Let's get critical: beauty edition

I noticed how I tend not to spend money on make-up when I don’t actively go to the make-up store. I am saying ‘the make-up store’ like it’s the general store, one store with all the make-up. How naïve.
Of course, accidents happen where I am simply browsing the blogosphere and, before I realise it, I am waiting for nine eyeshadows to be delivered to my doorstep. So, the whole ‘make-up store’ theory has some flaws, but what bothers me is that I have enough make-up in my collection that I don’t really need anything else. Luckily, the blogosphere hides some critical gems when it comes to beauty.

On top of this realization, I started watching commentary videos about beauty trends, gurus, marketing strategies, and make-up collection challenges, which got me thinking about my beauty regimen in a more critical way.
In this article, I will try to tackle these concepts to promote critical thinking and buying, at least when it comes to make-up.

• Challenge: Not buying make-up for a year

I applaud people who manage to do it! I feel like it takes a high level of self-control, but also great planning skills. As I mentioned earlier, it’s easier not to buy more beauty products when you don’t go shopping, and people usually make time to go shopping or find themselves in a store when they are in between appointments. I think purchased something every week when I was going to improv class, which started 2 hours after I finished work. That’s some serious shopping trigger for me.

• Shop your stash

I’ve noticed how not buying make-up for a long period of time is often connected to ‘shopping your stash’, which indicates the act of organizing your make-up collection and regularly reaching for palettes and foundations you haven’t used in a while. What you already own is a great resource to find new ways to incorporate old products in your daily routine without the need to, you guessed it, buy more of them.

• Your beauty number

Apparently, the average person (I believe they meant ‘woman’ but we all know that’s way too reductive) uses about twelve products every day for their beauty/hygiene/skincare routine. Twelve a day? More like twelve only in the morning, as far as I’m concerned. My beauty number, if we count every product, not dupes, and including products I use on alternate days, is around twenty-six. The fact is I don’t only own those products, I have two or more per kind, sometimes they are actually different and they work well alternated, sometimes I have no explanation for it. I know there are people who have one product and they use it up before deciding to re-purchase the same one or change it for a more suitable or efficient one. I am clearly not one of them.

• The pop effect

I fall for this every single time, insert clapping hands emoji here, and I never realized it until recently. This marketing strategy goes hand in hand with cute packaging, collaboration allure, and limited edition pressure. When I see that one iridescent lilac, in an otherwise dull and beige eyeshadow palette, I become incapable of any critical thinking. Imagine me as the ‘shut-up and take my money’ meme. Now, before reaching for my wallet, I cover up that one shade and magically all my reasoning power comes back to me and allows me to assess the palette in a more objective way. Spoiler alert, I haven’t bought a palette in almost a year.

• Challenge: Pan that palette

I’ll admit I have never touched pan (it means ‘finished’, just in case you’re not up to date with the lingo) with any eyeshadow in my whole life. This challenge appeals to me because I have accumulated so many palettes scattered around the World which I know I will never use up. So, some time ago, I decided to resume one palette from last year, which was a cute limited edition with a pop of colour, and which has barely been used. Now, I can say I have used it for the past three weeks and no one suspected anything. Rather than hitting pan, my primary goal was to see what eye looks I could come up with and to be more aware of the colours I enjoy using, the techniques I opt for when I am on the go, and what shades suit my everyday style and complexion.



Image: via
Post inspired by: Lucia