Ashamed of my beauty product hoard!

[IPokeBadgers]

I have spent some time this morning trying to sort and tidy my beauty and toiletries cupboard and I am actually feeling very and at the sheer volume of stuff that I have, much of it lovely and expensive and unopened!

I reckon it could take me a couple of years to get through it all!

Buying make up as well as lovely bath and shower stuff seems to have become my go to/default pick me up when I want to impulse buy...... but seeing the hoard has brought me down.

anyone else like this and are there any threads that would encourage me to stop buying stuff and use all the lovely products that I have?

please tell me I am not the only person like this?

I am currently keeping my lippy on my desk for regular reapplication, even if it makes me look like a secretary from the 50s I'm not sure I've ever used up a lipstick in my life and I have so many! I also have quite a lot of glosses and realised a few years ago I'm not actually a fan of gloss, so not sure what to do about those.

I am SO glad I've finally found a good eye primer so I can start wearing eyeshadow again (eyelids were so greasy for so long I gave up, even though I love eye make up and have loads).

I used up a sample of Tata Harper Concentrated Brightening Serum last night. Does that count?

Yes that counts Naboo and welcome! Start with sample sizes first, that way you feel you are actually getting something finished, full size products can take forever. I have worn an eye shadow duo on my brows almost every day for well over a year and I'm not even half way through!

Not everyone is a lipstick person. I used glosses exclusively for well over a year, not even varying the shade, then went back to lipstick because I grew tired of the natural look. Currently I am wearing lipstick all the time, I bought new eyeglass frames (Jenna Lyons type) and they look better with bright lipstick.

No empties today, but very close to finishing a few!

Naboo, what eyelid primer are you using?

Excellent. I have quite a few samples at the moment. Should be able to use up some more tonight.

To review my empty from today - it really is the mutt's nuts, damn it. I got three applications and I was so glowy! If anyone is in the market for a lovely brightening serum I hear the Avalon one is a good dupe for this, though.

Ginger Nars - it's bloody fantastic! No creases all day. I've only tried it with a cream shadow so far, not powder, but I have no doubt it will be just as good with powder. Usually I crease within a couple of hours.

Sorry, should probably stop recommending products to addicts! It was just that the Tata Harper is £170 versus Avalon at about £15, so if anyone was going to fall off of the wagon for a brightening serum, they would be less likely to bankrupt themselves.

I love reviews for addicts I realize my total number of products isn't probably going down while I am on this thread, but the proportion of products that I absolutely love is definitely going up.

I'm getting mildly obsessed with Korean stuff

Fellow addicts, what is the best stuff out there for covering the dark under eye area?

I was intrigued about that fizzy BB cleanser you mentioned earlier and had to sit on my own hands

The best thing I've used was the Pixi eye primer in my search for the holy grail eye primer. Rubbish as a primer but really nice light texture and coverage for under eye, which is how I use it now.

FrugalFashionista for dark under eye area I use Nars creamy concealer... Has the most natural finish but is pretty high coverage... I've tried a few (Bobbi Brown, Collection 2000, Mac etc.) but Nars beats them all for me...

Welcome Nabootique I definitely agree with above advice about getting through sample/trial sizes first - makes you feel great as the empties pile up and your stash looks significantly depleted...

Now that I've got through most of my samples the pace of using things up is a bit slower... I've repurposed a few things and am hoping that will speed things up: lip balm used as a blister protector on my ankles, anti-aging creams that are too scented for my face i'm using on my neck/chest etc.

Only empty this week so far is a Diptyque mimosa candle which I won't repurchase... Best thing about using up candles is I love keeping the empty jars for bits and bobs (cotton buds, face pads, makeup brushes etc.)

I've used up three samples this evening. Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum - despite not containing silicone this balled up as soon as I put oil over it. Not sure if any stayed on my face! MV Organics Instant Revival Booster - beautiful. Seriously one of the best things I've ever put on my face. Ordered the full size before I joined this thread Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser - lovely, of course, damn her and her cleanser wizardry. She will be the death of me (at the hands of my bank manager).

Nabootique I'm also using up the Caudalie Polyphenol C15 serum - I'm using it underneath a standard moisturiser and it doesn't ball up - so your findings may be a problem that is particular to using it with oil? I have to say that while I probably won't go and buy a full size bottle of it, it has left my skin feeling hydrated (although hard to know what's the serum and what's the moisturiser!)

I will also be adding the MV Organics instant revival booster to my list of things to try as and when I've got through my current stash... I tried their Rose soothing/protecting cream and their jojoba oil - both nice but wasn't blown away by either, but do want to try other things from the range.

Tata Harper is also on my to try list - Caroline Hiron's fault!

It probably is an oil thing. I'd like to try the oil from that range, actually. My cult beauty wishlist just keeps getting longer! Do you get samples from being content? That's where I get my expensive stuff samples from.

Yes, it is all Caroline's fault! For Tata Harper there's a great mini set you can get to try out seven items.

Oo great advice Naboo - I'm definitely putting the Tata Harper sample set on my wish list... I'd never even heard of Being Content - now on their website, that's my morning gone!

They do a fab sample service. You pay them £3, no purchase necessary, and they'll do 4 samples of pretty much anything. They decant it themselves if they don't have an official sample.

Thanks for the tip JJ! Finished a tube of toothpaste today (ugh -from my SLS free days) and Dr Jart Premium trial size BB cream is gone! I mix it with Missha 13 to get a perfect match for my skintone. Love it, will definitely repurchase. If all goes well I'll raid US Sephora tomorrow. Only packed products that I want to finish for this very short trip!

Two more empties today:

Good Things Manuka Honey clay mask thing: It was okay, but for that price I much prefer the Amie Spring Clean one for my clay mask.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask: Quite nice, but I think there are better resurfacing masks for that sort of price - Peter Thomas Roth and Oskia are better.

2 more empties :-) Have a spare of the rituals shower foam, which I love, and possibly the hair conditioner too, buried deep in back of the cupboard. I am embarrassed to admit how long that tub of pantene has been on the go!

Darphin vital skin tonique - done. Travel size. Was lovely. Would consider buying. Probably too ££.

Beauty protector leave in conditioner. Done - won't repurchase.

2 more here:

Hydraluron - won't repurchase as I have a hyaluronic acid serum from SR Skincare that I got for about £6 in my back ups, which is exactly the same. I like hyaluronic acid, but I don't know how Indeed Labs can get away with charging £25 for it!

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-oxidant serum sample - will definitely purchase at some point. Bloody lovely. Weird texture, but so smoothing and glow giving. Nice smell too.

Nabootique I agree re: Indeed Labs Hydraluron. IMO it's really overpriced for what it is, and for me, I didn't see a significant enough difference for it to be worth repurchasing.

My empties:

Lush Soft Coeur Massage Bar: an oil-based massage bar that smelt like white chocolate/really strong vanilla. Even after massaging it in for ages it never properly sank into my skin, and as a result a lot transferred onto my bed sheets. If the smell was a bit lighter then it wouldn't be an issue but now my bedsheets reek of overpowering vanilla! It also had chunks of cocoa/chocolate (!?) in it which was a bit gimmicky and basically just meant you got bits of chocolate on your skin that you then had to pick off... Bizarre! Anyway, I definitely won't be repurchasing.

Algenist Genius Ultimate Cream: I actually really loved this (I had a 7ml sample size). Something about the texture was absolutely lovely, really mousse-like while still being a thick, silky cream. I usually really don't go in for strongly scented products but this one smelt incredible (kind of gourmand but also fresh and skincare-appropriate). It did leave my skin feeling very moisturised, although for a variety of reasons I only used it on my neck and chest (main reason being that I'm on strong retinoids so can't chop and change my skincare atm because my skin is really sensitive). It definitely left my skin feeling hydrated and conditioned. Having said all of that, I looked up the price online and a full-size pot is... £85!!! While I thought this cream was really nice, for me to spend that much on a moisturiser it would have to be properly life-changing. I think there are comparable products (maybe not quite as luxurious feeling) that are around the 15-20 pound mark so I personally just can't justify the price. If you have lots of money and are in the market for a really luxurious to use product that does the job then I would definitely recommend this!

Another empty: Molton Brown Eucalyptus shower gel. Love it, will repurchase at some time unless someone can recommend a really good and cheaper alternative that is actually eucalyptus scented as opposed to a mint scented shower gel?

I've finished a body shop handcream. I think the smell was quite strong and was a bit sick of it towards the end. I've started using a boots P&P one and I think I prefer it - doesn't take quite as long to sink in, is unscented, seems to be very moisturising and has factor 15 spf in it. I know that isn't enough to provide proper protection, but is better than nothing for days when I wouldn't normally apply sunscreen (I only tend to put it on if I know I'm going to be spending time outside, rather than just the odd five minutes here and there over the course of a day).

Aveda Invati Thickening Conditioner (sample size) used up. I really rate Aveda conditioners, this is lovely, might purchase full size when my current Rosemary & Mint and a crap Burt's Bees one are used up.

Still in the US, returning home tonight. An epic drugstore + Sephora haul coming up: after spending well over a year repurposing products and using up unloved stuff, I'm going to try a few new lovely things Have been testing some new skincare after long work days, totally in love with a few. But tempting you with shiny new things might be against the rules of this thread so my lips are sealed

I haven't used anything except my Naked 2 palette since this thread started. I've hit pan on two colours today! Very exciting and very encouraging. I've also fallen in love with it, which I think would only happen when you force yourself to use it every day and find different eyeshadow combos for different outfits.

I've also added a few makeup bits to "Project Finish the Fucker"

A Catrice BB cream (half finished and a discontinued product, so best it goes)
A Clinique blusher (10 years old! Has to go!)
And a Barry M lipgloss in Coral (only a third left and a great summery colour)

I've also been looking at "Use Up" youtubers - PrettyPistol86 and Amber F seem to be the most experienced and I've gotten loads of tips. Did you know that when you can't get any more product out of a lipgloss or concealer you can prise out the stopper with a knife and get at all the product at the sides?? MIND. BLOWN.

Annarose I'm super impressed that you've hit the pan in two shades! I almost always start liking products I am using up. So my task after returning home is to try every single color in all of my eye palettes and then decide which one I will start working on. A lipstick and a lip pencil are almost gone, still a few uses left in both but wearing both today...