No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries May 2022

VALM

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!

VALM

Pp List for May 2022

Loccitane Verbena hand cream (carried over)
Skinsense Eye Concentrate (carried over)
Perfance face mask (carried over)
Aloe Vera lip balm
Bath & Body Works Pink Chiffon Body cream
 Orly base coat
Seche Vite top coat
Skinsense Retinol serum
Smashbox eyeshadow 
The Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Butter 

i already have have some INs on the way

3 x Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - Look Fantastic were offering 20% off.

The two ladies on my team at work have birthdays next week. I have ordered a Bare Minerals Foundation kit for one (she is 40) and for the other a Bath & Body Works Body Cream. When Next first started selling B&BW I bought 2 x body washes in error as it comes in the same package as the cream. At the moment they are selling 2 for £16.00 (BOGOF) so we will both have a body wash and body cream each.

i am going to Lanzarote this month too.  No doubt I’ll buy some perfume.

Clutterbug07

Thanks for setting up the new thread, @VALM!

Project pan list 2022

• The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate - using on my hands before moisturiser
  
• Garnier Micellar Milky Cleansing Water 400ml
• Haruharu WONDER - Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner- too fragranced, am using on my hands and body.
  
• Isntree Spotsaver Mugwort Ampoule- not sure if this works for my skin, might use on body
• The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
• Simple Protect 'N' Glow Radiance Booster SPF30
• 1 x big Tresemme shampoo (my Mum had too many, so she gave me this. it's HUGE)
• MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Matte 100ml 
• Urban Decay Stay Naked Weightless Liquid
• Concrete Minerals mineral Eyeshadow in Ruse: a very dull light rusty brown colour
• 1 x e.l.f. Hydrating Satin Camo Concealer
• Lily Lolo mineral concealer
  
• Lily Lolo mineral green colour corrector
• Lily Lolo mineral yellow colour corrector
• The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C and EGF serum: kinda old and open a while, so repurposing as hand serum to combat any dark spots.
• The Inkey List Alpha Arbutin: irritated my face, so again, also using on hands to combat any dark spots.  Will take AGES to finish, you only need a tiny amount.

UU

• Garnier Micellar Milky Cleansing Water 400ml: finally finished, didn't like this very much.  It felt too thick for something to clean the face that you don't wash off- prefer regular micellar when I'm in a pinch.
• Neogen Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen- 5ml sample tube: didn't trust this SPF on my face (was a bit hoohah with Korean sunscreens a few years back, so not sure if this is one whose SPF was not what they said), so used it on my hands/arms- lovely texture, non-greasy- made the skin on my arms feel super soft.

dolly84

Thanks VALM for the new thread.

Makeup I want to finish in 2022

1. Soap & Glory nude pink eyeshadow from a quad

2. Soap & Glory dark brown eyeshadow from a quad

3. The Balm Down Boy Blush

4. Brillo lipgloss in a pale coral colour - keep this in the car to use

5. Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara mini

6. Model Co Cream Blush

7. Bare Minerals Plum Eyeliner

8. Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in rsvp

9. Max Factor Fusion Mascara

10. MAC Foundation

11. Max Factor Facefinity Foundation

12. Wet n Wild Foundation

13. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

14. Matte brown eyeshadow single (any of the ones I have taken from a palette and put into my magnetic palette.

15. Lipstick Queen Thrilller Lip Crayon

16. Revlon lip crayon in Honey

17. Bobbi Brown concealer

18. Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Will not need to buy in 2022

Shower gel of the liquid variety
Nail polish
Hair serum/oil
Makeup  (except possibly foundation and mascara) Foundation purchased in February
Perfume - was gifted one in January

May need to buy in 2022

Shampoo bar

Cleanser - one purchased in March

Facial Oil /Moisturiser - 2 oils purchased January/4 Moisturisers purchased February
Curl cream - 2 purchased January and 1 NBI April
Deodorant 

Hand cream - 2 purchased April

Foot Cream

Hair Conditioner bar/refillable bottle of conditioner

Soap

Solid shower gel bar (at the end of the year when I've used all my stash of shower gels)

Body Lotion/Bars - 2 body lotions received as a gift in March

London_baby

Thanks for the thread @VALM. In for another month.

Only thing I may need to buy is mini sunscreen for my hols, but will see if it's safe to decant what I have small in opaque spray bottles.

pinkfluffybabe

Thanks VALM for the new thread. Am back in for May.

PP List: 

Ren Evercalm Cleanser
Aveda Nutriplenish Shampoo
Sjal Face Oil
Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-in conditioner 
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
Drunk Elephant Protini Moisturiser
Arran Aromatics Fig and Ylang Ylang soap
Medik8 Serum

Summer List of 5:

Eight Hour Cream
Espa Lip Balm
Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Oil
L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
The Inkey List PHA Toner 

Hodgepodge

I'm in again for May

I pledge not to buy any toiletries / skincare / makeup / SPF this month!!

There, I have said it now 

Clutterbug07

INS

• Mad About Skin- Got You Covered Super Serum: replacement. Is my Vit C and azelaic acid. :-:smile:
• Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Age Super UV Protection Cream with Hyaluronic Acid SPF50: replacement.  A different one to the stingy Garnier one from before- this one is a cream and the other was a shakey bottle, and this one alcohol isn't the second ingredient, so fingers crossed.
  
• Soltan Once Face Advanced 8 hour Protection SPF 50+: backup incase the Garnier is stingy.  But I also use this if I am going to be out all day as it is long lasting, so I use these two for different circumstances.
  
• Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance free 4 hr water resist lotion: replacement for last years body sunscreen which is now expired.
  

VALM

Another UU :  Benefit Bad Gal Bang mini mascara.  HG.  More in stash.

dolly84

uu

Ojon Damage Reverse Serum - this has been in my life for a very, very long time.  Does anyone remember the hype around this brand?  I don't think they even exist anymore.  Nice product but glad to see it moved out of the stash.

VALM

dolly84 said:

uu

Ojon Damage Reverse Serum - this has been in my life for a very, very long time.  Does anyone remember the hype around this brand?  I don't think they even exist anymore.  Nice product but glad to see it moved out of the stash.

I think Ojon was bought by Estée Lauder. The guy who owned Ojon now has a brand called Tweak’d which is sold on QVC. He claims he came out of retirement because he was formulating the products for his mom when she got sick. Used to like watching him because he was proper eye candy but nowadays he has this awful greasy man bun which isn’t a great ad for the products. Reminds me of Soul Glo from Coming to America. Have tried a couple of the products but they never did anything for me.