One of my favorite and the most resonating with me posts ever written by
Beauty Reductionista has to be the one describing her habit of purchasing the favorite products in every size -
just in case she needs it. Well, I have to confess I suffer from a very similar affliction: I tend to overbuy my beauty staples, not the same exact product but the same category, be it facial cleansers, bar soap or mascaras. Why? You guessed it -
just in case I'd need them like right now because hey, you never know, maybe they'll stop making body lotions entirely at some point in the future and what then? Surely I wouldn't be able to continue such a miserable existence...
No, but seriously: enough of hoarding beauty products for infinity. I've decided to make 2013 my 'No Back Ups Challenge' year, where the twelve months will be devoted to minimizing, reducing, decluttering - well, simply put,
using up my stash of back ups. I have had enough of dozens of little pots, tubes, bottles and jars rolling around in my drawers, waiting to be used. Off you go!
I've decided to be very strict with my skincare, with a bit more leeway for make-up and nail purchases. For skincare bits,
I will not purchase any new items until the last of the following types of products have been used up/discarded/given away: facial cleansers, make-up removers, toners and mists, serums, moisturizers for day and night (including facial oils) and eye creams. You see, I don't necessarily have full-sized back ups in all of these categories but I do have a lot of deluxe samples I've been hanging on to for a very long time and I want them gone. With my skincare routine, I've been craving the life of a reduced simplicity lately - a small array of tried and true products, no clutter, no unncessary steps. Here's to hoping, especially when I haven't found very many Holy Grail products so far!
For bodycare, I won't buy any new bar soaps, shower gels, body lotions/butters/oils, body scrubs or lipbalm until I'm down to the last remaining back up. I feel that with bodycare, it'd be so much nicer to buy fresh products when I need them and not having to store them for a couple years until the scent has all but dissipated into a cupboard.
In terms of make-up purchases, I only have 3 strict categories (no more new items until the last remaining one is being used): mascara, make-up primers and black eyeliner pencils. As you can see in the photos, I've accumulated 6 mini tubes of mascara; given that they last me 2 months on average, this comes to exactly 12 months. Same goes for primers, which I don't even use on a regular basis, and black khol pencils, for which I have 3 full-sized backups. Insane!
More beauty products I would like to reduce the number of are foundations (no more until at least 2 have been used up) and perfume (same rule applies). I will also strictly monitor my spending for other make-up bits, especially eyeshadows, lipsticks and lip glosses as well as nail polish; only 2 items a month shall be allowed, the non-used allowance can be transferred to the following month, if need be. I hope this rule will allow me to focus more on quality rather than quantity.
To finish off on a positive note, there are things I wish to spend more money on in 2013 - beauty products organization and storage solutions. I have most of my space pretty well set-up but there's definitely room for improvement in both practicality and esthethics. Other than that, I will of course be reporting back on my progress in my regular empties posts - wish me luck, lovelies!
Have you planned any stash-reducing challenges for 2013? What are your top tips?
That is such a great decition!!! I have the same problems but not quite the same will power... Maybe soon though ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to be better about this sort of thing, too, although in general I don't go *too* back-up crazy. Definitely putting in a budget, though! Doing good so far! Good luck, Monika!
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty informative post. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOoooooooh, Moni, you are so hardcore this year - LOVE IT!!! I know you're really determined when you set your mind to something, so I'm really looking forward to seeing you bulldoze your way through all the backups and samples. I discovered that this year I have so many sample mascaras that I won't need to buy one for a long time. Think of all the $ saved that can go toward... tea and candles. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like most of us are channeling our inner "reductionista" this year! I'm also trying to cut back on buying back-ups too. Somewhere down the road something better will come and I don't want to be stuck with 2 year old body lotions and have to wait until I finish all my back ups before I can buy something new.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and great resolution, Monika! I've never actually been into the whole "buying backups" thing. I've joked about it and thought about it seriously once or twice but in the end, my insatiable hunger to try new products all the time wins out. I always think "Why buy backup of _______ (no matter how much I love whatever it is) when I could use the money to buy a new _______?"(usually, it's a cheek product :P). There are definitely things in my stash that are LE and that I love to bits but I figure it will take me years to finish as it is and by then, I will have probably found many items that I love just as much or more, so its ok :)
ReplyDeleteI actually don't have any backups in the strict sense - the exact same product, I mean it more loosely here as 'the same category of products', like backups of body lotion, all by different brands though. I love new things too but honestly, how many varieties of the same thing do I use every day? Not many at all...
DeleteThat sounds like a very sound and reasonable plan. And with all the new stuff constantly on the horizon, back-ups always seem to take up even more room, don't they?
ReplyDeleteI don't have too many backups, but I think I am going to commit myself to using up (or giving away) my boxes and boxes of samples. To paraphrase Spike, "I'm drowning in packets!"
good resolution: I'm trying to downsize my beauty-drawer too
ReplyDeletei love those little cups you have things in! i definitely have too many things of just about every product category, and I had banned myself from lip products, eyeshadow, fragrance and nail polish this year. i also set a goal to finish up as much of my drawers of samples too! But now i'm contemplating a complete makeup no buy for the year! eeek! i think the rules you set are completely reasonable and you can totally do it!! go you!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear, they're actually candle holders from Ikea :) I know for me a complete make-up no buy is a bit extreme but I can also see that my hoarding habits have gone way too far and it's making me feel uncomfortable. We can both do it!
DeleteNo backups? This *is* a challenge! I've been paring down my collection (thanks for inspiring me, Liz@Reductionista!) but I've hit a roadblock. I'm out of a few skin care essentials and have made-do while waiting for them to go on sale. My skin hasn't been the happiest with this turn of events. As much as I detest feeling like I'm stock piling, I think I'll have to implement a 1-2 product back up of my skin care, particularly since good skin is my priority AND because I need to order my products online.
ReplyDeleteI feel you on this one, I have a hard time using up things that I know my skin doesn't love, especially moisturizers or cleansers. I want to move away from anything too heavily fragranced but so many of the backups I have are just so strongly scented!
Deletethis post is a wake-up call to me personally! I don't buy backups (of the same product) usually, but I have tons of mascara samples like shown in your pic (except that i have 15+ unopened full size + sample sized ones...) and liners (more than 40...)
ReplyDeletei wish 2013 would be a frugal-on-beauty year so we actually GET to use some of the stash! no one wants to have tons of unused and expired stuff :(