No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries November 2022

Hodgepodge

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!

Clutterbug07

Thanks for the new thread, @Hodgepodge!

Starting the month with a few 'giveaways' of nail polish.  I went through and tried out my least used polishes, one on each nail, and found 3 to give away.  Have brought them into the office (along with Banana Split from last month) to see if anyone wants them.  If they don't, they'll go in the bin, but wanted to try and not be wasteful first!

GA

• Barry M Nail Paint in Raspberry: bit thin, prefer a gelly finish, and the colour is nothing special on me.
• Barry M Gelly in Tangerine: lovely bright orange, but a bit much on both toe and finger.  Also a little thin.
• Barry M Molten Metals in Fuchsia Kiss: love this colour, all pretty and sparkly, but just don't love it on me. 

Clutterbug07

PP list

I haven't been working on my list items much, so something to crack on with this month and make a concerted effort!  Got through 2 items off the list last month (TIL peptide moisturiser and small John Frida frizz ease)- why didn't I at least use up the rituals body lotion??? It's tiny, and would be done in like 2-3 applications!

• Haruharu WONDER - Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner: got down to halfway, which is good since I use it on hands and body, not face, so maybe only a couple of times a week.
  
• Isntree Spotsaver Mugwort Ampoule
• Simple Protect 'N' Glow Radiance Booster SPF30: I don't reach for this at all, but I think weirdly I'll use this more as it gets colder and my skin gets drier. 
  
• 1 x big Tresemme shampoo (my Mum had too many, so she gave me this. it's HUGE)
• Concrete Minerals mineral Eyeshadow in Ruse: a very dull light rusty brown colour- v boring!  I try to use it on WFH days when noone will see me.. 
  
• Lily Lolo mineral concealer
  
• Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drops: not sure about this, has EGF so am not sure I really want to use it.  Using up on my hands/body.
  
• Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum: soooooooooooo fragranced. Using up on hands/body.
• Sukin Original Hydrating mist toner: too rose fragranced for me. Used it a lot when it was boiling hot to refresh my skin without worrying about wasting it. Got under half left, so gonna use it before it gets too chilly!
  
• Rituals body lotion- 30ml travel size: think got this at a hotel, feels like clutter, would like it gone.

dolly84

Thanks Hodgepodge for the new thread.

My regular list for this year carries on.

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 - has fallen apart and I am using it from little pot

3. The Balm Down Boy Blush - lots of pan and product thin in other areas

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 - starting to dry out a bit now

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 - using this regularly on non work days

17. Bobbi Brown concealer

18. Too Faced Shadow Insurance - use this regularly but still loads left, or it could be air.

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, another purchased in June

Soap - 3 minis brought home from a holiday

May need to buy in 2022

Shampoo bar - 2 purchased June, 7 purchased August

Cleanser - one purchased in March, one purchased October

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

Hand cream - 2 purchased April, 1 purchased June

Foot Cream

Hair Conditioner bar/refillable bottle of conditioner

Solid shower gel bar - 4 puchased May, 2 purchased June

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

Still plodding on.

ruby_eskimo

Thanks for the new thread @Hodgepodge

Just updated my October totals on the old thread and here's my new PP list for November:

Nars Afterglow Lipbalm
Biossance Rose and Vitamin C Oil
4 Sheet Masks
UD Chopper eyeshadow
Cath Kidston Body Lotion
The Body Shop Kindness and Pears Body Butter
Versed Dew Point Moisturiser
1 Perfume sample

I can only think of 8 things I want to focus on but I'm pretty sure I can finish a few more things that aren't on the list without focusing too much on them.

Already have a couple of UU's for the month:

Superdrug Active Femenine Wash - enough said really

La Roche Posay Anthelios Dry Touch Gel Cream SPF 50+ - this is my HG SPF I think, sinks in nicely and works.  Have replaced with another Nivea Matte that I liked before but this one appears to be different...same packaging but purchased from a different retailer and doesn't appear to be as matte as the last batch I had 🤨

Clutterbug07

UU

• The Body Shop- Rose shower gel:  Ran out of liquid hand soap so decided to re-purpose this shower gel.  It was a gift with purchase and I don't really like rose-scent, so I figure just use it up as a hand soap and get it out of the flat.  Technically I decanted it today so it isn't 'used up' yet, but I will forget otherwise so putting it on here now since I have the empty container.

VALM

I'm in, as per usual.  Thanks for the new thread Hodgepogde.

My PP list

Carried over:-

Skinsense Overnight Mask - this really needs to go this month!

Paula's Choice exfoliator (only a small size but a little seems to go a very long way)

Morphe Jacqueline Hiill On Camera eyeshadow (from the Ring the Alarm palette) - now depotted

Elemis Toner - nearly done

Ulstrasun SPF - can never tell how much is in there

MAC Primer (feels very light)

Added:-

Hado Lado face cream

Prai hand cream

This Works Body Butter (tube cut open)

Marseille lavender soap

UU so far:-

John Frieda red shampoo.  I'm thinking of investing in some Amika products but waiting for Black Friday.

M&S Discover perfume vials in Gardenia and Vanilla (though I may have mentioned this last month) and Orange Blosso  Amber.  I liked both of these and would re-purchase. Wearing Red Berries & Rose now.

ruby_eskimo

Morning, have another couple of UU to report:

TBS Kindness and Pears Body Butter - thought this was going to last a bit longer than it did but oh well 😆  Really enjoyed the scent and the texture and it absorbed really well.  Have replaced with a raspberry one from the stash

Corsodyl Daily Defence Mouth Wash - have to use this according to my dentist and it does actually work I guess 😒  Have another one in the stash and need to keep an eye out for it on offer somewhere as it's expensive!

VALM

I have decided to throw away a couple of make up items:-

Urban Decay Naked palette - the original one.  Pulled it out to try the shadows but they are chalky and each one creased on me.

Too Faced Melted Matte liquid lipstick in Candy Cane Lane.  I've tried to make this work but it now feels gritty and I can see a bit of windowing so I think I've given it a good shot.

VALM

Another UU - M&S Discover fragrance Red Berries and Rose.  Not a fan of this one. Won't repurchase.

Clutterbug07

UU

• Revolution Hydrate & Fix Fixing Spray 100ml: I liked this, my skin has been looking nice and glowy, so purchased this again already
• Maybelline Falsies mascara- Black (waterproof):  One of my absolute faves, but it's dried out now and hard work and open for approx 4 months, so it's done! WDBA, but have a load of other mascaras to use, that I think were gifts with purchase, so mascara might be a bit crap from here on out
  
• Barry M Fine Glitter Dust:  I cannot tell you which # this is as it has rubbed off, it *might* be 23.  It's basically a glitter in a white-ish (not v white) base, I use on my browbone area when doing my eyeshadow. I'm sad it's run out.  I have plenty of other colours in this family, but none so sparkly. Sadtimes 

Throw Away

• Umberto Gianni- Mermaid Hair Volume Mousse:  Really don't like this, every time I use it, I hate how my hair looks (stringy and crunchy, NOT mermaidy!)- it's time it goes in the bin and I stop pretending I'll ever use it up.

INS

• The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density 60ml: Replacement.  Going to try and be better at applying this religiously the night before hairwashing morning.
• Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover: Sometimes balms/oil cleanse don't take off 100% of my waterproof eye makeup, so this is my back up.  A replacement as my current one is about to finish, I love this one.
  
• Revolution Hydrate & Fix Fixing Spray 100ml: replacement for the one I used up.  Like it, lasts a bit longer than the ELF one too.
  
• Pampers babywipes- Coconut Pure Protection: replacement for the ones I used up.  Handy to have around, and these have that good airtight clip so don't dry out.