2019 Beauty Low Buy October Update December 7, 2019
After struggling to follow a beauty low buy over the last 6 months, I decided to embark on a revamp my Beauty Low Buy rules. My beauty spending has been out of control, so it was time to take drastic measures. Please keep reading for my 2019 Beauty No Buy October Update.
2019 Beauty Low Buy Rules Recap
After a miserable attempt at a Beauty Low Buy, my Beauty No Buy officially started on November 2nd, 2019. While on this No Buy, I cannot purchase any new cosmetics products between the dates of November 2nd, 2019 and November 1st, 2020. I am only allowed to buy new products if:
- (1) If a product is finished and I don’t have a suitable backup
- (2) If I receive a gift card, I will allow myself to use it, but I cannot purchase extra items that go beyond the value of the gift card. (side note: I have Ulta points I’d like to use before they expire at the end of this year)
- (3) If the Anastasia Beverly Hills Amreezy Highlighter comes back in stock and when Melt Cosmetics Releases their Limited Edition Amor Eterno collection.
This No Buy is specific to color cosmetics only. Skincare and haircare are not included in my shopping limitations given that I regularly work through my personal care products. Also, I will not cancel my 6-month Boxycharm subscription. Finally, I am still allowed to receive beauty-related gifts from friends and family or products from brands for testing purposes.
Please keep reading for a summary of what I wanted to buy in October, but did not purchase. Also, included is a summary of what I actually bought last month.
What I Wanted to Buy in October (but Didn’t)
ColourPop Mercury Retrograde 20% Off Sale
I heavily contemplated buying some ColourPop items during the 20% off sale. In fact, I watched countless hours of swatch videos and palette comparisons of the palettes that were most tempting. However, I refrained. None of the ColourPop releases currently felt unique to my collection.
Also, I realized that the hype around ColourPop releases fades so quickly compared to other brands. Given the speed that ColourPop releases products, many releases are quickly forgotten. Moreover, the brand discontinues products at a rapid pace. As a blogger, it is frustrating to talk about products that I know others cannot purchase.
Last, ColourPop was an easy place for me to overspend due to the extremely low price points. More than any other brand, except Sephora, ColourPop is where I shop when I just felt like spending money. Don’t believe me? Check out my ultimate ColourPop palette ranking, Monochromatic Palette ranking, or my epic ColourPop Super Shock Shadow collection.
Kylie Cosmetics 2019 Holiday Palette
The Kylie Cosmetics Holiday Palette looks like such a classic, Christmas-themed palette. As someone who loves wearing red eyeshadow and red clothing, this collection appealed to me instantly.
As of right now, this palette is on my Christmas list and I am hopeful that I will get it. This collection sold out instantly and faded into obscurity just as quickly. If you love Kylie Cosmetics, check out my Kylie Cosmetics High Gloss Review & Ranking.
Nabla Cosmetics Skin Glazing Highlighters
The new Nabla Cosmetics Skin Glazing Highlighters look visually stunning in the pan. These highlighters have been out of stock at Ulta for weeks. Based on the reviews I’ve seen, I can understand why. However, I stopped myself from buying the three on my wish list.
P.S. I eventually acquired two of the highlighters around the holidays, Privilege* and Ozone.* Read my NABLA Skin Glazing Highlighters review.
Stila After Hours Eyeshadow Palette ($52.00 USD, CF)
When the Stila After Hours Eyeshadow Palette came out earlier this year it received little fanfare from the beauty community. However, when I saw a BeautyDealsBFF post advertising that this palette was 50% off, I seriously debated purchasing this palette. (P.S. As of July 2020, this palette is on sale for $26.00).
I wish I could say that my 2019 Beauty Low Buy is what ultimately swayed me not to purchase this palette, but that wasn’t it. In the end, after watching and reading a lot of reviews, I lost interest. The reviewers were so-so at best. Also, I realized that this palette was not unique to anything else in my collection.
What I Actually Bought in October

Melt Cosmetics Amor Eterno Palette, Illuminacion Highlighter, Fortuna & Santos Gel Liners
Melt Cosmetics Amor Eterno Collection
As I stated in my rules, I planned to make an exception for the Melt Cosmetics Amor Eterno Collection. This was very much a planned purchase and not something that was bought on impulse. So what did I pick up from the collection?
I purchased 5 items from the Amor Eterno collection. This includes the Digital Dust Highlighter in Illuminacion ($39.00, CF), the Fortuna & Santos Gel Liners $19.00 each, CF), and the Muerte Palette ($58.00, CF). As of July 2020, these items are no longer available on the Melt Cosmetics website.
I was proud of my restraint with this purchase. At the time, I legitimately toyed with purchasing everything in the collection except for the liquid lipsticks. However, I showed restraint and only purchased the items I originally set my heart set on buying. Read my in-depth Melt Cosmetics Amor Eterno collection review.

Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde
Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Palette ($67.00, CF)
The Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Palette* was the very last item that I purchased before the start of my revamped Beauty Low Buy. In fact, I purchased it on my last day of shopping freedom during the Sephora VIB Sale. (sale price: $53.60)
Again, I am proud of the restraint I showed when I placed my Sephora order. The Mercury Retrograde Palette was the only makeup item that I picked up.
Total Spent in November: $188.66
Full Disclaimer:
As always, I started off the month strong. Then, a bad bought of anxiousness that triggered some major spending during this year’s Black Friday Sales. However, my family offered to gift me the items. In other words, they offered to “pay me back” for what I purchased by gifting it to me for Christmas. There, I haven’t included those items here.
Also, for as guilty, as I feel, I don’t feel as bad as I could feel. I decluttered a HUGE amount this month. Items in good condition will be going to friends, family, etc. Meanwhile, some nostalgic, ”old” items sake will be tossed.
2019 Beauty Low Buy October Update: Don’t Shop Just to Shop
The first realization I made during the first month of my revamped 2019 Beauty Low Buy is that old habits don’t just die. My declaration to go on a Beauty Low Buy didn’t kill all my deeply routed desires to shop. Despite unsubscribing from most brand emails and unfollowing all my favorite beauty accounts, I still sought out information on new releases.
This month felt particularly challenging due to the prevalence of so many amazing sales throughout the Black Friday period. At this point, online shopping feels so much like an involuntary a bad habit that changing my ways feels harder than ever before.
Second, I realized that outside of anxiety, my blog is one of the biggest influences on my overspending. As a review-based beauty blogger, I feel the need to try to keep up with all the latest releases. As a result my blog became a justification for my spending.
But in many ways, buying products for reviews never works out for me. In fact, I rarely post out about a product around its launch time. I am very thorough in my reviews and I test so many items that I am slow to post content about new releases. Also, as of this post, my blog is still not monetized.
Even though I am not afraid to do a savage declutter, my blog plays a role in my beauty hoarding. My blog is the reason that I hold onto products that I know I do not love. I may want to use feature certain products in a flat lay or compare formulas.
Final thoughts on my 2019 Beauty Low Buy October Update
I can already tell that 2020 is going to be a year full of learning about my makeup preferences. Although there are some ‘old’ favorites in my collection, there are just as many new items that I still have yet to try. As such, I anticipate that that 2020 is going to be a big year of decluttering for me.
Now that the sales have passed, it will be much less tempting for me to make extraneous purchases. However, I need to be better about avoiding sources of media that tempt me to shop. In layman’s terms, I should block TrendMood1 and BeautyDealBFF on Instagram.
July 2020 Update: I failed to predict the rise of a global pandemic that resulted in many ill individuals, a high death toll, and countless business closures. As a result of being stuck at home and many brands running *constant* promotions, 2020 turned out no better than 2019 in terms of spending. Overall, I struggle with sales.
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Did you enjoy my 2019 Beauty Low Buy October Update? Interested in following along with my No Buy Journey? Check out my 2019 Revamped Beauty Low Buy Introduction,
Want a look inside my huge beauty collection? Check out my Blush Collection Ranking, Bronzer Collection Ranking, Highlighter Collection Ranking, and Primer Collection Ranking.
Do you own any of the products featured in my 2019 Beauty Low Buy October Update? Have you done any shopping fasts? Please let me know in the comments below.
beauty Low Buy makeup makeup addict makeup minimalism no buy project pan project panning shop my stash shop your stash shopping addiction
I definitely think you didn’t do that bad! I mean, it’s so so so hard to resist Black Friday sales so I’m not counting that as a fail.
This month made me realize I have a new extreme bad habit. I already shopped way too much during the Black Friday sales and then I came at a point where I just didn’t care anymore and just spend even more money because “I already spend so much, it doesn’t really matter now.” I REALLY have to get myself together now!!
Honestly – I had a similar mindset where once I made one purchase, it was easier to justify the rest. I really hope that I’m going to get a better control on this!
We can do it!!
GREAT BLOG!! so how do I become a product tester? Lol I was always wondering how people get to be testers/reviewers etc… Now your blog is great I think you did an amazing job , good detailed content. I’m just starting on my blog and it’s just inspiring reading blogs like yours. Thank you
Thank you so much for the kind words! I just review things that I own for the most part! 🙂
You did a great job actually, It’s really hard not buying stuff when it is so easy being addicted to shopping!
I have a hard time not spending too, so I am very proud of you trying so hard! Keep on fighting and I hope you get a good start on your No Buy year 🙂
Makeup has been such a bad crutch for dealing with anxiety this year, but it has just been putting a bandaid on the problem rather than finding longer lasting solutions!
Yeah exactly. I know that feeling.
I hope everything turns out just fine for you😘❤️
I love getting to live out my beauty dreams through you – even through the painful parts of a no-buy. The Melt palette looks totally worth the purchase. I may have to do a no-buy in my life to really learn my preferences. It sounds like such a good way to self-reflect.
When I held myself accountable, it was amazing… this year I lost my marbles with shopping. I need to work on myself, but hopefully others can read my struggles and relate. Someday I’ll fix myself!
Lol when you said about making an exception for the Amrezy highlighter, I felt that because it’s my all-time fave highlighter. It’s just perfection.
I thoroughly get what you mean about buying products “for the blog”. You can so easily justify to yourself that you need a new product to share with your audience but the truth is, you don’t. I’m making a real point of trying to review the products I already own. If you have a lot of beauty products, you can still create lots of amazing reviews. Even if the products aren’t new, people will still want to read!
But, it seems like you’re getting a grip on your spending habits and it’s great you’re making an effort to control them because most people don’t!
Before I really started to see success with my blog, I was SO good with my spending and did a 6-month long fashion & beauty no buy! This year, my blog + my stress became my justification for spending…. Also, my blog really started to take off when I shifted to putting out more product reviews as opposed to my initial no buy / minimalism challenges. So I think in the back of my mind, I’ve internalized that deep down.
But slow progress is better than no progress!
Omg I really wanted the nabla highlighters too! I held off though, at least for now lol
Lol! Nabla did 40% off on their site and 30% off on Ulta so I ended up grabbing one on the Ulta Cyber Monday Sale! 🙈
Is nabla European?
I agree old habits don’t just die I think the important thing is that you’re trying and that you’re making progress.
I think I’m finally getting more of my bearings with this and I agree that trying is the most important thing… and holding myself accountable would be the next best thing lol!
Good for you even attempting this! definitely think it’s a testing time of year to start, so go you! I’m not on a no-buy, but I’ve become more mindful of my purchases and have started trying to repurpose product that could work in a different capacity, like a hydrating serum that works really well mixed with a BB cream – neither product was great for it’s original purpose (and I would have chucked them both out) but together, they work really well. Good luck and I hope you get the palette for Christmas x
Repurposing products is always such a lovely thing… for as much as I buy, I do try to finish whatever I can, so there is always such a feeling of accomplishment when finding a new way to use something so it won’t get chucked in the bin!
It’s all about progress and not perfection! I think you are doing great, LP!
Thank you! 💜 Slowly but surely I’ll deal with all of this in a healthy way!
You did so good! I hope you get the Kylie palette for Christmas 🙂 red shadows are always so attractive to me, too. The Melt Cosmetics collection looks stunning! & I would so love to see your other non-cosmetics purchases in the future. 🙂 I’m glad you are not being too hard on yourself for the Black Friday purchases. <3 After all, your family said they'd pay you back– consider them gifts!
lol I need to stop initially buying myself gifts … but that is the limited edition FOMO that is driving that! I really need to stop checking for new releases and take a pause of watching or reading content that temps me.
Just discovered your blog! Really enjoying reading all your content during down time at work. 🙂 I am wondering if you ever heard of the Youtuber Hannah Louise Poston? She did a year-long (replacement only) No Buy in 2018 and is now doing a beauty budget project. I have been so inspired by her articulate way of discussing her shopping addiction. Her monthly check-in videos resonated with me so much because she talks about shopping triggers and the chemicals that your brain releases when you shop. I see that you are trying to eliminate a lot of content that makes you want to shop, if you are interested in more thoughtful content, I highly suggest her channel! Specifically her monthly check in videos because there is so much food for thought in each one. I know you have already decided to do a no-buy, but her “Should You Do a No Buy?” and “Tips For A No Buy” videos are also very helpful. She has single handedly changed the way I shop and consume makeup and beauty products.