New Year Resolution: Project No-Buy
Hello Bumbles,
First of all, hope y'all bought lots stuff with good deals for boxing day :) Because today, we are gonna talk decluttering and reducing purchases for the upcoming year. I'm usually not a new year resolution person, but this year, with my new planner and everything, I think I am ready to make some commitments :)
Let's first talk about purchasing commitments, especially for beauty and makeup products. I'm thinking of officially launching the plan "Project No-Buy". I have been practicing this plan for a little bit already, but of course, we all have relapses. But nonetheless, I am very happy to make this commitment, and it SHALL be marked on my planner. (Yes, things that are marked on THE PLANNER WILL BE DONE) -> Click this link to see the Hobonichi Planner that I got and how I'm gonna use it!
If like me, you have lots and lots of stuff (beauty/makeup products/clothes), and you suffer from immense guilt when throwing away almost new products because they are wayyy pass expiry date because you just have too much stuff to use...then read on! Basically Project No-Buy is where I will not buy anything of a similar kind unless I have absolutely no replacements left!
P.S: This is gonna be a long post, so sit tight Bumbles.
Why I Wanted to Go on A No-Buy
First of all, hope y'all bought lots stuff with good deals for boxing day :) Because today, we are gonna talk decluttering and reducing purchases for the upcoming year. I'm usually not a new year resolution person, but this year, with my new planner and everything, I think I am ready to make some commitments :)
Let's first talk about purchasing commitments, especially for beauty and makeup products. I'm thinking of officially launching the plan "Project No-Buy". I have been practicing this plan for a little bit already, but of course, we all have relapses. But nonetheless, I am very happy to make this commitment, and it SHALL be marked on my planner. (Yes, things that are marked on THE PLANNER WILL BE DONE) -> Click this link to see the Hobonichi Planner that I got and how I'm gonna use it!
If like me, you have lots and lots of stuff (beauty/makeup products/clothes), and you suffer from immense guilt when throwing away almost new products because they are wayyy pass expiry date because you just have too much stuff to use...then read on! Basically Project No-Buy is where I will not buy anything of a similar kind unless I have absolutely no replacements left!
Just a snapshot of what is in my drawer at the moment. I will try to group them and post some of it individually. Anyway, it is definitely not a lot compared to many people, but it is still a number that I would like to decrease! I very much enjoy buying things and shopping, but I would also like to not feel guilty every time I buy things because I feel like I am hoarding!
Anyway, I am definitely not trying to "show-off" the stuff that I have. I am simply trying to make a point that we only have one face, but the number of products we own is wayyy too much! We purchase way more than what we need to and the act of hoarding/overstocking does more harm than good. Also, you will see a lot of products from one or two particular brands. This post is not sponsored in anyway, I have acne-prone skin, and those brands usually have a lot of products that are good for acne-prone skin! That's why most of my stuff are from there :)
P.S: This is gonna be a long post, so sit tight Bumbles.
Why I Wanted to Go on A No-Buy
- Simplifying My Routines
- The Cavemen Regimen
- Commitments to Finishing a Product
- The Good Feeling of Empties
- Decluttering and The Burden of Over-stocking and Storage
- Knowing exactly what I am using
- Doing Research and Asking Questions
- Reduce stress
1. Simplifying My Routines
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| Cleansers, not including facial soaps and what not... Seriously wondering how long it will take me to finish all of them :( |
In any case, I realized that with beauty products, or anything in life actually, less is more. In a way, the same goes for makeup products as well. I don't need a beauty routine with a million steps to ensure the perfect hydration for my face, and I definitely don't need a number of different eye palette because I only use so many colors on a daily basis. With that being said, a simpler routine sometimes is all that we need to figure things out.
The Cavemen Regimen
During the periods of severe breakouts, I stopped using any products for a week (including facial cleansers), and I was able to really simplify my routine afterwards. I basically gave a week for my skin to "reset" - letting my face's natural oils do its work. This is actually a real thing ladies, it's called "The Cavemen Regimen". Simply do a quick search and you can find many reviews about it.
The results was not as promising as some reviewers', no surprise there, but it could be because I only lasted a week since I honestly couldn't take it any longer. Anyway, I noticed that my overall complexion was actually a little bit better, I probably needed to go on for a month before seeing big differences. But in general, my complexion were more even then before. I still broke out here and there during the week, but they weren't those angry monster zits that I was getting. The pimples were a lot smaller and went away within a day or so. It was comforting to know that my acne did not get any worse after I stopped using absolutely everything.
After one week of using nothing, I slowly picked up my routine one by one. I started off with just a cleanser and a very basic moisturizer. After a week or so I would add on other steps such as spot treatment and etc. Now, I've only ever done the Cavemen Regime once, but one time gives me a good idea of whether or not the products are breaking me out. Due to the fact that I am adding each product into my routine one at a time, I can really observe the effects of each product. By having this "reset" time, I can always closely monitor how new products are reacting to my skin :)
The Cavemen Regimen
During the periods of severe breakouts, I stopped using any products for a week (including facial cleansers), and I was able to really simplify my routine afterwards. I basically gave a week for my skin to "reset" - letting my face's natural oils do its work. This is actually a real thing ladies, it's called "The Cavemen Regimen". Simply do a quick search and you can find many reviews about it.
The results was not as promising as some reviewers', no surprise there, but it could be because I only lasted a week since I honestly couldn't take it any longer. Anyway, I noticed that my overall complexion was actually a little bit better, I probably needed to go on for a month before seeing big differences. But in general, my complexion were more even then before. I still broke out here and there during the week, but they weren't those angry monster zits that I was getting. The pimples were a lot smaller and went away within a day or so. It was comforting to know that my acne did not get any worse after I stopped using absolutely everything.
After one week of using nothing, I slowly picked up my routine one by one. I started off with just a cleanser and a very basic moisturizer. After a week or so I would add on other steps such as spot treatment and etc. Now, I've only ever done the Cavemen Regime once, but one time gives me a good idea of whether or not the products are breaking me out. Due to the fact that I am adding each product into my routine one at a time, I can really observe the effects of each product. By having this "reset" time, I can always closely monitor how new products are reacting to my skin :)
With that being said, because I've simplified my routine so much, I now have all these extra products! Hence, I wanted to go on a no-buy because I have too much when compared to what I need, which leads to the next section.
2.Commitment to Finishing A Product
I feel terrible when I throw away products or when I have not used the product much before they expired. But I am definitely not the only one who thinks it is rather difficult to finish them!
The Good Feeling of Empties
Let's face it, we need constant new products to keep things exciting. Yet, being the creature that we are, we constantly feel guilty about wanting new products. So, to alleviate my guilty conscientious, I thought that I should commit myself to actually finishing the products before purchasing any new ones. This is something that I have already been doing in the year 2016, and so far I've feeling pretty good! Every time I finish a product, I feel pretty darn proud. Seeing the amount of products in my drawer disappear (slowly) is also a very satisfying feeling.
Decluttering and The Burden of Over-Stocking and Storage
I used to buy products just for the sake of stocking up when they are at a good price. But really, the last thing anyone need to stock up is cosmetics and beauty products! They will always be at the same stores and there will always be another sale.
It was mentioned in the book of "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" written by Marie Condo that the habit of over-stocking and holding on to things that should be thrown away is our way of dealing with the fear of the future. "I will end up using it anyway" often pops up when we are over-stocking. But really, instead of stocking the products now, we can put it off till we actually need it and make the purchase then. That way it reduces the amount of clutter, and ensures that the products are fresh and within their expiry date when we actually come around to use it.
2.Commitment to Finishing A Product
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| Products for problematic skin...include spot treatments, AHA, repair balm, and Glycolic Acid. As you all know, these things shouldn't be used too often, so it will definitely take a while to go through them |
The Good Feeling of Empties
Let's face it, we need constant new products to keep things exciting. Yet, being the creature that we are, we constantly feel guilty about wanting new products. So, to alleviate my guilty conscientious, I thought that I should commit myself to actually finishing the products before purchasing any new ones. This is something that I have already been doing in the year 2016, and so far I've feeling pretty good! Every time I finish a product, I feel pretty darn proud. Seeing the amount of products in my drawer disappear (slowly) is also a very satisfying feeling.
Decluttering and The Burden of Over-Stocking and Storage
I used to buy products just for the sake of stocking up when they are at a good price. But really, the last thing anyone need to stock up is cosmetics and beauty products! They will always be at the same stores and there will always be another sale.
It was mentioned in the book of "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" written by Marie Condo that the habit of over-stocking and holding on to things that should be thrown away is our way of dealing with the fear of the future. "I will end up using it anyway" often pops up when we are over-stocking. But really, instead of stocking the products now, we can put it off till we actually need it and make the purchase then. That way it reduces the amount of clutter, and ensures that the products are fresh and within their expiry date when we actually come around to use it.
3.Knowing Exactly What I'm Using
We've all purchased products out of a whim, it was probably on sale and the results sounded promising. So, we purchase it without much thought. You are lucky if you ended up finding the right match, but the worst-case scenario can result in a massive breakout. Or, most likely, those products just ends up sitting by a corner and collects dust. One day, you will rediscover that you owned the product and realize that it was longgg past the expiry date, and you will toss it in the trash with barely any second thoughts - just like how you purchased it. That's money wasted, my friend. It may not be a lot, but why not save those dollars and wait for them to add up so that you can buy something that you were really looking forward to?
Doing Research and Asking Questions
Here is the process of how I've been doing this Project No-Buy. At first, it seems like a lot of work, but eventually you will get use to it and I promise we will all become a more informed consumer.
Before walking into a store, figure out if there are anything that you really need because
a) whatever it is that you need is running out, and you need to get a replacement, or
b) it is something that you do not already own and you need to buy it.
Now let's talk about the word "need" - Do you need this product because
a) it is absolutely an necessity, or
b) it will significantly increase your happiness and experience.
If this product is something that you've been looking forward to and it is something that you will be very very happy about after making the purchase, then go ahead. But please don't just get something because it is on sale, or because it is cheap. There will always be another sale, and there are plenty of cheap stuff to go around. Make sure you understand the difference between want and need. Buying a product that you want will indeed make you happy, for a bit. But those are cheap thrills, let's focus on long-term happiness :)
Here is an example:
I walk into Shoppers Drug Mart and I'm like, damn! Spot treatment from La Roche Posay is on sale?? They never have a sale!! I better buy one because I'm almost running out the one I'm using. *grabs the product*
But then I start asking myself, wait, do I need this? Ben got me an Avene spot treatment, and he also got me this other one from Japan...There, end of discussion. BAM, put that thing back on the shelf and walk out.
So, after using the above process, I would say I walk out of the store 9 out of 10 times empty handed. Yeah, it sucks, but all the time spent at the store isn't wasted! Instead of getting something out of a whim, just take a picture, and research it at home. Look at the reviews, and look at the ingredients list. Often than not, I figure out something is a) not suitable for me, or b) it has some bad ingredients.
By doing this, it really allows me to understand a product before making the commitment. However, I can't say that this method eliminate mistakes 100%, but I do think this will somewhat reduce the likelihood of buying a product that may irritate my skin, or buying a product that will just sit and collect dust eventually.
4.Reduce Stress
Sometimes I look at all the bottles on my desk and I honestly feel stressed out because I have no idea when I'm ever going to finish all of them. I dread looking at the expiry dates and having the guiltiness erode me when something brand new just expired...So, I figured, why not just not buy anything till I finish them all, or at least when I need something?
And that concludes this long post Bumbles :) Glad you stayed till the end. Let me know your thoughts on hoarding/overstocking and Project No-Buy. Let me know if this post is helpful in anyway, I would love to do more posts like this :)
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| Face creams...Yeah, I'm using Nivea Creme right now Will do a review on it later! |
Doing Research and Asking Questions
Here is the process of how I've been doing this Project No-Buy. At first, it seems like a lot of work, but eventually you will get use to it and I promise we will all become a more informed consumer.
Before walking into a store, figure out if there are anything that you really need because
a) whatever it is that you need is running out, and you need to get a replacement, or
b) it is something that you do not already own and you need to buy it.
Now let's talk about the word "need" - Do you need this product because
a) it is absolutely an necessity, or
b) it will significantly increase your happiness and experience.
If this product is something that you've been looking forward to and it is something that you will be very very happy about after making the purchase, then go ahead. But please don't just get something because it is on sale, or because it is cheap. There will always be another sale, and there are plenty of cheap stuff to go around. Make sure you understand the difference between want and need. Buying a product that you want will indeed make you happy, for a bit. But those are cheap thrills, let's focus on long-term happiness :)
Here is an example:
 |
| Masks! Currently not using any because I am trying to calm my skin... |
I walk into Shoppers Drug Mart and I'm like, damn! Spot treatment from La Roche Posay is on sale?? They never have a sale!! I better buy one because I'm almost running out the one I'm using. *grabs the product*
But then I start asking myself, wait, do I need this? Ben got me an Avene spot treatment, and he also got me this other one from Japan...There, end of discussion. BAM, put that thing back on the shelf and walk out.
So, after using the above process, I would say I walk out of the store 9 out of 10 times empty handed. Yeah, it sucks, but all the time spent at the store isn't wasted! Instead of getting something out of a whim, just take a picture, and research it at home. Look at the reviews, and look at the ingredients list. Often than not, I figure out something is a) not suitable for me, or b) it has some bad ingredients.
By doing this, it really allows me to understand a product before making the commitment. However, I can't say that this method eliminate mistakes 100%, but I do think this will somewhat reduce the likelihood of buying a product that may irritate my skin, or buying a product that will just sit and collect dust eventually.
4.Reduce Stress
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| Sirius says Hi :) |
And that concludes this long post Bumbles :) Glad you stayed till the end. Let me know your thoughts on hoarding/overstocking and Project No-Buy. Let me know if this post is helpful in anyway, I would love to do more posts like this :)
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