I keep trying to get back into makeup, but it feels like I've just moved on from the hobby. It seems so silly to be disappointed in losing interest in a hobby, especially one that took me so long to admit was my hobby.
Maybe it's just a rut. After all, I do still get excited to stumble across new (to me) products that interest me. I bought a new eyeshadow brush trio at Ulta a few days ago and have enjoyed using them lately. It was a mostly impulse purchase. I don't remember how I discovered them. Maybe an ad somewhere? I definitely wasn't seeking them out. But once I saw them I knew I wanted them. They were pretty, a decent price, made by a brand I already loved using eyeshadow brushes from, and brush shapes that I really enjoyed using. It was like the perfect culmination of things. (Oh, and I had a 20% off coupon.)
I don't remember the last time I was excited about a product like this. Yes, I've still been buying products throughout this year, but it feels like all those purchases have been thoroughly and exhaustingly thought out. "Do I really need this?" "How does it fit into my collection?" "Am I really going to wear this as much I think I am?" "Can't you wait for this to go on sale? You just have to wait two more months, and then it will probably be $4 cheaper." I mean, seriously? Why am I beating myself up over $4 when I no longer have the unhealthy shopping habits I had a few years ago.
Maybe I've just become wiser to the marketing tactics makeup companies have been perfecting in this age of social media. Instead of scrambling to check Temptalia every morning for new releases, I log in once every week or so just to check out the discussion posts. With Youtube, I don't care about reviews or whether or not some person I've never actually met is going to buy something. That doesn't affect me and my tastes, or at least it shouldn't.
I'm tired of feeling like I don't have a place in the beauty community if I don't know about new or trendy products. Looking back now I think that having that current knowledge was what made me feel more connected to the online beauty community. I was also excited to use products back then because so much was still so new to me. I was still exploring my makeup preferences and hadn't yet settled into my makeup style.
So maybe it's not so much being in a rut as it is just being comfortable with where I'm at in this journey.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Monday, October 21, 2019
Capturing My Attention
I've noticed a lot of talk in the beauty community this year about being fatigued with all the new releases. Trying to keep up with the number of items that are released each month is overwhelming, and I gave up that endeavor long ago. A few weeks ago Temptalia posed the question "How would a new brand or product capture your attention?" When I first saw that prompt, I found it intriguing and thought that answering it could help me solidify even further what I look for when purchasing a new makeup product. But here I am nearly a month later, and I'm still not much closer to answering the question.
Minis, or smaller sizes in general, would definitely catch my attention. I don't even look at big palettes anymore, so if I saw singles or a quad I would be more likely to take a closer look. Pencil eyeliners as minis would be even better. And if a product line had mini lipsticks that did not require you to buy a set and were in basic colors, that would definitely pique my interest.
The colors I'm most drawn to are typically neutral, boring colors. If a brand were known for their bright, out-there shades I probably wouldn't look more into them. I'm not in that stage of makeup development anymore where I want to try all the new things. I like my safe, boring neutrals now and know how to jazz them up in my own way.
If I saw the product in person in a store like Sephora where I could swatch it, I would be more likely to buy it than if I saw it online. Perhaps the packaging would catch my eye too as I walked by in search for something else. Packaging does, after all, play a significant role in my value of a product.
Other than that, I'm really not sure how I would be captured by a brand. I don't typically seek out new brands to try anymore. I wait until I feel like I need something and then go from there.
Minis, or smaller sizes in general, would definitely catch my attention. I don't even look at big palettes anymore, so if I saw singles or a quad I would be more likely to take a closer look. Pencil eyeliners as minis would be even better. And if a product line had mini lipsticks that did not require you to buy a set and were in basic colors, that would definitely pique my interest.
The colors I'm most drawn to are typically neutral, boring colors. If a brand were known for their bright, out-there shades I probably wouldn't look more into them. I'm not in that stage of makeup development anymore where I want to try all the new things. I like my safe, boring neutrals now and know how to jazz them up in my own way.
If I saw the product in person in a store like Sephora where I could swatch it, I would be more likely to buy it than if I saw it online. Perhaps the packaging would catch my eye too as I walked by in search for something else. Packaging does, after all, play a significant role in my value of a product.
Other than that, I'm really not sure how I would be captured by a brand. I don't typically seek out new brands to try anymore. I wait until I feel like I need something and then go from there.
Monday, October 14, 2019
The Siren Call of Mini Sets
With the holidays quickly approaching my mind seems to be shifting its focus onto one thing: mini sets. For quite some time now I haven't really cared about all the palettes that get released, but there's something about the end of the year that makes me seek out new mini sets.
But here's the thing: I don't really need anything, especially not the types of things that typically come in mini sets. I think blush palettes can look gorgeous, but I'm already content with number and colors of singles I own. And while I love seeing what lipstick colors are released in cute little trios, I rarely like all the colors that come in a set. (And of course as soon as I said that I had to go check if NARS had a set of Velvet Matte Lip Pencils again this year. They do. But I already own one of the four in the set. and at least two of the others are permanents that I hadn't previously considered buying. It's a easy skip for me, but that just further proves my point of how intrigued I am by mini sets this time of year.)
Even skincare is the same this year. As much as I love getting minis to test out new skincare, I don't want to try anything new right now. I love the products I'm already using and instead have been seeking out sales to buy the full size versions.
The only thing I can even think about considering as far as mini sets go is an eye pencil trio from Nudestix. But even then, I honestly don't know how much I would use them. I don't use cream shadows now as is, so I wonder how and how often I would incorporate them into my routine. I've been wanting to try them for months now though, but I know there's likely an underlying reason why I just haven't bought any yet. I've definitely had the opportunity to purchase them; I just haven't yet.
So why do I keep browsing through all the sets? Why do I want to know what's available if I know I'm not going to buy anything? I have nobody to buy makeup for, so it's not even like I'm buying them for gifts. I need to be more mindful of the time I spend browsing. My time could be better spent doing other things like completing a Duolingo lesson. Actually, I think that will be a goal of mine now. When I realize I'm spending too much time idly scrolling I'll learn some more Italian instead. That's a much better habit to form, right?
But here's the thing: I don't really need anything, especially not the types of things that typically come in mini sets. I think blush palettes can look gorgeous, but I'm already content with number and colors of singles I own. And while I love seeing what lipstick colors are released in cute little trios, I rarely like all the colors that come in a set. (And of course as soon as I said that I had to go check if NARS had a set of Velvet Matte Lip Pencils again this year. They do. But I already own one of the four in the set. and at least two of the others are permanents that I hadn't previously considered buying. It's a easy skip for me, but that just further proves my point of how intrigued I am by mini sets this time of year.)
Even skincare is the same this year. As much as I love getting minis to test out new skincare, I don't want to try anything new right now. I love the products I'm already using and instead have been seeking out sales to buy the full size versions.
The only thing I can even think about considering as far as mini sets go is an eye pencil trio from Nudestix. But even then, I honestly don't know how much I would use them. I don't use cream shadows now as is, so I wonder how and how often I would incorporate them into my routine. I've been wanting to try them for months now though, but I know there's likely an underlying reason why I just haven't bought any yet. I've definitely had the opportunity to purchase them; I just haven't yet.
So why do I keep browsing through all the sets? Why do I want to know what's available if I know I'm not going to buy anything? I have nobody to buy makeup for, so it's not even like I'm buying them for gifts. I need to be more mindful of the time I spend browsing. My time could be better spent doing other things like completing a Duolingo lesson. Actually, I think that will be a goal of mine now. When I realize I'm spending too much time idly scrolling I'll learn some more Italian instead. That's a much better habit to form, right?
Monday, October 7, 2019
How Much Have I Spent This Year?
A couple of weeks ago Samantha Ravandahl posted a video about how much she had bought so far this year. Truthfully, I haven't watched her video, but I did witness the discussion it sparked on the Makeup Rehab subreddit.
At first, I was excited to participate in mentioning how little I've purchased this year. Looking back now though, I feel silly for wanting to seek validation from random people on the internet. I know that my spending habits have significantly changed for the better over the past few years. Isn't that personal knowledge enough?
I never ended up responding to that Reddit discussion. Not only did I realize that I didn't need that anonymous validation, but I also realized that I didn't know how much I had spent. And I see that as huge progress.
The first two years I started paying attention to my spending I tracked every purchase and had a spreadsheet cataloguing things like purchase date, first date of use, discount. I had gone from buying frivolously to tracking obsessively. And neither of those behaviors was healthy.
If I think now about my purchases from this year so far, I know I'm going to forget something. And that's okay. I know I've bought less than a dozen items, even with counting my four Sydney Grace shadows separately. But here's the thing, I can't remember everything I've bought and when, not because I've bought so much, but because I'm not obsessing over makeup anymore. If that's not progress, I don't know what is.
I never ended up responding to that Reddit discussion. Not only did I realize that I didn't need that anonymous validation, but I also realized that I didn't know how much I had spent. And I see that as huge progress.
The first two years I started paying attention to my spending I tracked every purchase and had a spreadsheet cataloguing things like purchase date, first date of use, discount. I had gone from buying frivolously to tracking obsessively. And neither of those behaviors was healthy.
If I think now about my purchases from this year so far, I know I'm going to forget something. And that's okay. I know I've bought less than a dozen items, even with counting my four Sydney Grace shadows separately. But here's the thing, I can't remember everything I've bought and when, not because I've bought so much, but because I'm not obsessing over makeup anymore. If that's not progress, I don't know what is.
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