Summer 2018 No Buy June 21-Sept 22

Makeuptalk.com forums

Help Support Makeuptalk.com forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
642
Reaction score
557
Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice (6:07 am EDT). I will be on no buy during the entire summer until Sept 22, and hope to pay off a debt of: $409.34. 

Beauty Goals:

?Begin panning a new mascara. Three and a half months is the perfect time period to use one. I will open an old one, but one never used, still in its packaging: Wet and Wild Max Fanatic Cat Eye.  I'm pretty sure it's my oldest mascara, because I believe I received it in the July 2016 Target Beauty Box.

?Begin using my full size shower gels! I've used all my travel size shower gels, except for one travel size from Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds. I am so looking forward to using some of my full size shower gels--I will begin with "Collection Ete" by Yves Rocher. This was from the summer collection of last year, and I have a matching hair mist and pedicure set. 

?Use up my samples from my 2017 Sisley subscription boxes:

June 2017 box:

  • Eye Contour Masque foil
  • Eau de Campagne body lotion mini
July 2017 box: 

  • Izia perfume vial
  • Floral Toning Lotion mini bottle (precious)
  • Black Rose Cream Masque 
August 2017 box:

  • Supremya At Night The Supreme Anti Aging Eye Serum
  • Sisleya L'Integral Day and Night Cream
  • Eau du Soir EDP mini bottle (real perfume!)
  • Sisleya hand Cream SPF 15
?Use SK-II Facial Essence sample from August 2017 Luxury Sephora Play! box.

That's it to begin. happy Summer!??? 

IMG_0372[1].JPG

IMG_0371[1].JPG

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Made it to the end of June! Since I began my summer no buy, I've made two extra credit card payments of $30 each. I now owe $349.34. I've already got some empties collected in my empties bag. I'm still using up my Sisley Eye Contour Masque foil pack. I've been using that foil pack for a month now! That's just the beginning. There are long summer months ahead in which to accomplish things! 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh, the sloooooooooow times of summer! When I began my No Buy I was making such fast progress, and things have slowed down. I've been feeling bored, but I don't want to give up on my plan! It's taking a long time to pay off my credit card. I am at $290 now. I have spent weeks using one foil pack of Sisley Eye Masque. I have my last dose on now, so tomorrow I can begin using my Sisley samples from my July 2017 subscription box, "Everything's Coming Up Roses." I have Black Rose Cream Masque, rose toner, and rose fragrance. I'm excited for that. While using these, I will give myself a rose ?for each extra credit card payment I make. Whatever I can do to motivate myself. 

I have enjoyed two "Necessities Replacement Hauls." This is my term for when I need to replace an essential. For me, the only essentials that ever need replacing so far are: shampoo; cotton pads; deodorant; and little eye shadow sponge applicators (I find these useful for my Mary Kay eye shadow sample cards).

I got Shiseido Facial Cotton from Nordies for $10.00, and I got some great samples. They had a foil pack of the new Sisley Hair Rituel Shampoo, which I am dying to try, a cute foil pack with the three Clinique skin care steps, and a wonderful card with YSL lipsticks and a little applicator. 

My watch died, and I saw Yves Rocher had a promo for a pretty watch with purchase! So, I got a deodorant (my favorite, Lanvender From Provence) and a little pack of eye shadow applicators for $10.00. This entitled me to pack some foil packs too, and I got a fragrance and the new detox cream. 

This method of spending a little extra when I need something and getting some freebies really makes me happy, and I don't feel the need to get beauty boxes or go on a shopping spree. I am content with these little hauls. 

Back soon with more progress I hope. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Still working on the plan, and credit card balance is now at $230.04. I looked in my box of makeup bases and realized that I have some products expiring soon, and I have to start working on them! I've started using Face Shop Air Cotton Makeup Base (Mint) every day. It expires on September 7. It is a full size, and has SPF 30. I still need a new watch. Two times this year I tried to get a free watch with cosmetics offers, but the watches did not work. In the winter, I got one with an Elizabeth Taylor perfume set that died within a few months, and then this month I got a free one with purchase from Yves Rocher that did not work at all. Maybe the batteries are dead. I'll just have to get a watch from Wal Mart instead of with free cosmetic offers. I was invited back to my second job for the end of August, and I'm over the moon about it! We're still not even halfway through the summer, so there's still time to do a lot of things. 

 
Way to go! So happy to hear about your job offer. You are making amazing progress. Thank you for sharing this journey with us and for being  such an inspiration!!

 
I've been shopping a little, but don't feel I cheated on my No Buy. I got another deodorant and pack of eye shadow sponges from Yves Rocher, and I got a free mascara and full size eye makeup remover, and foil samples. My brother's birthday is next month. He's not really a product guy, and just buys the least expensive basics from the dollar store. A friend had given him a body wash/hair shampoo from the Bath and Body Works men's line (Bourbon scent), and he loves it. When he uses it, the whole house smells great. The friend that gave him the body wash was a really special guy who passed away recently. The Bourbon body wash is running out. I bought my brother two new Bath and Body Works men's body washes for his birthday, Noir and Teakwood. With that, I was able to get a bottle of the new Rose body wash free for myself (buy 2 get 1 free offer)! Also I still need a watch, and I got one from Wal Mart for about ten dollars, a rose gold one, that is in a set with six rose gold bracelets. 

I'm working on my box of partly used bath soaps. I have a bad habit of using a bath soap for a while, and then before it's done, I'll open a new one, so I have a box full of old soaps and scraps. I won't be keeping track of them in my empties, because I don't have the wrappers and am not sure what each one is. I think I have Estee Lauder Youth Dew soap from Christmas 2014, Bath and Body Works Sunflower soap from summer 2015, Bee and Flower Rose soap from China, one of those big gift soaps from TJ Maxx - nice things that are not being appreciated. The little soap I am using now is nice. I believe it is a Caress or Dove. I think maybe it is Dove Pistachio Cream and Magnolia. 

I'm getting ready to turn the corner. After Monday, the summer will be half over. My credit card is at $200 now. I'm almost finished with my Sisley Black Rose Cream Masque - the little tube is cut open and there is only a little left. Soon I'll be able to start on new samples - from my Sisley August 2017 box. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just had my morning shower and put on my last dose of the Sisley Black Rose Cream Masque! The little sample tube was cut in half, and I used a pointed cotton swab to get the last bits out of the corners. I'm going to put on my Izia rose eau de parfum, and relax all day. It's so satisfying to finish things, even when they're precious and you love them. That means you get to try something new. 

 
Credit card balance $110.52. One more week of August, and four more weeks of summer to go. I feel I'm getting too greedy buying backups of things. I bought some Sephora brand cotton pads as a backup, but then I realized that the bag of Shiseido cotton I am using now is really large, and I did not need to get a backup yet. Of course, I was excited to get samples when I bought the Sephora cotton (Dior serum, Beach Walk perfume, and rahua shampoo and conditioner). I must be careful and not start slipping up. I don't need any essentials for a while, as I now have:

Shampoo - one in progress, one backup, two foil samples

Cotton pads - one jumbo size in progress, one backup

Deodorant - one in progress, one backup

Eye shadow sponge applicators - one bag in progress, two small backup bags

No more replacing essentials for a while, except maybe for toothpaste! I used up my Kiss My Face Icelandic Moss toothpaste, which I like. I may get myself some Marvis! 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just woke up from a really terrifying nightmare where I had ordered a giant bottle of Guerlain perfume from an expensive department store like Neiman Marcus. A manager from work had paid for it for me, and he was now really broke. I was trying desperately to figure out how to cancel the order, or get the money from an ATM to pay the manager back. I felt so upset in the dream. I was upset this week as the manager has been taking care of his wife, who has dementia, in the hospital. It made me sad recalling how I went through that with Mom, who passed away. I feel guilt because if I had not done so badly with money, I could have taken care of her better.

Also the large perfume bottle was sort of like one I bought in 2001. In 2001 I was really stressed and unhappy from my job, and I used to go buy a lot of things at the mall. One day I went to a department store and saw a stand with a display of Guerlain perfumes. I fell in love with it and grabbed a giant bottle of Aqua Allegorica, and a bottle of Guerlain Cherry Blossom. I went to pay and the sales associate looked shocked. She said, "Do you know you are paying _." I said yes. I don't remember how much it was, but it was a lot. The associate's hands were shaking while she was packing my order, like I was doing something bad. I went to K Mart and bought some more things - some Olay Cleansing Cloths and a CD. I came home and put all the things on my bed and I just decided then and there that I was going to use the things I had and not shop any more. That was my first "project pan," because before that I had always decluttered compulsively when I felt bad about my spending. And I carried on for about three and a half weeks enjoying my things. I did not go to the mall at all, which was huge for me at the time; I read a lot and got hooked on the TV soaps. I felt really good about my plan, but one day I was at Walgreen's and saw this makeup set in a white train case called "St. Tropez." It was one of those inexpensive blockbuster sets with tons of eye shadows, etc. I had to get it, then felt awful, and went back to my old way. Sometimes I look back and think if I had stuck to my project pans in the past, life would turned out so much better.

Also I just bought Marvis Wonders of the World toothpaste from C O Bigelow. That was $22 with shipping. Yes, I did run out of my toothpaste, but ... I fell in love with the C O Bigelow site. They let you pick four samples with purchase; the samples are so nice, different from what you get at Sephora and Nordies. But I did something wrong and the samples I wanted did not go in my cart, and I only got one men's shaving cream sample. I was so disappointed and wanted to go back to the site and make another order of a new toothbrush or floss so I could get those samples I wanted, one of which was Carthusia perfume. I felt remorseful and am now scared I am overdoing it buying things I think I need, telling myself it's okay because I think I am just replacing essentials, but I am paying extra for them because I want to get samples and free gifts. I really need to be careful I don't slip up. I've been doing better than ever and want to stay that way. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL ENDS TEMPTATION! 

By end of summer: pay off $110.52 credit card balance and use up ELEVEN samples/minis:

1. Crabtree & Evelyn Verbena & Lavender de Provence conditioner mini (one application left)

2. Nature Queen conditioner

3. Yves Rocher Hydra-Vegetal 24H Gel Cream 

4. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

5. Avene Hydrance Serum

6. Mary Kay eye shadow sample card - Goldenrod

7. Mary Kay eye shadow sample card - Rainforest

8. Mary Kay eye shadow sample card - Rose Mist (I use them up in alphabetical order)

9. Sisley Izia EDP sample vial

10. Sisley Sisleya Global Anti-Age Hand Cream

I realized that I now have 13 face cream/oil/serum minis left. While using up products during the past year, I noticed that I use an average of three face cream minis up a month, one about every ten days. This means that I could potentially finish all my face cream/oil/serum minis by the end of the year. This would be a good milestone, as after that I would have only seven face cream foils and two full sized face creams left. In other words, I would be close to finishing panning in the face cream category entirely. This was encouraging. The morning after I realized this, I was looking at the Ricky's NYC site, thinking maybe I could purchase from there when I need to replace something. I saw that they offer great samples with purchase. I saw some wonderful Bioderma face cream minis. "Oh, I want those!" I thought. Then I remembered that if I got those, I wouldn't meet that great milestone of panning my face cream minis by the end of the year. That ended my temptation fast!

I went through my things to see if there are other subcategories I might finish by the end of the year. I realized it is within reach to finish my rinse out conditioner minis - I have five. Then I will just have six leave in hair product minis and one full sized rinse out conditioner left. Also, I have been using two to three Mary Kay eye shadow sample cards per month, so I could finish all my MK Signature single shadow cards by the end of the year. I will still have a lot of Mary Kay sample cards left after that, but I will be finished with this one particular type. I'll just have a few MK Signature duo and trio sample cards, and then a large pile of Mineral Eye Color cards. I believe the MK Signature cards are the older discontinued ones. Based on these goals, I set a list of samples to use up in this last month of the summer. 

I like the idea of reaching these milestones by the end of the year, and of attaining a greater level of simplicity on my collection. I think this will make me less likely to go for all those little sets and fabulous beauty calendars around the corner, as they would really set me back!

***Last moment of summer is September 22, 9:53 pm. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Way to go @EdithS2!! Nice progress! Keep it going!! I'm using up my stuff too. It's so fun. At times it feels overwhelming but I get so excited when I get something used up.

 
Way to go @EdithS2!! Nice progress! Keep it going!! I'm using up my stuff too. It's so fun. At times it feels overwhelming but I get so excited when I get something used up.
Absolutely right! it's amazing that I have spent all year using up little samples, and I still have so many! 

I got my Marvis Wonders of the World Toothpaste from C O Bigelow. Wow, is it wonderful. Not only is the packaging so beautiful, but the flavor is divine. It is complex, yet subtle. It really makes one want to spend more time on one's dental care. With just one use, my teeth were cleaner, smoother, and shinier. I think it was worth the extra money. If I just buy the necessities, then I can buy the best.  My teeth and gums are not the best. They need more care. Why not have dental care products that are like beautiful face creams. As a matter of fact, the debt I am trying to pay off this summer is 100 percent for dental work, extraction, bridge, root canal. So it's good to have something that encourages me to take more time in this area. My bill was about $3400. It is almost paid. 

C O Bigelow also sent a mini tube of Proraso shaving cream for men. It's an elegant Italian product with vintage packaging. I'm going to put it in my brother's birthday gift. 

 
I can now happily report that I've paid off my credit card in full and reached my financial goal for the summer no buy. I received a paycheck from my second job, and was easily able to clear the remaining balance. That leaves two weeks left in the summer no buy. I want to finish using up a couple more small items before summer ends. I'm also putting together my new no buy/project pan for October, November, and December. 

 
I can now happily report that I've paid off my credit card in full and reached my financial goal for the summer no buy. I received a paycheck from my second job, and was easily able to clear the remaining balance. That leaves two weeks left in the summer no buy. I want to finish using up a couple more small items before summer ends. I'm also putting together my new no buy/project pan for October, November, and December. 
Yay!! So happy for you @EdithS2!! Way to go paying off your credit card!

 
It's the final countdown, because this is the last week of summer! Saturday night it will be over. The summer is not my favorite time. After my long hot summer, I was rewarded with a free concert in the park last night - my favorite music. This week I'll be using my "Rose Mist" eye shadow sample card and the last of my Sisley Izia rose perfume. It reminds me of the song, "The Last Rose of Summer." The last rose of summer means time to reflect that I did really well on my no buy this season. ?

Plus, I believe every season will get better on my no buy plan. Autumn will be even more successful than summer. See you Saturday when I will post my empties that I have been collecting and put them in the recycling! I think I'll treat myself to some food too, as I have been working hard. 

 
End of the summer no buy today; autumn equinox tonight. How was the summer for me? I have to admit that summer, with the weather being too hot to enjoy, and shopping and entertainment spending not allowed, did get rather dull when I was not working! But though I was bored, I did not crack and shop just to occupy time. Sometimes I did eat too much when bored on weekends. I hope autumn will be busier, cooler, and more fun for me.  My little boredom was worth it, however. 

I realized I've gone through some psychological progress. At the start of the year, I wanted to pay one debt off each month. I managed to meet my goal on average until June. I loved the fast progress I was making. But in June, expenses got higher unexpectedly. I had to redraw my plan and shoot for a seasonal goal. At the start, I didn't know if I'd even be able to pay my credit card off by end of summer. But I got good support here, and I did it! I've conditioned myself for a longer haul. 

I've stuck with no buy/project use it up longer than ever before, and I am seeing benefits I never did before. I feel myself turning a corner. I still found myself with a little vestige of my old compulsive beauty shopping: the impulse to hoard samples and free gifts. I used buying replacement items to justify this, often paying extra for the needed item to get free things. For example, I got expensive Chanel cotton pads to get samples and gift packaging, when I might have gone to the supermarket and purchased a nice pack of Swisspers. I felt myself starting to overdo on this, and even dreamed of relapsing. But then, I realized I am in sight of finishing my extra hair and skin care stash, maybe by the end of this year, or early next year! I've never been close to finishing that much before. Gradually, I am experiencing extra space and simplicity in my hair and skin care shelves, and I enjoy the feeling. Now, the thought of filling my shopping cart with samples and extras makes me anxious, as it will only set me back! I think this is progress.

In the past, I've done massive decluttering to try and sort out my excess beauty shopping. I decluttered way too much, and I regret it. I read that one can be a compulsive declutterer as well as a compulsive hoarder, and I truly was. Some of my decluttering episodes were really, really bad, and I truly regret them. I WANT THOSE THINGS BACK FOR PROJECT PAN! But the decluttering never helped me change as the long slow hard work of using things up for nine months seems to be doing.

At the same time, I have not gone from beauty hoarder to beauty minimalist overnight. Other parts of my beauty collection (makeup, bath and body, perfume), are still large, so I have that comforting feeling of having extras in those areas. I would feel a bit insecure if all my things were used up at once, and then I would have to shop for a lot! 

This is where I am now, and ready to carry on. I hope autumn will be even better than summer. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I managed to meet my goal on average until June.
This is great! 

But I got good support here
Way cool!  

In the past, I've done massive decluttering to try and sort out my excess beauty shopping. I decluttered way too much, and I regret it. I read that one can be a compulsive declutterer as well as a compulsive hoarder, and I truly was.
 I am just like this!  I do love to declutter

This is where I am now, and ready to carry on. I hope autumn will be even better than summer. 
Great!  You should be proud!

 

Latest posts

Back
Top