Shop the Stash!

I so nearly bought more makeup in the Debenhams sale yesterday. Those benefit gift sets are so cute. Thankfully I couldn’t remember my cvv number for my card and the extra few minutes made me re think. I’m so glad as I have loads.

I’m currently commuting for work, spending the weekdays in my hometown in my parents house and returning to my place and my husband at weekends. This means I divided my makeup stash between both houses and I didn’t need to buy a thing I had so much. In fact after my near miss yesterday I went throw the makeup I had here and realised how I would only have been purchasing items similar to what I already own. So I’m on a shopping ban until I run out of something!

One thing I did do that makes me feel a bit better was to organise travel kits of toiletries and make up for travelling. I travel a bit for work and I’m never sure which house I’ll be leaving from so I created a kit for each house that I can grab and know that all the basics are covered. I really did feel like I shopped my stash and The only thing I had to buy was some mini dry shampoo.

Skincare is the one thing that I just can’t include in this, I have such sensitive skin and rosacea that going back to the some stuff that’s still half full just isn’t an option. I think I might repurpose them as hand moisturisers or offer to friends instead though!

Personally this is the year that I will not buy any eyeshadow or lipstick. I must have about 20 eye shadow palettes that I need to get more use out of and lots of lipsticks of various similar shades that I can’t bring myself To throw out just yet. I also bought the original naked palette again just before Xmas as I love it and heard it was being discontinued. Despite the urge just to start using it because it’s all new and fresh I’ve put it away until the one I have at the moment is done.

This month I plan to finish off the half used shampoos and conditioners and also to start using body stuff that I have lying around and build them in to my routine, things like body exfoliators and scrubs and dry oils etc. I’m sure my skin will thank me for it and it’s better than having them gather dust! Looking forward seeing how I get on!

Earlier I put everything that’s new and unopened in to a box so that once I have finished a bottle I can grab a new one and work my way through that. I really want to avoid have multiple bottles on the go at once as I find it just never finish any of them before the reach the expiration date (which I personally ignore most of the time....)

Aim for the whole year is to not buy anything new until the current one is finished. Will be interested to see how everyone is getting on!

Just started decluttering my house over the past few weeks, ive been finding things from years back. Am I the only one who attaches souls to things and cant throw them out? I found a box of old makeup from when I was very young and cant bring myself dump it, its all old, cheap crap that can never be used but it brought back so many memory's. Found an old tube of rimmel extra lash mascara and forgot how much I used to love it. I bought a new tube of it today and its really good, dont know why ive bothered spending so much on expensive mascara when the cheap stuff is just as good if not better. I got a sample tube of a ysl mascara in a giftset and its horrible stuff, its like glue and doesnt look good on, I looked up the price of a full tube just see and it costs something like 30 euro. Ill definitely be repurchasing cheaper makeup from now on and wont be wasting so much on expensive name brands.

I need to do this especially when it comes to palettes.

I also went through a stage of hoarding foundations so I'm going to try to work through that backlog as best I can, but maybe some of the ones I'm not enjoying could be regifted to friends etc.

I was about to repurchase MAC strobe creame but remembered I bought a similar product from Stila in one of the pre christmas beauty sales so going to try that first to see if its similar.

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Ill definitely be repurchasing cheaper makeup from now on and wont be wasting so much on expensive name brands.

This is a good point - price doesnt always give you a good outcome. Some of the stuff I've ended up hoarding has been for more expensive brands.

My issue si that if I spend on something and if I don't really like it, I find it hard to get rid of it.

Recently I bought a Wet'n'Wild setting powder and it was terrible. It was a pressed powder but they'd nearly done too good a job, in that it was compacted so tightly that I couldnt really get any product onto my brush, let alone onto my face. but it was only €3/4 so i just threw it in the bin.

I also bought the Charlotte Tilbury magic concealer (as I like the foundation of the same name) but its awful. Its really tacky feeling and makes the fine lines under my eyes look worse than they actually are, so its a disaster of a product really. But because of its price, I keep persisting wtih it - setting it differently or applying with a different tool... when in reality it just belongs in the bin.

Its a shame with expensive products because its annoying to spend that amount on a rubbish product.

My main concealer that I use daily is the one from Catrice which costs €4 and I've repurchased multiple times.

I've a few MAC palates that I know I'm going to struggle to use. I just find them hard to work with and the colour payoff. Its not that I don't want to use them, but I just genuinely find them difficult. Might see if any of my friends might like them or something.
I need to think more and sample more before buying in future. I need to stop buying things just because they look nice.

SozBbz wrote: »

This is a good point - price doesnt always give you a good outcome. Some of the stuff I've ended up hoarding has been for more expensive brands.

My issue si that if I spend on something and if I don't really like it, I find it hard to get rid of it.

This!! I've bought cheap makeup from Penneys or Essence and had no hesitation in binning it if i didn't like it or it was crap.
But stuff I've spent my hard earned money on I find it difficult to get rid off. Either I force myself to use it to get my money's worth or I hold onto it as a reminder not to be so stupid and as punishment for buying things that I'm influenced by, that I didn't need.

dee_mc wrote: »

You know when you buy an expensive product and it just doesn't work for you - does anyone try returning it?
I mean, if it was an electrical item or something, you'd bring it back and say 'it's not fit for purpose' and expect a refund or replacement.
I mentioned to a girl on the Clinique counter in a Boots branch that I'd bought one of their foundations about a year before and found it didn't sit well on my skin at all, that I couldn't make it work despite several attempts with different application methods and just had to throw it out (in fact, I donated it to a charity shop, but same thing). She was horrified and said 'why didn't you just return it?!'. She explained that it's their policy, within Boots stores anyway, to accept a return on a product that doesn't work for you.
I know in other countries, particularly the US, it's standard practice to return makeup items for a refund.
Maybe something to keep in mind - worth checking store policy anyway!

As far as I'm aware, Clinique are part of the Lauder group and they accept returns but I'm not sure all brands share this policy

dee_mc wrote: »

You know when you buy an expensive product and it just doesn't work for you - does anyone try returning it?
I mean, if it was an electrical item or something, you'd bring it back and say 'it's not fit for purpose' and expect a refund or replacement.
I mentioned to a girl on the Clinique counter in a Boots branch that I'd bought one of their foundations about a year before and found it didn't sit well on my skin at all, that I couldn't make it work despite several attempts with different application methods and just had to throw it out (in fact, I donated it to a charity shop, but same thing). She was horrified and said 'why didn't you just return it?!'. She explained that it's their policy, within Boots stores anyway, to accept a return on a product that doesn't work for you.
I know in other countries, particularly the US, it's standard practice to return makeup items for a refund.
Maybe something to keep in mind - worth checking store policy anyway!

Ive returned magic foundation by CT, after spending that money on such a horrifically bad product, I couldnt justify holding on to it, practically begged brown thomas to take it back, they were very nice about it and gave me a full refund no problem.

My mam got me this lovely makeup case/box for Christmas and I just got around to transferring my makeup into it. It was a good opportunity to look through what I have and single out things to use up before I buy more. Managed to chuck out a load of stuff that was in a box for at least 5 years, things I wouldn’t dream of using now! They were all cheap so it really isn’t much of a loss to me. Looking forward using up some of the eyeshadow palettes that I have, there’s so many I just don’t use enough and I definitely don’t need to buy anymore until I use some of them up.

I've been trying to do this lately. I was wandering around boots yesterday and nearly bought some of their half price make up sets 'just because' but stopped and reminded myself that I need to go through what I have before adding more! I got 3 of the same make up gift set at Christmas as gifts, and a tonne of perfume so really have no excuse to be buying anything. I then convinced myself I could move onto haircare/ skincare but I honestly have so much stuff from advent calendars, samples, goodie bags at events that I need to use it up instead of buying more.

Will definitely be taking a look at some of the blogs mentioned here - I'm moving house as well in a few months so a cull is imminent. Himself is less than impressed at the amount of storage space I am claiming to need for make up etc!

kcdiom wrote: »

Will definitely be taking a look at some of the blogs mentioned here - I'm moving house as well in a few months so a cull is imminent. Himself is less than impressed at the amount of storage space I am claiming to need for make up etc!

Stay strong! Moving is the most stressful thing and you always have more stuff than you think you do. If a move is on the horizon I'd only be buying things that are absolutely necessary and proactivly culling things that realistically will never be used.

Another product binned today and I have to say I was quite happy to be rid of it!
The Primark x Alex Steinherr oil free gel hydrator


Such hype about this range when it was released. My local Penneys wasn't stocking it. I happened to be in a larger Penneys a couple of weeks after it was launched and there was very little left. But I wanted something cos it was so hyped so it was this or the clay mousse mask.
First the pros - it has a nice-ish consistency - it reminds me a little of aftersun, that soothing texture. Packaging handy for travelling.
Now the Cons: The smell of it! It had such a plastic smell. It reminded me of Easi-singles cheese - only a much cheaper version of them. It wouldn't be hugely hydrating, really would only suit oily skin.


The only reason I didn't bin it before now was as punishment to myself!! It's one of the products that has sparked off this "use what I have, try not to be influenced" thing.
I was annoyed with myself for being influenced, for buying into the hype. Now I probably should have binned it - it only cost €5/€6 - but it was the principle of the thing - I got sucked in for something I didn't need, it didn't suit me and I didn't like it.


Now it's gone, it's in the bin. I've moved onto a new moisturiser - a No7 Protect & Perfect day cream from their gift set. I used to use No7 products years ago and they fell by the wayside in favour of other brands but I liked their stuff so I'm interested to see how this one goes.