No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries May

asajj

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 london_baby 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

Also, why not reward your efforts by banking and recycling your use ups/throw aways with Boots scan2recycle points at participating Boots stores: Recycle at Boots - Get rewarded for recycling - Boots 

Alternatively, simply drop them off at Maybelline Recycling points: www.maybelline.co.uk . Unfortunately, you won't be rewarded for the latter but the earth will thank you :-)

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!

asajj

Hi everyone, I started us off, hopefully, that's ok.

I have a list again


- Japanfusion Hydra Prep Lotion
- Clinique Supercharged Serum
- Estee  Lauder Take it Away Makeup Remover Lotion
- Clarins Lip Oil Mini
- BarryM Apple Lip Scrub
- Hydra Activ HA+ Day Cream
- Clinique Superdefense SPF 40 Gel (mini)

getmyacttogether2016

Thanks asajj for starting us of this month.

I’m in again and will update my pp later once I can get to my list upstairs.  Currently have one of my cats sleeping on my lap. 🥰🥰

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread asajj.

May PP List

Peppermint Foot Cream - b/f from April

Tresemme Perfectly Undone Condtioner - b/f from April

Ed Hardy Original EDP 100ml - b/f from April

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Body Lotion 500ml

Rose & Frankincense Skin Cream 60g - b/f from April

Body Shop Wild Argan Shower Gel 250ml

Elemis Sharp Shower 300ml

My 7 by Summer list

1.  No7 Lip Crayon in Statement

2. Barbara Daly Trade Secrets Sheer lip melt in Adorable b/f from the last challenge

4. Miss Sporty Stick Concealer - b/f from the last challenge

5. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

6. Soap & Glory nude eyeshadow from quad

7.  Bare Minerals Eyeliner in Plum - b/f from the last challenge

Will not need to buy in 2021.

Shower gel
Body moisturiser
Hair conditioner/hair masks
Foot cream
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup (4 x foundations purchased in January)
Perfume
Bubble Bath - 1 bottle in the stash them I intend to make my own bath oils

May need to buy in 2021

Shampoo bar - 4 bought in April
Cleanser
Facial Oil - am using the last one so I have ordered a replacement 
Curl cream
Deodorant
Hand cream - will be buying ingredients to make my own - said this but have actually ordered one from a small producer in plastic free packaging.

I have placed an order with a small producer for facial soap, hand cream, facial oil, face cream and a trial size eye cream.  They are all hand made, organic, vegan and plastic free.

sstevo19

Thanks for starting us off asajj  

I will post my PP list soon  

pinkfluffybabe

Thanks for the new thread asajj 

Back in for May. Most of the PP list nearing the end so hopefully this month...

PP List:
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
Aveda Cherry Conditioner
Natural Siberia Shampoo
Origins Ginger Body Cream
Nature Siberia Shower Gel
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
Bamboo Hair Oil
Ren Evercalm Cleanser

Seven for Summer List:
Eight Hour Cream
Midnight Recovery Concentrate
This Works Eye Cream
Phillip Kingsley Elasticiser
The Inkey List PHA Toner
Burts Bees Lip Balm
Espa Lip Balm

VALM

Thanks asajj for the new thread.

my scores for April were 20 UU, 13 GA/TA and 16 INs

PP List
Bath & Body Works Pink Cashmere shower gel
BlabzBeautyBar Coconut cuticle oil
The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream 
Skinsense Retinol Body cream
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
Lacura Glycolic pads
Liz Earle Skin Repair
SBC Salicylic Body wash
Skinsense Day Cream
Skinsense Vitamin Complex serum

Yesterday I UUed a Skinsense serum.  Not a fan of the fragrance. Have another in stash and may look to sell it. Will mix the Vitamin Complex serum in with my LE Skin Repair for now.

dolly84

I've been having a little declutter in advance of taking/sending my makeup empties to recycling. 

Body Shop Lightening Touch Highlighter Pen - ages ago I gave this to DD but her skin reacts really, really badly to it so it came back to me and I haven't touched it, I tried it today and it seems to have separated.  WNBA

Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess Quad - in all honesty this is nothing special, I have used one shade a fair bit but I have so many other colours which are almost the same as it, CT product are over hyped imo and overpriced.  WNBA

NYX Jumbo Eye Crayon in Yoghurt - this is a pretty colour, over the last 4 days I have tried it with UD Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, no primer and today primer and then set with shadow which defeats the whole object of the product.  It creases badly within a few hours.  WDNBA.

I have cleaned out my makeup drawer and wiped down all my palettes etc and they all look so much better for it.

asajj

dolly84 said:

I've been having a little declutter in advance of taking/sending my makeup empties to recycling. 

Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess Quad - in all honesty this is nothing special, I have used one shade a fair bit but I have so many other colours which are almost the same as it, CT product are over hyped imo and overpriced.  WNBA

I feel the same about CT products.

I had a long bike ride this morning so needed a hot bath afterward. I used the last bits of a bottle of M&S bath foam and some bath oil I bought from Etsy a while back. Also UU'ed a pack of bath salts, again from Etsy.

dolly84

uu

Rituals Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel 200ml - lovely scent but these cans don't last very long.

shed35

Hi

This is my first update for May

UU
Balmond Skin Balm
Weleda Almond Facial Oil
L'Occitaine Verbana Sanitiser
Neroli and Orange Blossoms Body Soak Crystals
Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel

IN
T'Weak Volumising Scrub
T'Weak Conditioner Mist

Total 118