No Buy Makeup Challenge Update-Week #1

As I said in my last post, I began a "No Buy Challenge" on January 1st and plan on going until March 31st... I know seems like forever.  I have really been looking at my life from a new perspective lately, for a lot of reasons I think, including how poor my finances have been and I've really been trying to cut back on excessive spending.  Well, while looking at this I have realized just how much money I have spent on makeup over the past year... and if I were to give it a rough guess I would probably guess around $1000. A $1000 dollars. There is no justification for that.  Now, that's not to say that I regret my purchases or that I am not in love with  my makeup, but rather I just cannot be okay with spending money like that on makeup when I'm in default on my student loans and am living with my parents... it's unacceptable.  Another thing I realized whilst surveying my life and specifically my makeup collection. I have so many products that I rarely ever use.... nice products that just get lost in the shuffle as well as products I spent good money on but didn't really love.

And so, all things considered,  I decided that I'm going to commit to not purchasing any make up products for 3 whole months. Last year I attempted a 10 pan challenge and failed epic-ly, it seemed daunting and scary to have to pick products to completely finish.  I also realized that I was rushing through, using more product than I normally would and was reaching for the same products every single day, which is not the point of the challenge that I'm doing this time. This time I want to work on appreciating the things that I have so that I don't find the need to constantly buy more.  I want to experiment with things that I haven't used much of in the past and try out some of the palettes that have been neglected due to having smaller more compact options. I want to really savor the "art" of using all the makeup I've purchased and make it worth it. Who knows, maybe I'll end up continuing it on for longer than 3 months.  But I'm not thinking that way yet.  Just want to be greatful for what I have now.

This week wasn't too hard actually, very surprising since I was in more than one Drugstore in the past 3 days and each time ended up with something in my hands.  But it was pretty easy to talk myself down from there and remember my goals.  I did buy my first Sigma brush, the E25 Blending Brush, with a gift card I recieved from my brother for Christmas.  Considering it wasn't my money, nor was it an actual "makeup product" I didn't feel too guilty, I've been needing to replenish a few of my brushes, my ELF Studio Brushes, though I love them they are starting to fall apart and so I'm slowly going to work on building up my set again but for now it was just that one 10 dollar splurge. Let's see what all the hype is about I guess lol.

Well I hope you are all having a wonderful and blessed 2013 so far!
And if any of you have completed a challenge similar to this one please comment with your tips!
Talk to you soon!
Colie   

December Favorites

Hi All,
So first off I need to apologize for the 5 month disappearance! My life got really really hectic and my computer has been out of commission.  I got a new laptop for Christmas (Thanks Mom!) so I'm hoping to keep up with my blog among other things now that I have a working computer. So I hope I still have people reading but if not I'll kinda be acting like this is a brand new blog, posting it out. I hope you all will share this too!

1. Primer - So I have finally fallen into the Urban Decay primer potion trend. I have tried so hard not to fall into high end trends for so long buttttt I got a sample of this in a palette I got on Hautelook in early fall.  I rarely use the palette but fell in love with the primer.  It's like now that I've tried something this good I can't go back.  Now ELF's primer that I had loved for forever feels gross and greasy and nothing really holds it own anymore. Now I have to find more because it's almost empty =(.   I have also been using the ELF mineral infused face primer to prime my face, although I'm working as a nanny now so I am rarely doing full face makeup.

2. Eye Shadow - This month I have been sticking to some very neutral eye looks, between the holidays and work I have tried to be natural and just perfect the blending of the eyes more than add too much color. I have been loving the Covergirl Shimmering Sands trio that I got last year during a sale at CVS. I'm really close to hitting pan on at least 2 of the colors, the lighter and the medium colors. I have also been using the Maybelline color tattoo's as base colors and I love them so much.

3. Eye Liner - This month I have continued to love my Prestige Total Intensity eye liner in black for my water line and a few of the Sephora Nano eye liners for my top lash line.

4. Foundation -  I haven't really been doing much foundation this month but have been loving my Loreal Frutis BB Cream in light/fair as well as my ELF mineral foundation in porceline.

5. Concealer - I am still in love with the Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless Concealer.  It is so creamy and thick enough that it really does cover dark circles.  I literally use it ever single day.  I also have been loving the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser.  It literally ERASES my dark circles without being cakey or too thick.

6. Blush- I  haven't loved any blushes this month really, but I have beem reaching for my ELF mineral Blush in Joy, which is a mauvey/pink shade, which isn't too shimmery.

7. Palette -This month I didn't really use any stand out palettes.

8. Face Applicator - this month I found myself reaching for the E.L.F. Powder Brush for EVERYTHING!

9. Eye Applicator - This month I've still been using my Sonia Kashuk Small Powder Brush. This brush will be a forever forever favorite.

10. Hair Product - I've been loving Argan Oil for the last few months, and along with my mom have gone through about 3 bottles in 3 months.

11. Perfume - Last month, when I went out black Friday shopping, I picked up a sample of the new Bath and Body Works scent in Forever Red and literally not gone a day without it. Got a larger roll on sample size for Christmas that I'm super excited for since I just finished my little sample. 

12. Mascara - This month a friend of mine got me the Loreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara in Black, which she had been suggesting for months but I never bought it because I liked the mascaras I'd been using.... man was I missing out!

13. Moisturizer - This month I have loved the Bath and Body Works triple moisture body cream in the scent Secret Wonderland.

14. Lip Products- This month, with such dry, cold weather, my main goal with my lips has been to keep them from being dry and cracky.  I have loved my Nivea Lip Balm in Honey and Milk, as well as their kiss of Shimmer lip balm.  I have also been loving my Baby Lips from Maybelline. I have two of those, the grape colored one and the shimmery peach color, both which work wonders for me.  And lastly I have been loving my Sugar Fresh Sugar Plum tinted lip treatment, which I have been loving for months now.  It is a beautiful color and provides so much moisture.

So those are my favorites and most used products of December.

So.. Project 10 Fail

My Non Palette Eye Makeup

About a month ago I started a Project Pan with a list of products I wanted to hit pan on, and though I have hit pan/finished a few of the items on the list, I have also grown to love and appreciate a few of the cosmetics that I originally put on the list.  The whole Project Pan became very vain to me after that.  I had been rushing through these products, hoping to finish them the as quickly as possible just so I could buy new products.  How twisted is that? So I've decided to change the parameters of my cut back into a more lax makeup diet. I have decided that from here on out I am just going to try to spend less than $20 a month on cosmetics and at the end of the month I will do a post on that months emptys.  I hope that this will help encourage me to use more products that I own and spend less on new products.  This will include makeup, hair and body products.

If anyone has any tips on how to spend less/use more please leave a comment below!