Five Fails of 2021

I have officially ended my official one-month (October) no-buy for 2021. Because let's face it. November's 11.11 is something I probably won't be passing up. Or Black Friday. Idk. But before that, let's talk about things I should not have purchased this 2021.

There are only a few of them, thankfully. But I have all the regrets.

1. Really cheap rubber shoes

I don't have a picture of these, but I bought a couple of pairs of really cheap "Rubber Shoes" from Shopee. The kind of shoes that are less than Php 100 (~$2.5). And you really get what you pay for. These shoes are more like durable slippers. The ones I have only used once or twice are still alive, cute and kicking. But there was a pair I wore for two weeks straight and that went straight to the bin after since they were already so damaged after. They probably were bin worthy after ten days since I did feel a difference in the wear but didn't really check until the two week mark. Granted, this was heavy use and I think casual use would make them last much longer. But doing the math, I'd be using one pair every two weeks and would be spending Php 2,400 for replacements a year. One good pair from a reputable brand would cost me under Php 2,000 so this sort of purchase would be more expensive in the long run as well as being terrible for the environment. I should really think more about product quality than cuteness.

However, those who can't afford to buy more expensive shoes might want to buy them since they are pretty cute. But they have to be really taken care of and that's not what rubber shoes are for me. 

2. An old Elf Lip Crayon

Okay, I didn't buy this, this was given to me by a well meaning relative. But this is just crap. I don't know if it's because it's super old but this smells and looks terrible. This is going straight in the bin since I can't even use it as a crayon-crayon. Luckily, I don't need to buy any lip products, but I've been consoling myself by shopping my stash because of this.

I have my latest Revlon Lip Crayon which for lip oil reasons, I haven't opened yet. But I'll be opening that instead of buying a new crayon or balm.

3. A terrible eye lash curler

I bought this thinking it's a novel lash curler and since I had trouble curling my lashes, this could be the way for me. But nope. this is an eye injury waiting to happen. Throwing this away just in case I get tempted to reuse it. But I've bought a better, cheap lash curler and there is no reason for anyone to buy this.

4. A useless eye brush

I bought this as part of a set of cheap make-up brushes. Most of the brushes are just alright, one brush is being repurposed because it's just too scratchy to use. But this one has no use for me that I can think of. I can't even use it as a nail brush because it's just so terrible.

I'd still recommend trying out cheaper brushes if you're not a big make-up user, but buyer beware.

5. A standard beauty item: nail scrub brush

Also not pictured because it's a bit gross now from scrubbing the scum under my nails. I got it from Watsons and it's just way too soft to be that useful. I'd recommend using surgical brushes instead. You can buy the non-iodinated ones and use it for a long time. It's slightly more expensive over time but its far less effort than using soft, long bristled nail brushes.

At least now I know what I'll be buying for November: a decent pair of rubber shoes, a set of surgical hand and nail brushes and a certain type of make-up brush.