No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries October 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 October, where is 2021 going! 

My PP List for October:

Arran Aromatics Shower Gel
Drunk Elephant Protini Moisturiser
Medik8 Calmwise Serum
Ren Rose Body Lotion
Aveda Hand Repair
The Ordinary Niacinimide and Zinc
Aveda Nutriplenish Shampoo
Aveda Nutriplenish Conditioner 

Winter 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

dolly84

Thanks for the new thread pfb.

October PP List

Philosophy Amazing Grace Body Lotion 498ml - b/f from September

Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Shower Gel 100ml

Philosophy Living Grace Shower Gel 240ml

Avon Cherish EDP

Clearasil Soap Bar - this was DD's but it broke her out, I don't know where she bought it as it seems to be mainly on ebay.  I'm using it as facial soap and rather like it.

Avon Pomegranate & Peony Bubble Bath 1L

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 - keep this in the car to use

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 - bought a heel/foot cream from Avon
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 - 1 bought in September
Facial Oil - bought in May
Curl cream  - 1 purchased
Deodorant  - bought Salt of the Earth balm in September
Hand cream - bought in May and August & September

VALM

Thanks for the new thread pinkfluffybabe. Still have the following left from my last  PP List:-

BlabzBeautyBar Coconut cuticle oil

Ultrasun Factor 30 face 

Skinsense Neck and Décolleté Cream 

Skinsense Overnight Leave On mask

The Inkey List Vitamin C serum

Liz Earle /Lacura toner

Dove body lotion

Will add :-
Elemis Papaya Enzyme peel (50ml I think)
skin Sense facial oil
Ultrasun tinted Factor 30
Loccitane hand cream
Essie Scrub
Rituals hand cream
Lacura Glycolic pads

The cuticle oil and SPF should be finished very soon.

VALM

UU Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel. This was a 25ml tube. This is a nice product but I don’t buy Elemis anymore. Have found cheaper alternatives. This was probably a gift with purchase.

VALM

UU The Inkey List Niacinamide.  Love this product and have repurchased, in readiness.

VALM

UU Bare Minerals Original Foundation.  I have been using these up as setting powder.  Have one pot left and then will probably try the new BM pressed Mineral Veil.

dolly84

uu

Philosophy Pure Grace Shower Gel 240ml - I thought this was Living Grace, nice scent but they don't linger on the skin which is a shame for the price.  Quite a few more Grace shower gels in the stash, mainly Amazing I think.

VALM

UU OPI Flower to Flower nail colour.  This was pretty old.  I remember I bought it from QVC back in the day when OPI used to make colours exclusively for them.  It was a colour similar to Elephantastic Pink which I love. 

TA Barry M Fortune Teller Glitter top coat.  The bars of glitter are to large for me to get even coverage easily.  Life's too short to try and make this work. 

shed35

My first update for October

Could not resist the Molton Brown TSV on QVC.  But here we is my first October Update

IN

Child's Farm Body Moisturiser  - 1
Molton Brown Body Wash  - 2
Molton Brown Hand Wash - 2
Molton Brown Travel Size Body Wash - 4

UU

Child's Farm Body Moisturiser  - 1
Avon Supreme Hair Shampoo - 1
Waitrose Essential Cleansing and Exfoliating Powder - 1
Kaolin Clay Face Cleanser - 1
Rose Organics Rose Geranium Ylang Ylang Oil - 1
All Round Organic Skin Balm - 1

Total 107

VALM

2 UUs

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. Have another in stash.

BlabzBeautyBar cuticle oil. I have another that is in the pen applicator format. I’m more likely to repurchase this product in the pen format rather than the bottle as it’s easier to dispense.

i have also hit pan on another eyeshadow- Colourpop Beauty and the beast.