Products you hoard but never use

[jjwhite]

Inspired by the 'Ashamed by my beauty product hoard' thread I've been thinking a bit about beauty products I accumulate but never use... I think I'm a bit of a magpie and tend to buy all the shiny, sparkly things with lots of hype around them and nice packaging, but then in reality only actually use up all the mundane things like mascara, cleansers and concealer. Looking at my shelves I can see that these are my weaknesses:

Perfume. I have a huge collection but only ever use one or two of my favourites.

'Dressy' makeup: red lipsticks, eye shadow palettes (usually with nice packaging!), highlighters. In reality I just don't find the occasion to put on a full face of makeup, so while the basics (concealer, mascara, eye liner) get used up, the rest just sit on my shelves for yolks.

Skincare serums/facemasks/toners: again, I fall for all the hype, convince myself that I must have such and such magic potion, and then quickly settle back into a basic routine of cleanser, moisturiser. Yet weirdly never learn my lesson ;-)

What about everyone else? Am I the only one who does this?

Absolutely nothing.

I am a makeup and beauty product junkie and I use it all straight away. I don't keep anything for good!

Cleansers toners and moisturisers.

Pale foundations that match my skin but make me look like a ghost.

Red lipsticks in their thousands.

Nail varnish.

Face masks.

Face packs - hardly use
Deep hair conditioning shampoos - also 'save' for special occasions - rarely use
Foundation - have but use a few times a year
Body moisturiser - have far more than I need, definitely seduced by pretty packaging

So interesting hearing everyone's answers! Wish i could be a bit more like BunnyLebowski!

I definitely agree about having hoards of foundations in the wrong shades - either too light or too dark - although currently trying to use them up by blending them to my actual shade. And in future will ask the sales ladies for little samples so I can try properly before purchasing...

Also, thinking a bit about why have I accumulated so many things that I don't use I can only assume the reason for this behaviour (at least for me) is a combination of seeing shopping as an essentially pleasurable activity (and lets be honest - it's more fun buying a luxury perfume than a bog standard face wash), and a kind of 'aspiring' to a certain lifestyle that I don't really have (i.e. one where I go out every evening dressed up to the nines with a chic 'red lip' and 'smokey eye' and drink cocktails before heading home and engaging in a 9 step skincare routine in my marble bathroom lol!) Sadly this doesn't quite match up to the pjs on at 6, evening cuddled up in front of the tele reality (although give me pjs and cuddles any day!)

I guess the whole point of advertising/marketing is they sell you the aspirational lifestyle, and they do it quite well, so when you're in Boots you forget how you don't really wear elaborate makeup everyday and instead are convinced that spending £££ on unnecessary beauty products will somehow better your life!

(This is also true for clothes - my wardrobe is full of clothes and shoes that are kind of 'fantasy' clothes - things I never get the chance to wear in day to day life but which, in my mind, when I'm a size 8 fashionista living in a country where it is sunny all year round, will come in very handy!)

I did a product cull a while back, but my Guilty Stockpiling included:

About 6 boxes of Superdrugs Permenant hairdye (bought on a special offer , usually when I think "Oh , have I got dye?" ) Nothing wrong with the dye, I just had too much brown and I'm going lighter . (Gave it away, it found a good home)

Red lipstick- I never learn, I look like a hooker in red. I have kept an M&S wine red, that is all (though I have a couple of lipglossy pallettes too)

The mascara that will give me Bambi Eyelashes. They won't. The only ones that will are They;re Real or Mally

Loads of green eye pencils (that IRL just gouged my skin)

I have about 50 nail polishes. Lots of body creams.

Clinique eye and lip crayons in colours I like but never use.

Tons of travel sized things that have come with magazines.

I've not bought anything unnecessary for over a year and the pile is slowly dwindling.

I'm just coming to the end of the 12 (twelve) bottles of Soap & Glory shower gel/bath foam I'd accumulated in my airing cupboard, during various 3 for 2 offers. I don't ever want to smell of Fruitigo ever again.

Lip balms - I have multiple vaselines, carmexes which I keep buying as I like to have one in every bag and a few stationed strategically around the house. In reality I hardly use any of them!

Red lipsticks - I love the idea of it, it does suit me (I think) but I actually hardly ever wear it because I feel it's just not me for every day and I don't go out often. Doesn't stop me from buying more in the constant search for my perfect red!

Nail polishes - I have LOADS. admittedly lots are free gifts from magazines, but I have way more than the frequency of use justifies!

Eye crayons - I recently realised that I find these much easier to apply than powder shadow, so yes, bought several in many colours and hardly use them!

Serums - I love a serum (esp one with a pipette dropper!) and keep buying ones with hydraluronic acid in incase they dramatically reverse the aging process!

I really must stop reading Sali Hughe etc.

I hereby make a pact to stop buying and use what I've got!!!!!

I have a huge perfume hoard, lots of skincare and makeup, and quite a few unloved hair products. I also have lots of rings and bracelets, but wear only two or three of them on a daily basis.

I used to have lots of fantasy clothes and bags and shoes but that has changed. These days I only buy clothes that I will actually wear and haven't bought a pair of heels in well over a year.

The most difficult stuff for me is samples. Somehow I get a lot of them, but they are always foundation samples totally unsuitable for my pale skin, products too oily for someone who is acne-prone, or mass market perfumes that I usually dislike. Or false eyelashes I don't want to risk breakouts or smell ghastly for a week, or look like Snooki, but can't bin them either.

Same as Bunny. I use my stash everyday both personally and professionally so have to have a wide range or stuff.
My artist kit is probably my biggest stash of products.