Friday, November 11, 2016

Hitting Up Holiday Sales and the Fear of Missing Out


Like many people, I look forward to Sephora's twice-a-year X percent off sales. I will often hold off on repurchasing a staple or picking a new foundation to try just to get that 20% discount. And many of us openly admit that we start planning our shopping carts months in advance; I began filling mine up at the beginning of October.

But as I browsed the Sephora website this past week, I realized that there was very little I want. In fact, it was barely $100 worth of product. I did waffle on picking up the Besame Portrait Pink lipstick I've recently decided I want, but I ended up telling myself, "No, not this year, you still have Urban Decay Native." (Native is shinier and has a slightly less "me" formula than the Besame range, but it's still similar in shade.)

When I placed my order several hours ago, one of the items I wanted (the Surratt Brow Pomade) was out of stock, and I decided I wasn't quite ready for another (the Milk Makeup Holographic Stick). I stuck with a repurchase of my staple concealer, a new face mist I want to try, and a lovely fragrance discovery set. I also added in an on-sale Formula X polish set because I'm trying to get back in to painting my nails, but that was the end of it. I finished my Sephora VIB order well under $100.

What sort of shocked me, though, was browsing my favorite forums afterward. Post after post exclaimed, "My God, I don't want anything from this sale? What did you buy? Give me some ideas of what to buy!" It's clear that even when we don't really want anything, sales make us feel like we should spend our money now now now.

I decided to do some math to see just how much people would really save during this sale. First, I checked through my recent Sephora orders to see how much I tend to spend; on regular orders, it's around $50, and on "Treat Yo Self" days, it's closer to $100. Second, I calculated how much it would cost to replace a number of my staple products and buy a few of the extra goodies I've been eyeballing. Here's what I came up with:

Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation, $34
NARS Radiant Cream Concealer, $29
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid, $41
Besame Portrait Pink Lipstick, $22
Milk Makeup Holographic Stick, $28
Shiseido Facial Cottons, $9.50
TOTAL: $163.50

...okay, so I'm boring. Let's pretend I could want enough stuff at once to spend $250 dollars. So here's the math:

20% off of $50 = $10
20% off of $100 = $20
20% off of $250 = $50

Saving $10 is nice, but I don't think it's going to be a game-changer for most people. $20 is more impressive for somebody like me; it could pay for most of a 10-trip bus pass, some basic groceries, or a few cups of coffee on campus. But even then, I can't quite imagine filling up a cart of stuff I don't absolutely want  just to save $20. In my honest opinion, I don't think the savings really become worth it until you hit higher numbers like $250. Then, the amount you save is enough to buy another foundation, or two bus passes, or a week's groceries for one person.

I'm not trying to rag on people who spend a lot on beauty products, believe me. And I understand the desire to participate in a sale just because it's going on--it's something I still struggle with for time to time. But I do wonder how we've become so prone to the Fear of Missing Out (or FOMO). It's a phenomenon beauty companies love to exploit in their marketing, with tactics ranging from limited edition ranges that quickly sell out (MAC) to non-stop emails asking you why you haven't purchased the products in your cart when they won't be available forever (Sephora).

I wouldn't be surprised if social media plays a big part in this. We are constantly aware of what others are doing, wearing, and buying. When a personal favorite beauty guru posts their latest haul or shows off a new lipstick, we think, "Wow, that's gorgeous! Maybe I should get it before they run out of stock." The marketing barrage doesn't help, either. Magazine and television ads are one thing, but you can't sign up for any beauty brand's newsletter or purchase a foundation without getting non-stop emails announcing sales, coupons, gifts, and supposedly just-for-you treats.

Yet I think there's another factor to consider. The beauty community is just that: a community, with all of the benefits and tribulations you'd expect. For many, it's a tight-knit group that fills a gap from real life, since a lot of us are lacking friends who love makeup. We've developed a lingo, with readily-recognized terms like "dip dip" (Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade), "holy grail" (your absolute favorite product), and a slew of abbreviations (HG = holy grail, ABH = Anastasia Beverly Hills, etc.). At the end of the day, we often force ourselves to participate in popular sales and buy things we don't need because we want to be part of the group. We want to add our two cents to posts asking, "What products should I nix from my cart?", and threads breathlessly describing our huge purchases. And it's hard, sometimes, to feel like you are not joining in on your community's most momentous occasion.

I say this because I'm hoping to up my anti-haul and project pan game next year with a beauty budget for all of 2017: $250 to spend throughout the entire year. This wouldn't count on staples (they're not thrilling to buy because they aren't new) or on non-cash purchases, since I do usually get gift cards for Christmas and my birthday. I'm wondering how I'll feel as I skip over sale after sale while other members of the online beauty community splurge. And of course, I worry that I won't be sucessful.

All rambling aside, I'm curious: did you participate in the Sephora VIB sale this year? If not, why? If so, what did you get? And if Sephora VIB is not available to you, tell me: is there anything beauty-related you're looking forward to in 2017?

17 comments:

  1. $250 for the entire year! That's really admirable, and something I should probably do as well. My budget of $40 per month for new makeup has turned out to be pretty generous. I've never qualified for VIB status, so I'm not thinking about the Sephora sale right now, but I am currently tempted by two ColourPop lip products despite my resolution not to buy lipstick for the rest of the year. WHY. D: At least they're both permanent, so far as I can tell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Honestly, I haven't been wowed my most of the Colourpop stuff I've tried. The brow pencils are a potential repurchase for me when I finish my current one, but that won't be any time soon.

      Delete
  2. I'm not taking part in the sale because I'm not VIB! I rarely shop at Sephora - I just checked and my YTD spending is only $191. I also don't really have any desire to buy anything, though I did just spend $240 worth of Optimum points on NARS and YSL, so maybe that's why, haha. We have a lot of mid range and luxury brands available in the drugstore, where I can collect points and get an employee discount, so I only go to Sephora for select brands. But I agree, the math just doesn't add up generally. When I see people doing VIB sale hauls that amount to $1000+ worth of product that they bought simply because they got a discount, I can't help but think that they're not really saving money.

    Social media and beauty blogging/forums absolutely contribute to this "must buy" mentality. It seems normal for people to have 100 lipsticks and 50 blushes, and so we don't really bat an eyelash about adding to our collections even if we don't need anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember having that many blushes. I still have too many!

      Delete
  3. I'm going to do some damage, it's probably going to be a TF perfume and some skincare replacements. I wanted a few lipsticks but I'm not sure I'll be getting them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perfumes will do it to you! Unfortunately, most of what I want isn't available at Sephora, so no sale for me.

      Delete
  4. I plan on picking up a new concealer and foundation (or tinted moisturizer, not sure which yet). The one concealer I have isn't doing it for me anymore, and I don't love the foundations I have either. I think people need to remember that if they wouldn't purchase the product if there wasn't a sale, that they're not saving money. They're spending 80% when they'd be spending 0% otherwise.
    My makeup goals for 2017 to use up my products and only buy products if I need them. I love makeup but I'm not one to wear it everyday and know that using things up takes a while, so there's no point in me buying more lipsticks if I already have the colors that suit me and have diversity in just because it's a different finish or hyped product.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "They're spending 80% when they'd be spending 0% otherwise."

      Yes, exactly! It's fine if you were going to buy stuff, anyway, or if you want to buy a few extra treats. But I can't fathom filling up a cart of stuff you weren't that interested in to begin with just to hit a sale.

      Delete
  5. I did participate in the Sephora sale - I'm Rouge right now, but thankfully will not hit that threshold this year - and since I've been working on being more mindful with my purchasing this year, had a nicely curated cart. I didn't add any impulse items. I got a foundation I wanted to try, three lipsticks that I've wanted for a few months, a new blush since I've rebooted my blushes and just want two nice ones, a refill of face cleanser, and the birthday gift, since my birthday actually fell during the Rouge sale.

    I consider the sale to be worth it because the 20% off also reduces the sales tax I end up paying (15% in my province), so there's that. And it was all stuff that I wanted, which has not always been the case in the past. I think there is something of keeping up with the Joneses that social media perpetuates.

    I like your $250 plan! I'm dithering on what challenge I want to give myself. I know I want to keep reducing my beauty spending and work toward better balance, but I also don't want to set myself up for failure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's absolutely worth it if you're mostly getting stuff you were already going to get!

      Delete
  6. I'm trying to decide what I want my "challenge" to be this year. I really got into makeup and beauty products about three years ago. In the past, my challenge was to not jump on the LE bandwagon. That was successful, and I no longer have crazy FOMO for limited collections and products. This past year my challenge has been to really consider my purchases and only buy products I truly love. I believe I will also do a set dollar challenge for 2017. I own some really great items, so I don't feel like I need to be on the hunt for things that work for me anymore. My biggest weakness is foundation though. Even though I already have a couple that are perfect, I still am a sucker for a new foundation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've got me thinking really hard about the last LE hype train I went on! Ignoring the Glossier Black Tie Set (which I used store credit for), I think the last LE item I bought was...the original MAC Viva Glam Miley Cyrus lipstick.

      Delete
  7. I bought about $134 of stuff, IIRC (after the discount was applied). These were all purchases that I researched and planned for months, so I don't feel too bad about. 20% isn't enough for me to buy something *because* it's on sale, but it's enough to make me wait to spring for something I was already planning to get.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would never want anybody to feel bad about it, but I think we all need to stop and consider what we're doing sometimes. I know I stopped myself from adding a few things to my cart because I realized I likely wouldn't need them in the next six months.

      Delete
  8. A very timely and well-considered post, Renee. Not too long ago, I told my husband that based on the onslaught of emails of various sales I receive that "20% off is the new list price." I have been listening carefully to a number of beauty vlogs, and several of them are unexcited about The Holiday Offerings. I think we all find ourselves a bit weary right now and, taking a pause to really look at all we have, adding to it needlessly seems...let's say inappropriate. I have Ulta bonus points that I am probably going to spend on staples rather than a splurge just because that feels right at this point, and Platinum status has created more pressure than it has meritted this year. Thank you for a peaceful place for this conversation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would agree with you. There are more 15-20% sales than we might think; for instance, I think Drunk Elephant products have been at least 20% off on at least one website for most of the year. I think I'll build that in to my perspective, even! Thank you.

      Delete
  9. I was out of the country during the actual sale. I had my daughter re-purchase 2 staples for me, and that was it.
    I agree with your assessment that the sale is nice but not game-changing for amounts under $200 or so. I'm satisfied with my current lipstick and eyeshadow collection, so I didn't search out anything to buy in those areas, though I usually would.

    ReplyDelete