Woman Gets a ‘Wake-Up Call' After Figuring Out the Shocking Amount She Spent on Beauty Products in Just 3 Years (Exclusive)

When 23-year-old Alyssa Gillis from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, decided to commencement creating constitution contented connected TikTok, she wasn’t looking to waste nan adjacent trending merchandise — she wanted to extremity nan rhythm of overconsumption. 

A full-time worker pinch a heavy emotion for makeup, she realized she had been spending for illustration a beauty influencer, not personification surviving connected a 9-to-5 budget. 

Wanting to attack contented creation successful a measurement that felt authentic, she tallied up nan costs of each nan various products she already owned — and nan full shocked her. 

That infinitesimal inspired Gillis to subordinate successful connected Project Pan, a celebrated beauty situation focused connected utilizing products wholly earlier buying more.

In a TikTok post that garnered complete 1 cardinal views, Gillis revealed conscionable really overmuch she had spent complete nan past 3 years connected articulator products alone: a total of much than $4,200.

“I knew I spent a lot; nan individual pricing is rather high, but I ever had them scattered betwixt rooms and bags,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively. “When I compiled them each together for nan post, I knew from looking astatine them it would beryllium a important amount.”

In nan last photograph of her slideshow, Gillis pointed retired that nan money she spent connected articulator products unsocial could person easy been saved and utilized for thing productive.

“Please make amended financial decisions than me,” she warned viewers. In follow-up TikTok posts, Gillis revealed that she had besides spent $3,983.08 connected perfumes and $879.39 connected assemblage products – some aft tax.

Combining conscionable those 3 categories, Gillis has spent complete $9,000 — and she has yet to tally nan value of her different makeup, specified arsenic eyeshadows, foundations and more.

Now, successful nan early stages of buying a home, Gillis realizes conscionable really overmuch her cosmetic spending has costs her — capable to make a existent quality successful a down payment. 

“All this money could’ve been spent connected a trip, a utilized car aliases towards a down payment…It’s easy to get carried distant pinch nan individual purchases and not deliberation of really it each adds up complete time,” Gillis says.

By sharing her ain habits and regrets, Gillis intends to supply followers pinch nan “reality check” that she and galore others desperately need. 

“Influencers are ever posting each brand‘s caller products online, and it’s easy to spot these products and deliberation you should get them for yourself,” Gillis says. 

“I’ve been influenced, and I cognize galore others person arsenic well. I wanted to put it retired location not only to clasp myself accountable, but for others to study from my mistakes.” 

What struck her astir was really each acquisition felt mini and harmless astatine nan time, but added up to a important missed opportunity.

“I knew it was going to beryllium a ample magnitude owed to really galore I had and knowing really overmuch they each costs astir individually,” she explains. “So it was expected, but I had ne'er antecedently thought of it successful that measurement — that each of these articulator products utilized to beryllium money.” 

Looking backmost astatine her collection, Gillis questioned why she felt nan request to ain nan aforesaid articulator products successful aggregate shades – aliases moreover successful multiples of nan nonstop aforesaid one, conscionable to support them successful different places. 

While immoderate purchases were driven by her genuine emotion for nan look aliases packaging, galore were influenced by limited-edition drops and clever marketing.

In fact, galore of nan products she owns spell untouched, often because nan texture doesn’t suit her aliases nan shadiness looks different connected her tegument reside than it did connected nan influencers who promoted it.

She realized that some accepted advertizing and influencer-driven hype had played a awesome domiciled successful convincing her she needed more, moreover erstwhile she already had plenty.

“I americium decidedly an impulse buyer, I spot a TikTok for a merchandise that spikes my liking — adhd to my cart,” Gillis admits. “I seldom acquisition correct away, but I will fixate connected it and nan much videos I see, I will yet spell backmost aft a fewer days and acquisition it, disregarding really overmuch I already own.”  

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Gillis moreover confesses that she almost ever shops for constitution online and seldom returns anything, a wont she now regrets — particularly since retailers for illustration Sephora connection generous return policies. 

“I decidedly americium utilizing this arsenic a wake-up telephone to alteration my beauty buying habits moving forward,” Gillis shares. 

“Try to put it successful position of really galore hours of activity adjacent a articulator product, aliases successful my case, galore articulator products. Was a large heap of articulator balm worthy each those hours? Definitely not. On apical of nan financial impact, it’s besides bad for nan environment."