A February no-buy proved to be too difficult a challenge for me, so I decided instead to set a budget for the month and attempt to stick to it. Now, $200 is a LOT of money for just makeup and I realize that, but this is one of my only hobbies and I typically spend a larger chunk of my income than $200 on makeup/beauty and the $200 includes shipping and sales tax. FYI I used all the images I could easily get from Polyvore so some of the colors aren't what I actually purchased. I also forgot to include a lip gloss and two gel eyeliners by Essence.
The cost breakdown:
1) Real Techniques Webstore $50 (two stippling brushes, a brow/lash brush/comb, eye shadow shader brush, eye brush set)
2) MAC $59 (Call Me Bubbles eye quad, Melba blush pro pan)
3) Milani (CVS) $6 (two clearance lipsticks - Red Delicious and Minky Pinky - and Leaf Green Runway eye shadow)
4) Physicians Formula (Rite Aid) $25 (Happy Booster blush in Warm, PH blush in Natural, and Youthful Wear Matte Translucent powder)
5) Wet n Wild (CVS) $2 (eyeshadow singles in Trashed and Golddigger)
6) e.l.f. $20 (two flat-top powder brushes, two stippling brushes, two makeup removing wipe packs)
7) L'oreal True Match Foundation $3 (Rite Aid)
8) Ulta $25 (2 Essence gel eyeliners and a lip gloss, plus the Real Techniques Core Collection)
9) Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Translucent $4 (Meijer)
10) Rimmel The Max Volume Flash Mascara $6 (CVS)
Have you ever tracked your incoming makeup to try to cut back on accumulation?
I have never kept an exact track of what I spend on beauty products, not sure if I want to lol! Anyway there are far worse things you could be spending your money on, not like it's anyones business! x
ReplyDeleteWellll, to be fair this post kind of makes it other people's business. Of course I don't want to be judged negatively, but this is honestly cutting way back for me! I don't know what I've spent at my peak and I really don't want to know that amount o_O I do know that when I smoked I spent $60-$100 per month on cigarettes (yuck, right?) so I'd much rather spend it on fun beauty products!
DeleteI agree. Trying to be in-the-know of what I can afford, already have, need, want is always a good thing. I wanna keep track of not only newly bought beauty product but on all other expense if possible. Doing so is not becuz of someone's all up in my business but more of for the desire of self control sort of thing. I love this post. Thank you for sharing, Sarah!
DeleteThanks Anne :) Separating wants and needs can be quite difficult to do. I admire anyone who can give tracking their spending in any area a go.
DeleteI am on a spending ban right now (stupid credit cards), so I have to track everything. I haven't had to buy makeup yet ... I'm scared to track it. I can only imagine what it is. Nightmares.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
I can send you some makeup, possibly, if I have an excess of something you need (I would only send new... I don't really feel comfortable with giving/selling used). I really have too much. Just leave a comment of stuff you might be lacking and I'll check my stash. My sister-in-law doesn't wear makeup and my sister usually gets all my overflow but she's trying to keep it under wraps now, too!
Delete"I do know that when I smoked I spent $60-$100 per month on cigarettes (yuck, right?)"
ReplyDeleteThis is why I quite smoking few monts ago :)
It's much better when I buy some makeup or clothes instead of that :)
Yay! I'm so glad for you! It is such a difficult habit to quit. :D
Deletethis is a thought-provoking post :) I think I definitely spend less on makeup these days than before - although I don't actively keep track of spending (tried to but fail) I am definitely conscious of how much I spend in general.
ReplyDeleteMy job involves a lot of tracking sales so it's really in my wheelhouse to do this! Drives my poor husband crazy but I like having evidence that I'm spending less on makeup to show him :) It's great to be conscious of where your money goes.
DeleteI think you can get Physicians Formula from CVS, they have buy $10 get $7 bucks back or something.
ReplyDeleteYep! I did take advantage of that :) Thanks for letting others know, Ree
DeleteI never had any budget rules, but I think it's a realy good idea. :)
ReplyDeletexx
This is such a good idea. Sometimes I don't realize how much money I REALLY spend on makeup. I usually use my haulposts to track how much I spend, but I don't always post everything I buy.
ReplyDeleteI need to do this too!
I think it's a great idea to keep track on what you're spending :) personally I would quite quite quite love those lippies you've been buying!
ReplyDeleteSarah
http://fashionismyh2o.blogspot.com/
xx
ooh, a budget is a great alternative to a full on makeup ban. Great idea, thanks I MUST try it out myself.
ReplyDeleteAhead of my vacation towards the end of March I have been trying to really cut back to things I think are essentials or LE and might sell out. I am trying to be more conscious of just how much I spend because I do have other hobbies that I'd like to get into (more travel please!) But I think $200 is pretty reasonable, considering how easy it is to spend that in Sephora, MAC, Nordstrom, etc. Good job for creating a budget and sticking to it. I'm trying to do the same as well :) I do keep my makeup purchases on a spreadsheet, tabbed out quarterly. It's the number geek in me I suppose. Or maybe I'm just really anal. Or both. ;)
ReplyDelete