why i’m doing a beauty no-buy for 2025

Welcome to my year of rest and relaxation (from spending on beauty).

Every time I open TikTok, I see people reckoning with their consumption of fashion and beauty products. They’re decluttering, shopping their stashes, going on no-buys. It’s happening over here as well. Sarah Breen of

The Ballygobbard Project

has been chronicling her breakup with fast fashion, and several other beauty creators I enjoy have announced their plans to stop buying beauty for the foreseeable future. I think the universe is sending me a message.

2024 was rough and I placated myself with makeup. Lotsssss of makeup. As a result, my (already full) drawers are groaning with products that I need to actually use. Like, you know it’s bad when you’re embarrassed about how often the post man or the DPD guy is coming to the house. I love you, Fabricio, but we need to see less of each other.

Not only that, but I feel more in tune with what I want from my makeup than ever before – glowy, easy, with some fun shades and a little bit of sparkle – and many of the products I already own fit that brief. The point of a “holy grail” is not to try and find a new holy grail to replace it with every couple of months, despite what Instagram or TikTok is trying to tell me.

So, for 2025, I’ve decided to put some smacht on myself. My trip to New York last month was my final chance to get it out of my system (if you want to know what I bought please ask me in the comments). From now on, I am following these three rules:

1. I can buy replacements for items I already own and love. I’m already thinking about what will happen when my Haus Labs concealer runs out, and I know I won’t want to go too long without it. I’m not including skincare in the no-buy as that’s not really where I have a problem (lol), so for that I’ll continue my current system of replacing stuff when it runs out.

2. I’ll make a note of anything that really tempts me on my phone. If it gets to the end of the month and I’m still thinking about it, then I will consider it… if I truly have nothing else like it. I doubt this will be a possibility, due to the aforementioned very full drawers of makeup.

3. I’ll start a “rotating makeup bag” every month to ensure I’m using and loving everything I own. If a product in rotation isn’t really doing it for me any more, I’ll rehome it or bin it. I’m planning on updating you guys on the goings-on of the rotating makeup bag every couple of months.

Here are some of the products I’ll be including in the makeup bag for March:

• Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer: There’s a huge pan in this and I know I can finish it. I debated doing a Project Pan along with the no-buy, but to me, forcing yourself to use the same product over and over kind of sucks the joy out of doing makeup. I need variety! But if I can use up a few things over the course of 2025, I’ll be happy.

• Saie Glowy Super Gel in Starglow: This is also nearing its end and I like it, but I keep forgetting about it! Into the makeup bag with you.

• Lukey Lukey Dream Cheeks Crème Blush in Beret Berry: This is such a cute little brand by Irish makeup artist Luke Nolan. The packaging and formula is so high quality, and the berry shade is a nice everyday colour for me. It has gotten lost amongst all my other blushes but I want to bring it to the fore.

I know the beauty content industry is very focused on the new (first impressions, hauls, PR unboxings), but that’s never been what Vanity Project is about. I haven’t done many straight “reviews” because it seemed so silly to compete with people who get instant access to the latest products. But now I’m thinking that this is exactly why I should be writing regular old reviews. I bought these products myself, I’ve used them for a while, I know how I feel. There’s no one over my shoulder, ready to strike my name off a PR list. So perhaps you’ll be seeing a few more of those around here in the coming months.

I’ve technically already completed a month of my no-buy, though I will say, a Stylevana order I made literal months ago arrived mid-February, so… I still got the dopamine hit of the parcel in the door. Let’s see how we manage in March.

Thanks for reading Vanity Project! I am feeling super optimistic right now about this no-buy so let’s hope I can #holdfirm. See you soon for the next one!