Through my yearlong low buy, I am attempting to reign in my makeup spending. The goal is to spend less money and keep my beauty collection from spiraling out of control. So far, my success has been mixed. Keep reading for my 2019 Beauty Low Buy August Update.

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2019 Beauty Low Buy Rules Recap

• I cannot spend more than $75.00 on NEW cosmetics in a given month
• Exclusions: haircare (I have a sensitive scalp), skincare, repurchases (if I have no suitable alternative ex. concealer)
• Dollars not spent in a given month can roll forward, but cannot be pulled forward
  • Ex. If I want to buy a $90.00 eyeshadow palette in May, I cannot pull $15.00 forward. I would need to wait until June to buy the palette.
• Exclusions: Items received via influencer networks, as gifts, or purchased via gift cards do NOT count against the dollar value

What I Wanted to Buy in August (but Didn’t)

List-making has been one of the ways that I’ve been attempting to navigate this Beauty Low Buy. The below items are products that caught my attention, but I did not buy:

Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina Eyeshadow Palette (45.00, CF) – now discontinued

The Anastasia Beverly Hills collaboration with Jackie Aina is a stunning purple and pink-toned eyeshadow palette. In many ways, this palette looks like a sister palette to the Norvina (now discontinued) and Modern Renaissance Palettes.*

Eventually, I received this beautiful palette as a birthday gift from my sister in October. See where this palette lands in my brutally honest Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette ranking.

ColourPop – Orange You Glad? & Strawberry Shake Eyeshadow Palettes ($12.00, CF)

When I first saw the Orange You Glad Eyeshadow Palette, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. In complete honesty, it looked boring. However, as I saw more reviews and demos on YouTube, my interest in the palette increased.

In comparison, I desperately wanted the Strawberry Shake Eyeshadow Palette. Even the blushes in the collection looked tempting. Over time, my lust for this collection died.

July 2020 Edit: Despite hating on the Orange You Glad Palette? initially, I picked this palette up during a sale. Check out my ColourPop Monochromatic Palette ranking for swatches and to see where this orange palette ranks!

Huda Beauty – New Nudes Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00, CF)

When the Huda Beauty New Nudes Palette* came out I had little interest in this palette. It looked like a one-trick pony. Over time, the New Nude Palette slowly captured my heart. The more I’ve seen close up photos, swatches, and demonstrations, the more I’ve been longing for this palette.

I ended up being gifted this for my birthday later in October. See where it ranks in my Huda Beauty Eyeshadow Palette ranking.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxPwqRJlKVI/

Il Makiage – Ready or Not Color Boss Pro Palette ($89.00, CF)

I had to work hard to refrain myself from buying the Ready or Not Color Boss Pro Palette from Il Makiage. This grungy, purple palette just speaks to my soul, but the price held me back from purchasing.

Pixi Beauty – Glow-y Gossamer Duos | $18.00 each (CF)

I’ve been lusting after the Glow-y Gossamer Duos* for months. Although I haven’t had any luck locating these highlighters at my local Target. I refuse to pay for shipping online. Thankfully, I received one of the highlighter duos as a birthday gift.

What I Actually Bought in August

As always, I started the month to maintain a strict month-long Beauty No-Buy.  Once again let my anxiety get the best of me. Keep reading to see what I purchased.

Il Makiage x Carli Bybel Lipstick Collaboration (CF) – now discontinued

I planned to wait to purchase anything from the Carli Bybel x Il Makiage Lip Collaboration until the Fall. However, my opinions changed when I realized the collection was close to selling out. In a panic, I rushed to buy the nude lipstick (Libra), liner (Luna), and gloss (Star Child).

That being said, Il Makiage restocked the collaboration at the end of September. Ultimately, I question whether or not the line actually sold out. As of November, the collection is still available so I suspect that the brand used scarcity tactics to encourage consumers to shop.

Estee Lauder & Tom Ford Mini Haul

Y’ALL. THIS. IS. WHAT. DID. ME. IN.

I found Tom Ford and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess products at 60% and 40% off, respectively, at the Cosmetic Company Outlet. I shrieked in delight when I saw the Tom Ford display.

Although I have no issue splurging on makeup, Tom Ford’s line has been out of my price range. Finding these goodies at such a steep discount broke my resolve. Once I made these purchases my self-control flew out the window. I picked up:

• Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelée in Heat Wave
• Tom Ford Eye Color Quads in Nude Dip & Silvered Topaz (now discontinued)
• Tom Ford Soleil Glow Bronzer in Gold Dust
• Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color in Young Adonis (now discontinued).

JD Glow – Galaxy Single Eyeshadows (CF)

JD Glow is an amazing, Black-owned indie brand that I’ve enjoyed supporting this year. After seeing some breathtaking swatches from Hannah Louise Poston, I lusted for more JD Glow Galaxy shadows.

I picked up the shades: Good Gawd, Opal, Sin,  and Unexpected.

Origins – Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin ($26.00)

I’ve owned quite a few tubes of the Origins Out of Trouble Mask.* This mask is highly effective as a spot treatment for breakouts. Given that I am nearly done with my current acne-fighting mask, I felt that this was a good investment. Also, at 40% off, this mask was a total steal.

Anastasia Beverly Hills – Luminous Foundation ($38.00, CF)

Every YouTuber and their mother raves about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation.* As an oily-skinned gal, this foundation scares me. Nevertheless, I wanted to try this foundation due to the rave reviews.

Interested to see how this holds up against oily skin? See where it lands in my foundation ranking for oily skin.

Huda Beauty – Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette (65.00, CF)

Of all my purchases this month, the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette* is the only thing that I’m low key embarrassed to purchase. Although this palette stayed on my radar since it was released, I always held back from purchasing it.

During the VIB Sale, the Desert Dusk Sale was on sale in addition to the 20% off store-wide promotion. Given that Huda Beauty rarely offers discounts, I jumped at the chance to snag this palette at such a hefty discount.

Too Faced – Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer (29.00, CF)

Although the Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Sculpting Concealers* is a slightly older release, I heard rave reviews about these concealers.

I’m currently working on testing out a bunch of hyped concealers. I wanted to try the Sculpting Concealer for months, so I figured the 20% off sale was a perfect time to do so. See where it lands in my concealer ranking for dark circles.

Urban Decay – Stay Naked Weightless Foundation (CF)

Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation (now discontinued) is my favorite foundation. Therefore,  the promo shots for the New Stay Naked Weightless Foundation* and Concealers* immediately caught my attention.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Palette (CF) & NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Palette & NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzers  (now discontinued) popped up at select Marshalls across the US. Therefore, I couldn’t resist the urge to pick these up at such a steep discount. Knowing that Marshalls never has the same products, I “had to” pick these up!

July 2020 Edit: I hated the Anastasia Beverly Hills Bronzer. Not only is the shade range horrible, but the performance was bad. This formula applies patchily.

Planned Beauty Low Buy Budget for August: $00.00

Total Spent in August: $343.00

2019 Beauty Low Buy August Update Takeaway: Sales are my Kryptonite

I had every intention of maintaining a strict No-Buy when I started August and I held strong until mid-month when four big things occurred on the same day:

1 | I Found Tom Ford Makeup for 60% Off

Luxury makeup is a strange thing. Brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Pat McGrath, and Natasha Denona that command high prices for their product quality and packaging.

Meanwhile, there are luxury brands like Chanel, Dior, Tom Ford, etc that are expensive purely due to their ties to the luxury fashion houses that own them. As a result, the experience of owning these brands is what dictates the hefty price tag. However, when I found Tom Ford goodies at such a steep discount I couldn’t resist the temptation.

2 | Sephora Announced a Summer Sale

When images of the Sephora Summer Sale mailers leaked online, I lost it. The sale provided a convenient excuse to pick up the prestige foundations I’ve been eyeing.

Do I need a foundation? No – I have a drawer full of mostly drug-store foundations. Nevertheless, the sale gave me a chance to buy something I already knew that I wanted at a discount.

3 | A Limited Edition Sold Out

I watched the Carli Bybel x Il Makiage Collaboration since TrendMood started sharing sneak peeks on Instagram. To my dismay, this collection sold out within two days of being released.

Therefore, I jumped to order some goodies from the line…. even though the shades I really wanted were already sold out!

4 | Work Stress Got to Me

Hi, hello, I am an emotional shopper.

The last products I purchased on my day-long beauty bender were the four Galaxy Shadows from JD Glow Cosmetics. For context, I bought these shadows while working through a particularly tough assignment.

I wish I could report that I didn’t buy any new makeup in August. It would have been a first for all of 2019. However, I cracked under pressure.

I couldn’t even maintain my Beauty Low Buy. In fact, it was like I opened the floodgates when I made that first Tom Ford purchase.

Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ | Influenster

Interested in following along with my Beauty Low Buy Journey? Check out my Low Buy Introduction, First Update, or July Update. 

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Have you ever partook in a Low Buy or a No Buy? What advice would you share to anyone embarking on this type of challenge?

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