Beauty

[just bee]

The ComPact is a commitment to simplify, pare down, streamline. It began as a way to gain some control over our collections of beauty products. Why were we amassing so much, yet not using what we were buying? Why were we always searching for the next new product? Why couldn't we just find what worked for us and stick with it?

The ComPact, however, is not restricted to beauty items. If you have a collection you want to address, do it here. Choose an area you want to work on, and track your progress on the ComPact thread. Members will offer tips and encouragement.

Choose one of our many mantras (“One by one until they’re done!” “We are SPAHHHRRRTAN!!!” “Not until you really have to.” “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” “Resist the propaganda.” "If it's high, I don't buy!" “When in doubt, do without!” “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”  "Only the store, online no more!" “Shoplighters of the World Unite!”) or create a new one and share it. Target items each month to toss, donate, or use, and post your “chopping block” -- or “hit list.” Post temptations, post victories.

They say it takes 30 days for something to become a habit: Let's see if taking the ComPact one month at a time works for you.

Join us.  

[just bee]

Hey, all you HEPcats and HEPdogs! We had discussed making the Healthy Eating thread a monthly jam session, so I just went ahead and did a little improvisation.

This is an invite to our crazy crib where you can come and break it down! I say we go 18 karat on this and really swing. If healthy eating’s not your bag, no problem. But if it is, I dig.

It’s cool, I’m booted, let’s jump!

[just bee]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.  I have long been a fan of Huggies Natural Care Plus wipes exclusive to Costco.

I buy a case and inside the box there is a plastic dispenser and packages of wipes to refill that dispenser.

I opened a recently purchased case and discovered there was no dispenser.  Why?  Because the wipes are now packaged with dispenser tops.  These new packages feel lighter. 

Odd.  But something about the wipe itself is different.  The wipe feels lighter, too.  It was a heavy, thick, stretchy wipe and now it feels like any other wipe.  It even looks smaller.  It's not as moist.  Worst of all, it smells different.

It was advertised as just water, aloe and vitamin E.  Now, on the website, they list ingredients like butoxy PEG-4 PG-amodimethicone, coco-glucoside, caprylyl glycol, sodium benzoate and others.  Maybe those were always there, who knows?

But the smell is now weird.

Why ruin another great product?

[aprilskies]

---

@just bee wrote:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.  I have long been a fan of Huggies Natural Care Plus wipes exclusive to Costco.

I buy a case and inside the box there is a plastic dispenser and packages of wipes to refill that dispenser.

I opened a recently purchased case and discovered there was no dispenser.  Why?  Because the wipes are now packaged with dispenser tops.  These new packages feel lighter. 

Odd.  But something about the wipe itself is different.  The wipe feels lighter, too.  It was a heavy, thick, stretchy wipe and now it feels like any other wipe.  It even looks smaller.  It's not as moist.  Worst of all, it smells different.

It was advertised as just water, aloe and vitamin E.  Now, on the website, they list ingredients like butoxy PEG-4 PG-amodimethicone, coco-glucoside, caprylyl glycol, sodium benzoate and others.  Maybe those were always there, who knows?

But the smell is now weird.

Why ruin another great product?

---

@just bee,  because companies just mess with everything that works eventually.  It’s sad.  I don’t have many holy grails and the two I had are no longer.  I still miss them. R.I.P. Huggies from Costco. 😢

[aprilskies]

Well, I am proud to say no unnecessary beauty purchases in May.  Yahoo.  That was a tough one with the specials and my urge to buy. And good thing I bought a concealor, I am out.  Sometimes those impulse purchases come in handy. 

I plan on on holding on to my low buy in June too if I can.  It feels so good to not bring in loads of products. I still have so much to get through.  I can’t imagine some of that isn’t spoiled. But, I will deal with them as they come up. 

So far this year I only bought a handful of skincare products, no mu.  The skincare I didn’t need but wanted to try. No more skincare unless needed. Plus, if it is really hot in June, Who would be thinking of products.  Some days I can barely get out the door without melting.  What a waste of product and effort.  I am not looking forward to a brutal summer.  Keeping my fingers crossed that is it sans humidity. Yeah, right. 

Have a a nice day, ladies. 

[geezerette]

@just bee

From your ingredient list, it sounds like your Costco Huggies are now the same ones that those of us who are Costco-less have been buying all along. I get mine from the all-knowing, all-seeing Walmart and they are called Huggies Natural Care, no “Plus”.  

Welcome to my world.👋🏻

[geezerette]

@aprilskies

Congrats on the no-buy May.  You’re really doing well with this whole consumption reduction.   I did well until the end of the month.  My buying tends to come in spurts.  I’ll buy nothing for weeks, then a bunch in a week or two.  Some were auto-deliveries, some were gifts, and admittedly, a few were things I wouldn’t have bought if the OG were here.  I’m allowing myself a few of those purchases, but I’m going to have to watch myself because it’s too easy to get back into overbuying things when I’m trying to get rid of others.  And I have to remember that my income is now all up to me.

I hear ya about the heat and humidity.  I don’t know where you are, but here in the mid-south, May has been so hot and humid already (record breaking), that I don’t even want to think about June—let alone July and August!  Ugh.

[just bee]

---

@aprilskies wrote:

---

---

 @just bee,  because companies just mess with everything that works eventually.  It’s sad.  I don’t have many holy grails and the two I had are no longer.  I still miss them. R.I.P. Huggies from Costco. 😢

---

@aprilskies

The original concept for The ComPact was to find those HG products and stick with them.  I'm more than willing to do just that but it's becoming more and more difficult.  You find something and then it either changes or vanishes.

It's one reason I stocked three oils when Acure had their 50% off sale.  I'm happy as a clam with Lumene but I can't count on finding their products in the future.  Not only aren't they available, but the company changes their line too frequently for me to become attached again.

[just bee]

---

@aprilskies wrote:

Well, I am proud to say no unnecessary beauty purchases in May.  Yahoo.  That was a tough one with the specials and my urge to buy. And good thing I bought a concealor, I am out.  Sometimes those impulse purchases come in handy. 

I plan on on holding on to my low buy in June too if I can.  It feels so good to not bring in loads of products. I still have so much to get through.  I can’t imagine some of that isn’t spoiled. But, I will deal with them as they come up. 

So far this year I only bought a handful of skincare products, no mu.  The skincare I didn’t need but wanted to try. No more skincare unless needed. Plus, if it is really hot in June, Who would be thinking of products.  Some days I can barely get out the door without melting.  What a waste of product and effort.  I am not looking forward to a brutal summer.  Keeping my fingers crossed that is it sans humidity. Yeah, right. 

Have a a nice day, ladies. 

---

@aprilskies

I like that: Low buy.  In May I bought a couple pizzas, some tacos, Acure oils and shampoo/conditioner (sale), and tea.  Harney & Sons sent me one of those emails to entice me to buy.

Where have you been?  We noticed you haven't been shopping with us.  What if we gave you ten bucks off your next order?

I restocked Paris and Victorian London Fog -- just one of each -- and they're sitting in my mailbox right now.  Must get them out before they cook in there.

It's 66 degrees now but it will start creeping towards 90.  The state's on fire.  How did I move to a state that has no rain?

[just bee]

---

@geezerette wrote:

@just bee

From your ingredient list, it sounds like your Costco Huggies are now the same ones that those of us who are Costco-less have been buying all along. I get mine from the all-knowing, all-seeing Walmart and they are called Huggies Natural Care, no “Plus”.  

Welcome to my world.👋🏻

---

@geezerette

I was on their site and now I'm wondering if their Simply Clean wipes would be a better bet.

Well, I have a case of 1152 wipes so it's something I won't have to think about for some time...

We're actually buying less at Costco these days.  Another sign of the times: I just saw this morning that our local mall is losing Sears and the Kmart across town is closing.

Just about all the department and variety stores I grew up with are gone.