Why I’m Doing a No-Buy

In a world of blogs, videos, and influencers encouraging you to spend, spend, spend, I wanted to dial things back for a bit. I’ve been toying with the idea of a no-buy for a long time now, and I wanted to share some insight on why I’m committing to stop buying makeup for the next few months.

My collection has grown out of control. As you know, I live in the city in a small apartment with limited space and storage. Yes, as I blogger I review products so I have more than the average person. Absolutely, there are redundancies. And yep, I have already done the rounds of donating products to friends, family, and charitable organizations. But I bet a lot of you can relate to this dilemma. The issue is that there are products I habitually use and love, but also a ton of items in the queue of makeup to try. Maybe things I got to see if they’re worth the hype, or something someone influenced me to buy. One element we all can control is the rate at which new products are coming in, and that means deciding to shop more consciously.

So that is why I’m going on a makeup no-buy until June 30th, 2017. For reference, the last makeup item I purchased was the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in November. While I did pick up a few things at IMATS LA back in January, I actually didn’t buy any makeup so I’ve been honoring a no-buy for several months now. Doing the no-buy until the end of June would be a total of 7 months and some change, and that gives me the freedom to go shopping during my birthday month, July.

However, there are a few exceptions to my no-buy that should be addressed! Here’s where I’m cutting myself a little slack:

• Receiving PR samples. As a blogger I’m fortunate enough to receive product samples for review consideration. If you see something noted with (c/o) on my blog or YouTube channel, that means the product was provided courtesy of the brand or retailer. So there will be makeup hauls in the months to come, but I am still sticking to the no-buy.
• Repurchasing makeup staples. If I run out of one specific product type and I have nothing else to use for the time being, I will allow myself to replenish that item. For me, this will likely be liquid eyeliner as I tend to run through it quite quickly.
• Purchasing hard-to-find products while traveling abroad. When presented with the opportunity to buy different products abroad, I will allow myself to buy a few things. For example, I’m heading to Asia in two weeks and there are going to be so many brands I’ll have access to there that aren’t readily available in America. I won’t go crazy with it, though.
• Skincare & clothing are not included in this no-buy. I will however be trying a skincare and clothing low-buy. I tend to finish skincare more rapidly than makeup, so my current skincare inventory is less of a worry for me. As for clothing, I’m actually pretty disciplined at clearing out pieces regularly via Poshmark or donations. I recently also decluttered a ton of hangers so I’m less tempted to fill the freed up space in my closet.

Obviously, the financial benefit of a no-buy is huge, but I’m also hoping this project will help me on a path towards minimalism. There are definitely other areas of my life that could benefit from minimalizing. Decelerating how I’m acquiring goods is a great way to start.

So, would you try a no-buy or low-buy for any category of products with me? Let me know in a comment below so we can all support one another!