Hey guys,
So I have finished my three month  no-buy and knowing how hard it can be, I have accumulated some tips and tricks to guide you through a no-buy. These are things that really helped me not buy new makeup, skincare or other tools. If you’re interested in a No-Buy these might work for you too!

STOP FOLLOWING TRENDMOOD1 AND OTHER MAKEUP NEWS PAGES
This one is tricky, I know. There’s a person behind that Instagram account and you might feel that you’re offending them by unfollowing. However, think about your coins. These pages constantly show you several new collections every day. You see them, you want them. I found that my urge to buy makeup (especially new makeup) decreased once I stopped following these sort of pages. Basically, everything they post is a sort of advertisement.

STOP FOLLOWING MAKEUP BRANDS ON INSTAGRAM
Man, this was a hard one. I’m very active on Instagram and I want brands to recognise my work to grow. However, it’s important to know that Instagram accounts from brands are pure advertisement and marketing. Every picture, how aesthetically pleasing as it may seem, is trying to advertise a product to you and make you buy it. This is a great tip to follow. I, for example, didn’t know how many collections Colourpop launched and didn’t feel tempted to buy them until I finally checked their account again. I didn’t feel like anything was missing in my life when I’m not following them.

WATCH ‘SHOP MY STASH’ VIDEOS
Shop my stash videos are really pleasing to me. I tend to do my makeup when watching one of those videos. It reminds me to use the makeup that I love and already have instead of wanting to purchase new things. Appreciate the makeup that you own and remember how long it takes to pan or empty something.

WATCH CREATORS THAT FOCUS ON USING YOUR EXISTING COLLECTION
Man, people like Samantha Ravandahl, Rawbeautykristi, Allana Davison and Whitney Hedrick especially have saved my coins sooo many times. Samantha is on a Three Month No Buy too (very coincidentally haha) and all of them are trying to focus and use up their existing collection and keeping it condensed. I love to watch Whitney Hedrick. She EXPOSES the industry and gives you what you need to hear. The blunt truth is what I needed a lot of the time. She also made me realise that I often buy makeup to soothe my anxiety and other conflicting emotions. So yeah, I really recommend watching people that don’t try new makeup all the time.

READ, DANCE OR DO SOMETHING ELSE WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN
Like I said before, I bought a lot of makeup when I was feeling bad or when I felt a lot of anxiety. I told myself that makeup would sooth and decrease those feelings. It would make me feel happy and I relied heavily on that feeling, almost like an addiction. However, I quickly found out that it left me broke and still unhappy. What I do now to battle the impulse to buy makeup is very easy but takes a lot of effort mentally. I pick up a book and read. I close all of my internet tabs. I start listening to music and dance. I get out of bed and clean my dorm. I do anything to get me out of the rut. You have to fight the urge to buy makeup. Don’t rely on it. It won’t make you feel better.

FIND DUPES OR SIMILAR COLOURS
I saw a lot of eyeshadow palettes recently that I really wanted to buy but I told myself I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t worth it. But still, the colour scheme was so beautiful and everything about it was so tempting. If you experience this feeling, try to find dupes or similar colours in your collection and write them down or swatch them. This will show you that you don’t have to buy that new palette because you already have those colours.

So that’s it for my No-Buy tips. These were some rules that I had to enforce in my life and I can honestly tell you that I feel much better. Some products tend to trigger the impulse but I always explore my existing collection and find something similar. I hope you find these tips helpful and let me know if you’re doing a low buy or no buy in 2020? I think I’m going to continue the no buy or do a low buy some months. 2020 is going to be about learning new techniques and products that really work for me!
Lots of love and see you next time!