Drawer of Shame
I have been contemplating a no buy period for a while now. Well, it’s official. As of May 4, 2013 I am going on a 6 month official NO BUY.
First of all, as of right now, I don’t need anything. I have multiple back ups of all the different types of products I use. Also, some of my makeup is getting old. I just chucked a Revlon foundation bottle because it went bad (although it was still purchased less than a year ago). My Urban Decay Naked foundation and Inglot AMC foundation look suspicious and they were all purchased less than a year ago. This has gotten me to think about all the make up I have that may be about to expire. I would hate to think of my Armani Fluid Sheers being chucked – that stuff was expensive!!!
So, I need to give myself the opportunity to use my older products before they go bad. I’ve been jumping around way too much trying other newer products, letting older half used products languish. Not allowing myself to try something new means I can use up what I already have. Plus, I still have unboxed items I haven’t even tried yet. I’d like to eventually get to those. But I won’t allow myself to until I make a dent in older used products.
This mission is two-fold. First, do not buy a single cosmetic, or skincare, product for the next six months. My freedom day will be November 4, 2013! Second, I must focus on using up my older products before they expire. The only thing I am allowed to purchase are cotton balls and q-tips. I’m going hard!
I have a particular focus on the products I want to use up:
1. Fluid Armani Sheers: I went nuts buying these because I used them EVERYDAY to color correct some older foundations and mineral sunscreens. I don’t have the same need for them now because cosmetic companies have been getting better with their shades. I can still use them, but I have way too many bottles and I hate the idea of these expiring.
2. Shiseido Sunscreens: I purchased the bulk of these in the last year. Kept forgetting I had some stored in boxes. Woops. Now they are all out in the open. These are all great for the summer months. The original turquoise bottles will be my focus before I move on to the Urban Environment white bottles. Need to use up those almost finished tubes.
3. Other Sunscreens: If you follow dermatologic guidelines on usage of sunscreen, we should be finishing a bottle of this stuff almost monthly. Woops. I am going to be a sunscreen queen doing extra thick layers! Plus, sunscreen loses potency. Ugh, that Josie Maran bottle needs to be used ASAP.
4. Liquid Foundations: I’ve been loving powder foundations for a while now, but it means I’ve been letting my liquid foundations languish. Not so bad it you have one or two bottles. Really bad when you have like over a dozen. Crap. Retiring my foundation powders for a while because those take forever to expire. My liquid foundations are another story. I am going full face base for as long as I can before the real heat hits when I need to tone down the base because of excessive oiliness and sweating in NYC’s gross summer weather.
5. Primers: I really love my La Roche Posay Anti-Aging Primer SPF. However, I have multiple bottles of other primers that are older and sit unused. I need to get through it. I am not a fan of the Smashbox primer, but use it I MUST.
6. Moisturizers: This one is going to be hard during the summer which is why I need to get on this ball NOW. I have a few jars of PCA Skin moisturizers, a Garnier, a Yes to Carrots (blech), and smaller assorted moisturizer creams I need to get through that are almost done but not quite. I think I should only ever have two on call.
7. Masks: I have a few jars and tubes of masks that are a bit old but still useable. I need to finish those up stat. Part of the problem with some of them was the fact that they weren’t that great to begin with. So I rarely used them. Now, it’s on. I am going to be heavily utilizing my masks like I am at my own spa.
8. Toners: I have way to many toner bottles. Need to cut them down to like two – one for super oily skin and the other dehydrated skin. I don’t need so many. These won’t be difficult to use up, especially during the summer when my skin is a grease pit.
9. Sample Packets and Tubes: The stuff in sample packets can go bad. I know. I learned the hard way with some Khiels. I felt like the lead singer of The Cult singing “FIIIIIIYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.” I have never experienced such a burning sensation on my face and I have used 15% salicylic acid peels.
10. Lipsticks: I think lipsticks can last a long time, but I don’t want to risk it AND I rarely use it now. I need to justify some of these purchases starting with my oldest lipstick products. Laura Mercier’s Lipstick in Maple is going to be a particular focus, as well as a MAC Slim Shine I did not care for. But I do not know what the hell I am going to do with the WORST lipstick purchase in HISTORY: NARS Cruise. What the hell am I going to do with that sucker! But figure it out I will, even if I have to utilize the aid of my littlest helper: my niece. 🙂
I’ve already isolated certain bottles, tubes, jars and pots that are near completion, and those that are the oldest. That will be the subject of another post. 🙂 My blog won’t really suffer because there is so much stuff that I haven’t blogged about yet. On the other hand, there won’t be any “new to the market” products for a while, since I can’t buy anything. Oh well. So there better not be some new blockbuster product launch for the next six months! This will be a test of my restraint for all things beauty related. AYYEEEEE.
Fairytales and Coffee 
Good luck! 😀
Thanks! Makeup products easier to stay away from but not skincare, cuz I am always looking for perfect treatment for my skin issues. But this needs to be done. Otherwise, I’m dumping expired half used products.
I agree. Makeup can be stretched out as its so versatile, but skincare can be a little tricky! 🙂
Yay you go girl! For me it would be very difficult not to buy anything in 6 months but I know eventually I should go for it.
Armani foundation is to die for, I love it to bits!
This is the second time I have had to place a spending ban on skincare/beauty products, except I did not have a blog to document it! 🙂 I recognize when I am a bit much even for me, so reel it in I must! If 6 months too much, try 3 months!
I admire you! Whenever I have skincare products I am trying to use up, they go on my body or my hands, even the face masks… my neck & chest never look better than when I’m on a mission like this. 🙂
Good luck!
Awesome! So funny! Once I realized I needed to use stuff, I start overusing products and multi-using them. But masks on my neck and chest? Never even occurred to me! Thanks so much for the idea! In the wee hour before midnight of 5/4, I swear I was getting itchy internet fingers…even in the morning, like a junky I was like maybe I can get something very quick – no one will know! But nope. I want to stick to this and I do have too much that will expire in 6 months or so and that will hurt more.
WOOHOO! Going hardcore–hell yeah! You can do it–I belieeeeeeve! haha ok ok I’ll stop 😛 Really though, I think it’s great that you’re doing this. So many people seem to be doing no-buys and I think it’s admirable. I really wish I could but I don’t like to put concrete restrictions down for myself because I just don’t do well under such stipulations. What can I say, I’m a rebel. 😛 LOL!
Really though, I am definitely going to be harder on myself going forward–I know I can do that at least. I am GOOD on skincare for a looong time–the only thing I really need is a good vit C serum (still very curious about the Philosophy Vit C powder. Might have to grab a bottle next week…). No new glosses either (preferably no new lip products, period, but there are a few sheer lippies that I have been wanting for a LONG time that I might let myself buy for summer).
Everything else, I think I’m not doing so bad with. I don’t mind having lots of powder products like blush, shadow, etc. since, as you mentioned, they take forever to expire–especially if you take good care of them. So I’ll continue to buy what catches my eye in that area because I don’t think I am a crazed buyer. I buy what I really like and sometimes go 3 months without buying stuff (I did REALLY good this past fall!)
Anyway, good luck to you my friend! You’ll do great and I look forward to seeing all of the stuff you can finish by summer! 😀
My wakeup call was the expired foundation. It hit me I have OLDER foundation bottles that are likely to expire or go bad soon. I hate the idea of throwing product out I haven’t fully used.
I went over board the past summer when my skin was atrocious and I was going nuts trying to fix it buying product left and right to either treat it or cover it. I don’t believe in patience when it comes to my skin. Now that my skin is pretty freaking awesome and has been for the last couple of months now, I can just focus on using the older stuff and not feel guilty about throwing it away half used because it expired.
I hate restrictions on myself but this had to be done. It feels really good because I am making headway. I already feel sad my Origins Stay Tuned Foundation is almost done….No I don’t. 🙂 Cuz there’s another foundation bottle that needs my love and attention! Woohoo!
LOL you finally announced it! I am so proud of you 😀 I think I don’t have a lot of “quickly-perishable” items like foundation and sunscreen, so I’m not as eager to start it, but yeah. Rooting for ya 🙂
I won’t deny that first thing I woke up this morning and I was already thinking of ways of cheating. But decided – eh, not worth it. I have too much older stuff that needs to be used. i’m gonna be one of those junkies going through withdrawal, except my danger zones will be Sephora and Duane Reade.
I myself been trying to go on one for the longest time and it’s hard because all companies keep coming out with stuff I want to try and also there are so many things already that I haven’t had a chance to sample that at some point it became impossible to resist. But I’m on the same boat as you are right now and I can only hope we both succeed, so best of luck with the spend ban! xx
It was the same problem with me. I love beauty products so there was always something that I wanted to try but my backlog was getting ridiculous. I have always rationalized skincare and makeup purchases because I use these products but the idea of throwing so much away I didn’t finish because it expired really irked me. Hope you set your own mini goals to contain. 🙂
currently in the same boat except my collection is probably only about 1/4 of yours 🙂 i completely understand the wasting money, wasting good products, expiring products component though.
Yeah, I will never have as many sunscreens and foundations going forward as I have now. It’s too much and it caught up with me.
I have my own feelings about spending bans, which I will not bore you with here haha, but you seem to have thought this out super super thoroughly and I’m wishing you luck all the way! Your list contains some really great products and i’m sure your niece will be a willing helper haha! BTW, could you use NARS Cruise layered over one of your other lipsticks, or turn it into a gloss? Or use it as a natural cream blush/base for deeper blushes?
I enjoy all your posts but the ones that are memorable for me are the ones where you really get into a topic/ (like the foundations fiasco and blogger positivity). So I don’t think your blog will suffer in the slightest, and will always be a great read! Again, good luuuuck!
🙂 oh, this is what the comment section is for – they never bore me! So type away with abandon! Wish it could say it was some deep thought process, although it’s been there awhile. It’s more like it’s been in the back of my mind that I have way too many foundations and sunscreens that are highly perishable. I needed to commit to using my stuff. The spending ban, I caught much like a cold passes from person to person, or blog to blog. I figured it would be a nice challenge for me because I have a huge problem with restrictions on myself of any kind. Once I restrict, I generally want it more, as opposed to the preferable method of showing restraint and naturally demurring on things. But I figured this would be a good test for me. Having an audience helps.
You know the NARS cruise was one of those purchases I knew was a bad one the moment I made it. It just all kinds of wrong. I was thinking the same thing- its going to have to be about blending with other creamier lipsticks. The color is completely unusable on it’s own. Give’s me dead cadaver lips.
Um, not that your other posts aren’t memorable T.T I meant these ones are more memorable…
HAHA! No worries! I understood what you meant! 🙂 LOL. Thanks so much. Whenever I write those longer, non-product related posts I wonder if people read them, or are bored by it, but those are the few posts I get comments on! 🙂 I have a couple I’ve wanted to post, but then I remember I made mistake of telling some family members about the blog. Without that, I’d be much more forthcoming about certain things :). Nothing scandalous of course, but then some things you just don’t want fam knowing, even if its not a big deal.