Some of the items I wrote about in that first week of June 2011 include Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill in Pulp Fiction, the Kate eyeshadow palette, NARS Dogon eyeshadow duo, Le Metier de Beaute blusher in Echo and BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl. To my shame, none of these items get enough use and languish in my makeup collection, with the exception of Echo which I no longer own.
Although I don't use them often, I'd consider both the Georgio Armani E2K and NARS Dogon as cherished items in my collection. Pulp Fiction is really pretty but it's also quite sparkly so I tend to overlook it for everyday wear. I put it on today and it was really nice to be reminded that this pot does not belong in the bottom of a drawer for 'best'.
NARS Dogon is one of the items I took on holiday with me at Easter and I wore it a lot. It'd probably say this is one of favourite NARS purchases and I prefer it to Rajasthan, which I have often pondered selling.
I wrote about the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector as part of a post comparing several of my liquid/cream highlighters. I keep meaning to make the comparison between Pearl and the Rouge Bunny Rouge highlighter in Sea of Clouds. I tend to reach for Sea of Tranquility when I use my little RBR samples as I feel its pinky tone is softer and more flattering. However, BECCA Pearl does give a lovely lift to the face if applied as a thin layer underneath my foundation or tinted moisturiser. Like many things, I forget to use it as I'm usually in a rush and it's an easy step to skip.
I haven't used the Kate eyeshadow palette for months but it was lovely to see it again. I want to have a go at using the brow powders in this palette for a bit of a change from old faithful Seal Brown.
Le Metier de Beaute's Echo was an item I lusted after for a really long time and it's often touted as a must have. The colour wasn't really for me though. It's quite similar in my mind to NARS Orgasm and as I mentioned in a recent post, if I'm in the mood for this sort of colour, I reach for the blusher in my Chantecaille Sea Turtles palette. Echo has been re-homed as I thought it was silly to hang on to when someone else could enjoy it.
Do you ever look back on your purchases and feel bad for neglecting things? Do you find you get as much enjoyment out of items you've owned for a long time or does nothing quite beat the thrill of new a shiny for you?
I look back and think 'oh no why did I spend so much money!' lol but seriously, I do feel bad neglecting things and worry they will dry up/go funny if left for too long. I tend to go for shiney and new ('I MUST have this colour, it is one shade darker than the other one I have!') but do enjoy it when products I've had for a while still have the novelty factor, usually it's a product that works well (like The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter or Chanel Coco Shine lipsticks).
ReplyDeleteOh, it's great when you find something where the shine doesn't fade. My love affair with Bonheur still hasn't ended. I keep meaning to look at more of the Coco Shine colours.
DeleteI like to revisit things as well. I usually discover that I have many beautiful things already that need much more loving.
ReplyDeleteI bet you have some real gems in your collection Martha. I should remember to go and rummage next time I get the shopping urge!
DeleteAll the time. I do occasionally do a massive cull in my head and ponder what I'd keep, but I never have the heart to do it in real life!
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! I'm glad it's not just me. It's funny you should mention a cull. I have a load of things in a box from last bank holiday that were sorted ready for a blog sale. I'm still working myself up to it ;)
DeleteI have made the mistake of culling and invariably find myself rummaging in a black plastic bag for an invariably black plastic tube...so I no longer cull, infact when I was resurrecting my blog for the eleventy third time I wanted a term that described a beauty hoarder because that it what I am, I covet, I collect, I peruse but rarely use.
ReplyDeleteI used to be very much like that pre-YouTube videos (though of course my collection was pretty small). I would buy beautiful things but never wear them. These days the problem is only having one face to put it all on!
DeleteIsn't that so typical? I find myself spoilt for choice and either spend ages pondering what look I'll go for to face the day, or just reach for old favourites.
ReplyDeleteThe matter isn't helped by the fact I keep moving in and out of my dorm room every term, so I've various products scattered around and secreted in different makeup bags.etc
Instead of constantly looking forward to the next LE launch, shopping in the stash can always root up lost treasures!
I bet it's a lot of fun discovering hidden stashes from your moving around! I need to 'shop my stash' more often too to curb the want-new-things urges :D
DeleteI am not sure that I feel bad about neglected items, but I do love the sigh of pleasure I feel from rediscovering an old friend. I very much enjoy shiny new things, but some of my old faithfuls still make my heart go pitter patter. And Bonheur is one of them, for certain!
ReplyDeleteAh, Bonheur. I think I have a race on my hands to see which sheer berry will be finished first. Bonheur, Murmurings and Arabian Knights are all contenders.
DeleteMy Armani are neglected because of the massive amounts of eyeshadows I own but when they come out to play I love them just as much. I can't remember when I last wore Echo from LMdB. I should dig that one out.
ReplyDeleteI love the Eyes to Kill formula but only bought one. Which ones do you have Marcia?
DeleteI usually always use what I purchase but neglect to use what I receive. Recently, I decided to do my nails and found a sparkling nail polish my friend gave me and I LOVED it. It must over a year old but was never opened. I also have plenty of lip sticks my mother in law gave me, brand new, but I don't wear lipstick... =/ Maybe I should start lol
ReplyDeleteOh, I kind of understand why that happens to things you haven't chosen for yourself. It sounds like should start investigating these gems though!
DeleteWhat an interesting post! It really hit home for me. A few months ago, I did something I never thought I could: I gave away (or, in the case of some items, threw away) more than 3/4 of my makeup. I'm glad I did. I felt the weight of all those products I never, or rarely, used, and as EJ said, felt bad about the money I'd wasted on things I didn't love. So I kept the items I either used regularly or couldn't bear to part with (my Rouge G de Guerlain lipsticks, for instance) and let go of the rest. Of course, I've regretted it since! But mostly I'm fine with it, especially because culling down to a smallish makeup collection has inspired me to use different items more often. (Oddly, having so much makeup was overwhelming, so I'd stick with old standbys most of the time.) Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteThat is really inspiring Sam, thank you so much for sharing. I've got much worse at letting things go but I know realistically, I can't use it all before it reaches the end of its life. I know these leaves me with two options: not buy anymore makeup for several years or reduce down what I have. Both seem quite scary prospects!
DeleteLove this it so describes all of us.I have a Chanel eyeshadow I bought for $2 about 30 yrs ago.Just cannot let go
ReplyDeleteI use my new products for a bit and then toss them in a box in my closet when I move on to new things (which is constantly). Then on occasion I'll go through the box and choose my favorites, which I keep and re-introduce to my rotation. The rest typically are given to friends and family, who absolutely love them. Since none of my friends are insane product gluttons like myself, I know that by giving things I'm not using to them, they'll actually stand a chance of being used up...I doubt I personally will EVER completely finish anything again.
ReplyDeleteNARS dogon is something that I want so bad.. however I have already ordered NARS underworld.. are they similar?
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I pulled out Dogon last night. It's probably my favourite Nars duo (although that's a fairly tight race) and I hadn't pulled it out in far too long myself. It's always hard for me to strike that balance between giving everything their fair share of time and favouring the things that I really love the best. Thanks for reminding me that I haven't pulled out Pulp Fiction in far too long...
ReplyDelete