2020 has been a wild ride thus far hasn't it?
I often feel like in the space of six, short months we have packed in a lifetime of experience, lessons and sleepless nights. Like most, financially - due to currently being in a phase of lockdown - I have all but been forced to be more considered with my day-to-day spending habits, let alone what I splurge on in regards to beauty products. Frankly it has been long overdue, the days of buying items "just because" or perhaps even worse, purely to create content have to come to end, it's helpful for no-one and wasteful at best.
I'll be the first to admit, that I am terrible not only with money but budgeting in general; my attitude is very much of that "you can't take it with you" but as I am no longer a teenager, and hoping to get my foot onto the property ladder in the coming months (lolz at my timing), I've had to muster up some semblance of a plan...
First came the aforementioned budget: I have now set aside a small amount of money purely for beauty products. I won't divulge exactly how much, as I am aware that what may be reasonable to myself, could be extortionate to others - however I will say think in tens rather than hundreds of pounds. On paper this sounds very bourgeoisie, yet in reality it is the definition of boring and dare I say practical. Everything from sanitary products such as toothpaste, tampons, shampoo and soap has to come out of said allowance and once it is gone, it is gone. Stringent? Maybe but it has forced me to embrace resourcefulness, considering each and every purchase as I go. All those silly little throw away spends, soon add up and if I blow it all in the first few days, there is simply nothing left to replenish essentials - or perhaps even worse to a beauty junkie, allow myself the odd treat here and there.
This then lead to me looking within my routine and asking myself what could I swap out for a more permanent-come-investment product/s, which may just help the environment too? The obvious answers were solid items such as shampoo and conditioning bars, re-usable facial cleansing pads and devices. The latter is obviously very much slots into the category of both preference and indulgence but I think most people know I am rather found of Foreo and all their devices. The good news is I already own all of the above, so really it was simply a case of swapping them into my routine and patting myself on the back - these days I'll take any win that comes my way.
Most of this is really common sense, something I clearly have been lacking over the years and perhaps the most obvious turnaround for myself was, using what I already own. No more buying another nude lipstick, which is merely a fraction of a shade lighter than the 100 I already own. Showing a little constraint when it came to yet another champagne-hued highlighter and flexing my self-moderation muscles, in regards to shrugging off one more matte brown eyeshadow. A lot like digital flirting, the question I am now asking myself is "do I need this, or am I just bored?". If you own something already just like it, do yourself and your bank balance a favour and use it.
Sure my beauty routine isn't nearly as exciting as it once was and my postman barely frequents my front door but as half my face is covered by a mask once I venture outdoors anyway, now is really the time for me to step back and let those pennies become pounds. Who knows maybe one day I'll bore you all on social media with numerous swatches of off-white paint.
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