I have in the past, but I don’t feel that way now and haven’t for awhile. It brings me a great deal of joy, and like most people, we all have a hobby or passion and not everyone will share it or even understand it (and that’s okay).
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Yes, I do and especially for buying high end products, but as you say, we all have our loves. It’s the only creative thing I do all day, so it’s kind of like me time in a busy world.
A bit, yes. When I see people with little to nothing and then think about how much I might have just spent on an eyeshadow palette or higher end skin care item, I do feel bad. We donate a fair bit to charity, regularly support a food bank and have a “foster child” in a developing country (and have had for over 30 years…not the same child, obviously) but still, I often think that the $75 or whatever I’ve just spent at the makeup counter could be someone’s groceries for the week.
I am on the same boat.
What I spent this weekend on myself was enough to buy at least one roof tarp for a charity my friend runs in Puerto Rico. Or meals at the homeless shelter/soup kitchen. Or pet food at the shelter. Or… you get the idea.
Yes, especially now that I have the blog and You Tube and it takes up much time. No one around me shares this love, so it can be kind of hard to explain.
I totally understand you! I started my blog some months ago and now I spend much more money because of it, and no one around me likes makeup (besides my mom that tries to keep up with new launches and stuff because of me) and don’t understand this passion!
For loving makeup…NO! For having as much as I do…sometimes considering I won’t wear it all in my lifetime or before it goes bad etc. And I wish I knew more in my personal life who had a similar interest. Only my daughter and myself like to look at makeup, discuss trends and have an interest in makeup. That’s where the guilt comes in bc most people find it silly or don’t care as much. Makeup is functional for them, not an interest. I agree, as I get older, I won’t apologize for liking what I do but it still would be nice to know more people to discuss makeup lol
Only on some rare occasions. Like when I look at my collection and am scared to admit how much money is in there (I don’t buy drugstore, but please don’t judge, I’m neither rich nor a snob at the slightest, it’s just my passion) and that some of it will eventually go bad and I’ll have to throw it away.
BUT! Most of the time I am sooo grateful for the choice I have and for the feeling that what I have IS the best, tried and true and makes my makeup game soo strong and confident 🙂 NOONE EVER critisized me for how my makeup looks and I attribute it not to my skills, but to the arsenal of the tools and products I have accumulated through the years.
I doubt that many on this site would judge you for your love of high end makeup, least of all myself. I have a little bit of DS makeup but have to say the bulk of my makeup is high end. It gives me pleasure and I have worked hard for the money that I spend on my passion. I don’t want guilt to rob me of that pleasure. I am happy for you that you have this passion.
PREACH!?♀️
I have nothing in my life that is high-end, besides for make up!
Natalia, if there is a place where beauty lovers gather to share their thoughts/tastes/reviews/love for makeup without any judgement, without putting others down, this is Temptalia . And kudos to Christine for that because she set the tone from the beginning.
I don’t feel guilty for loving makeup, but I am made to feel guilty by others for the money that I spend on makeup. “Oh my god how much money have you spent on all of this?” Is a regular refrain from my mother and her friends. Luckily, I have makeup loving friends who understand
I do sometimes. A lot of people in my college course don’t wear makeup at all and it sometimes makes me feel shallow and vain for loving it so much.
No. The standard phrase in our household regarding our hobbies is that whatever they are, they’re cheaper than booze or therapy. 😉
Hardly…though I s.t. wish I had fewer expenditures over the decades. I feel most guilty, when i don’t wear it…which is fairly often. Having a comprehensive stash that sits idle isn’t good!
No, I have an unabashed love of makeup. There are women in my life who just don’t get it. They slap on their makeup in the car or don’t wear any at all. I tell them that for me, makeup is fun and creative, and it’s a very relaxing part of my day. It’s 15-20 minutes of quiet me-time when I can tune out the world and play with color. I explain that I wear makeup for myself, not for anyone else. And if I find a like-minded person, I love talking about makeup.
On the other hand, I do feel personal guilt about the amount of money I spend on it and I need to come up with a better plan for 2018.
This is exactly how I feel! I think of my morning makeup routine as my “me-time” Thankfully, my boyfriend has a shoe obsession so he doesn’t judge me too much for having so much makeup. However, this year I can honestly say that I have gone through my stash and only kept products that I truly love and use. The rest has been gifted to friends/family or thrown out due to expiration. Having a goal to use of most of my products and only treating myself during sales has helped me appreciate my collection a lot more AND not feel as guilty for spending.
Maybe. Makeup is not something I talk about with anyone, really. Makeup and nails are a consistent hobby for me but I don’t have anyone that revels in it and is as devoted to it like I am. I had a close friend that I used to go makeup shopping with but that’s faded. Sometimes I think I volunteer and donate the amount that I do to balance out my “selfish” hobby. Yes, I guess I do feel guilty, and sometimes when I have a big haul, I am ashamed at the excess. I truly enjoy It though, so I guess I need to get over the guilt and shame. It’s the only thing that I have and do just for myself and it’s my only “me” time, so I think that’s why I feel guilty. We had precioius little growing up so to have ‘fun’ or a hobby that costs money can still feel extravagant to me at times.
Yes I do! I come from a very small, poor country where to this day a lot of people are starving and don’t have access to clean water. So at times when I see my large stash I feel very frivolous and guilty. I have so many things that I rarely use which further makes me feel guilty and makes me question my priorities in life. These feelings have pushed me to the point that I’ve put myself on a no buy. I am in the process of minimizing my stash to only things that I use daily or weekly at least! I will always love makeup though but I have to change my relationship with it.
I ‘m not in exactly the same position as you but I know what you mean about priorities – I make a point to track my discretionary spending per month and then I save half that amount and donate the other half to various charities that I support. So if I spend $400 on makeup, clothes, shoes or whatever, I put $200 in a savings account and donate $200 to Oxfam or Paws For Life or whatever. If there are local charities that help provide food and clean water to those in need, maybe you could think about doing something similar?
It makes me consider my purchases more carefully and the frivolity gets balanced out with something meaningful. Also, in my country, charitable donations are tax deductible, so I get a rebate each year and give that amount to City Mission or a food bank at Christmas time.
Sort of, sometimes. I’m only beholden to myself — no children, and everyone in my immediate family is doing well financially. So when I feel guilty, it’s about how what I spend on makeup might affect my future self. Then I remember I’m fine: I spend well within what is a tight budget, I don’t indulge in my else otherwise, and I’m having fun; so it’s ok.
edit: *…don’t indulge in much else otherwise…
I really appreciate your answer! I have always felt guilty, but I do enjoy it as a hobby and as my expertise has grown, I have become inspired to consider turning it into a career (or maybe it’s just a mid-life crisis)! It’s a way for me to be creative as well since my stick figure drawings aren’t exactly Monet quality!
Sometimes I feel guilty for the amount of money I spend pursuing my love of makeup, but that’s true for everything I love! I never feel guilty for the enjoyment of makeup itself.
Sometimes. My mom is more of a functionalist than I am. Her stash is tiny and she doesn’t quite understand why mine is so huge. My dad obviously doesn’t really get it either. So I sometimes get “ANOTHER eyeshadow?” when I visit. They’ve gotten better over the years though. My roommate is supportive and likes to talk about makeup, and I often give her what I cannot or will not use, which helps. And both of the guys that I’ve dated since getting into makeup have been fairly supportive.
Also, like many have mentioned I too can feel guilty when I think about how some people are struggling to survive and here I am buying more lipstick. I try to be generous with my time and donate money, but I sometimes still feel guilty knowing I won’t ever use up everything I have.
Not at all. I went a great many years without wearing any makeup to speak of at all, so being into wearing it now and owning more now don’t bother me in the slightest. I’ve learned that as I age, there are fewer colors and finishes that look flattering on me, so I enjoy it while I can.
I don’t feel guilty per se. It makes me really happy to be able to touch and feel products and see all the beautiful colors. The only time I feel guilty is when I spend a bit more than I should and sometimes on products that eventually never get used.
Yes, I do sometimes. That I’m drawn to higher end, pricier items than before. Therefore, I have a difficult time concentrating my time and my funds on other far more important purchases or endeavors. But then I also have the realization that this IS my creative outlet. And I do need this outlet for my mental well being. What scares me, though, is that because I have Asperger’s, I tend to obsess over, perseverate on, and also be extremely perfectionistic about the subject of makeup.
I’m don’t think I love makeup. I used to love buying it, until I figured out I didn’t love everything I bought. So after that epiphany, I pared everything down to a small collection that makes me happy, but I still don’t think that’s the same thing as loving makeup. I love the products I have and am glad I have them, but saying I love makeup is too much of a stretch for me. I don’t have the passion for it like others do.
I don’t think I have ever felt guilty for any makeup I have purchased or for using said makeup. I worked hard over the years and feel like I deserve to enjoy some of the fruits of my labor. I donate significantly to charities and if I could wipe out all of the world’s hunger, strife, etc. by giving up my makeup then I would be happy to do that. I know that there is always another charity I can donate to but unfortunately not all of them are above board.
Like many have stated, makeup is a creative outlet for me and is the only real hobby that I have. I don’t have access to a movie theater, fine restaurants, malls, etc. I literally live in the boonies so this is what I choose to spend my “me” money on.
When my ex-husband came to live with me almost two years ago, he would occasionally mention my spending on makeup but he quickly saw the error of his ways and really doesn’t want me to mention the $200 bottles of whiskey that he freely buys. He hasn’t said a thing in over a year!!
My final input to this question is related to the relationship my daughter and I have and how our mutual love of makeup contributes to my spending. I am generous with my daughter but not because she expects it or even asks for it but because I love buying things for her and she is so genuinely grateful. I like having things mailed directly to her home in Missoula and she gets a little surprise in her mailbox. She rarely gets any mail as most young people today rely on social media to communicate and don’t write letters anymore. I love writing her letters and sending her gifts and she just loves getting them. Not enough to cause her to actually write a letter but you get what I mean, LOL. It makes me feel good and now at almost 64 I want to take every opportunity to share that bond with her. This is a little morbid but at my age and having my only child when I was 40 I knew I wouldn’t be around for the majority of her life so I have wanted to make the years we have together special and memorable. I am not planning on dying anytime soon but none of us knows when that will happen so no guilt for buying makeup for her either.
What a beautiful comment Deborah – if I had a daughter I would feel the same way.
My husband never comments about my makeup stash, except to say how much he likes a particular lipstick or look. And I think it’s about perspective too – my husband has his hobbies and he respects that I have mine.
I think you are a wonderful mother and I know that your daughter is very grateful.
My husband used to comment years ago because I guess he misunderstood and thought that the point was to use up one thing before you buy another, sort of like a carton of milk! When I explained things to him, he backed off. And when he decided to buy a condo in the US with his brothers so they’d have somewhere to golf in winter, well that pretty much shut him up entirely (I don’t golf so there is no way I will go to this place and I simply refuse to travel to the US during this current administration, but that’s another story). Anyway, me spending 50 bucks on a facial cleanser or 80 bucks on an eyeshadow palette pales in comparison to the purchase of this “golf getaway”.
Mariella, I don’t blame you regarding traveling to the U.S. If I didn’t live here I am not sure I would either!! Your story about your husband cracks me up. My ex use to always say, “Is it a want or a need?” He thought that I should limit spending to needs only. The number of ways that question was wrong are countless, LOL. I had to remind him that he is an ex for a reason.
Thank you Genevieve. I am blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.
Your comment brought me to tears Deborah…. one can feel the love you have for your daughter and see part of your heart through these lines. You are a such a wonderful person and mother and your daughter is so lucky to have you as her mother 🙂
Thank you, Nicole. We do have a very special relationship and we both cherish it.
No – makeup is my thing, and always has been.
Not guilty exactly but embarrassed because it seemed so frivolous. Then I came to believe that there is an element of sexism going on that we have absorbed. We all need our diversions and mine is makeup and skincare. No different than my husband’s incessant football.
I used to get a lot of ridiculing or condenscending comments from my colleagues for loving makeup and spending on it. No one else I knew was like me. But things changed so much since then.
I don’t feel guilty for loving it. I do feel guilty for spending so much money on it.
Nope, not one bit – it’s my favourite hobby, after reading and I just love every bit of it.
The best part is participating in absolutely perfect blogs such as Temptalia and being a part of the world wide makeup community.
I am pretty careful with my purchases and I don’t splurge on products that I can’t afford realistically and your review Christine show us that often HE brands don’t necessarily make the best products.
I feel guilty with myself for not only buying into the patriarchal idea that my own face isn’t good enough as it is, but for making it a hobby and spending a lot of money on it. Sometimes I look at these tutorials being done by 15 year old girls and think “you’re beautiful! You don’t need to spend an hour strobing and contouring!” But at the same time, I fully support women doing whatever they want with their faces.
I look at my stash and think of all the books I could have bought to improve my mind instead of paint to cover my face with. I am really torn by this issue because I enjoy makeup, but days that I don’t work, I never wear it, so I question myself” Do I really enjoy this, or have I just convinced myself I do because it’s not socially acceptable to be completely barefaced in your 30’s?”
Sometimes but I love it so as a hobby. I dont really spend my money on much else.
Yes.
For loving makeup? No.
For buying stuff I definitely don’t need because half of the thrill is waiting for it to arrive and trying out something new, well sometimes, just a tiny bit. I don’t like wasting stuff or buying high end just because it’s Chanel but I do tend to accumulate – no one needs six variations on Orgasm blush!
I try not to give in to impulse purchases online – I put them in my cart and then close out the window. If I still want them when pay day rolls around and they’re still in stock (or the cart has been emptied but I can still remember exactly what I had in it, LOL) then I will reconsider buying. But my budget isn’t so strict that I can’t indulge if it’s a special deal or includes free gifts or I can splurge on my friends. I also offset my spending with savings and donations to about half a dozen charities that I know and trust.
Never have & never will! I love colors in every shade the lovely things come in. Matte or glitter and beyond. Beauty and gardening are both my passions so I’m in real trouble! Then running is where I don’t wear any color except on my clothes hopefully to avoid getting run over but spf, Chapstick and whatever is left on one of my blush blushes I apply a little bit I need blush before I naturally get red on the run. Lol!
No, I don’t.
I like quite a few others here don’t have anyone to talk makeup with and I am really grateful for this awesome community. Here everyone understands.
I do and this is mostly due to the prices of make up. Cheap makeup doesn’t always perform well and isn’t really fun (collections, packaging etc) but expensive makeup feels a little extortionate.
I have to say it has been SO interesting reading everyone’s responses to this question! Just one more thread that has helped give me a sense of who the people are behind the screen names here. It really helps me feel connected with others here who share this makeup hobby/interest/love.
First off, thank you Christine for this outlet for many of us to read, discuss, and rant about makeup. Not many people “get it”! I am thankful that I found you so many years ago. I still check your page daily, gotta have my morning coffee and Temptalia time!
I don’t feel guilty as much anymore because I have actually starting being smarter with my purchases, not to say that I don’t go on a makeup binge here or there (it is SO hard during the holidays haha) but I have made a conscious effort to go through my stash and find the things that I LOVE so it makes it more enjoyable to get ready daily. I have gifted over 60% of my makeup to family and friends which has gotten them more into different brands so I do now have a network of people to chat and play in makeup with. I am proud of my growth in overspending on makeup but in no way am I reformed and don’t want to be! It feels good to reward myself because I do work hard and don’t ask anyone to purchase anything for me. My goal for 2018 is to buy seasonally as I attempted to do this year and hold out on huge purchases until there are makeup sales.
SN: If anyone is into Becca, they are having AMAZING cyber deals this weekend. I got my beloved Aqua Luminous Foundation for 40% off. I already had one so I am set for the year on foundation 🙂
Yes but only because I feel I should be spending money on other things and not myself.
I have a nice sized collection of makeup. The amount of makeup one person has to the next is going to be totally different no matter how much or how little the person is into makeup.
Recently, I started coming to terms that I don’t need the amount I have considering I wear makeup 3x a week. Next year, I plan on cutting back and being more selective. I just like changing my looks and coordinating. Makeup amounts are too large and sometimes hard to finish before it goes bad. Example, I’ve had palettes for 3yrs and never hit pan, and the texture will start changing before I had the chance finish.
I hope I don’t come off as condescending. Christine, I’m so impressed how you don’t hoard makeup and instantly declutter. In the past, were you ever a hoarder, and do you still find it difficult to declutter?
I understand why you have the amount you do.
Makeup just brings us happiness. I have found when I randomly look at my makeup and do swatches it’s oddly theraputic.