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9 Things I Regret Buying

9 Things I Regret Buying
Carly Jacobs

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 ย 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 lipstickย 

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.

regret buying

3. ‘Proper’ camping pantsย 

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 itย 

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.

regret buying

5. Cult jeansย 

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 chocolateย 

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.

regret buying

7. Cheap metal sectioning hair clips from Chinaย 

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 underwearย 

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.

regret buying

9. Tiny, expensive merino sport socksย 

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?

P.S Also you should totally sign up for my newsletter.ย Itโ€™s full of cool stuff.
P.P.S Donโ€™t forget Crochet Coach has a free trial offer period at the moment so make sure you sign up!

32 Comments

  1. Emily Furlong 7 years ago

    I will agree with all of the above, except for lipsense. I love the stuff, I donโ€™t wear make up a lot these days, but itโ€™s now my preferred lipstick, I have about 10 colours and 4 different glosses. I will get a solid 8-10 hours out of it before it needs a touch up, but by then Iโ€™m usually home! I have had to retrain myself though, I do tend to rub my lips together a lot, and lipsense doesnโ€™t like that. If Iโ€™m heading out again Iโ€™ll just remove and reapply because Iโ€™m like that. I know the original remover formula wasnโ€™t great. But the one I bough most recently has been great. You still need to rub a bit, but come off it does. Funny how things will work and be right for some but not for others!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Okay you need to teach me your ways. I freaking HATE THE STUFF. It’s awful. I’m a lip rubber too but I can’t train myself out of that. I’d rather just wear different lipstick. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Missy D 7 years ago

    I love a good cargo/camping pants. But yeah, don’t understand everyone’s obsession with terrariums. I don’t even think they look that good. Small plants in a glass bowl with some rocks? Get real plants. :/

    I probably at that age where I don’t regret buying much any more. Mostly it’s clothing I buy online but then I just send it back for a refund. A few years ago though I bought a coat online from a Chinese store, but when it arrived it was too small. I returned it as per the instructions however the company never refunded my money, even after many follow up emails. Total scam. I regret that. :/

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Totally. Beautifully maintained terrariums I can cope with but they all just end up looking really grotty and cloudy. I need to a be a rich person with a terrarium groomer I think. I’m the same with online clothing! I have to return almost everything.

  3. Kurrawinya 7 years ago

    Lol’ing so hard at this! I can relate to all except I was VERY lucky with the natural mascara on the 3rd try, I was having eye problems so had to steer clear of the heavy duty waterproof stuff full of funky chemicals and found that Dusty Girls do a really nice natural mascara that doesn’t make me look like I work in a coal mine (ok so I actually do work in a coal mine but that’s beside the point) the only downside is that it isn’t waterproof and I tend to cry a lot (which is embarassing and annoying).
    Lace undies are also a HUGE regret of mine too! I bought one pair and they were nice enough, I thought my downstairs was tough enough for the sake of vanity and having pretty things danging on the line come wash day was appealing…so I went back and bought a draw full of the damn things and all was fine and dandy until summer time and I actually ended up with a massive hole on the inside if my right leg from the lace cutting in on a hike. Lesson learned. Back to the cottontail granny undies!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      I’ve been burnt twice, it will be a while before I go natural on the mascara again and I can’t believe you actually work in a coal mine while trying to avoid looking like you work in a coal mine. Hilarious! So into the granny cottontails, although I’m more of a bikini style gal myself.

  4. Emma 7 years ago

    I love this article so hard. It’s actually so much better than a list of recommendations I will never buy anyway. Instead I can sit here smugly knowing not to buy these things and feeling like I have saved money without doing a thing. You are ace!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Ha! You’re welcome. Sometimes you’ve just got to get to people before they make the mistake. An-advice is just as important as actual advice. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Dr Na 7 years ago

    Every so often, usually inspired by reading about someone being crafty, I decide I’m going to learn a craft, like knitting or sewing or whatever, and I buy all the things that are necessary for it, go to the lessons, learn half-assedly, and then give it up after a few weeks because I’m crap at it and would just prefer to read about other people doing crafts. Note to self: just buy books.

  6. Holly 7 years ago

    Most of my clothes…no matter how much effort I put in, most things turn out to be disappointing in some way. I am now embracing my age (nearly 50) and climate (sub tropics) and just buying loose linen shirts, trousers and dresses in the plainest colours I can find…white, grey, khaki and almost no patterns. Hope it works as I have wasted so much money over the years!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      That’s a brilliant plan for sub-tropics. I’m a linen fiend in summer!

  7. Karen 7 years ago

    Satan’s ass ??? so true!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      It’s actually not a food item. I don’t know why they try to sell it as such.

  8. Harlow 7 years ago

    I laughed hard at the drinking the kool aide! Whenever someone tries to force Lipsense on me I back away slowly because that shit is SO a cult. It’s like painting your lips with nail varnish for gods sake. I feel like their people are always following me around because I’m constantly having their business cards shoved on me when I’m out, which I promptly throw away! It’s really way less effort to touch up a moisturising lipstick a few times a day than have your lips flake off.

    Also, this post just reminded me to go water the plants I bought this week. I do the same thing and go plant crazy only to forget about them a few days later…

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      It’s SO CULTY! I do wonder if the people who love it so much are just trying to justify spending $80 on a rubbish lipstick. I tried and tired to get it to work and it’s just rubbish. I just saw your plants on Insta actually – they’re gorgeous!

  9. KezUnprepared 7 years ago

    Haha this got me thinking. I regret thinking I was going to save thousands of dollars by doing my own nails. I mean, I don’t regret doing my own nails but I bought a whole lot of polish that seemed too good to be true of a bargain. Turns out I wasn’t paying attention and they were bad rip offs of a good brand. I have to throw them out – they’re terrible.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Oh I totally do my own nails. I love Sally Hansen. I’m constantly filming my hands for Crochet Coach so they need to be perfect all the time which means doing them every 5 or so days. Couldn’t afford that many trips to a salon!

  10. Jacqui 7 years ago

    Hilarious!

  11. Lizzie Fourman 7 years ago

    Wait…the plant was HOW MUCH?! I’m not much of a gardener so I understand why you regret the purchase. I definitely regret purchasing the first Magic Keyboard that came out for Apple, the PS3 I got for Christmas (should’ve never asked for it), and all the daith piercing in the shell of my left ear.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      It was huge, a corner plant that took up heaps of space. I love my magic keyboard! I’m on my third one. Do mean the wireless ones? And ditto my belly button piercing. I just have a gross scar there now.

  12. Jodie 7 years ago

    Major underbuyer here too! I am usually totally Team Carly – but 3 of these 9 I disagree with! Natural mascara (eye of horus) // lipsense // lace underwear.Totally with you on the dark choc!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      I already tried so many natural mascaras! Don’t make me do it again! Sob!

  13. Kooky Chic 7 years ago

    A really stunning lilac tree, well it would have been had the dog not chewed it down to toothpicks and the fruit trees which I pruned way, way too much. We now have a garden of wands.

  14. Kelly 7 years ago

    Ha ha, great list!! My regret is boho clothing … I blame all the gorgeous women on Instagram, they look very lovely in it and tempt me so much then I buy it and put it on and look like I’m playing dress ups.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Yup! Me too… the thing is, I have teeny boho streak but it’s super teeny so I really have to watch myself. Boho silhouettes are rad on me I just have watch myself with prints.

  15. Oh God! I had to buy that bloody Lipsense for my girls who required it as part of their dance “costume” they gave up dance after that concert which meant they wore it a total of 4 times!!!! So now I am stuck with a Ruby Red that doesn’t suit any of us and the gloss and the remover! Arrrgggghhhh!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      So freaking expensive and I cant believe you had to buy that for concert! We just wore our mums frosted Lady Jane lipstick.

  16. Kathryn OHalloran 7 years ago

    I got a cheap Chinese menstrual cup on ebay. I thought I was saving money and it’d do the job. No. It had no bend in it and was impossible to insert.

    I also regret that I bought a heap of cosmetics from Urban Decay, thinking they are cruelty free then found out they are owned by L’Oreal. I usually do my research before buying makeup and toiletries but I’d assumed that UD were fine.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Oh wow! Yeah a cheap menstrual cup is not the way to go. I have a collapsible one that I adore it’s called a Lily cup and I adore it. I actually have three now, because I thought I lost my first one so I bought 2 more (so I’d have 2) and then I found my original one and now I have 3. Love them hard though. I favour my original one because it’s a bit softer and more worn it now.

      L’oreal have upped their game recently on cruelty free prods and I thought they themselves didn’t test on animals but if they sell in China it’s mandatory to test prods on animals in China (for real what the fuck?) and that China distributers were doing the testing not L’oreal? So wouldn’t that mean that any products, even vegan and cruelty free products must be tested on animals to be sold in China? Or am I getting that wrong?

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