10 Ways To Be More Mindful When Shopping for Makeup This Holiday Season (Part 1)
In anticipation for the holiday sales, I'm sharing some mindful shopping tips that can help you save your money, (and your sanity!)
1. Plan to go shopping
Yes, you read that right.
Consciously make yourself a plan to go shopping. You see, this was never going to be a post about how to stop shopping. We all know if we pull the restraints too tight and tell ourselves “I’m not going to buy any makeup for the next three months” - buying makeup will be the only thing on your mind and it’s just going to overcomplicate the situation.
Shopping can be a fun activity. We all want and need things, and sometimes those things are makeup things. So we need to learn how to shop more consciously, mindfully, and with intention. This is what this post will be about.
2. Put together a mindful shopping list
Next thing I like to do in order to be more mindful when I shop, is to make a shopping list of three categories. Non-negotiables, Needs & Wants.
Non-negotiables are things like rent, bills, utilities. These need to be taken care of first.
Needs are essentials and purchases that fulfill a practical purpose-like groceries, contact lenses, toothpaste, vitamins etc.
Wants are things that we’re driven by on an emotional level to own or experience something. It could be a pair of earrings, a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo, the latest smartphone- and yes, makeup.
The purpose of doing this mindful shopping list is to be prepared ahead of time, and have a better understanding of our financial priorities.
When the time comes that we head out to shop for our “needs” & “wants”, we’re now armed with this list, and we’ll have less chances to give into impulse purchases. We may take a look at our “needs” and be more inclined to use our money to fulfill those first, and what we have leftover after that, can then be for our “wants” and our savings.
3. Be more critical and wary of “discounts”, “promos” and “sales”
Repeat after me: Buying something on sale is still spending, not saving.
There’s something very alluring and misleading about all the sales and discounts that sometimes trick our minds into thinking we’re “saving money”, when it fact we’re very much still spending.
Now, if it is an item that you do use on a regular basis, by all means go for it. A “Buy 1 get 1” bundle of tissues may be something worthwhile to stock up on. (Another reason why creating a mindful shopping list is worthwhile, so we can reflect on when deals are beneficial for you, especially in the “needs” column.)
But buying things you didn’t plan on buying, just because they’re on sale- may end up costing you more in the long run. You’d be surprised at how fast little things add up. This is because there was no real thought for purpose and intention behind the purchase.
The way I counter this, is by asking myself “if this item was not on sale, would I buy it at full price?” More often than not, the answer would be no, and I was just tempted by the sale sign.
4. Set a waiting period
All these timed period sales (11.11, Sephora VIB, Black Friday and so on), and limited edition releases (which is practically every makeup collection now), create this illusion of urgency- like there’s some sort of deadline for us to meet. And because of this, we’re more tempted to make impulse purchases without really feeling and thinking it through.
I used to fall into this trap many a times. And many a times I would still find that same item on sale at the same lowered price point at a different sales event, or a “limited edition” item still available months after they said it would sell out.
So now, when I feel that surge of false urgency, I take a breath, walk out of the store (or close the app/website) and give myself a 24-hour waiting period, at the bare minimum, before I decide on the purchase. Sometimes the waiting period can last for weeks. Really, there’s no need to rush! Brands will continually release products and there’ll always be something you want at any given time.
I take this time to do a little more research, read more reviews, and reflect again on my financial priorities and mindful shopping list that I made.
If after the waiting period I find I still really want it because of so and so reasons, I’d know that I have already thought it through and made some updates and omissions on my list. It’s a more conscious approach.
Think (hard) first, buy later- rather than the ever so common- buy first, think later.
5. Let go of FOMO
The “Fear Of Missing Out” when it comes to makeup shopping is very much a real and rising issue, and this is where the double edged sword of social media comes into play.
We’re constantly bombarded with images of what everyone is buying, videos of extravagant hauls and makeup closet tours that we begin to unconsciously compare ourselves to others and maybe feel insecure about not having or doing enough.
First, we must remember that what we see on social media are highlight reels. We only see snippets of a person’s life they want us to see- and not the whole picture.
Second, we have a completely different life story to the ones we compare ourselves to. It would be a losing game to even try to keep up with anyone other than ourselves.
We all have our own unique values to offer to our online and offline community- that is separate from what we have and what we do.
Just because person A has a coveted item on your wishlist, does not make him/her more than you, and vice versa. There is, in essence, nothing that you are missing out on!
Always remember that and tell yourself- I am not what I own, and I will not be defined by it.
When we understand this, it will be easier to put the feelings of fear, envy and insecurities aside- making way for mindful decision making each time we want to shop for something.
Part II coming up!
Update: It’s here! Click here to read more mindful shopping tips.
Thank you for reading my first 5 out of 10 tips that may help you if you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the upcoming sales, and struggle with mindless shopping. Part II coming up on Sunday the 29th!