With my paid maternity time coming to an end soon I'm going to have to tighten my belt so these "All Used Up" posts are likely to become more frequent. I'm under no illusion that I will make even a small dent in my makeup collection but I do want to condense this...
I'm very much a hoarder and this picture is old, the cupboard unfortunately now holds even more. The top shelf is hair care and the bottom is skin care. I want to get through at least half of it before buying anything non-essential. This is the strictest imposition I've placed on myself yet but if I can reign in the spending enough to extend my time at home with the baby by even a month it will all be worth it! So here's what I've used up recently...
This year I have 3 main resolutions (that would concern you on this blog that is) they are as follows...
1. Look after my hair 2. Look after my skin 3. From the 1st January until the 1st March - NO SPENDING!
So technically the third isn't a resolution for the whole year but I will still be pretty impressed if i manage to keep it all the same. The reason for the spending ban is our trip to Vegas on March 18th. I'm allowing myself a couple of weeks off just before in case there are any last minute "essentials" I need to pick up. We need to save as much as we can for spending money while we're over there and once we're back we intend to save towards a new car so hopefully I will learn over the next 2 months how little I actually NEED to spend and can continue to cut back once the self-imposed ban is lifted. I don't know about you but like most shopaholics (yes it's a real thing!) I get a buzz from the initial spend, I shop to make myself feel better and of course I shop because I have a seemingly unending list of must-have items I do not yet posses. I am going to try my absolute darnedest not to shop for that short(ish) time and if I can do it ANYONE can.. who's with me?
The relationship I have with my hair has always been the same. I expect too much out of it when I put very little in. I TORTURE my hair and expect it to shine and grow faithfully and when it doesn't I lose interest. I chop it off (MYSELF!!!) because it needs a cut and then I'm bored with the colour and so bleach the health right back out of it.. It's put up with an awful lot from me over the years and it's about time I gave it some proper attention. I am 25 now (soon to be 26), the time for pink streaks and home highlights is over! I hate to have it cut but I know it must be done. The split ends are spreading and it's breaking off halfway up my lengths.. I've spent mountains of cash on treatments, conditioners and oils only to realise until it's been seen by a licenced professional nothing will help. My hair is effectively a money pit right now so.. I declare 2012 "Project Hair". On January 1st I will take a picture of my hair as it both dried naturally, straightened and the state of my ends. I will shortly after be visiting the salon for the first time in over 2 years for a cut and making repeat appointments for regular trims until such a time that the condition will actually allow it to grow. I have already started some necessary damage control and added a heat protectant to my regime (never before used *slaps wrists*), will limit heat styling to once a week and just generally be as kind as I possibly can be to my poor, neglected mop. I know lots of people initially found my videos and blog through my hair adventures and I hope to be able to help those of you who did by taking you on this next journey with me. I will be regularly updating on condition, what I'm using and of course GROWTH and sincerely hope this time next year to have the beautiful hair I've always dreamt of.
Skin. I thought I'd found my skincare mojo earlier this year. I have my HG Clean & Clear Moisturiser and I found Superdrugs Tea Tree Toner and Cleanser to be a great addition to my routine.. Then I discovered Liz Earle. All I will say is it is everything they've said it is and more. If it's not working for you chances are you're not doing it right or you're not doing it regularly. The first few times I tried it I wasn't impressed but once it became a nightly cleanse.. wow! I'll admit I'm not great at keeping up a routine but now I know what it can do for my skin I really do try to get it in once a day. I just invested in a huge 150ml pump so that will definitely be a 2012 staple. As /i mentioned previously I have recently acquired a Clarisonic (very exciting!) also so between the two I am confident I will see a huge improvement in my skin. Unforunately as I've grown older my skin has changed and my trusty clean & clear doesn't seem to be doing the same magic it once did. It's still a great treatment for blemishes but I require something a little heavier to see me through now so I'm on the look out for my next great moisturiser.. i may go back to Clinique. Lastly one addition I will definitely be purchasing in the new year is a good eye cream. I'm considering the Loreal Youth Code range at the moment.. but then should I go the whole hog and get the matching night cream too? I'm quite sure that's a post in itself.
It must be my age and where I'm at in my life (nearly married with 2 kids) I feel settled an I feel my appearance should reflect that. I don't want to look like a teenager with ratty hair and spotty skin.. I can afford to forgo my weekly makeup fix (or at least downsize it) to make way for some much needed base-level pampering, can't I? I mean after all anything I put on my skin or my hair will look so much better when they are in great condition. Being a blogger is great for so many reasons but one that's fitting now is motivation. If I don't do these things someone (or someoneS) will question me.. almost give me a hard time about it and while that may not always be desirable it's sometimes good to have that angel on your shoulder guiding you towards to right path. In this case it's a tweet in my pocket but it's the same principle.
So they are my resolutions. I've been realistic, I'm not setting unachievable goals but they are challenging for me and I will have to work to keep them. Each has it's own reward which I'd very much like to reap so I'm asking you to please remind me of them when you see me slipping.
Anyone who's expecting Christmas Presents from me.. don't read this :P
I just popped online to thebodyshop.co.uk only to discover the awesome pre-Christmas offers they have on.. just in time to get some early Christmas shopping in, I thought! As with all deals and discounts there's always a way to get a better deal if you're smart.. I thought I'd share me sneakiness with you here.
Which adds up to a nice round £40, right? Well... Already I qualify for free delivery because I've spent over £30.. BUT because I've spent over £26 I can also nab
The current deal is if you spend £15 you get £5 off.. if you spend £25 you get £10 off... but if you spent £40 (like I did) you get £20 off!!!
Which means that when I'd put all of my shopping in my basket totalling £41 and then entered the deal code "SAVINGS" it put my total to £21, still gave me free delivery and still let me have the £1 Body Butter... even though I shouldn't have been entitled to either!
All in all including delivery I have saved £34.99!!!
I've bagged 3 gifts and a little treat for myself for just over £20..
So... some or all of you will know what I've been saving my money for lately.
It's been the reason I've had no hauls and no new beauty products to share here with you lately (apologies)
Anywho... so I have my money all saved and this week Lee and I are off work so the plan was to .... SHOP! My problem is this... can I really spend all that money on one item?
Here's what I've been saving for...
There are 3 different prints and 3 different sizes... I'm undecided on print but I think the size will be the MM which is Medium... mostly because the largest seems comically big for an everyday bag but also because when Lee and I get maried my initials will be MM!
The size I want costs £465.. Other than my computer and my car I have never spent even close to that kind of money on one item and I'm nervous to say the least.
I may never have this chunk of cash saved again specifically for this so I feel like I'll regret not buying it if I spend the cash elsewhere but would I rather regret not buying this one thing or buy it and regret spending all that money on something that just doesn't live up to my expectations? I don't go around flashing the cash and although I've discovered I spend an obscene amount of money on makeup etc but it's different spending £50 here and there on a beauty hall splurge and spending this huge amount on ONE THING!!! ugh! Champagne problems, right?
I was looking at what else I could get for the £500 I have saved...
When you look at it like that I'm a bit... eek!
So...I'm asking you.. if you have £500 to spend.. what would you spend it on?
Those of you that follow my blog already may already know what I'm saving for but if you don't...
it's the Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM... I'm not decided on a colour yet but I want it SO bad!
I have never saved for anything in my entire life but with my maternity leave coming up I decided while I still had a little disposable income to save I would try my best. if I have cash in my purse I HAVE to spend it, if I have money in the bank I HAVE to spend it... this is the curse of the "shopaholic".. I discovered a solution!
once or twice a week I make a trip to the cash machine and withdraw something. Even if it's £10.. it's SOMETHING! I take it home and put it in a box.. this way it's not available in my account to make online impulse purchases (my biggest spending downfall) and I don't have it when (if) I'm Im out shopping to spend.
So far I have to say I'm pretty appauled at the money I am taking out and not even missing.. I never have like a ton of cash available to spend so it's showing me how much I spend on crap without even knowing it.
It could be £5 a day on lunch... it could be £30 on a bunch of new makeup I will swatch once and never use again.. either way it's a lot of money I can't really account for and for the first time in my life it feels really good to be saving. I know that when I do get that bag it will mean so much more having saved for it myself.. If I had it right now, yes it would be special but I don't think I'd appreciate it the same way.
So... I want to know all of your saving tips and what YOU are saving for right now!
I have 2 other BIG purchases on my wishlist I am DYING for which if this little savings scheme works out I might go for next, a DSLR camera and an iMac.. (these will have to wait)
