Less is more and all that…
Right now I’m at a bit of a strange place when it comes to beauty. It’s not necessarily a bad place, it’s just a way that I haven’t really felt before. Rewind to even just a year and a half ago and this blog was primarily beauty based. I wore makeup most days, loved the stuff, was consumed by new launches and spent the majority of my disposable income in Space NK. These days, whilst I still have an interest in the industry and blog about it from time to time, it’s just one of many interests I have right now, instead of being the only one. Basically I’ve cooled it down a little and I’m ok with that. So to go with today’s beauty collection tour – scroll down to watch that – I thought I’d write a post about my current beauty mindset to explain why it might be a little more sparse than you’d think…
The ‘HG’ Status. Now when I say that something in my stash has ‘Holy Grail‘ status, I really do mean it. Back in the day I never really repurchased that much. Sure, if I was out of concealer I’d go to the shops and buy a new one – but the idea of buying the same one again, was a bit foreign to me. I always wanted to try more, see what’s new, thought that the grass was greener. As my beauty tastes have matured I’ve discovered products that really, truly work for me and kick the competition to the curb. I’m no longer in the mindset to sniff out new alternatives when my current daily grabs are fulfilling their criteria just fine. There are things I’m using now that I know that I’ll still be using in 10 years time and I’m totally ok with that. Give me a shout if you’d like to see a blog post on ’em.
Better Investments. Just generally having more disposable income now than I did when I was a Uni student and I first got into beauty, means that I just have less of a desire to spend on makeup, and more inclination to spend my money on interiors, travel, nice dinners and experiences with friends and family (and clothing and bags – oops! – but more on that another day!). Heck – I even love to save! These days if there’s a £20 note burning a hole in my pocket then I’d rather go out for a bite to eat with Mark after work, than I would grab a lipstick or two from MAC. Basically unless it’s a repurchase (see above) or it’s something that really, really tickles my fancy (see below point), then perusing the beauty aisles just doesn’t get my pursestrings opening like it used to.
Skincare FTW. I’m at a really good place with my skincare right now – aside from the banging ‘Hello your period has arrived!‘ spot that crept up yesterday at the exact same point that my time of the month did too. Spooky. Because of this, I’ve been putting even less focus on makeup wearing than I have before. It’s actually shifted my mindset too because the majority of the skincare I’m using is available from the drugstore and is under the £20-£25 mark. Its certainly makes a change from the expensive oils I was previously slapping on at the price of around £1 per drop *eyeballs pop out of head* and you know what? My skin is much happier with my current skincare lineup. It’s nuts. I’ll pop up a blog post soon on my current regime.
Reaching Capacity. Having been a bit of a beauty fanatic for a solid 10 years plus now, I feel like when it comes to new launches, there’s only ever a handful that really get me excited and hot under the collar. I know my routine, preferences and likes and dislikes so well now that I can pretty much instantly spot from just a quick swatch and a look at the ingredients list what I’d actually be able to slot in my routine and enjoy in a matter of seconds. In a way it’s a good skill to have because it means that I can cut the crap and skim the cream of the crop off the top in an efficient way and not waste my time trying to get to grips with products that I just can’t get on with – where’s the fun in that, eh? These days I get way more flustered over a good quality cashmere knit or a mid-centuary armchair. GRANNIE ALERT.
Barefaced Beauty. I guess the overriding reason for my current lack of zest for beauty right now, comes from the fact that I don’t actually wear it all that much. Day to day I work at home on my own, only leaving the house to run errands, go the gym and catch-up with friends and family. The only time that I apply a proper face of the stuff is when I’m shooting photos or videos. The only other times that I wear it are when I go to London or at the weekend if there’s something fancy going on. More often than not I’m either bare faced, or I just throw on a bit of foundation or tinted moisturiser, a touch of concealer, a bit of a brow groomer, mascara and a lip balm. If I’m feeling fancy I’ll use the brush that I last applied bronzer with and sweep that over my cheeks. Ah common – I can’t be the only one whose ever done that? Lazy makeup at its best.
Photos by Lauren Shipley
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