Beauty Library, A to Z

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I have been trying many things to get myself back on a use up project/no buy. I've been on a really bad binge for the past two weeks, since the 100 day no buy I began on January 1 ended. 

Right now I like the idea of alphabetizing my products, as in a library, by brand name, and then working through them systematically A to Z. Saturday night I alphabetized my mini face creams and perfume vials, shower gels and mini body lotions. I want to do this with all my products. 

This morning I used my "A" products: my Algenist mini face cream and my Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien EDT vial. I find this very comforting - it is calming the insane restlessness to buy. I will try to rotate through my products A to Z so that I can use them all and not get bored. 

 
It's Thursday, and the last day of the month, and the new plan I began on the weekend seems to be working. It has given me the structure I need to use the overwhelming amount of items I have collected and hoarded over the past year. 

I have been using my Algenist Genius face cream mini morning and night since Monday morning. I got this mini in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar last winter. It is a beautiful cream; the texture is so rich. I want to use the little pot up. 

While doing this, I am rotating through my perfumes filed under the letter A. Monday and Tuesday, I used my Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien EDT vial. I got this from the Sample Society Mystery Sale boxes. Yesterday I used my Aerin Waterlily Sun mini - received in my April Glossybox. Today I will use my vial of Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien Les Coglones. This also came in my Sample Society Mystery Boxes. Until I arranged my vials alphabetically, I did not realize that this is a different version of Eau d'Hadrien! Interesting discovery.

Today UPS will deliver packages from my binge. I will put everything new away in the alphabetical system except an "A" product - a box of Anna Sui perfume minis. I'll continue until my Algenist cream runs out - trying one Anna Sui fragrance a day, then my box of L'Artisan Parfumeur vials (got from Sephora last holiday season), and finally my Atelier Orange Sanguine vial. 

I have many Alterna samples from beauty boxes, so I need to try one or two of those. The only "A" makeup I have is from Anastasia - a sample of brow powder and a brow highlighter pencil, and I need to try those too. 

I am using things I would usually just hoard forever, and though I still want to buy and buy, I have been able to stop myself. 

 
IMG_02961.JPGIt's Friday morning, and I am still working on the plan. I really do want to buy, but I am stopping myself. I got a large Sephora haul last night. I won't lie; it was glorious getting the packages. I think what happens with me is: I haul and it makes me so happy that I want to do it again and again, so I go on a binge. 

In order to stop this, what I did was immediately put my things away in the alphabetical scheme. Usually I would keep new things out and just admire them for a few days, like people do with their wedding or Christmas gifts. 

I also learned from my last no buy that I should not use money saved to make huge payments on my fun, super convenient shopping credit cards. Because then I just backslide and charge them right back up in no time when I fall off no buy mode. Instead, savings need to go to other kind of debt - student loan, cards that are closed, etc. leave the fun and convenient shopping cards maxed out.

I also visualize myself being successful at this plan, reaching the end of my beauty library (with some beautiful Yves St. Laurent) and being much better off financially from my no buy. That helps me resist buying. 

I got paid yesterday, and paid some bills. It made me feel less stressed about recent charging I did. I am about halfway through my Algenist jar, and I'm allowed to try my new Anna Sui minis! 

 
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It's been a week on my new plan. I've been successful in little things, and little things add up. I finished my mini pot of Algenist Genius Cream. It was an 0.23 ounce (7 ml) pot, and lasted for seven days, applied every morning and night. During this time I paid some bills, and my one credit card is no longer over the limit from the binge on Sephora.com. That took some of the guilt and stress over spending away. 

I am now moving on to the letter B, and am going to try to use up my Body Shop Vitamin E Day Cream mini pot. I got it last winter in the Body Shop Advent Calendar. While doing so, I will try to rotate through other products with brand names beginning with B as well. 

This plan shows me how much I really have. While using up my Algenist cream for a full week, I did not even get around to using all my perfume samples from brand names beginning with A, nor did I use all my Alterna hair samples. 

I have a large pile of products beginning with the letter B - not as many perfumes and hair products, but lots of makeup items. 

I still crave buying things very badly but I'm talking myself out of it. The last time I purchased something was a week ago. I tell myself I have a lot of debts and can buy when I finish my library - I will finish by using my Zoya polish. I look forward to it. 

 
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