No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries May 2025

Clutterbug07

If your beauty and toiletries are taking over your life, then this is the thread to help you work through the stash and motivate you to not buy anymore (hopefully!)

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 @ruby_eskimo 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!

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without

Clutterbug07

25 for 2025 PP list: 3 down, 22 to go!

1. DERMATORY - Hypoallergenic Cica Gel Cream 50ml: carried over from last years PP.
2. MAC Black Cherry Glow Play Lipbalm:  carried over from last years PP list.  Bought in 2021.... need to finish it!
3. Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Body Oil 200 ml: had this a while. I’ve figured out the best way to use it now- mixed in with some moisturiser makes it less greasy.
4. Klairs Supple Preparation Toner: accidentally bought the fragranced one last year, want to get this used up on my body.
5. Redken 11 Thermal Spray: heat and hold spray. Don’t like it, too thick/heavy for my hair- want it gone so I can get a lighter heat protectant spray.
6. Lilylolo mineral blush in Beach Babe
7. iUNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner: don’t love this, too thick for a toner, would like it gone so I can go back to one I love.
8. 17. Gorgeous Gloss- yellow: like this, but the soft brown is my fave. Not heaps left, I could finish it this year!
9. Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner- mini 30ml size: like this from pre-skin issue days, so want to try the sample to see how I like it now.
10. Skin1004 Centella Toning Toner – mini 30ml: has very mild form of AHA exfoliants. Want to see how my skin does with this as I’d like an AHA in my routine but am very wary of going OTT and destroying my skin.  If I put it on this list, I will have to try it- currently a bit scared still about introducing new products.
11. One loose eyeshadow: unspecified: but I want to finish one this year.
12. One nail polish: ditto.
13. The Body Shop British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask
14. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter liner in Distortion: iridescent glitter liner, bought in 2021…. Still using it but really shouldn’t.  Sadly they don’t seem to make these colours anymore so I’ll be sad once they’re gone.
15. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter liner in Grind: the pinky one.
16. The Body Shop Festive Berry hand cream
17. Mad About Skincare Gentle Jelly Cleanser: putting this on the list cos I am being FAR too lazy and using micellar too frequently instead of actually washing my face. I have one back up of this in my stash so I don’t mind finishing my current one either as I won’t need to replace it.
18. Aveeno Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream – 500ml: want to be better at moisturising!
19. Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Body Booster Mousse – 50ml travel size: don’t really use this, would like it gone. Or at least used frequently enough that I can see whether I like it.
20. Collection Glam Crystals  Lip Rocker lipgloss: bit too frosty rather than sparkly, so don’t love this.
21. Revolution Colour Correct & Fix Primer- Green: I don’t think this does ANYTHING, so I would like it gone.
22. Essie Apricot nail and cuticle oil: would like to try different oil for nails, so got to get this one used up! 

UUs from PP List
NEOGEN - Dermalogy White Truffle Serum In Oil Drop
Tigi Bedhead Motor Mouth- mega volumizer with gloss
Vaseline Lip Therapy- Gold Dust


It's slow going with my list this year!!

Hodgepodge

My PP list for May is

25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum Paula's Choice

The Matinee Cream Cleanser Jordan Samuel Skin

The Support Oil Skin Rocks - have ordered a replacement of Neal's Yard Frankincense Facial Oil

Calming Tide Gel Cream Then I Met You

Superfood Midnight Facial Elemis

Hydrate Facial Serum Jordan Samuel Skin

Olay Super Serum Olay

The Jasmine Garden May Lindstrom

Everything else will be replaced by shopping my own stash!

Hodgepodge

I don't want to encourage anyone, but if you love Ren Skincare, it's time to stock up.

Unilever are shutting the brand down...

Clutterbug07

The dog has been a giant pain in the backside this morning, and amusingly I hit a pan in the shade Serenity, in my Beauty Bay Pastels palette     Hadn't realised that was what it was called, saw the shiny pan and checked the name, and it did make me laugh on what was quite a rubbish AM!   It's a pastel lime green colour, good for blending out other greens.

UU

• Lumizela Azelaic Acid Serum A10 with 10% Azelaic Acid, Colloidal Oat and Green Tea:  Love this serum, though it is pricey- and it only took 3 months and it was finished. No doubt I will buy it again at some point though as it is good, and full of great ingredients!  For now, I have some other serums to use first.

INS

• DR. CEURACLE Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence:  Replacement.  I'm going to use the Mary & May blackberry essence mini up first, but would then replace this, but Beauty & Seoul had an excellent discount plus got an extra 10% off on top of that, so it was sensible to get it now when it was cheaper.  I'd be buying it down the line anyway and might have had to pay a good chunk more- that's more girl math for you there, but both these are HGs for me, and I miss them!
• COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: replacement, mine ran out ages ago and I miss it.  
• NYX Professional Makeup Pro Fix Stick - 0.3 Yellow: Current one is almost finished. Lasted 5 months which isnt bad. Like for under eyes and blemish marks when I am in a rush.
• OGX Clarify & Shine+ Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo 385ml: Couldn't stomach paying £28 for a big bottle of the Ouai Detox Shampoo right now, so thought I'd give this OGX clarifying shampoo a go.  NOTHING can stop my hair looking greasy the next day, not even the Ouai, so no point spending the big bucks rn I think. 

jennypennysaver

Can I join you please? 😁  got plenty of stuff I need to use up (face, body and hair); will try to do a list... The only thing I anticipate needing this month is mascara, the one I have is going clumpy and I've been making do for quite a few weeks. WNBA! 

VALM

Thanks @Clutterbug07 for the new thread and welcome @jennypennysaver.

As predicted I bought some items from ALDI yesterday:-
Rice cleanser and gel cleanser
3 x setting powder
2 x concealer
SPF

My PP List
M&S Fragrance Society hand lotion

B&BW Snowflakes & Cashmere shower gel

B&BW Snowflakes & Cashmere body lotion

Lacura Hyaluronuc serum

Lacura moisturiser

Hollywood & Vibe 4

Graffiti Sweetie

How Far Ill Go

UD Cherry 2

Marc Jacobs Infamous 2

Wet n Wild I Got Juice lip liner 1

Not sure whether to swap out the B&BW for a more seasonal fragrance. The serum and moisturiser are getting low.

jennypennysaver

Used up some Up Circle cleanser tonight, plus a body moisturiser that had been languishing.
I thought I'd seen a post about painting your nails (maybe every Friday, to use up your nail varnish?) but can't find it now... Seemed like a really good idea...or did I imagine it 

ruby_eskimo

Thanks for starting the new thread @Clutterbug07 - just replying to your post in the April thread: the palette I've now used up is the original UD Ammo palette which came out around 15 years ago...so it's been used on and off for 15 years 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Welcome to the thread @jennypennysaver; not sure if there's been a post about painting your nails but @VALM is the queen of using up nail polish so you might want to see what tips she has!

Have a couple more UU's to report

Mac Instant Chic Blush: yes I've now managed to use up an entire blush 🥳  Another long discontinued colour that I love, and it's made me fall even more in love with the sheertone formula.  Luckily I have a backup of this colour but have moved on to an old Bobbi Brown pot rouge that I need to get used up sooner rather than later.

LRP Serozinc: HG, replaced already

Garnier Body Food Vitamin C and Mango: love this body cream, it's more than a lotion, actually makes a noticeable difference to my skin.  Have replaced with the same.

Boots Peppermint and Marshmellow Foot Cream: another product that's been around for a while and needed to be gone.  But again, made a noticeable difference to my feet when I remembered to use it on consecutive nights.  Have a body shop foot cream to use up now.

jennypennysaver

@ruby_eskimo Thank you I will check out @VALM

I don't know how I have accumulated so many bottles of nail varnish 🤔
Your Garnier moisturiser sounds lovely; once my stash is used up I will have to try it(!)

At the moment I'm using up some Weleda Regenerating Body Lotion which is ok... *Very* oily, which I don't mind as I feel my skin needs that extra nourishment, but the smell is a bit off-putting. Plus I have some basic aqueous cream to use too. That's good on your trotters.

VALM

3 UUS and yes 1 is a nail polish:-

OPI Paint the tinseltown red mini. Not a big fan of glitter polishes. Would not repurchase. @jennypennysaver I use the polish until its at the point where I cant get even application or tge quality has changed. I find adding nail thinner does not help with application so happy to call the polish done when its not looking good anymore.

Lacura eye cream. This is so moisturising. Have more in stash but have a Q&A one to finish first.

Benefit Badgal Bang mascara. My HG. Ive started a Beauty Bay one however the Benefit one was on offer on Lookfantastic and I had a credit on there too.