What item do you have the most backups of? Share! (And if your answer is none, you get virtual cookies!)
Chanel Dragon – I think I had five originally, then I gave one away and have used one up.
Thanks to reader Ashley for today’s question idea Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I think the only backup I have is a nail polish by Models Own which I accidentally bought two of. @_@
I have four or five La Femme Taupe eyeshdows. I use them for contouring and as a transition shade. I also have a few backups of Anastasia Brow Wiz, because you never know when those will run out, mid-brow.
I have doubles of a couple UD eye shadows, but not on purpose (like ac/dc, I bought the single and then later bought the Feminine Palette).
For cosmetics? I have a couple back-ups of L’Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara Waterproof–it’s my favorite but the formula warps within a few months–and they should be tossed out every 3-4 months anyway. I don’t really have backups of anything else unless we’re talking skincare too–then I’ve got one extra of body lotion, sunscreen, serum, etc. I WISH I bought backups of the discontinued Revlon Colorstay Topcoat–still kicking myself over that. Crossing my fingers the new formula is just as good.
I have doubles of Paula’s choice skin care products, ELDW light foundation, MAC select cover up concealer, MAC blot powder, KvD tattoo liner. I probably have more doubles of things somewhere. Lol
Lorac’s POREfection Baked Perfecting powder. I use it as my everyday foundation, and if I feel like using a liquid foundation, I set it with the Lorac powder for an amazing finish. I have 3 backups (there was a great Ulta sale).
I do too! Love this stuff. I have my summer color and my winter color.
Revlon Pure Pearl eyeshadow singles; it’s my HG eye highlighter ( and in a pinch, I can use it on my cheekebones), so when I saw it at Big Lots a few years back, I grabbed them all in anticipation of them being DC’d-I ended up with 5, and have one in use, and 4 backups.
I also have 2 MAC Dazzlelight, and 2 NARS Bad Behaviour, but those were as a result of grabbing the wrong items…
Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss in Pink Whisper. My absolute favorite pink gloss, and Revlon had the unmitigated gall – THE GALL! – to discontinue it in favor of the sad imitation they call the new “reformulated” line. I’m about 3/4 of the way through the original tube, and I was lucky enough to find two backups clearanced out at Big Lots. I also have a backup of Maybelline’s Nude Compliment since the entire Dare to go Nude collection is one that really should be part of the permanent line. I generally don’t collect backups otherwise, particularly for the high end since I’d hate to buy something pricey and let it go to waste.
Urban Decay 24/7 in Perversion & Zero, they are frequently included with palettes or in value sets.
I always have a backup of lipsticks! Some shades suit me so well that I want them to stay with me forever…!! U never know when a brand discontinues a certain product.
I’ve only backed up one product – Guerlain Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder. I’ve barely made a dent in my first even though I use it almost every day so I’m not sure I needed to back up but I’d have been so scared to use it if I though I might use it up quickly! No virtual cookies for me 🙁
Nars Tzigane! I have three backups of that lipstick! The best nice on me!
None yet! 🙂 most of the item i love are from permanent range so never thought of getting back ups ..LOL 🙂
I have a back up of stila kitten and an almay mascara I can’t easily find in Canada. The backup of kitten was an accident but I will look forward to using it once I finish the broken pan I now keep in a mini Tupperware.
i thought it would be Mac 239…
I use all of mine, and with tools it’s opting to have multiples – I use all mine throughout the week/day. Backups to me indicate something you have in reserve – tucked away for when you finish, so they’re different to me! 🙂
MAC RiRi Boy and Heaux lipstick. I only have one backup of both but they’re the only things I’ve ever backed up lol. I wish I would have ordered an extra set though!
I almost never buy backups, but each year I get two Hourglass Soft Brunette Arch Brow Sculpting Pencils when a friend goes to the US (I have access to Hourglass here, but usually what that means is I have to pay 15 GBP of shipping fee).
I also bought 2 Dior Spring Ball Addict Extremes when I learnt it was going to be continued. It’s the best everyday color I’ve ever tried 🙂
Oh and you can probably find an extra tube of Dior Diorshow Lash Maximizer sitting in my drawer. I tend to buy those when there is a discount.
That’s it. I hope it doesn’t sound unreasonable LOL
I’m not really one for backups, a few exceptions but I only have single backups: NARS TM, Guerlain Teint Joli, MAC Sculpt mascara, Eve Pearl salmon concealer duo: all ‘essentials’ related to base really.
Color Tatoo in punk pomegranate, and few other shadow bases..paint pots and color tattooes.
Max Factor brow pens, i unsed if for around 10 years.
I tried m’aime designers brands but not liked them, and ended coming back to MF.
Cant count the number of back up, i have one in every most used bag, in some coats, at my parents home, etc… Cannot live without
Chanel Azuré Nail lacquer, i have 3.
It’s LE from summer 1013.
Love it’s color !
Xoxo
Michelle
WondersReviews Recently Posted : [Gradient Nails] with Guerlain : Star Dust x Jardins de Bagatelle
Mac Honeyflower lipstick. Can’t find a dupe for it.
I have two back ups of my favorite foundation. I don’t ever wanna be without that foundation. I love it.
Urban Decay Naked skin foundation
Probably mattifying powder and eye pencil 🙂
I try to limit myself to one backup of each product I like. At one point I had two backups of Nars Radiant Creamy Concealers because my shade is often sold out in my area. Right now, though, I think I have two backups of Origins Modern Friction exfoliator. It’s very good!
I have never finished an eyeshadow or a lip balm that wasn’t clear so ‘backups’ isn’t really in my makeup vocabulary as much as “more variety than I could ever move through in a lifetime.”
The one eyeshadow that I have a duplicate of is Embalm by Detrivore. It’s a yellow-y, peachy, matte eyeshadow that blends into skin beautifully. It also happens to be just a little bit warmer and brighter then my skin tone so I use it for setting my undereye concealer everyday. The backup I just ordered is from Shiro, the new distributer of Detrivore products, and I’m not 100% sure it will be the exact same shade, but I am hoping.
Surprisingly, I only have two items which I’ve purchased backups for – MAC’s Cremesheen lipglass in “Chillin'” (that pale blue-ish one from a few years back! I was obsessed with it when it came out) and Tarina Tarantino’s Dollskin Cheek blush in Neopolitan Lane. I bought backups for the blush when they were on sale at Sephora, when Sephora was clearing out the stock. I’m really glad I did, because it’s my favourite “every day” blush for winter!
I’ve been pretty fortunate in that most products I’m really in love with (Naked Basics palette, Guerlain Rouge G in Garconne, Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette, certain UD eyeliners) are all permanent (for now, I guess). There are few items I wish I had bought backups for though – MAC’s Fluidline in Added Goodness, the 226 brush… but for the most part I haven’t really fallen in love with too many limited edition products. Or at the very least, the limited edition products I HAVE fallen in love with (e.g. Guerlain Rouge G in Rose Grenat) are somewhat dupable.
I have a STRONG feeling I’m going to be buying backups for the Taupe blush MAC is releasing with the Artificially Wild collection, though… it’s been tough finding a good contour product which doesn’t lean orange or make me look dirty. I’m really hoping this one works out!
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk! It always takes ages for my NYX packages to get to me, so I decided to just by a handful of these. (I’m still waiting for my second shipment of the Macaron lippies I ordered on July 4th! Darn my FPO address!)
I only ever have back ups of mascara 🙁 I wish I’d gotten one for a few NARS shades that were LE.
Well I do have Nars orgasm in 3 palettes… Though that wasn’t exactly on purpose it just seems to be included in EVERYTHING
A while back there was a sale on Tarina Tarantino products, so I think I bought backups of all my favorite Hyperliners. I think I have two backups for Spark of Envy since it’s my favorite.
I’ve never had a backup of anything. I find generally before I use something up, I’m on to something new.
I generally don’t back up stuff ’cause I figure there will probably be another similar color along shortly. I did snag an extra MAC brow shader in Auburn when they were discontinued.
Big exception tho’, when Max Factor pulled out of the US market, I snagged literally over 60 tubes of 2000 Calorie Mascara in Auburn from ebay. That was like 8 years ago and I still have maybe half left (I think I use up a tube about every three months). They’re starting to be a little dry but they still work and I haven’t found another Auburn mascara to replace them with. At the rate I’m going, I think my hair will turn white before I use them all up.
I have 2 Pro Longwear concealers from MAC, 2 Naked Basics Palette from UD and 2 Please Me lipsticks from MAC, so it’s a tie between these three products
I don’t buy backups, unless having multiple mascaras of different brands counts. I certainly won’t run out for awhile…
If something was being discontinued and I had to stock up on it, it would be Guerlian Les Voilettes pressed powder, Buxom Dolly lipstick, EL DW foundation, or GA Luminious Silk foundation.
Easy! Bloom sheer lipstick in Tangerine – because it’s the only product I have any backup for! I have one extra tube (I had two, but I got the second to give to someone).
In terms of unintentional backups, I think: Urban Decay Zero, Perversion, Deep End and possibly a couple of shadows, because I pretty much always buy my shadows and liners from them in sets, so repeats are kind of inevitable. I don’t have too many, though.
Why on earth was Dragon ever discontinued?! Is like the perfect red to me!
TT Spark of Envy. I bought 4 of them when Sephora had them on sale.
Lipsticks of course!!!!!!!!!
Nothing. I always want to try something new the next time!
Bath & body Works Sheer Freesia body spray. It is the only body spray I use on a regular basis and it is only available online so I ask for a gift card for Christmas every other year and order 6 during the semi-annual sale just after Christmas.
Crave eyeliner by Urban Decay, Spite Lipglass by MAC and Christian Dior’s Airflash #400. I also have 2 tubes of Ruby Woo.
i dont like to get caught short of:
coconut oil ( any brand_prefer the edible ones from ethnic shops)
agadir oil or moroccan oil ( prefer the first one because of the spray)
liquid gold
lacura serum
elizabeth arden lip balm ( 8 hours)
clinique moisturizer although i can easily use other brand for a couple of days in between
nailtiques base coat and out the door top coat
either mally, a la carte or the gosh growth mascara, 1 of the 3 has to be fully “functional”
eyebrow pencil, again either the benefit or maybelline soap and glory or even the MUA one
revlon honey or jordana honey love fat lip pencils
guerlain’s terracota khol in black……..
The rest I am ok with…..
I used to be ok rotating foundations either the Bourjois serum or the standard one, with l’oreal true match and maybelline’s better skin but for the most part of the year the maybelline one is becoming my HG, so much that when I use the Better Skin I feel that I do not even need concealer…
And I forgot : I always have backups for the simple but effective tea tree line from Bodyshop: cleanser, toner and the night clarifying lotion. Have to use it 3-5 nights a month.
I only have backups of one of the two foundations I use – Milani’s Smooth Finish Cream-to-Powder Makeup (a dupe for Benefit’s Some Kind-a Gorgeous, but at 1/3 the price). When they go on sale at CVS, I pick up one or two. Because each compact contains only about a month’s worth of applications (with daily use), I go through them fairly quickly. I also worry Milani will suddenly discontinue it (as drugstore brands often do), so I want to make certain if that happens I have at least a couple of month’s worth “in reserve” while I search for a comparable product (that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg).
MAC Spiked pencil.
The Benefit sunscreen, I had one and bought two more on sale. I have a back up of an old LE Dior trio in purpely grey tones. I also have two MAC Honesty, but that is a mistake. Funny thing when I visit a MAC counter I pick up Honesty three times out of four to check the name of that pretty eye shadow. 🙂
I have a backup of my favourite red lipstick Temptation by Rimmel. I usually have a back up of moisturisers and cleaners – I am trying Elizabeth Arden’s at the moment and it is great. I hate it when they discontinue a favourite lipstick.
Revlon Colorstay Gel basecoat! I have 8 backup bottles and 1 currently in use. So sad that it was discontinued. And 4 backups of Revlon Colorburst lip gloss in Adorned, which I thought was LE, but they made it permanent! And I have 3 tubes of Chanel Aqualumiere Gloss in Candy Coral.
I forgot! I also have 1 backup each of MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2.
I was SO sad to find out that Revlon was discontinuing that basecoat because it was my HG! By the time I starting hunting for backups they were all gone!
I bought a backup of Tom Ford Nude Dip Quad. It’s the perfect neutral colors for me.
Smart move.
Black Dolly Wink mascara. I currently have 3 unopened.
Tan Towels. For sure.
I keep hearing rumors that the Dior Creme de Rose lip balm is going to be discontinued so I have 4 in a drawer and I’m down to the edges of my current pot, which is probably the third one I’ve had. I need to try the Jack Black lip balms at some point. Better price point and Christine raves about them. 😉
Rimmel #6 lipstick– tubes and tubes of it. I just love it. I mix it with more expensive lipsticks to lighten or darken, or make more blue, red or pink. It’s perfect for me.
Sephora lipstick in Cougar. I have 4. I bought 2, then the neon pink tube came out on clearance for $7, so I bought a couple more. It’s my favorite shade of pink ever.
I always have a least one backup of all my skincare products, because I buy them on sale. Also I can’t stand running out of a product and not having time to get to the store. Other than that, only my 3 favorite lipsticks, because it’s hard for me to find colors that work and I’m afraid they will get discontinued.
L’Oréal shady. My favorite eyeshadow combination.
I think I have the most eyeshadow in my collection. I have a drawer full of palettes and a drawer full of singles. I don’t know how many are truly the same but I’m certain I have many dupe and near dupes in the neutral colors. It’s my paint box/crayon box. Love make up and always have. No one else in my family in my age group or older wear make up. Not sure how the bug bit me. Maybe when drawing or in theatre groups as a preteen and young teen. Started wearing it in secret at about 14. I’m 65 now so things were different back then. Otherwise, I wasn’t a girlie girl. Never played with dolls.
MAC Royal Sunset.. and Illamasqua Katie ^_^ i have 3 of each
oh and i bought about 5-6 Sally Hansen Pacific Blue nail polishes when I heard they were getting discontinued, heh.
UD Naked Palette one , six of them. Haven’t finish even the first one.
SIX!? Wow!
I sold my backups because I realized that I would probably never finish the 1st one but kept only my most used items. I have one backup for all of these:
◆MAC Modest Tone (I only have 2 left) 🙁
◆MAC RazzleDazzler L/G
◆MAC Cranberry L/P
◆MAC Riot House L/S
◆MAC Bijou L/G
◆Tarte CC Palette
◆Cover FX primer
I don’t often do the backup thing. …however, UD discontinued my go-to eyeshadow primer, so I think I’ve got like four backups of Greed right now. Between it being daily use for me (I have gone through two of them), the clearance price was quite cheap, so I had trouble not adding a couple to various orders I made for other things. I have a cleanser I like that Organix made, then discontinued, and I bought three of them off of ebay not too long ago, but it was more because it was a good deal than I NEEDED THREE.
Otherwise, there is a small handful of products I bought A backup of. One. Sally Hansen HD polish in DVD, Wet n Wild 6-pan eyeshadow in Lust, Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Bal de Mai (in tester form because I AM CHEAP), and I just got another UD Midnight Cowboy lipstick today. (Phew, now I can start wearing it again, I was geting low.)
YSL Volupte No.3,perfect for me.
I have at least one backup for some LE lipsticks and shadows. I also have two extras of a discontinued lipstick.
Primers primers primers….I know…I have a problem its kinda pathetic 🙂
1. when aromaleigh shutdown the first time, i snagged about 6 illuminating coquille finishing powders in nectarine. didn’t know she was going to re-open and eventually bring back all her old products.
2. vichy toucher sec capital soleil sunscreen with mexoryl XL. i always buy 3 or 4 when i go overseas.
3. about 25 blistex herbal answer lipbalms. the best lipbalm ever. my local grocer used to carry it but clearanced them when they sold to another company so i bought all the stock. i can only find these online now.
OLE HENRIKSEN – The Clean Truth™ Cleansing Cloths:Brightening (4 extra packs)
Chanel – Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in 10 Beige (1 extra bottle)
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla (2 extra tubes)
NARS – Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (3 extra tubes)
Dior – Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Nior (2 extra tubes)
The Body Shop – Satsuma Body Butter (2 extra large jars and 2 extra mini jars)
Shaveworks – Pearl Soufflé Luxurious Shave Cream (2 extra tubes)
I have 4-5 backups of my favourite lipsticks, Catrice’s Pink Me Up!, Fox Nox and My Red Card which I first bought more than a year ago. When I was moving to a place where Catrice isn’t easily accessible I decided to get some backups, and that’s when I realised they’d discontinued all these shades. So naturally I scoured the shops for the last remaining tubes. I also got lots of backups of the Essence Stay Matt lip creams since I found them in the clearance section for a much discounted price.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Nude and Taupe. I have 4-5 backups of each. 🙂
Coastal Scents Hot Pots. When they go on sale for 99cents each, I rack up on my favorite colors. Plus they are just as blend-able and pigmented as higher end shadows..
I have backups of my favorite face primers-philosophy’s the present and black radiance primer for oily skin, foundation-Lancome Teint Idole 24 hour, concealer-MAC prolongwear and studio finish, ABH brow products-dipbrow and brow whiz. I figure as long as my skin looks good and I actually have brows, I should be okay!
Lingering – eyebrow pencils from Mac! I go through them so fast!
Snow Bunny by Too Faced. Best bronzer ever!
Carnation – Kat Von D – lip stain, it’s hard to find it in stock and I LOVE the pink it turns into when it fades.
I´m not a backup person, but I own two MAC Riri Woo (my favorite red) just in case.
Of one shade or product, none really. I take that back, WnW Brulee//taupe, wipes, cotton rounds,and black eyeliners. I have several mascaras since I have to discard them.Otherwise I like to try new things.
Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait – I couldn’t find it for over a year and when I did, I bought three :D!