 for $64 (4 pack for $81 + 20% off).
  • A new (to me, not new release) Real Techniques brush. I didn’t really have anything to use on my whole, finished face to blend any edges that I missed, and for $4 on sale I figured it was fair.

Holiday Stuff

In all, I found myself yet again underwhelmed by the holiday offerings put out by most brands. It does look like Fenty Beauty rose to the occasion (still haven’t tried anything from Fenty, though), but everything else fell flat to me. Even Urban Decay who, in spite of my occasional criticism, I generally enjoy, swung and missed (me).

The only thing I found myself tempted by were the new Heavy Metal glitter liner shades – but given that I have few opportunities to even wear the one I own (Midnight Cowboy), I refrained from adding more to my collection. Glitter eyeliner, after all, is not appropriate for work.

State of Things

Now for some general, “state of things,” updates on things I’ve talked about but not super-recently.

No Buy

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No Buy Pause

No Buy

Before long it will be time to give my No Buy pause and make some calculated beauty purchases. Soon, the infrequent (and therefore precious) sales shall be upon us. I am not unrealistic – I’ll want to shop.

No Buy Pause Plan

The Bottom Line

There will be more purchased as I hope to maintain my Sephora VIB and Ulta Platinum statuses for 2018. If I plan and am deliberate, I am confident I can meet those thresholds without buying random stuff I don’t feel strongly about.

Fortunately, I continue to be underwhelmed by holiday collections. so there’s little temptation there. The only thing I have been stricken by so far are Urban Decay’s new Heavy Metal glitter liner shades. I love the one I own, but definitely don’t need to add more to my collection – so it is easy to get over.

What’s Stopping Me From Buying Hourglass Confession Lipsticks

HOURGLASS CONFESSION LIPSTICKS 2017 LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY SET

Aside from my No Buy (which has its own underlying motivating factors), there are other factors stopping me from buying certain things. The Hourglass Confession Lipsticks appear to be everything I’ve come to expect from Hourglass. They’re chic, they (purportedly) perform. The pricetag is also in line with what I’d expect from Hourglass. They’re a vision of loveliness, and I’d love to add one (ha, yeah, one) to my collection.

What’s stopping me from buying the Hourglass Confession Lipsticks?

A few things, but first and foremost:

Lipstick is a no-go for me during Invisalign. I’ve slapped it on a few times and it often transfers to my trays a bit. It brushes away easily when I clean the trays but if you aren’t careful you can look a little silly. Most days, I’m too absentminded to want to bother with the vigilance needed, so I’ve been skipping lipstick more often than not these past two months.

Second

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Curled my Lashes, Bent my No Buy with the Shiseido Eyelash Curler

No Buy

I’ve been on a No Buy for the better part of a year. If you’re a regular, you’re probably tired of hearing about it. The truth is, it is an interesting balance – writing a beauty blog without buying product. If you’re sick of hearing it, sorry. If not, carry on.

My eyelash curler broke recently. I’ve had it for years and, frankly, didn’t treat it very well. I didn’t have a backup so I determined a replacement was warranted. Overall life-choices wise, I try to buy the best version of a tool I reasonably can. Ultimately, I decided that I would go for a cult classic – either Shiseido or Shu Uemera. Both are renown for their effectiveness and longevity.

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