I often wonder about other beauty enthusiasts habits? Not those of experts, teachers nor make up artists but the average person who happens to have a passion and flair, for all things beauty related. I grew up with friends who didn't (and still don't) quite share my enthusiasm for the beauty halls, nor a beautifully packaged lipstick and with my sister's only just teetering into the world of beauty, I have often felt like the odd one out. Not in a lonely, sad way but rather in an overzealous come hoarder sense.
Admittedly I do have more blushes than I could ever use, the same applies for foundation, mascara and just about every beauty product you could imagine. Please don't take this as bragging, at this point (four years into blogging) I would say I purchase as much, if not more than I am sent - it is probably an unwritten rule not to talk about this but I'm feeling particularly rebellious today. If I didn't run a beauty blog, I can almost definitely guarantee you that my beauty shopping habits would most likely be similar. It is not the spending I take issue with; if you can afford it why not, there are far worse things to spend money and time on, it is my need to cling on to certain products for no real reason.
You see I worry that I will regret letting that only once used coral blush go, despite the fact I could most definitely purchase an almost identical shade on any beauty counter should I need to - or of course route through my stash and probably stumble across a dupe or ten. Forgetting sheer volume of products I also tend to purchase variants of the same shade of lipstick over various brands. How many mid-nude pink lipsticks does one girl need? If my lipstick storage is anything to go by, at least twenty. Utterly stupid and a habit I really should break. I weirdly take pride in the fact that I dispose of all outer make up packaging - a small victory I guess...or maybe not.
Every now and then I will clear out and pass on products to others and of course have the odd blog sale but I'm not nearly as ruthless as I should be. I hasten to add that I don't allow products to spoil, as soon as a product changes in texture, fragrance or consistency it is disposed off - ain't nobody got time for an eye infection or worse. Other than that? Well I'm slowly loosing the battle against the invasion of make-up in my tiny, 2 bed flat and secretly I wouldn't have it any other way. Did I mention I love beauty products?
So tell me, are you a beauty hoarder - afraid to let go of that bright, chalky pink lipstick you know doesn't look good on you (MAC Viva Glam Nicki anyone?), or are you utterly ruthless and only hold on to the essentials. If so teach me your ways!
Nail varnish...currently racking up 350 bottles and expanding. But they're all just so pretty! And yes there may be only tiny differences between them (I'm looking at you OPI silvers), but what if I suddenly need both the duck egg blue with and without microglitter?!
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ReplyDeleteYou know that Marie Kondo book that everyone's been blogging about? The one about tidying up? You need it! I read it and now I am SO ruthless about throwing things away that hoarding is absolutely zero problem now, like, if there's something I don't want, I can't even stand to have it around me any more.
ReplyDeleteGirltime International
I know your pain... I have a drawer full of old makeup simply because I loved it - and I love to sometimes look at the items and even have them as a sample for future purchases. I hate to have more than one mascara, foundation or body lotion open, but it somehow happens for the purposes of blogging. And I have a lipstick collection to last me a few years. Phew, I confessed :D
ReplyDeleteI like to use products up, I love that feeling of finishing it! What I like about your blog is that I genuinely believe your opinions as you don't have an endless stream of sponsored posts. I've stopped reading so many beauty blogs because of this. Ive bought products you've reviewed and they've been exactly as you have described.
ReplyDeleteI like to use products up, I love that feeling of finishing it! What I like about your blog is that I genuinely believe your opinions as you don't have an endless stream of sponsored posts. I've stopped reading so many beauty blogs because of this. Ive bought products you've reviewed and they've been exactly as you have described.
ReplyDelete100% guilty. My current method is buy less and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteImogen’s Typewriter. <3
Viva glam nicki, oh my. It looks awful on me yet I couldn't get rid of! That was until my boyfriend lost it..
ReplyDeleteI've cleared a lot of stuff out, but I still have so much skincare left that I'm not as bothered about but don't want to get rid of as there's loads left however there's new things I really want to try - ARGGHHH! I do try to sell what I can, give away the rest, but putting it in the bid just makes my heart weep - sending them to a better home or a charity really helps
ReplyDeleteLauren x
Britton Loves | Lifestyle Food Beauty
I'm most definitely a beauty hoarder, but have tried to be ruthless while in the process of moving! There's something so satisfying about a hefty stash though!
ReplyDeleteKirstie | Kirstie Pickering
I'm a terrible hoarder! I always thought I was quite ruthless with throwing things out/passing them on but even now when I rummage through my collection (which is apparently still far bigger than average), I find myself bargaining with myself over what to keep. I always find myself promising to wear a product I haven't in forever, or excuse myself with "I'll wear this if I ever go to x event" even though I know full well it won't happen.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, there's definitely worse ways to spend your time and money though. I look at it like my boyfriend and his xbox - that's how he spends his spare cash and this is how I spend mine.
I'm like this, however I also keep the outer packaging! :D xx
ReplyDeletewww.suzyheartsbeauty.co.uk/
I bought some new storage which encouraged me to have a clear out. Now if it doesn't fit in the storage I can't have it. So it's a case of one in one out. I still have far to much though. That's just makeup don't get me started on skincare and hair care, that's still a work in progress.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a lot more make up and skincare than I do now, I'm not streamlining my collection and I really prefer it.
ReplyDeleteEmily x
www.emandthem.co.uk
those who hoard, perhaps you could look at donating some of your stash to the charitable initiative set up by Caroline Hirons, Give and Make up. Donated items go to female victims of domestic abuse who have often left their homes with nothing. It might be easier to give stuff away if it's going to a worthy cause?
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Malgosia and I'm a hoarder. Well, it would be so much worse if I had more money to spend on cosmetics but by anyone's standards I have to much. In Poland there is a huge endeavour called 'projekt denko'. Basically You can only buy new product if You've used up all You have. Then You collect all empty boxes and make a video about Your used stuff. Of course it doesn't always works, still, You can make Your bulk just a little bit smaller :)
ReplyDeleteI kind of do but I don't have a lot in my collection at the moment since I just started but I feel like I am starting to get there I just need to find a limit when I get too much.
ReplyDeleteJackie | fashionxfairytale |
I am most definitely a beauty hoarder haha! I'm worried I'll regret getting rid of something even if I have 8 other similar products. If I really dislike a product I'll give it away, but for the most part I hang onto everything.
ReplyDeletexo, Liz
http://lipstickandconfetti.com
Despite reading Marie Kondo's book, I'm still not yet ruthless in clearing out my makeup stash. I could care less about clothes, books etc but makeup....I'm still not there yet. Even if that foundation does not match my shade haha!
ReplyDeletexx
www.curlsandmints.com
I am a bit of a hoarder at times, I must admit. I find it so hard to let things go because like you, I think that one day I might regret it but I've been trying to be a bit more tough with myself over the last few months. I have been particularly guilty of buying shades that I don't really feel comfortable in because they look nice and telling myself I'll find a way to wear them but never really doing it. I had a clear out a few weeks back of things I just don't reach for and gave quite a bit of make up and nail polish to my mum and sister. Strangely enough, I haven't missed any of it once!
ReplyDeleteEm x
http://themusingsofem.blogspot.co.uk/
Funnily enough, my other half and I were having this conversation the other night and he was like it looks like Boots has thrown up in your room which to be fair, is true. I have way too many beauty products than I care to admit however I don't need to buy any more products as I have it all, hidden away in storage bought specifically for my stash. However there is just something exciting about buying new beauty products despite the face you have a billion like it at home. I do have the occasional clear out where I bin products that are out of date or pass on products to family members.
ReplyDeleteAmiiee xo
http://itsamiieeism.blogspot.co.uk/
I hoard nail polish, but it's one thing that I love collecting!
ReplyDeleteSara - She Who Is Short
I hold on to everything, including make-up I was given when I was 7 from the Mary-Kate and Ashley collection!! x
ReplyDeletehttp://my--socalledlife.blogspot.co.uk/
I definitely hold on to things I know I won't use. I have two mascaras that I really hate just sitting in my drawer and I don't know why I don't just throw them in the bin!
ReplyDeleteprettyneutral.com
Every once in a while I'll do a major purge. The only things that are safe are my lipsticks. I have a small fortune tied up on Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, Marc Jacobs, Chantecaille, Bobbi Brown, Christian Louboutan etc. I have many duplicates, just in case. I adore lipstick and I rationalize my fetish on the grounds that many brands react in a bad way with my skin..
ReplyDeleteThis getting back into makeup is going to kill me. Not only am I out of control on eyeshadows & lipsticks, but since reading about the champaign pop am now developing an interest in blushes. No, no, cannot do that, tooooo. It's as bad as when I used to get into a new craft and thought i must have EVERYTHING! before I could even begin it....hoarding? In today's world, probably so, but we used to call it being a shopaholic and/or a packrat!
ReplyDeleteI said to a friend recently, some people do drugs, some drink, some go clubbing, we product!!! I do have a lot of make-up and products, skincare is my passion, but I do use it all, eventually.
ReplyDeleteI do have a self imposed ban on eye-shadows as I have so many neutrals I could open a small shop, but anything else I only allow one back up of if it's something that I use all the time, other than that I'm trying to use up what I have before I buy anything else. The way I look at it is that as long as I can afford it, and I'm not hurting anyone else, no one has yet ended up buried beneath my nail polish collection, then why not just enjoy it!!
I am a really bad hoarder, I always justify buying more stuff with being able to feature it on my blog. I have become quite a bit harder on hoarding though. My new way is to put all my regular products away in a box, and force myself to use the products that I hardly use. If I don't use it, off it goes!
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely a beauty hoarder! I know I have so many makeup products but I want more and more! ^-^
ReplyDeletexoxo
www.milleunrossetto.blogspot.it
Nail polish.. nearly 250 bottles and yet I have used nothing but CND shellac on my nails for over a year. So all these pretty polishes are just sat on my shelves requiring dusting and doing bugger all. I was 'ruthless ' and got rid of around 50 which I had never worn but it didn't really make much difference!! Grr!
ReplyDeleteSuper guilty! I have like more than 20 foundations over the past 2 years and I'm honestly not proud of myself!! xx
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thegirlfromthenorth.com/ | Enter my giveaway here
I'm a beauty hoarder for sure. I try to do a clear out but I pretty much only toss things when it's ... WAY past the recommended time. 3 years old lip gloss anyone? *guilty face* but hear me out, it smells okay, looks okay, swatches okay. It's just the 3 years old bit which scares me so it's out. I have a love-hate with finishing products and I tend to just stop using a product once I've hit pan. I don't know why since I actually really love putting things into my empties
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I'm definitely most guilt of hoarding is nail varnish. There are so many I want to try and I often go through periods of buying some new ones, adding them to my stash and then going out and buying even more before I've even tried the first ones I bought. I have several nail varnishes that I've not even tried yet, despite owning them for at least 6 months, and yet I'm always planning my next purchases. It's crazy, I only have 20 nails on my body! x
ReplyDeleteBecky @ The Little Blog of Beauty
RIght there beside you! My mother-in-law compares me to a magpie, shiney! I love having the choices that come with a 'slightly' larger than some 'collection'!!
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