Update on my No-Buy 2019

So this year I decided to go into a cosmetic No-Buy year started from the end of last year to November 2019. Here is the list of what I learn.

1.) I learn to have self control over makeup advertisement and sales that always pop-up on my news feed. 100% of the times you don't need those items, you buy them because of advertisement and sales.

2.) I learn to stop myself from browsing in drugstore or makeup counter. Even if I do I stop myself from buying anything I don't need.

3.) I found happiness in using up what I have than buying new stuffs.

4.) It feel so nice to own less, you will enjoy the things that you own more.

5.) Hoarding stuffs on sale is a bad idea. Because most stuffs that went on sale are pretty old stock. And if you hoard a lot, chances are things will be expired before you could finish them. Which is what happened to me a lot in the past. And in the end you waste your money instead of saving money.

Recap from this year no-buy turn out I'm not perfect. I broke my no-buy a few times. Mostly because I found a good deal on stuffs I've been eyeing on. Or I convinced myself that I need to try cushion foundation, mineral foundation and update my eyebrow game. ( Turn out I don't need them at all, and didn't wear them enough. Because I'm also focus on my project pan 2019 right now.)

I will continue doing No-Buy in 2020. And I aim to be better next year. No more impulse buying and I'd allow myself to do replacement only.

32

Here I am over a month after my 32th birthday. Things has been pretty hectic during the last month.

I had a new job offer in Bangkok that is intriguing, but after through and through consideration I decided not to take it. I started to appreciate my current job, no traffic, quiet life, good salary, I got a lot of holiday that I still don't know how to spend them. I think human are always like that. when they don't have holiday they dream of it when they have a lot of it.They got bored.

Well, I broke up with my french boyfriend, the love of my life, around April, after 3 years together but we physically parted at the beginning of  June.  At the end of last year he moved to Thailand tried to find a way to be with me. Then the more time he spent here the more he realized it wouldn't out for him here. He hates the country it drove him and his OCD nuts. He realized he will never find the job he like here. He hate the way things work here. And the more we spend time together he realized I'm also too messy for him. So we broke up. It was hard. I felt lost without him.
And my support system is very poor. Most of my friends are very busy working, nobody around, my work timetable is also crazy that doesn't leave me time to grieve properly. So I turn to a quick fix, online dating. First guy I went out with is a PhD grad in Law, he is teaching part-time in King's  College. He is smart, bold and funny. Sound amazing, right? Turned out he is a fucking liar! He lie about his name, his age, his height, his nationality. He also confess that he has a sex addiction and can't commit to a monogamous relationship. So I ran fast.

The next guy is way older than me, like 16 years older. He told me he own a dealership of X-ray machine here. And he is into a long-term relationship, also monogamous, No kids. Sound good, right?  So I started dating him despite the hugh age gap. This man know a way to win my heart, he know what i want to hear. He gave great advises.  And he want a future with me. So I fall fast and hard. Guess what happened! After the first month he loss his credit card and wallet, he started to borrow my money and I gave him unconditionally. But he seem to have hugh amount of expenses during the 2 weeks that he tried to fix his money situation. So I started question his honesty. And he took that as a way to take a break from me. He don't come to see me for a month but still texting everyday saying how much he miss me and love me. Then yesterday I have a mysterious call from a woman, who claimed that she is his wife they also have 2 kids together. She bring him to see me, she beat her husband pretty bad. He seem submissive in front of her. He just standing there like a mute, no apology, no explanation came from his mouth, he barely look at me. The wife said he is an alcoholics who never works and she has to pay for everything. And there is no way I will get my money back. I just stand there like a mute too. How can I be such a fool? I feel sorry for the man, his wife. But I'm grateful that I didn't  waste more time and money or my life with this man.

You see...It wasn't a good year for me at all in term of love. I feel hopeless.

I feel so lonely.
I ask myself everyday is this how my life suppose to be?

Why I will no longer shop and keep my membership with Sephora.

1.) We have to buy a big amount of makeup every year to keep our sephora black (฿7,500) or Gold (฿37,500) status.

2.) The benefit of birthday gifts is relatively small, You get a tester set that they also gave for free with purchase and a Benefit brow service once a year, which you have to book in advance and if the queue is full you need to book on another day but not outside of your birthday month, I found this very difficult!

3.) The sale only happen a few times per year and you only get 10-20% discount of the product while they raised the price 10% higher than normal price during the sale. Yes, i saw that since I was eyeing on an eyeshadow palette, when the sale arrive I put the palette in my basket fast to find that the discounted product cost the same as regular price.

4.) Our most favorite products are always out of stock during the sale season. I found that since I jumped on the sale since the first hour and all of the wishlists were gone maybe in a few seconds. that could only happen when they only put 5 or maybe 10 on the website. So what's the point of being the member at the first place when you can't buy what you really want during the sale.

5.) From the 4th reason above I ended up buying shitty products that still available during the sale, mostly things that I would never wear, but just buy it because it was on a very big sale.

Project Panning/Makeup used up

Last year I started something like tying to used up one product before buying a new item. And I kind of still doing it these days. I also started to join a swap website, which is a fun way to get rid of product you don't enjoy and trade it to a new thing to try.
The end result, I ended up with more makeup than when I started...The reason is sometimes I trade my clothes for makeups. Sometimes I trade an expensive-ass blush for 2 eyeshadows. And the sephora membership is also not helping. I was drawn into every sales like a bee to honey.
Now that I look into my collection, I feel ashamed. Considering I don't even wear makeup everyday.
So I tell myself it time to get serious! I can't even wait until new year to start it. It is an EMERGENCY!

So I take every make up items I have at home, took a picture of each categories and count how many I have on each categories. I even make an instagam account dedicate to it (Cuz nowaday you gotta have instagram acoount for everything.👯) You can check my journey here. https://www.instagram.com/serenedclutter/

From where I start it make me realized I have more makeup than I thought. And some items in my collection I even forget about, some alredy expired. Gross...I know.
So I started declutter my makeup. Here is the end result of first round of declutter. sorry for bad quality picture I took with my i-phone. I just can't wait for professional camera.👅

I feel relieved alredy.

31

It seem like I only remember to post here during my birthday now. This year I post earlier than ever! I'm only 1 day away from 31. I can't help to repeat this sentence again, How am I 31 already?!, there I say it.

Now it's time to tell you about my 30. I had a big change in my life again. Nope...it's not marriage.👅
I change my job, I quit the government job. The main problem is I was not happy there, I know it's not my goal to work there day by day until 60 and retire. I think I'm more adventurous type. So I buy my contract and now move to my father's hometown ( 2 hrs from my parents house) to work in a private hospital. Fast and risky money. I'm during my third month here, and so far I'm ok with it. Who know what life gonna bring next.

As I'm getting older, I'm thinking more of what I want to do in life. Since I've spent most times in the box, I studied hard, I went to Med school, I become a doctor, I go to work almost everyday, I come home to sleep, and I wake up to work again. It's becoming very repetitive. I got bored. I feel like I don't know about outside world anymore. I don't have much joy in life. I want to jump out of this box, but then I'm also afraid to jump out of it. Because I came so far to be in this position, what if I jump and I keep falling and falling and never rise again.

The only person that make my days better is my boyfriend. He is very supportive and caring. He is the angel voice inside my head. He inspire me to be a better person. And he also trying to move here to be with me. I don't think I could ever ask for better. He also make me realize why it was never worked with anyone else. Because I never happy with myself...so I make others unhappy with me too. By the time I realized it I almost lost him too. And I'm hoping it's not too late.

30

yep! 30! That has been my age for 2 months now.
It was terrifying a few months before. And I was thinking a lot about being 30. I even googled " How does it like to be 30?" and was surprise that somebody really wrote an article about it.😂 I also found a really cool blog about being 30 which also name  http://www.being30yo.com/. It's really comforting to see how peoples are in their 30.

And when I think back...I always thought by 30, I'd have married, 2 kids, a big house, a sport car, a 10 millions bank account, 2 company in my name, 2 cats and a pedigree dog. 

Then I look at myself now. I've none of above.

Anyways now that it all passed, I'll tell you a bit about my 30th birthday. I brought my whole family to a beach villa in Krabi. and my boyfriend also came all his way from Canada for my birthday and he gave me a Cartier watch. (yep..surprise!! I got a boyfriend now and he's that nice.) So it was not that bad. 

Let me tell you about my 29th. It was a really good year. I fulfilled many of my goals and dreams. I went to Canada  for my elective month and that's where I met my boyfriend, we are perfectly happy together. Then I graduated from my Emergency Medicine board, it's a relief. After graduate I fulfilled another of my dream I traveled to Europe with my boyfriend. Now I'm working in a local hospital in my home town. living with my parents. They're very happy to have me back at home. Life is so simple now. But somehow I feel like there's much more waiting for me...like my journey won't end here. 

Empties Products #1

As a person who really like makeup and all the beautiful things. I bought so much! way too much for my personal need.
It gotten to the point of overwhelming. You open you drawer to see 10 foundations and 5 primers, considering the fact that you don't even wear foundation everyday.

This is where this project is started. I try to use up products in my stash before buying a new one.
And I gave away the one I don't like or never use. It help clear up my vanity a bit.😥
To make this whole project more enjoyable. I save the thing I used up to share with all of you.
It make me feel proud to used things up.