No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries September 2021

pinkfluffybabe

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

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!

pinkfluffybabe

Back in for September...

My PP List for September:

Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
Medik8 Calmwise Serum
Origins Souffle Body Lotion
Aveda Hand Repair
The Ordinary Niacinimide and Zinc
Drunk Elephant Protini
Aveda Nutriplenish Shampoo
Aveda Nutriplenish Conditioner 

Autumn List of 7:

Eight Hour Creme
Midnight Recovery Concentrate
This Works Eye Cream
Elacticiser
The Inkey List PHA Toner
Burts Bees Lip Balm
Espa Lip Balm

VALM

Thanks for the new thread pink fluffybabe. I’d like to say I’ll be good this month but it’s not going to happen due to some INs already and a Colourpop Mystery Bix which appears to be enjoying a road trip through the USA at the moment. So new INs

Urban Decay lipstick in Firebird. A YouTuber that I like has been panning a sample of this and it looked gorgeous on her. I don’t have any colour like it. Think I may apply a face today to try it out.

A Facebook Seller was selling my favourite eye cream (Skin Sense Retinol Eye Concentrate) for £5. Plus p&p and fees. It retails for £23.so a bargain.

Finish 7 by Autumn 

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

Too Faced Push Up Eyeshadow.  Goal to finish.

Benefit  Hoola - mini sample. Goal to finish 

Colourpop Champagne Miami - some windows in the packaging. DONE. Have ordered a new one.

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

Rituals handcream 

Essie cuticle scrub 

VALM

PP List

 BlabzBeautyBar Coconut cuticle oink

Ultrasun Factor 30 face 

Skinsense Neck and Décolleté Cream 

Skinsense Overnight Leave On mask

ABC Skin Wash

ABC Body Lotion

Dove body lotion

Lush Rose Jam shower gel

Lacura/Liz Earle Tonic

The Confort Zone face cream

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread pfb.

September PP List

Peppermint Foot Cream - b/f from forever

Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel 498ml

Philosophy Amazing Grace Body Lotion 498ml

Philosophy Sunshine Grace EDP

My 7 by Christmas list

1.  Revolution Foundation Stick - b/f from last challenge

2. Soap & Glory dark brown eyeshadow from a quad

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

4. Brillo lipgloss in a pale coral colour

5. Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara mini - b/f from last challenge

6. Model Co Cream Blush - would like to hit pan on this - b/f from last challenge

7. Smiths Rosebud Salve - b/f from 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 - bought in May
Curl cream  - 1 on order
Deodorant
Hand cream - bought in May and August

dolly84

First uu for September

Tresemme Perfectly Undone Conditioner - nice but WNBA, it is only the silicones that fool you into thinking it is actually doing anything.  I have one large tub of hair mask to use which I am decanting into a smaller pot to use in the shower and I also have a conditioner bar to use the rest of the time.

Murphybear

Help, I think I need you 

Ive been on MSE for years but new to this.  Sorry if this post ends up lengthy and I’m glad I’m not alone.

My husband threatened me with a therapist because of the amount of unused “lotions and potions” I have.

I have 3 main weaknesses

First is beauty Advent calendars (BAC).  There are only 2 of us at Christmas (plus the cat) so few presents so he buys me a BAC and I buy myself one.  It’s so much fun getting a “present” every day in December.  Most of the products are gorgeous but I have draws full of them.

I don’t normally wear mascara as my eyelashes are very sparse and an eye pencil/kohl lasts forever and I get one of each in every BAC.  

I have some big eyeshadow palettes in exotic shades and which go for £40 on eBay/Amazon.  The joy of BACs is that you get a lot of the cult brands to try.  

The biggest haul is the number of things you can put on your face.  Apart from the usual cleanser, toner and moisturiser there are sprays, serums, primers, balms etc.  

I have face masks, eye masks, hand masks and foot masks.

I’m slowly working my way through everything.  I went to M & S yesterday.  They have revamped their beauty department and I was amazed to see that they now sell most of these cult brands.

 Second  is QVC

Some of their offers are pretty good but when I buy a collection there is usually one product which I rarely use.  I have 2 giant bottles of Gatineau eye make up remover.  Unused.  eBay perhaps

Third is TKMaxx.  Since we moved 3 years ago there is one close by.  Their toiletry/cosmetics Dept is big and there are bargains galore.  I bought some Percy & Reed shampoo yesterday for about a third of the usual price.  At least that will be used up.

DH says I have too much nail varnish.  My usual response is “you can’t have too much nail varnish”.  I tried taking some of it charity shops but most of them won’t take it.  I’ll just have to keep painting my nails.  My finger nails are peacock at the moment and my toenails are mermaid green.

it’s been fun typing this and very therapeutic.  

It’s my birthday on Tuesday.  Should I have an expensive meal or a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick?  I got one on eBay and it’s gorgeous.

Could we have a similar thread for earrings? 

VALM

Welcome Murphybear. You are in good company here. Take some time and make a list of how many items you have in each category. Then when the BACs are released, do some research. Find a list of the items or watch an unboxing on YouTube. If there is a product that is unique to your collection consider is it worth paying the price of the whole calendar for that item alone.  Same goes for QVC. That was my particular demon with the “phenomenal “ ml for ml value. There’s enough information on Facebook to establish days ahead of the price and contents of each kit and there’s even a page for selling items on. 

VALM

First first UU of the month - LUSH Rose Jam. Poured the last into my bath yesterday so I can return the bottle today.

pinkfluffybabe

Welcome murphybear! 

You are definitely in the right place. 

One of the things I've done in doing my spreadsheet of products and tracking ins and outs is noting how many of each thing I use in a year. It's nowhere near as much as you would think so it's a good way to get things in perspective.  It's not good value if it sits in a drawer for two years waiting to be used. 

I'm still trying to get my overall stash under 50 items but I'm a long way from where I was at the start with overfilled drawers and stuffed toiletries bags! 

dolly84

Welcome murphybear.

I used to be the same, cutting down on the amount of plastic I use helped me completely break the buying habit, nearly everything comes in plastic so until that changes I will only buy from sustainable brands. 

uu

Philosophy Sunshine Grace EDP 60ml - I hadn't realised it was nearly done, I love this and WBA.  I still have a lot of perfume to get through so it will be a few years before I buy any.