A few friends and I caught up over the weekend and being the beauty gals that we were, one of our topics of conversation led to lipsticks. We chatted about the brand of high-end lipsticks we enjoy, how we store them and so on. This made me think of my own lippie collection (lipsticks, lip glosses, lip lacquers and so on). Specifically, what am I going to do with the lipstick graveyard that I have?
If you’re a regular on Pinterest (which I’m now quite an addict of. Who knew?!), you’ll see hundreds of images on how lipstick organisation. You know those pretty clear acrylic drawers and dividers that you can use to hold your lip products? I have those too. And believe it or not, those lippie containers are now my lipstick graveyard. By the way, if you’re wondering what the heck a lipstick/makeup graveyard is, it’s a place where barely used makeup end up in your home. It could be old and manky but for some reason, it’s still not in the bin. It’s where makeup goes to die. A graveyard, so to speak. 😛
I don’t know when it was that I started to only wear a few lip products and only these specific few but these days, that’s what I do. I have a few favourite lipsticks and lipglosses that I rotate. The rest of the lippies I own are now sitting pretty on my vanity drawers collecting a great amount of dust.
Y’see, I used to rotate those as well just so they’re not wasted. But in the end, I found myself gravitating towards my favourites ones. I highly favour my YSL lipsticks (to me, they’re better than the ones by Chanel, Tom Ford and Dior), a couple of tinted lip balms by Maybelline and Fresh, a coral lipstick by Mary Kay and a few more bits and lippie bobs. What originally were lovely sets of drawers for my lipstick “collection” soon became my lipstick graveyard.
To be honest, sometimes I wonder if I should keep this “collection”, y’know, being a beauty blogger and all. It’s almost seems like a prerequisite that you need to have that many lippies to be able to call yourself a beauty blogger or something like that! Ridiculous notion? Very. Blogger/peer pressure? Oh yeah, it’s a real thing.
I reckon I’ll be chucking most of the lipsticks and lip glosses that I haven’t worn in months (i.e. about 80% of what you see in the photos). I really don’t mind donating gently used makeup but when it comes to lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms (basically anything that touches the mouth), those go into the bin. I think it’s unhygienic donating used lip products; I’d be happier donating new and sealed ones. It’s such a waste but it’s a huge lesson to learn to not buy so many lipsticks on a whim. Lipsticks and blushes … sigh, such weaknesses of mine!
Yea, like you, I have an unhealthy obsession with lipsticks too. I do try and rotate them and I’venot really bought a new lipstick in quite a while. Funnily, I do actually use up my lipsticks so it’s not so bad 🙂 I make it a point to spring clean my stash to trim it every half a year. Have a sniff, if it is funky, out it goes.
I’m going to do it; chuck most of them. For the good ones, I’ll do as you suggest; cut the tops off with a sterilised knife and give it to mum. Would be a waste for me to keep them as I don’t use them.
I’ve been thinking recently about throwing *all* of my collections out – stuff I shipped over from the uk that has never been opened and touched, beautiful limited edition things…..and so on – but I said I was keeping them for when I went out more – I go out all the time now but still never use them so feel they should be trashed (and are so old I don’t think I could give them away etc….).
Sad face – maybe I’m finally becoming a grown up! Lol 😛
Hahaha it’s a good thing! I think I am too. I’ve been hoarding far too much. The makeup goes bad and I feel worse because I never used them.
I don’t own ‘that’ much makeup compared to other bloggers but I recently went through my ‘collection’ and removed products I don’t reach for any more. I had to be cut throat and not hold on to something for just in case reasons haha. Now my drawers are a bit more spacey.
Kat Ness recently posted..You Are What You Eat | Healthifying My Life
You know the problem with spacey drawers? “Ooooh room is made for more stuff!” At least, that’s my weakness. 😛
Hey tine. This is.off the topic. I understand you are using.thesis.framework, right? Did you get it any skin for.it.or built it from scratch. Did you update to 2.0? Apparently there are quite a lot.of.changes I believe.
Also, I was.considering genesis coz.of.the.skins. What do you say?
swati recently posted..Blogging Series Vol. 19 – Blogging Goals for #2015!!
No worries. Yes this blog is built on the Thesis framework. I purchased a skin for it. Unfortunately, the developer has shut the website down so I can’t tell you which one it is. I would recommend Genesis as there are a lot more skins and support. I’m very disappointed that the developer for my skin has shut down his website because I won’t be able to get any support from him even though I paid for it. Studiopress is a big website; I don’t think you’ll go wrong with them.
I recently posted some photos of my lipstick storage and although there is a LOT I try my hardest to try them all out and rotate frequently. Call it a new years resolution but I’m doing the same thing with blushes and eyeshadows to make sure I try everything out – who knows what gems are lying unloved in my collection? But it’s certainly much easier to gravitate back to favourites.
Ash
Ash recently posted..A New Lipstick Set Up & Lipstick Collection
I agree! I do rotate my makeup but when it comes to lipsticks, I just tend to stick to the usual favourite few.
Hi Tine,
Same here. I behave the same way with bags and shoes – stick to the same ones in spite of having more.
Cocoa recently posted..SL-Week 6: Moto – Lego Friends Mia And Her Scooter
Uh guilty of owning a whole graveyard of them! 3 drawers. LARGE drawers. I should smack myself. So I’m not buying anymore for a while. When I say a while, I mean a few months. When I moved house, that’s when I realised just how many new ones I still had, and how some of them were old! Yet they smelled ok so I kept them. But I don’t use them. I tend to use whatever is in my portable pouch, because I apply it last, after breakfast, while heading out the door. So I love lipsticks, but I use the same old ones all the time. Yet like you, I can’t bear to purge them 😛
Unlike you however, I dislike YSL lipsticks LOL I find them way too drying and too perfumed. Heck, I don’t own a lipstick graveyard, I own a makeup graveyard. Period.
Paris B recently posted..Even on my dry skin the Chanel Perfection Lumiére Velvet foundation is simply perfect
HAHAHAHAHA makeup graveyard. Ahem. I’m embarrassed to even go there. Better shut up now. 😛
I didn’t think I had a lipstick graveyard as such, but when I think about it, I use about 5% of my total lipstick collection, so maybe what I consider my active rotation of lipsticks is actually a graveyard. Oops. I know that if I try to throw them out I’ll look at each one and go “I’m SURE I’ll use this in the future!!” lol.
Angie recently posted..The Beauty Tools
Hahaha I say that ALL the time! “Hmm keep or toss? Keep, ‘cos I’m sure I’ll use this in future”. Hence the lipstick graveyard. Tadah!! 😛
Yes, it’s almost time for me to go through some lipsticks and toss as I’ve collected a stash (and still recently purchased – more!), but only wear a few. I do like your Acrylic organizer .. love how the lipsticks lay flat.
Monica.
MonicaP recently posted..L’OREAL 5 pc Mauve Lip Set from All Cosmetics Wholesale
When they’re flat, it’s easier to see what they are compared to them standing. But flat also means taking up a lot of space. Can’t win. 😛
You could always try out what some friends and I do- pool your ‘dud’ products and get drawing/painting with them. Break out colouring books if you don’t feel like doing the actual drawing! Go for ambitiously wild. Maybe trade off. I’ve seen some awesome stuff that was actually done with various liners and shadows used like pastels.
BebeTaian recently posted..Bolivian Fair Trade Acai Seed Rosary Crucifix Necklace – Blue Cream Red Black Silver Handmade by BebeTaian
Oh my goodness, I’ve heard of that idea! BeautyQQ on YouTube does the same thing too with her dud/expired products. She creates art with them. Brilliant idea, don’t know why I didn’t think of doing it myself! 😛
My current lipstick collection is not far from yours! I’m trying to use up some lipsticks before opening new ones, at the moment I have more unused, sealed lippies sitting in the drawers than used ones being rotated in my makeup purses…thought I thought of it as a lipstick graveyard! I can always blame my mom for bad influence, because she has a bigger lipstick graveyard than I do 🙂
Hahahaha my mum blames ME for hers. 😛
I keep a box under my bed full to the lid with products I no longer want/use/like but cannot bring myself to throw them out. It is my makeup graveyard!
My current lipstick ‘collection’ is reasonably well rotated but I know there a quite a few that get neglected. I decided at the start of the year to keep a record of every lipstick I wear so towards the end of the year I can go through them and hopefully part ways with the unloved ones. I am hoping that having ‘evidence’ of their unlovedness will push me to get rid of them instead of using ‘oh but I will wear it more now that I realise I actually own it’ excuse.
Great post!
Stephanie recently posted..Chanel Reverie Parisienne Collection – Spring 2015
Thanks Stephanie! It’s a good thing that I don’t have space under my bed because if I did, a whole lotta makeup would go in there. Out of sight, out of mind, that kinda thing.
That’s a great idea, to keep a record of all the lipsticks that you wear. I should do that too!
I have a lot I don’t wear. If they aren’t old, I see if any of my friends want them and just purge.
That’s a good idea. If they don’t mind that the lipsticks have been slightly used, why not?
i think if you sanitized them, then your friends and family would be happy to have them!! Heck even if you didn’t sanitize them, if i were there, i would happily take a few lippies off your hands and sanitize them myself! lol
At any rate, i think it is already a huge/impressive step to admit that you don’t use or need a lot of these lip products. I’m in conflict over the same issue and can’t bear to give up any of the nice stuff. (Though i did purge nearly all of the drugstore brand lip stuff recently)
Joyce (bronzerbunny) recently posted..#NewEveryday Challenge: Final Recap
My friend suggested that I shaved off the top bits of lipsticks with a sterilised knife so that I can give those away. I wonder if my other friends would still want them if I do that 😛
I chucked a lot of lipsticks prior to this post. Quite a number of high-end ones too e.g. Chanel and Dior. No point keeping them as I’ve had them for far too long. Feels awful though to have to throw them away barely used. 🙁
I’m not sure i could bear to throw them away no matter how old! But yes, you can totally cut the tops off. Or even just spray/wipe with alcohol like they do at counters? Or whatever makeup artists do? I’ve sprayed stuff with an alcohol/water mix before and it seems to work just fine.
Gosh Tine you make a really good point on reigning one’s spendy habits when it comes to lip products. Once they are used, even just gently, you can’t give it away. Esp if they have been sitting around for ages. I used to buy lip products very frequently as they are so affordable (even luxury ones) as a one-time purchase compared to say a dress or bag or shoes. Unfortunately, it came to to the point that even rotating them became difficult. I couldn’t rem what I had esp when I got busy and just stuck to the ones I like in front of my makeup cupboard. I’ve been culling them slowly as I check back on when I got them (haul/review posts on my own blog) and decide if they are too old and gross to keep – lol! Beauty blogger problems!
Beauty Box recently posted..The Makeup Addict Tag
OMG my sentiments exactly Yuming! That’s why I have so many lip products! Hahah beauty blogger problems indeed. 😛