Awareness that I am tempted and of my shopping/consumption habits has gone a long way. Some stores/brands send out emails more than daily, and even daily can be aggressive, so I unsubscribe from any where I get tempted by so I don’t see the brand come up as often unless I’m specifically going there myself.
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1. Ixnay the outubersyay:. I find the monthly love/hate videos particularly addictive and many times the loves make it into my beauty cart. Some people generate want in me more than others. I avoid them like the plague (get it?)
2. Wishlists and shopping carts: I add items and then look at the total and remind myself that it could be an entire month of groceries or a month of food for my dogs, etc. I try and ground myself in that fashion to put it into terms of day to day expenses. I gripe and complain about my monthly revolving costs, but then turn around and spend that amount or more on cosmetics. Perspective.
3. Shop my stash: I have been going through my stash and finding some great gems or rediscovering love (ABH Renaissance palette.. oh how I still love you, that cool toned mauve, that shimmery reddish bronze light up my eyes ?) and also reminding myself of what I do have. I often purchase newer items which are very similar by neglecting to look at what I actually have on hand.
4. Research: Sometimes I research a purchase to death and kill the want by overkill.
5. Identify areas of no-buy. For me this includes highlighters, bronzers, and lipstick (at least until wear a mask in public becomes a thing of the past…??)
6. All this said, I think it equally important to treat yourself. Save up and gift yourself something special.
Wishlist and shopping carts, plus researching a product to death often do the job of quelling the urge to buy something for me too, Wednesday. It just works! Probably because we get bored with whatever it is? Or just lose interest? Idk. ?♀️
If I am confronted with too many choices, I cannot make up my mind ?
If it’s a color product, I mentally swatch it against what I have already. If I have something which would achieve the same ‘effect’–as stuff can look more samey on my face than swatched on the hand–then it’s easy to nix. For skincare, I add it to a wishlist and the act of categorizing it is enough to distill my “wants” into “needs.” Limiting exposure to promotion is also helpful, I’m sure!
I have a particular weakness for eye shadow palettes. When I see one I obscure the shades in the palette I like the most and ask myself, do I still like this? If the answer is yes, then I put it on my wish list. I find that it helps a lot because typically, it seems to only be one or two shades per palette that I really love. No point in buying an item for one shade!
Organizing makeup in groups: For example, I put all of my blushes together by color in different drawers. Do I really need yet another pink blush?
Behavior analysis: am I buying this because I like the formula? Am I just buying it to be a completionist? Is it to try something new?
Stash basket: I put a small basket on my vanity with one of each type of item to get to know it better. I change them out when I am tired of them. If that happens to be after one use, why did I hate this item? Write it down. When I come across something similar, reference these notes so I don’t end up buying something I’m not going to love.
Cameron, I’m impressed by how introspective you are. Those notes must come in very handy. I think you just inspired me to do the same!
Cameron,
I love this idea! This would be so helpful!
Glad I could help!
Thanks for sharing these ideas!
Shopping my current collection (there’s so many things I tend to forget I already own) is the primary thing that keeps me grounded. It leads me to question why I want this particular item and rediscover old favorites (or in some cases things I had barely used before moving on to the next latest and greatest).
I’ve also recently unsubscribed from a ton of mailing lists for both cosmetics and clothing. About three weeks ago I purchased fabric masks from a company I had never purchased from before and would have considered purchasing from again for other items. I recently got an email my item was backordered. And when I went through my emails to find my original purchase date…I had 26 emails in the last three weeks advertising deals or new products or whatever and I haven’t even received the first item I ever ordered from them! Now times this by at least 17 companies I just unsubscribed from in the last three days. It seems like so many companies are getting so aggressive in their advertising emails that I’m frequently getting more than one a day from some companies. Even companies that have closed temporarily due to COVID and can’t even ship products have found a way to send multiple emails a day. I can’t buy what I don’t know about so I unsubscribed from every company that has sent me 7 or more emails in the last 7 days and now I have to seek them out if I need/want something. Now that the daily offenders have been taken care of, I’m going to make more of an effort to unsubscribe as these emails show up in my inbox.
Social media/review sites – Again, it’s easier to not buy when you don’t know about it in the first place. I find it so much easier to reduce temptation by unplugging and engaging in other hobbies.
When it comes to color cosmetic temptations, your Dupe List often puts that fire out! All too often, I see that I already have something close enough to a new love, that I really don’t need it. With skincare, I will watch Allura, Jen Luvs Reviews, Tarababyz, or look up a product I’m interested in on Makeup Alley. From there, I can usually tell if something I’m interested in trying will actually benefit my skin or not. Then, I will try to get a sample of the sought after product to see how it plays with my sensitive, breakout prone, yet aging skin.
This works for me with blushes: I picture the product in the drawer with the rest of the blushes. Since I already own about 15 of them, I hardly ever need a new one. Picturing it in the drawer, lined up with all of the others takes the “new toy” allure from it.
I find this also works for eyeshadow palettes. I open my eyeshadow drawer and see all of the palettes that I haven’t touched in a year, picture the one that I want in the drawer with the rest of them, and it turns from something I want into something else to feel guilty about.
This seems like a great idea to try. Thanks!
Precisely what I do!
Clicking the daily email offers to show as read or using mark all as read and not really reading them. Eventually deleting the lot. Also keep it in a junk mail account of sorts.
Ordered some masks that have still to be sent out. Thankfully, you only needed to spend $25 for free shipping, but it still means ordering stuff.
I hate the emails that point me to something that I looked at and say – forgot something, you have good taste, etc.
Cashed in some PC Optimum points to get a discount on some night cream. I did order the Chanel summer bronzer – the one I have now has been used a lot.
Do need some toner as mine is almost empty. Did visit a store yesterday thinking I could pick one up. None in stock. So I may wait til next week when I get my hair done to see if another location has it. Otherwise it is an online order and maybe I will try something new. Didn’t order during the GWP a couple of weeks ago. The gift was sold out within 3 or 4 days.
When I organized most of my GWP for the past couple of years, I found a nice stash of cleansers. Haven’t had to buy any for the past six months or so. It was surprising to see what I have accumulated and for the most part I am using my stash.
I do have a weakness for limited edition products. A couple are tempting me. I have resisted as I have an allergy to some purple eyeshadows and I have enough blues. Maybe a I can wait til the fall stuff comes in.
I am allergic. So, why buy eyeshadows? ??? If I find my HG I am untempted to buy other things mainly because my HG are allergy proof.
I have a list of brands, places I’m not allowed to shop.
And I have been using up certain areas of my collection so I’ve decided I cannot buy this type of product until I use up this
And rather than buying every hyped up for a hot minute product, I try duping it. I find a lot of new eyeshadow palettes for instant to be regurgitated color schemes and not so unique. If something is mildly tempting, I see if I can dupe it with something I already own!
To minimize temptation, I think it’s important to know exactly what’s in your stash. Whatever your shade preferences are, it’s essential to understand that you really don’t need another bronze, taupe, olive, gold themed palette. The other point, as Christine has demonstrated time and time again, that it’s OK to use shades from different palettes.
Secondly, accessing the dupe list (the most marvellous beauty inventiion) can help you to see that already you have numerous dupes of the shades in a palette you might be considering purchasing.
Thirdly, declutter those that don’t give you joy (as Marie Kondo would say). Then you know what you really love.
Lastly, decide why you want to purchase and whether or not, financially, it it worth it.
Earlier this year, I made a “to use” Pinterest board of the eyeshadow palettes I already have since palettes are my weakness. This has really helped because I see the eyeshadows I already own in the same way that I see new eyeshadow palettes that I might be tempted to buy – professional photos make everything seem shiny and exciting. It is easier to compare color stories and layouts this way. If there are particular shades I’m interested in, I will compare the swatches to what I already own here on Temptalia.
Like others have said, I’ve also unsubscribed/watched fewer videos from creators who use very expensive makeup or have all the new makeup and say “you need to get this.” Instead, I follow creators who are open about budgeting, do projects pans, and are generally more relatable and realistic about their purchases. (I don’t mind creators who do use new products but emphasize technique and don’t try to sell you on products.) I’ve also unsubscribed from some email lists. I only check promotional emails when there is something I actively want and am waiting for a restock or a sale.
I’ve also set a monthly budget for myself (rather than rules about how many eyeshadow palettes I can get in a year) and shared it with my sister. Once I’ve spent that month’s budget, I (mostly successfully) don’t spend more even if there is an exciting new launch. The wait between seeing a product and the next month helps me make better decisions. In general, I try to wait at least two days after seeing something and reading about it to make a purchase. I have a wishlist Pinterest board where I put everything I want, in order from most wanted to least wanted. When I come across a new product that I want, I compare it to all the other products on the board to see if it is worth purchasing before the other items I’ve wanted for longer.
As far as sales go, I do the math and realize that often, sales are not really all that great and aren’t a good reason to buy something I wouldn’t have purchased otherwise. I think about how I would feel if I saved that money instead or spent it on something more practical. If there is a good sale on something that I’ve wanted for a while and there is room in my budget, I will purchase it, but that’s about it. Finally, reading through ingredient lists also dissuades me from buying certain products.
Georgina, I **love** your idea of making a Pinterest board of what you already have to make it look all new and thrilling again…that is brilliant!
Am I allowed to ask on this platform if you can share a name of two of those creators you watch? I think that would really help me, too!
I recently calculated the number of eyeshadow palettes I own vs. the approximately 365 opportunities I have of using them per year. That end number is dismally small and it will take years before the cost per use of most of these palettes makes them a ‘worthwhile’ purchase. At the beginning of this year I swore up and down I would only get 1 palette but I’ve bought maybe 7-8…(quarantine shopping oy) in my defense, I rotate my palettes very regularly so they all get used up; but it’s still very sobering.
Not going to beauty stores as often, using your dupe functionality, and not looking at beauty videos as much.
The realisation that spending a big chunk of disposable income on beauty products that only benefit me (and given the size of my collection, most of that is completely passive at any given time) when other people are suffering, sick or dying from preventable illnesses and dire social situations has really made me re-prioritise. I don’t follow any influencers or social media or any sort (apart from the occasional foray on Youtube, but that seemingly current trend of self appointed commentators critiquing other peoples hair and makeup techniques is revolting, now matter how “helpful” they want to come across – it’s just so negative and b!tchy and is pretty much just blatantly wanting to stir up drama, so, ugh, no thanks) so I have completely stepped away from nearly everything – I haven’t even commented here for months.
(sorry!)
Then I had to buy a new car. Now I am looking at directing a percentage of my income into community support and donating to reputable charities and individuals in need. Dropping a couple of grand on makeup is heaps of fun, but donating that amount to a family in need (toddler, mum is 6 months pregnant with baby #2 and just got diagnosed with leukaemia, dad is self employed and had to give up work, they have to move to a larger city for several months to get her a bone marrow transplant and additional treatment) really put things in perspective for me. I can go without for a bit, you know?
So not any sort of employable techniques, just pretty much an entire world view change… Still love makeup, but I’m going to purchase much more selectively, focus more on enjoying what I have and doing something to ensure the people and communities I engage with have something they enjoy too.
I’ve pretty much decluttered my entire collection down to just my favorite items. A lot of categories only have 1-2 items in there total. Unsubscribing from all mailing lists and understanding the history of marketing tactics used by the beauty industry have been immensely helpful. I used to really enjoy watching anti-haul videos but now, I don’t even really care to watch those because my interest in make-up has really just fallen off. Like Wednesday mentioned, cutting back on watching beauty content creators is a major area that many regular consumers like myself can benefit from. I currently only follow one beauty content creator out of all the social media platforms I use and her content isn’t even beauty-centered!
My best advice for avoiding the temptation of unnecessary purchases is to lay out your collection and take pictures to keep on your phone. For example, after decluttering my collection down to what I only liked/needed, I laid out all of my eyeshadow palettes, opened them up, and took one big group photo to keep on hand. Whenever I would see a new item get released, I would look back to that photo in my camera roll and say, “Oh yeah, I do have a similar color to that shade/I do have a similar color story in my collection.”
This also works by taking a picture of the items in your collection that you DON’T use. Often, I would be attracted to really bright, vivid tones but never actually wore these colors. If you happen to see a pattern of unused items in your collection, keep a picture of the things you don’t use so you can remind yourself that you don’t need to continue wasting money on the same pretty (but unusable) products.