Last year I made a weak attempt to try to limit my beauty spending but failed. Nevertheless, this year I’m still trying to improve my spending habits.Keep reading to see what I purchased and what I skipped in my first 2020 Beauty Low Buy update!

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Below is a brief recap of my 2020 Beauty Low Buy rules. For in-depth explanations of each rule, please refer to my 2020 Beauty Low Buy Introduction.

2020 Beauty Low Buy Rules

At a high-level, my 2020 Beauty Low Buy is item-based rather than budget-based. In theory, this should limit my spending. In practicality, this should help me reduce the size of my massive beauty collection.

1. I cannot purchase more than 4 beauty items a month.
2. I can roll “unused” purchase spots forward.
3.  Bundles will count as one product. 
4. PR and personal gifts are excluded. 
5. Makeup Tools are excluded. 
6. Gift cards are irrelevant because this is item-based
7. Before I purchase a new cream bronzer, cream highlighter, face palette, face primer, or foundation, I must finish or declutter a similar product within the same category.
8. I am not allowed to purchase new products in the following categories: false eyelashes, glitter, lip balms, lip liners, liquid eyeshadow, loose setting powder, mascaras, pencil eyeliners, nail polish, and Super Shock Shadows. 
9. I am not allowed to purchase from Anastasia Beverly Hills, ColourPop, Kylie Cosmetics (lip products only), KKW Beauty, Natasha Denona (palettes only), Pat McGrath, Stila, and Urban Decay. 

What I Wanted to Buy (but Didn’t)

Anastasia Beverly Hills & Modern Renaissance & Amrezy Palettes | $42.00 – $49.00, CF

Initially, when the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Amrezy Palette I was underwhelmed. First, the color story is too similar Modern Renaissance* and the Soft Glam.* In fact, this is just a neutral palette with a few pops of color (and 2 pressed glitters). So why did I want this palette?

In January Anastasia Beverly Hills ran a lucrative promotion. Shoppers could apply a 25% off discount to one item, plus  an additional $15 off purchases of $75.00+ and free shipping! With those deals, I could purchase the Amrezy Palette and the Modern Reinaissance for $63.00. In comparison, if I paid full price I’d need to spend $91 to grab both palettes.

I was tempted to take advantage of the deal after watching a video where Make Me Up Missa created a look with the Amrezy Palette. However, something didn’t sit well with me. As a result, I tried to recreate one of Missa’s Amrezy-inspired looks using the Anastasia Beverly Hills shadows that I already owned.

In the end, using what I owned confirmed that my original instinct was correct. I did NOT need the Amrezy Palette. Also, around this time, I started to realize that there are few palettes from Anastasia that I truly love – read how I rank each Anastasia Palette.

Clionadh Cosmetics x Angelica Nyqvist Stained Glass Collection | $74.00, CF

In 2019, I purchased a few shadows from Clionadh Cosmetics’ Stained Glass collection. However, much to my regret, a few shades I wanted sold out by the time I made my purchase.

In 2020, Angelica Nyqvist created a 10-pan bundle of her favorite shadows from the Stained Glass Collection. To my delight, the kit included 3 of the shades that I initially wanted to buy.

However, once again, I made my purchase too late. An hour and a half after launch, all of the bundles and single shadows I wanted sold out.

Related: Check out my 2019 indie beauty compilations – volume I | volume II | volume III or check out these American Indie brands or these European Indie brands.

Dominique Cosmetics – Latte 2 Palette | $42.00, CF

Dominique Cosmetics is a brand that impressed me in 2019. The brand releases high-quality shadows with beautiful color stories.

My jaw dropped when I saw pictures of the Latte 2 Palette*. However, I decided not to purchase this palette. First, I know the brand regularly holds 20-30% off sales. Second, I own so many palettes with similar colors.

Ultimately, I’m glad that I used my better judgement in this instance. I lost interest once swatches and reviews started coming out.

Dose of Colors – Limited Edition Truffle Set | $39.00, CF

The Limited Edition Lip Sets from Dose of Colors were such interesting concept. Moreover, I loved the prospect of being able to buy the same color in four formulas: matte liquid lipstick, velvet mousse, lip gloss, and lip liner.

Additionally, the Dose of Colors Liquid Lipsticks are one of my favorite formulas. As such, I want to try more from the brand. Although I did not purchase the Truffle Set this January, I may purchase this bundle later in the year.

Are you curious about the Dose of Colors Lip Gloss formula? See where my Dose of Colors Glosses rank in my huge lip gloss collection ranking

TrendMood1 Box | $54.00, CF

To be fair, I attempted to purchase the TrendMood Box. However, much to my dismay, the box sold out within 2 minutes of launching.

The TrendMood1 box included an eye brush set from Sigma Beauty, the Latte 2 Palette,* the Farsali Liquid Powder Serum,* the Ren Perfect Canvas Jelly Cleanser,* and the Skinfix Lipid-Boost 360 Eye Cream.* Given that the Farsali Liquid Powder Balancing Serum costs $54.00 this was beyond incredible from a value perspective.

I will be keeping an eye on this box in the coming months – read my thoughts on the TrendMood Box Volume 3.

What I Actually Bought

Makeup Geek Cosmetics – Complete Matrix Color Palette | $124.99, CF 

Since Marlena announced the Makeup Geek rebrand in 2019, I have been impatiently waiting. This January Makeup Geek finally blessed us with the first phase of the rebrand. Despite my excitement, I spent a day mulling over what I wanted to purchase.

I contemplated purchasing a 9-pan eyeshadow palette. However, I ended up purchasing the colorful Matrix System bundle. The Makeup Geek Matrix System palettes remind me of the Tati Beauty Textured Neutrals Volume I. For example, each column in the palette includes shades within the same color family, but in different depths.  Due to the high cost, I used Angelica Nyqvist’s discount code to receive 10% off my order.

How do you feel about Celebrity or Influencer Makeup Brands? Sound off in my Beau-Tea Talk where I discuss the rise of the Celebrity Makeup brand.

Sydney Grace – Enduring Love Palette | $52.00, CF

You’ve likely heard of Sydney Grace if you watch smaller beauty channels on YouTube. So many of my favorite small-to-mid-size creators rave about the Sydney Grace formula. In fact, some even compare it to Pat McGrath!

When I saw the Enduring Love Palette, I felt so inspired by the cool-toned color story.  Moreover, I felt drawn to the brand’s inspiration, famous historical colors. Finally, I loved that the brand released a Light and a Deep version of the same palette. This small variation made the palette more accessible to a wider range of people. To read my full thoughts, check out my review of the Enduring Love Palette.

January 2020 Beauty Low Buy – Purchases: 2

January 2020 Beauty Low Buy – Roll-Over Items: 2

Did you enjoy reading my January 2020 Beauty Low Buy Update? Check out my last major empties roundup or declutter roundup.

First 2020 Beauty Low Buy Update Takeaways: Moderation is Key.

It is possible to love the beauty world without feeling ashamed of my spending. However, it is equally possible to love the beauty world without feeling the need to buy every new release.

Therefore, while I don’t need to feel ashamed of my spending habits, I also don’t need to jump whenever a brand drops something new. Instead, I need to do a better job of executing self-restraint when I see new releases.

Truth be told, most companies hold sales. Therefore, the need to purchase a product immediately is silly. If I wait, not only can I better assess whether I truly want a product but I will save money.

After a year of failing my attempts to reign in my spending through my ‘Low Buys,’ I am proud that this month was a success. It felt amazing. Starting off on the correct path makes me feel confident that I’m ready to take on this challenge in 2020.

Finally, given that I’m bringing in far fewer products and that I am actively working on a 2020 Project Pan, I am much better about rotating through the products I own.

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

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What did you think of my progress during my first 2020 Beauty Low Buy Update? Are you doing a 2020 Beauty Low Buy or a 2020 No Buy? What advice would you share to anyone embarking on this type of challenge?

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