May 5, 2016

Make a Makeup Wish List and Spend Less Money!

wantitnowme

I always have a running makeup and beauty wish list that I keep hanging around. Funny, makeup and beauty lists can be very helpful! How? Well, I’m prone to spontaneous purchases that I sometimes regret! When I’m busy getting ready to hit submit on some major purchase I try to force myself to instead write it down on my wish list and give it a few days. I find that upon returning to my list that the need for that product isn’t always as great as it was in the heat of the moment.

So, when you’re shopping online keep notepad open and jot down that item before you hit submit! Or if you’re in a store keep a little journal handy in your purse (that’s what I do) and jot down items of interest in it that you really want.

Later on, you can return to it and decide if you really want them or not!

I can’t tell you how much money this has saved me.

For example, I had Stila Stay All Day Prime & Anti-Shine Balm on my wish list for literally ages. I remember when it first launched I really, really needed it. It was a life or death situation if I didn’t get my hands on it. But I reminded myself, in my foaming frenzy, that I loved Mally Face Defender and it was my HG (holy grail) so maybe I should use that up and after I could try out Stila’s version. So, I put it in my notepad, closed the browser window, and safely saved that $30.

Soon after, I found it at Sephora and that mad frenzy started again so I quickly jotted it in my little wish list notebook and quickly rushed out of store.

Several years later, I got it on sale for $10 bucks and it sucked 🙂

At least I saved $20 right?

Sometimes being a little patient has its benefits.

Granted, some people are really level headed about makeup. There also people out there willing to wait and have endless patience. If something new pops up they don’t mind waiting for a sale or taking time deciding if they want it or not.

I am not that person unfortunately and if you happen to have that same “I WANT IT NOW!” personality keeping a running wish list will most definitely save you some money!

Good luck 🙂

How do you say no to a beauty or makeup item you really, really want? What gives you willpower to just say no?

Do share!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Icequeen81.ma

    I can wait patiently,

    mostly when I am very excited about a product and I can’t wait to buy it , it turns to be a regrettable purchase . Nowadays I make sure I want it and need it.

  • Jane

    Wish lists are a must for me. Every time I see the pending new releases, I write down what I want, including where applicable the color names I think might be interesting to me. Half the time writing down the list quells the lemming. And when it doesn’t I investigate further, and if I buy I feel fine because I haven’t impulse blown three hundred dollars.

    I am appalled at myself that I got twenty years into my makeup buying career before I realized this.

  • Nikole

    Ha ha yes, I keep a running list in my ‘notes’ section of my iphone; plus about a gazillion ‘bookmarks’ to the pages of things I want. Sometimes I’ll go through the bookmarks and be able to eliminate some (no longer interested, or can’t remember why I wanted it in the first place , or something even more interesting has replaced it). But I have to keep the list and the bookmarks because I simply don’t have the money for everything I want. Currently enjoying my stacks of palettes and lippies Great topic Muse!

    • Isabella Muse

      Ha! I do that too! I have a bookmark list a mile long! 😀

  • BabyBeans

    I have a little notebook dedicated to makeup wish lists. I write things down a lot in general so it made perfect sense to keep my beauty wants in one notebook. I review it before I shop and target what I want to buy before I go.

  • Kaitlyn

    I really really wanted the newest tarte blush palette, but I kept reminding myself that I’ve only used the other TWO I own a handful of times. I keep a list on Pinterest so I can visualize all the items better. I also look at other things I can buy in a similar price range, that I might want more than whatever new release I’ve just seen. Lastly, I get my organization just the way I like it, so that I will have to reorganize or let go of something else if it fills up.

    • Isabella Muse

      oh having a pinterest wish list is a good idea!

  • Rachael

    Hi Muse! Long time reader, first time commenter.

    I’m trying to be better about this myself. I have a bookmark tab linking to my various beauty site wish lists + a Pinterest board of the makeup. Visualizing helps me to determine if I already have dupes in my stash.

    I am more prone to the “buy it now” if it’s limited edition. If it’s a permanent item (even new releases) onto the wish list it goes and I can wait for a sale to pick it up/wait to use up something in my stash and then replace it with the wish list item.

    • Isabella Muse

      likewise Rachael! I can’t say no to LE items! too hardddd!

  • Dee

    I keep a notebook too and find when I go back and look at what I have written down I don’t want it anymore. If I really, really want something I tell myself if I still want it by the end of the week I can get it and sometimes that works⚡️

  • Erin

    I hardy ever buy anything without checking the Beauty Blogs (like this one!) and a few YouTuber’s to see if it’s really worth it. I love the new UD Alice in Wonderland palette, but thankfully a lot of the reviews show how it’s not worth the money. That, and I take full advantage of Sephora’s return policy. I’ve bought things during the “hype” that just don’t work out, so knowing that it can go back with no questions asked actually saves me money in the end.

  • Maria A

    I need self control when it comes to purchasing cosmetics. I mean when your 6 yr old tells you “mommy you have enough makeup” she’s right. This past week I put a lot of stuff into my ulta cart and kept checking it every day for a week. I ended up not making any purchases. Like most of us I usually purchase on impulse and i don’t really think twice and that makes it a waste of money. For me it;s all about quality and not quantity. What’s the point of having a ton of makeup if I am not going to use it at all? So keeping things in the shopping cart and checking back gives me time to think if I want it, lets face it no one needs it but we always want it…..

    • Isabella Muse

      i tend to put a ton of stuff in my cart and leave it in there and check it over! Each time I check I end up removing an item and it either empties the cart completely or scales it back 😀

      • Maria A

        I find this is the best strategy and it works great for me. I went from having 10 things in my ulta cart to 0. lol

        • Isabella Muse

          ha ;-D likewise! I do this at Nordstrom constantly!

    • amy

      Mine is 9, LOL! When I bought the UD Spectrum palette a while back, she went on a rant about not only did I have enough makeup, but she flipped when she noticed the price! I bought it anyway, and heard about it for over a week…

  • kellly

    It’s usually the money that makes me back away, not personal discipline!
    If I’m feeling flush and I see something that makes me think, “OOooooh!”, it’s pretty much all over for me and I’m standing in line ready to get rid of my money. But if I’m broke or not sure if I want to spend that much on something, I find it a lot easier to wait. Right now those new shiny Laura Mercier LE, EXCLUSIVE highlighters are on my list. They remind me of my eye shadow HG, MAC skinfinish “Superb” (yeah, yeah, I know it’s a highlighter) but they are $44 … but then they are at least 4 times more product than a standard regular eye shadow pan . . . but I can’t really afford to drop the $44 on one right now. . . .so I go back and forth about it. If they are gone the next time I am in Sephora I will be bummed but I do still have that MAC Superb to fall back on.

    • Elise

      LOL! The Laura Mercier Seduction is on my lust/must list too! However I have a ton of MSF & highlighers in my collection. So anytime I get that itch, I pull open the drawer and pull out a few to use! 😉

  • Elise

    I think it takes a little more than just making those lust/must lists!

    I think you need to know your beauty stash inside & out! If you just purchase and squirrel things away you may not be aware of what you already have! The same goes with clothing and shoes. I literally went through my entire beauty collection this fall/winter and pitched, gave away & sold (new things still in their boxes!) everything that had not seen the light of day. I could not believe how many things had gone bad simply because they sat so long, unused. So sad 🙁

    Now I have a curated collection that I am actually using. I also know where I have gaps. So my list making is more effective. I am less likely to impulse buy or have FOMO. I am also less likely to purchase anything that will be a dupe or something I will not use. For limited edition and/or high end splurges I am very selective and make sure anything I purchase will be a unique treasure added. 😉

    • Maggie

      OMG!!! What you have achieved is my goal!! I want to be surrounded by things I love. Any tips would be appreciated. Still in the squirreling away stage.

  • Terri

    I keep it all in a little notebook in my purse. I’m always adding and scratching out. I’m currently on a no buy, so I’m shopping my stash. Not near as fun, but my bank account loves it.

  • Heidi

    Makeup and beauty makes me giddy so I have a hard time resisting. Reviews help me avoid some stuff. They also entice me, too. But I try to be realistic and think if I’d really like or use a product. That’s kept me away from a lot of liquid matte lipsticks saturating the market now. I love a matte lip look, but the liquid ones feel too much dried house paint, except for the Revlon and the Tarte ones, so that’s saved me some dough. I also like to “pretend” shop and add items to the online cart and then I can mull it over and ideally forget about it.

  • Sarah

    I keep a list on my phone in the notes! There has been Cargo Bronzer and the Dior Lip Balm on there forever! I am nervous the Dior lippie won’t live up to it’s price tag for me.

    I love that the pic is Veruca Salt and that she has Hudson Whiskey, haha!

  • Dina

    I have wishlists too. Broken down by type of product and then by drugstore vs sephora vs online only. Yes, I should probably get a life. But it absolutely works. Sometimes just watching youtube reviews and looking at swatches and reading blogs works just as well. It’s kinda like when you cook a big meal all day long and then you’re not really hungry when it’s time to eat. I literally lose hours doing “research” and then i’m so exhausted and overwhelmed that i’m over it.

  • Rachel R.

    For permanent items, I wait for reviews, etc. I favorite the item in my Ulta or Sephora lists, so I can refer to them again if I want. Even then, 9 times out of 10 I wait a while, and most of the time I never end up buying the item. Limited Edition items are trickier, of course. I try to find advance reviews from bloggers, but sometimes you just have to go with you guy and hope you’ll love it as much as you can.

  • genevieve

    The only real things I absolutely want straight away are eye shadow palettes. In fact I am STILL wanting the bareMinerals Soft and Smoky eye palette, but it is still currently only accessible at QVC that doesn’t ship to Australia….. so that kind of makes you think about whether you want something or not. And yes I do…
    Generally it is the price of the product that slows me down… here products that you talk about are either double/treble the price or the international shipping costs/exchange rate is prohibitive.
    But I feel your pain and your suggestions are really good ones.

  • Iris

    I want a few products from Epically Epic but the shipping to Canada is a killer. I wanted them as lip balms and the shipping costs as much as the products. I’m going to wait around for a sale and if one doesn’t happen, I’ll be fine.

  • Maggie

    Agreed that a list helps so much. I notice I am drawn to a lot of the same types of things so it is good to write things down and double check my stash. Or shop around for alternatives. I have a TON of impulse purchases and tossing them kind of hurts my heart (leaving SUCH a huge footprint and throwing money away).

    • Maggie

      Oh. Or, you take another look at your master wish list and remember there is something else you want sooner and more than your impulse buy. That has stayed my hand many times.

  • Diana Lee

    This is absolutely genius! I already keep a list of products to shop for when I go to Ulta, Target, or Sephora, but online shopping makes me too impulsive sometimes. Thanks for the great idea to add to my list and reevaluate later.

  • Agona

    So I used to add things to my cart (Sephora, Ulta) and leave them there as my “wishlist” while I decided if I “need” them or not or wait for some sort of promotion I want to take advantage of. But then last week, I had trouble checking out on the Ulta website. Seven calls to CS and 2 weeks later, their IT department had to delete my cart because I had left it sitting for so long, it corrupted my checkout process. -_- Maybe I should try this notepad/bookmark method that everyone else seems to be using, LOL.

    • Isabella Muse

      I used to do this. I’d add stuff into my cart and keep it as a wish list of sorts but I would lose it if I cleared my cache or the site might just clear it for me so I started keeping a notebook 😀