#NoBuy 2018: Why I’m Not Buying Any Makeup This Year

In my last guest post (here), I mention how I hope to make 2018 a “No Buy” year for unnecessary cosmetic purchases. After buying the 2017 Beautylish Lucky Bag (check out my review here), I realized (not that I have’t realized it before) that I spend too much money (not a ridiculous amount, but enough to realize that I can work on it) on unnecessary makeup.  I told myself that the Lucky Bag would be my last makeup purchase of 2017, and ideally, the last unnecessary makeup purchase until 2019 (how many times can I type the word unnecessary??).

A Makeup Maven In The Making

High school was when I really got into makeup because I met friends who loved makeup too. I learned about MAC and cosmetics counters in department stores.  I worked all through high school which afforded me the ability to buy the makeup I wanted, when I wanted it. Then in college, my love of makeup grew stronger. I even worked at a stand-alone makeup pigment counter in the local mall (I can’t remember the company name, but it was the stacks of pigment that could be used on the eyes, lips, nails, etc.).  The point is, I’ve been into makeup and the artistry of makeup for most of my life. I’ve guess blogged here on the brand  ColourPop,Drunk Elephant, and the Sephora Glow Kit.

Makeup Is Always The Right Fit!

Just a bit about my spending habits.  I don’t consider myself a shopaholic. I’ve never really been into clothes due to the fact that my weight has fluctuated my whole life.  In years past, I’ve bought clothes only to have them NOT fit (because they are too big, or small) down the road. Like clothes, I’ve never been into shoes either.  I have a few basic pairs of shoes that I wear into the ground, and then I purchase new ones. Because of this, the one thing that I can ALWAYS fit into is makeup.

Makeup doesn’t discriminate between body sizes or types. It always fits!

I’ve always felt comfortable and confident in my makeup application skills. Practice makes perfect and I think over the years, I’ve become proficient in MY makeup skills.

Oh YouTube!

Also, about 4-5 years ago, I discovered YouTube.  Oh YouTube. YouTube beauty channels and ‘gurus’ opened my eyes up to makeup EVEN MORE.  The men and women who make beauty related makeup videos are so talented and knowledgeable and I could watch them for hours (check
out Natalie’s YouTube channel here for product reviews and tutorials!).  I don’t have many vices, but watching YouTube videos is one of them (harmless right?!).  I’ve learned so much about products and makeup techniques and of course I want to emulate what I see on these beauty channels…thus, I’m compelled to buy many of the products they talk about, and in some cases, rave about. If it weren’t for YouTube, I would never have learned about tight-lining, contouring, highlighting or even knowing what highlighter is and how it really can transform the look of your cheekbones.  I’m really grateful to some of these channels because their advice has only helped me improve my skills, which in turn, makes me feel confident and beautiful.

There was one major thing that happened in 2017 though that really shifted my focus away from makeup…

 

…At the end of 2017 I got married.  Yes, getting married is exciting and wonderful. But the wedding planning process was a times a bit stressful and overall, it was expensive. Expensive being the key word here.  My husband and I paid for our wedding. We always knew we’d pay for our own wedding. In many ways, I always KNEW weddings were expensive so it wasn’t like I experienced too much sticker shock. But, there was still some level of sticker shock anyway, especially on my husband’s part. You mention the word WEDDING and the cost of everything goes up tenfold! Planning a wedding makes you take stock of your wants and needs and it forces you to really think about what’s necessary and what’s not.

 

In a world of Say Yes To The Dress, bridal magazines, celebrity million dollar weddings, and Pinterest (oh Pinterest) it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important.  We are inundated with the beauty and opulence of weddings themselves, and we THINK we need to have things a certain way. And I don’t know if it’s because of our age (we are in our early 30s), or the fact that we paid for everything on our own, but we were both very conscious of our wedding wants and needs. If something seemed unnecessary, we didn’t have it on our wedding day, plain and simple.

Priorities Change

The point I guess I’m trying to make is that my financial priorities shifted because of planning a wedding. Our money had to go towards wedding related purchases (also other important things like the mortgage, bills, etc.), and not frivolous things anymore (ahem, makeup). In the 13 months that we were engaged, we managed to save enough money each month, to have our entire wedding paid off by our wedding day.  I can’t tell you what an incredible feeling this is! We had a goal and we met that goal in the timeframe we set for ourselves. Wedding debt was not something we could take on or WOULD take on.

Because of my wedding and marriage, my thoughts on makeup (and spending in general) changed.  Right now, I just don’t feel like I WANT makeup. I don’t WANT a lot of things anymore to be honest.  Of course I’m going to need to buy necessary items like foundation, makeup remover, and mascara…but the bulk of makeup purchases aren’t necessary for me anymore.

 2018 is really going to be the year that my husband and I set other financial goals and work to obtain them. Though we’ve always been a team, we are LEGALLY a team now.  My spending habits REALLY affect more than just me, and vice versa. His cart is hitched to my wagon!

I think big transitions in life (marriage, babies, loss of jobs, loss of loved ones, etc.) force us to re-prioritize our lives and shift our perspective on life as a whole.

Maybe this last bit was somewhat of a tangent, but it really was the motivation for my NO BUY 2018.  I really want to focus my energies and money on other things that are higher priorities. And I don’t think my idea is novel or groundbreaking. I think big transitions in life (marriage, babies, loss of jobs, loss of loved ones, etc.) force us to re-prioritize our lives and shift our perspective on life as a whole. You really do learn the value of the dollar bill.

#nobuy2018 Challenge!

I’m excited about 2018 and what is has in store. Just like any New Year, it’s full of excitement and possibility. So here’s to me setting another goal, and sticking (trying really really hard) to it! If you want to join me on this adventure, I’d love for you to use the #nobuy2018 with a picture of something you would’ve bought, but didn’t. 

xoxo,

Alexanna

Flat Lay Image Photo by STIL on Unsplash