110. Taking Inventory

Talking Budget, The D word, and Best Picture Nominees Pt. 1

Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to support it, click the below button or shop through my links! No pressure, but thank you if you do.

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I. Budget

For years, I’ve kept an annual Google spreadsheet of my Skincare and Makeup inventory. It helped me gauge my spending, build a catalog, keep an eye on expiration dates, and roughly how long it took me to finish an item. All in all, it is a very helpful way for my data-driven mind to keep track of things I love and things I wouldn’t repurchase. 

I tried a “soft launch” budget last year but started too late in the year for it to amount to much, ha. But I came into 2024 determined to set a budget and stick to it. Today, I’m sharing my plan, tracker, and some other thoughts.

II. Guidelines

Here’s the plan: 

• The overall annual budget is $750: $500 for Skincare and $250 for Makeup. There’s always one category that intrigues more during the year, but it always alternates from year to year. This year, I suspect it will be Skincare, so the budget favors that side. 

• Anything purchased in the previous year is marked as $0. Anything gifted/PR is also $0 with an asterisk (*) next to the item name. 

• While I’ve set a budget for each category, I might move around/borrow some later in the year if I need to, but still stay within the full $750 budget. 

III. Tracker

Here is a link to my tracker. You’ll find my entire skincare and makeup collection in this doc!

I try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. This is also the first year I’m fully using Notion versus a Google Sheet. I prefer Notion visually and enjoy how I can sort the table in various ways (by brand, status, etc.). Below is a short breakdown of how I’ve set it up. 

It’s separated by Skincare and Makeup. The data columns are the same for both and are as follows: 

• Brand - Color-coded for a quick glance 

• Item - Contains * if the item was gifted/PR 

• Net Wt.

• Status - “Not Started”: already purchased but hasn’t been opened or incorporated into routine yet, “In Progress”: currently in use or opened, and “Done”: means either an empty or was passed along   

• Amount - The sum is the amount I paid for the item and does not include shipping. If it was purchased during a sale, it will be noted either in the Item or Notes column 

• Category - All the categories usually found in my annual indices (cleanser, toner, serum, etc.) 

• Date - Start date and end date 

• PAO - As listed on the item, along with any “Best by” dates or batch numbers 

• Quarter - I added this for a quick glance at how long I’ve been using an item. I always start with the Quarter of the open date and add from there. When it hits four, I know a year is almost up!

• Notes - This contains overall experience, research (see the following section), and anything else of note. (*I’ve hidden the majority of my notes for now but am contemplating sharing more on a Substack paid subscription/Patreon along with my running wishlist and other goodies.) 

There are multiple ways to view the tracker as well. You can have it grouped by category or month (a nifty way to see monthly use)

Click ‘1 more…’ along the top left of menu

or sort it by any of the above categories.

Click ‘Sort’ at the top right of menu

IV. The D Word

In the Makeup Notes section, you might have noticed a bunch of checkmarks and “microplastic” notes. That’s because I think it’s finally time for me to talk about the D word: Dimethicone. 

Through the years, I may have mentioned in passing that I try to avoid the ingredient. And this is mainly because my skin never gets along with it. Any item (skincare or makeup) that contains it tends to cause breakouts and congestion on my easily congested skin. A few years ago, the early term “microplastic” started getting thrown around, but there wasn’t as much research behind it. All I knew was that dimethicone seemed like a silicone derivative, but there wasn’t much research to confirm or deny it. I just wanted a resource that would tell me what was and wasn’t a microplastic. Fast forward to today, and the app of my dreams has finally arrived: Beat the Microbead. 

The app is simple: take a photo of the ingredients list, whether it’s on the outer packaging or a screenshot from a website. It sifts through and lets you know whether or not it contains microplastics. It even breaks down which ingredients are for sure a microplastic and which are “skeptical,” meaning they’re suspected microplastics since there isn’t as much research to confirm yet. 

Now, here’s the kicker: a lot of clean/eco/indie/green beauty contains them. I wasn’t necessarily shocked by this, considering how many of these brands already include Dimethicone in their ingredients. But I was amazed to learn a whole slew of other ingredients I’d like to avoid moving forward. So this year, as I go, I’m checking my current inventory and researching any other items on my wishlist through Beat the Microbead. 

Of course, to each their own. I don’t know that I would have specifically looked out for Dimethicone if it didn’t bother my skin. For me, it’s one of those things I can’t unsee/unlearn. And I’m sure I’ll make some exceptions along the way (certain categories are especially tough to avoid, like lip gloss and brow gel. Who knew?) and continue using up what I currently have. 

V. Looking Ahead

An incredibly tough thing I’m already coming up against is pricetags and how they keep rocketing skywards. It’s only two months into the year, and I’ve already used 30% of my budget! Because of this, I do feel that the annual budget might not sustain any curiosities and only necessities. Lucky for me, I have a few tricks stashed away to stretch this budget as best I can. One of which is the reminder that most items will be around for when I need to replace something in my skincare routine. I don’t need to purchase it right at the moment of “want.” I’ll definitely keep you posted and will likely do a mid-year check-in, if not one earlier!

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I have all but two films left to watch of the Best Picture nominees. Today, we’re starting off with thoughts on six of them. Thus far, they split neatly into one of two camps: beautifully tender or this-isn’t-what-I-wanted bad. *No spoilers. 

I don’t want to give anything away for these films, so I’ll share a few top-level thoughts followed by this simple format to help you discern if it deserves a place in your watchlist: 

If you like __________ → then you’ll like __________. 

Let’s start with the good camp: 

‘American Fiction’ © Orion Pictures

American Fiction (Dir. Cord Jefferson) ★★★.6

I went into ‘American Fiction’ absolutely blind (aside from knowing it’s a comedy), and it was such a fun experience. The first act was laugh-out-loud funny, but I was not at all prepared for its dark turn. Somewhere halfway through the film, I was struck by how warm the story was, and by the end, I was feeling all the love. The cast is great, and Jeffrey Wright gives a splendid and moving performance (I wouldn’t have expected anything less). 

If you like Insecure (HBO), Sorry to Bother You, Stranger Than Fiction → then you’ll like American Fiction 

‘Maestro’ © Netflix

Maestro (Dir. Bradley Cooper) ★★★★.1

I had seen the trailer for ‘Maestro’ and was immediately in. It just looked like the type of film I love, and it was. Bradley Cooper is an enigma to me. He always seems to pull the rug out from under you once you feel you have a firm grasp on his talent and capabilities. It’s a delight to behold because you can feel just how much he loves this craft. But Carey Mulligan stole the show in this one. I could not take my eyes off of her in any scene, and she just captivates you in a way that only the sun, the stars, and the moon can. She deserves an Oscar for this role. My only complaint is the same that I’ve heard elsewhere, which is that while the film is breathtaking to watch (cinematography, choreography, editing), it doesn’t leave me with any intimate knowledge of its titular character. I find myself still wondering just what kind of man he was and what he wanted and hoped for at the end of his days. 

The Philadelphia Story, Fosse/Verdon (FX), The Crown (Netflix) → Maestro 

‘Past Lives’ © A24

Past Lives (Dir. Celine Song) ★★★★.4

‘Past Lives’ was a slow burn to devastation in the best way. This was like a foreign take on the Before Trilogy: story, pace, role of music, and place. Of course, Celine Song (director) makes it her own. Periods of time flow well; it showcases the barriers and magic of language and proves two lonely people can find life and love in multiple places at once. The characters are rich, and the unexpected dynamics were a joy to watch unfold.

Before Sunset (the entire trilogy), Noah Baumbach, Andrew Haigh → Past Lives 

Now, onto the other camp:

‘Oppenheimer’ © Universal Pictures

Oppenheimer (Dir. Christopher Nolan) ★★★.8

I go back and forth with this one. It depends on the day you ask me. As you can see, it rates higher than ‘American Fiction,’ yet I didn’t place it in the good camp, and I think it mainly boils down to how enjoyable the viewing experience was. This didn’t capture my undivided attention the whole way through and felt like work in places; thus, it sits in the this-isn’t-what-I-wanted camp. I fully acknowledge that I also saw this in the wrong format. ‘Oppenheimer’ deserves the proper 70mm IMAX viewing. If I were fully immersed in that experience, I’m sure this would have been an easy 4 stars at least. However, if the format impacts the film this much, then I still stand by my current rating and overall unenthusiastic response.

Don’t get me wrong, Cillian Murphy gives an undoubtedly Oscar-winning performance. He is so dedicated that oftentimes, throughout the film, that was the only thing sustaining me. And as with all Nolan films, it’s visually stunning. The supporting cast is also terrific. Unfortunately, I just can’t get past certain story and format issues that feel detrimental to the characters.

Christopher Nolan, Westworld (HBO), Melancholia → Oppenheimer 

‘Barbie’ © Warner Bros. Pictures

Barbie (Dir. Greta Gerwig) ★★.5

I love Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling. But my goodness, this took so much effort to watch in its entirety. Towards the end, when things finally get interesting, I found myself so removed from the character that it didn’t hit as emotionally as it should have, which is a disservice to Robbie. This is another one that would have played better in a theater setting where you felt the audience’s enthusiasm inevitably leak into you.

Singin’ in the Rain, Grease, Big Fish → Barbie 

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ © Paramount Pictures

Killers of the Flower Moon (Dir. Martin Scorsese) DNF (Did Not Finish)

No rating because full disclosure, I could not finish this film. And it wasn’t from lack of trying. I watched just over 90 minutes the first day before I called it quits. Then I put in another hour the following day, and still nothing. The older you get, the more you realize life’s too short to force yourself to spend time doing things you don’t enjoy.

Once again, a fan of the team overall. I love Scorsese (except for ‘The Irishman’), Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro, and I was excited about Lily Gladstone’s performance. She’s great, but the rest of the film never quite made it. It couldn’t decide what it wanted to be: modern or period, drama or slice of life, SD or widescreen. It makes me angry that I spent 2.5 hours and got absolutely nothing out of this.

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman, …I’m out. → Killers of the Flower Moon 

Stay tuned for the rest of the nominations in Part 2’s newsletter, delivered the morning of the Oscars! I also share a lot of stories on Instagram of what I’m watching there for a sooner sneak peek.

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Thanks so much for reading. Do you set a budget for your skincare and makeup? What are your thoughts on this year’s Best Picture nominations? Leave a comment!

As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you March 10.