No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries July 2021

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 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!

sstevo19

My first UU of the month:

Oral B Satin Tape 25m - WDBA and have done. One of my essentials.

VALM

Thanks for the new thread ssteveo. 

My PP List this month 

BlabzBeautyBar Coconut cuticle oil

Liz Earle Skin Repair 

Alpha H Balancing Cleanser
Skinsense eye cream
Ultrasun Factor 30 face 

Skinsense Neck and Décolleté Cream 

Skinsense Overnight Leave On mask

Perfance Green Clay Mask

Herbal Essence Coconut Milk Shampoo 

Herbal Essence Coconut Milk Conditioner

Everything, with the exception of the neck cream and leave on mask feels like it will go this month.

VALM

Finish 7 by Autumn 

MAC Live the genie life - one of the shadows in my Pan that palette. Goal to finish

Too Faced Silk Teddy - I don’t like this eyeshadow. Trying to use it as highlighter. Goal to finish.

Benefit  Hoola - mini sample. Goal to finish 

Colourpop Champagne Miami - some windows in the packaging. Goal to finish 

Hourglass Edit 4 collectively to hit pan - 2 blush, 1 highlighter 

Rituals handcream 

Essie cuticle scrub 

Want to finish the handcream and cuticle scrub l

pinkfluffybabe

Thanks for the new thread sstevo, I'm back in for July.

PP List:

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
Ren Evercalm Cleanser
Arran Aromatics Shower Gel
Aromatherapy Associates Overnight Mask
Ren Rose Shower Gel
Drunk Elephant Protini Moisturiser
Aveda Hand Repair
Medik8 Calmwise Serum
 
Seven for Autumn 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

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread sstevo19

July PP List

Peppermint Foot Cream - b/f from forever

Cowshed Body Lotion 300ml

Philosophy Coconut Frosting Shower Gel 498ml

L'eau D'Issey Shower Cream 50ml

L'eau D'issey Body Lotion 50ml

Rose Face Cream 60g

My 7 by Autumn list

1.  Revolution Foundation Stick

2. Stila Eyeshadow in a champagne pink (this is a tiny pan taken from a palette)

3. Stila Eyeshadow in a dark matt pink/brown (this is a tiny pan taken from a palette)

4. L'oreal Lipstick in Sweet Berry

5. Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara mini

6. Model Co Cream Blush - would like to hit pan on this

7. Smiths Rosebud Salve

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 - bought in May
Curl cream
Deodorant
Hand cream - bought in May

[Deleted User]

Hi, I haven't joined in the last couple of months but would like to rejoin this month please. I found that I'm not using things regularly again by not being in this challenge.  I am away from home just now and will.post my new lists once I get home. Thanms for the new thread.

shed35

HI 

Since trying to use up for my toiletries from Christmas and my birthday.  Here is my update for July

UU

Avon Sensitive Sun Care Face and Body  Cream SPF50
Avon Supreme Shampoo
Weleda Facial Oil
Burt Bees Camomile and Bark Facial Cleanse

IN
L'occitanine Verbana Sanitiser Hand Gel

Total 123

asajj

Hi all, thanks for the new thread 

I have TA Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment as it was almost 6 years old and gone gloopy. It is actually very effective but I don't get blemishes as much anymore and use other products on them when I do, so WNBA.

Also UU'ed a small pot of Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Face cream. This was a GWP and I don't really like how it feels after the use so WNBA.

I GA some wax strips on Olio as I don't use strips anymore.

Hoping to go through some more products this month. I have shopped at LookFantastic and Boots but list is long to list here, everything was things I needed or replacing something else.

London_baby

Thanks for the new thread, sstevo.

UU:

Sleek CC cream - WNBA, as now there are more brands for my skin tone (thanks Fenty!), but will try to support here and there as they were the only drugstore brand catering for darker tones at that time. Have one more in stash this is half-empty.

In:

Altruist Dry Skin repair cream

dolly84

uu

LyonsLeaf Beauty Balm 60g - love this and have more in the stash.

Cowshed Body Lotion 300ml