I buy a greater variety of brands and types of product now, though I also have my favorite types of products/textures/colors and know what works for me (or doesn’t) so I have a better handle on my personal preferences as well.
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I have worn makeup since I was 13 and I am now 63 so there have been some serious changes. Over the past 10 years I have experienced being aware of my aging skin. By that I mean that while my skin was aging, I was rather blind to it until relatively recently. I grew up on the beach in Southern California and we were not scared of the sun so my issues with hyperpigmentation and wrinkles is real and no joke. I am happy to see so many young women being aware of the damage that sun does to their skin and taking precautions. My changes in my skin have affected my beauty purchases and I find that I am looking for better ingredients, less harmful ingredients and more combination makeup/skin care items. I am trying to spend more of my money on good skin care and then make wise purchases regarding makeup so that I don’t end up with a lot of products that don’t work for me.
Deborah — good points on skin care. I should have included in my comment that I spend a lot more effort, time and money on skin care now. I too am paying some price for early years of tanning, and managing the damage and preventing further are a top priority for me now.
Deborah I am 59 and I also lived in the sun all my life until mid to late 30’s. From when I was very young till my mid 30’s I was always laying out in the sun and in winter I used tanning salons they were huge and I would lay in a tanning bed for an hour a day. I am lucky that I still have decent skin for my age especially with all the suntanning I did through out the years. We would lay out in baby oil with aluminum sun reflectors for our faces. My moms dermatologist actually told her the sun was good for me his daughters were always tanned also. Well the last few years I am really trying to focus on good skin care which I never did before the age of 55 but that is my main focus but I do like buying makeup even though I don’t wear it all the time I enjoy having it so when I want to wear it I have it.
I didn’t really start paying attention to my skin care until about 5 or 6 years ago. I love wearing makeup and enjoy makeup shopping, too. I like learning about skin care and trying different products but the conflicting information, length of time that it takes to see any results and frequent changes to products makes finding a routine and sticking with it rather difficult. There is also the subject of the cost of skin care. Some products are ridiculously expensive and to invest in them over several months to see if they work is not always possible. At my age I sometimes feel like it will take years to make an impact and if I am using the wrong products I may never see any improvement, LOL.
I agree totally I have spent a small fortune just trying to find what works and I am still not sure if I am on the right path but I have learned a lot from trying to find the right products mostly from trial and error. The worst part is the expense. I have thrown so many skin care products out that did not work but what is the alternative? I try to stick with what I believe is working and incorporate something new into my regimen every once in awhile if it is something that has received a lot of good reviews.
* I only watch for and buy from a few brands, now. Before I was buying anything and everything that was on trend and newly released.
* I tend to only spend and stock up on favorites, or items from favorite brands, since I’m not taking a shotgun approach to buying anything and everything.
* Speaking of stocking up, I buy back ups of LE items, now.
* Now that I feel like I’m current with my stash and have ‘enough’, I am more willing to wait for sales for staples.
* If I buy it, I am either keeping it or, if I don’t like it, I’m giving it away. I do my research beforehand so by the time I buy it, I’m pretty confident that I’ll like it, but on the off chance that it doesn’t work out I will give it away. I hate returning.
* I used to buy first because of fomo and because of the amount I bought, there was a lot of shame-returning. I do my research before I buy and I’m more patient. I don’t buy to try.
Before discovering Youtube beauty channels 5 years ago, I only bought what I needed for basic looks, and replaced what I ran out of. I didn’t know doing your eyebrows or priming were even a thing, and had never owned a blush. Now I own 27 blushes. I created a monster! (But I love it)
Only 27 blushes? I must be a mega-monster!
Up until 4-5 years ago, I had spent decades relegated to buying DS and LE beauty products for so many reasons. And then I slowly began to dip my toes back into mid-end and up. Then it took over the bulk of my stash. Now, it’s gotten a little *bit* out of hand, i suppose? But I will say this, I am FAR more selective and quite the perfectionist about what I’m willing to spend my money​ on now.
Linda and Nancy – I wonder how much has to do with when we “came of age”. The younger women here pretty much grew up from their teen years with youtube, blogs, etc. but for us, we were in our 30’s or higher (much higher in my case) when these media really took hold. When I was in my 20’s the only way I’d learn about new releases was via magazines and that was dependent on companies advertising extensively (and not all did). We’d see less so we’d crave and purchase less. But now – every day is an inundation of new stuff or stuff that’s been around but which I’d not heard or or tried but which sounds interesting. I doubt most people in the 70’s (with the exception of makeup artists) had the amount of stuff that many of us “mere mortals” have in our own private use stashes these days.
Mariella, I do believe that you very succinctly nailed it on its head! We didn’t have all this exposure to ‘all the things’ that we do since roughly 10 or 15 years back. Now that we do, we’re like a pack of hungry hyenas scoping out our next feast of consumerism. I know I’ve found myself going further down that road than I ever could have imagined. Lots of fun, but then there are those brief moments of serious pause…. until the next ‘gotta have it’ moment comes along.
Gosh, yes. The Internet – blogs and youtube channels, etc. – have seriously increased my buying. As I mentioned the other day, in the past 15 or so years, my makeup consumerism that grown exponentially and it is something I often have a hard time reigning in. I’ll see something reviewed well over here or I’ll see a youtube video where the person proclaims “This is the most gorgeous ________ (lipstick, highlighter, blush, eyeshadow palette – you name it) EVER” and I get twitchy to own it, even if it’s something I so seriously do not need. I was actually really proud of myself yesterday for NOT buying one of the new MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinishes that had just been restocked (they called me to tell me; I didn’t even remember being put on the waiting list – that’s how nutsy this mania gets some of the time). Anyway, it was the colour Soft Frost and it looked in the pan like my beloved Becca Pearl but when I swatched it, it had a strange pinky lavender “shift” that was just a bit too unnatural and really reflective. I was rather proud of myself for saying to the SA “Sorry but it’s really not for me….too metallic and “full on” for someone my age.” For me, it was quite an achievement and exercise in self-control!
I have a finer sense than I used to what is right on me — color, finishes, ingredients/effects. Between that and fact that I have few gaps any more, what I buy now is more discretionary and creative, more fun.
I probably spend about the same overall over recent years, but it’s more focused — I feel more confident in my knowledge and also given Temptalia reviews.
I’m definitely more discerning now that I have downsized my collection of so-so products I bought on a whim closer to being just things I actually reach for and enjoy. I feel like I was buying more even though I had waaaay less money than I do now…
I think I’m more likely to research a product now. Quality is now more important than price & popularity. When I was younger I would buy a product just because it was MAC, but now I will watch YouTube videos & read reviews before purchasing regardless of the brand. I’m much more conscious of buying cruelty free now as well.
I used to be overwhelmed in places like Sephora and Ulta, so I would pick up items I was familiar with and get out! But lately, I am spending more time sampling and asking for opinions, reading reviews, etc. This has made my visits much more enjoyable and less overwhelming. I still avoid crowds in makeup stores, but I am more inclined to try new products and browse a little more.
I’ve grown to have more of a variety in my collection as well as trying out new colors and/or textures. I’ve also slowed down on my purchases since then, I really try my best to get to a store and test the product out so I can see if I really do want it in my collection.
I had a short, but bad habit in the beginning of getting into makeup about not returning the products I didn’t like – that has since changed thankfully.
Before becoming a Temptalia neophyte, I used to purchase exclusively HE products and usually within a small handful of brands. HE brand purchases are becoming rarer indulgences as I shop and now predominantly choose mid-range. I also purchase from a wider range of labels not feeling much in the way of brand loyalty.
I also used to have a penchant for picking up a lot of shades of lipstick if I liked a specific formula. Now, I may pick up one or two and content myself with that knowing something will catch my eye down the road.
I have a much better grasp of what suits me complexion wise.
When I was a kid/teenager and taking my first steps into beauty, I used to look at my mother and sister’s beauty case and copy what they had. They were my inspiration and I though that what they had were must-haves.
Then the internet came, mostly Youtube, and video tutorials were (and still are) my thing.
Getting what my favorite beauty gurus said it was ESSENTIAL and TRENDY was my drive-to-store, cos I still prefer buying make up offline.
So, briefly, my purchase journey goes like this:
1. I watch videos like: “New in make-up”, “My makeup favorites”, “My must-haves” etc.
2. I then go to big retail chains, like Sephora and get in contact with the products
3. After some pilgrimages (it costs m around 2-3 visits in Sephora to get the product I am curious about) I finally buy it
I wait for product reviews and swatches normally… that is why it takes me a lot 😀
I am a marketing victim, I know
Weirdly enough, I feel like I have both tightened and expanded my brand range. I feel like I’m working on cutting out brands that just do not work for me or have low quality products (ahem, Too Faced), but at the same time I’m starting to buy from brands I’ve never purchased from before like Glossier. I have a pretty good understanding of textures that work on me, and I have almost neutral undertones to the point that any color works on me (that, or I just ignore the mandate that I “should” or “should not” wear certain colors lol). One major buying change I’ve undergone is I’ve started getting eyeshadow singles more so than palettes, because I have a better handle on getting the exact colors I want. I’ve also moved away from the matte liquid lipstick trend and lean more toward glossy/satiny finishes. My lips thank me
I’m completely over the Matte liquid lip trend. They all dry out and you can’t reapply without having to take it off. UGH. I’ve completely stopped purchasing them.
I feel like even though I am much more selective, and I buy skincare products a lot less than I used to, I still spend more money on them. As far as makeup, I have probably spent more each year for some reason, even though there is nothing truly innovative lately. Perhaps it’s time to shop my stash!
I’ve only had been seriously into makeup for about five years, so I have definitely evolved in my knowledge and preferences. I went from a stash of one foundation, one eyeshadow quad, and one mascara (all drugstore) to a much more well-rounded collection of makeup, skincare, and tools. I also know my own style and have gotten better about purchasing trendy products that I know I won’t use. I read reviews and listen to some choice bloggers’/YouTubers’ opinions before purchasing much of anything whereas, back in the day, I would buy anything I heard mentioned. I’m at the point now where I’ll only buy a couple things I think I’ll love every now and then, because I’m rarely ever missing something in my collection.
I’ve learned to appreciate beautiful makeup on other people that I simply can’t wear. Once that fully and finally resonated within me, it was liberating. I can adore something, wish I could wear it, but know I cannot and therefore, not tempted to buy it. It’s meant to be worn and loved by someone else. I’m now very confident what makeup and skin care is right for me, and I stick with it. Lessons learned — some the hard way. I love to read or hear about other people’s tips and techniques. And, I’ve used a few from this blog! I’m always receptive to learning about someone else’s pearl of wisdom.
These days I tend to buy what I actually need (concealer, tinted moisturiser etc) rather than getting items just to ‘keep up with the Joneses’. I have enough colour cosmetics to last a very long time!
Yes, I buy way less and try to fill gaps in my collection mindfully. A few years back I´d just buy every LE item out there.
I just buy from my core favourite brands, I try the odd new brand that get very good reviews and that have shades and packaging that I like. I used to do a really awful, wasteful thing, especially with beautiful and or LE products where I would buy one to use, and one just to keep, to admire, extremely juvenile. I stopped that a couple of years ago, thank god when I realized how much money I was wasting on this extravagance!
So much, so new, and on and on it goes. But I am finally going to the place where I am unsubscribing from various websites because really, do I need another deluxe sample of a product if I ‘only’ spend $75? Shouldn’t THEY be paying me to try out their product if it is so good? Or at least sending it as a freebie? So my spending is going to change a lot going forward. I have spent thousands of dollars and have drawers full of freebie deluxe samples. And I do not need any more highlighters, neutral eyeshadow palettes, blushes, finishing powders, or *…….* (fill in the blank)….. I also do not need any more glitter, matte lipsticks, face sprays, primers, or treatments. I just want a chance to take a breath and use something up for a change like I used to. When is the last time you went to Target/Ulta/Sephora/Department Store because you ran out of your favorite product? For me the answer is many years because I have so flipping many variations of them. Are any of them really all that different? This is the place I have come to. I might even let my Ulta and Sephora status go next year. Too much excess, too much hype, not enough real innovation.
I replied right after you and feel the same about my previous buying sprees. After 4 years of being a rouge at Sephora I didn’t even participate in this last sale.
As far as innovation…I was watching a Sci-fi movie in which a character applied her perfectly blended eyeshadow from a little ball that squeezed out just the right amount of powder and distributed it on her eyelid beautifully. Got to say something like that would get my enthusiasm back!
What movie was that? I totally want to look up that clip on YouTube ’cause it sounds fabulous. 🙂
For most of my life, before the internet and YouTube, I only repurchased those items that were staples, a total of 8 or 9 makeup items. Hard to imagine now but that included lip products!
In 2010 I got shingles on my left eye and forehead area. When that healed enough I decided to look online to see if I could find anything on how to fix my eyebrow-the shingles had taken a lot of my “tail” off. Guess what? I discovered YouTube and went into a buying frenzy. I think the combo of turning fifty, the shingles and the videos combined to create in me a perfect storm of cosmetic consumerism.
In the past few years, as YouTube has been taken over by the cosmetics industry I have really slowed down. I no longer watch any reviews of products received as promo and although there are still items that I covet I am much more able to just wait and see if the urge passes. (Just an aside, I would rather a video be sponsored than financed by promotional items. At least with an above board sponsorship the relationship is out in the open.)
Maybe it is because I bought so many good products when I was buying-creating a large collection, plus I really like the products I own but it has been easier for me to shrug off most new “must haves” and know that they aren’t really.
Tremendously, 5 years ago my love for makeup took over and I started building my collection. After a few purchases where the quality didn’t live up to the price tag I started researching before buying. Now that I have a well rounded collection I’m very selective and only purchase after lots of research.
My beauty purchases have completely changed over the past 5 years.
Firstly, since reading this blog and others, I have learnt about different products and how to apply them. The main change was realising I had pink undertones to my porcelain complexion and that was why my foundation in the past never looked good.
Secondly – my eyeshadows were completely DS and I knew they were bad, but again through this blog, I learnt about other brands like Urban Decay (which only arrived in Aus 2 years ago), bareMinerals, etc. So my eye shadows are of much better quality (and more numerous) than before.
Thirdly, I have tried a wider range of lipstick shades and brands too.
A total revolution – that’s what it’s been.
Right now I am trying to curb my beauty spending, and trying to shop my stash and that alone has changed my shopping habits. I am also more interested in cruelty free brands, so I have had to put aside some of my favorite brands and look for alternatives.
In my case is been the last two years where I have picked up my makeup shopping speed. Right now I’m fully pleased with all I have am am saturated to my neck up eyeshadows I have always loved them and lipsticks, lately I have every tone of blushes I could dream of. A few kits are HE but must of the new are all drugstore. I wish i was strong to unfollow lots of YouTube and bloggers which make me excited to try new things. How many more colors do i need, highliters my latest weakness and passionate love. I’m good to go for the lifetimes of a cat (an American cat is said to have 9/ in Cuba they are known to have 7 maybe due to poor nutrition, etc.). More or less. Lol! I don’t need a thing more just waiting for my mascaras to expire to get more and better ones. I’m covered fully with eyeshadows, foundations, lipsticks, eyeliners, powder, highliters. But yet, is so hard to be strong and resist. I do sometimes, sometimes I just purchase something on impulse and is a thrill. I been a marathon runner for 10 years although I haven’t run another one since 2011 I still run only up to 8 miles these days so lots of sun abuse i do use spf but sometimes I rub it off my face when sweaty or stinging my eyes and there’s lots of squinting even wearing my Nike cap that sun gets bright in the beach. I also have laid to fry when in high school in Miami Beach when I visited as a kid with my parents each and every Summer. I do love the sun im either running/walking or gardening so far so good I have great skin with some laugh wrinkles appearing on sides of my mouth and frowning (squinting probably in the beach). I should not buy one more thing so lately I’m researching instead for good skin care getting old just turned 54. So far so good I’m afraid to think sometimes when all the sun damage will let loose and I’ll look like a Californian raisin. Yikes! Just like many before YouTube and bloggers i had the basics now it includes highliters. I keep it a natural look and blend, blend being very pale/cool toned. Two pages I love to check and feed on it as those fish suckers whom clean the tanks are this one thanks Christine! Great page! And Musings of a Muse. Lisa Elthridge, Kathleen Lights, Tatti, Noel and to stop me from entering big guru Sephora I watch Kimberly Clark hilarious! Sometimes at drugstores I’m surprised to find something so beautiful that works and with a nice price tag but they are also getting pricey.
The most important way I’ve changed my purchasing habits has been no longer buying from brands who test on animals. It isn’t worth it IMO to buy from brands who test when there are now a lot of good products out there that aren’t tested.
I’ve also become more “picky” or selective, trying to research or at least look at multiple reviews before buying a product on a whim. I’ve been disappointed a few too many times from impulse buys.
I started wearing makeup in the early 90’s. DS selections were nowhere near where they are today. In turn, I got into higher end brands for the superior quality…imo anyway. I’m ashamed to admit that I was quite the makeup snob, turning up my nose at DS makeup. Fast forward to today and DS makeup has improved by leaps and bounds. I was also very brand loyal. But I’ve found just because the product is from a brand I enjoy, does not mean that the quality is there. *Shudders* so much wasted money! The Temptalia site has saved me so much money and grief lol. It really makes me angry at some of the prices that the higher end brands charge. Especially when the quality is not there. Grrrrrrrr! I’ll never understand why one has to pay so much for a name when the product itself is junk and a huge let down. It amazes me how well some of the DS brands preform today. For me right now in my life makeup is more of a luxury item. It makes me angry to put down good money on a product that turns out to be garbage. Sometimes I feel very taken advantage of and it really frosts my cookies. I’m going on a ramble here sorry 🙂 I now focus alot more on my skincare. I have leftover issues from horrible cystic acne in my younger years. Finally in my mid thirties, my skin is starting to behave. I still struggle with hormonal breakouts as well as rosacea and eczema. Lucky me huh? About a year ago I started to get into K-beauty and it has changed my skin for the better. I cannot reccomend asian sunscreen brands enough. They are nothing like the heavy greasy sunscreens of the US. America needs to improve on the sunscreen bigtime. I haven’t found my HG yet but I have high hopes. I’ve read multiple articles that stress sun protection is the #1 best thing you can do to prevent aging exc. It makes sense if you think about it. All the lotions and potions are for nothing if you don’t use that sunscreen.
Yes. It look me some time and quite a bit of money to learn that LESS IS MORE. I buy quality, but I know I don’t need 6 shades of lipstick, 4 shades of blush. dozens of eye shadows and liners. It has been such an eye opener for me. I know I’m always going to look my best and I’ve saved loads of time and money, not to mention storage and easy travel.
For the longest time I was such a beauty snob. Only LE brands for me!
But now with DS brands really upping their quality & reviews available online I’m starting to love DS too.
I used to buy just about anything and everything that had nice packaging or a pretty shade or two, but now–quite frankly–I’ve completely and totally lost inspiration and willingness to experiment with a ton of new stress that has presented itself since the new year. Just today I redecorated my vanity and mini shelving area, where a fair bit of my makeup was displayed, and now I have a ton to re-organize. It really put into perspective my irresponsible spending habits. I mean, when it’s all nicely aranged on shelves and in little acrylic drawers it doesn’t really look like much, but put all your lip products in a pile of your floor and try to get it into 2 drawers–oh boy. As of right now, I have 2 IKEA Alex 5 Drawer Units stock full of makeup, two of the drawers being devoted to lip products. I have one that is most of my high end lip products, 121 of them to be exact, and I need to buy more organizers and, probably within the year, a new 5 Drawer set. Even though I know that I am completely lacking in inspiration and know I couldn’t possibly use what I have now, I keep buying and refusing to declutter. I guess I form some sort of bond to everything, saying stuff like “I wore that lipstick on my moms birthday” or “that eyeshadow palette is from Greek Easter 2015”
As I have gotten more into colourful make-up and experimenting with different colour combinations (and watching tons of Youtube tutorials and getting inspiration from here!), I feel that I have purchased more eye shadows, blushes, and lipsticks for a variety in colours and finishes. Since I’m not really into base products other than to even out my skin tone so that my colourful makeup really pops, I don’t really buy much foundation or concealer.
I buy way less base products now that my skin is better. I also am more aware I need matte products even though I don’t want to admit it.
I used to buy 10 drugstore foundations and not be happy with one of them. Now i buy THE ONE perfectlymatched high end foundation and use it up..
I dare to spend more cash knowing i Will use a product all the way
Also, i used to put all my focus onto eye make-up and now its more of a contour/blush/highlight/bronzer type of vibe that my entire face gets dimention, not just the eyes..
And lastly, i have invented in 3 hyped up highlighter palettes… And figured out i only gravitate to the less glittery, less hyped up products (Nicole guirerro palette is just eyeshadow to me now)
Also, i don’t take advice from paid youtubers… And trust more into the smaller channels, or true to themselves channels like Wayne goss and xsparkage… I just watch nikkie manny and jeffree for the entertainment value..
I started out with cheap drugstore makeup in the ’80s (Maybelline, Covergirl, Wet n Wild). My the early 90s I added a little mid-range stuff such as Clinique, and over the years added BareMinerals, Mary Kay, a little Urban Decay. That’s also when I discovered e.l.f. and Stila when they were first coming online. Money was tight, so not as much exploring at that then-new Sephora. The last few years I’ve had the income and time to revamp my makeup collection, so I’ve been upgrading and buying more items from more brands than ever. I know more about what does and doesn’t work for me. I also spend and use much more skin-care. Getting older is a wake-up call.
I also buy and use many more brushes.