happyone

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Third Circle of Hell

If I were a believer in Dante's Inferno, I would probably belong in the third circle of Hell, the Circle of Gluttons. Why? Because I took one look at my supply of beauty products, and it's nothing but over the top excess. Here's a break down for you:

After counting all of that, I was too ill to venture into the bathroom to count how many shampoos, conditioners, and face washes I have. Why do I have so much stuff? I don't use up what I have before I buy something new, that's why. I'm determined not to buy anything else until I use up every last bit of what I've got. I don't need 15 different mascaras, 3 different shampoos, etc. All of this junk does the same thing, despite the claims on the bottle and the price tag. I have a few mascaras that are over $20, but I prefer my drugstore brand that works better. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's going to magically work better than what's at Walgreens. I also think pricier foundations and powders (aka MAC, Bare Minerals, Clinque) don't really work that much better than Maybelline and Covergirl. Sure, the quality of the stuff might be better, but once it's on your face, there is no difference. Can you tell the difference between who is wearing drugstore foundation and who is wearing the expensive stuff? I can't. How about pictures of yourself; do you look at pictures and say, "ooo, that's when I was wearing that expensive MAC foundation!" or "that's definitely when I was wearing that Covergirl powder". YOU CAN'T TELL!!

So, to summarize, all this junk does the same thing. If I looked at pictures of myself, I couldn't tell you if I was wearing Diorshow mascara or CG Lashblast, if I had used Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner or Pureology, if I had used Bare Minerals or Maybelline. It doesn't make a lick of difference, so I'm going to stop buying more of the same stuff I already have, thinking that somehow it'll magically do what my other stuff doesn't. Besides, when people look at you, they only take in a very, very general idea of what you look like. I know this for a fact because I work in retail and I see many customers a day, but if you asked me what a specific customer looked like at the end of the day, I could probably only give you a very vague description (if the customer isn't a regular). You only really notice things about people when you're around them often or you know them well. Only then can you see the subtle differences. For example, I can tell when my little sister does something different with her eye makeup because I see her all the time. When my boss does her eye makeup differently, she usually has to mention it, or I have to be conciously looking at her makeup. Otherwise, I don't notice, even if my boss is wearing green eyeshadow instead of her usual bare lids (yes, that has happened before).

The ultimate summary: No one will notice if you switch brands of mascara and your hair won't look any different using the expensive stuff.

PS - this entry actually made me realize what I've probably been thinking deep down all along, which is that all of those dumb beauty products do the same thing, regardless of price, brand, etc, so I don't need to buy that new Maybelline Colossal mascara because what it will do is the same thing that those 15 tubes of mascara I already have do! I don't know, for some crazy reason I buy several versions of a product expecting different results (which I do not get). I do believe I have had an epiphany, so maybe this marks the end of my constant (excessive, un-needed) replenishing of my beauty loot.

By the way, I just noticed that my Inventory list up there looks like a tube of lipstick. How fitting.

11:20 p.m. - Monday, Jul. 28, 2008

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