If you had to redo your stash, what would you do differently? Share!
I would put more of an emphasis on quality over quantity, and shell out for products you’ll use often and save on products you’d use only occasionally.
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Fewer palettes, I think. I’ve got the UD’s Book of Shadows III and their 15th Anniversary Palette and the three palettes from The Balm. All contain great product, but I only really use maybe 3-4 shadows form them on any kind of regular basis. The value just isn’t there if most of it isn’t used!
You know, I’m not sure? I’m pretty happy with my stash as it is. I started out going for quality over quantity, and I’d do that again definitely, but I think I’d also spend more on tools like brushes rather than shell out for expensive eyeshadow I don’t wear often. I’m only now building my MAC and Hourglass brush collection, and the MAC brushes in particular have made eyeshadow so much easier to apply.
I might also, if I were starting over, sign up for one of those sessions you can get with Sephora artists (I have a free card for one since I requalified for VIB status) and ask them to show me how to do things like concealer and highlighting and buy products based on that, instead of just guessing. (I am actually planning on using my card for this; I’m tired of my dark circles and I just can’t seem to get it right.)
I would spend more time reading honest reviews (like Temptalia!) that help me learn which products are better for my skin type and which I could skip. Can’t go back but going forward that is my plan. Thanks Christine!!!!
Thank you, Terri!
Yep, I agree with this, and I would watch more youtube swatch videos before purchase. I have too many items that if I had listened to Christine, I would not be sorry that I purchased them. But, as you said, move forward and I’m learning from my mistake of not paying enough attention to the reviews.
I’ll only get backups or dupes for things I REALLY love — And that includes any make-up we got for my husband that I also own one of, since I can just share with him (and practice proper hygiene, of course)
I am typically far happier with my overall stash since I began frequenting beauty blogs and doing a bit of research before buying. Temptalia is obviously a well loved haunt! My biggest issue is there is a bit of a collector/hoarder in me. When I find a product I really like, I bloody well want to buy all the shades of the product. Eek! It’s like I get a bit nuts when I absolutely could be exercising greater restraint. I do struggle with this. Tonight I was just looking at the MAC Mineralize lippies to which I have been meaning to try. Finally after much angst and manic swatch searching, I narrowed down a mere 2 shades to put on my buy list. It was difficult!
On a more positive note, I find my stash better organized and representing a greater variety of colour with so-so products being pretty much a thing of the past.
I’m sorry this is off-topic, but during my MAC Mineralize lipstick search, I came across a post with photos showing 17 shades of lipstick when most show the 12 which are available on the Mac website. Anyone in the know? Are there more to come? Did they change their launch due to production issues? Check it out:
http://www.glamour.com/beauty/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2013/02/mac-mineralize-rich-lipstick-s.html
Also: The post says 17 shades and yet the post contains 19 lipsticks in the photographs.
There are country/region exclusive shades – e.g. some are for Asia, Europe, North America, etc. When I posted about the release, I included all of the shades and for what reason: http://www.temptalia.com/new-product-alert-mac-mineralize-rich-lipstick-launches
Thanks! 🙂
Thanks Christine.. clearly I didn’t read this part in your post! A bit sad some of the other shades are not available here, but my wallet will be happier.
I have the same “gotta have ’em all” problem. It’s how I ended up getting all the revlon kissable balm stains, the l’oreal caresse lippies, the infallible e/s…*sigh* Mostly I can confine my need to have it all with drugstore products, but I so hear you.
Oh Noes..not you too! LoL
I just did the math on my NARS eyeshadow collection *alone*, and I was floored (I refuse to do that with MAC, although many were B2M, so they didn’t cost anything)… I still have a few NARS shadows to buy, but I revisited my list, and took several off; as pretty as they are, I know I won’t wear them.
Good show Amy! I have a lot of NARS eyeshadows sitting in a plastic bin untouched. Eye palettes are definitely another way I tend to waste money, but I have to tell you the Lorac Pro palette you recommended ages ago is definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made. The shadows are top notch and the colours are just perfect for everyday wear. Ultimately this has turned out to be a far better value for me than the UD Nakeds. I reach for this one constantly. A belated thank you~
I would have invested more time & money into brands I truly love (NARS, UD, MUFE, etc), and less in brands I like, but are less than ideal for my needs (MAC, Too Faced, Stila, etc). Overall, I’m very happy with my stash, and there isn’t anything I absolutely regret; even the items that are less than stellar are actually quite good. I would have also spent less money on foundations & powders-I recently purged my stash, and even after tossing more than half, I still have more than enough.
Buy less eyeshadow. I’m a sucker for palettes especially, but there’s just no way I’ll ever get close to finishing everything I have.
I’m actually fairly happy with most of what I own, but in retrospect, had I known I had hooded eyes when I started, I’d probably cut down on the amount of eyeshadow I own. A lot of my more colorful palettes just don’t get the road wear that my face and lip products do because they take so much work to wear.
do my research and not buy any red, orange, or yellow (aka the burning heart palette by sugarpill) because i don’t look good in those colors at all lol
For me, it’s more of a skincare than a makeup problem. If I were to start over again, I would definitely be more wary of what I buy — and maybe try it out first before buying so I won’t end up with products I pay an arm and a leg for and dislike/don’t use.
I would do the same. I have about a million lip glosses and eye shadows, only half of which get used during the year. Experimenting is fun but wasting money isn’t especially when it could be used for a better product. That’s why I started reading your blog. I’d rather know I’m getting a quality product then to buy every little thing I think is cute on a whim.
I agree completely with you, Christine! I’ve discovered that quality is better than quantity in so many areas of my life – for instance, buying three purses that aren’t the one I want but are cheaper is NOT cheaper in the long run if I really wanted the more expensive purse to begin with (and end up spending more anyway)! This applies to makeup too, and it’s taken me even longer to learn 🙂 But I think I’ve finally learned my lesson!
Purchase fewer eyeshadows, fewer bright/dark lipsticks and fewer ‘crazy’ polish colors. I reach for neutrals most of the time so it often feels like an effort to wear my very colorful makeup. Thank goodness for the spring/summer holidays though as then I feel I can wear whatever I want.
I would probably buy less eyeshadow. I just don’t wear it that much. I also stick to a few basic colors.
Totally agree – I look at all the eye shadow pallets I have with so many color dupes and almost cry thinking about all the money I have spent on them.
I’d go for something I want from the beginning even though it’s pricey. For example, I had purchased some Tom Ford blushes and the brushes I had been using for my other blushes would pick up too much product and waste a lot of product. So overtime I looked for the right brush that was like the Tom Ford brush but I thought it was pricey so I looked for others; I tried Chanel, various MACs, Ecotools, Sonia Kashuk, and some others. In the end none of them worked well with the blush so I bought the Tom Ford one and it worked perfectly. I spent way more money looking for a cheaper dupe than what the brush actually cost.
Ugh.. How much money would I have saved over the years if I would have just saved up for better quality items rather than buying a ton of drugstore stuff, that only looks good in the package?! Only to come home and play with it and see it’s poor quality and poor pigmentation.
I agree with you Christine, quality over quantity.
Also, i wish i could stop my (addicted) self when i find myself purchasing the same shade (of lipstick/eyeshadow/blush/nail polish)from a multiple of brands. I’m notorious for having 12 blush-pink lipsticks in my mu bag (and that doesn’t include the entire stash of blush-pink lipsticks at home….).
I would stop buying dupes of colors I already have
I agree with you Christine. I am on a no buy now (well have been for almost 2 years!) to use up my stash and I’m almost there. Anything that I put into the stash now has to be a good quality product that I know I will get use of. Otherwise I tell myself I can’t buy it. It’s funny because despite buying expensive products, I’m buying fewer products overall so am saving money.
I agree 100% with you, Christine – in the past, I’ve been too easily sucked in by sales people (Sephora/MAC/any other counter alike) and by pretty colours and not judging the product based on quality. I’d do a lot less impulse buying!
Since I only got into makeup recently, my stash is almost completely drugstore makeup in all sorts of different shades, because I didn’t know what worked for me and what didn’t. If I had to redo it, I would only buy the things I know work for me, and invest in some staple quality items that I know I would use up completely.
And buy fewer reds. Jeegus.
I would definitely buy less eyeshadow! I have a very Pokemon attitude towards eyeshadows; the “Gotta collect them all!” attitude. =P More variety in my nail polishes, buy less eyeliner, and just stick with the mascaras that I know work well for me.
I wouldn’t buy a product because of hype or packaging. I would buy a product because I would use it and ignore the hype. And honestly, as fun as it is to read and watch, I’d probably avoid YouTube and places like Specktra. Blogs are good because they give you reviews from a non-bias point of view and give you info on when it’s released and how much, etc…
Same here! I try to stay away from YouTube now because it makes you feel like you need to have EVERYTHING under the sun, when that isn’t practical or necessary.
I have valued quality over quantity for a very long time now, so I´m pretty happy with what I have. However I think I should test better what I have and remember the colors I already own, because I just figured out that Champs Elysee Rouge automatique, Chanel Rouge Allure Exaltee and Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet L´Exuberante look very similar on me lol. They are really, really similar the only difference could be the finish they have. But I think I should take notice of what I have so that I don´t pick the same similar looking colors anymore 😛 .
I would stop buying bits and pieces, and buy items that I will really use. Most of the drugstore stuff I HAD to have sits in a drawer. I will never buy another highlighter, because I have six. Unless another great one comes along….I do much better with palettes, rather than one-off eyeshadows. And I will stay out of the MAC store. I rarely love anything I buy there. But my credit card bills don’t reflect that.
I’d downsize so much. I’d get rid of the crap stuff I never use and, like you, do quality of quantity. I’d not have most of my shadows, and those I had would 95% be pigments rather than pressed (I would keep the best of the pressed and whatever I needed for convenience pressed). I’d focus more on face products than eye colours.
I would invest in more skin care products.
Although I know exactly what that question means and what it is referring to….about “redoing your stash”. “redoing” can mean something else other than having whatever products you already have and owning something different than what you have now.
I am going to inferred that it also means “redoing” how I would organize my stash. I am overall happy with what I own. I would “redo” reorganizing my stash. I have my stuff all over the place. Some in the bathroom. Alot, in the refrigerator (the older stuff). Some in this closet. Some in another closet. Some in this drawer or what not. The bottom line is that it is not altogether. This is what happens when I have moved so many times over the years and they are not together when I moved around.
Occasionally, I have inferred in the past a different meaning to these questions, it has generate a conversation with Temptalia’s readers when I make a different response than the general public….sometimes they would agree with me and sometimes, it would irk those.
Honestly, not really. I’m pretty happy with what I have, and manage to use everything on a regular basis, except for a couple of products that don’t work out for me. I began to read blogs (mostly Temptalia!) just after getting into makeup, and it helped me apply the quality over quantity motto right from the beginning.
I probably should have bought backups for the couple of LE nailpolishes that hold a special place in my heart, but thank God there’s ebay.
I would invest in more primers, foundations, tinted moisturizers and BB creams, and spend less on eyeshadow, blush and lipstick. As one gets older, it’s more important to make the skin look its best. The color products are fun (and can make a big difference), but I just have way more than I need.
I think that I would have purchased less eyeliners. I have so many! Most of the eye liners come from sets, so they mean even less to me because they aren’t really something I wear. I have a ton of eye shadow, just how I like it. I think that I would buy more blush and less concealer. I hate concealer! I hate them! I threw away seventeen concealers last month. I was just holding on to them. They did not work for me and most of them were barely used.
I would be very sad if I had to redo my stash but I’m a lot more knowledgeable now than I was when I first started. So my hypothetical “new” stash would be well-edited with formulas and colors that I know work for my coloring and skin.
Lesson #1: skincare takes top priority–especially since I have sensitive and acne-prone skin. All stash-redoing is built around this concept.
Lesson #2: Do my research: always check ingredients (and have a general idea of what each ingredient does) and reviews on trustworthy blogs like temptalia.
Lesson #3: ALWAYS buy quality products that work best for me
Lesson #4: Don’t forget the drugstore–sometimes what works best for me is found there.
Lesson #5: organize as I build my collection–and try to keep it relevant to lifestyle and personal tastes. (like, don’t shell out $20 for a colorful mascara I’m never going to wear)
Lesson #6: Return items that don’t work immediately.
I love your list! If I had to start over, I’d follow that. It’s practical but still allows you to do what you like.
This question has been the kick in the butt I need. I have way too many eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners & lip gloss. I started there when I hoped to begin wearing makeup again after years of not wearing any due to focus on health issues. Since I live over 12 hours (in summer) from any skincare & makeup stores or counters, my were purchases are all on-line…including high end brushes. I have now added plenty of blush and can use my what I already have for eyebrows…even though I would like improved products for that area. I am lacking proper concealer & foundation since it is almost impossible to start from scratch online, so I’m making due with what I did buy.
I’m trying to put my entire focus on skincare now since my body has changed in the 10 years since I got hurt then ill. I’m trying to learn what my skin needs due to age, health, climate change & new sensitivities. It’s tough buying skincare sight unseen too.
I am grateful to each of you for your comments that have taught me so much…your generous education & feedback when you’ve answered my questions…and allowing me to chime in a bunch when I can and then disappear when needed. Sometimes when we are broke & having a hard time…a shiny new toy seems like it will be a temporary fix. This question & your answers have caused me to reflect on spending time/money on solutions not shiny toys (for now). I am sincerely grateful!!!
i started buying makeup before the time of youtube gurus and reviews/blogs online. i also had an expensive obsession with MAC and lived/ate/breathed MAC.
Now I have a dozen pigments and eyeshadows that are about 6 years old in awfully bright colors that I can’t find a use for (acid orange, really?)
I would have done my research, purchased less junk (oh its cheap, might as well) and not buy so much at once (ahem buying 5 pigments at once).
I’ve always followed the principle of quality over quantity in regards to cosmetics so my collection has never gotten out of hand with items that I didn’t absolutely love.
Definitely less eyeshadow and lipstick. I have way too much that just sits there. And how many different shades of purple or pink do I really need? Lol.
I’d stick with the Naked 1 and probably one BYOP (because I love to customize my stuff) from UD as my eyeshadow. UD is definitely my favorite brand of eyeshadow by far. And then I would probably buy a few of the Revlon Lip Butters that I actually wear for lip color. Even compared to high end lipsticks, Revlon is my favorite and most worn.
I just love to buy something new and raved about, and do so almost every paycheck. It’s out of control. I don’t want to know the total value of my stash because I could have used that toward my car and so many other more practical things. :/ It also is depressing to me, because again, I tend to stick to certain things and the rest just sits there until I make myself use it anyway.
When I first started my collection I was buying any and everything just to have something. I fell into a lot of hyped products. Anything on sale I would buy it. Then I ended up with crap I never used or wanted. I gave most of that stuff away and now I buy more products I know I would use and less of what I will use not so often. I have a limit on everything and If I want to go over that limit I have to give something away to make room. I only buy eye shadows I will use. I buy singles and make my own palette I know it cost more but I will enjoy it more since I know I use the colors.
I’d have started reading beauty blogs aaaaaaages ago. 😛
I would not have bought so many drugstore products. I have so many foundations that don’t match and so many lip products that are terrible
I would probably invest in more high end products. I am not saying there aren’t great drugstore products, nor am I one to solely use HE products, but early in my makeup journey and exploration I wasted a lot of money on drugstore products and dupes that I was not satisfied with. I wish I had just invested in the more expensive product to begin with. I have since weeded those products from my collection, and now have a stash that I love.
My make-up collection is not very extensive, mainly because when I started wearing makeup (only a couple of years ago), I had already discovered Youtube channels and beauty blogs such as yours and I didn’t invest in products I knew nothing about. I kept myself very limited to what I purchased, did a lot of research before purchasing, but still in retrospect I would probably skip on some of the makeup items that I never seem to use anymoe (e.g. TheBalm palettes, Too Faced bronzer, TheBalm highlighter, Tarte palettes, Bare Minerals loose shadows). I love Burberry, Bare Minerals Ready line, more recently Dior, so I would definitely invest more in these brands and their products, which I enjoy using on a daily basis.
Lastly, I would invest more in good quality brushes and not buy soooo much nail polish (I’m a polishoholic)…
When I buy makeup, I go through these phases where I will only buy eyeshadows, or only buy lipsticks. When I went through my blush phase I bought 6 NARS blushes all at once and since there isn’t a counter in Germany I went with the most popular ones. Desire, Deep Throat, Orgasm, Laguna Bronzer, Exhibit A, and Gina. I love these colors but most were pink and I regretted not getting other colors like Madly or Sin. Now I am much more different in the way I buy makeup. I don’t care if something is popular I will do my homework and see if I really need it 😀