In the immortal words of Kylie Jenner – 2018 is the year of like realizing stuff. One thing I’ve realized is that I just don’t use makeup as a creative outlet in the same way I used to. I already have streamlined my collection to fit in two small drawers. I have all of the tools that I need for both day-to-day and more special occasion looks. So I decided that in 2018 I was going to try to limit my makeup spending – a lot.
What brought this on?
First things first, I used to covet makeup. I bought everything and anything that I wanted. The purchases were not at all thoughtful. So over the years I decluttered and decluttered and decluttered. Although I still like the process of makeup – do I need more than one blue eyeshadow when realistically I wear neutral eye looks every day? No. I don’t need a palette of brights. Nor do I need six different pink lip glosses. It’s just not necessary.
Since cutting down, I feel like I use more of what I have. I still love mixing in and out products but my daily makeup is more of a enhancement of my features. Not to sound at all haughty – but I’ve noticed that day to day, Spanish women don’t wear a ton of makeup. I’ve sort of started to follow suit.
Something else I notice has to do with the constant rotating door of makeup in America vs Spain. Here – we just don’t get a ton of new collections or limited edition makeup. I’ve been waiting months for Wet’n’Wild to send their new eyeshadow palettes here but I know it’s going to take probably 6 or 7 more months. New releases are uncommon here and frankly they kind of fly under the radar. Because of this, I miss a lot of hyped products. It no longer feels like my purchases are driven by marketing but rather need and careful consideration.
What does my “low-buy” look like?
My initial plan was only to replace current products in my collection. When I thought about this, I thought about mascara, foundation and my favorite cream products. However, I also started investigating the age of my favorite Lorac palettes. There’s no way around it – they are old. They needed replacing. I don’t want any weird eye diseases from using ancient makeup and I know I use these palettes daily. It will be a good investment for me.
That being said, I decided to give myself a little bit more lee-way concerning occasionally bringing in new products. I think about how much my skin has changed since moving to Spain. I invest in skin care but some products that I used to use now sometimes bother me. I may consider bringing in some base and tinted lip products which are better for my incredibly dry skin.
Current Status of the low buy:
I’m doing really good so far. I’ve spent only 35 Euros so far this year on three new products.
First, I purchased one of the new Sephora brand lipsticks. It’s this wonderfully juicy pink-coral. It’s not quite a neutral and it is extremely creamy. Ever since I moved to the desert, the thought of a matte lip is horrifying to me. I think this color is especially flattering and brightening and most of all – it is so balmy. I’ve worn it a few times and even though I have to touch it up – it is such a fun punch of color.
The other products I found are decent dupes for the Anastasia’s Modern Renaissance and Subculture palettes. Anastasia is really difficult to come by over here and on top of it – I’m trying to cut down on spending. After mulling over for a few weeks, looking on Amazon and checking in some local shops, I decided that if I could find them in a shop – I would buy them. They were around 5 Euro in the shop and 15 on Amazon. This way, if I don’t use them, I’ll declutter them without a great amount of buyer’s remorse. The first, the W7 Neutrals on the Rocks is creamy, pigmented but also has some kickback. I’m hoping to incorporate some of the more colorful shadows into my routine.
While I’m not sure exactly how well I’m doing on a low buy – I do know that this concept has made me think more thoughtfully about my new makeup purchases.
The Minimalist Abroad 