Unexpected Discounts After the Purchase Date

When I started being more selective in my makeup purchases, I decided that waiting for expected sales was going to be the easiest way for me to stop most impulse purchases. Over time, I realized that I was no longer buying items impulsively but rather after long reflections; even when the expected Sephora sales came around I was barely buying anything and often skipping the sales entirely.

New products were still being released constantly, but nothing really caught my eye. Enter Subculture. I waited  at least a week before buying it. I knew that Anastasia eyeshadow palettes were often highly sought after and that a discount on that particular palette was unlikely. Oh, how little did I know.

So when Petite Heat became the new palette I again waited. I had "learned my lesson" with Subculture and this time waited even longer to purchase Petite Heat. When Sephora had an unexpected percent off sale a few weeks later I decided it was finally time to buy Petite Heat. But of course what happened at Black Friday that year? Petite Heat was half off somewhere and even still continues to be randomly discounted throughout the year. I knew that Urban Decay palettes were likely to be discounted, but that was usually the limited edition releases. not items that had been added to the permanent line.

It's hard not to feel disappointed that I didn't get the huge discounts others did. I have to remind myself that I got something I really wanted, not just because it was on sale. After all, if you wouldn't purchase something full price, should you really purchase it on sale? I feel like that was a big mantra in r/makeuprehab last year.

It's easy to get caught up in what you missed out on. For me as a budget shopper, something that's been ingrained in me since childhood, missing a significant sale is huge. But it shouldn't matter so much to me. I didn't know those sales were coming. I practiced patience and waited to see if maybe it would happen, and that's all I can ask. I didn't make these purchases impulsively.

If I had waited to purchase Petite Heat I would have saved maybe $10, but then I wouldn't have been able to play with and explore the palette at the time of year when I did. I don't think that saving that money would have been worth it, but in the back of my mind I can't help but think about how much more significant 50% off is over 10% off. It's so easy to focus on the numbers behind it rather than just appreciating the item for what it is. And that's something I'm actively working on this year.

An Appreciation for Subculture

In the last couple of weeks I've been drawn to a new eyeshadow palette. Not new due to release date, but new as in not the Petite Heat that has been my siren call for most of the year so far. It feels strange too because I consider Subculture much more of a fall palette, but I've really enjoyed playing with some of the colors during this current heat.

It's quite amusing how I was ready to almost give up on bold colorful eyeshadow when this palette was released two years ago. I had bought a custom Mac palette in early 2017 and been thoroughly disappointed with three of the colorful shades I had chosen. Indian Ink, Naval, and Bottle Green looked like beautiful rich shades online, but because they were pro store exclusives I bought them sight unseen. While they may be decent build-up shadows, they were not the type of product I was interested in. When Subculture came out a few months later, I was amazed at how it contained so many of the bold colors I had wanted to put into my custom palette. It had the purple, green, and blue I was hoping those Mac shades would be, plus more.

What I find interesting though is that the colors I was most interested in are the colors I use least in the palette. I remember being so excited for Axis. It is such a beautiful color after all. But just because I like a color doesn't mean I'll like it as an eyeshadow. I barely wear my Urban Decay eyeliner in Mainline because I find it overwhelming, so why do I think I'm going to wear more of that color on a larger surface area of my eye? I'm not. I'm just not.

There are three shades that made me want to use this palette again: New Wave, Edge, and Roxy. I have been pining for some Sydney Grace shadows for the past few weeks, and I've been looking through their catalog try to find shades similar to these three. Right now French Hens and Geese a Laying are inspiring me to create a custom cohesive palette.

I never would have thought that Roxy would become one of my favorite shades in the palette. When I bought the palette I thought it looked so boring. But on a whim one day two years ago I put Roxy in my crease, and my appreciation for the shade instantly skyrocketed. When I first got the palette I challenged myself to use only it for my eyeshadow for 30 straight days, and I'm so glad I did. Doing so really pushed me out of my comfort zone with color, and I learned to pair different colors together I may not have easily considered.

As a whole, I really do appreciate Subculture. I know when it was released it didn't get the best reviews, but I have thoroughly enjoyed using it and really learning about my color preferences from it. I doubt I'll have it for another year, as my favorite shades are quickly being panned, but I am quite glad that Subculture was able to help me find those favorite shades in the first place.

More Meaningful Choices

I have been thinking this past week about how my makeup preferences have changed so much in the last few years. I remember when I first became interested in makeup I wanted to own as many things as I could and have massive collections like the YouTubers I watched. Over time, however, I've realized that I actually don't like having many options. I would rather have a handful of blushes than a drawerful, and even then, I would probably end up wearing the same one or two blushes repeatedly for months.

I feel like a lot of social media is trying to convince us that more is better. The constant influx of releases and barrage of opinions about them make these inflated collections feel normalized in a way. If anything at all catches your eye, you're almost expected to buy it. But I can appreciate the beauty of something without owning it. A lot of emphasis now is placed on brands and products rather than aesthetic and technique, and as a result I repeatedly hear YouTubers harp on about "trying new things."

But that's the thing for me. I don't care really about trying new things, at least not to the extent that they do. I would much rather have a predictable and constant routine than be bombarded with a multitude of choices every day. I would rather spend a month or two figuring out which gold eyeshadow I want and would be most likely to use than have six different ones I can choose from on a daily basis. I have recently come to realize that the fewer choices I have the more meaningful those choices become. 

The Pull to Rotate

I feel like the two big camps in the panning community are those who "rotate products" and those who "project pan/pan that palette." Over the past few years, I've tried both. I remember having a spreadsheet where I tallied how often I used a product. I also remember having weekly makeup baskets and sticking with the same eyeshadow quad (shout out to you, Lorac Satisfying Toffee Crunch) for basically an entire year. And then at some point I just... stopped.

Some YouTuber (maybe Abby Williamson?) I was watching this week mentioned her philosophy was to always use your favorite, not to save it. Once you finish it, you move on to your next favorite. That way you're always using your favorite. When she made that comment (about camping food) I think she was likening it to saving "special occasion" or "too pretty to use" makeup, but I think it relates to constantly rotating products too. When your collection is at a manageable size and you love everything in it, it's easy to use your favorite. Sometimes you have multiple favorites, so it can be difficult to select a favorite. (More "Do I want to wear my favorite red lipstick or nude lipstick today?" Less "I love all twenty of these cream-colored eyeshadows and can't choose which to use today.") But when something isn't well-liked it's easy to weed that item out.

I rotate by finding new combinations to try. I might focus on an eyeshadow palette for a month, not because I want to force myself into a one month one palette but because I'm interested in learning how it works with this blush or that lipstick. Sometimes these explorations last a few days, sometimes a few weeks. Sometimes I simply use a product repeatedly because I enjoy it.

I no longer feel the need to rotate what I'm using to ensure everything gets used. (I also don't project pan anymore, but I've already made a post on that topic.) If I notice I haven't used something in a while there's probably a reason, and it might be a good idea to delve into why. Reflecting on the use and non-use of products in my collection really helps me understand the kinds of products that work for me and that I should bring in with any future purchases.