No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries February 2024

Clutterbug07

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.

Thanks to @@pinkfluffybabe  for starting last month's thread.

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

Slightly early since it's technically still January, but thought I'd get cracking since I go by payday months.... read into that what you will! 


PP list- 24 for 24: 1 gone so far!

1)      Tony Moly - The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Skin toner: tbh I think the TM toner is actually gone, as I kept topping up the bottle with other toners!  But since I called the toners I used to top up the bottle the empties, and not the TM one, I will say that I still have this to use up.  I wont refill now, and then when finished the bottle I can finally call the TM toner an empty!

2)      Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Body Oil- I WILL use this this year!!

3)      LilyLolo Mineral Blush- Goddess: a deeper more rusty rose red colour. I actually quite like this now after trying to pan it last year, so I'd rather it wasn't gone, but I've started so now I have to finish!

4)      Benefit Gogo Tint: bright cherry lip n cheek tint.  Probs will last a hundred years!

5)      Sugarpill loose eyeshadow in Absinthe:  A sparkly green, of which I have many.

6)      Sugarpill loose eyeshadow in Penelope:  a super reflective metallic copper with extra large particles. Too flakey and annoying, and not really my colour.

7)      Isntree - Onion Newpair Essence Toner:  expired, will use on body.

8)      COSRX - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence:  expired, will use on body.

9)      DR. CEURACLE Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence:  expired, will use on body.

10)   Lilylolo lipstick in Love Affair:  browny nude sheer shade- very balmy.

11)   Barry M eyeshadow pot in 44:  a copper shimmer

12)   Ample N Ceramide Shot Ampoule:   expired, will use on body.

13)   Mad About Skin antioxidant cream:  expired, will use on body.

14)   DERMATORY - Hypoallergenic Cica Gel Cream 50ml

15)   NEOGEN - Dermalogy White Truffle Serum In Oil Drop

16)   Benton - Deep Green Tea Toner: expired, will use on body.

17)   The Body Shop- Body Yogurt in Strawberry

18)   I'm from - Mugwort Essence

19)   MAC Black Cherry Glow Play Lipbalm:  bought in 2021.... probably should use this up now!

20)   No 7 Hydraluminous lipbalm in Coral  DONE!

21)   Skin1004 Brightening ampoule toner: used this on my neck for a few weeks before Christmas and no adverse reaction, so might attempt this on my actual face soon!!

22)   Collection- Gloss Me Up lipgloss in Lychee: pretty shiny gloss in a peachy dusty pink colour. Not far off being done.

23)   Collection - Gloss Me Up lipgloss in Pink Fizz:  a pink sparkly lipgloss that I LOVE- it’s very fun and silly!  It’s almost finished.

24)   The Body Shop hand cream in Winter Jasmine

A few UUs

• No 7 Hydraluminous lipbalm in Coral: first item from my PP list gone!  Have been literally scraping this out, but cannae scrape no more, so calling it.  Really like this balm, slight peachy colour, easy to apply and comfortable- WBA but not right now as I have other balmy products.
• Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover: I'm going to see how I do without this for now.  I have jojoba-sea buckthorn oil I can use to swipe any eye makeup remnants away, and then I can get rid of residue oil with some miscellar.  The oil needs using up so will see how it goes.  If this makes my eyes all blurry or my eyelids too greasy that it messes with my makeup then I will repurchase the Nivea.  
  

IN

• Tesco- Refreshing Eye Drops: replacement for the ones that ran out at the weekend.

VALM

Thanks for the new thread @Clutterbug07 and congrats on finishing your first Finish 24 in 2024 product.  I'm hoping to finish my MUA Cupcake blush which will be my first from my 24 in 2024 list.

Here's my Feb PP List
Carried forward 

Nip & FAB wipes

Skinsense Mask

Pure toner

Q&A Grapefruit cleanser 

Lacura Vitamin C and Turmeric serum

ELF Concealer

Bondi Sands SPF

Q&A Amino Acid moisturiser

Added 

Ghost

The Inkey List Retinol Serum

I already have some INS.  I placed a Q&A order because they had 15% off and I needed to get a replacement mousturiser. I got this, my Grapefruit cleanser and a Vitamin C eye cream.

I also repurchased my Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser last night and bought their deodarant to try.  

I need to repurchase my ABC Skinwash and am hoping for a QVC TSV this month.

Watty1

I'm reliving my youth and have purchased a cake mascara.  It is an "in".  It was not 'needed' but the one I do have is making very little difference to my lashes so a purchase.  Not great as I am trying to have a no spend year!

VALM

First UU - Aveda hair repair cream. I have been using this as conditioner because I found I never used it as intended because I would forget to apply it prior to showering. All the hair products I own were either gifted to me or I got as a GWP. Ive lookedvup the price of this and cant believe it is £36.50!  WNBA. I dont think it does anymore than normal conditioner.

Im hoping its going to be a productive week for finishing items. Ill be focusing on:-
Elf concealer - removed the stopper yesterday
Lacura Vitamin C serum
Q^A Grapefruit Cleanse - the tube is cut open
MUA Cupcake blush
Laura Geller Peach Sorbet lipgloss
Ghost mini perfume.

I am going to Next today as Bath & Body Works have an offer on hand soaps. Wont repurchade the M&S ones as they dont lather.

VALM

Bath and Body Works had a sale on.  I ended up with 2 x handwash at £5. each, a body lotion reduced to £7., a shower gel for MrM reduced to £8.00, a hand cream at full price (because I dont have any that are rich enough for Winter) plus the 3 x handwash that I got on offer.

pinkfluffybabe

Back in for February, thanks for the new thread Clutterbug07

PP List:

Fresh Grapefruit Shower Gel
Aveda Nutriplenish Conditioner
Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In Conditioner
Laura Mercier Handcreme
Cerave Hydrating cleanser
Paula's Choice gel to cream cleanser
Chanel Coco Noir
E45 Body Lotion

Clutterbug07

Small UU over the weekend

• Little sample tube- Lancome Idole Now perfume:  was nice, but I wouldn't buy it.

Hit two pans as well which was fun!  Two Faced Light my Fire Palette- the shade Munchies (a light peachy colour I use for blending out), and Beauty Bay Pastels Palette this morning - the shade Golden Hour (a pastel orangey colour I use for blending out)- there is a theme    

VALM

Here's my updated PP List
Carried forward 

Nip & FAB wipes

Skinsense Mask

Pure toner

Q&A Grapefruit cleanser 

Lacura Vitamin C and Turmeric serum

ELF Concealer

Bondi Sands SPF

Q&A Amino Acid moisturiser

Added 

Ghost

The Inkey List Retinol Serum

MUA Cupcake blush

UU ELF Concealer. One left in stash.  Will need to repurchase in March.  Replaced with MUA Cupcake blush.

@Clutterbug07 I love hitting pan. Have 3 eyeshadows which are on the cusp.

Geriatricmum

Hello, I'd love to join this challenge,  I'm quite bad for forgetting what I have and just buying more 'just incase'. Not done a stock take yet but I have gathered all my toiletries on a shelf 😬 will update later tonight with what I want to use this month. 

VALM

Another UU - ABC Skincare Skinwash. Waoting for good deal on QVC to replenish.