How do you avoid impulse purchasing in beauty?
I think what’s important is to try and practice getting into the habit of just NO impulse purchases allowed (if it’s concerning for your financial goals or they often turn out to be regrets) and have a mental checklist of when/how a product can be purchased, e.g. read five reviews, wait a week, etc. I always recommend looking at what you’re purchasing and figuring out what is compelling about it; what is driving the impulse to buy and think more critically about whether that’s rational. Also, double-checking your stash for dupes or similar products, thinking about whether it’s something you’d actually use often (how often), and whether it will hurt your life/financial goals by buying it can help!
— Christine
By an easy rule I have – only buy something if it’s been on my wishlist for a while. Never buy something on sale I wouldn’t buy full price.
It’s very difficult for me. I try to think of what dupes I might have. Or I force myself to walk away from the store (or makeup area if it’s a department store).
I don’t avoid it, but I also don’t impulse shop as much as I used to (this recent NARS haul being an exception); my makeup and skincare purchases are down. I haven’t made a concerted effort to buy less or avoid buying, but I did start making a point of using up what skincare I have, which has shifted my focus away from buying. As for makeup, I think the decrease has to do with my not wanting to reorganize or find more space, so I’m trying to avoid collecting more things.
I’m in a house-wide organizing, donating, and cleaning phase/mindset, and that extends to … well, everything. I just don’t want to collect more things in general (unless I dispose of things to balance it). Ultimately, I want fewer things — that’s my goal and it’s going to take time, but I’ll definitely get there.
I’m in the same place. House-wide organizing, donating, pitching, cleaning. I don’t want to bring anything into my house unless it is a must. My house is looking so much nicer. The basement is going to kill me though lol!
Me three. I’m in S.california and with this wildfires I just went through my closet and striped it off of the last things I had a hard time getting rid of two really pretty skirts I had for years from Anthroplogy I love them! Got rid of Agee skirts, bunch of dresses, shoes, a pair of boots I’m not into anylnger having big heels. Hubbies thermals, etc. And a bag of makeup and shampoos and soaps. I hope someone can really put them to great use especially those skirts might be nice for some young college kid as I was so thin when I run marathons and still fit but bodies do change overtime. Time to jet them go.
Well, I am really trying to get a grip on my impulsivity when it comes to purchases by trying to hold off on buying something until I’ve not only viewed a few YT reviews on it, but yours, as well. Last night, though, I jumped before your review. But won’t open it until I get the chance to see whether it s a hit or…. ?.
And then there was the perfume last night, too. Oy vey. Been loving the sample of YSL Black Opium I received. Sooo. I sprayed their sample bottle on myself last night. Spilled coffee AGAIN. Genuinely PUZZLED. The sample doesn’t do that! SA said my sample was probably for the Nuit Blanche version. Bought Nuit Blanche after trying it on and thinking that this was true. Or so my nose told me! Get home. And look at the sample. It is NOT Nuit Blanche. WTH?!? I am so confused ?. Is something going wrong with the tester bottles at Sephora? Or what? That’s where an impulse purchase can lead to.
Avoid? Huh? What?
😉
I do most of my beauty shopping online so it’s veeeeeeery easy to click Add To Cart and then Place Order and then it’s all over, Rover!
I’m a bit more picky with skincare and high end stuff but generally if I see it, I want it and I haven’t just spent $300 fixing my car then I buy whatever I want. I don’t have any debt or dependants, I always pay all my bills first and put a chunk of cash in savings but I have a decent amount of disposable income that negates any need for me to budget stringently.
-Stick to stuff that’s already on my wishlist, and even then I wait for a few months before I buy it
-Swatching everything once in a while reminds me of what I have and gives me a reality check about what I actually use
-And finally, having a specific budget for beauty stuff has really helped. I’ve always had a hazy number that I’ve tried to stick to per year, but having an actual concrete number to hold myself accountable to has really helped
Overall, my impulse to buy beauty stuff has been greatly reeled in this year, which I’m happy with. It’s other stuff like Starbucks drinks that I’m having trouble cutting down on…lol
Avoiding impulse buying of beauty products is fairly easy for me nowadays because:
1. Lots of the current shades/colours at the moment don’t actually work for me
2. I check the dupe list of just about everything that I like.
3. International shipping is way too expensive and beauty products in Aus are very expensive – so I really have to think twice.
Your site has been the best aid for me, seriously, because I can check for dupes. That said, if ratings are good and I really want something, like I’m still leaning on the ND Gold palette because it’s just so lovely and I really like her work, having dupes may not ALWAYS stop me, but they usually do.
The second thing that stops me is prayer (seriously again) as I have to really take a moment to breath, pray and wait to hear do I really need something, and sometimes I’m just blocked from a purchased; as I recently and for the very first time simply couldn’t make two purchases: an ND Lila palette (5 tries and couldn’t) and Morphe 39A Artistry palette (over a month & 1/2 wait & two tries), so I figure I’m just not meant to have them. Besides, I confirmed that the Lila palette was very duped in my collection.
Last, when I feel a rush to get something and I go and it’s there before me, I’ll here a small voice say, “You have this already.” “Or, it really isn’t all you thought, huh?” and then the rush feeling leaves. Like a fever that leaves you. LOL, and voilà , no purchase. The impulse is gone.
Do I always win and do these tactics always work, obviously not (if you could see my collection), but I’m getting better at it. And then there’s always, just stay away from the store. I resist better to online purchases than seeing products right before me. 😉 All of the pretty sparkles and foils must just hypnotize me. LOL!
I have better willpower as I age. Probably because I own so much already lol! I look at swatches here and the reviews. Then I have to really think about the purchase and if I really really want it then I will purchase. Most of the time I don’t really want it.
Shopping online keeps my impulse buys in check.
I’m way more likely to impulse but if I see a product in a store.
It can be quite hard to resist, especially when you watch a lot of youtube videos. I have a weakness for eye shadow palettes. But if there is even one color I’d never use, I won’t buy it. I’ve fallen into the trap of telling myself I’ll use all the colors but I never do. I really wanted to get the ABH Sultry palette cause those are my colors, except for that coral pink color. And I most likely have dupes of all the other colors somewhere in my collection. So I managed to resist. I did cave and buy the Emerald Obsessions palette but only because I don’t have dupes of those colors. I can resist in other categories of makeup. I really want a Pat McGrath lipstick because I love the packaging, but I’m not a lipstick person. I’m just interested in buying replenishments at the moment. During the VIB sale, it was hard for me to find anything to buy. I just didn’t need anything. And If I keep telling myself I don’t need it, maybe I’ll start to believe it 😉
For make-up, I only buy what is undupe-able by cheaper products, or if something fills a “hole” in my collection. I also remind myself that there are tons of releases, so I don’t get caught up in FOMO.
For skincare, I never buy without a perusal of the ingredients, and a sample. If the sample breaks me out, then it’s a no-go for the full size! And since my skin is sensitive to a couple of ingredients, I think my concern is warranted on that front!