My one year low-buy

Because I heart my birthday, I'm going to start it now.

I have allowed a bit of wiggle room. I think I'll continue my Hello Waffle and Glamour Doll Eyes subscription until December before cancelling, and I will be keeping one of my subscription boxes (either Birchbox or Topbox and they both renew in December). I may try to get another Glamour Doll Eyes OTM, but I'm not sure about this.

What I will stop buying as of Today (October 17th) for the next year is:
-Make-up (except for replacements of unique categories like foundation, primer, mascara)
-Nail Polish
-Clothes
-Shoes
-Kitchen items
-Books
-Any of the other millions of temptations I have

I will not intentionally stop buying planner stickers for the entire year, but I do intend on waiting until march before I select more. I am writing this in advance and assuming a certain shop I follow sticks to the release schedule posted I will make one more planner sticker purchase today, and if the Femme Fatale goosebumps part II collection is out, that will make its way to me. I am going to continue to spend the next couple of months monitoring my spending before establishing a formal budget. I also expect there will be slip-ups but I hope not for a while. I think if I reduce my exposure to social media and when I do use it to come with a feeling on contentment with what I have that I can change my feeling of "gimmie!" to one of appreciation without brain altering desire lust.


What is allowed?
-a new planner or two for the next year
-replacement make-up listed above
-reasonably timed haircuts as I forgot how nice this feels
-reasonable replacements for things like shampoo and soap
-savings for a vacation next year
-currently coffee and takeout food but this may change after my couple months of monitoring. I'm currently quite good a limiting my intake and use of these sources
-Two race entries
-Activities for the kids, presents for the kids, and reasonable clothes for the kids


Why?
I want to realign my finances with my values, build an emergency fund, set a good example for my children and force myself to see some areas where I might lean towards hoarding *cough cough indie eyeshadows cough cough*. I also want to be better to the earth, more mindful with my shopping and consumption and build myself back up from the start. I also want to enjoy what I have, and I think that might come from having less. I want gain control of my spending. I want to get my old habits back of exercise, eating healthy, work/life balance and financial responsibility. I want to be the mom my kids are proud of. I am hitting restart. I want to me.

If this sounds nuts to you, and to me it sounds a bit crazy to be internet posting it (doesn't everyone do this sometime?) here's a recent article on how to choose your own financial adventure. In the context f that post this could be my re-declaration of option one as I hope to out of debt by the end. Assuming I get out of debt I'll essentially be renaming my debt repayment plan budgets to low-buy in order to start the saving train. I'm looking forward to it.

How long does it last?

Mostly a note to myself for recall :) And a note to update this as I think of things.

Shampoo and condition : replaced in late January, conditioner depleted, shampoo almost empty. Estimated 4 months per average size bottle. This week for five days, each shower has been "the last use of the shampoo bottle". It still has "one more" use left. 

Sample Baggie of eyeshadow: one week with daily use (darling girl still at the nerd table, my pretty zombie bride, hello waffle artificial) 

Sample of blush : two and half weeks. Yup, I used my full sample of happy ending from my May vanishing cabinet before I jump into my hello waffle blushes. 

Glitter Fix: one year(!) I'm thisclose to completely using the glitter fix from my GDE OTM last year. I've used a second one and other adhevsives but I also use this one to swatch. Let's call it even at about one year. 

Eye cream: I'm on my third sample eye cream tub and it appears the 3-4 months I use it falls close to the recommended six months. This actually has me thinking subscriptions may be the way to go as it feels like I'd never finish a cream before it "goes bad" and the smaller pots are healthier. 

Nail polish top coat: forever! I can't believe I haven't emptied one in the last year. I do switch it up, but I would have thought the mini from julep would be empty and it still seems to have lots. 

D.O. A fairly steady 3 months. I usually buy 2-3 at a time, twice a year. I actually just got a year and half (pushing the lifespan here but I think I'll be okay) at Costco. 

Q-tips: a box appears to last a year. Wow! 

I feel paying attention to my product usage can ultimately help me obtain my spending/saving goals and lead to more mindful shopping. And much less hoarding if I can fight "it's a good deal, I'll use it up, it doesn't go bad". I'm starting to see some of the worst (aka no returns for me and ultimately wasted) money I've spend is on "good deals". Recall my shoe decluttering? Mostly good deals. I have seven chapsticks I want to test out as they were "good deals". I'll buy food off my grocerry list that doesn't get eaten as it a "good deal".

I need to be frugal, thrifty and place my money on what I value. Only sometimes is that a good deal. :) 

Dark Matter De-potting

I've tried some of Dark Matter's shadows, and picked up the second to newest release: The women of science! Dom has been releasing a set (what feels like) every month this year. I'm wanting to slow down and really start to play with her formulas.

I transferred my sample centrifuge tubes and my full tubes into jars I found on Etsy. Turns out I have a perfect number, 25. I honestly thought I only had 12 ... or so.. I guess I never counted the "...or so".

Here they are! All lined up in a row. Big ones, small ones.

I have a close up of how pretty they are as the filled. Let me know if I should post. I was too tired to remember tonight.

All my shades. Photo taken for my bad memory in case I go to order and I'm no where close to pick up the jar and read. 

The ol' centrifuge tubes. I didn't actually mind using these. I think the jars will be easier. Mostly I transferred to get the nagging " you should be at work" "You use these every day at work" "work" "work" "work" monkey off my back and enjoy the last month or two of my Maternity leave. No work! Just pretty pigment play. 

How do you use your Dark Matter shadows? Which are your favorites? 

NM VC Feb Swatches

Here I am testing out two sets of brushes to blend. The ones on the photo left appear much better, blending at least. I'm still in it. ;)

Last year, I bought an expensive set of brushes. We're talking over $100 US. Nothing too crazy, but the most I'd spent. I also bought a slightly cheaper set at the time. Although I've carried the expensive with me every where I've traveled (it comes in a cup!), I never actually used it. I looked at it every day but didn't feel confident I should test it out. I didn't think I was good enough. Well.. I've finally started. 

I've already written a blurb on the February VC, so I'm just going to go into details here.

The five February Colours, Both Purehearts (from January and February). My regular ol' concealer brush - what I usually use to "pack and pat" on loose shadows.

Geesh, who are these women to objectify men. Wait.. you can see my coffee cup. Nevermind...

Enticing Elba, Hell Hot Hardy, Handsome Hiddleston, Lustful Lincoln, Captivating Cumberbatch.

All swatches are done over control freak primer (which did run short on the back side). The first swipe is more patted on using a concealer brush, the second is more fluffed on using a bulkier eye shadow brush.

In the shade: Enticing Elba, Hell Hot Hardy, Handsome Hiddleston, Lustful Lincoln, Captivating Cumberbatch.

Left to right: Pureheart (2), Pureheart, and Lustful Lincoln.

And in the sun: Enticing Elba, Hell Hot Hardy, Handsome Hiddleston, Lustful Lincoln, Captivating Cumberbatch.

More in the sun. Top to bottom: Pureheart (2), Pureheart, Lustful Lincoln. 

This post is part test for me to see the difference in swatching two brushes, and how to start using primer/bare skin/glitter adhesives in swatching. Although not pretty, I've learned more for my own technique for when I have time to make things prettier. I also want to note that Glitter Fix kept most of the colours on my arm for over three hours. Three hours of exposure to me picking up an infant and a toddler. Impressive.

I appear to be missing the last photo. Pureheart (2) lasted far longer than the original Pureheart. Hot Hardy seems to have noticeably stained my arm as well as Enticing Elba left minor staining.