It’s the most wonderful time of the year!…or is it?
Haha, the most dramatic opening line ever. It’s that time of year again, my friends! The semi annual Sephora Beauty Insider Sale is quickly approaching. If you are like me, you’ve been window shopping the heck out of Sephora.com for months now anticipating what you will splurge on!
I posted an Instagram live story about a month ago showing my “lust list” for the Sephora sale and my cart total was upwards of $600…$600! Am I insane?! (rhetorical question.) Now, of course, that was simply a “lust” list which means I would never actually purchase all of those products but it did get me to thinking, “What else could I put that $600 towards?” That simple question is what inspired me to inspire you to take it easy at this year’s Sephora sale. This is the most anti-haul post I’ve ever written (and could possibly be a phase, but just go with it.) Let’s dive right in to my tips on how to save your hard earned money and not overspend at the Sephora sale this Spring.
1. Let It Simmer
Ever make a rash decision in the moment and then immediately regret it 24 hours later? The number one strategy that has helped me get off of Sephora $600 cloud nine and come back to reality is having more than 48 hours to really think about my decision and if I truly need another ABH palette (but Soft Glam is SO pretty!) I left that $600 Sephora cart filled for the last month and went on to look at it almost every day. One by one (without even trying) I started deleting products from my cart. When I continually looked at them each day and thought about how they would make me feel once I had them in my possession, I realized that I would be no happier then than I am now without them. Result-bye Felicia!
2. Take Inventory
One of my favorite ways to avoid overpurchasing beauty products is by taking a look at what I already have and “shopping my stash.” It is weirdly satisfying! If you really want to give yourself a reality check, pull out every beauty product you own and lay them all out on a flat surface so that you can see everything. I did this with my blush collection when I lived in Florida and I almost had a mini breakdown. Look at all of the beautiful things that you already own and compare them to the products currently in your online basket. You may realize that that ABH Soft Glam palette in your Sephora cart is suspiciously similar to your Modern Renaissance palette and you don’t need it after all.
3. Read Reviews
I can’t stress this one enough! Now, this is a tricky one (particularly when reading reviews on Sephora.com.) I have absolutely no beef with Sephora. I used to work for them and I think they are a lovely company.
BUT.
When it comes to reviews on Sephora.com, I take them with a grain of salt. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read reviews of Sephora customers (clients as we would call them) stating that their previous “negative” review of a product had been deleted. Also, keep in mind, that there are companies out there that pay people to go on websites like Sephora.com and write glorified reviews for products. One of my favorite sites to read real reviews from real customers is makeupalley.com. It is a no BS website and the reviews are generally from real people that actually use the products. Reviews are what helped me delete the new Dr. Jart Cicapair Serum from my cart as the “real reviewers” are saying it is pretty pointless. More money in my pocket!
4. Explore the “Why?”
Take a look at each product that your’e thinking of buying and ask yourself “why do I want this?” Is it because a big name Youtuber claims that it’s the next “holy grail” foundation? Is it because you’ve been using it for years, you’ve run out of it and need to replenish? Is it because EVERYONE on Instagram is posting about it and you think it would look so great on your feed? There is no wrong answer. We all have our reasons for each thing we do in life and there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying beauty products! Just take a moment to ask yourself “why do I want this and how will it make me feel?” Your answer may surprise you.
5. Invest that money elsewhere!
Last but not least, my most helpful tip (in my opinion.) Think about other ways that you could spend the money you are about to dish out on more beauty products. This is, by far, the easiest and most helpful way for my mind to reconsider purchasing more products. For me, my answer is traveling with my husband.
Experiences make us richer than things ever will.
Perhaps you are saving up for a trip, paying your way through college or simply saving for the future. When I think of the areas of my life that could use that money in a more resourceful way, I’m usually content with putting back that new Marc Jacobs foundation.
I hope these tips help you have a happy and guilt free shopping experience this Sephora season! Keep in mind that there is absolutely nothing wrong with splurging every once in awhile and saving a few bucks on products that you truly love. It is just helpful to bring a bit of mindfulness into the picture when our beauty obsessed brains want to buy every shiny, new thing with pretty packaging. I will, of course, still be indulging a bit during the sale, but I like to think of it as “controlled indulging” rather than mindless spending.
Happy shopping and happy saving!
“Richness is not about what you have, it is about who you are.”
Love, Carrie xo
