April 2014 No/Low-Buy Support, Advice, Free Hugs, and Commiseration

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Oh nooooo. I just realized my list of all my purchases this month disappeared during the MUT switch. I'd written it as an unposted reply to this thread and was going to post my shame at the end of the month. Turns out it was kind of a splurge month...

 
April was horrible -- let's just say I spent way too much money. I think at least $300 on cosmetics....GAH! I promised myself april was a no-buy. Guess that didn't happen! So, instead, I'm just going to keep on going and make sure May doesn't suck.

yep. 

 
I'm proud of myself today!  I always go and browse in Ulta after I leave the European Wax Center (since it is right next door).  Today I was going to skip stopping in Ulta but figured I would just look.  I ended up with $20 worth of stuff I was going to be but eventually put it back.  It was nail polish, which I'm not supposed to be buying anyway.  I really did want what I had in my hands but I figured I can always buy it in the future if I still wanted.  Plus, I knew I really shouldn't be spending right now.  I just put out some money for my new car and insurance (in my own name now!) over the weekend.  I also wanted to buy my mom her mother's day gift which I did after I left Ulta.  Then that ended up costing more than I expected anyway so I was glad I didn't buy the polish.  Yay.

 
Ok...how did I do? My goals for April were:

April plans:

  • Cancel all subs except Birchbox (although I cancelled one of the four I had coming in and another one will be cancelled after April) and Nina Garcia and NOT resubscribe because of a deal. Oh and I won't cancel Julep or Square Hue, but I can only purchase one or the other. I actually cancelled the Nina Garcia sub as well. I only have the Birchboxes (two annual subs) and I will be cancelling Square Hue after I receive my May polishes. I ended up getting both Julep and Square Hue, but I had forgotten that I'd prepaid for Julep, so I only paid for one of the subs in April.
  • No makeup purchases not even for chic week. I need NOTHING. I was trying to figure out something to purchase, but after doing an inventory, I just can't find anything I need at all. If there are fabulous Sephora samples, I can buy some cotton rounds, but that is it! Max total allowed to spend $10. Success...I did not buy anything during chic week and I made 2 $1 purchases to get some samples I wanted.
  • I can buy conditioner only because we need it for the girls' bathroom. Actually found a bottle of conditioner in the closet, so no need to purchase yet.
  • I can buy one new outfit for running. Purchased one outfit and a new pair of running shoes. I forgot how bad my shoes were...too many miles on them.
  • I can buy a new top OR skirt for Easter (but not both...I have to use something from my closet). Didn't purchase anything for Easter. Decided to use what I had in my closet. I did purchase a few spring tops to wear. I have a new job (my previous job was so cold all the time that I never wore short sleeves and had a heater running all summer). My new job is very warm and I needed some lighter clothes. I purchased a few things to get by.
All in all, a better month than I've had in a long time! It helps that I remember every time I'm tempted to buy something that I really want to get my daughter a car by the end of summer. It helps remind me not to buy when I have a specific goal in mind that I am saving for. 

 
Oh what is WRONG with me! Hellloooooo end of month failures! I will try to put them under spoilers so as not to tempt others:

1) ok the first one's not too bad. I decided to spend the rest of my Ulta gift card on a sugar scrub. Dragged the hubby to Ulta, had him smell ALL of the Tree Hut scrubs, and settled on Coconut Lime. $7.49. Almost got derailed by smelling the Ulta Jungle Juice sugar scrub (smells DELICIOUS), but it was $12! And I have issues with a store brand costing more than a name brand. I had a $3.50 off $10 coupon, so I added a pair of exfoliating gloves, at $6. Between the gift card and coupon, I ended up paying about $4.

2) someone just kick me off the enabler threads at the end of each month! Found an Origins deal - 3 free deluxe samples AND free shipping with any skincare purchase. I found two different cleansers for $12 ea! (for the 1.7 oz size) After reading reviews, I settled on Checks and Balances. Getting 0.5 oz samples of Make A Difference + Rejuvenating Treatment (moisturizer) and Modern Friction (exfoliator). Aaaaand.... A 1.0 oz Checks and Balances! And of course, free gift wrap. Everything was only $12.83 (dang it, tax) shipped!

So the good new is, awesome deal, and I did need a new face wash. The bad news, I just went way over my monthly splurge budget! Le sigh. In the immortal words of Jim Carey from The Mask, "Ssssssomebody stop me!"
 
So my May plans :

I'll most likely finish my Maybelline under eye concealer so I'm allowed to rebuy that. HOWEVER, I bought a clearance LORAC concealer from Sephora in the beginning of April anticipating the replenshing so I'm going to try that first to see if the color fits and such.

Susan of Darling Girl cosmetics generated a free shipping code just for me thanks to a little exchange in the Indiemakeupandmore subreddit and I really want to try out her blushes so I think I'll put in an order in the mid/end of May. Not sure.

I'll be out of my Neutrogena face cleanser this coming month but I am not planning on repurchasing because I have so many Sephora packets and foils with cleansers and moisturizers etc that I want to use up.

 
UGH. Ok accountability time because I need it. Here were my rules: Face wash allowed, shampoo and conditioner if I need it. One $25 order.

How did I do?  TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD AND AWFUL :blush:

Purchases under spoiler because it's long and no1curr:

Benefit Porefessional: $31.

Was it necessary: Yes. Needed it. HG primer. Don't feel bad.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette: $49

Was it necessary: No. LORD no.

Koh Gen Do Spa Cleansing Water: $13

Was it Necessary: Yep!!

Kat Von D lipstick in Backstate Bambi: $19

Was it necessary: NOPE

Formula X by Sephora in Fine like Einstein: $12.50

Was it Necessary: No, but I LOOVEEE this color so much and have nothing even close to it. I do not regret this and it's possibly my favorite nail polish. BUY ALL THE HOLO GLITTER!

Sephora LipLiner in Clear/Universal: $9

Was it necessary: Eh, on the fence. I feel like I needed it as I do not like lip liner but I also hate feathering. Not overly upset about this but I could have done without it.

Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in Armageddon: $19

Was it necessary: No, but this is the absolute perfect color on me. I do not regret this.

Purity Made Simple One Step Face Wash: $35

Was it necessary: Yes, and allowed. No regrets

Batiste Dry Shampoo: $8.99

Was it necessary: Yes, again, no regerts on this. Can't live without it.

Tree Hut Scrub in Brazilian Nut: $7.49

Was it necessary: NOPE. But it did get me free shipping, so really it was only like $2. But still, didn't need it.

Loreal True Match Foundation: $7.99

Was it necessasry: Yeah kinda. The foundation I'm using is caking SO bad on my dry spots I HAVE to find something else. I don't love this, but it's better than the last one and I"m glad I went drugstore vs high end to try.

CoverGirl True Blend Foundation: $8.44

Was it necessary: No and this crap is AWFUL. HATTTEEE IT and I should have just tried one at a time. Meh.

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner: $7.44

Was it necessary: NOPE

Maybelline Master Highlight: $7.94

Was it necessary: NOPE

Physicians Formula Bronze Boost: $12.94

Was it necessary: NOPE. I don't like bronzer, I've come to that conclusion. I need to quit trying it.

Wal Mart brand nail polish remover tub thingy: $2.97

Was it necessary: Sorta. Acetone is destroying my nails. And I like this a lot. I ain't mad.

Maybelline Color Elixer Gloss: $6.94

Was it necessary: NOPE

Random e-bay brush set: $10.00

Was it necessary: NOPE

Beauty Blender Duo: $22 on Amazon

Was it necessary: Eh. I have the RT beauty sponge which is almost the same thing and cheaper but MAN does that thing fall apart fast. So I wanted the actual beauty blender back. I"ll give myself a pass here.

Elf blush in Pink Passion: $3

Was it necessary: NOPE

Elf blush in Candid Coral: $3

Was it necessary: NOPE

Elf undereye setting powder: $6

Was it necessary: NOPE

Elf highlighting blush in pink diamond or something like that: $6

Was it necessary: NOPE

Freeman face mask x2: $2.59

Was it necessary: NOPE but I aint mad becuase I like these. PASS.

L'oreal Boost it heat protectant spray: $3.97

Was it necessary: NOPE and I don't like it.

===========

TOTAL:  $315.20

Total spent on necessary items (I'll even be nice and include my "don't regret" purchases here): $155.04

Total I could have saved: $160.16

Here's to next month being better :scared:

 
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I was going back over my April purchases, and, whoops, I bought a near-dupe of a Color Tattoo I already have (Barely Branded).  But!  I pulled the one I'm using out to see just how much is still in the jar, and I have a surprisingly small amount left!  I actually hit jar on it today!  I won't need the replacement for several months, but I'll have it when I need it, and I *will* need it!  That baby went back into the daily rotation this morning.

 
April was always going to be bad for me, b/c I had my birthday earlier in the month.  I went on a Sephora spree in NYC, but ended up returning a few items and did major damage at Ulta with the 20% off coupon on prestige items.  I also bought drugstore stuff which I really didn't want to do ( I get way into the limited edition collections and end up buying more than I can use just b/c I found it!) but I was travelling so much this month and kept going to into drugstores and finding pristine new collections so I succumbed.  Sigh, here's hoping May is better!

 
Um.  I wrapped up the month with a bit of an Urban Decay spree.  Lovechild lipgloss pencil, Ocho Loco 2, and Corrupt pencil.  On the up side, OL2 was on my to-buy list during the holidays, and I never quite got around to getting it, and now it's $39.  I had a code for a free eyeliner with purchase of a full-sized item, and I had been planning on getting Lovechild and Corrupt in the next couple of months, so I decided to just go for all three now.  Conclusion:  I picked up OL2, a lipgloss pencil, and an extra eyeliner pencil (and a couple of samples I've already forgotten about) for the price I had originally been planning on paying for just OL2.  It feels like half fail, half *finally* getting something I had actually been planning on getting for well over a year (when last year's OL sold out, I told myself I could get the next one -- if there was a next one -- as soon as it went on sale.  I'm only something like six months late here).

(I really need to stop buying things during playoff game!  We've lost the last two this has happened.  Yes, I really *am* that superstitious.  My grandmother was Scottish *and* Irish.  To this day, even my brother who refuses to accept any superstition follows her dictate that you cannot *give* a knife as a present.  It must be *purchased*.  It's a family custom to tape a coin on the gift box so the recipient has money to hand back to the giver to "buy" the knife that very instant.)

 
I purchased almost 20 memeboxes in 1 month in a half @ 23$-49$+shipping, and today Im NOT going to buy any more boxes!!!! Although I've been eyeing down sephora.com..... I swear, not buying any beauty products is like trying to quit smoking, its soo bloody hard, I get anxiety just thinking about cutting back on purchases. Paypal even limited my buying account because I made too many Memebox purchases ( I guess that's a good thing?)

 
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