No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries - May

dolly84

Here we go again for another month. As usual this initial post has been shamelessly copied from the many previous months. A big thank you to pinkfluffybabe for starting us off last month.

Welcome all newbies and regulars to this very friendly and chatty thread where we give lots of lovely tips on how to use up your stash and lots of support and encouragement if you need them.

Keep up the pampering and keep down the spending: let's make the naughty step an empty and lonely place this month (rather than one so long that it can be seen from space)! Will this be the month when the "usual suspects" rein it in a bit? Let's see..... (but I doubt it!) 

Remember - those products do nothing for you while they are stashed in drawers, boxes and cupboards! 

We are eternally grateful to Katie Clampet who set up this fab challenge in January 2010. Here's her original challenge post:

"No buying any new toiletries, cosmetics, perfume etc... until I have used up ALL the ones I already have. I got a huge amount of (really nice) stuff for Christmas but I am going to resist the urge to browse Boots, Asda, Superdrug etc, and pop another tub of cream, face scrub, shampoo or conditioner into my basket. I reckon the stuff I have will last me until possibly June. I have decided that the money I save I will put into my special holiday account. Anyone else?"

Lots of us have taken part in the challenge over the past few months (and some of us even years!!) and are making great progress in reducing our stashes and unnecessary/excessive spending.

Regulars can ignore this, but a quick resume is always helpful for newbies:

Why not add the challenge to your signature as a reminder?

How about taking a bit of time to do a stock-take and see if there are any gaps in your stash that you might need to spend on this month? Some of us set a budget for the month for essential purchases or to help with withdrawal symptoms, others like to go cold-turkey!! Other ideas which some people find useful: Listing everything out so you can cross things off as used to increase the sense of achievement, and putting a sum of money in a pot each time you use up an item to save for something you really want, or simply to assist in making future essential purchases "cash neutral".

Remember the challenge is about making the most of your money, enjoying your products, finding which products really suit you best and are worth buying, giving yourself a well-deserved pampering and breaking the habit of buying for the sake of buying. In money-saving tradition, it should also be about making your products l-a-s-t as long as possible (although the temptation of using an unloved shower gel extravagantly to finish it off is sometimes too much to bear!).

Brand new products (or opened perfume) sell well on eBay.

Unsuitable products can be repurposed and used for other jobs (shower gel/shampoo as handwash etc).

Some items can be returned to certain stores for exchange (for essential items or gifts!!) without a receipt.

Unwanted items can be recycled as gifts or for gift hampers (saving the money you'd have spent on gifts).

Unsuitable items can be donated to charity or a local women's refuge as mentioned earlier

It helps to avoid the places where temptation lurks for you; be it QVC, Boots, Body Shop, email newsletter, the supermarket toiletries aisles, Grabbit board, online toiletries browsing, seductive department store beauty counter offers etc. Remember retailers are making offers and promotions all the time, so there will always be another deal! Honest! 

Good luck all for this month and indeed the coming months, and remember to keep your stash lists updated, keep popping in for inspiration and support and to report your UU's and IN's, especially any sales bargains - we want a nosy!

Welcome to all newbies - the more the merrier. Please introduce yourselves so we can welcome you properly! Do de-lurk if you are lurking, this is one of the friendliest threads on MSE.

Oh - and anyone thinking "OMG my stash is FAR bigger than all of theirs, I cant possibly join" - believe you me, we have been doing this challenge for well over a year some of us - you wont scare us, and I can almost guarantee that someone somewhere will have had more and survived.... we are very supportive (and protective - so don't be scared!!) oh - and did we mention that are nosy??!!

Useful abbreviations and jargon!

WBA - Will Buy Again

UU - Use Ups

IN - Self explanatory - stuff you've gained into your stash - warning: lines may be given out for unnecessary purchases or you may be sent to the naughty step!

NBI - A non-bought item such as a present, gift with purchase or free sample

WNBA - Will Not Buy Again!

Glitch - when a shop/online store make a pricing mistake so you end up paying less or even get freebies! 

PYN(M/T/W/Th/F/Sa/Su) DELETE AS APPROPRIATE! - Paint Your Nails Monday/Tuesday...... it allows everyone to try and finish those dastardly nail varnishes with group support! You can never be too groomed for this thread. Also see PY(T)N... - for toenails!

Splutterer - the stage where an item is nearing the end of it's life and spluttering - also the most annoying and seemingly never ending stage!

GWP - Gift With Purchase - a sample or mini sized item

HG - Holy Grail - this is the product you would go back for time and time again, it does the job brilliantly, and is either economical, or so fantastic price becomes no object!

NPI - Near Purchasing Incident (OMG we all have those!)

LHJ - Long Haul Job - for those products - love 'em or hate 'em - that never seem to end no matter how often you use them

PRCP - Pink Rose Candle Philosophy inspired by Erma Bombeck who said: 'If I had my life to live over again I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose that melted in storage'. Don't keep things 'for best' or 'for a special occasion'. That day never arrives. Give the best to yourself now and enjoy it. (Thanks to McCulloch29 for introducing this thought provoking sentiment to us)

GA - for an out that was given away to charity, as a present, or "just because" rather than binned or UU

TA - for an out that was thrown away due to going off (generally as it has been lurking at the back of a stash since time immemorial) or for any other reason such as a broken container or spillage

PP - Project Pan: a list of specific items targeted to be used up

If anyone can think of any more we can add to the list so newbies won't be intimidated by our jargon! 

Previous threads

In case you need to refer back to a previous stash list or product review, here are links to past challenge threads. Click on the date to take you straight to it:

February 2020

March 2020

dolly84

May PP List
Philosophy Raspberry Glazed Shower Gel 500ml - b/f from April

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Nourishing Mask 300ml - b/f from April

Philosophy Living Grace EDP 60ml

Korres Mint Tea Body Milk

Korres Mint Tea Body Wash

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish 200ml

My 7 by Summer list

1. No17 Brown Brow Pencil - this has been hanging around long enough

2. No17 Falsifye HD Mascara in black

3. Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Lovesick (replaced No7 Statement crayon)

4. Barbara Daly Trade Secrets Sheer lip melt in Adorable

5. Rimmel Hide the Blemish concealer stick

6.  Miss Sporty Dr Balm lipbalm in  Sweet Kiss SOS

7. Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight - don't think I have a chance with this but will include it.

Will not need to buy in 2020.

Shower gel
Body moisturiser
Hair conditioner/hair masks
Foot cream
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup (except maybe foundation)
Perfume
Bubble Bath
(as yet nothing from the above list purchased)

May need to buy in 2020

Shampoo bar - have already purchased one from Yorkshire Soap Co.
Cleanser - have purchased a balm from Blushberry Botanicals
Facial Oil - have one in use and one back up
Curl cream - bought a can of hair mousse to try
Deodorant - have purchased a natural handmade one from Blushberry Botanicals
Hand cream - will be buying ingredients to make my own

Betharooni

May PP list

• Batiste Original Dry Shampoo
• No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover
• No7 StayPerfect Superlight Foundation in Calico
• Lynx Attract for Women Body Spray
• Hugo Boss Deep Red Perfume

Finish 7 by Summer

• Champneys Heavenly Days Sleep Temple Balm
• Champneys Heavenly Days Sleep Pillow Mist
• Mandara Spa Tropical Bloom Shower Gel
• Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Shower Gel
• No7 Beautiful Skin Radiant Exfoliator
• No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser
• No7 Soft and Soothed Gentle Toner

Lists carried over from April.  I have no plans to buy any toiletries this month. Am intending to go through my toiletries again and try to plan what I am likely to need over the next few months and what should be used up over the next few months.

pinkfluffybabe

Thank you for the new thread!
Back in again for May. Some of these are very nearly done, so hopefully May will be a good month!

My PP list:
Nuxe night cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Night Cream
Beauty Pie Retinol Serum
Burts Bees Lip Balm
Aveda Cherry Almond Conditioner
Chanel Body lotion
Aveda Cherry Almond Shampoo
Stratia Liquid Gold Moisturiser
Espa Facial Oil

My 5 for Summer list:
Soaper Duper Tuberose Shower Gel
Soaper Duper Coconut Shower Gel
Drunk Elephant Slaai Cleanser
Umberto Giannini 60 second smooth pre-shampoo
Beauty Pie Retinol Hand Cream

savingfortomorrow

I am joining up again. 
my first use up was a cerave moisturizer tester. I used it as a hand cream and a little goes a long way so a definate item that i will buy again, 

asajj

Thank you for the new thread. I will keep it short as I'm not sure what the use next.
PP list
Clarins Detox Booster
Clarins Body Lotion
4 x samples
Finish by Summer
Zelen Vitamin D Drops
Loccitane Foot Cream
Rituals Hand Scrub
No need to buy
Pretty much everything.

VALM

Posted on wrong thread - Doh

OK, I'm in as usual.  Would miss you all otherwise.  Update re: Finish 7 by Summer Challenge:-

Rollin in Dough eyeshadow

NARS Gilda Blush

NARS Outlaw Blush

These three items are almost done so will lump them together as a springboard: Marc Jacobs Infamous mini lipstick, Anastasia Beverley Hills lipgloss in Weekend Barbie and Bare Minerals loose Blush called Hint

Smashbox matte eyeshadow from Full Exposure palette

Laura Geller Gilded Honey highlighter deluxe sample size - do have pan in this but still think it will last until Summer

Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Dim Light - again I already have pan.

The pan is widening in Rollin in Dough, the Smashbox shado, Gilded Honey and Dim Light.  Of the three items that I counted as one I now only have the ABH lipgloss to work on.  Those two blushes are still defying pan!!  I've started bringing in an alternative to use as I am a bit bored of them. 

VALM

PP list this month

Carried over:-

Soap & Glory Clean, Girls shower gel
Doctors Formula overnight face mask

The Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Butter

Korres Mango body cream

Nivea deodorant

Adding:-

Bare Minerals Gold Mask

Lacura Glycholic pads

ABC Skinwash

Protan body lotion

Kat von D Sinner perfume 10ml

The deodorant and TBC cleansers are gimme products as they will be gone very soon but leaving them in there for motivatoion.

VALM

savingfortomorrow said:

I am joining up again. 
my first use up was a cerave moisturizer tester. I used it as a hand cream and a little goes a long way so a definate item that i will buy again, 

Hi, did you actually try this on your face?  Just wondering what it is like.

VALM

First UU of the month:  Bath & Body Works Almond Blossom hand cream.  Lovely fragrance.  Would repurchase.  Am going to use a Lacura one next. x

asajj

I have sold a mini Benefit bronzer on Vinted and included 4 samples with the order so 5 outs today