'Vintage' make-up...or just old

[mippy]

Just seen an eBay seller selling Yardley lipstick (discontinued 1998) Stuf lippies (discontinued 2003) and Kolor eyeshadow (discontinued 2005). Given this, should I hang on to my 9-yr old half-used bottle of Benefit High Beam?

ooh I wonder if the yardley still has that distinctive smell after a million years in a drawer

I remember buying a purple one (called Storm or similar) when I was about sixteen and feeling REALLY grown up. This was in the days when Almay, Sensiq and Astor were really high end and £5 was way too much for an eyeliner/.

I've a never used at all, Versace compact.
Wonder if anyone would want that?

Almay.. that takes me back ! and sensiq.. all very oval packaging if i recall... don't remember Astor though

Loved the Mary Quant range of make up that was out briefly, must have been early 90s.

yes, is the answer to that muggle !

You can get Mary Quant on eBay as well!

It makes me feel all nostalgic. runs out to buy some Shaders and Toners

How much money are we talking?

I must have a look.. I don't know muggle, but i would have a quick search on ebay and see what similar are going for

Urgh at second hand scummer make up (mind you, i am hypocrite as started a thread last week about thieving make up testers from airport duty frees).

I remember thinking that Yardley make up was so posh.

Stank iirc.

My favourite vintage make up is the legendary Constance Carroll roll on minty flavour lip gloss.

I want an Avon winter wine lippy

Starting bid of £16.99.
I'll keep it. Not to use, but as a memory.
An exbf bought me it, but got the wrong colour and I didn't have the heart to say.
That was 14 years ago.

If we'd been talking £50, then fuck the memory

I don't think it is second-hand - I think a lot of retailers buy up deadstock and sell it on. (I'd only use used make-up if it had been passed on by someone I know, and even then not mascara etc.) I did once pinch a Benefit tester when I was young and silly though.

I do remember my friends buying Constance Carroll translucent powder. In our town, the hierachy was off the market > things sold in Boots > the single high-end counter in Debenhams which was Lancome, IIRC. Even now there's no MAC or Urban Decay or similar. The first lipstick I ever bought was Rimmel's Fudge Brownie and I thought I was really posh because it wasn't Collection 2000.

What's weird: I remember Sleek being a cheapo market brand, now they're sold in Superdrug and all the make-up bloggers are fond of their eyeshadows.

As a guide, anything that's a cream, paste or emollient base will have gone off by now as bacteria can breed in this environment. So, this includes lipsticks, foundations, eye pencils, cream eyeshadows, mascara etc. So if you want to buy anything "Vintage" in this category it should be for the packaging/display/nostalgia purposes only.

Most powder products have an indefinite shelf life as bacteria can't breed in a "dry" environment but if you are thinking of buying second hand I would recommend getting some Isopropyl Alcohol from the chemist and using a cotton wool pad dampened with the alcohol to wipe the surface of the product to get rid of any germs or bacteria. Don't worry about making the product wet, the alcohol will evaporate straight off.

Going into a little nostalgic dream here... anyone have fond memories of Miners? I used to try and copy their eyeshadow designs from the ads, must have looked a treat with my grey school V-neck!

I had a look at the seller's feedback - not because I wanted to buy, but because I know how old Yardley is now - and saw lots of 'Doesn't smell or go on like Yardley, bad quality'.

Does that go for unused stuff Havingkittens? I have a little box with things waiting to come out once I've used up my current supply.

oo the smell of Yardley lipstick, I'm having a craving right now. My mum used to use it and I would always sniff it....bliss

And what about Glints hair colours, the packaging was divine, just hair, eyes and lips on a white background.

And I'd like some of that green hairgel in a tub

Don't try SunIn though, never met a single girl that got that streaky look with that stuff

Actually, some old make up is fine to use (though probably not good if previously used by someone else). Basically if it looks and smells OK and goes on all right, go ahead. As a teen in the early 80s I used to hunt out all this old stock in funny little shops and buy it, as the colours were so much more interesting than what was generally available.

It's ok if it's not been opened or exposed to the air. You can generally tell by the smell or look. Off lipstick has a fairly distinctive smell and the lipstick will seem more sticky or gummy in texture. Off foundation also smells a bit rank and often is separated.

Yes, I remember Glints, and Miners, and Princess Marcella Borghese fantastic giant eyeshadow palettes, Madeleine Mono sparkly eyeshadow pots, Body Shop coconut hair gel, and Boots unperfumed hairspray in the pink dotty can, and No7 Lipstick in Twilight Teaser (which they still make and I have in my make up kit for 80s themed shoots!)

A small chemist in my home town used to sell Leichner stage make up really cheap, which I had a craze for for a short spell.

I must have wandered round town looking like Bette Davis in her latter years.

This is turning into a great thread...not that it didn't start that way...

My first make up crushes were Rimmell Azure Blue Eyeliner, which I used to run under the hot tap to soften it before applying, so it would go on really thick.

I also loved Miss Selfridge Iron Lady lipstick, and Max Factor Blase perfume.

Coffee shimmer by Rimmel was my favourite lipstick.

My first blusher was cendre de roses brune by Bourjois and I still like it now. God I thought I was so posh buying Bourjois.

iced champink lipstick (avon) was very "in" when I was 14 and a half.

Boots 17 "bonbon" was a lovely colour, quite neutral for the 80s iirc.

Constance Carroll products I remember, the gloopy roll on lipgloss. Teen magazines used to give away cheap copies of this.

I tended to keep make up to eyelids and lips only and my skin was in lovely condition for ateenager.

GetOrf I have that blusher now, love it. (mine is not old)

The dds are desperate to get their hands on it, the little mirror inside the lid, the cute little brush, the slightly soapy smell...I have a high shelf for my make up.

did I hear right that Bourjois is actually made by Chanel?

I love the smell of bourjois.

Good luck keeping your dd's away from your make up - I hide all my lancome and urban decay goodies away from my dd (she can do her time with rimmell and collection 2000 like I had to )