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.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Saying Goodbye
In the past week the number of blogs that I follow has significantly decreased. Three blogs said goodbye to their readers: Auxiliary Beauty, Bad Outfit Great Lipstick, and Faceonomics. With the shift to YouTube, it can be difficult to find makeup blogs nowadays, especially ones that don't focus on reviews. I found all three of these blogs thanks to the blog authors posting on Reddit. And while they did review posts here and there, the blogs weren't solely about cataloging and swatching the new releases, and that felt like a breath of fresh air.
When I started my own blog earlier this year, I had three rules for myself that I've managed to stick to thus far. (1) I would be posting once every week on Monday. This was to get myself in the habit of writing. For the past few years I've been telling myself I wanted to get back into creative writing, and knowing I had a weekly deadline has helped me immensely. I still haven't started writing that novel, but I do feel like I'm finding my voice again.
(2) My blog would never have any pictures. That one seems silly; a makeup blog with no pictures of makeup?! Were there times when I wanted to include a picture in a post? Sure. I think it would be cool to show you my custom palette or help you visualize how my eyeliner collection changed in September. But I know that I would focus too much on getting the right Instagrammy picture and not enough on the prose that was the whole reason I started my blog. Besides, I'm a big proponent of swatching for yourself before buying a product, and there are a plethora of blogs out there on the internet who supply swatches for those who can't or don't wish to swatch things themselves.
(3) I wouldn't be posting reviews. Makeup is so subjective, and even after being interested in it for nearly five years, I still don't feel confident giving my opinion on a product. I can't often verbalize the reasons I like a product; I just know that it makes me happy. I'll talk about why I want to buy a product because of how it fits into what I already own. But I won't tell you how it drying it is or how its opacity compares to another product. I feel like there are plenty of people who already give out that information, and that's not what I want to be known for.
Will you see another post from me next Monday? Yes I'm not going anywhere yet. My goal is still to make it at least a whole year before calling it quits. Truthfully, I'm not as interested in makeup as I was when I started this blog. But I do enjoy writing about my journey weekly. So see you next week.
When I started my own blog earlier this year, I had three rules for myself that I've managed to stick to thus far. (1) I would be posting once every week on Monday. This was to get myself in the habit of writing. For the past few years I've been telling myself I wanted to get back into creative writing, and knowing I had a weekly deadline has helped me immensely. I still haven't started writing that novel, but I do feel like I'm finding my voice again.
(2) My blog would never have any pictures. That one seems silly; a makeup blog with no pictures of makeup?! Were there times when I wanted to include a picture in a post? Sure. I think it would be cool to show you my custom palette or help you visualize how my eyeliner collection changed in September. But I know that I would focus too much on getting the right Instagrammy picture and not enough on the prose that was the whole reason I started my blog. Besides, I'm a big proponent of swatching for yourself before buying a product, and there are a plethora of blogs out there on the internet who supply swatches for those who can't or don't wish to swatch things themselves.
(3) I wouldn't be posting reviews. Makeup is so subjective, and even after being interested in it for nearly five years, I still don't feel confident giving my opinion on a product. I can't often verbalize the reasons I like a product; I just know that it makes me happy. I'll talk about why I want to buy a product because of how it fits into what I already own. But I won't tell you how it drying it is or how its opacity compares to another product. I feel like there are plenty of people who already give out that information, and that's not what I want to be known for.
Will you see another post from me next Monday? Yes I'm not going anywhere yet. My goal is still to make it at least a whole year before calling it quits. Truthfully, I'm not as interested in makeup as I was when I started this blog. But I do enjoy writing about my journey weekly. So see you next week.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Choices, Not Collection
Well, I did it. On Saturday, I bought the two eyeliners I was considering to restart my eyeliner choices. I started to write collection, but I really think choices is a better way to put it. I don't want to have a collection again. I don't want to feel the need to have a wide array of colors because someone tells me I should. Why should it affect me if someone online has a cup full of eyeliners? Maybe she doesn't even like the ones I do.
It's funny how that drive to participate in the beauty community can affect you. Even though I told myself before Saturday that I was only going to buy Rockstar and Lucky I still found myself wanting to consider other colors. I didn't really catch myself doing it either until I started considering Mainline. Mainline. That tealish-blue color that I sometimes thought about wearing but basically never did. It's a pretty color, but it's totally not my style. I had owned it for about 800 days and had likely worn it less than ten times.
That's one of the reasons I decided to only buy two eyeliners this time. I want to use them, like really use them. Even though I loved Rockstar and easily called it my favorite eyeliner, I only used half of my previous one in the nearly four years that I owned it. Putting the old and new side by side today totally shocked me; I seriously thought I had used much more than I had.
So that's why I'm moving from a collection to just having choices. I'm the kind of person who only wants a few choices. So many of my makeup categories only have one or two choices already, and it was time to make that switch with my eyeliners as well.
Monday, September 16, 2019
To Replace or Not
Truth be told, I haven't been wearing makeup much recently. I've thought about it a few times, but the desire hasn't been strong enough to actually go pick up my basket and start the process. The few times I have worn makeup recently it almost always has lacked eyeliner. It feels weird because a few years ago eyeliner was easily my favorite makeup category. It was the first category that I truly cared about enough to specifically choose colors and formulas before purchasing.
So, why am I telling you this? Because this upcoming Saturday, my favorite eyeliners will be on sale for half off. If you've been reading this blog for some time, you probably already know how long I've been wanting to buy Urban Decay's Lucky. When I first saw the Urban Decay eyeliners were going to be on sale, I decided that I would buy Lucky and no others. I do not need any other colors, and I love the colors that I already own.
But then I started thinking about how much I enjoy my eyeliners but how little I use them nowadays. I realized I haven't worn them much lately because when I do my eyes often hurt. It seems silly to admit it now, but it took that realization to recognize how long I've had my eyeliners. In fact, I just pulled up my purchase history, and I'm shocked:
So, why am I telling you this? Because this upcoming Saturday, my favorite eyeliners will be on sale for half off. If you've been reading this blog for some time, you probably already know how long I've been wanting to buy Urban Decay's Lucky. When I first saw the Urban Decay eyeliners were going to be on sale, I decided that I would buy Lucky and no others. I do not need any other colors, and I love the colors that I already own.
But then I started thinking about how much I enjoy my eyeliners but how little I use them nowadays. I realized I haven't worn them much lately because when I do my eyes often hurt. It seems silly to admit it now, but it took that realization to recognize how long I've had my eyeliners. In fact, I just pulled up my purchase history, and I'm shocked:
- Lancome Lamé - April 2018
- UD Anatomy - June 2017
- UD Mainline - April 2017
- MUFE M-60 - November 2016
- UD Invasion - December 2015
- UD Rockstar - not listed, but it's my oldest eyeliner... November 2015?
No wonder I've been having issues when I wear eyeliner lately! It's high time that I replace my eyeliners. I can't believe I've had some for almost five years. This just solidifies my decision to chuck them all and just buy Lucky and a replacement Rockstar. Eventually I may replace Lamé and M-60, but I really want to see how I handle having only two eyeliners. I know I'm not going to miss Mainline or Invasion; I barely wore them, and they were definitely aspirational items. Lucky can basically act as a replacement for Anatomy, so I'm not concerned about missing that one either.
In fact, the only thing that I really worry about it is that I'm not going to wear these either. I don't want to buy more makeup just to cling onto the idea that it's still my hobby. But perhaps that is a reflection for another post...
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