It was 2011 and all you could find on Cityscape Bliss was makeup reviews. Every payday I hurried to Boots, Superdrug and Poundland in search for the cheapest but most enticing beauty gems I could find, photograph on my tiny compact camera, review every single drop of it and share it on my blog. I didn’t even care whether the products were something I needed – in fact I can tell you that I needed none of it.
It’s 2019 and I think bloody hard about what beauty products I purchase. I’ve stopped accepting PR samples for reviews almost two years ago and when I do I have to be super interested in the product. Because damn – I put these lotions and potions on my skin! I should be thinking twice (or even better three times!) about what chemical concoctions I let stream into my veins.
I choose my beauty products with intent – with common sense, some research and with the notion that I only buy things I really need. Or if I just want something then I make sure I use every single last drop of it.
What beauty products I no longer buy?
Peelings & scrubs
Did you know that a lot of peelings and scrubs contain tiny pieces of microplastics? In other words – you might as well be scrubbing your skin with a sponge you use for your dishes, because plastic will always just be plastic, so what difference does it make, right? And all these tiny beads of plastic particles are washed away down the drain and from there they get into the rivers, seas and oceans. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea for anyone involved. That’s why I’ve invested into a dry brush for both my body and my face (this one’s great) and whenever I want to treat myself to a niiiiice pampering peeling I use ground coffee (ideally the one I’ve already used to make my morning bulletproof coffee with, that’s a double win!).
Body butters, lotions and moisturisers
I used to have SO MANY bottles and tubs of body moisturisers yet I never ever moisturise my body. I don’t like the feeling of most moisturisers on my skin yet I kept on buying them and once they expired I just chucked them and bought a replacement one (ones, just because ONE was never enough, meh). Today I know that moisturising is very important so I defiantly do it but I only use one specific body butter which I love with all my heart. It’s this one if you’re after a beautiful new body butter yourself!
Coconut oil
Everyone who’s into zero waste and low impact living, even minimalism, would sell their cat and a half of their arm for a jar of coconut oil. They use it as a moisturiser, as a cleanser, as a shampoo and conditioner, as a shaving cream, as a mouthwash, toothpaste and 75480323 other things. I’m all for cooking with coconut oil but man, it feels absolutely rank whichever way I use it in my beauty routine. I hate the feeling of coconut oil on my skin, I don’t like it in my mouth and I absolutely loathe it on my hair. I bought multiple jars just because I always believed that when everyone else loves it I must too. But I just don’t. I really do not.
Multiples of everything
Do you also have that beauty drawer full of multiples of your favourite things? I used to have multiples of shampoo bottles, about 5 spare shower gels, 3 hair masks, 6 toothbrushes, at least 10 various face masks… but why? I’d go and buy a new one as soon as I ran out so I never really got to using up the contents of the damn drawer. When I was moving I realised it all expired anyways. What a waste of money! Now I just buy products once I’ve used their predecessors up or a couple of days before they’re empty. Saves money, space and pointless waste.
Perfumes
Literally every blogger seems to have a silver/gold/marble tray (corresponding with their aesthetic, obviously) full of gorgeous bottles of magical beautifully smelling perfumes. It’s a stunning piece of room decor to look at, I can’t argue that, but how many of these bottles do you actually use on the regular? I always used just one or two bottles and the rest went bad. Perfumes shouldn’t be exposed to sunlight because they change colour and even the scent can change, which just isn’t ideal, is it. Now I have 1-3 bottles of my favourite scents and when they’re about to run out I repurchase them. Again – saves money, space and even the decision making of which perfume I want to wear today.
Products just to try (or review)
As I mentioned at the start, buying products just for the sake of blogging was my daily bread. Looking back, that was a terrible, terrible mindset to have. Buy things only when you really need them and when they are to be used. Not just to take photos of. Ffs.
Things I SHOULD be using
Reading blogs and watching YouTube videos comes with the inevitable purchase enabling. I let myself be made believe that I need all those fancy eye shadow palettes because they are the best eye shadows out there to the date, and that damn coconut oil too. And body moisturisers I didn’t like. And a nail polish infused with kale and calcium. And tablets to boost hair growth. And a brow pencil. And two million other things I thought I needed to be a real woman/blogger/adult. I obviously didn’t need any of it, with most of it turning out absolutely useless for me. These things might be great for others but my desperate need and want to be like the rest of the beauty world and to fit in took over my common sense – I have huge brows that certainly don’t need emphasising, I cut my hair because it grows too fast, I only ever use natural eyeshadow tones. Don’t buy beauty products just because someone else is using them, it won’t make you any more them than you already are.
Tools and devices
A pimple sucking wand. A wrinkle iron. A toe straightening device. Do I need to say more?