A lot of us are facing no shortage of makeup products – if anything, the problem we have is the exact opposite. Years of purchasing a lip gloss here and a new concealer there has left us with a plethora of products that now feel borderline overwhelming to face when the time comes to actually use them.
Personally, I went through an obsession with eyeshadow palettes , especially ones with all the colours of the rainbow. I know have a drawer full of palettes with repeating colours that I almost never touch bar the ‘once-in-a-blue-moon’ evening of playing with them.
With money becoming increasingly tight, we have less to spend on makeup than ever – which makes having a collection we actually get use out of absolutely vital. In this post, I’ve put together a few tips to hopefully help you in putting together a makeup bag that will be worth your money <3
Find your makeup style
Think about your go-to makeup looks. Are you into bold eyes? A soft lip? Rosy blush? If this bit leaves you a little stuck, Pinterest is your friend! Make a board of makeup looks that interest and inspire you, try to ascertain some common themes, and note them down.
For example, I’ve always LOVED multi and duo-chrome eyeshadows, so my Pinterest is full of looks featuring those. I prefer a softer lip, usually opting for just a cool-toned lipliner and clear gloss, with a natural plum blush and a little pearlescent highlight. This is definitely the most fun step on the list.
Makeup Audit
Go through what you already have and divide what you’ve got into these groups:
- Use all the time
- Use occasionally
- Never use
- Forgot about
- Doesn’t work for me
Then, you’ll know where your gaps are. Consider getting rid of those ‘Doesn’t work for me’ and ‘Never use’ products, and keep the ‘Forgot about’ pile in clear sight for a while – you may be surprised as to what becomes a new fave!
Get brave or get real
This ones a bit of a harsh reality moment. We often buy makeup that we imagine our fantasy self wearing all the time, but we never actually have the guts to use it. You have to be really honest with yourself here.
Either with the products that you already have, or when you’re out shopping, something will catch your eye that you imagine the ideal version of yourself wearing all the time. For me, this was duo-chrome eyeshadows, and bold lips. I bought two eyeshadows to start, but went a little bit crazy with liquid lipsticks. Both groups sat on my vanity for weeks without getting any attention, because neither were in my rotation yet – the eyeshadows felt too special for everyday, and the lipsticks felt too bold when I actually put them on and totally washed me out. One day, I decided I’d had enough of just looking at these beautiful eyeshadows, so I started small – my usual neutral eyeshadows, with a little of the duo-chrome on the lid. I loved it! A little more experimenting, and the duo and multi-chrome eyeshadow collection (which has now grown to two palettes worth) has been integrated into my daily rotation. They don’t feel like ‘too much’ because I wear them all the time – they’re just a part of my look now, and no one bats an eye! The liquid lipsticks on the other hand…
I had this idea of a classic femme fatale in my mind when I got them, but that’s just not me! I’m colourful, loud, a little ethereal with my makeup, and a bold lip just isn’t comfortable with that. So, I kept and grew my eyeshadow collection, but my lipsticks were generously donated to my little sister, who is a little more tan than me, and makes a bold lip look amazing!
Either get brave, and wear that product you imagine your ideal self wearing, or get real and leave it behind! There’s no right or wrong answer, just what feels right for you <3
Everyday essentials first
Build your collection around the products that are already your everyday go-tos, such as:
- Moisturiser, primer, foundation, concealer
- Blush, contour, highlight
- Brow products
- Mascara, eyeliner
- Lip balm
- Setting spray
If there are any of these still missing from your collection (that you want to use), then you know what to search for next!
Avoid Duplicates
If you already have six peach tone blushes, ask yourself if you really need another… sometimes you don’t need another variation of something you already have.
Build around your favourite colours
If you love neutrals, don’t feel like you have to have eyeshadows in every colour of the rainbow. If you want your collection to feel cohesive, aim for a colour scheme built around the colours you love as opposed to having a random assortment.
Have a few ‘fun’ products
If your collection is entirely practical, that can get boring pretty quick – have a glittery gloss or a colourful eyeliner that keeps your love for makeup alive 🙂
Have specific looks in mind
Just like a wardrobe, if you think about how the products are going to come together to make a specific look, you’ll find you get a lot more use out of your collection! For example, you can have:
- An everyday look
- Date night look
- Full glam
- Soft romantic vibe look
- A more fun or colourful look
Then, each piece in your collection has a reason for being there 🙂
‘Shop your stash’ before making new purchases
This is more about being frugal, but still relevant – if you feel like you need something new, try to spend a week or two using products you’ve forgotten about first. You might find something that works really well for you!
Let your collection evolve
There might be products you loved a year ago, but you never reach for anymore. It’s okay to let things go!
Or, maybe you want to try a new look. Try to adapt your collection one product at a time rather than a whole haul of new purchases.
In Conclusion
A good makeup collection isn’t a huge one – it’s one where you can open your makeup bag and easily find products that you genuinely want to use! Be intentional with your purchases, and they’ll bring you a lot more joy in the long run. Drawers full of products that get no use can really drag you down, so make the most of what you have and create a makeup bag that makes you feel good <3