How much is too much? Makeup Burnout? Spending too much.

[Winthrop44]

Re: How much is too much?

Great thread Audrey. I too have been trying to be more reasonable with what I buy lately because I realized I keep buying essentially the same things over and over again. It's almost like I buy them just to vote for what I like! LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by elegant-one I've often wondered if we're all searching for that "perfect" color that makes us look incredible or something

I am definitely guilty of this! LOL

 

[Moonspell]

Re: How much is too much?

I just say you are right. I also have a file in my computer with all my mac products listed to control what I am buying. It is known that MAC is launching many collections like never seen before and when you are starting to use the items you bought from a previous collection, there is another one coming out without giving you the right timing to explore . It's like a commercial technique to make customers buy and buy even more.
I just became more selective you know, but I really understand your point of view in this subject.

 

[AudreyNicole]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by elegant-one I just made a list like you did Audrey. Out of all the new collections coming out over summer, my list only includes 4 shadows, 1 lipstick, 2-3 tendertones, 1 slimshine, 1 nailpolish, but ALL of Dress Camp Wow, that's not so bad for a whole summer. But, I'm sure somethin else will creep onto that list

I think making a list definately helps, and if you look at your wants, compared to the number of collections coming and the number of items in each collection, it seems more bareable. If you want, say 15 items out of 80 that isn't so bad

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachkitten I agree with all of the above. My biggest problem is that I get in the "If I don't get it now then I will regret it later" mode. I have tried REALLY hard to get away from getting everything in an LE collection just to HAVE it. Like Blast O Blue lipstick! Why in the world did I think I needed a BLUE lipstick? I am glad to know that others are feeling this way as well. I am going to try REALLY hard to stick to a MAC budget this summer. But I have to admit that I am a sucker for any eye shadows and cool based colors! We will have to keep each other on track! And PS....MAC stop making so many LE collections so close together!

I get in that same mode. It's called panic

I have come to realize that between ebay, CCOs, swapping and sales here, that I will somehow be able to get things I regret not getting before. I just decided a few weeks ago that I wanted a beauty powder from Barbie. I was able to swap for one and all it cost me was postage. Seems like a much better deal!

Quote:

Originally Posted by elegant-one ^Coachkitten - hahaha! I already realized I forgot about Colour Forms & the Brush sets! It would be interesting to look back in a few months & see how well we actually did. I agree with the LE stuff...there were some that I did miss and wish I had now.

Oh, I must say that my want list only includes up to the Cool Heat collection. I am making no promises about Colour Forms

 

[Meryl]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by elegant-one I've often wondered if we're all searching for that "perfect" color that makes us look incredible or something

That's what I'm doing... searching for the perfect eye and lip colour. It never ends.

I can't put my makeup on in the morning if I have too many shades sitting in front of me. I make mistakes and have to start from scratch. I'm always editing my palettes, I only want a small selection to work with. It's too confusing for me if I have too much.

I do have too much though. I keep the things I'm not using in a drawer and forgot how much I have.

 

[Moonspell]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudreyNicole I agree, it's not a matter of need, it's a matter of WANT!

True and sometimes it's hard to keep myself away from temptations.

I have a collector vein not only with makeup but the most important thing is to establish priorities. This helps a lot.

 

[janwa09]

Re: How much is too much?

Yes I agree. I feel like I have way too much make-up already which I'm sure to some in my family, appears like a sickness lol. I did purge some stuff from my collection though and gave them to my sister.

After I bought most of the Holuday '07 collection, I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't go overboard in purchasing items from each collection and be a bit more choosy. As of now, I feel like I have way too much eyeshadows (including other brands) so these are what I would pass up in future collections (I already did with FAFI). I think I would focus more on face products (powders, foundations, BPs, MSFs, etc) rather than colours in the meantime.

 

[AudreyNicole]

Re: How much is too much?

Ok ladies, here is a little info for you... Starting on 4/17 with Dress Camp, and ending 6/12 with Cool Heat, there will be 10 collections coming out! That doesn't even count the Nordstrom Anniversary collection! Within those 10 collections, there will 111 items. WOW! Now, to make myself feel better, I only am wanting 15-18 things out of 111. Not bad at all!

 

[redambition]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudreyNicole Ok ladies, here is a little info for you... Starting on 4/17 with Dress Camp, and ending 6/12 with Cool Heat, there will be 10 collections coming out! That doesn't even count the Nordstrom Anniversary collection! Within those 10 collections, there will 111 items. WOW! Now, to make myself feel better, I only am wanting 15-18 things out of 111. Not bad at all!

that many collections/items are coming out in only a couple of months? wow. it strikes me a bit over the top. That's just too much to take in and buy in that short amount of time.

 

[coachkitten]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudreyNicole Ok ladies, here is a little info for you... Starting on 4/17 with Dress Camp, and ending 6/12 with Cool Heat, there will be 10 collections coming out! That doesn't even count the Nordstrom Anniversary collection! Within those 10 collections, there will 111 items. WOW! Now, to make myself feel better, I only am wanting 15-18 things out of 111. Not bad at all!

I am speechless! I have never broken it down like that before! I am going to have to make a list and really stick to it!

 

[geeko]

Re: How much is too much?

i can control not buying eyeshadows now, but if the eyeshadow or pigment is in turqoise or teal or blue, I cannot resist buying! Although i know i have way too many blues,teals and turqoise, i am still a sucker for these colors.

And recently i've been buying way too much blushers!!! Too much. I have a total of 60 over blushers in my collection now...and there's no way i'm going to finish them in my entire life. But i'm still lemming for Alpha girl beauty powder. Help!!!

i've done up an excel spread sheet for my make up items (i didn't include brushes though) and realize that i've way too many eyeshadows for a non make up artist. I have to stop. I can't possibily finish all these shadows...and not to mention i don't really wear eyeshadows often..cause i'm in a thick rimmed black specs most of the time. zzz

MAC eye stuff

MAC Face stuff

MAC lip stuff

NON MAC stuff

** All prices in SG dollars

i'm not much of a fan of lipstuff, so i'm safe from lipstuff. but give me any eyeshadow in turqoise or teal color from MAC, i'll go crazy over it... although i know sometimes they kinda look the same when applied on the eyes..but i'm still crazy over turqoise and teals. zzzz

 

[winterwonder]

Re: How much is too much?

Ah, I totally agree. I've been slowly selling off a lot of my collection because it just got insane. I'd forget what I had and hardly used most things. And while I appreciate the collector aspect of it all and have kept things special to me and rare, it does tend to get redundant and I just wanted a clean slate. I sold off ALL my eyeshadows to a family friend and the rest on here and LJ in bits and pieces and just re-purchased 4 of my essential shadows for now until the new collections and I have the money to buy any other color that comes to mind, but right now I have 60 pigments so that's plentyyyy of colors to work with.

I just tend to get in such a frenzy and I really need to chill, it's a good and a bad thing knowing about the collections early because I can get all excited before they come out, see the swatches, calm myself down, and realize... okay I don't need that but yes I really want that... and talk myself out of buying every single thing to just a few. But it also gets my heart pumping in a way that makeup maybe shouldn't.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Re: How much is too much?

I haven't seen anything I want in the MAC collections, honestly.

I keep a spreadsheet over what I own, including descriptions of the color. If I were more anal, I'd probably take photos of swatches.

I personally think one has too much if they don't use it (and that's his/her purpose of buying it). For me, there's a lot of stuff I don't use that frequently and my collection isn't that big. I've been making up new combinations of colors from what I own. It's been very interesting and pleasantly surprising.

 

[AudreyNicole]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark I've been making up new combinations of colors from what I own. It's been very interesting and pleasantly surprising.

I have been doing this recently too. I call it "shopping my stash"

Today, I wore Ether mineralized shadow, which I think I have worn twice since I got it, and I fell in LOVE with it. Now I know why I bought it! I think that with the way MAC releases collections like wild fire, it doesn't give me a chance to enjoy the things I get from one collection before I am buying from another. I am rediscovering things that I bought a year ago, and loving it! It's kinda cool

 

[darkishstar]

Re: How much is too much?

Yeah, and to give myself time to REALLY enjoy it, I refuse to get back-ups of things anymore. I won't even get a chance to use up the one I got in the first place, so why get a back-up? It just makes me spend more money and only wear things once or twice. So I really really need to start selling off my stuff too in the near future.

Once I know I am done and I'm satisfied with the colors I have. I know I will stop.

And if not.. then I will have to keep selling stash off... D: The colors that are my weakness though.. are red lipcolor, hot pink lipcolor, and teal and turquoise eyeshadows!

 

[Karen_B]

Re: How much is too much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudreyNicole I have been doing this recently too. I call it "shopping my stash" Today, I wore Ether mineralized shadow, which I think I have worn twice since I got it, and I fell in LOVE with it. Now I know why I bought it! I think that with the way MAC releases collections like wild fire, it doesn't give me a chance to enjoy the things I get from one collection before I am buying from another. I am rediscovering things that I bought a year ago, and loving it! It's kinda cool

I do the same thing! Very often, when I feel the need to buy something and I know I shouldn't (I am on a very tight budget at the moment) I just go through my stash and that will curb the need to purchase. The other day I rediscovered Moonflower from the Strange Hybrid collection, and I thought to myself, this is gorgeous! It stresses me out somehow to think about all the lovely colours sitting in my makeup cupboard, feeling all neglected and unloved... LOL!

Oh and speaking of sticking to a budget and saving money - I have completely given up buying full size jars of pigments. I get samples on here or I split with a friend or two and that of course saves a lot of money. I have a full size jar of Vanilla, and I use it very often, and it looks practically untouched. So there would be no point at all to splurge on a jar of a bolder colour that I probably wouldn't use too frequently.

 

[Susanne]

Re: How much is too much?

This is a question again where I wish you could understand my answer in German

I love MAC and buy something from every LE collection. Of course I already have a lot, but I do use everything I've got. (Expect of the Barbie e/s, I don't want to destroy the lovely icon

). And I can be enthusiastic about many new things.

I just buy shades and colors I actually wear. No need to say that many products have similar colors (e.g. pink lipglasses or blue-green eyeshadows).

I would say it is too much if I start to buy colors just because they are from MAC and I wouldn't wear them.

But as long as I have the money (and there are ways to save for MAC) I will keep on buying LE products as many as I want.

BTW: My must-have lists for this summer are long...

 

[panda0410]

Re: How much is too much?

bah! I know the pain. I am a freak with pigments - I had over 100 full sized pigments and glitters AND backups of many of them..... like seriously, BACKUPS of PIGMENTS!!! I will never use them all!! So I sold them, lots and lots of them. Some I regret selling, most I do not. But get this..... when I started buying pigments again I did THE SAME THING - I ended up with 3 full sized your ladyships.... like wth will I do with them now..... It must stop. I made a promise to myself that from now on if I can I will only buy one of each new pigment and before I do that I will try to find someone who wants to split with me for half first. My hubby doesnt mind, he's so good, but when I looked at my collection and realised that I have spent thousands of dollars on cosmetics I nearly died.... I could be better using that $, MUCH better using that $$.

 

[Bwell]

Re: How much is too much?

I think I finally got to the point that I only buy what I need. My collection got huge since it started in 2004. I started slow but 2 years ago I went crazy, I had a e/s phase, then the a long blush phase , then brushes and lastly l/s.
Now I have a couple of HG and I feel that I don´t need to buy any other products for a while. I use most of my stuff and what I don´t use often I give away.

 

[CoralBlast]

Re: How much is too much?

i started in 2004 myself after throwing everything i had into the trash i started fresh. At first i was selective but then since november i have exceeded my budget three times

i hate it when i do that! i have 30 lipsticks and i don't even wear it that much, it's not like i do red lips everyday. i told myself enough is enough and evey month there is something new, shiny and colorful coming out unless you are eating it it's not worth it !

i was so embarassed when i bought 5bp blushes and the cashier said "is this for storage ?" and when i said it's mine she looked at me like that

!

 

[Sanayhs]

Re: How much is too much?

I've really just gone crazy with MAC since about when Fafi hit, even though I've added the occasional eyeshadow here and there since 2004. It's kind of scary how much I've gotten in the last couple months, actually. That being said, I"m working on building a collection that makes me happy in the fact that I feel it is fairly complete. I usually try to avoid colours that are super close to each other. There is really not a colour or texture out there I won't play with, so it means that my idea of complete is pretty broad.

I feel it would be too much if I had things I didn't use. This includes backups, of which I have four: an extra royal hue shadestick, an extra corn shadestick, an extra mangomix shadestick and an extra emote blush. They are things that I know I love and will use, and that I find there really isn't something satisfactorily similar. I use emote daily, for example.

I think I'm going to preset a limit on things, such as 60 eyeshadows, 6 cremeblushes, 12 powder blushes... That way, I know it won't get too out of hand. I also keep a detailed excel database of all my MAC products, so I know exactly what I have.