No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries August 2020

sstevo19

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.

July 2020

VALM

Thanks for the new thread.  PP List

The Ordinary Rose Hip oil - at least 2/3rds left. Will be carried over 
Elemis Apricot Toner - about 2/3rds left.  Will be carried over.

Benefit Goofproof pencil - still in use. Will be carried over.

MAC Prep & Prime Radiance Primer - this is very nearly done. Will replace with a Bare Minerals deluxe size.

Cerave moisturiser (20g) - this is very nearly done too. Will replace with The Inkey List Vitamin C Serum.

Elemis Lime Blossom Cleanser - about 1/5 left. Will be carried over.

Bath & Body Works A Thousand Wishes shower gel
Bath & Body Works Body Cream. Tube cut open.
The Inkey List Lactic acid
Colourpop lip scrub. It’s being neglected.

I UU The Inkey List Caffeine eye cream today. I loved this but have a Skinsense one to try next. 

sstevo19

My PP list for the month:

Soltan Protect & Moisturise Active Suncare Stick SPF30 5g
Soltan Protect & Moisturise Spray SPF50+ 50ml

Not many items but I'm also going to focus on using up all the samples I have. 

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread sstevo.  Despite being quiet in July I am in again.

August PP List

Mitchum Shower Fresh Stick Deoderant - b/f from July

Garnier Summer Body 400ml - b/f from July

Le Soft Stick Perfume - b/f from July

Lee Stafford Argan Oil - b/f from July

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Shower Gel 500ml

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Body Lotion 500ml

Lee Stafford Growth Treatment

My 7 by Autumn

1. Gosh Brow Kit (has 3 shades and a wax but I only use the darkest shade for brows)

2. Burts Bees Lip Shimmer - Strawberry

3. Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain in Lovesick

4. Barbara Daly Trade Secrets Sheer lip melt in Adorable

5. Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara

6.  Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink

7.  Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

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) - already purchased
Perfume
Bubble Bath

May need to buy in 2020

Shampoo bar - bought 4 in July.
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

dolly84

uu

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - I find this works well for me and have already replaced it.

July was such a slow month but the stash is going in the right direction.  We are doing a lot of work on our house this year (not much else to do), we started another room on Friday so this month will be extreme DIY, showers and hand cream.

ponypal

7 by Autumn update

1. Elemis superfood facial wash UU June

2. Phytema Active Lotion against hair loss TA July:  as this was not a UU I am going to switch in LUSH Snowflake Body Lotion which I want to use up before xmas 

3. Yaoh Organic moisturiser

4. Green People Vita min fix 24 hour cream - keep forgetting to use this!

5. Mroobest anti-hair loss Shampoo UU June

6. COOP Pomegranate Soap - making good progress...

7. One nail polish - the one I am focusing on is Barry M Cardamom and I'm making progress but I am bored with it! Really enjoying painting my nails more this year though.

Nothing I need at the moment... I've been trying co-washing since I UU my last shampoo and will try and keep it up

lantanna

Forgot to add in Batistie Dry Shampoo for brown hair yesterday. Shouldn’t have any ins this month apart from LF sub box.

savingfortomorrow

In 2 concealers  and one gel eye liner.
Out estee lauder take it off cleanser.
I made a lot of progress in July but not a lot of empties. 

shed35

Hi
This is my is first update for August

UU 
Supedrug B Micellar Water
Palmoliver Children Bath and Shower Wash 
Waitrose Lime Basil Soap x 2
Happy Natural Argan Oil and Shea Butter Body Cream
Tea Tree Essential Oil x 2
M&S Shea Butter Lip Balm

Total = 105

asajj

Thank you for the new thread, i'm in and started the month by binning a very old Trilogy cleanser as it smelt awful!

fellowhuman

i love this!
what i've got:

• soap bars - i got like 4 at the moment, using 2 and i do have this 5th one but it's got cinnamon that i'm allergic to so i may have to bin it
• got some left over Johnson baby bubble bath that doubles as body wash t
• shampoo 500ml
• in shower body moisturiser 500ml
• shampoo bar - bad. big mistake. also i discovered through it that i'm allergic to rosemary

thanks to the masks i wear less makeup - so just eye concealer (just bought new!) , eyebrow pencil and mascara. 

Skincare Hack  - I use to use The Ordinary Rosehip Oil but for the same price you can just buy Rosehip oil off of those DIY skincare supply stores. Alot more for alot cheaper. like £11.63 for 125ml of it vs The Ordinary where it's £9 for 30ml 

I make some of my own skincare so that's how i know about ^ and i've made a bunch of my own stuff that i'm using up so i don't need to buy that stuff from stores. That's been economical and has helped me with saving for botox and redness + vein removal around my nose