How often do you suffer from buyer’s remorse? Once a month? Once a week? Once a year?
It’s a very rare occurrence for me. Mainly because I’m a giant tight ass and I also research the shit out of everything before I buy it. Mr Smaggle does the same thing too so our house it full of functional, well made stuff that we love.
I do still make the odd mistake though. Usually when I’m tired or sad (I’m a bit of a therapy shopper) or I’m over stimulated in a foreign country like Indonesia and I decide their traditional clothing is totally my new style. Hint: It’s not. I also take recommendations very readily and that’s not always an amazing idea.
Here are some things I’ve bought that I totally regret. Also I’m putting this in the productivity category because I’m saving you time and money by warning you to not buy this stuff. You’re welcome.
1. All natural Mascara
One of my mates recently recommended that I try all natural mascara. I tried it and it was awful. I couldn’t apply it properly and it smeared all over my face. It also wouldn’t stay put once I managed to get it on. I spent most of my time looking like I’d sprinkled a delicate layer of gun powder on my cheeks. I assumed it was a bad brand of natural mascara so I tried another brand and the exact same thing happened. I wasted $92 on two different natural mascaras that were completely useless. I bought a $15 Maybelline one the next day and haven’t had any issues.
2. Lipsense lipstick
I drank the Koolaid hard on Lipsense. It’s a long wearing lipstick and they advertise it by showing girls wearing bright red lipstick and smearing it with their finger and making a ‘Wow! It doesn’t move!’ face. This is true, it does stay on for ages but I found it flaky and kind of stiff on my lips. It just didn’t feel right. The full kit with the top coat and remover will set you back about $80 and it was a total waste of money. You also can’t really reapply it, you have to totally remove it and start again because it doesn’t reapply well. It doesn’t stay on properly and it doesn’t remove properly so it’s like wearing badly applied permanent lipstick all day. Verdict? Don’t waste your money.
3. ‘Proper’ camping pants
I like cotton/lycra blend tights for adventure clothes but I let Mr Smaggle talk me into buying proper camping pants. I hate them. They’re all bunchy, they make more look like I work on a farm and they’re all hot and static-like. I should have just trusted my instincts. I’ve been a cotton/lycra blend gal for my whole life without any issues. Stick to your guns Carly for goodness sake.
4. That $140 plant that died a week after I bought it
The only plants I can keep alive are peace lilies and succulents but every few months I decide I’m Burke and his freaking backyard and I shell out for a stupid expensive and gorgeous plant. The person in the shop always says ‘Oh yes! It will be fine in a low light apartment and it doesn’t even need that much watering!’. Bullshit Carol. You know it’s going to die in a week, you just want to make the sale. Side note: I also regret buying all the terrarium stuff I’ve bought three different times when I decided I’m going to make terrariums. Mine somehow always end up cloudy and mouldy. No more terrariums for me.
5. Cult jeans
Every now and then there’s a new jean brand that everyone shits themselves over. I fell for a new jean brand a few years ago and I deeply regret it. $250 on a pair of jeans I wore maybe twice. They look amazing on everyone else but I look like I’m picking my kids up from the arcade in 1986.
6. 99% dark chocolate
I’ve spent most of the year eating 92% chocolate (because health, low sugar and for god’s sake I need SOME PLEASURE IN MY LIFE HOWEVER MILD IT MAY BE) and thought I’d up the ante and try 99%. It was not a good idea. Tastes like satan’s anus.
7. Cheap metal sectioning hair clips from China
I have this new hair routine I do that includes clipping my roots up when I go to sleep at night and it requires the use of metal sectioning clips. I grabbed some off eBay without thinking about it too much until the water started to run a rusty brown when I washed my hair. My cheap clips had rusted all underneath and had transferred this rust to my hair. Gross. I promptly called Chrissy and made her send some of her awesome no-rust clips and it’s been a dream every since. Note to self: Cheap shit off eBay is cheap shit off eBay. Der.
8. Lace edged underwear
A friend of mine is obsessed with this particular type of underwear that has a lace edge. She recommended it to me so firmly that I finally caved a bought a pair. I hate them. The lace shows through when I’m wearing tight clothes and it’s itchy. I KNOW I hate lace on underwear. What was I thinking? I also like 100% cotton underwear so my lady garden can breathe and this style is a lycra blend. Bad life choice.
9. Tiny, expensive merino sport socks
Mr Smaggle is crazy obsessed with all things merino and we were in a camping store and he found these tiny sport socks made of merino and bought me some. I knew I’d lose them immediately because they’re so small but I bought them anyway. I have never actually worn them because one of them went missing in the first wash. I’m not even joking. I like my socks to be a non-event when I’m doing the sport but these ones were just too small. It was never meant to be.
So tell me… what things do you regret buying?
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