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How do you stop shopping? I went for the most obvious tactic; stop shopping. Having stumbled upon the Makeup Rehab forum on reddit, I discovered the world of no-buys – essentially a ban on shopping. While unsubscribing from marketing emails and going cold turkey on purchases seemed like the most sensible option, this didn’t tackle the underlying problems that made me turn to shopping as a coping mechanism in the first place…and I didn’t last long before falling off the wagon. Then there came the beating myself up for being ‘weak’ and unable to stick to it. More shame. More disappointment.

 

I decided that I needed to face up to both the reality of my situation and the emotions that I was smothering with stuff. I started by confronting my hoard and taking stock of all the products that I had. Drawers and drawers of things that I couldn’t possibly finish in my lifetime. But this was done now. Berating myself wouldn’t undo my purchases but I could change my behaviour going forward.

I practiced sitting with my emotions instead of taking any action (aka shopping). This was really uncomfortable, and at times, painful, at first but it has become easier with time and commitment. Remembering that I am not my thoughts and it’s okay to feel negative emotions, and it’s better to accept them and let them pass rather than shoving them down until they boil over felt both freeing and powerful. I also used principles from the Law of Attraction to reach for slightly better thoughts and prevent negative ones from spiralling.

 

When the focus is on consumption, the acquisition of new pieces takes precedence over actually using and enjoying makeup. I still wanted to enjoy makeup so I refocused on creating new looks, mixing products together, rotating through my things and project panning. Project panning in particular has been the most eye-opening in terms of killing my desire to buy more – it takes me so long to use up most makeup items! Rotating through my collection has kept things fresh and interesting, and mixing formulas has been a fun way to experiment and be creative.

 

I set to work at replacing shopping with healthier stress relievers. I took extra time in the gym, practiced meditation more regularly, created uplifting music playlists, spent time with friends and family, enjoyed time in nature, and allowed myself to apply my makeup without rushing.

 

Most importantly, I refocused my attention on my goals and broke them down into less intimidating tasks. Getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable was the only way to make progress and experience growth. After some health issues, my mindset towards purchases also changed, it was a privilege to pay for probiotics, eye drops and the hygienist, whereas before I wanted to spend money on ‘fun stuff’ to escape stress. I was investing in my body rather than surplus unnecessary ‘stuff’.

 

It was also a lot easier to spend less after getting out of unhappy situations (a job, a long-term relationship). I realised I self-sabotaged to avoid moving forward financially because it felt out of reach. My new freedom allowed me to create independent financial goals. Facing up to what isn’t working anymore was a real gamechanger.

 

I then started my Instagram page to give me another artistic outlet and redirect my attention to what I already have (more than plenty!) instead of always chasing the next best thing.

 

Much more willing to let things go, I began selling unopened backups on eBay and have recently put some of my swatched and lightly used items on Reddit’s Makeup Exchange. This is huge for me given my natural scarcity mindset!

 

While I still have setbacks (I’m only human) in situations of extreme trauma (unfortunately there’s been quite a lot in the last year and a half…), or chronic stress, these relapses are few and far between and are £20 instead of £120. More often than not though, I’ll turn my focus to my healthy stress relievers, goals, and investing rather than spending.

 

Any of this sound familiar?

 

Let me know over on Instagram!