Did you know....?

It's been almost a month since I last purchased makeup? My last haul was a beautycrunch haul which half of it was xmas gifts for family and friends. I stock up:) Going home when there's a break from school I'm just overwhelmed by how much makeup I have and how little I use and actually touch because I bring so little with me to school. I've actually sold some of my makeup to my coworkers, majority of which are backups. I do plan to sell the remaining ones on my blogspot but I want to be back home (summer break) so I can look through my stash and see if there's any more that I want to sell. I've already got more than $130+ from my co-workers and there's still some remaining (Barbie eyeshadows, glitter eyeliners, pigment samples).

The last items I bought from Mac were from Hello Kitty. The Lavender Whip lipstick doesn't count because I used my giftcard:) So I've skipped Hello Kitty Kouture Collection and every collection after that. One of my goals for 2009 is to cut down on makeup spending and the goal I set is $1000. I know that may be alot for some but I've seen people spend $1000 on the Hello Kitty Collection! and to be honest I've spent a lot more in previous years but situations has change, I go to a university now instead of a community college and I live on a different island instead at home. So things has CHANGED so I need to adjust my spending. So Josh (Petrilude) mentioned that it takes 30 days to break an addiction and I'm nearing that point. Don't get me wrong I do have items in my Mac shopping cart saved up but it's items that I actually don't have and won't regret purchasing like the 3 sets of Barbie eyeshadows I did previously. I also wanted my goal to be realistic and attainable and $1000($83 a month!) is it for me. As of right now I'm at $300, I'll be tracking it more carefully now. Previously, I was rounding the totals off...it was usually rounded down lol. I'm also going to add in nail polishes and nail treatments to my makeup budget since I've been going crazy on those too.

So here are some tips for the ladies who has the same goal

- With new collections being released, try looking through your makeup stash for similar colors and celebrate your finding by creating looks with it.

- Read reviews! There are many beauty bloggers out there and I suggest reading their reviews on collections. Most times they also offer dupe suggestions. I highly suggest Temptalia, I absolutely love her reviews and swatches.

- Have a list of items that you want to purchase and bring it to makeup counter. Review the items yourself by checking out the color payoff, type of finish and how it'll look against your skin then if it's a go THEN purchase. Don't purchase them immediately.

- Wait for sales. With the economy right now, stores are busting out discounts like Urban Decay wit their 30% currently going right now. A huge makeup retailer is Sephora and I know that every year they have their friends and family discount (20%) so I wait till then to make a purchase. ***They actually have a 15% right now till April 21st! For beauty insiders only. If your not a beauty insider, sign up because its FREE!*** Code: BD2T9CB5

^^ This is how I use to haul, a 3 month collective haul late last year.

What's your money saving tips on makeup?