Make Up, Personality and Being a Blogger.

Eyeshadows have been my favourite things to buy since day one. I used to love playing with an Elizabeth Arden set from Duty Free that my mom gave me (she wears NO make up), and it hasn't died since! So as you can imagine I've accumulated a whole bunch of eyeshadows, and besides my MAC palette and UD Naked Palette, they've all been a left a little unloved..


So I've set myself a task to ignore my MAC palette and UD Naked Palette until I've worn atleast one colour from every palette, and every single eyeshadow I own.

I'm not going to lie - I haven't enjoyed the looks that I've been wearing recently, and I wonder - is it because I just don't like the colours anymore, is it a mental block because I know there's a reason why I don't wear them regularly, or is it because they're not what I'm into right now (and I'll wear them when I'm looking for that kind of colour)?


I find make-up really shows what kind of person you are. I've always been a bit of a bipolar when it comes to "goods", in that I love minimalist, chill-ed out, an immaterial lifestyle - but I also love STUFF, especially when it's pretty or it's meaningful in anyway. In reality, I really want to be a "non-blogger" kind of girl, where I just have a two or three choices, I use products up, and move on to new things but I've long gone past the point of making that possible any time soon. I also think though, that for me, make-up is like clothes - I like wearing things that express what I want to look like that day, and I think the power of make-up to change your face is amazing, and that's what I like doing.

So does that make it acceptable to have such a huge range of choice, even if they're all things you'll use one day? As a blogger, and make-up being my hobby, surely I'm "allowed" to have more than the average Joe (or Josephine, lol)? If bloggers had a collection of 2 eyeshadows, 2 blushers and 2 foundations - will blogging really be that fun?



These days I've been aiming to find the middle ground. Until yesterday, I hadn't wanted or bought make-up for a month, because I just didn't need or want anything - then I went mental and bought 2 lipsticks (although they were 2 I've wanted for ages), and suddenly I want 2 blushers as well! Is that a balance? Is that good enough? Make-up is so not as superficial as everyone makes it out to be - but it may also not be as deep as I make it out to be ;P

I think this is something that crosses every blogger's mind at one point, so I thought I would open it up for inputs and discussions from everyone else - I'm not gonna lie, I didn't write this post to make a point, or to give tips - I'm as lost as anyone really! :) At the moment, I'm thinking of going with how I am now - if I really want something, get it. If not, don't - and don't think too much into it!

So.. what about you? :)

<3yu

Comments

  1. Great post Yu! I love Blogging but I also hate how materialistic it has turned me. I would love to have a normal size make up bag that I use and finish! Note I said make up bag and not collection! Sometimes I look at my make up and think "Charlotte why oh why". I have been sucked in by blogging etc to believe I need all of it. Urgh tough situation to be in lol x

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    1. I'm exactly the same as you! I've kinda started to come back to earth since starting my new course and going to Australia where everything was low key, but I'd still like to be less materialistic! It's a tough one because blogging is so much fun, and it's your passion so it's like - how much is too much? Thanks for such a "insightful" (lol) comment! :)

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  2. I really understand where you come from. I have a makeup addiction myself and when I found my makeup collection getting too big I decided to create a blog. part of me wanted to share what I learned over the years, part of me wanted to justify have so much stuff! as long as we have fun and don't hurt anyone, who cares? xo

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    1. Hahaha very true! I think the only one being hurt is my bank account.. which I really shouldn't ignore hahaha.

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  3. I'm going through the same thing! Great post, Yu :) I always read the unclutterer blog and tried to sort of find the "quintessence" of my look and reduce my makeup to that, but around the time I was looking for my perfect wedding makeup look I started to go nuts and buy every bit of makeup I was curious to try. It's been sort of like an addiction, like smoking, and just as hard to give up! I'm trying out just setting a max spending amount each month... this month my limit is $200 and hopefully I'll stick to it. I never really kept track of how much makeup I was buying, but now that I have since the start of February it's kind of freaky to realize I was spending WAY more than $200, and shouldn't that at least be enough for even a Blogger?

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    1. Haha yes money is such a bit part of it all! Especially when you like high end make-up, or you don't use it up so fast and you feel like you're just spending and not having enough time to reap the benefits! It looks like you're doing well though, well done! I also read your recent post - ignore her, there are more worthwhile things to think about :)

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  4. I know exactly what you mean. I have bins full of makeup that have hardly been used and may have to be thrown out even though they've been touched once or twice. The way I see it is, some people collect stamps, beauty bloggers collect makeup. Ya know? xx

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    1. Yeah I suppose so! I guess stamps seem more of a waste than make-up, although I suppose it has historical value.. Idk, human obsession with "collecting" is really very strange if you think about it! :P

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  5. I quiet like the Urban Decay Mariposa eye shadow palette. I am into eyeshadows too. right now im into nude and earthy tones but in the summer I like to brighten things up! Check out my blog on make up! http://blog.yipiii.co.uk/2011/prettyp%E2%80%99s-winter-survival-kit-part-2-make-up/

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  6. I'm with you! It's strange because up until my third year of college (when I first discovered youtube/blogger) I didn't wear a single lick of makeup except for eye liner and an occasional lip stick. Since then I've been sucked into this whole community and I love it and think make up is such a great hobby and makes me really happy. At the same time, as a medical student, it feels almost taboo to like something that seems superficial and meaningless. I think there will always be people who just don't understand the whole beauty community, but I don't see myself cutting back too much any time soon because it's just become a part of my life that makes me so happy and excited!

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    1. I loved this comment Vida, happy is always a good place to be! I think I have this too, like why deprive yourself of something that you know makes you happy and that you enjoy? If you think about it, any hobby is, at the core of it all, "unnecessary" and purely there to make you happy right? :)

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  7. This so insightful- I think your giving mention to something all bbloggers feel at one point. I feel fashion/beauty blogging can pull you in and certainly tempt you to spend more money than you envisaged. Alternatively theres some products I would NEVER have come across without the bbloggers I enjoy following. If it makes you happy then go for it- your certainly not hurting anyone. The joy of being a blogger is the mass choice and experimentation that the "one foundation girl" wouldnt have dared try!
    Great post
    Liz
    http://www.aspirationsofglam.blogspot.com
    xxx

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    1. That is very true - the ups and downs of blogging is another post I've been thinking about writing! Hahaha that is a great way to phrase it, love it Liz! :)

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  8. I never EVER would have thought that i'd spend more than 2k on makeup in a single year. Heck. My old makeup budget (aka: tinted moisturizer, black pencil liner and gloss) used to be $40 for the same time period! At the same time, I'm a lot happier with how I look now. I have been on a spending "limit" for the last several months, turning into a full on ban over the last month. I want to appreciate the makeup I have before I adopt any more~

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    1. Hahaha yeah I read somewhere that the average woman spends £130 in one year on make-up.. I probably spend that in half a year, probably more if I have special occasions/repurchases! I'm glad the ban has been working out for you, I hope it gets you where you want to be! :)

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  9. great post. I too feel the same way but not the same can be said about my hauling lol. Sometimes i look at my collection and wonder how in the world did i get to this point. But i love and enjoy makeup too much to ever give it up. I need to find a balance like you have i guess:)

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    1. Hahaha I totally know what you mean! Sometimes I wonder why I never thought about the need to finish products! :P I hope you find a balance you're happy with Priyanka! :)

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  10. " if I really want something, get it. If not, don't - and don't think too much into it!"

    I love that quote! :)

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  11. My bank account suffers due to my blogging and beauty obsession. The majority of the make-up(if not all) I have I don't need at all but they're just there for when you need them 'just in case' I guess!

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    1. Oh my god my bank account is the biggest victim in this whole story haha and "just in case" is a very apt phrase!

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  12. Oh hun... If only I could justify my own make-up "addiction"...! lol :) I think I will start making a list of every single item I own and put it on the wall, to remind myself that I need to stop buying things. :D

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    1. I tried that before - it was EYE OPENING! Definitely give it a shot! :)

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  13. I know exactly what you mean. I just started a beauty blog and I find it difficult to think that maybe I will be perceived as vain/materialistic/superficial. On the other hand, this blogging community is really supportive and it seems like everyone holds each other up. SO, I guess you can't win them all. I don't have as large of a collection as everyone else (still plenty) but living in Australia, make-up is sooo expensive comparatively.

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    1. Ah yeah Australia's make up was very expensive! I think the biggest tip would be to not get sucked into believing that you HAVE to have certain things for your blog to succeed - it looks like other people fell into that trap as well as me!

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  14. Ahhhh me too!! i wish i was a non blogger in mind set about make up! 1 shadow, use it, and move on after finishing but nooooooo I need so many shades of 1 kind of brown. And eye shadow is one of my least favorites so why do i have so many????? I have been on a "Need to use this up" mind set for a while but keep replenishing. I have been there with buying nothing, then buying 4 things.....T.T

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    1. Hahaha omg the amount of browns I have is INSANE! You always do so well with your empties though, you are definitely my biggest inspiration for empties! :) Hahaha yeah Idk what it is, sometimes you just don't want anything and all of a sudden it's like I WANT IT ALL! :P Atleast it's not like that 24/7 ey :P

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  15. Such an interesting post and reading thru the answers I can see many feel the same way. I know that if I wasn't writing/reading blogs, watching youtube videos I would own 1/4 of all the products I have. On the other hand, I don't spend more than I can afford, I've found some amazing products that have changed my skin or my look for the better, I have met some great new blogger friends, there are people who spend lots of money on their sport of choice but don't feel guilty about that, this is my 'golf' :)

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    1. I totally agree - the benefits often far outweigh the costs and that's definitely how I feel :) I love your optimism and clarity Tracy! :)

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  16. I did a mssive clearout a couple of months back and it felt amazing, i chucked enough makeup out that it was overflowing my bin. I wanted to then have a collection of few products but more meaningful ones. I think I did it to justify new purchases, Ive bought things like the UD NAked palette, which i had ever heard of before YT and blogging. now my collection is building up and i find i buy things because so called Gurus have them, I spent £20 on Jemma Kidd foundation, because i felt the need to be like them, its ok, my others are btter. I think overall i need to find the balance, im loving makeup, i enjoy putting it on everyday and the feeling it gives me, i think i just need to reign in my spending and try to justify each purchase. Great Post Yu, youve hit something I think all us beauty bloggers feel, well the average, working, student (not rich) ones xxx

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    1. Oh I have such a huge fear of chucking make-up out! What if what if what if :P Ah yeah, justifying purchases is key.. whether you actually want it in your collection, or if you wanna try it just cuz someone else said it was good.. I think it's difficult to realise that you are so different from people, and that what people say is good may not always work for you! I'm glad you liked the post Laura and hope you had your relaxing bath last weekend! :)

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  17. This is such a lovely post to read! I'm so happy I read this post, because this is exactly what I've been going through ever since... I started my own blog, really.

    I've always loved makeup, and love playing around with it but when it came down to putting on products on my face, I've always preferred the natural look, almost barely there look rather than a smokey eye even though I'm going to some fancy schmancy event.

    Especially when you're new to the blogging community, you feel this sense of 'need' to compete with the other well-established bloggers out there that feature beautiful products on their blogs.

    I recently when through the same thing. I was barely wearing any makeup - just my brows, mascara, a bit of blush and under eye concealer. But in the past 2 weeks, I went nuts! I'm happy that my purchases weren't influenced by that sense of need to compete with the other bloggers and get the products they feature on their blogs. I got what I wanted, even if they were impulse purchases! :-D

    If I'm feeling like a non-blogger, then I suppose I don't blog because I don't have anything worth publishing on my blog. It's merely a creative outlet for me and if I have readers/viewers, well that's a massive bonus!

    Well, anyway. That felt good... to get it off my chest. Amazing post Yu! :-) Love your blog, and I especially loved this post.

    xx

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    1. You're so right in everything! The sense of competing or buying something because other people have it, is so strong in this community it's insane. But I do agree, in that if you get what you wanted it's not really money wasted - whereas getting something that you didn't even want or need, for the sake of getting it is ridiculous but we all seem to do it atleast once!

      I'm glad you got it off your chest hahaha thank you so much for your insightful comment :)

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    2. I was going to write a comment but in fact, you said everything I wanted to say (and much better than I would have done). Whole heartedly agree!

      Heather xo
      audreyfleur.blogspot.com

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  18. I think it is inevitable that you end up with more stuff (cloothes, makeup) than the average Joe but you don't realise until you have an outside view of it. Buying for buyings sake is silly but I spend my money on clothes rather than drinking etc so I guess it's a personal choice!

    Maria xxx

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