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It’s not, haha! Obviously, given the volume of products I test and go through, I don’t have much opportunity to use products ’til the very end. I’m lucky to finish a lip balm! As a regular consumer, I don’t mind not finishing something up entirely, but I wouldn’t want tons of products that went almost entirely unused either.
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It’s not very important to me, but I did just go through my lip products and decluttered a lot in hopes of being able to finish some… maybe. I love lip products!
I have too many lip products to use them up completely. I have used up lip balms and lip scrubs and I’m trying to keep those at a minimum. However with my lipsticks, lip glosses, liquid lips etc I’m more concerned with rotating my stash so I use most of what I have and so I don’t have so much that sit in a drawer untouched
Apparently, it’s not important enough to stop me from constantly buying new lipsticks that are in the same shade range! (I mean seriously, how many dusty mauves does one gal *truly* need? š )
I hear you on the dusty mauves.
Me three š
I finished up two lip products this year, ABH St. Tropez lipgloss and UD Revolution lipstick in Native. I would like to finish up more but I have a hard time focusing on just one lip product as I like to wear something different on my lips everyday.
In theory, I would love to finish a whole lipstick or lipgloss.
IRL, that doesn’t happen unless I am hyper focused on it. Any suggestions of how to expedite the process of finishing a lip product are appreciated, though!
I can think of two lipsticks that I actually used up and repurchased. Ever. For me, I find choice to be my downfall. There are SO many lovely colors, formulas, etc. The most effective way to use up what I have is to stop buying. That means stop reading reviews, magazines, and don’t browse the beautiful counter or store so I won’t be tempted. But… since that’s not happening, I try to really scrutinize the lip products i purchase – how many nude rose lipsticks does one need?
As I was mentioning on Instagram, finishing a lip color for me is not as relevant as actually getting a use out of it.
I find that 6-7 shades are more than enough for my curated make-up collection. Yes, I might finish within a year the most used shades (aka a brown and a pink/mauvy my-lips-but-better). But I know that even with quite regular use I won’t be finishing a red or a deep burgundy (I love bold lipsticks, sometimes I even wear them to work) until they either expire or start going bad. Also, I mostly own matte/satin formulas, so they are harder to use up (creamier consistencies lead to more product used at one application).
With my curated make-up collection I can see actually how long a make-up product actually lasts me and to be honest, even with reapplication lipsticks go a long way. Yes, I usually get a lot of use (maybe when it expires I have 1/3 or a 1/4 bullet left even from the darkest shades) and I’m glad with just that.
And yes, my lipsticks expire or go bad quite `fast` (never had something for more than two years, and those are shades that I may be wearing only once 2 weeks). It’s one thing to keep lipsticks most time in a drawer/storage container, and another to regularly use it (e.g. exposure to changes in temperature from house to town to commute to office, and other environmental factors).
Not at all. It rarely happens, and I’m OK with that.
Personally, I’m less concerned with finishing a lip colour (lipstick, lip gloss) and more preoccupied with rotating the products. I get to finish quite often lip balms and lip scrubs. I apply a lip balm every time I use lipsticks and lip glosses (prior to applying the lip colour). Every night I put a generous amount of lip balm before falling asleep.
Lip glosses are the next ones to be finished, as I use them more often than a lipstick and most of the time on top of a lipstick when the latter starts to fade or becomes a bit drying on my lips after a couple of hours.
To be 100% honest, I do feel perturbed when one of my lipsticks “turns” before I have had a chance to use up at least half or 2/3 of the tube. Yet, I also need to get real with myself here. I have somewhere in the ballpark of 200 lipsticks. No way will I get to use any of these up completely before they spoil or something! Which means, I’m going to have to become more strict with myself and buying new lipsticks, then, aren’t I?
Doesn’t matter to me one bit otherwise I would stop buying and make a concerted effort to use them up. I did a lipstick de-clutter last year but I am sure I am up well above 200 again. In the big scheme of things makeup related, lipsticks are relatively cheap and are an easy way for me to pick up something I know I will love and will work for me.
I have a portion of my lipsticks out on my vanity in two mirrored holders and also a tiered lipstick holder. The remainder are in makeup drawers arranged my color. While I was gone for 5 weeks and my mother was taking care of our cat, she noticed all the lipsticks on my vanity and when my brother came over next she took him in to look at them. He told her that no one needs that many lipsticks. When she was telling me what he said and also how surprised she was to see that I have so many I told her that wasn’t even half of my lipticks, she hadn’t seen the ones in the drawer. I really have a problem but it is a problem I enjoy and since I pay for them myself I am not concerned.
I try to get through most everything. I hate waste, and so I curtail my purchases so that I can actually use the things I buy.
I try to make it happen with all my lip products! Unsuccessful with lipsticks, but easily achievable with lip balms and Bite Beauty lip glosses!
Question – how do you guys dispose of old tubes of lip products? Are they recyclable? I hate to throw them in the trash. Just wondering! I might ask this form of question next time you’re fielding questions, Christine! I’ve tried to research the most environmentally-conscience ways to declutter, but perhaps readers might have good options!
When in doubt, throw it in the recycle bin. Let them figure out if it’s not recyclable. Wash it out first, if you can.
I’ve read that L’Occitane and Bare Minerals recycle any beauty products if you take it in store
Also, Mac has their own recycle program, but it has to be empty Mac products
Not too important considering I have so many lipsticks, but I do like to finish them so I can buy some more!
It’s kind of important, as I like to get my money’s worth. I’d like to get at least halfway through a product if I can’t finish it…though if I get the feeling that I won’t use something up, I usually just give it to my mom. She goes through lipsticks like a breeze lol
It’s not. I do try to use up balms, as they seem to go bad faster (as in … I’ve yet to have a lipstick go bad, but I’ve had 3 or 4 balms go rancid).
Since we are nearing Halloween I would say only if I should become a zombie I might be able to finish y insane lipstick collection or lipgloss. I have too many although I have finished two or three and lipsticks and one DIOR gloss balm about to end and Iām so surprised kind of a proud feeling when I finish anything. Lol! Iām trying to reduce my stash. Huh! Yeah?! Right! š
Forgot to add, I have separated them by color reds, pink, corals, maybe, berries, orange, vampy, etc. in separate small IKEA (used to be) candle holders. That i find it really helps in finding them quickly, The rest i keep neatly organized by color also in long thin acrylic containers I just have to pull a bit forward from the shelve and still can easily see find them.
Well, it’s more important than finishing powder products simply because lip products really do go bad after a few years. I wouldn’t say I actively try to finish any lipsticks, but it makes me unhappy to have too many shades sitting around that I just don’t use.