Have you ever gone on a no-buy?

A no-buy is when you cease buying all beauty products (some exceptions might be stipulated, e.g. replacing your moisturizer if you finish it, etc.) or something more conditional–like “no-buy on pink lipsticks” until you’ve finished X of them.  If so, were you successful?  What helped you stay on the right path?  What did you do when temptation struck?

I, obviously, have not done one, and this blog would be pretty boring if I ever did go on one, but here are my tips:

• Mix and match to create something new: if you see a new shade that is driving you mad, try using existing products to custom mix the shade.  If it’s a pretty pink with a hint of plum, try mixing a pink lipstick and layering a plum gloss or pat of plum eyeshadow on top.
• Avoid temptation: Nordstrom’s shoe section always gets me, so I try to avoid walking by it when I know I shouldn’t be looking at them.  This might mean avoiding your favorite haunts, be them counters, stores, or even blogs and the like.
• Make a wish list for the future: consider tracking items that have caught your eye by creating a wish list for whenever your no-buy ends–you might find you’re totally over them by that time!
• Be clear and realistic: when you start your no-buy, try to give yourself some clear rules but make it realistic.  Don’t forget that there are basics/staples–see how low you’re running–because it’ll feel better knowing you didn’t have to break any rules at the end, which is why it can make more sense to make it a conditional no-buy sometimes.
• Pull out products you haven’t used in awhile:  we all have our favorites, go-tos, and often push new products to the forefront, but there are a lot of old favorites we forget about that are easy to fall in love with all over again.