Thank you for your replies. I do look on Make Up Alley quite a lot, plus other beauty blogs. I think I really have a problem and need to do something about it. Its natural for a woman to be interested in make up but it seems to be taking over my life and way of thinking. Because of my sensitive skin I have to be careful what I can use, I can wear make up as long as its hypoallergenic, I could never not wear make up. But I get torn between brands. At one time, some years ago now when I was in my thirties, I just wore a pressed powder over a basic Boots cream, didn't even know what SPF was and didn't care. I also wore eyeliner and lippy and mascara, a bit of blusher and that was it. I used basic simple skincare, never gave it a second thought and just bought new stuff when I ran out of what I'd got. Now its a different story, I don't know if its because now I am older I worry more about things looking right or because products have got more fancy and advanced but I worry about not using enough SPF, I worry about powder making me look old or liquid eyeliner for that matter, I love Clinique since my friend got me onto it but find it a bit difficult to afford now so I try and keep away from it and buy cheaper brands which are good enough but I still crave Clinique yet worry about spending the money. I don't use an awful lot of make up, just one shade of everything, one lippy, one blusher etc but I worry about what I do use. Skin care is another thing, since face wipes came out I've been using those but then worry that they are not good for my skin. I've tried using the wash prescribed by my doctor for eczema, cleanse and polish, Clinique and Avene cleansers and I keep chopping and changing and not sticking to anything. I think the only stuff I do stick to and don't worry about is hair care. I use stuff from my hairdresser and stick to it because my hair has really improved since using it. I keep wondering if I ought to use tinted moisturiser or maybe it might not give me enough cover but will foundation be too much?
As for the beauty counters I am rarely away from them. When I leave work I can't pass Boots without going in, even if I don't need anything, I just have to have a look. I do have hobbies and things to do but this obsession still takes over. I hate having time on my hands as that's when it gets worse. Although I don't talk about it all the time I am sure I must bore people when I am always eager to find out what products they use and can't wait to talk about make up.
Sorry this is a long post but I think I really need to buy what suits me, stick to it and not replace it till its used up, but how do I decide what to buy without feeling guilty about spending too much money, its a visicous circle.