[ANTI-HAUL] Vol. 4

Hi! I feel like I should do one of these each month because there’s always such a high volume of new products in the market being released pretty much every week.

Beauty Blenders – In General

 

There’s better out there for a fraction of the cost. Now, before you @ me, I’ve purchased a large sum of beauty blenders in my life and to be quite frank with you all – it’s nice but it’s quite ridiculous when you hear the keywords “$20, beauty sponge”. Like, why? Listen, if you love the beauty blender and have the budget for it – continue to buy them. I’ve tried a handful of great dupes from the Sephora collection ones (specifically the pink pear one), Miss A sponges and also a Canadian brand called QUO makes great sponges. I did not like real technique sponges and I find the quality has definitely gone down throughout the years. As for the Eco Tools sponges, they’re alright, they absorb quite a bit of product.

Farsali – Lip Mask

I’m sure most of you know this brand for its iconic jelly highlighters and primer serums. I would never purchase anything from this brand simply because they’re stuff looks extremely gimmicky, not to mention the number of influencers on Instagram doing some cringey looking makeup videos with it. I don’t find any of the ingredients beneficial to my skin’s needs let alone how expensive their products are. It’s a big no or me.

Tarte brushes – In general

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I don’t get it, I’ve owned a few of their brush sets in the past and to be quite frank with you all, Aliexpress and Yesstyle have the same quality as theirs for a fraction of the cost. They’re really overpriced and often tacky looking. I mean, if you enjoy this kind of style- by all means, continue to get them. I just wanted to share that there are a lot more affordable options out there and you can buy them in bunches if you want. I own quite a few brushes from Aliexpress and Yesstyle and they work perfectly fine and I’ve had them for years.

Nude Palettes – In general

They’re boring and how many do you already have? The next time you see another nude palette release, look at your collection first to see if you already have something like it or similar. Dodge these palettes if you own so many because they can quickly become excessive and it’s hoarding. If you love nudes and you use them every single day then go for it. I’m a person who does not wear eye makeup and sometimes even foundation every day because I’ve become lazy and also comfortable with my own skin so I don’t really invest my time applying makeup as I use to. However, that being said, I always wear SPF because it’s important to.

 

Sulwhasoo – In General

I love luxurious products if they’re worth my money. There’s a lot of unnecessary filler ingredients and fragrance in their products and that really turns me off about their products. I’ve tried a handful of their samples and they all smell really strong for my preference. I do prefer my skincare to be fragrance-free, simple and affordable. There’s a lot of hype on this brand too so I was iffy to share this or not but I did and I’m glad I did because we all have our preferences in what we want in our products and these just don’t fall into what I look for in skincare.

Be sure to check out my previous blog post:

Anti Haul Vol. 3
How To: Shop Online Smart
How To: Save Money

Well, that’s for now, friends. Until next time! Save your money for products you really want rather than just falling into the hype.

 

Tips&Tricks – How To Save Money

I’m pretty sure many of you find this amusing that I’m making a post like this but I figured it would be something helpful and hopefully gives some of you motivation to save money. I’m one of those girls who loves retail therapy and I will spend for the most stupidest reasons. Two examples I do at-least once a week is: 1) I don’t like what I’m having for lunch and I want fresh, hot food so I will order out. 2) I am sad/stressed/upset and I need to buy something to cheer myself up. Do these examples apply to you or you can relate? Let a girl know.

I think what is important is to not restrict ourselves because that will create more resistance and temptation later on. There should be a focus on an objective of some sort, whether it’s a handbag you wanted for so long, a property, vacation or etc. You should start off with an objective and it should be something you are passionate about, not something you want for temporary because we tend to lose track of the goal if it is.

Tip #1: Have a piggy bank

I always put my loose change, 5 dollar bills and lucky pocket money in my piggy bank. I got my piggy bank last year and he’s become very heavy now. I was tempted to open him up quite a handful of times but I quickly stopped myself because my objective is to fill him so full, that I can no longer put anything more in him then I will open him up and cash him at the bank. You will notice a significant difference how much a piggy bank can change your saving game. Cashing in hundreds, maybe even thousands of bucks?! How rewarding does that sound?

Tip #2: Skip out on buying coffee and make your own coffee at home

Wake up earlier in the morning and prepare yourself some coffee. Buying coffee every morning before work does add up. Think about it…

Let’s say you get 1 large cup of coffee every morning on a weekday…
$5 x 5 days = $25
For 1 month (30 days length) without weekends:
$5 x 22 days = $110
For 1 year (365 days length) without weekends:
$5 x 283 = $1415
That’s A LOT of money!

Currently minimum wage in Ontario is $14-$15
$14 x 80 work hours = $1120
$15 x 80 work hours = $1200
^ These are BEFORE deductions. Usually when you hit the 1k mark, you get deducted about 200 dollars per pay cheque.

We don’t realize the damage we are doing to our wallets when we buy little things here and there. I am an avid coffee drinker, I feel a significant difference in my overall behavior and awareness with and without it. I am gradually teaching myself to build tolerance to live without coffee. Some days I will give in and buy but I came from buying coffee every single day to drinking coffee maybe.. once or a twice a week?

Tip #3: Have a budget

Again, going back to what I said about restricting yourself. Never restrict yourself but make sure to budget your money out wisely.
Here is an example:
Say you make 3K a month and live away from your parents…
You spend (every month)…

$200 on groceries
$60 on phone bill
$80 for utilities
$50 internet bill
$150 for bus fare/gas
$200 on misc lunch/dinner occasions
$1200 for rent

What you have left…
$1060

Varying how big your objective is and how close you want to get to close to it. The remaining money you have left per month, you should at-least try to save 50%-60% of it. Have a Tax-Free Saving Account and just continuously save each month and you will start to notice the numbers growing bigger and bigger.

That is all for today, friends.
If you’re interested in more tips, please feel free to reach out to me and let me know you’re interested in these kinds of posts.