Sparingly because I test new stuff most of the time, though I certainly use my favorite base and staple products (like brows, mascara, etc.) more often. I know that if I could, I would definitely wear my favorites more often than not. It’s one thing if I was almost done with a favorite that I couldn’t replace–then I might taper down usage–but until that point, use it or lose it!
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!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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!
Unless it’s a discontinued product, I tend to use my favorites often.
Probably more often, unless it’s a meager amount of product that I want to stretch to the limit. I especially feel that way towards my more pricey items. As in, I had BETTER use it up before it expires/goes rancid! This even goes for LE products, too. Like you said: use it or lose it.
For the most part, often. I want to enjoy things before they go bad. I grew up really poor, so I’ve had to break the impulse to “save” things and only use them for special occasions (that rarely happen!). It’s less wasteful to use them than to have spent the money and never use them.
Since I only use one of each (except color), I’m using often the current owned products since I don’t have anything else. 😆
But with eyeshadows, lipstick, cheek products, I find myself always choosing my favorite shades.
If they’re replaceable, I will use them more often than if they’re d/c’d or LE (like MAC Grand Entrance or Jardin Aires or Guerlain Cruel Gardenia). I suppose one of the exceptions is the LE MAC Sweet Sentiment blush. It’s so easy to use for me because it looks “right” for every occasion or situation (even going to the gym) – I always look better when I wear it. I’ll be very sad to finish it.
Depending on what product I am addressing, it could be sparingly or frequently. For foundation and concealer, I tend to use one I like pretty frequently, if not everyday. For other products I tend to use them sparingly because I have such a big collection. So, I swith blushes, lipstick, e/s pretty frequently, if not everyday.
I use my favorites frequently. After I realized how long it takes to use up a product, I stopped worrying about running out.
I have too many lovely things that I’m trying to be fair to (having obvious favorites is bad form, I want them all to grow up happy….) – and I need to justify the money spent. So variety is the name of my game, whether something is an A+ or a B, I like feeling like I’m using my stash. Since Temptalia my purchases have all landed somewhere between very good and even better. Thanks Christine!
Love reading everybody’s comments as I have a strange fear of using products up anc sometimes have a habit of purchasing back ups, please anybody’s tips & advice would be hugely appreciated 😀
You might try checking the number of dupes something has/browsing the swatch section here to see how very replaceable the item will be when (if ever) you finish it. I like putting different lip products together to customize the color too – so you might have fun mixing what you already have to come up with something similar, or even better! I find I have more flexibillity and range when I think of makeup as raw materials (like ingredients for a meal) that are the tools, rather than a sacrosanct piece of art. eg. you’re the one making the creation. The creation is not the product you’re using. Does that make sense? Good luck either way :).
Thank you so much hun this site has been a lifesaver for me I just love the dupes and swatches sections they’re such a huge help and this community is so lovely, even though most members are in the US and I’m from the UK and we don’t have as many releases as the US here and don’t have as many amazing stores such as Sephora, Target etc. The last Sephora I went in was in Barcelona and it was lovely 🙂
This is my actual profile by the way I just had to log in, doh!! tehe!!
Sometimes I do use my favourites sparingly – like the Sultry palette because I know that I would hit pan pretty quickly on a few favourite shades. Otherwise I just use them up because there is always something new coming onto the beauty market that I like.
The hard one is lipsticks because they are often discontinued so quickly – which is why I have stocked up on my favourite CP lipsticks – Tea Thyme, Gallop, LA Lady and Foolish, as well as Maybelline’s Spice for Me.
Very sparingly! Also with clothes. It’s a bad habit remaining from the childhood days when I had very limited access to clothes and cosmetics, I tend to keep them for special occasions afraid that I won’t be able to replace them once they’re finished. In my fifth decade in life, I’ve decided to change this because more often than not I find that a favourite product doesn’t look good on me anymore because the texture of my skin has changed (like powder eyeshadows) or that it’s gone rancid (I’ve just discovered that my beloved Chanel Pirate smells unpleasant).
The only ‘special’ thing in my collection that I’m cautious with is my beloved Charlotte Tilbury Super Nineties lipstick because it’s a truly special product. Otherwise I feel like I rarely hit pan on my favorites because for some reason my favorites always seem to be jumbo sizes (Tan-Tastic) or products with endless bottoms (NARS Loves Me Not).
I’m trying to cultivate a collection of things I really love and use all of the time. I did buy flesh and fantasy when it was on sale during quarantine and I’m excited to use it.