Your Product Stash?

So – how was your weekend? Get up to much?

I spent parts of mine having a cosmetics tidy up (although nothing thrown out – as yet!)......

And was horrified at just how many lip products I have to use up. I know they’re the type of thing you can accumulate without realising what a stash you have – but the tidy up really opened up my eyes to the potential waste of money staring me in the face if I don’t start using the products versus buying similar shades constantly.

In fact – I’ve had a stern word with myself and am officially on a no lip product spending ban for the next 6 months. After that I’ll evaluate how I’m going and whether or not I need to extend it for the rest of the year (eek!)

Just think – potentially no new lip products until 2012.......big frownie face to that kicker!

When was the last time you evaluated your beauty stash and thought about the money you could be saving if you just stuck to a plan of using up what you currently own? I personally don’t have any expensive vices (like binge drinking every weekend or smoking etc) currently, so I know the rationalizing mind frame of ‘But I don’t drink coffee etc so I can afford to buy this one lippie (or eye shadow or blush – whatever!)’.

But put all your accumulated ‘finds’ & ‘bargains’ together and take another logical look at it. How many similar colours are there? How long is it gonna take you to use them ALL up? And if you’re calculating years (like I am) – remember that make up DOES have an expiry date.....they don’t last forever and they do go off – especially lip products. 

So when you start doing the math, if you don’t begin limiting the purchases and having a fair crack at the products you already own – there’s every chance you’re gonna be ditching a fair bit of those hoarded products.....

And to me – that’s like throwing away GOOD money !

I get that people like to have pretty colours to play around with, mix their looks up a bit so as not to get bored – I’m one of em!.....but seriously – unless you’re a makeup artist, student or can get away with dramatic makeup looks in the work place – how often are you really altering your day to day face?

Maybe I’m looking at it wrong and there is a way to justify spending money on cosmetics you barely touch then forget about? For the time being, I’m sticking to my ban and telling myself it’ll be exciting to rediscover products I already have and complete the challenge! Time to get creative with the lip brush ;)

I think I’ll even make it my very own project 10 pan......except there’s waaaay more than 10 to use up and it’s just the Lipstick Challenge!