March 2014 No/Low-Buy! Support, Advice, and Free Hugs

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Quote: Originally Posted by pinkcrayon /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  awww! feel better. i feel like everyone keeps getting sick with this weather!

my suggestion is to just watch disney movies instead. ha!
Watching Robin Hood xD Has been years since I last watched it. 

Quote: Originally Posted by katielp /img/forum/go_quote.gif


Ditto. I'm so sick but also incredibly bored. I've spent almost all day looking at makeup blogs and watching makeup videos. I could easily make some very informed purchases right now!

Trying to distract myself with other stuff but its not really working

LOL makeup videos always get me to covet stuff. I am trying to only watch ones which are actual "tutorials" so that I can see what I can do with the items I have...otherwise, hauls and "favorites of the month" videos only make me want to buy. I want to see "favorites of the year that we've actually used up" videos. 

 
Okay, March.  Gotta-gets/dos:

  • Whatever the endodontist says will fix this infection (I *knew* the dentist who did this THREE HOUR root canal didn't do a good job.  Tip:  Never, *ever* go to a dentist who keeps telling you about how her current favorite book is _50 Shades of Grey_.)
  • Jeans
  • Bras
  • Sneakers
  • Car tune-up
  • $40 allowance for St. Patrick's Day swap elsewhere

Allowed:

  • Subs -- Birchbox will renew for another year this weekend, as planned, and my GDE OTM is pre-paid for the year, as is Le Metier de Beaute (wow, I actually keep forgetting I'm subscribing to this one.  This is a clear sign I will not be renewing!  If it wasn't pre-paid, I would just cancel it.  Instead, I just put most things up on eBay because *so* not my style).  Oh, and Square Hue and Starlooks are givens.  I'll probably skip Julep and Scratch again, though.
  • Glamour Doll Eyes -- four sample jars and maybe a lipgloss tomorrow and the Spring Fling collection on the 20th (yes, I know that it is not a limited-quantity collection and that it will be around until June, but I want those shades sooner rather than later!).  
  • Shampoo/conditioner if needed.  I didn't run out in February like I thought I would, so I have no clue how much longer I can go without buying any.
  • Sephora -- I can get some cotton pads (I actually need some cotton pads and keep forgetting to buy some when I'm in an actual store!) and redeem points for perks if there's a perfect-for-me perk, but that's probably it.  I don't even really see anything I want there, so that's not going to be a struggle.
  • Geek Chic Cosmetics kit, depending on what the theme/colors turn out to be.  If they put out a new collection, I can get that, depending on the theme.  I might go ahead and allow an additional set of samples (probably Win or Die since the next season is right around the corner!) to make up for not getting any GCC in January.  I had gone into this year telling myself that I could get one of their collections each month (the original plan was for full-sized jars, but I've decided that the sample clamshells will be okay for now), and I held out in January waiting for their The Game Is On set, and then I wasn't able to order it until February due to stock issues, so I kind of feel like I need to place a compensatory order now for an existing set to get myself back on plan so I don't order five collections at once later in the year. 
  • Whatever I want at ECCC.  I've specifically been saving holiday/birthday/bonus money for this.  I have something like four hundred bucks in cash and gift cards right now, and I'll be pulling a little bit more out of the bank this weekend because today was bonus payout day, so I have more money than usual to play with.  I deserve fun stuff, damn it.  I'll definitely be pre-ordering the Espionage Cosmetics con-exclusive set and adding on an extra set of con-exclusive nail wraps, but I don't know what else I'll be getting because I don't know what everyone else will have!  (On the off chance I have any leftover cash, it will go directly into the fund for Rose City Comic Con in September.  I don't have to travel for that one, so that *really* helps as far as budgeting goes.)
  • Essence -- I'll allow $20 here for trend editions.  I don't think I'll be spending that much because I'm not impressed by the TE previews I've seen lately, but with my luck, I'll decide NO WAY NO HOW and then get confronted by the Snow Jam collection that has somehow magically appeared in Fred Meyer.
  • If I can find some black pants that fit (my inseam is not exactly conducive to this), I can get up to four pair (it's overkill, but I haven't bought any work pants since the Bush administration, so I can justify this since I'll probably be wearing them for ten years)

Banned:  

  • Everything else but groceries and gas.  Because, really, I don't need anything else.

The stupid thing is that there isn't really anything I particularly *want*.  I just feel like buying things in general.  But!  I've got a jam-packed month of getting ready for the con and the arrival of a new fridge (I don't know when I'll be getting it because it's a landlord thing, so I need to be ready to get it any day), so I really don't have the *time* to go around shopping all over the place.

 
Goals for the month--Low buy!

I can buy what I want the first weekend of March (tomorrow and Sunday) at my favorite rummage sale--it only happens once a year, so I'm letting myself splurge if I want to.  I'll be moving in July, so will definitely not buy any large stuff, but I'm looking for one or two things.  Other than that, I'm going to try for a no-buy for the rest of the month--I am doing only VERY part-time work at the moment, so can't spend a lot of money on frivolous things.  

ETA: Swaps on MuT and other forums are totally fine!

 
Nothing this month. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Beginning of next month I can buy necessities during Chic Week: Charcoal mask (should finish my Boscia DS one this month--maybe two uses left), and a setting powder (I'm thinking UD Naked but I don't know--Revlon Nearly Naked is 1/3 of the price or Bare Minerals could double as a foundation in the summer when I run out of BB cream which is going to happen by then...at least I have a month to decide). If I end up ordering online, I will let myself get the Boscia original blotting papers too (only 5 bucks which would be the same price as drugstore and so helpful in the summer). My goals for the year are skincare and necessities so I'm keeping with it! Another goal was to go more natural so this past month I made my own toner and switched to extra-virgin coconut oil as body lotion when I ran out of commercial lotion.

 
Random comment of the day: 

My nose has been feeling clogged and yuck lately --- the pores full with ...something.. sebum? IDK. and a few black heads. This was never an issue until I started wearing makeup, so now I have to figure out what's causing it.

I had a little travel sized version of st ives blemish control green tea scrub -- so i used a warm towel to open my pores, then went to town with the scrub. it removed so much dead skin that my little nose is shiny now lol! not from oil but from the fact that it removed all the dead skin. The pores are still not all cleared.. I assume it will take more than 1 single scrub to clear them out... but I have faith. 

I'm wondering though if they accidentally put the blackhead scrub in a "blemish control" labeled one because mine says it has hydrated silica, but the ingredients for the big bottle look totally different online. or they were perhaps reformulated. I am not sure. it seems like the blackhead control's ingredients closer match the little travel size I have. 

 
I got out a notebook and a pen, and walked through my room and bathroom to take inventory of all of my skin products! (Not makeup yet, not ready for that!) 
I feel having everything accounted for on paper will help me to see what I have and what I don't need.

 
Shoot... I have to start saving. There's a chance that my canon point-and-shoot's speaker is broken, which means I'll be upgrading to a rebel t3i. Which is very expensive. I will probably still get the original naked palette for chic week, but otherwise I seriously need to stop spending. I was thinking I would be upgrading next year, not next month. Let's hope that my camera is just being a freak and some miracle will make the speaker work again. I never dropped it or anything... It just stopped making sound while filming.

 
I'm officially going on a low buy for March.  My stash is starting to get unmanageable, so it's time to start buying fewer items and focusing more on using stuff up.  I'm keeping my rules for the month simple:

- No buying new makeup, skincare, or bath items.  I can buy replacement items if I have used up all of my full sizes and samples.

- I can keep my Birchbox and Ipsy subscriptions.  I can take the April Julep box if I like every item in the box and don't have any duplicates in my stash.

- If I reach my weight loss goals for the month, I can treat myself to some Lush products.

- If Sephora Chic Week takes place in March, then I can place an order but I must take another inventory of my stash to decide what I really want/need.

Here's to a productive month!

 
I nearly broke down yesterday and got a concealer from mac -- they now accept paypal.  But I didn't! even though I really do need a concealer that matches me. right now I have a lot of concealers that are all off-color... i'm considering experimenting with mixing them and see if anything happens.... 

 
Quote: Originally Posted by usofjessamerica /img/forum/go_quote.gif

March 2 and I already want to cave
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Me, too. It's sad :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

I'm not very handy with "mixing" stuff, despite doing it often with foundations. I haven't tried doing a frankenstein with anything else.

 
Me, too. It's sad :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  I'm not very handy with "mixing" stuff, despite doing it often with foundations. I haven't tried doing a frankenstein with anything else.
Click to expand...
It's my birth month so all the freebie coupons were released yesterday. I got my UD freebie eyeliner and bought a $5 Heavy Metal liner to get it. This $ came from PayPal funds which I now see as "free pass money/hulu payment" But now I'm all greedy eyes over here trying to figure out how to get more freebie liners when I don't need 'em. But now there's some bumble and bumble stuff I'm looking at but I don't think I'm running low just yet. Even though I can pay for B&B with PayPal funds, I feel like I shouldn't! FWIW I've switched some of my energy from make up and skin care purchases onto hair care since my hair has taken a beating this winter. I've actually been using the samples I've been sent of various oils and I'm loving them! Yay!
 
I'm officially going on a low buy for March.  My stash is starting to get unmanageable, so it's time to start buying fewer items and focusing more on using stuff up.  I'm keeping my rules for the month simple: - No buying new makeup, skincare, or bath items.  I can buy replacement items if I have used up all of my full sizes and samples. - I can keep my Birchbox and Ipsy subscriptions.  I can take the April Julep box if I like every item in the box and don't have any duplicates in my stash. - If I reach my weight loss goals for the month, I can treat myself to some Lush products. - If Sephora Chic Week takes place in March, then I can place an order but I must take another inventory of my stash to decide what I really want/need. Here's to a productive month!
Click to expand...
I really like combing weight loss goals with now/low but goals...I'm thinking this might be pretty effective for me... Ill take inventory of my stuff and then post what my plans are for this month
 
Quote: Originally Posted by katielp /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I really like combing weight loss goals with now/low but goals...I'm thinking this might be pretty effective for me...

Ill take inventory of my stuff and then post what my plans are for this month

I might have to do something similar... some motivation to get in the gym.

Quote: Originally Posted by usofjessamerica /img/forum/go_quote.gif


It's my birth month so all the freebie coupons were released yesterday. I got my UD freebie eyeliner and bought a $5 Heavy Metal liner to get it. This $ came from PayPal funds which I now see as "free pass money/hulu payment" But now I'm all greedy eyes over here trying to figure out how to get more freebie liners when I don't need 'em.

But now there's some bumble and bumble stuff I'm looking at but I don't think I'm running low just yet. Even though I can pay for B&B with PayPal funds, I feel like I shouldn't!

FWIW I've switched some of my energy from make up and skin care purchases onto hair care since my hair has taken a beating this winter. I've actually been using the samples I've been sent of various oils and I'm loving them! Yay!
Happy birthday! UD had a freebie eyeliner? I didn't know that. I got my sephora freebie last month, but I think that's the only company I know so far that does freebies .... I have a tiny version of mushroom, which i love on my lower lashline to smoke a daily look out a tiny bit... I'd love to try out some more colors. Might remember this for next year.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I might have to do something similar... some motivation to get in the gym.

Happy birthday! UD had a freebie eyeliner? I didn't know that. I got my sephora freebie last month, but I think that's the only company I know so far that does freebies .... I have a tiny version of mushroom, which i love on my lower lashline to smoke a daily look out a tiny bit... I'd love to try out some more colors. Might remember this for next year.
@katielp & @jaylilee Also! I did the whole gym thing as a make up motivation and i loved it! i bought the tarte lipsurgence holiday set and i only let myself take one out of the box every 3 work outs. this was great because it really forced me to use the product AND worked out! 

I'm all about the birthday freebies which is dangerous since I usually don't need anything. And, the Kiehl's one for example - I don't have a store near me so this would kinda require me to buy something online (which I wont, dont worry everyone). I'm pretty meh on this year's sephora freebie but i'll take it anyway or if the men's gift is good, i'll take that instead. 

There's this super super luxe store over here (Blush milwaukee) that does free birthday brows ($20 for wax or $26 for tweeze) and I LOVE going there. Their services are super expensive. I think I've mentioned this place before as the place with $80+ brazilians. Its hard for me to NOT want to look at all the pretties but, the way the store is set up its hard to play on your own. I will be going there this Friday for an event. Every month or so they have "global make up artists" from Laura Mercier, Kevyn Aucoin, Smashbox etc. fly in and do individual make overs. Last time Laura Mercier's right hand team was there (8 or so artists) and it was a blast. Sometimes there's minimum purchases required sometimes not. To give you an idea, make up lessons run $75 on the conservative side and only go upwards. BUT the first time I went to one of their events, I was given a free full size LM lippie in the color of my choosing, free concealer, and a free shadow stick in the color of my choosing..I think I just lucked out.

ANYWAY. Sorry for being so extra talkative this morning on a seemingly unrelated tangent. Bottom line: its hard for me to say no to freebies and I have a love/hate relationship with Blush Milwaukee for being so expensive but also maybe sometimes having freebies

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jaylilee /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Oh my god you guys I am SO SO SO TIRED AND SICK :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> :( :( /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> My lungs feel like they're on fire. Unfortunately, when I get sick, I start looking at those things that feel like "comfort things" - things that make me happy and take my mind off of how sick I am. guess what one of them is? Yeah, you guessed it...makeup.

The other is disney movies.

Sigh. I just need to figure out new looks to do with the stuff I have. Need to stop buying stuff. 
I'm sick too, a sinus infection or head cold kind of thing.  I totally related to comfort shopping, but I'm broke at the moment so that's keeping me in check.  Hope we both feel better soon
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Quote: Originally Posted by usofjessamerica /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  @katielp & @jaylilee Also! I did the whole gym thing as a make up motivation and i loved it! i bought the tarte lipsurgence holiday set and i only let myself take one out of the box every 3 work outs. this was great because it really forced me to use the product AND worked out! 

I'm all about the birthday freebies which is dangerous since I usually don't need anything. And, the Kiehl's one for example - I don't have a store near me so this would kinda require me to buy something online (which I wont, dont worry everyone). I'm pretty meh on this year's sephora freebie but i'll take it anyway or if the men's gift is good, i'll take that instead. 

There's this super super luxe store over here (Blush milwaukee) that does free birthday brows ($20 for wax or $26 for tweeze) and I LOVE going there. Their services are super expensive. I think I've mentioned this place before as the place with $80+ brazilians. Its hard for me to NOT want to look at all the pretties but, the way the store is set up its hard to play on your own. I will be going there this Friday for an event. Every month or so they have "global make up artists" from Laura Mercier, Kevyn Aucoin, Smashbox etc. fly in and do individual make overs. Last time Laura Mercier's right hand team was there (8 or so artists) and it was a blast. Sometimes there's minimum purchases required sometimes not. To give you an idea, make up lessons run $75 on the conservative side and only go upwards. BUT the first time I went to one of their events, I was given a free full size LM lippie in the color of my choosing, free concealer, and a free shadow stick in the color of my choosing..I think I just lucked out.

ANYWAY. Sorry for being so extra talkative this morning on a seemingly unrelated tangent. Bottom line: its hard for me to say no to freebies and I have a love/hate relationship with Blush Milwaukee for being so expensive but also maybe sometimes having freebies
nothing wrong with being talkative! i think around here the most "luxe" thing we have is nordstrom. granted, that's near me. going into downtown that changes drastically.

and yeah i remember the brazillians! I still cant believe the 80+ pricetag. ick. 

Im sitting here trying to figure out how to frankenstein a cover fx foundation that's a touch too dark for me and a glamouflage concealer that's WAY TOO LIGHT for me into the perfect under-eye concealer. I did a test by basically taking a bit of both and mixing it then applying it to my face and if I get it JUST right, it's beautiful. Especially because both hard candy's concealer and cover fx's foundations are two of the most pigmented things ever -- their cream foundation also has more of a pot concealer consistency, so I think it would be perfect to mix (nothing runny). I think hard candy's concealer might make it less apt to stay in a pan, though, so I might need a little pot. 

I use it alone around my nose area in the summer when I'm darker because it completely obliterates my redness. can't do the same on my cheeks because it might come off as too heavy (my small pores make it harder to blend seamlessly than my nose area lol). I just pulled it out and remembered why i love i t so much though - coverage is beautiful. i could get away with using it on the rest of my face with the right brush and/or mixing it with a lighter foundation or moisturizer, but i think for me it's going to be just one giant concealer compact. 

omg sorry im rambling too lol! 

 
I did a no-buy from mid-December through February and I think March may end up being more of a low buy month for me.  It's my birthday month and I like using the birthday codes and freebies to buy myself a few birthday treats and I can afford to do so.

I was (still am) planning to do a low buy all year but I want to change my guidelines for myself slightly.  Originally, I planned to buy one high end and one low end item per month.  I'm now going to change this to spending a certain amount of money per month because honestly, it's easier.  I'll have a set amount I can spend on whatever and when it's gone, no more shopping.  It's less confusing than trying to decide what counts as a low end purchase vs a high end purchase and sometimes, especially with drugstore stuff, it's a better deal to buy more than one thing at a time.  For example: things that are buy one, get one 50% off or combining a couple of things at CVS to get extra care bucks back.

I'm not sure yet if I'll post my budget amount here because what's acceptable to spend is such an individual thing.  It's nothing extravagant but I may just post how much under or over budget I am at the end of the month instead.

 
I'm doing a low buy. I did WAY too much retail therapy in Feb. The only makeup I'm allowed to buy are bronzer and undereye concealer since I don't have either, but I'm waiting until Sephora's Chic Week.

 

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