No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries April 2026

Hodgepodge

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 Me 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

Thanks for the new thread @Hodgepodge !

Have a few UUs already:

• Sugarplum Passion Bath & Shower Gel - 250ml: Did not like the smell of this. As it's seasonal, I doubt I'd get the chance to buy it again anyway!
• Sure Antiperspirant spray - uplifting and fresh 250ml
• La Roche Posay- handcream: Really liked this. I thought it might just be like the cicaplast baume with a different name, but it has a slight vaseline-type quality to the moisturiser so it really seals it all in. No good if you then needed to do anything, but of an evening watching tele, it's a great hand cream to put on when you're sitting about for a bit!

INs

• Sudocrem 125g: Not sure whether to count this here or not- it’s more for the medicine cabinet, but will pop it on here so I at least have a record of when I bought it
• Soltan Once SPF 50 spray x 2: My fave SPF for the body, as you don’t need to keep reapplying all the time! Always get this going into the warmer months.
• Soltan Once SPF 50 Face (with HA): this was a gift with purchase- as I like the Once face SPF for the summer, this was a welcome GWP!

I_Love_comps

thankyou for the new thread @Hodgepodge . I also have some UU's

UU- Skin techniques Nourishing Hand Cream Argan Oil - 60 mls

UU- Disciple Dreamy Skin Retinyl night Oil - 10 mls

Clutterbug07

UU

• Stratia Rewind Firming Serum: Really like this serum. I stocked up a bit in their black Friday sale so I have more in the stash, so no repurchasing required as I already got it!

And I hit a pan in my Lethal Cosmetics single shadow in Profusion- a chartruesy green. :-)

VALM

Thanks for the new thread @Hodgepodge. I too have some UUs

1 Lacura loose powder - have another in stash. Am using a Maybelline Fit Me powder at the moment because im preferring a pressed one now.

2 Lacura hydrating cleanser - similar to Cerave. Using Gruum cleansing balm similar to TBS one followed by Lacura Vitamin C Cleanser.

VALM

April PP List

Carried forward

Lacura hair oil

Pure Lakes hand and body cream

ADDED

Aussie hair mask

The Inkey List Retinol Serum

Lacura Vitamin C cleanser

10 uses

Carried Forward

Bare Minerals Mauve Sunshine blush 3

TF Gold Dipped 2

NARS Damage lipstick 3

OPI Time for a Napa 5 uses

So Vanilla 2

I_Love_comps

UU- Floral Street Perfume Sample-2mls- Nice smell- Will not be purchasing as I have plenty of perfume in my stash.

Clutterbug07

UU

• Mad About Skin - Gentle Jelly Cleanser: Was quite old and been open for ages, so used this up as hand wash
• MAS Protect & Hydrate Sunscreen SPF 50: My HG! Had some in my stash, so no repurchasing currently required.
• Batiste Dry Shampoo. Medium & Brunette, Dry Hair Shampoo 200ml: Staple in my hair routine. Knew this was finishing, so bought the replacement mid-March

Don't think I'll be spending much by way of toiletries and makeup this month, as I've done a bit of a food/medicine cabinet stock up, and also bought a few plants….. no money left now! 🤣 Though I am feeling the urge for more eyeshadow which is actually ridiculous!!!

Hodgepodge

3 UUs so far

Antioxidant Treatment Emulsion - Jordan Samuel Skin wba already have another in my stash (probably 2 actually)
Skin Food Nourishing Cleansing Balm - Weleda wba an inexpensive yet luxurious cleansing balm
Blue Volcanic Stone Purifying & Antioxidising Cleansing Gel (mini) - Avant wnba got as part of a Liberty beauty box. Was an ok cleanser but £70 for the full size!!!

I_Love_comps

UU- Cath Kidson Hand Cream - 30mls

Clutterbug07

UUs

• Nivea hydro care lip balm: Randomly found this in a hoodie pocket, but it was finished- so out it goes!
• The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturiser 50ml: Nice thicker moisturiser, I used this for a night cream. I don't think I would purchase it though as the tub was only 50ml, so doesn’t seem very economical. I got this as a free gift!
• Umberto Giannini Texture Boost Volumising Dry Texture Mist: Bought the replacement for this in March when I knew I was running low. Adds texture and volume to my fine, thin hair.

INS

My friend from work got me a little Eid gift which was very lovely of her! It had loads of her favourite snacks from her home country, and a few little beauty items she likes too.

• Clinical Basics Hand Cream - Sweet Berry
• Carmex lip balm - Strawberry
• Hand soap: A v strong smelling hand soap. Am not sure if we'll use it as we tend to use liquid handsoap and this is a bar, but we shall see.