Project Minimize 2014 (and Beyond)

Ever since I began following the beauty community, I have been struck by a desire for more. More foundations, more skin care products, more things than I will ever need. I get into a habit of finishing products, but before I finish everything I want to finish, I end up buying more. As a blogger, it is a challenge to come up with things to write about when I am only using the same things and never trying out the new products. At the same time, I don't need most of what I have. In 2012 I had a 3 month no-buy and it taught me that I should think over my purchases before I make them. I liked finishing products, so I decided to set a goal for 2013.

In 2013 my goal was to only buy 12 items that I didn't need. I completely failed at that attempt. Now, I'm not saying failure is necessarily a bad thing. I am learning from the mistakes I have made since I became a little too spend-happy, and learning from any sort of mistake is great. The problem every time I set out on any sort of no/low buy is that I am too general with my rules and I set goals that I can't reach. I also tend to worry about limited edition things. You know I will end up buying any limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo's that I think are worth owning, so I can't promise that I won't buy anything at all ;)

Another mistake I have made in the past is to set a timeline for my no/low buys. For me, it actually makes it easier to go ahead and break the rules. If I break the rules I set once, then I'm more tempted to continuously break them.

I also made the mistake of working at a drugstore and utilizing coupons. Coupons are nice... when you find ones for items you need. If you find coupons for things you want, it can be a little messy. Okay, so at most I spent an extra $30 during 2013 because of coupons, but that doesn't change the fact that I didn't have self control.

The bottom line is that I need to figure out what works and gradually eliminate the excessive beauty products that are in my life. Over time, I will update this page with my decisions and you will be able to see what I am focusing on.

Makeup:
My biggest "weakness" with makeup is foundation. I think the rest of my collection is pretty well under control, but I have enough foundations/tinted moisturizers/BB creams to last at least one year. That's insane and I should probably gain some level of self control. If I occasionally buy makeup, I won't beat myself up over it. However, I will do my best to avoid buying foundation until I have finished every last drop of the foundations I currently own.

I also have too many face powders. Luckily I can't stand to wear foundation without setting it with powder, so I hope to finish my powders in no time.

I do have several eye shadow palettes, but I'm not sure I am at the "uncontrollable" level yet. I like having some variety there, so I will revisit the eye shadow issue in the future. I think I go through mascara and eyeliner at an average pace

Hair Care:
I have too much of everything in terms of hair care. I want to finish every shampoo and conditioner I own and replace the products I finish with healthier alternatives. Overall my goal is to replace the products I finish with healthier products, but making the switch to natural hair care is a goal I think I can meet within several months.

Skin Care:
I want a basic and affordable skin care routine. I rarely buy skin care products now, but I already have an idea of which products I want to use once I finish my small stash of skin care products, and I will be sure to post an updated skin care routine once I do change things up.

Body Care:
I have more bar soap than I could realistically finish in 1-2 years. I don't really use shower gel now because I am trying to avoid parabens and sulfates (side note: oddly enough, I think even natural shower gels also irritate my skin more than notoriously harsh bar soaps... I must be losing my mind).

I don't use shaving cream because I personally don't feel like I need to use it, but I'm also not *that* hairy and I don't tend to get razor burn. Anyway, soap and water works well for me, so I am pleased that I don't have to finish up any cans or bottles of shaving cream and I can have that extra room in my shower (at home) and my shower caddy (at school) for something else.

I also have plenty of body lotion. I have a difficult time finishing body lotion because the skin on my body rarely feels dry. I'm not sure what product I will buy once I finish the lotions I have, but I want it to have a short ingredient list without parabens, dyes, fragrances, or mineral oil.

2 comments:

  1. Good for you! This is a great idea and I love the rules you came up with.

    Kindness is the best accessory,
    Rebecca

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting! I figured if I had firm, but reasonable rules then I should be able to follow through :)

      Have a great weekend!

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