I started out this month with a specific goal in mind with specific rules. I am not happy to say that I broke all of the rules. I thought about keeping all of this to myself, but in the interest of transparency and the fact that this blog is mostly for me, I am going to spill the beans and walk through all of my thoughts on what I did. I feel that, if anyone is actually reading this, knowing that I didn't waltz through this experiment perfectly is probably more useful than being dishonest about it.
Here is a list of all of the things that I bought in January - sanctioned or not.
1. Tati Beauty Sponge things - I am happy with my current method of applying makeup and foundation and my husband just bought me the fanciest brush that I own. The total of this purchase was $22.72. I didn't need this. It isn't replacing anything that I have used up. This was 100% a purchase that went against my rules, especially considering that January was supposed to be a no-buy.
Why? YouTube. This was 100% due to a YouTube video that I watched. I enjoy watching YouTube videos as I make my lunch in the morning and while I do my makeup before work. It is clear to me that, as I suspected, I am highly suggestible when it comes to product reviews. I really don't want to stop watching YouTube people that I follow, but it looks like I am going to have to really watch how I react in the coming months and if it continues to be a problem, consider going on a YouTube blackout.
2. A Sephora Order:
My Sephora $52.54 order consisted of a tube of Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, a birthday Milk makeup set, a sample of First Aid Hello Fab Pores be Gone Mattifying Primer, a sample of First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, and a sample of Herbivore Prism 20% AHA Glow Facial Treatment. Nothing in this order is replacing something that I used up. This purchase also went against my rules.
Why? I had a sample of the Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask for a while now (from my last Sephora order?) and I just got around to using it. It turned out to be about the perfect night cream to replace the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream. While I love how the Beauty of Joseon cream feels on my skin the morning, I don't like applying it that much because it is... stringy? Goopy? Slimey? Not sure, but the texture going on isn't ideal.
This is a very accurate and somewhat not-safe-for work image of the texture of this product.
I also don't like that it comes in a jar because, try as I might, I feel like the product gets contaminated whether I use my fingers or a scoop. Also, the last couple of times I have ordered it, it has come in a jar that is about half full. I hear this is really common, but it speaks of a lack of quality control that I don't really like.
I am looking to get cruelty free options for all of my products this year and I don't 100% trust that this brand is. The Summer Friday Jet Lag Mask gives me the same slip in the morning that this cream does, but the texture is a million times better, it comes in a tube and you need so very little that I think the tube will last a long time. I used up the sample a few days ago, and I miss it.
Ok, ok. So I like the Summer Friday Jet Lag mask better.. why did I buy it now instead of waiting until next month when it would have been a "legal" purchase? The freaking birthday gift. Yup, thats right, I wanted those little Milk makeup samples so bad, and I detest going into an actual Sephora so much that I bought this now in order to get the birthday gift. It isn't even my birthday month, but I apparently didn't enter my date in correctly when I set up the Sephora account. This isn't a good reason to break my rules. In the future, I will need to be very careful to make sure that my purchasing decisions are not influenced by gifts or sales.
Of these two no-no purchases, I can cut myself a lot more slack for the Sephora order even though it is for more money. This purchase was based on an actual product that I had tested and a perceived need I had in my collection to replace something that I wasn't happy with. The Tati beauty purchase was pure impulse based on a single YouTube video. I expect that I will get the sponges and that they will be ok, but that they won't be better than the method that I am currently using to apply makeup. I will report back once they show up on how I feel about them. I am really hoping they don't end up in a donation box!
One positive thing was that both of these purchases stayed within the budget I had set for myself for makeup, clothing and games for the month. If I had gone over that set amount I would have really been upset with myself.
I bought one item of clothing this month. It was a denim skirt from Universal Standard. I had a store gift that was going to expire on January 31st for $75.00 (which is not nothing). The total for the order was $70.00 so I did lose $5.00 on the deal. I am ok with that though because I was looking at a $150.00 sweater and I made a more reasonable choice both in price and the amount I would be able to wear it in this very hot and humid climate that I live in. I picked out the skirt because the denim skirt I have isn't doing it for me anymore and I don't have anything else like that in my closet. This is also something that I can wear either in the winter (with tights or boots) or the summer (when it is literally 100 degrees). Its cute!
The total I spend on Makeup, Clothes and Stationary in January was $142.99. This included the Sephora order, the eraser, the cashmere wrap, my Birchbox subscription, and The Tati Beauty Blendiful. I did sell an unopened Wet N Wild Cushion Foundation on Ebay that I knew I wasn't going to use and that has been discontinued for $16.00 (minus $4.00 for shipping and 1.80 for fees) bringing the total that I spent to $133ish dollars.
But this is a learning process. Looking back on this new, it is great for me to see where I screwed up and the things I can do to fix it in future months. I can recognize where I made good decisions to rely on that same mindset in the future. That is part of the entire process. If everything was easy from the first day that I tried something, I wouldn't need to do this process in the first place. I hardly want anyone to actually follow my example and I am not making excuses, but I think reading about other people's struggles can be more useful than someone who sails through a no-buy with no issues at all.
Here is a list of all of the things that I bought in January - sanctioned or not.
Makeup/Beauty Purchases:
1. Tati Beauty Sponge things - I am happy with my current method of applying makeup and foundation and my husband just bought me the fanciest brush that I own. The total of this purchase was $22.72. I didn't need this. It isn't replacing anything that I have used up. This was 100% a purchase that went against my rules, especially considering that January was supposed to be a no-buy.
Why? YouTube. This was 100% due to a YouTube video that I watched. I enjoy watching YouTube videos as I make my lunch in the morning and while I do my makeup before work. It is clear to me that, as I suspected, I am highly suggestible when it comes to product reviews. I really don't want to stop watching YouTube people that I follow, but it looks like I am going to have to really watch how I react in the coming months and if it continues to be a problem, consider going on a YouTube blackout.
2. A Sephora Order:
My Sephora $52.54 order consisted of a tube of Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, a birthday Milk makeup set, a sample of First Aid Hello Fab Pores be Gone Mattifying Primer, a sample of First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, and a sample of Herbivore Prism 20% AHA Glow Facial Treatment. Nothing in this order is replacing something that I used up. This purchase also went against my rules.
Why? I had a sample of the Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask for a while now (from my last Sephora order?) and I just got around to using it. It turned out to be about the perfect night cream to replace the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream. While I love how the Beauty of Joseon cream feels on my skin the morning, I don't like applying it that much because it is... stringy? Goopy? Slimey? Not sure, but the texture going on isn't ideal.
I also don't like that it comes in a jar because, try as I might, I feel like the product gets contaminated whether I use my fingers or a scoop. Also, the last couple of times I have ordered it, it has come in a jar that is about half full. I hear this is really common, but it speaks of a lack of quality control that I don't really like.
I am looking to get cruelty free options for all of my products this year and I don't 100% trust that this brand is. The Summer Friday Jet Lag Mask gives me the same slip in the morning that this cream does, but the texture is a million times better, it comes in a tube and you need so very little that I think the tube will last a long time. I used up the sample a few days ago, and I miss it.
Ok, ok. So I like the Summer Friday Jet Lag mask better.. why did I buy it now instead of waiting until next month when it would have been a "legal" purchase? The freaking birthday gift. Yup, thats right, I wanted those little Milk makeup samples so bad, and I detest going into an actual Sephora so much that I bought this now in order to get the birthday gift. It isn't even my birthday month, but I apparently didn't enter my date in correctly when I set up the Sephora account. This isn't a good reason to break my rules. In the future, I will need to be very careful to make sure that my purchasing decisions are not influenced by gifts or sales.
Of these two no-no purchases, I can cut myself a lot more slack for the Sephora order even though it is for more money. This purchase was based on an actual product that I had tested and a perceived need I had in my collection to replace something that I wasn't happy with. The Tati beauty purchase was pure impulse based on a single YouTube video. I expect that I will get the sponges and that they will be ok, but that they won't be better than the method that I am currently using to apply makeup. I will report back once they show up on how I feel about them. I am really hoping they don't end up in a donation box!
One positive thing was that both of these purchases stayed within the budget I had set for myself for makeup, clothing and games for the month. If I had gone over that set amount I would have really been upset with myself.
Clothing Purchases:
I bought one item of clothing this month. It was a denim skirt from Universal Standard. I had a store gift that was going to expire on January 31st for $75.00 (which is not nothing). The total for the order was $70.00 so I did lose $5.00 on the deal. I am ok with that though because I was looking at a $150.00 sweater and I made a more reasonable choice both in price and the amount I would be able to wear it in this very hot and humid climate that I live in. I picked out the skirt because the denim skirt I have isn't doing it for me anymore and I don't have anything else like that in my closet. This is also something that I can wear either in the winter (with tights or boots) or the summer (when it is literally 100 degrees). Its cute!
Very early on in the month, I bought a Cashmere wrap off of Poshmark. This was a no-no and not in my rules, so let me walk through my mindset.
I had a white wrap that I kept at work. I like a wrap over a sweater because I have hot flashes and then I get cold. I spent most of my time at some not ideal temperature and I like being able to throw something on or off. I also like a wrap because I can lay it in my lap like a blanket if just my legs are cold. The white wrap was 1)Verging on ethnic appropriation 2)Way to big even for me 3) Great at leaving white fuzzies all over my clothes. It had to go. I spent at least 3 hours looking around for some amazing wrap that I could keep at work. I wanted something dark, knit instead of woven, wool or cashmere and a wrap, not a sweater. I finally came across something on Poshmark that was perfect. Dark grey, a wrap, 100% cashmere and not huge and I bought it. It was $50.17. This was more than my budget. This was not something that I needed.
Pens, Paper and Stationary
I spent $4.00 on a new dry erase board eraser for my slanted white board I have on my desk at work. I work in tech and have to write down a lot of passwords temporarily and other information that ended up on little scraps of paper all over the place. The white board has been a game changer for me (enough that I want one for my house, but I am restraining myself). The eraser is smaller, less fuzzy and the same color as the one we use at our business. I didn't really need it though.
What I did right:
I had a bad Amazon habit. I would order random things multiple times a month. This month I put things in my cart that I would have normally bought and the total was somewhere upwards of $600.00. My son grew out of his school shoes and I needed another pair and I managed to find a brand name pair with good reviews for $24.00. Normally I would have spent around $50.00 to $100.00. I can't just get the kid cheap school shoes, he is in them 8 hours a day, five days a week. The other Amazon order I made was for some gifts for his birthday, but I managed to keep that around $150.00. I have a bad habit of overspending for holidays too.
The total I spend on Makeup, Clothes and Stationary in January was $142.99. This included the Sephora order, the eraser, the cashmere wrap, my Birchbox subscription, and The Tati Beauty Blendiful. I did sell an unopened Wet N Wild Cushion Foundation on Ebay that I knew I wasn't going to use and that has been discontinued for $16.00 (minus $4.00 for shipping and 1.80 for fees) bringing the total that I spent to $133ish dollars.
But this is a learning process. Looking back on this new, it is great for me to see where I screwed up and the things I can do to fix it in future months. I can recognize where I made good decisions to rely on that same mindset in the future. That is part of the entire process. If everything was easy from the first day that I tried something, I wouldn't need to do this process in the first place. I hardly want anyone to actually follow my example and I am not making excuses, but I think reading about other people's struggles can be more useful than someone who sails through a no-buy with no issues at all.
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