#thingsiamtryingtofinish

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

Biennial of the Low Buy --- January Update

The Plan

Finished Six Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Estee Lauder | Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules | Sample | Skin Care | Serum

Tony Moly | Changing Magic Foot Peeling Shoes | Full | Body Care | Foot Treatment

Christopher Hanlon | Aloe Vera & Cucumber Body Creme | Full | Body Care | Body Cream

Omorovicza | Ultramoor Mud Mask | Sample | Skin Care | Mask

MONU | Hydrating Mask | Deluxe | Skin Care | Mask

Mahalo | Vacation Glow | Sample | Body Care | Body Oil

Added Fifteen Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Clinique | Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Clinique | Fresh Pressed Daily Booster wtih Vitamin C 10% | Deluxe | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Clinique | Fresh Pressed Daily Booster wtih Vitamin C 10% | Deluxe | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Clinique | Clinique Smart SPF15 Custom Repair Moisturiser | Deluxe | Skin Care | Moisturiser

Olaplex | No 3 | Full | Hair Care | Hair Treatment

Premium Pin Company | 2" Ripple Pins | Full | Hair Care | Tools

Hi Lift | Ceramic Styling Brush 55m | Full | Hair Care | Tools

Derma-E | Microdermabrasion Scrub | Sample | Skin Care | Face Exfoliator

Kiehl's | Creme de Corps | Full | Body Care | Body Cream

Stemm | Density Stimuli | Full | Hair Care | Hair Treatment

Niod | Sanskrit Saponins | Full | Skin Care | Cleanser

HIF | Volume Support | Full | Hair Care | Shampoo

The Chemistry Brand | Hand Chemistry | Full | Skin Care | Hand Cream

The Chemistry Brand | Retin-Oil | Full | Body Care | Body Treatment

T.N. Dickinson's | Witchhazel Toner | Full | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

YTD Inventory Update (+1.88%) --- target is 450 (-6.25%):

Start Jan 2018: 480 items

End Jan 2018: 489 items

Finished Zero Makeup Items:

Zilch | Nada | Zippo

Added One Makeup Items:

Hourglass | Veil Mineral Primer | Sample | Makeup | Primer

YTD Inventory Update (+0.17%) --- target is 600 (-0.83%):

Start Jan 2018: 605 items

End Jan 2018: 606 items

Finished Three Fragrance Items:

L'Occitane | Rose Aurore EDT | Full | Fragrance | EDT

Tory Burch | Jolie Fleur Vertie | Sample | Fragrance | EDP

Victoria's Secret | Dream Angels Heavenly | Deluxe | Fragrance | Vaporiser

Got Zero:

Yay!

YTD Inventory Update (-5.88%) --- target is 30:

Start Jan 2018: 34 items

End Jan 2018: 32 items

Not counting the L’Occitane because I finished it before I did my inventory for the year.

Total Spend (-56.35%) --- target is $1800 (-35.47%):

YTD Jan 2017: AU$ $243.19

YTD Jan 2018: AU$ $106.14

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

2018 - Biennial of the Low Buy

Strictly speaking, calling it a Biennial isn’t correct; but as we enter our second year of semi-conscious consumerism, let’s just roll with it shall we?

As with last year I invested some time in making a starting inventory, which was an easier task because of the meticulous record keeping last year, so with the spare time and energy, I went and made one for fragrance as well. The details:

Skin/Hair/Body Care

Number of Items: 480 Number of Brands: 170 Number of Categories: 3 Number of Sub Categories: 49 Super: 6 Full: 192 Deluxe: 196 Sample: 86

Makeup

605 items, not posting any breakdowns because it’s rather long and tedious

Fragrance

34 items, with no further breakdown.

Now For Some Target Setting:

Skin, Hair & Body

Net inventory at the end of the year: 450

Items used per month: 10

Makeup

Net inventory at the end of the year: 600

Fragrance

Net inventory at the end of the year: 30

Money Spent

$1,800 by the end of the year

It might seem like I’m letting myself off easy, but given my habits I think I’ll definitely be challenged, especially on the $1,800. I think $200 a month is my ‘equilibrium’ spending on all things beauty, but we’ll roll with this and see where we land before adjusting for next year. Let the tracking begin!

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

2017 - Year in Review

This post becomes a little redundant after my monthly check-ins but let’s humour me anyway, and do our fourth yearly review:

2016 - Year in Review

2015 - Year in Review

2014 - Year in Review

This year I got a stable job end of January, and while money has been coming in, I no longer make even close to what I used to in Dubai before moving here. Also I’ve accumulated so many things, that the two together have really forced me to obsessively track what I buy and use. I did not reduce my inventory (+17% on skin/hair/body care and +11% on makeup) but I spent 41% less than I did in 2016 and I finished 108 items, vs. 49 in 2016, 91 in 2015 and 30 in 2014 (but that’s not a full year of tracking).

Active Months: 12

Number of Posts: 184

January: 21

February: 12

March: 14

April: 23

May: 17

June: 18

July: 17

August: 8

September: 10

October: 12

November: 14

December: 18

Only one single digit month! Can I cross 200 next year?

#TryingToFinish: After this mention, this count is going to be retired, the tag will stay but it’s getting a lot harder for me to keep track of it. The tag will stay though, as I sometimes share new things out of the stash or my progress with the existing ones.

#iFinishedThis and #Chucked: Didn’t throw a single item away this year, but in total finished 108 items, which while short of the 123 target is still over a 100 items in the year and 9 a month. Can I do better in 2018? 

#iGotThis: We already know that my inventory went up not down this year *sigh* but it translates to 216 new items. Remember my counting methodology has become much more unforgiving, where I count every single eyeshadow pan, individually wrapped single use items and samples as one. Net, an increase of 216-108 = 108 items across all categories. Can I keep it at par next year?

Money I Spent: Now this is what I’m most proud of. I only started keeping detailed record last year, and this year spent 41% less. Here’s my fancy chart that I share every year:

There are only two $500+ months, and one $300 month. January is birthday month and I still buy myself beauty things as ‘gifts’ though I need to curb this habit, June/July is when I placed all my US orders for the husband to bring back with him, and November is Black Friday but this year it’s nearly a third of last year. A nice bimodal graph we’ve got here.

Hello 2018!

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

Year of the Low Buy --- December Update

January update

February update

March update

April update

May update

June update

July update

August update

September update

October update

November update

Here we are folks! The last monthly update of the year. I’ve decided to post it on the 31st instead of waiting until next year (khekhekhekhe).

So the target until December was a neat 123 items net, though during the year we realised that wasn’t going to happen so I thought I’d try at least finishing this many items, regardless of how many new come in. So here’s how we fared:

Finished Ten Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Madara | Brightening AHA Peel Mask | Deluxe | Skin Care | Mask

Sodashi | Rejuvenating Skin Cleanser | Sample | Skin Care | Cleanser

L'Oreal Paris | Elnett Satin Supreme Hold Hair Spray | Full | Hair Care | Hair Spray

Caudalie | Vinoperfect | Deluxe | Skin Care | Serum

Clarisonic | Skin Illuminating Cleanser | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Sodashi | Brightening Marine Mineral Mask | Sample | Skin Care | Mask

Tony Moly | Pureness 100 Green Tea Mask Sheet Skin Soothing | Full | Skin Care | Sheet Mask

Odacite | Jo+L Clogged Pores Serum Concentrate | Sample | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Sonya Dakar | Flash Facial | Sample | Skin Care | Face Exfoliator

Sodashi | Recovery Skin Boost | Sample | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Added Eleven Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Deborah Lippman | Nail Buffer (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Full | Body Care | Tools

Aromatherapy Associates | Revive Evening Bath & Shower Oil (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Sample | Body Care | Bath Oil

By Terry | Baume De Rose Lip & Nail Balm (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Lip Balm

Charlotte Tilbury | Magic Cream (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Moisturiser

Christophe Robin | Cleansing Volumnizing Paste (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Hair Treatment

Erno Laszlo | Firmarine Cleansing Oil (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Erno Laszlo | Firmarine Cleansing Bar (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Kat Burki | Bio-Correcting Face Creme (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Moisturiser

Lancer | Lift Serum Intense: Stem Cell Recovery Complex (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Serum

Lanolips | Rhubard Lip Tint (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Lip Balm

Leonor Greyl | Crème de Soin à L'Amarante Detangling and Color-Protecting Conditioner (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Conditioner

Omorovicza | Ultramoor Face Mask (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Mask

Original & Mineral | Frizzy Logic (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Leave-in Treatment

R&Co | High Dive Moisture + Shine Creme (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Leave-in Treatment

Philip Kingsley | Tricho Pro Volumnizing Protein Spray (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Hair Treatment

Rossano Ferratti | Regenerating Treatment (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Hair Care | Hair Treatment

Rodin | Olio Lusso (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Face Oil

This Works | In Transit Camera Close Up (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Moisturiser

Senteurs D'Orient | Ma'amoul Soap - Amber (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Body Care | Soap

Natura Bisse | Diamond Instant Glow (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Mask

Meow Meow Tweet | Grapefruit Deodorant Cream Baking Soda Free | Full | Body Care | Deodorant

Meow Meow Tweet | Lemon Eucalyptus Deodorant Stick | Full | Body Care | Deodorant

Meow Meow Tweet | Levander Deodorant Cream Baking Soda Free | Full | Body Care | Deodorant

Sephora | Moisturizing Hand Cream - Sweet Vanilla | Full | Body Care | Hand Cream

Sephora | Nourishing Velvet Cream | Full | Body Care | Body Cream

Stratia | Rewind | Full | Skin Care | Serum

Stratia | Soft Touch AHA | Full | Skin Care | Exfoliating Toner

Jurlique | Sweet Violet & Grapefruit Face Mist | Full | Skin Care | Hydrating Toner

Thank you Net-a-Porter beauty kit, the gift that keeps giving!

Inventory update:

Start Jan 2017: 408 items

End Dec 2017: 480 items

YTD Inventory Reduction Expansion: +17.65% 

Makeup:

Added Six Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Eyeko | Black Magic Mascara (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Makeup | Mascara

Hourglass | Peacemaker Lipstick (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Makeup | Lipstick

Lashfood | Browfood Brow Enhancing GelFix (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Makeup | Brow Gel

Marc Jacobs | Fineliner - Blacquer (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Makeup | Eyeliner

Oribe | Lip Lust Creme Lipstick - The Red (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Full | Makeup | Lipstick

Wander Beauty | Carryon Lip & Cheek Gel (Net-a-Porter Kit) | Deluxe | Makeup | Lipstick

Inventory update:

Start Jan 2017: 540 items

End Nov 2017: 605 items

YTD Inventory Reduction Expansion: +12.03%

Total Spend:

Cost YTD Nov 2016: AU$ 4,736.85 

Cost YTD Nov 2017: AU$ 2,789.22

YTD Cost Reduction: -41.17%

Okay so I didn’t quite make the -50% but I’ll take the -41% any day!

Usage stats not accounting for purchases:

Finished 108 items, 15 items behind (boo!) so I average 9 items a month.

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

One Less Goody Bag

How many Cult Beauty Goody Bags have I skipped now? The last one I got was Spring 2017, skipped Summer 2017 and Autumn 2017 so this makes it three in a row! Boy I am getting better (I think!)

Let’s break this one down shall we?

Don’t want or need:

Nyx blush/highlight palette

Huda Beauty Complexion Perfection (or any other) primer

Lime Crime Velveteen

Nudestix Eye Pencil

Cult Beauty Vanity Bag

Already have:

Sunday Riley Good Genes (though I don’t mind getting more because it’s a staple)

Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner, in full size

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream in various sample and deluxe sizes and I haven’t opened any of them

Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist, in full size

Becca shimmering skin perfector in Opal, liquid AND powder

Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel, though I like this one but it will be a long long while before I need a replacement

New items I’m ambivalent about:

The ordinary 100% plant derived squalane

skyn ICELAND hydro cool firming eye gels

Touch in Sol - mini metallist Shadow liquid foil & glitter

Definitely Interested in:

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser (though I really really don’t need another one)

DCL Hydra Boost finishing serum (also really really don’t need another serum)

Oskia City Life i-Zone balm

Gift Code but that will probably expire before I get a chance to use it

Easy pass!

Also why are they releasing it in November? Shouldn’t it be a December/Christmas thing?

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

What I did not Buy ... and it’s Big

Regardless of the satisfaction I got from the Net-a-Porter Beauty Kit, I always knew that I had to choose between that and another big ticket item, that is the much revered and coveted Caroline Hirons Beauty Box. 

There is only one reason I didn’t buy it, and that’s the May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. I have two of it already, one from the December 2015 CH Box and one from my May Lindstrom set from May 2015 as well as various other assorted creams and balms. Anything else and I would have gotten the box. It’s a good thing, I think.

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

Year of the Low Buy --- November Update

January update

February update

March update

April update

May update

June update

July update

August update

September update

October update

November’s target is 113 items less in total, here’s the update:

Finished Five Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Crabtree & Evelyn | Pear & Pink Magnolia | Full | Fragrance | EDT

Goldfaden MD | Bright Eyes | Deluxe | Skin Care | Eye Cream

Erno Laszlo | Deep Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Appelles | Comfrey Hand & Body Wash | Deluxe | Body Care | Body Wash

Herb Farmacy | Luxury Foot Cream | Sample | Body Care | Foot Cream

(including fragrance)

Added Eleven Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Crabtree & Evelyn | La Source Exfoliating Massage Bar 125g | Full | Body Care | Soap

Crabtree & Evelyn | La Source Warming Foot Smoother 150g | Full | Body Care | Foot Scrub

Jurlique | Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense Deluxe Edition 200ml | Super | Skin Care | Hydrating Toner

Jurlique | Jurlique Rose Handpicked 2017 Hand Cream with Rosa Gallica Flower Extract 75ml (Limited Edition) | Full | Body Care | Hand Cream

Jurlique | Jurlique Exfoliating Hand Treatment 100ml | Full | Body Care | Hand Treatment

Aspect | Purastat 5 30ml (Brightening Kit) | Deluxe | Skin Care | Cleanser

Aspect | Exfol L 15 30ml (Brightening Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Serum

Aspect | Pigment Punch 30ml (Brightening Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Serum

Aspect | Phytostat 9 15g (Brightening Kit) | Full | Skin Care | Moisturiser

Dermalogica | Ultracalming Serum Concentrate | Sample | Skin Care | Serum

Dermalogica | Gentle Soothing Booster | Sample | Skin Care | Serum

Considering November last year, this is a veritable drought.

Start Jan 2017: 408 items

End Nov 2017: 462 items

YTD Inventory Reduction: +13.24%

Makeup:

Added Three Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Tarte | Quench Lip Rescue - Buff 2.8g | Full | Makeup | Lips

Tarte | Quench Lip Rescue - Coral 2.8g | Full | Makeup | Lips

Charlotte Tilbury | Matte Revolution - Pillow Talk | Full | Makeup | Lipstick

Start Jan 2017: 540 items

End Nov 2017: 600 items

YTD Inventory Reduction: +11.11%

Total Spend:

Cost YTD Nov 2016: AU$ 4,351.63 

Cost YTD Nov 2017: AU$ 2,552.56

YTD Cost Reduction: -41.34%

Still trying to get to the -50% target. Only December to go

Usage stats not accounting for purchases:

Finished 98 items, 15 items behind.

[thingsiamtryingtofinish]

Year of the Low Buy --- October Update

January update

February update

March update

April update

May update

June update

July update

August update

September update

October’s target is 102 items less in my inventory, this is how we fared:

Finished Eleven Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Pixi | Glow Tonic | Deluxe | Skin Care | Exfoliating Toner

Codage | Eclat & Energie | Deluxe | Skin Care | Serum

Dr Dennis Gross | Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel | Full | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Benefit | It's Potent | Sample | Skin Care | Eye Cream

Soap & Glory | Great Shakes | Full | Body Care | Hand Cream

Caudalie | Instant Detox Mask | Deluxe | Skin Care | Mask

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare | Refine & Polish Miracle Balm | Deluxe | Skin Care | Face Exfoliator

Sephora | Supreme Body Lotion | Full | Body Care | Lotion

Dr Dennis Gross | Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel | Full | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Benefit | Moisture Prep | Deluxe | Skin Care | Hydrating Toner

Tony Moly | Shea Butter Moisturizing Mask Sheet | Full | Skin Care | Sheet Mask

Added Nine Skin/Hair/Body Care Items:

Brand | Product | Size | Category | Sub Category

Appelles | Blackseed Shampoo | Deluxe | Body Care | Shampoo

Appelles | Tamanu Conditioner | Deluxe | Body Care | Conditioner

Appelles | Willow Bark Hand & Body Wash | Deluxe | Body Care | Body Wash

Appelles | Sea Buckthorn Skin Lotion | Deluxe | Body Care | Body Lotion

La Belle Lune | La Belle Lune | Full | Skin Care | Face Oil

Sodashi | Recovery Skin Boost | Sample | Skin Care | Targeted Treatment

Sodashi | Brightening Marine Mineral Mask | Sample | Skin Care | Mask

Sodashi | Rejuvenating Skin Cleanser | Sample | Skin Care | Cleanser

Rohr Remedy | Australian Wildflowers Deodorant | Full | Body Care | Deodorant

Of which four are free, and three are samples. But we count everything, so we count everything. 

Start Jan 2017: 408 items

End Oct 2017: 455 items

YTD Inventory Reduction: +11.52%

Makeup:

Added or finished no items

Start Jan 2017: 540 items

End Oct 2017: 597 items

YTD Inventory Reduction: +10.56%

Total Spend:

Cost YTD Oct 2016: AU$ 2,855.70 

Cost YTD Oct 2017: AU$ 2,014.78

YTD Cost Reduction: +41.74%

With one month to go can we reach the 50% target? Only time will tell *duhnn duhnn duhn duhnnnnnnn*

Usage stats not accounting for purchases:

Finished 92 items, 10 items (or one month) behind.