How has your makeup collection evolved? Share!
Aside from the obvious (that it grows exponentially), I’d like to think that it is a lot more diverse – there are a lot of different brands, price points, and types of products.
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When I first started wearing makeup, I was all about lipstick. Then, in my 20s, it was eyeshadow, which is still what I’m most passionate about. However, over the last 2 years, or so, I’ve added a myriad of blushes, bronzers, highlighters, etc…
It used to be anything and everything I could afford, completely random, impulse buys, “must haves” that just couldn’t work for me or my pro kit.. a mess! Now I enjoy taking the time to choose products I know I will love, to research and try them out before purchasing them. I love having a collection that simply works with and for me instead of the other way around.
I really love how you said that, “…having a makeup collection that works with and for me, instead of the other way around.”
The focus of my makeup collection has been about eyeshadow palettes. Luckily, I love and rotate through most of them. But I missed the mark on the LORAC Mega Pro palette and I’m still getting over it. From what I understand, it’s highly dupable which decreases my temptation to pay over $100 for it!
*Definitely has become bigger in the last 2 years!
*As I get older, I focus more on skincare and sunscreen. And I’m using more hydrating bb creams, less face powder, lighter shadows.
*My eyes shadow collection has exploded.
*Definitely more HE brands.
*Using more Japanese and Korean skincare and beauty products, and they have some great stuff. I keep hearing that their products there are 5-10 years ahead of what we have in the USA, and the prices are fairly affordable because of how hyper-competitive the market is. I’m glad some Asian brands (Hada Labo, Dr. Jart, Laniege, Amore Pacific, etc) are finally making their way into mainstream stores like Ulta, Target, Sephora. And this is probably just the beginning of a big wave. The USA market is going to be a huge, new opportunity for them, and it’ll force all companies to step up their game, which will be good for us, the consumers.
I’m with you about Korean skin care! Yet I prefer the lower prices I’m able to snatch them at NOW, being they aren’t USA known well. Have you tried Scinic products? Secret key? Skin Watchers? I highly recommend them! 😀 And, of course Missha Tine Revolution The First Treatment Essence! It’s a dupe for SKII essence but it’s better! 😀 I see the trend of how to use Asian skincare creeping into company lines by them adding the many components used together rather than just a cleanser, serum or moisturizer. I think that’s smart.
No I haven’t tried those, thanks for the recommendations. From what I can tell, it can be tough getting your hands on the products, instructions and ingredients can be in Japanese or Korean, and returns by mail are tricky or not allowed, so I’m waiting until they show up at regular stores like Sephora, Ulta, and Target. I’ve only tried a few products, but have been pretty impressed so far witth the quality, ingredients, and prices-the Hada Labo facial sunscreen & hydrating facial cleanser and the Dr. Jart BB Balms, but I know there’s more out there, and it’s very exciting to product junkies like us.
That’s my biggest apprehension in trying Asian brands-I *need* to know the ingredients, and the regulatory policies in manufacturing/selling skincare products. Granted, I think the US is a bit too stringent on certain things, but at least I know the products are thoroughly vetted in order to reach US mainstreamshelves.
🙂 That is why I found those who are experienced and went the extra miles for translations. I know exactly what I’m getting and how it will be. Much cheaper this way. They don’t want sold over here, many refuse. Lily at her blog and YouTube channel is VERY informed and shares information on everything. Just recently she started from a korean product review but Asian skincare is get passion. Here: Iamabeautyjunkee.wordpress.com ENJOY. She saved me.
Lotus, thanks for the rec! I will definitely check out that blog.
I started blogging just over 4 years ago and bought every product in every available shade, type, all skincare from all brands, loads of haircare products, nail polishes and bodycare products. This overwhelmed me considerably seeing as I only wore makeup on occasions and only have one body for all of these products. I began giving away products by the bucket load yet still have boxes, drawers, bags and cupboards full of items. It has shrunk quite a bit but not to anywhere near the size I’d like it to be. I stopped blogging for a while and have just recently started in an attempt to reduce the stash size and use up what I’ve bought as opposed to giving away more of the thousands of pounds worth of beauty products. Will definitely be purchasing much more carefully in 2016…
Mine has definitely become more diverse over the years: In variety of brands, price points, colors and product types. More makeup brushes, too. Since coming into my 40s, I’ve added a lot I didn’t use to need before. I use eyelash serum, and I have to curl my lashes. I use eyebrow products. I use firming collagen creams and eye creams, etc. that I wouldn’t have even looked at 5 years ago.
It’s absolutely much more diverse (I have you to thank for that, Christine!) Truly, beauty blogs have opened my eyes to new brands, looks, colours, etc. That being said, from a colour perspective I’ve actually become much more neutral with my eye shadow colours, but bolder with my lip colours. I’ve generally come to prefer keeping my eyes more neutral; I use the Naked Basics palette pretty much every day! And I love spicing things up with my lipsticks – my current favourite is MAC’s Gunner from the NastyGal collection.
I’ve also placed greater emphasis on the quality of the tools I use – good brushes/tools in general make ALL the difference!
It’s more like the result of some major explosion than it is an actual ordered evolution! But I now purchase products with more of an idea of whether or not I’ll actually love and use them (with a few greedy purchases that were motivated more by frenzy than actual thought! I’m sure many here know just what I mean). I’ve got products in all price ranges from dirt cheap (WnW, Maybelline) to pretty pricey (Dior, Guerlain, Hourglass) and everything in between. What they all have in common, though, is that I love them to bits and always enjoy using them!
My stash has become much more lipstick/lipgloss heavy over the years!
Mine’s evolved in 3 ways:
1. My taste matured and I know what looks good (and bad) on me
2. I moved from Los Angeles to the East Coast and expanded into darker colors and heavier makeup you don’t see in LA
3. Most of all…I’ve had to start wearing eyeglasses full-time which means all that eye makeup work goes unseen 🙁 So I’ve built up quite a shimmery taupe and dark liner collection and after years in MLBB colors, now I’m known for bold lips!
My collection has grown a lot within the last year…that goes for the number of products and the range (high, med, and low end) I have also found out that my weaknesses are Highlighters, Lipsticks, and Makeup Brushes.
My collection used to be mostly drugstore products, now it’s mostly indies. It used to be just sparkly things that caught my eye, now I usually do a fair bit of research for each piece I add. Most recently it’s been changing from being 99% eye products to having a diverse collection of lippies and base products. I paint my whole face now, not just my eyes. Wow, how many comma splices was that?
It’s gotten quite monstrous. Just how I like it. XD
It started off very slowly, although I’ll admit now that I started off buying high-end straight away as well as drugstore. I eventually migrated towards ‘pro’ and stage makeup like MAC, Kryolan and Ben Nye. Then I became obsessed with MAC for a good few years and my spending increased. The haze lifted and I finally realised that there were other companies out there whose products were just as good, if not better than MAC’s.
I was obsessed with eyeshadow and then obsessed (and still obsessed) with lipstick! Now I buy from both high and low-end brands. I’m willing to fork out for some pricy items if I know I’ll get my money’s worth from them.
That’s roughly it.
The only thing that hasn’t changed during my 8 years into makeup, is my love towards beautiful packaging and product performance (staying power and pigmentation). So my collection is made up of 50% of professional brands (MAC, MUFE), 30% of designers brands (Marc Jacobs, Dior) and 20% of a mix of drugstore superstars and organic brands (Tarte). I always prefer to save up for products that can really last, instead of grabbing whatever I can afford at the time.
My makeup collection has gotten smaller. I used to have 2 traincases full of makeup, but over time realized what works for me and have been able to reduce the amount of makeup in my collection. Now, I read informative reviews when I’m looking to purchase a new to me product and take advantage of samples to see if something will work for me. No longer impulse buy, that’s how I ended up with so much unused and underused products over the years.
It’s more thought out now because I always get reviews 1st instead of a bunch of random thing I’ll never end up using. More quality items instead of quantity so it definitely consist of more mid end and high in instead of beauty supply. Mostly lipstick
Besides the overflow of lipsticks and glosses I’ve accumulated lately my collection has gotten more diverse. Last year it was dominated by MAC. This year I’ve tried a handful of new brands and built up my collection with old faves that I’ve forgotten about. It’s been nice to have a little more variety in my collection
It has taken over. I’m without room to move. YAY! 😀 Well, that’s not much evolution but the goodies are more evolved. 😛 And they should be. Yay! 😀
HA HA HA yeah I know how THAT is! I keep mine in colored cases to give me a clue of the color families that are in the cases. My collection has taken on a life of its own, I think! Maybe things multiply during the day when I’m not home. . . .???
I bought a blue liner and purple mascara this year! I also have less foundation than ever before.
When I first got into makeup it was because I was watching beauty youtubers and reading blogs. I think because of that I used to feel the desire to try every new product in lots of shades (especially drugstore). But the beauty industry moves so fast and brands are so competitive with putting out similar formulations that I recently becamr overwhelmed and realized I don’t need to own everything, especially in colors i’m not particularly drawn to. Over the next year i’m focusing on editing my collection down to products I know I love and will use. This will also include more high end products because sometimes it’s about the experience and treating myself and feeling pampered as oposed to getting the less expensive dupe. I also think that spending more on single items will motivate me to consider any purchases I make more carefully. I want to make maek up fun again! 🙂
I buy more useful stuff now. Back in the day I would buy everything just to have it or try it, now I try to buy quality products I actually use
I think for me the combination of getting older, the growth of beauty blogs and make up tutorials has changed the way I look at make up. I never wore foundation, highlighted, bronzer etc. just basic blush mascara, eyeshadow and eyeliner until I started noticing all the you tube videos about it and the blogs relating to make up and now I am obsessed. I went from mainly Clinique to mufe, Chanel, la mer, hourglass, guerlin etc. And have been loving every minute of it! It has went from a chore to put on make up to something I look forward to doing every morning thanks to being able to experience such wonderful products that look so pretty and feel like silk going on and has completely changed the way I look and feel. I still prefer a very natural look however I use a lot of products to get that look lol. I think that the ever expanding use of make up tutorials, blogs and vlogs is going to continue to change the way the average women looks at makeup. I have to literally stop myself from purchasing every product one of my favorite bloggers raves about yet another product and have had to learn to sample first!
My makeup collection has evolved by making decisions about what I need, what suits me and what I like. I needed to have a foundation that suited my skin tone – so I researched that using blogs like this one. I was always a fan of lipsticks, but I realised that that was just the end point. I started using more moisturizing products to take care of my skin: day time moisturizers, serums etc. I started using primers and it really improves the look of my foundations. But it was eyeshadow palettes that I have loved and I have many of them – great buys thanks to this blog. I have learnt that I am not warm toned, but cool toned and this has revolutionised my makeup stash. I feel that I have learnt a lot over the past couple of years.
My collection went from one Too Faced Palette (Natural Eyes) 2 years ago, to now having over $30,000 worth of makeup from many different brands from many different countries.
I consider myself a Cosmetic Collector & Enthusiast… Also known as a Cosmeticaholic… And I’m proud of it!
This is so interesting! My experience has been the opposite. My collection has become more the same, in terms of brands and colors (sticking to neutrals). I’m the kind of person to grow more attached and loyal to the same things over time.
Ha ha ha it’s gotten bigger and bigger! Ha ha ha!
I used to just use a small set of the basics (foundation, concealer, mascara, blush) in an attempt to hide my flaws so that total strangers wouldn’t think ill of me and my flaws pasty skin and blonde eyelashes. 😉 Makeup was a necessity, a chore, rather than something I did for myself.
Somewhere in the past couple of years I discovered that makeup can be fun, and my collection EXPLODED–often without consideration for what might look good with my coloring or lifestyle or personal preferences. It’s new!!! It’s pretty!!! It’s limited edition!!! BUY ALL THE EYESHADOWS!!!
Nowadays I’m more selective about what I purchase. I always consult this glorious blog for swatches and reviews to make sure I’m getting a quality product, and have established a mandatory waiting period to stave off impulse buys. I also make myself depot everything I buy so that I can better resist getting sucked in by the shiny packaging or a fancy brand name or an LE collection. While it hurt at first (especially for some of the pretty/LE palettes!) it’s helped me focus on buying makeup that I’ll USE, not hoard. Plus, I’m more aware of dupes now that everything is so organized AND more aware of gaps in my collection–I have enough blush and eyeshadow and eyeliners to last through the apocalypse (especially if it’s a zombie apocalypse, because I’m totally getting eaten right off the bat) but very few quality lipsticks or finishing powders or mascaras or highlighters. I’m better able to resist Vice 3 in favor of a couple Revolution lipsticks. 🙂
Do I still buy makeup I probably won’t wear more than once or twice? Yep! But I also have more money to buy the quality products I *really* want now that I’m a little more careful about buying stuff.
More blushes and lipsticks with relatively fewer eyeshadows (not absolutely less, because hell if I’m throwing much out!). Still a lot of eyeliner…
I used to have a small collection of products that I liked, but I really didn’t spend much time on makeup or pampering myself at all. In the past year, maybe 18 months, I have really started to pay attention to what I like, what makes me feel good. I feel so much better about myself when I feel good about how I present myself, even if I am only running to the grocery store. Working from home for the past 15+ years has been wonderful, but I got really lazy about makeup and taking care of myself, and that really was obvious in the lack of care for my products. Now, I research products, try lots of different brands and styles, even experiment with colors and looks that I would never have worn in public before! I also started investing in great tools, like wonderful makeup brushes. It makes me feel so much more professional in my application, and really makes a difference in the end result. I have certainly gained a much larger quantity of makeup and skincare products, but I would also say I have gained much more in quality as well. And it all makes me much happier as a person, gives me a creative outlet, so I say more of the good stuff as we head into 2015!
In the last few years, quite exponentially. When I was in high school, I used to work for Merle Norman, then Shoppers Drug Mart so I had a little bit of cash and some good employee discounts. I had quite a bit of makeup for being young. When I was in university (I graduated May 2012) I didn’t have much makeup because I didn’t have a whole lot of disposable income, it all fit into one travel makeup bag! I recall my first ‘high end’ palette was the NARS Danmari… I don’t know what drew me to it. Since then I’ve been working full-time, and I now own more makeup than one person probably should! I have a vanity with my lip products in it & eyeliners in cups on it, and an IKEA malm chest full of foundations, bb creams, eye shadows, paint pots, blushes, highlighters, bronzers, a drawer dedicated to palettes, some skincare, and a few back ups (Chanel velvet foundation)…. Just wayyy too much!
At one point I tested loads of liquid foundations and bb creams, but as I have gotten my skincare straightened out and my skin has calmed down, I have passed on most of my them and resigned to wearing mostly powder foundation. Curiously enough I have also accumulated blushes and eyeshadow palettes? How did this even happen? I also used to have mostly bright lipsticks, but I have gotten a few more neutrals lately. Still looking at getting more eyeshadow, blushes and finishing powders… 😀
I have only been a liner and lip gloss person but after entering into the blogging world.. i have converted to a eye shadow person.. I love dramatic eyes !!
Also Red lips have become my favorite which once I used to be scared off!!
I think my stash has boiled down to just a few colors that suite me the best and then evolved to more high end brands like Tom Ford and Hourglass. It’s so much smaller compare to what I use to have (collecting a lot of things and rarely use 80% of them) but every single thing is essential and gets a ton of use.
Yes! When I first began wearing makeup, I started off wearing Fashion Fair and Revlon. I was only 15 at the time. I began experimenting and playing around with different brands ranging from the department store such as Benefit to drug store brands such as Maybelline. I also even brought these wildly colored lipsticks from the Beauty Supply House which were b/w $1-$2. My college years were filled with some mainstays such as Dior and Nars. The rest were all “misses”, i.e. Agnes B and Avon. Another miss I also made was wearing lip gloss. I thought I look good with “patent” shiny lips at the time. As I got older, I began cleaning out my makeup case. I began favoring more matte lipsticks, matte eyeshadows, some cream eyeshadows liquid eyeliners, lip pencils, and volumizing mascara. I wanted a more polished look. I only wear makeup from brands that work very well on me. My mainstays are L’Oreal( Eyeliner),Nars (Eyeshadow, Eyeshadow Base, and Lipstick), MAC (Lip Pencils), Dior ( Mascara and Lash Primer), Make Up For Ever (Eyeshadow, Lip Primer, and Lipstick), and Chapstick to provide moisture for my lips under the lip pencil and matte lipstick.
It grew but I got to the point this year of “ok this is too much”. So I have purged a lot this year. Of course it’s still too much for one person *shrugs*. What’s left are items that I do enjoy and actually use. What I have most of is eyeshadows/palettes. We’ll see if anything else comes out in 2015.
My makeup collection has come a looooong way in only a few short years. I started out using a variety of drugstore products in college, and eventually ventured into the world of high-end products once I couldn’t find drugstore products that matched my skintone or longevity needs. Now essentially 75% of my current collection is high-end. Also, I used to continuously buy a variety of products, but now I know what works for me, and I tend to stick with what I love. I only go out looking for new products to try when I’m not satisfied with what I’m using. So now, if I love it, I use it and buy it again. If I’m not in love, I use it up (if I can tolerate it long enough) and replace it. The only product type that doesn’t fall into this category is lip glosses and lipsticks. I love trying new formulas. Other than that, I stick to my holy grails in other products.
I think mine has been an increase in more specialized products. I used to buy the most glittery palette, the brightest lipstick, etc. And while this is fine and good sometimes for a splurge, in my opinion, it’s not so great in the long run. That’s why I started researching and investing in products that I can wear on either a daily basis or for an extra touch of something for special occasions that is long-lasting/high quality/etc. Same for brushes.